《That Time an American was Reincarnated into Another World》 Chapter 1: Killer Truck
John Cooper was playing his favorite game. Surrounded by his posters, football gear, and two small stands holding two different rings, his eyes reflected rapidly shifting scenes of wanton violence. Rockets flew and miniguns sprayed, painting the world within his screen red with blood. His father liked to call things like this ¡°good ol¡¯ fashioned American violence¡±. Not that it meant anything to John. It was just a game he liked. A few months later, he might swap to another. *Ding Ding!* An alarm went off at some point during the day, pulling his attention away from the visceral gameplay. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s time.¡± He rose from his seat with visible excitement and nervousness, gathering some gear and packing the car. Before long he was on his way to his destination. It happened as he was out driving. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. John spotted a large semi-truck, a long boxy trailer hitched behind. As he rolled to a stop at a red light, he shifted into neutral. The light was taking too damn long, his thoughts drifting to other places. ¡°I¡¯ve seen some of those European and Japanese trucks. Why are they so puny compared to ours? Although, considering Texas is damn near the size of Europe, I can see why. Bigger places beget bigger trucks.¡± He hummed, satisfied with his sound logic, while watching the semi barrel toward the intersection. Something was wrong. It was going way too fast. ¡°Shit, is that thing gonna stop?¡± He panicked, fumbling to slam his gear shift into drive. The truck barrelled through 5 cars, twisted metal and shattered glass doing little to halt its momentum. ¡°Oh shit! It¡¯s not gonna stop!¡± He cursed as he watched the truck turn toward him. The roar of its engine overwhelmed him. He couldn¡¯t evade. And then, it happened. Metal contorted and twisted as the truck warped into a robot, the scent of motor oil and gasoline engulfing John¡¯s senses while it roared. ¡°It¡¯s isekai time, motherfucker!¡± John watched as the semi-truck robot jumped high into the air and went into a diving elbow drop, as if it were some kind of pro wrestler. He sat there baffled. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± A hundred tons of metal crushed him and everything went dark. Chapter 2: First Job ¡°Gahh!!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but scream as I leapt from the floor, fully expecting a mangled block of flesh to be all that was left of my body. A quick self assessment determined my body was perfectly fine despite my mind thinking otherwise. My breathing was rough as I looked around; the longer I looked, the more I found my new surroundings to be both soothing and unsettling. Rolling grasslands sprawled as far as my eye could see. It was a bright sunny day with a cool calming breeze. But I still didn¡¯t know where I was. Combined with the shocking experience with the robot truck, I wasn¡¯t exactly in the right frame of mind. I slowly reassessed my condition, finding nothing new: I was just as healthy as ever. In fact, I felt better, as if I had been rejuvenated Just as I was finally feeling calm, a burning heat seared the back of my hand. ¡°Agh! Damn!¡± I clutched my wrist and saw a ring of 13 stars, still raw around the edges, tattooed into the back of my right hand. ¡°Huh? These stars, they¡¯re kind of like the Betsy Ross flag. I guess it''s not the worst tattoo to get, but damn did that hurt.¡± I rubbed the ring of stars. The previously piercing pain had faded to a dull throbbing. ¡°But this still doesn¡¯t help me. Where the hell am I?¡± There was still nothing but grassland. I didn¡¯t know where I was or how the hell I got here. After a while though, I just started walking. I eventually started following a small river winding its way through golden plains. For almost two hours, there was nothing but the sound of water, wind, and my own thoughts to accompany me, but as I crested a hill, I finally saw signs of civilization. ¡°City! Town!¡­ Village¡­?¡± I jumped when I saw the structures in the distance. Before me was not a concrete jungle nor the nicely ordered homes of my hometown suburb, but a scattering of houses around a central few buildings. There was also farmland, and I could see people moving about. But it was a village, which worried me. Where on Earth did villages still exist? ¡°I guess if it''s Ohio or something where all of three and a half people live, that would make sense. But how did I get to Ohio?¡± I mumbled while walking toward the village. But the closer I got, the stranger things got. The houses were not made of brick masonry, but uneven stones pasted together with clay or some other binder. The citizens were dressed in bright but rough clothes, almost medieval in appearance. The well next to the center buildings actually had people drawing water from it. ¡°Amish?¡± With a strange smile, I walked into the limits of the village. Many townspeople stared at the outsider in their midst, curious and apprehensiveness warring in their painfully transparent gazes. I was like some kind of exotic animal that they were all wary of. And at least they weren''t speaking Spanish or something. I could understand them fine despite their unfamiliar accents. ¡°Hey, you.¡± I reached out and tapped a man¡¯s shoulder who was passing by with averted eyes and hurried steps. He did a little hop and turned around, caution written all over his face. I rolled my eyes, thinking he was just a condescending ass. ¡°Can you tell me where this is? Like what state and city?¡± ¡°I¡­ I must go¡­¡± He had a strained smile as he dodged my question and walked away. ¡°Dude, seriously? I thought the Amish were nice! Whatever.¡± I sighed before walking further in. And after catching enough attention, I was finally approached by a tall man with a full beard. He seemed like someone who carried authority, so I smiled in relief. ¡°Hello, sir.¡± ¡°Greetings, traveler. What brings you to this humble village?¡± ¡°I¡¯m lost.¡± I scratched my head. ¡°Can you tell me what state we¡¯re in?¡± ¡°State?¡± ¡°Yea, or city?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, but the nearest city isn¡¯t for a few dozen miles. To the north you¡¯ll find the City of Haelsverg.¡± ¡°Haelsverg? Where am I, in Europe? Nevermind, do you have a phone that I can use? I lost mine.¡± ¡°A¡­ fone?¡± He looked at me with a dumb face, and suddenly I was a bit more skeptical about my situation. I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Hey, what year is it?¡± ¡°Uh, I believe the calendar year is 622, dear traveler.¡± ¡°622¡­ Ah, shit!¡± I remembered the words of that insane robot truck. ¡°Did I seriously?! Dammit! What the hell is this?! Fucking¡­ Hey, what the hell is this anyway?¡± I suddenly brought up the back of my right hand and pushed it to the guy¡¯s face. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. He took a moment to notice the ring of stars on my hand, panicked by the sudden movement. Then, his eyes bulged. ¡°Oh, esteemed Magus! Forgive my rudeness!¡± He dropped to his knees, bowed over at the waist, and the surrounding villagers hastened to do the same. ¡°The hell? What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry for not realizing sooner, great Magus.¡± ¡°What the hell is a Magus? ¡°...I¡¯m sorry?¡± He raised his head, seeing my irked face. ¡°I¡¯m asking what the hell a Magus is.¡± ¡°...A Magus is one who has been blessed by the Holy Ghost. That Crest is the sign of your blessing, and it grants you special power.¡± ¡°Oh? What special power?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, great Magus. You may be a Knight, a Warlock, or a Summoner. I don¡¯t know enough to tell you more.¡± ¡°Is that right? So I¡¯ve been brought to a primitive magical fairyland. Fantastic.¡± I sighed, taking stock of the situation again. I was seriously murdered by a robot semi-truck and dropped into this world. A place where I had no friends, no family, not so much as an acquaintance besides this man who was probably the village chief. I was all alone in a world that I hadn¡¯t the slightest clue about. The only thing that gave me any reassurance was this crest on my hand. If I figured out how to use it. The reality hit me, and for a long moment, I processed it all. After a stretched silence, I closed my eyes. ¡°...Fuck it. It is what it is. Hey, village chief.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The man rose to his feet cautiously. I spoke with a deadpan face. ¡°How do I get to the city?¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ It was 3 days later that I realized I may have misspoken. When I had said city, I meant the nearest city. But apparently the village chief thought I meant the damn capital city at the center of whatever kingdom we were in. Well, at least travel was fast. Besides the crest, it was the village chief who introduced me to the first fantastical thing that confirmed this wasn¡¯t Earth. Our rides to the city were on giant lizards with saddles on their backs. These things could move almost as fast as a car, and they were more than capable of carrying cargo. With only some essentials, the village chief and I each jumped on lizard and crawled off. Later rather than sooner, we arrived at the city. It was something else. I thought it was going to be a run down stone forest with dull gray colors and primitive living conditions. But it seemed this magic shit was more prevalent than I thought. There was a single giant tower that stood in the center of the city, soaring hundreds of meters into the clouds. It was a magic tower no matter how I looked at it, a body of night blue stone pulsing with veins of energy and a capstone of radiant crystal. A sprawling palace complex of marble and gold, flanked by smaller but still impressive towers, covered another large portion of the city, its shining splendor illuminating even the furthest slums. That was probably where the kingdom¡¯s royalty resided. It was called the Kingdom of Dragon¡¯s Tongue, and according to the village chief, this was the best magic city, and only Kingdom in the world. Of course, living in a village constrained his worldview, so I wasn¡¯t sure how valid that statement was. Still, everything was new to me, I didn¡¯t really care. If anything, I was enraptured by the mystical sights and atmosphere of the city. We stopped on the outskirts of the city where the wall was, touching down outside the gate where a river of people flowed through a massive gate. I let the chief talk for me, hanging back a little while he walked up to a pair of alert guards in a checkpoint building. ¡°Good sirs, I come with a guest with no citizenship. He would like to apply.¡± ¡°Temporary visas are 50 coin, and you must go to customs to apply for citizenship.¡± ¡°Here.¡± The chief paid the 50 coin, getting a thin card in return. He pressed it into my palm. ¡°Keep it safe.¡± We entered the city. I glanced at the man who led me. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back, once I get my hands on some money.¡± ¡°Oh, no worries at all, John.¡± He waved, flustered. Honestly, the only reason I was letting him do anything for me was because I had nothing to my name and nowhere to go. I was in a desperate situation, so I could only leech off this man¡¯s kindness. But I wasn¡¯t going to let this go without reimbursement. His goodwill would be repaid, someday. ¡°So you said I should enter the Magisterium?¡± ¡°Yes. There you¡¯ll be able to find a path in life, one that hinges on your crest. It''s the most prestigious institution in the kingdom that accepts just about every Magus, at least for the first year.¡± I had been briefed on this Magisterium, essentially a magic college. It was a place that taught magic to all three types of Magi. It taught the Warlocks how to spell cast, the summoners how to summon, and the Knights how to fight. But of course, it did all this for a reason. And that was to fight the existential threat of the world. They were the Scourge, a non-human race of humanoids and beasts that sought nothing but the destruction of humanity. Humanity had been at war with them for hundreds of years, but year after year, the battles only got worse, and the contenders only got stronger. The Kingdom of Dragon¡¯s Tongue, being the only Kingdom throughout these lands, was the only one that fought the Scourge. It seemed that this Kingdom was the last bastion of humanity, and any other kingdom was mere legend. So, with the ever present threat on their doorstep, the Magisterium was the world¡¯s leader in churning out powerful Magi for the cause. And it would be my first step forward in this crazy world. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to join immediately though. There are about five months before the new year starts and entries are accepted.¡± ¡°Huh? So what do I do for five months?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The chief looked around as we walked through the city. There were a lot of shops, and bills didn¡¯t pay themselves. I sighed. ¡°I guess I better find a job.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s always work to find in this place. I¡¯ll stay with you for a few days until you find one, and then I¡¯ll need to head back to my village.¡± ¡°Thank you, chief.¡± ¡°Hey, kid!¡± My head spun to the right at the sudden shout, my eyes landing on a man who seemed to run one of the shops. He was leaned on a doorframe, a wooden toothpick hanging out of the corner of his mouth. ¡°You lookin¡¯ for work?¡± ¡°Depends.¡± I crossed my arms and flicked my head, prompting him to lay out the offer. ¡°I¡¯m a delivery man, and I need more runners. Pay by commission and easy hours. I¡¯ll even give you a starting bonus, since you seem to be new here.¡± ¡°Huh. What do you think, chief?¡± I glanced at the chief, who was rubbing his beard. Then, he shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s up to you, John. It¡¯s either that or working in a bakery or a store as a counter clerk.¡± ¡°Hm, I guess I¡¯ll take this then. Alright guy, I accept.¡± I walked over, and as shaking hands seemed to be the symbol it was on Earth, I shook the stranger¡¯s hand. He smiled. ¡°The name¡¯s Plex.¡± ¡°John.¡± ¡°Come inside, John. I¡¯ll show you what we do here.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I nodded, but before leaving, I turned back to the chief. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to wait for me, chief.¡± ¡°Eh, I may as well stick around for a day or so. It¡¯s been a long trip and the capital is fun to visit. John, if you need anything, find me at the Moonlight Inn.¡± ¡°Right. Thanks chief. You¡¯ve helped me more than you know.¡± ¡°It was nothing, John. Now go on. You know where to find me.¡± He waved me off, so I went with Plex into the shop. Thus began my first job in this new world. Chapter 3: Drug Runner Plex walked me into what seemed like a small warehouse. It seemed like a pretty normal warehouse. Racks, boxes, a little clearing with a bulletin board, and a table with some correspondence sprawled over it. It didn¡¯t paint a suspicious picture, but that didn¡¯t stop the odd feeling from traveling up my spine. My intuition was something I trusted. It wasn¡¯t the ultimate tool of prophecy, but it had kept me out of bad situations and away from psycho girls in the past, so I learned to run with it. Plex spoke while motioning around him. ¡°This job is rather simple. We receive delivery orders on that board right there, you can choose the jobs you take. Grab the package from the client, give it to the recipient. Collect the designated payment and run it back to the client. And we obviously earn a portion of that money.¡± ¡°...¡± Yea, those words definitely didn¡¯t reassure the suspicion cramming itself down my throat right now. Was this drug running? Well, only if the products were drugs. Running would be a better descriptor, and would probably also be what I would be doing if it weren¡¯t for my empty wallet. ¡°Any questions?¡± ¡°...What if the customer doesn¡¯t want to pay?¡± I asked that question wholly aware of what the answer would be. Plex¡¯s face twisted into what could be called a smile, if not for the completely wrong emotion behind his eyes. ¡°Well, those customers only need a bit of persuasion, that¡¯s all. They all cough it up at the end of the day. I won¡¯t toss you into the wild to fend for yourself though. You¡¯ll shadow me on the first few, just to get an idea.¡± ¡°...Fuck it, why not. Might as well try something new.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s the spirit. But first¡­¡± He looked me up and down. ¡°Let¡¯s get you a new set of clothes. I don¡¯t know where you came from, but those clothes aren¡¯t very normal.¡± I chuckled and glanced down again. I had been wearing a t-shirt and sweats when I died, clothing that definitely didn¡¯t exist here. And although the colors were only white and gray, their sterile uniformity still stood out. I definitely wouldn¡¯t be so great at running whatever in clothes so unique, so I accepted Plex¡¯s offer and went to a nearby shop. ¡­¡­ It seemed like suit-like attire was common in this world. At least, in the cities of this world. Standard dress was pants, long sleeves, a vest, and some hard leather shoes. Thankfully this world¡¯s fashion industry was developed, so I wasn¡¯t uncomfortable wearing anything. And I looked decent. Slick, even. I definitely blended with the rest of the populace now. The only thing I wasn¡¯t so accustomed to was the pair of gloves that Plex insisted I wore. They were fingerless leather gloves apparently meant to cover my crest. I understood that my crest might not necessarily be something to show off easily, so I agreed and mentally took note to wear them every day from now on. Besides that, I kept my old clothes with me. They were the only memento of Earth that I had now. And after our shopping trip, Plex went and pulled a job off the wall for us. ¡°The most challenging thing for you will be learning the layout of the city. You have to know where to go if you want to deliver things. And these jobs need to be completed in a timely manner. We don¡¯t like to keep our clients waiting, especially if its a rush order.¡± ¡°Alright. So how should I go about learning?¡± ¡°Simple. Through experience. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll pick everything up over time, so long as you stick with the job.¡± ¡°Well, I only have five months before I plan to enter the Magisterium. So until then, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Sketchy or not, I had seen what the various jobs on the wall paid, and it seemed like good money. I could earn hundreds of coin per job, and I could complete quite a number in a single day. Of course, if things really did get dangerous, then I planned to leave. I wasn¡¯t gonna get caught up in some underground war after getting on the bad side of a mob boss. And I had a feeling such a thing was very possible. ¡°Alright, go ahead and grab the package. We¡¯ll start our first job now.¡± Plex handed me the job paper, and I looked at the package identifier on it. In another part of the warehouse was a series of shelves, each one with various boxes and containers. Some were medium sized, and others were small enough to be held in a hand. I found the box I needed, a medium sized wooden crate that needed both arms to carry. After I grabbed it, we both left the warehouse and made our way down the streets. As we walked, I observed my surroundings. Most of the buildings were at least three stories tall. The streets were wide, the alleys narrow and dark, and as it was getting to be evening, light posts started glowing with radiance. For a while the walk was dull. Just another boring street, some residential, others commercial with restaurants or bakeries. It was nothing I hadn¡¯t seen before. But then, Plex led me into a large plaza. And the whole place lit up. ¡°Fairy dust here!¡± ¡°Two ivory horns for 300 coin!¡± ¡°Hand crafted silver blades made by the Golden Warlock!¡± ¡°10 hour smoked Yak meat, get it fast!¡± It was a plaza full of booths and shops with open walls, with over a thousand people either hawking their wares or haggling down prices. Floating lights lit up the surroundings as if they were alive, and I could see all the exotic items that were being traded. From grand sets of armor to small animals for pets, it seemed like you could find anything you wanted here. ¡°Welcome to the Golden Trading Post. Hundreds of merchants fight to come here and sell their wares, and thousands of people drop many millions of coin here on the weekly. Only when the sun falls does this place come alive. But of course, the only people who come here are chumps who spend their money on overpriced garbage.¡± Plex snickered, and then he brought me to a shop. It seemed just as busy as all the others, selling all kinds of savory food that made my mouth water. But we didn¡¯t come here for food. Instead, upon entering, the shopkeep saw Plex and beamed with a wide smile. ¡°Plex! I haven¡¯t seen you in a while! I thought you had quit the business.¡± ¡°Hah, like that¡¯ll ever happen. I was just looking for an apprentice to help me, and I found John here.¡± He pat my shoulder, and the shopkeep looked me over. Back on Earth, I played college sports and was in the prime of my life. At 22 years old I was over 6 feet tall and proudly chiseled with large muscles. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Even Plex was only barely taller than me. In fact, everyone in this world seemed to have a much taller average height, so I didn¡¯t stand out much in that arena. But I was still built like a wall, and the shopkeep nodded with approval. ¡°He looks strong. And he¡¯s a Magus, huh?¡± He looked me over, his words confusing me since I had my crest covered by my gloves. How did he know I was a Magus? Plex only nodded. ¡°That he is, but not a certified one. He¡¯ll be joining the Magisterium this upcoming year.¡± ¡°I see. Well John, so long as you¡¯re not stupid and know when to respect the right people, you¡¯ll keep your head. Don''t make yourself an enemy, and you¡¯ll remain immune. And who knows, maybe someone will take a liking to you and you¡¯ll get to make a connection. Magi always need friends, and not just in high places.¡± He slapped my shoulder with a toothy grin before waving the two of us to the back of the shop. ¡°Head on in. And the next time you come through, just give my name. I¡¯m Chef Black.¡± ¡°Thank you, Chef.¡± I gave the guy a smile and nod, and weaving through the store, we came upon a hidden door that led into a dark tunnel. If I still had any doubt in my mind, I didn¡¯t anymore. Walking through the dry dark tunnel made of paved stone, we came upon another door. Plex knocked once, and a hatch opened revealing a pair of eyes. ¡°Gavin.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Plex. Who¡¯s the new guy?¡± The pair of eyes widened before looking at me. ¡°A new recruit. I¡¯m teaching him the ropes.¡± ¡°Hm. Fun.¡± He hummed before closing the hatch and opening the door. Gavin, a heavy set man who was taller than even Plex, welcomed us in. ¡°Have a safe trip.¡± ¡°Always.¡± Plex smiled as he led me in. I couldn¡¯t help a wry smile. Music, lights, hot women, and men with a ring on each finger. The festive yet moody atmosphere, along with the thick scent of heavy alcohol, told me all I needed to know about this place. ¡°Where there¡¯s light, there¡¯s darkness. Welcome to the Black Market. Where there¡¯s no rules except the ones you make.¡± Plex laughed and brought me along. As I walked, I saw three things. First, a fight that broke out between two men with broadswords. In only three seconds the fight was decided as one man had his right arm taken off. Second, a store full of caged beasts that were as massive as they were ferocious. Apparently they could be bought as slave beasts or pets. And third, a brothel with nude women at the doorway and heavy smoke that wafted out, creating a flowing fog at their feet. ¡°As the freest market in the city, there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t find here. They have everything from slaves to the hardest drugs. They also have the best and most powerful gear a Magus can buy. You¡¯ll do good to remember that in the future.¡± ¡°...The kingdom allows all this?¡± I was quite shocked by it all. Sure I knew that these places existed, but on Earth, it all existed online, or behind closed doors that nobody knew existed. But here, it was basically out in the open. I could see the night sky above. We seemed to be within an area that was enclosed by the backs of buildings around it. Plex laughed. ¡°Allow it? Sure, on paper they abhor this kind of stuff. But there¡¯s two reasons that nobody touches the Black Market. One, because every powerful Magus has a hand in this dark place. And two¡­¡± His voice fell. ¡°Because the last person to try and destroy this place was murdered in his sleep. You don¡¯t fuck with the Black Market.¡± ¡°...Yea.¡± I sighed. This new job of mine was turning out to be interesting. ¡­ ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± After walking through many alleyways. We finally approached our destination. ¡°Since the box you¡¯re carrying is a light package, it was dropped at our delivery center. These jobs are easier since you just need to take them straight to the recipient instead of grabbing the package from the client. Still, we¡¯ll need to collect the money, and those who receive light packages that aren¡¯t worth much tend to enjoy giving us a hard time. Let¡¯s see if this one is one of those people.¡± Plex smiled before knocking on the door to a dark building. ¡°Who is it?¡± The door opened, revealing a really skinny girl who looked malnourished. Smoke also bellowed out of the doorway, giving off an incredibly strong odor that made me frown. ¡°We have a delivery. For Mr. Hally.¡± ¡°Oh. Hey, Hally! The Moonshine is here!¡± ¡°Finally!¡± The girl yelled, prompting another man to come to the door. I spotted a long pipe in his mouth for smoking, and whatever plant he put into it glowed a silvery white when it was burned. It resembled the radiance of the moon, causing me to narrow my eyes at the box in my hands. ¡°I¡¯m a drug runner now¡­¡± ¡°Go ahead and put the box inside.¡± The man waved, but I didn¡¯t move anywhere. Plex smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll need to see the money, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Hm? I¡¯ll get it, just put the box inside.¡± ¡°...¡± Plex was silent, simply standing there with a small smile on his face. It caused the man¡¯s face to fall. He snarled and drew a knife, but Plex was right there with him, a shortsword appearing in his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s not make this difficult, friend. Otherwise I¡¯ll take more than just your money.¡± ¡°...Tsk. Ass-licking piece of¡­¡± The man¡¯s voice faded as he headed inside. When he came back, he threw a sack at Plex¡¯s face. When he caught it, I finally handed off the box. ¡°Pleasure doing business.¡± ¡°Just get the fuck off my doorstep.¡± *Slam!* I recoiled a bit at the door in my face. Plex chuckled as we walked away. ¡°Most of the lightweights are like that. But so long as you don¡¯t give them any room, they¡¯ll back off. And if they really want to fight, you just have to make sure you win. Then you can take a little bonus along with the payment.¡± ¡°...I have two questions.¡± ¡°Ask away.¡± Plex counted money as I asked. ¡°First, what are lightweights and light packages.¡± ¡°What you just delivered was a large batch of Moonshine, which is a common drug the guy was smoking. Light packages are packages that contain common or low value goods, and lightweights are the people who deal in those goods. On the contrary, It¡¯s the heavyweights you want to be careful with. Dealing with those people is just as rewarding as it is risky. Valuable cargo, high payment, but those people are similarly dangerous. I¡¯ll take you on a heavyweight tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I got the concept, and at the same time was now looking forward to tomorrow. ¡°Now second. If that guy insisted on fighting, why would you only take a little bonus instead of everything he¡¯s good for?¡± ¡°Haha, quite the ruthless question. And I get it, but there¡¯s a special reason we don¡¯t ruin these little runts.¡± Plex nodded as he finished counting the money, stuffing the sack into his coat. ¡°It¡¯s wise to never take more than you¡¯re worth. Not only does it ruin our reputation, but it can invite trouble. It¡¯s a principle of mercy that I¡¯ve always employed, and it¡¯s led to more business and fewer enemies. Besides, I don¡¯t care about whatever small stash of money that deadbeat was hiding. As delivery men, we¡¯re above that. This trade of ours is a special one, so act like it.¡± He smacked my chest, causing me to smirk. After that, we delivered the money to a drug dealer who let us take our fee directly. He didn¡¯t even bother to check. It would¡¯ve been easy to sneak away with a few extra coin, but as Plex said, we¡¯re above that. And what was a few extra bucks, when we could continue to receive this man¡¯s business? It seemed like common knowledge, but Plex told me that I¡¯d be surprised by the amount of idiots who ruin everything for a bit of extra cash. *Clink* I jumped when Plex tossed a sack of coin at my chest. ¡°Your payment for the job.¡± ¡°This is the entire fee.¡± I looked inside. The fee was close to 200 coin, and all of it was in the sack. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Consider it a starting bonus.¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent as I glanced at the man. He was being good to me. He got me clothes, a job that could pay well, and was giving me this bonus. But as I had discovered, anybody doing this kind of business wasn¡¯t someone to easily trust. You couldn¡¯t trust even the strangers walking past you. Maybe they were out to steal the sack of coin in your pocket. So after I sobered myself, washing out all the thoughts of how fantastical all these experiences were, I brought forward my skepticism. Plex noticed as I stopped walking, turning around and looking at me with a raised brow. ¡°Something wrong?¡± ¡°...You take the coin.¡± I tossed the sack back at him. ¡°I don¡¯t need to be in your debt. Put that toward the bill for my clothes.¡± ¡°Oh? Hahaha!¡± He started laughing, taking a few seconds to calm down. ¡°Getting skeptical, are we? I will admit, you shouldn¡¯t trust anybody in the Black Market. But unfortunately, you¡¯re already in my debt, and 200 coin isn¡¯t going to change that much. At least have enough to get a room and feed yourself.¡± He threw the sack back at me. ¡°And hey.¡± He continued before I could. ¡°You don¡¯t have to trust me, John. You¡¯re a Magus, right? Figure out what power you have, and then you can keep yourself safe from any schemes I might be planning. Your own ability is what determines everything else. And besides, I couldn¡¯t care less about 200 coin. Now come on, I want to get one more job done before the day ends.¡± ¡°...¡± Seeing him walk off, I sighed. And I followed, deciding that I would work on whatever my magic was when I got the chance. Chapter 4: Fireballs After another job, I learned that I would be working in the night as a delivery man. The Black Market operated at all hours of the day, but only at night did the true doors of darkness open. Basically, we delivery men weren¡¯t supposed to operate during the day. The daytime was when we received orders, and when night came, we fulfilled them. So my sleep schedule needed to be flipped, which wasn¡¯t too difficult of a change. When the second job of my first night was completed, I went to a hotel that Plex recommended me. I paid for three days which cost 30 coin, and fell asleep as soon as I hit the crappy bed. Since I finished the second job only an hour before the sun came up, I didn¡¯t wake up until well beyond noon. I didn¡¯t have a clock, but jobs couldn¡¯t start until sunset, which was in another few hours. So in my room, I decided to take a quick look at my crest. After the tattoo was formed on my hand, I hadn¡¯t felt anything from it since. 13 stars sitting on my hand and looking pretty. No amount of feeling or meditation activated it. There wasn¡¯t some mystical energy that I could feel and control. There was nothing. Right now, it really was just a tattoo. ¡°That Magisterium probably knows how to activate it. But that¡¯s five months away. I¡¯ll just need to keep trying and see if anything happens. There¡¯s no way this is here for nothing.¡± I refused to believe that I was unable to use my crest, so in that case, I just needed time to experiment. The hotel I stayed at had a restaurant, so after getting food to eat I headed back out to the warehouse. When I arrived, the sun was beginning to set. And inside the warehouse, I found not only Plex, but another man. ¡°Ah, John! You¡¯re early.¡± ¡°Yea.¡± ¡°This is Libitus. He¡¯s one of our few coworkers.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Libitus waved, and I nodded to him. When I approached, Plex smacked my shoulder. ¡°Good news, I just got an order from a heavyweight, one of our premium clients. It¡¯ll be our first run of the day. After that, I¡¯ll come with you on a few more lightweights, see if you can¡¯t handle things on your own.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m fine with delivering, but my biggest issue is still directions. I don¡¯t know where anything is.¡± I voiced my most obvious concern. I couldn¡¯t learn the layout of the black market or the city in only two days. Plex smiled. ¡°That¡¯s actually why I called Libitus here. He has a map detailing all the information you need to know.¡± ¡°Here.¡± The man walked over to a table. I looked over his shoulder as he unfurled a map. It turns out the Black Market was bigger than I thought. There were actually two of such markets that spanned several blocks. And those two markets had very specific entry and exit points. The food shop Plex took me through was one such entry point, and in that market, there were only 4 entrances. Libitus explained. ¡°There are two markets. The one you went to last night is the Founder¡¯s Black Market. That market is separated into four districts, each owned by four heavyweight mafias.¡± ¡°Heh, we have a contract with two of those mafias that let us handle some of their sensitive cargo.¡± Plex nudged me smugly before Libitus continued. ¡°All our deliveries are marked with the district, the block, the street, and the building number. Most buildings in the market are given a number. Oh, and a little advice, don¡¯t mess around with the unmarked buildings unless you want to get your head taken off. The only reason you go near them is if you have a delivery to one.¡± ¡°Mm. Those buildings are almost always owned by the mafias. And if they aren¡¯t, then they¡¯re owned by someone you really don¡¯t want to fuck with, because those guys can fuck with the mafias.¡± ¡°Anyway.¡± Libitus rolled his eyes at plex. ¡°Just know what district you¡¯re in, keep an eye on the block numbers and streets, and you can find your way. Things are pretty orderly in the Black Market, contrary to popular belief.¡± ¡°Yea, you don¡¯t let savages handle expensive things.¡± Plex chuckled, and after he packed the map, he stuffed it in my arms. ¡°Keep it with you and use it when needed, but do me a favor and don¡¯t make yourself look like a tourist. It attracts unwanted attention. And speaking of, you¡¯ll need this.¡± Plex reached into his coat and grabbed a sheath. It contained a large knife, one that was worn with usage. ¡°A simple knife, but good enough so long as you don¡¯t get on the bad side of a Magus. Just know that nobody wants to get cut, so as long as you don¡¯t push a fight, it probably won¡¯t happen, and you can get your way. At the end of the day, all you need is payment. Now¡­¡± Plex looked up toward the roof, seeing a small window that showed the darkening sky. ¡°We should get going. I like to please our clients with prompt service.¡± He waved me along, leaving Libitus to grab a few packages and do his own work. We made our way to the Golden Trading Post that was already beginning to surge with activity. And when we made it to the restaurant that Chef Black operated, he tossed me a large kabob that held several chunks of savory meat. ¡°Thanks Chef!¡± ¡°Haha, just watch your back in there.¡± The large man smiled, and we passed through. ¡­¡­ Our destination was deep inside the Black Market, specifically one of the four corners that was home to the core of our heavyweight client. The Tavera Family. They were identified by their saber crest. Most of the members carried an actual saber with special engravings, making them easy to pick out. At first their territory was crowded with people and business. It seemed nice, like an eternally festive atmosphere of civilized debauchery. But as we got deeper, all that faded rather quickly. Instead, we encountered luxurious buildings and more members who roamed the streets with tasks of their own. Many of the buildings had their interiors completely sealed, but Plex told me that they were home to some of the best products one could buy. Apparently they also manufactured special drugs, but nobody knew where. Along the way, we ended up being stopped a few times, but Plex¡¯s identity got us through every time. It seemed delivery men really were special. And soon, we arrived at the home of the Tavera Family. A large manor with armored guards out front, including rows of tall torches that illuminated a red pathway to the front door. We walked up, and I stopped with Plex outside the front door. Soon enough, the door opened, and we were greeted by a surprisingly beautiful woman. She smiled at Plex, speaking with a soothing voice. ¡°Plex, we appreciate your timely arrival.¡± ¡°Haha, of course, Parif¡± ¡°...Who is your guest?¡± Parif looked at me curiously. I kept my cool as best I could and simply smiled. Plex talked for me. ¡°This is my apprentice, John. I¡¯m teaching him, so I hope his presence won¡¯t be much of a bother.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°...No, it¡¯s not. Come in.¡± She opened the door and ushered us in. I looked around as my feet hit the stone floor. The entire place was lit up with bright yellow floating lights, casting a warm glow on the gold and red interior. Golden pillars had pictures of warriors and battles depicted on them, and the red floor looked like marble that had been dyed red. Two staircases went from the center of the room and sloped upward, leading into other halls. Parif led us up one of the stairs and through a hall, coming upon a set of mahogany double doors. After knocking twice, she waited about four seconds before opening. What was revealed was a study, and a single man who sat behind a massive desk. He lifted his head from the book in front of him, smiling at Plex and giving me a curious glance. ¡°Plex, and a guest?¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch Tavera. This is my apprentice.¡± ¡°Oh? Thinking of retiring soon?¡± The man spoke with a sultry voice, and I observed him as Plex smiled as if embarrassed. The man had a very clean mustache that he occasionally twisted the end of. His hair was slicked back, and his suit was kept prim and proper. Patriarch Tavera turned his gaze from Plex to me. ¡°What¡¯s your name, boy?¡± ¡°John, sir.¡± ¡°Mm. And you¡¯re a Magus?¡± Like previously, he managed to guess my little secret without even seeing the crest on my hand. I nodded. ¡°Yes, but I have yet to figure out how to use my power. I plan on enrolling in the Magisterium when they open.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. I wish you luck. Let me see your crest.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Slipping off my glove, the patriarch saw the 13 stars on the back of my hand. He sighed. ¡°A summoner, hm? In that case, a difficult road lies in front of you. ¡°...A summoner?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but question confusedly. The Patriarch nodded his head toward my hand. ¡°Your crest. Those crests with pointed symbols on them, like stars, triangles, anything with edges, are the indicators of a summoner. You¡¯re no doubt a summoner. Unfortunately, summoners also have the most difficult time within the Magisterium. They are very often outclassed by the Warlocks and Knights.¡± The man raised his right hand, revealing a crest of abstract lines, as if it had been slashed by a blade many times. ¡°These line crests are the indicators of a Knight, which I am. We specialize in bodily enhancement, like speed, strength, endurance, regeneration, and more. My Tavera Family is a family of knights, and we often come into conflict with the other mafias because of that. And while we¡¯re on the topic of other families, I should brief you on your delivery order.¡± The Patriarch suddenly opened a drawer of his desk, retrieving a small wooden box. He eyed Plex. ¡°This box contains a message for our fiery friends at the Clockwork Institution.¡± ¡°The warlock mafia?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± He placed the box on the edge of the desk. ¡°Take it to them at this arranged meeting spot, and report back here when all is said and done.¡± ¡°Understood. We¡¯ll be back before morning comes.¡± ¡°Good. And take this deposit too.¡± Plex grabbed the box, a small slip of paper, and a bag of coin. With that, he stowed them and bowed. As we turned to leave, he spoke once more. ¡°Oh, and John.¡± I turned, seeing the Patriarch¡¯s small smile. ¡°Come back, and I¡¯ll put in a word with the Polaris Family.¡± ¡°Thank you, Patriarch.¡± Although both good and bad feelings rose up within me, I simply nodded and thanked him. After that, Plex and I left the manor of the Tavera Family, taking to the streets. Plex sighed as we walked, causing me to voice my concerns. ¡°When he said come back¡­¡± ¡°It means this may not be a smooth delivery.¡± He scratched his head. ¡°The Clockwork Institution is at odds with the Tavera Family. So whatever this message is, if they don¡¯t take it well, they may decide to kill us. Of course, we won¡¯t sit back and die so easily, and the Patriarch isn¡¯t one to screw me over. That¡¯s why there¡¯s a meeting spot in neutral territory.¡± ¡°...Still. I don¡¯t know if I can fight a bunch of wizards.¡± I mumbled. Warlocks were all spellcasters. If this went south, I expected fireballs to come my way, and I don¡¯t know how prepared I was to face that. Plex smacked my back. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry so much. Remember, warlocks take a few seconds to prepare their spells. If these guys really are going to try anything, we have a window to run away. Just don¡¯t remain in an open area with them while at a distance. That just makes you a target.¡± ¡°Right.¡± I sighed as we continued to take turns down various streets. And finally, we arrived at an unmarked warehouse. It looked incredibly worn down, with foliage hanging across rusted metal walls and broken down infrastructure. We slipped through a destroyed door that was hanging on its hinges, entering what looked like the ruins of a small factory. There were some large machines that hadn¡¯t seen the light of day in years and storage shelves scattered throughout the place. Only in the center was there an open clearing. It was there that we met our wizard friends. Three of them, all draped in robes, not bothering to hide the symbol of what I assumed was the Clockwork Institution on their chests. Their symbol was that of gears and interconnected circuits, looking like a complex machine. And each of our contacts were carrying themselves with confidence, not likely to be mere goons of the Institution. Plex greeted them with friendliness, as was standard in this line of business. ¡°Hello, my friends from the-¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the message?¡± He was interrupted by the warlock in the middle, the one who seemed to be the leader with slightly more luxurious robes than the other two. Plex continued to smile while retrieving the wooden box. He handed it off to the one on the right, who opened it before handing it to the leader. The leader looked into the box for a long while, his expression not changing in any way. Instead, he slowly brought out what was inside. A finger, with a ring around its severed base. It had long dried, and the sight caused my face to scrunch. ¡°...Do you know what this is?¡± ¡°Sorry sirs, but we¡¯re just the messengers. The details and context of the product delivered are not our concern.¡± ¡°...They should be.¡± The leader muttered, his tone falling, and his words causing me to go on guard. Even Plex lost a bit of his friendliness as he asked. ¡°Sirs, the head of the Tavera family would like a response.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Ah, jeez.¡± Plex sighed, turning to me with a wry smile. ¡°Sorry kid, maybe I should¡¯ve left you. Let¡¯s do our best, okay?¡± ¡°Okay?¡± My heart sunk as I cautiously responded. And before I was able to react, I saw Plex¡¯s leg swing out, his foot crashing into my chest with insane force. My body was suspended in the air. As I felt the air rush out of my lungs, I could see a flash of light from the direction of the warlocks. Fireballs, just as I had worried about. They crashed in the place where I was. With Plex¡¯s kick I was safe, my body landing in the midst of storage shelves. Plex also disappeared. Adrenaline shot through my body as I heard the explosion. Not long after, I heard Plex¡¯s voice echo amongst the ruined factory. ¡°Get going, kid! And don¡¯t stop for anything!¡± ¡°Agh!¡± I grunted while struggling to breathe. Still, knowing how dangerous things had turned, I crawled to my feet and headed deeper into the ruins. ¡°Get them. Their corpses will be our response to the piece of shit at Tavera.¡± I heard the leader¡¯s voice reverberate. And not long after, I saw a light flash through the shelf I was behind. I threw my body, barely avoiding the explosion that toppled the shelf and sent debris flying behind me. ¡°We got this one, sir.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll get the other slippery bastard.¡± ¡®Shit!¡¯ I heard those words while scrambling in another direction, cursing inwardly at my luck. It seemed I would need to run away from two wizards. My lungs were still desperately heaving for air as I ran between al the shelves and machines that served as obstacles I took my time, and only occasionally did a fireball come hurdling in my direction. Every time it happened I was forced to jumped out of the way, and a few times I was still hit by debris, my body becoming a bit battered. It only served to wake me up though. With the help of adrenaline, I felt myself become hyper aware, every sound and color being used to indicate where the two wizards were. However, I was only able to tell where one of them was, and that¡¯s because he was the one launching the fireballs. The second one though¡­ Walking amidst the storage shelves, there was a long period of silence. I kept my steps as quiet as possible, my breathing light despite how tired I already was. But then, I turned a corner, and I saw a figure. My heart jumped, another surge of adrenaline overcoming me as I saw the robed man wave his hand. Colors bloomed as white lines were drawn in the air before him. His fingers traced the air, creating circuits that traveled between gears which manifested in cyclical formations. It looked like the symbol of the Clockwork Institution. Gears, circuits, symbols, all of them coming together in what I only assumed was a spell. And it only took a few seconds before I saw the air distort. In the corner of my eye as well, I could see another flash of light, the sign of another fireball. My avenues were cut off. One in front, one behind. Those few seconds felt so long, but right as the spell of the warlock in front of me flashed, my shirt was suddenly yanked, my body being pulled to the side. I watched as I was pulled through the brittle metal wall of the warehouse, fragments scraping my clothes and skin. Then, I was stopped on the street. I heard Plex¡¯s voice. ¡°Start running! That one¡¯s an air specialist! Use the buildings to your advantage!¡± ¡°...Okay!¡± There were many things I wanted to say, and several questions I wanted to ask. But right now, there was no time to lose. Turning in another direction, I took off into some dark alleyways. At the same time, I could hear explosions not far from me, but ones that sounded different from the fireballs. They were also more rapid. It was the leader, no doubt. Plex couldn¡¯t be having an easy time if even he was hurried. Thankfully it seemed he was also a competent Magus, so he had some power. Not so fortunate for me though. Sure I was a Magus, but I had no idea how to use my power. I could only run. The two wizards on my tail gave chase. It seemed like they were fast too, because even with my recovering speed, I couldn¡¯t seem to shake them off. I took turn after turn, and no matter where I went, my surroundings were nothing but dark buildings and creepy alleyways. The people were scarce too, and when I came running, they often shrunk to the side, especially when they saw my pursuers. ¡®No open areas¡­ no distance¡­¡¯ I repeated these things in my mind. I couldn¡¯t let these guys have enough time to launch a fireball my way, so I needed to constantly be twisting and turning. At the same time, I retrieved the knife Plex gave me. My stamina was draining and I couldn¡¯t keep running forever, especially since these guys seemed like they were in better shape than me. They were gaining, so my mind rapidly started forming ideas. Chapter 5: First Star It was the so called air specialist who was trying to catch me up close. On the contrary, the fireball one kept his distance intentionally. I could only assume that the air specialist had the ability to fight up close. Still, I was running out of energy, so I needed to do something. And I got an idea. I turned a corner, just as I always did. But then I stopped. I turned and looked back to where I knew the air specialist would come. In fact, I even charged back around, my knife in hand and my desperation ready to kill someone. As if before it was only playing around, my adrenaline surged more than it ever has. It was like a drug, making my senses unbearably acute, and forcing my muscles to use every ounce of power they had. But it seemed like the air specialist was cautious. Instead of turning the corner hastily, he came at an angle, arriving with distance between us. Still, I charged. Turning and running away because things didn¡¯t go exactly as predicted would only give him the opening he wanted. And my desperation wasn¡¯t going to go unsatisfied. My large strides carried my arm to where it needed to go. I threw myself at that robed man with wild abandon. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. And he raised his palm in retaliation. He pushed it toward my chest, but disregarding whatever he was going to do, I pushed forward. And my knife met its target. I stabbed forward, but instead of the knife slicing through the robe, it was actually stopped. However, my surging force behind it couldn¡¯t be so easily negated. Although the blade didn¡¯t slice through, I could distinctly feel the knife push its fabric enveloped edge into the man''s body. I could feel flesh split, and I could hear the man yell in pain. Fabric might block a slash, but its flexibility still allowed deformation. I was basically stabbing him with a dulled blade, and it had its effects. However, his palm that was slammed against my torso didn¡¯t seem to be for nothing. Right after I stabbed, I could feel an odd force surge from his hand with a momentary flash. I could feel the gust of air brush against my body, making my clothes flutter. But that was light. Instead, the force was invisible as it surged through my body. An invisible energy. It felt both weirdly invasive and incredibly painful as it disrupted my insides. It was like a punch to the liver. It made me weak, my stomach contracting and forcing me to vomit. My legs buckled for but a moment as I was thrown to the floor. But as I pulled away, I could see a vague phantom appear beside the air specialist. And then, a knife appeared in his neck. Blood sprayed into the air as his body collapsed, his hands clutching his neck. That phantom moved toward me, grabbing my arm and forcing me up despite every cell in my body protesting. ¡°Don¡¯t stop! Not unless you want to burn alive!¡± Plex¡¯s voice shook my head before he shoved me into another alleyway. After that, I could hear more explosions along with the enraged shouts of the leader. Riding the high of my adrenaline, I ignored the pain and ran even without breathing. But now, I really was at my limit. I didn¡¯t even have 10 seconds to recover, and minutes of that had pushed my body to its short term limits. So I found the nearest doorway and threw my body against it. Thankfully, luck was on my side as it was thrown open. I stumbled into a dark room decorated with sparse furniture covered in dust. Abandoned, probably, or just really in need of a cleaning. Either way, nobody seemed to be home, so I ran into the back, entering another door to enter a similarly dark and smaller room. It seemed to be a bedroom, fit with a closet and everything. It was the closet I disappeared into. After that, I could hear hurried footsteps scamper across the wooden floor of the living room. It was the fireball warlock, and his breath was hurried as he slowly walked through. He was quiet, as was I. I tried as best I could, but I needed to breathe, so my breath wasn¡¯t exactly quiet. But I was still inside the closet, all the sounds I was making muffled. And I knew that guy wasn¡¯t one to get close. He had kept his distance the entire time. He probably didn¡¯t have a nasty trick like the air specialist. So I was given some time. Time to revel in the agony of my bodily pain. My stomach hurt the most, like all my guts were bruised. And they probably were. That invisible energy wave was a nasty attack. I could taste the iron of blood on my tongue. However, I had noticed something else inside me. More specifically, I noticed a change inside my mind. It was like I had gained a new awareness of something. Something¡­ supernatural. Within a dark space inside my head, I could see one bright star and 12 faded stars. A single star of the 13 stars was now present, and as if it were the gateway, I could make out other objects within. The Patriarch of the Tavera family said I was a summoner. Well, the powers of a summoner were obvious. They summoned things to do battle for them. And my summons¡­ *Tap* I could hear the footsteps of the fireball man make their way into the room I was in. As my breathing was hurried, he probably knew where I was. Sure enough, his steps stopped, and everything was silent. But then, through the gap underneath the door I was behind, I could see a flash. I raised my arms. *Boom!* A burst of fire crashed into the door, shattering the wood and blowing it down. There was dust and smoke that rose up as the fireball man approached the doorway. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He looked inside, his face sure of himself. But then¡­ *Click* I stood, facing him directly. And my arm was raised, my hand that held the flintlock pistol pointed straight for his face. I smiled through the agony of my body, even as blood spilled from my lips and tongues of fire burned my clothes. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been so excited as I looked across the barrel of this primitive weapon. ¡°Tally ho, bitch!¡± *BANG* ¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­ The Patriarch of the Tavera family looked down at me with a punchable smile. Thankfully they had a healer. It was an older gentleman who was a warlock and trained in the ways of healing, whatever that meant. All I knew was that I felt a lot better after he drugged me with some tasty red pills that melted in my mouth. They were kind of like candies. Plex, on the other hand, was perfectly fine. Figures, since his ability was apparently turning invisible. No wonder he was so good in this line of business. If he were by himself, he could just escape any confrontation. ¡°You did good, kid! To think you¡¯d awaken your power right as you were cornered. You know, I think you¡¯re just right for this line of business. Isn¡¯t that right, Patriarch?¡± ¡°Mm, indeed. The ability to grow in the face of adversity is the greatest trait one can have.¡± ¡°Hehe, your wisdom is spot on! What do you think, John? The payout for this job is big, and there will be more in the future. How about you come officially work with me?¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent as I weakly raised my middle finger. It didn¡¯t seem like this insult translated to this world though, as Plex tilted his head. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°...Something you can shove up your ass.¡± ¡°Bahahaha!¡± The Patriarch suddenly roared in laughter, smacking Plex¡¯s back. ¡°Plex, you¡¯ve got a good one here! Take him to the Polaris Family after he recovers. He¡¯s made it through this trial by fire, so I plan to make true on my promise.¡± ¡°...Sure thing, Patriarch.¡± Plex nodded as the Patriarch walked out. The two of us were left alone, me in the medical bed of the Tavera mansion. Plex narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°You get 20% of the pay.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± ¡°10%, since you easily agreed.¡± ¡°What?!¡± I jumped, and we argued until I was too tired to negotiate anything better than 17%. After that, I was finally allowed to rest, succumbing to incredible mental exhaustion. ¡­¡­ ¡­ I was pretty sure the encounter only lasted an hour or so. After a night¡¯s rest at the Tavera mansion, I left the black market and headed back to my small hotel room. Of course, that wasn¡¯t without my cut of the pay from the heavyweight job. Just under 20% of the pay gave me about 3400 coin. It was an enormous amount considering the other small jobs only gave a few hundred coin at most. Of course, this pay was earned at the risk of my life, but if I were Plex with his experience and abilities, I too would be having a heyday with these jobs. Earning huge amounts of money would be child¡¯s play. However, after my discovery in the face of death, I was thinking that I really might be able to carve out a spot for myself in this business. While on my bed, still recovering from my internal wounds, I lifted my hand and gazed at my crest. Then, I closed my eyes. In the dark space of my mind, I could see one star lighting the space. Around it were 12 other stars, all of them faded, obviously not yet unlocked. I concentrated on the first lit one, and my vision zoomed into the star. It was like the star was a portal to another dimension, one that contained an assortment of weapons and gear. One of them was the flintlock I had used last night. A primitive weapon, but still devastating against fleshy targets with its large lead bullet. It was only capable of one shot before it had to be reloaded, and thankfully, I only needed one shot to kill that fireball warlock. Otherwise I may as well have kissed my life goodbye. The point was though that I had just found out the use of my crest. I was indeed a summoner, but instead of summoning monsters or creatures to fight for me¡­ I summoned guns. I couldn¡¯t think of a more American power than this. Conjuring the power of beautiful steel firearms to deliver hell upon my enemies. Or just to keep myself from getting robbed in the black market. Either way¡­ In the first star, I could see primitive weapons like the flintlock, tomahawk, some knives, etc. And there were 12 more stars ahead, all of them faded, my mind unable to look into their dimensions. But I could guess what would lie ahead. Better weapons, better gear. With each star I would no doubt unlock better weaponry, though I didn¡¯t know just how good it would get. As for summoning those weapons, it wasn¡¯t as simple as pulling the weapon out of the dimension. In some way, the weapons were still mystical since the flintlock I pulled out was no longer with me. It had disappeared at some point not long after I used it. And now when I looked into the star with a bit of a clearer head than before, I could tell that there was a price on these weapons. A price that was paid with the invisible energy inside me. I was certain that the invisible wave of energy I was hit with last night had triggered something within me since now, I was also aware of a mystical energy inside my body. It was a simple ball of energy, located at the center of the 13 stars. It was small, lacking density like a faint fog. It was also red in color. This red ball of energy was faintly connected to the star. I knew that I could stream its energy into it, and with it, summon one of the weapons. Unfortunately, my energy wasn¡¯t great and the prices for these weapons seemed significant. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure how I had summoned the flintlock pistol. But I knew that there were many things that I didn¡¯t know about this magical system, to I decided to wait until I could learn more. Until then¡­ *Knock Knock* Suddenly, I could hear taps on my door. They were gentle, but given the recent events, I still cautiously opened the door with my hand on the knife sheath. And the person I saw was familiar. ¡°Chief!¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s good to see you John.¡± The chief smiled. I was very fond of this man from a rural village. Out of the kindness of his heart, he brought me to this city and set me up. Without him, I don¡¯t know what I would¡¯ve done when I first came here. However, I had thought he left, which was why I was surprised he was here. Also, he shouldn¡¯t know where I was living as I had rented a room in a hotel Plex recommended. The chief was all smiles as we clasped hands, but then he checked out my body. Along my face and my exposed arms were several large cuts and bruises that were healing. ¡°Goodness John, what happened?! Who hurt you?¡± ¡°Nobody important, chief. The situation was handled rather well if I do say so myself.¡± ¡°...If you say so.¡± The chief looked worried, but with my confidence, he didn¡¯t press the matter. I tilted my head at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you leave? It¡¯s been a few days. You should be heading back to the village.¡± ¡°Mm, I was going to, but I wanted to check on you before I left, make sure you were settling nicely. And since I didn¡¯t find you at my hotel, I searched around and found your name here. Sorry if I was intrusive.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m actually glad I got to see you one more time. Here, come in and let me give you something.¡± I waved him in and walked over to a nearby table, pulling out my large sack of coin. As I sifted through, I asked a question. ¡°Hey chief, how much coin does the normal man make in a month?¡± ¡°A month? Well, the men at the town make around 1000 a month with farming, but for those in the city¡­ Maybe 5000? I couldn¡¯t be sure.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± I was surprised. To think I got around a month''s pay from a single night of work, and that was just a fraction of the entire payout. Being a delivery man paid shockingly well. Not long after, I pulled out a small stack of coin ¡°Here, some money as a thank you for taking care of me.¡± I pushed 1000 coin toward the chief, and he seemed flustered by the money. ¡°1000 coin? John, where did you get so much in a few short days?¡± ¡°It was an advance for my new job. Take it, for your help. I won¡¯t take no for an answer.¡± I slid the coin to him with seriousness that didn¡¯t let him deny. It only ended when he reluctantly took the money, giving me a heavy sigh. ¡°John, you¡¯re a good kid. Just know you can come by my village at any time. Yumir Village. You¡¯ll always have a home there.¡± ¡°Thanks, chief. Just make sure you get back safely.¡± Chapter 6: Solo I had many questions about my new power of summoning. I wanted to know what that energy was, how I could increase it, how to unlock more stars, and how to properly summon weapons. Thankfully, it seemed like the time to learn these things wasn¡¯t far off. Although the Patriarch of the Tavera Family had promised me, I had no idea who the Polaris Family was or what they could give me. It was only when I arrived at the warehouse that Plex explained. ¡°Oh yea, they¡¯re a summoner mafia, but not headquartered in the Founder¡¯s Market. They¡¯re located in the second Black Market called the Black Spider Market. In that place, there are only two mafias that dominate, and one of them is the Polaris family.¡± Plex rubbed his chin while looking across the job board, plucking a few papers. ¡°The Polaris Family, while primarily filled with summoners, also has divisions of Warlocks and Knights. They¡¯re a powerful family even greater than the Tavera family in regards to the sheer power of their members. The Tavera Family has more influence though and handles more money. This difference between them has led to them being allies.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference between the Founder¡¯s Market and the Black Spider Market?¡± ¡°Hmm, I guess its the difference between the elites and the commoners.¡± Plex walked over, laying out a few jobs on the table. ¡°The Black Spider market, while handling less monetary volume, also handles the most valuable items. Information, high class mercenaries, and some of the most exotic items you¡¯ve ever seen. They¡¯re the top dogs of the black market within this kingdom, and you, my friend, have scored an opportunity to meet with them. Specifically, a powerful summoner who¡¯s going to give you some advice. This opportunity is a huge one, so huge that I¡¯m shocked you actually got it.¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds useful.¡± I brightened at his words. I was just thinking how I needed more information about my power. Now, I was going to meet an expert in the field. Truly a god sent opportunity. And all it took was almost dying in a fiery hell. Plex shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re lucky, John. I know I roped you into this dangerous job considering you¡¯re new to the city and all, but there are many who would kill to be in your position. Of course, there have been many who¡¯ve died in your position as well. I think the Patriarch knew that, so he¡¯s giving you a bit of support. What you gain in your meeting today will likely determine how you fare over the next several months. Because, well, you¡¯re kind of locked into this now. It¡¯s do or die.¡± ¡°Wait, the meeting¡¯s today?¡± His ominous words blew right over my head as I selectively asked that question. He nodded. ¡°It is. But first¡­¡± He picked out two of the jobs he had in front of him, shoving them in my face. ¡°Go make a couple deliveries. Once you get back, we¡¯ll leave. Consider yourself initiated, kid. Now you get to deal with a bunch of addicts and unsavory underground dealers.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± I sighed while taking the papers. From the first day, I had pretty much accepted what I¡¯d gotten into. Of course, if Plex wasn¡¯t the way he was, then I would¡¯ve left quickly. But Plex seemed a good man, someone who had saved my life a few times already. So long as I wasn¡¯t a dumbass, it seemed he would lead me to succeed. I didn¡¯t mind working in this shady business, especially considering it paid so well. Plus, it had already taught me a lot about this world, and it would continue to teach me more as I got better. I was jumping into the deep end of what this new life had to offer. But hey, I¡¯d rather do this than be a baker at a bread shop or sitting at the dront desk of some random store. With those convictions, I made my way out of the warehouse, embarking on my first solo jobs. ¡­¡­ ¡­ My two deliveries were rather easy. The hardest part was navigation. I had to admit, it was embarrassing looking like a tourist with a map, so much of my time was spent wondering if I was going in the right general direction, only taking out my map a few times. But finally getting to the locations, I was able to pick up the items to be delivered from the dealers. After that, I took them to the recipients. Thankfully the first one didn¡¯t show me any hostility. He seemed busy and gave me the money straight, so I simply took it back to the dealer. It was the second recipient though that gave me a hard time. But that¡¯s when my acting skills, what little I had, came into play. I mimicked Plex as best I could, keeping a confident and uncaring attitude, as if I wasn¡¯t afraid of a fight. Of course, I was, but they didn¡¯t need to know that. That combined with a friendly demand and a small brandish of my obviously used knife, and the guy¡¯s attitude flipped as he brought me the money. And after taking that to the last dealer, my jobs were done. It took almost three hours for just two jobs, which honestly wasn¡¯t that bad. The two jobs combined paid me 400 coin, which while nothing compared to the heavyweight delivery, was still really good pay. After all, monthly salaries on the low end were arround 2000 coin. I was already a fifth of the way there with three hours of work. Of course, things were more expensive in the city. I was still living in a hotel, had only one pair of normal clothing, and walked around with nothing to my name. Once I actually started buying things, I¡¯m sure the expenses would add up. After all, everything was always more expensive in the cities. I¡¯m sure normal monthly salaries here ranged around 5000 coin, like what the chief told me. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. In that case, I had a lot more work to do. But first, I was going to learn about my power from a proper summoner. I was excited as I walked down the streets of the Founder¡¯s Market. All the sights of risque women and colorful gambling dens were still exciting to me, even though I knew I would get used to it eventually. However, it was when I was approaching the exit that I heard my name. ¡°John!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± My head turned, finding Libitus and another man waving toward me. They were behind a bar with a few drinks in front of them. I walked over. ¡°Hey Libitus.¡± ¡°John. I heard you took a hard hit during the heavyweight run yesterday. It also looks like you healed nicely.¡± ¡°Yea, thankfully. Whatever the doctor at the mansion gave me was good stuff. Although I¡¯m sore, I don¡¯t have any problems working.¡± ¡°Good.¡± He nodded. Then, the man next to him smiled. ¡°Heh, he really does look like a tourist.¡± ¡°Well right now, I know the black market better than the actual city. So forgive me. What¡¯s your name?¡± With a smile, I put my hand out toward the stranger. He looked at me silently for a second before grabbing an unopened glass and slapping it into my hand. ¡°Tovex. I heard you¡¯re Plex¡¯s new protege.¡± ¡°Not necessarily by choice, but yes.¡± ¡°Heh, since when does anyone here have a choice?¡± He chuckled before taking a swig. Libitus chimed in. ¡°You may not have asked for any of this, but it¡¯s not a bad line of business. The danger is the worst part. Everything else is easy. I¡¯d actually say you¡¯re lucky. You being completely new to the city, a foreigner through and through, is what landed you this job.¡± ¡°Why would that get me this job?¡± ¡°Because you can never be too sure about someone. The mafias and the clans of the kingdom go to extreme lengths to plant spies and saboteurs in all industries. It¡¯s damn near impossible to find someone who has no biases toward any one banner. Neutrality in this place doesn¡¯t exist. Except for our business.¡± Libitus sighed, but his words made me confused. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Plex has no biases? Not even toward the Tavera Family who¡¯s his client?¡± ¡°No, actually. Plex doesn¡¯t limit himself. He¡¯ll work for enemies if they hand over the money. People like the Patriarch of the Tavera family are just those he¡¯s friends with. But when it comes to business, there are no loyalties in his eyes. And that¡¯s exactly what makes him so famous. That and his abilities. The man has never failed a job. No assassins nor the royal guard can stop him.¡± ¡°...And I¡¯m supposed to be his protege?¡± I suddenly had great doubts as to my position in all this. It seemed like Plex was a renowned man not just in his field of business, but in the entire kingdom. How was I supposed to be that man¡¯s apprentice? More than that, how could he possibly declare me so when I haven¡¯t shown any ability to handle what he does? Libitus sighed. ¡°Well, don¡¯t be shocked, but you¡¯re not actually the first. Plex has brought in and tutored around a dozen different kids just like you. Most of them died when he dragged them into the lions den like he did with you. Luckily you survived.¡± ¡°And what about the others who also survived like me?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± He scratched his cheek. ¡°One died during a direct conflict with the Clockwork Institution, and the other got greedy for a delivery and was hunted. That second one ended up becoming a delivery that Plex took, his head being dropped off in a box at the warehouse. And the intended recipient was the kid¡¯s mother. So basically, all of them have died.¡± ¡°Ouch¡­¡± I rubbed my temples with a long breath. Tovex suddenly slapped my shoulder. ¡°Hey, all you have to do is not do what they did. Don¡¯t die, and don¡¯t get greedy. Those are basically the only tenets of us delivery men. Those who follow those rules get the money, the fun, and the connections. Those who don¡¯t end up with their heads in boxes. So just be smart about things, yea?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± I smirked while twisting off the cap of my bottle, taking a swig. And it was surprisingly good alcohol. I nodded at it before waving to the two. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve got a place to be.¡± ¡°The Polaris Family, right? Hey, take all you can get from there. If you get lucky, you¡¯ll be doing business with them too. Remember, connections are everything.¡± ¡°I thought that was common knowledge?¡± I asked with a smile while walking away, leaving the black market. After passing through and grabbing a kabob from Chef Black¡¯s restaurant, I made my way back to the warehouse. There, Plex was sprawled out on a chair, snoring while asleep. ¡°Seriously? It¡¯s not even midnight yet.¡± I walked over, kicking his leg. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got places to be. And I was only gone for a few hours.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± He yawned and spent a few seconds waking up. Then he sniffed, and his eyes turned toward my bottle. I narrowed my eyes, suddenly knocking it all back and downing what was left. ¡°...Damn you.¡± ¡°Hey, this is good stuff. Speaking of, I ran into Libitus and Tovex, and they told me about all your prior apprentices.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± He sobered up a bit, leaning back into the seat. ¡°It¡¯s true. A lot of youngins have gotten killed attempting to survive in this line of work. Why, does that scare you?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t make me happy. To think that if I hadn¡¯t discovered how to use my power, I would¡¯ve died from a fireball. Sure you saved me once, but you still put me into that position. So I can¡¯t say that my trust in your integrity hasn¡¯t warped significantly. But, well¡­ I suppose I have my own assurances now.¡± ¡°Hm, got one taste of power and decided that you¡¯re invincible. I happened to have an apprentice like that. He¡¯s dead now.¡± As if that fact were something to be proud of, Plex only smirked at me. And I could understand. I barely knew anything about these crests or the magic of this world. I was hardly a newborn baby in the field, and I was already confident in myself. That would be a bad thing, but only if I were anything but a summoner. Guns happened to be a great equalizer. Unless Plex had some strong magical armor underneath his clothes or if his magic was as strong as steel, a single bullet from even a flintlock could kill him, let alone the weapons in my other stars. I mean, I killed that fire warlock with a single bullet. And he had far more experience than I did. Guns were great. But that was difficult to explain to Plex, so I didn¡¯t press the issue, just shaking my head at him. ¡°All I want from you is to not be thrown into certain death. I can be an apprentice or whatever the hell you¡¯ve roped me into being. I want the money and experience. But don¡¯t go thinking you can throw my life away like all the other apprentices you¡¯ve apparently had. Do that, and I might just take you out with me.¡± ¡°...Is that a threat?¡± Plex stood from his seat, standing in front of me with a casual gaze of grizzled hostility. But I only tensed up, meeting him head on. ¡°Yea, that was a threat. So if you leave me to die in a clusterfuck of wizards and fireballs, you better make sure I¡¯m dead by the end of it. Otherwise I¡¯m coming after you with some cold steel in my hand.¡± ¡°...¡± After a moment of tense silence, Plex smiled and chuckled. ¡°Haha, you¡¯re a feisty one. Don¡¯t worry, John. If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn¡¯t be taking you to a place that¡¯ll make you stronger. So how about we quit the pissing contest and go take a trip, hm?¡± He smacked my shoulder and started walking out of the warehouse. Relaxing my body, I sighed and left with him, taking to the city streets. Chapter 7: Maxwell The Founder¡¯s Market was located in the outer regions of the city. This meant that its area wasn¡¯t high class despite being wealthy. The Black Spider market on the other hand¡­ I didn¡¯t think it was in the heart of the city. Even more that it would be clearly marked for the public to see. Besides the monolithic magic tower and the royal palace, there were several other skyscrapers around them, though they weren¡¯t as tall. I roughly counted 8 other skyscrapers that could compare in height. And one of those was the Black Spider Hotel. Many might see it and think it a mere luxurious hotel, a place for other diplomats or politicians to stay temporarily. But apparently it was a front for a much deeper reality. Plex led me into the hotel, and it was there that we met the receptionist. He was a man of average height and build, not looking special in any way besides his prim appearance and demeanor. But of course, no assumptions could be made about anybody associated with this place. ¡°Ah, Plex. It¡¯s good to see you again. Making another delivery?¡± ¡°Not quite, Key Master. I¡¯m actually here for my protege John right here.¡± He pat my shoulder, prompting the Key Master to nod toward me. ¡°John, is it? I wish you luck during your session with the Polaris Family.¡± He smiled toward me as Plex put two coins on the table. Taking them, the Key Master waved his hand. An owl was momentarily summoned on his shoulder. That big eyed bird looked at me before looking down at the coins. Its eyes flashed, and then, the Key Master placed the coins back on the table. Plex took one, and I took the other. The owl disappeared as I took the coin. ¡°Welcome to the Black Spider Hotel. You have been granted entry. Here are the keys.¡± He brought out two keys from seemingly nowhere, handing them to us. I felt its weighty significance and copper-like texture that was refined with masterful craftsmanship, giving it intricate yet sleek designs. After that, Plex said his goodbyes, as did I. We left for what seemed like an elevator. In fact, the entire first floor of the hotel was filled with elevators. At least a dozen of them filled the walls, and we quickly chose one before stepping inside. ¡°Go ahead and insert your key.¡± Plex said that as he did so. I could see 10 keyholes on one of the walls, so I picked one at random and stuck my key inside. ¡°Turn to the right.¡± *Click* I listened to him and heard a noise. After that, a screen flashed above the keyholes. It showed two buttons. One had the number three on it, and the other was blank. ¡°Remember this for the future.¡± Plex spoke while pulling out his coin, looking at its surface. ¡°Every day, the floor to access the Black Spider market is different. The correct floor is indicated by your coin, so if you¡¯re going for the market, enter the number on the coin. On the other hand, if you¡¯re here for the hotel, click the button with the number three on it.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± I pulled out my coin like he did and saw a number on it. Then I tapped the blank button, causing a dial of numbers to appear around it. I typed in ¡®82¡¯. *Ding!* With my input, the elevator made another noise as it began to move. ¡°Good. Just remember, only one person needs the coin, but both people need the key. That means you always go to the Key Master first. Hence his name.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t mess with the guy either. He may not look it, but he¡¯s the emissary for the entire Black Spider Market. Let¡¯s just say, if you happen to see him outside of that reception desk, something somewhere is seriously fucked up.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± I just let out a sharp sigh. Seriously, you couldn¡¯t judge anyone by appearance here. It wasn¡¯t long before the elevator brought us to our destination. When it opened, I could see a luxurious hallway with a red carpet, chandeliers along the ceiling, and large paintings of what seemed like notable figures, both men and women. There were two people standing guard at the end of the hallway, both standing to the side of a set of double doors. They were wearing full plate armor seemingly made of silver, their faces covered by intimidating but intricately designed helmets. We walked up to them, Plex taking out his coin while doing so. I also did, and upon seeing both, they pushed open the doors for us. And then, we were allowed into the Black Spider Market. ¡°Oh, I forgot this was today. What a coincidence.¡± Plex let out happy chuckle as we descended a small set of stairs, walking into a huge plaza. It was full of floating lights and colorful sprites that looked like fairies. There were men and women dancing within this plaza to the melodic beat of an orchestra playing within an open building. Their music, both upbeat yet complex in its musical design, had everyone laughing, smiling, and clacking the heels of their shoes to its rhythm. The atmosphere was intoxicating. I felt like jumping right in, joining all those strangers with passion and freeing enthusiasm. I could also smell the high class alcohol, rich in flavor yet carrying an aroma of powerful ethanol. Plus, everyone was dressed so nicely, like it was some kind of public ball. They were also wearing masquerade masks that covered the top half of their faces, all of them designed with flamboyant feathers or designs. I felt out of place in that way. Even though I was in a suit, it seemed casual compared to the luxurious dresses and tuxedos of everyone else. I also didn¡¯t have a mask. ¡°This is Vatsy¡¯s Gala. It happens at the end of every third month, put on and paid for by one of the richest men in the damn world, Herald Vatsy. I¡¯m surprised the Polaris family is having you come to them today. That or Patriarch Tavera is fucking with us.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°He has a sense of humor, so it wouldn¡¯t be the first time. Let¡¯s just head over. Maybe whoever is supposed to meet you isn¡¯t drunk yet.¡± Plex lead me through the plaza. We passed through wide open streets, most of which were filled with people who were passing through to other buildings nearby. Most buildings here were the highest class. Their entries were exotic, carrying flashing designs not unlike neon lights and statues or art. I saw some food establishments, but the majority of buildings were occupied by some sort of craftsman. There was even a library, which turned out to be one of the biggest buildings within the market. The only building bigger than that was the Auction House. Plex explained to me that there was no safer place to be than within the auction house during the monthly auctions. And Vatsy¡¯s Gala was the party that came after the tri-monthly auction, which was the one that sold the most powerful and exotic items. The gala served as a major resting point, almost like a holiday, allowing everyone to get some much needed entertainment. Of course, only those who could actually enter the Black Spider Market could participate. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. So the final day of every quarter year was full of chaos, money, and fun. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for hundreds of millions of coin to be passed around in that 24 hour period. After all, the things that were sold during the auction were nothing but the best. A small selection of exotic, world shattering, or insanely luxurious items that caught the eyes of the elites. Of course, there were also numerous sets of things like gear or mass amounts of items that, while not incredibly rare or unique, were still valuable and hard to find. Many illegal items could be attained this way, and nothing lowly like the drugs passed through the Founder¡¯s Market. It was a place I definitely wanted to know about, as apparently our delivery service was also responsible for moving some things for that auction. It was kind of amazing, the privileges afforded to us mere delivery men. The Black Spider Market wasn¡¯t huge, nothing compared to the Founder¡¯s Market. After all, it was located in the city center behind the Black Spider Hotel. Besides the Library and Auction House, there were only a few dozen other buildings, along with the massive plaza currently hosting the Gala. So it didn¡¯t take long to walk to the headquarters of the Polaris family. It was called the Polaris Gate, the entrance that led into the family¡¯s estate. And at first glance, the place seemed like a compact college campus. But it was almost entirely empty. Lights were on, but there wasn¡¯t a soul in sight besides the guards at the gate. This was obviously due to the party. I was sure everyone was partaking in their night of unhinged entertainment. We approached the guards. ¡°State your business.¡± ¡°We hail from the Tavera Family on business. I am Plex, and this is John.¡± ¡°Ah, I understand. Please follow me.¡± One of the guards seemed to be expecting us as he led the way into the estate. He walked us along beautifully paved roads and magical lights. With nobody around, the atmosphere was full of mysticism and serenity. Eventually we entered a large building. Within its halls were pairs of large double doors, each of them adorned with unique designs that seemed to represent the demeanor of their owners. The one we stopped at was a pair of doors that seemed luxuriantly decorated, yet weathered by time. It was a deep navy blue with inlaid gems that glistened like stars, but it clearly hadn¡¯t been taken care of for a while. *Knock Knock* The guard knocked. ¡°Esteemed Summoner Anderson, John has arrived. ¡°Just send him in already!¡± There was an exasperated shout from within the room, yet muffled by the doors. The guard turned to me. ¡°The Esteemed sir is named Maxwell Albarain, and he has quite the temperament. Do be sure to muster your patience, because he has no qualms with kicking you from the estate if he gets angry. He is still one of our most esteemed teachers, however, so take full advantage of this opportunity.¡± ¡°Right. Thanks.¡± I gave the guard a nod as he pushed open the door. Plex smacked my shoulder as he turned. ¡°Have fun.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I hummed while going inside, scanning the room as I did so. At first glance, it seemed like a magical lab. My nose was hit with the thick aroma of what I could only describe as herbal must. But at the same time, there was a fresh hint of alcohol. All around the room were desks, bookshelves, and various pieces of lab equipment like glass flasks, exotic plants, and animal parts stored in containers. The most eye catching thing in the room though floated below the ceiling in the center of the room. It was a huge blue crystal dodecahedron that slowly rotated while shining soft light on the lab. Just the sight of that magical geometric figure spurred something within me. Other than that, the second thing I focused on was the man who slumped down in a chair, a large bottle in his hands that was still completely filled. It was still capped as he held it in his hands. His visage was gray, and he seemed to be brooding over something. Unlike everyone else, he didn¡¯t seem to be enjoying this holiday evening. He had a short beard and brushed back hair that was unkempt. He also wore navy blue robes above a nice suit. At the same time, his eyes were deep as they reflected the sight of the unopened bottle. For a while I stood by the door, unsure of what to do. It didn¡¯t seem like this man was in any mood to teach me anything. He just continued to stare at the bottle. Perhaps five minutes passed like that. Eventually, he closed his eyes and placed the bottle in a drawer of his desk. After slouching back once more while pinching the bridge of his nose, he muttered. ¡°What do you know?¡± ¡°...Absolutely nothing.¡± I didn¡¯t sugarcoat things as I answered directly. It seemed to catch him off guard, since he glanced at me with slight incredulity. His eyes looked me over with criticism. ¡°You come straight off the farm or something?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Then straighten your damn back.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Realizing that I was slouched a bit from waiting around for so long, my abdomen tightened and my torso straightened. But even then, he didn¡¯t take his scrutinizing eyes off of me. He stared at me for several moments before opening his mouth. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°John Cooper.¡± I gave my name, but I was also confused as to why he didn¡¯t already know it. Then again, neither of us had more than one day¡¯s notice about this. ¡°Where do you come from?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± I hesitated. After all, I didn¡¯t exactly know about any places of significance beyond this city, and I wasn¡¯t about to speak about something as outlandish as coming from another world. So I gave the name of the only place I knew the name of. ¡°A place called Yumir Village.¡± ¡°So you did come straight off the farm.¡± ¡°Well, yes and no.¡± I remained vague as he pried further. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°22 years old.¡± ¡°You were sent to me at the request of Patriarch Tavera. What is your affiliation with him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a delivery man, and I helped him with a single job. It almost cost me my life, but since I came back, he said I would get some tutelage.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± He let out a small sigh before scratching his head. ¡°You¡¯re a summoner? Have you gone through an activation ceremony?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°You really do know nothing¡­ An activation ceremony is the first step all with crests take to properly initiate their powers. Some say that it¡¯s a process of enlightenment or a way to wake up your soul, but really, its nothing more than infusing your crests with power in order to make your mind aware of it.¡± ¡°Oh. No, I haven¡¯t been through the ceremony.¡± ¡°Figures.¡± ¡°But I have become aware of my crest. I¡¯ve even used its power.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± His eyes sparked with the slightest hint of interest. ¡°Tell me the details.¡± ¡°Basically, I was hit with a wave of invisible energy by a warlock, and afterward, I could see the 13 stars of my crest within my mind. I was even able to summon something, but it disappeared not long after I used it.¡± ¡°Energy¡­ You mean Mana? You¡¯re telling me that being hit with a low level Mana Wave actually activated your Authority?¡± ¡°...I suppose?¡± Through inference I could tell that the wave of invisible energy I was hit with was called a Mana Wave. I asked about what I didn¡¯t understand though. ¡°What¡¯s Authority?¡± ¡°An Authority is what we call the levels of power one can achieve through Crests. To be able to summon something means you have activated your first Authority. And to think it happened by being hit with a Mana Wave¡­¡± ¡°I see. What about Mana? What is it?¡± ¡°The invisible energy ever present throughout the world that allows one to call upon nature¡¯s elements. However, only Warlocks can utilize Mana. Summoners use what¡¯s called Psyka, the extra-dimensional power of the mind. Knights use Vigor, the profound power of the body.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± It seemed the three different types of Magi also had three different types of energy. In that case, they were very clearly divided by more than just their powers. So basically, I had awaken my first Authority, or my first star, allowing me to summon items from another dimension using Psyka. That was where my knowledge stopped. It seemed Maxwell had also summarized the shallow depths of my knowledge, as he went quiet once more. And I suppose I wished he stayed that way. The next words to come out of his mouth were nothing but irritating. ¡°You¡¯re ignorant.¡± ¡°I guess?¡± ¡°An idiot who knows nothing. Not even common knowledge seems to have a place within that thick skull of yours.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯ve spent your life intentionally being a dumbass, taking zero impressions from anybody who has ever spoken of Magi within your presence.¡± My gaze turned deadpan as he continued to insult me for something that wasn¡¯t my fault. While I understood his words from the standpoint of a native, I was still ticked off. Just as I was about to retort though, he stood from his seat, disappearing amidst a few of his bookshelves. After listening to the shuffling of paper and a few dropped books, he came back with 6 books with papers sticking out of them. ¡°There are two things you must learn as a summoner. First is what we call Accumulation. I won¡¯t teach you any of that right now since you don¡¯t need it yet. So I will teach you the second thing. Since you are someone with absolutely no impression of Summoning in the slightest, having come from some backwater village and having yet to even get your citizenship, I will teach you this.¡± *Thud* He dropped the books on his desk. Now, while I was still irked by all his prior insults, I was beginning to understand that he would at least give me some valuable knowledge. ¡°Accumulation is standard. There is very little deviation from the normal formula, and the Magisterium holds a legal monopoly on the distribution of the technique. But Summoner Calls, like Warlock Magic and Knight Martial Arts, are diverse and plentiful. The Polaris Family has their own sets of Martial Arts, Magic, and Calls. However, what I will be teaching you deviates from the standard.¡± Picking up the topmost book of the pile, Maxwell flipped it open, his eyes scanning across the pages with a look of melancholy. ¡°Summoning is looked down upon, scorned as weak, the Calls likened to nothing but a cane for the frail. And there have been some who have proven the world wrong, but they have been outshined by the multitude of Warlocks and Knights who have so frequently attained vast power. And Summoners are not innocent, failing to better themselves like the Warlocks and Knights, failing to rise through adversity like they have, failing to innovate as they did over millenia. Which is why I have devoted my life to this work. A Call to join the league of Disaster Magic and Apex Martial Arts. ¡°A Call that makes Bond Limits obsolete. A Call to bring down even the most powerful beings. ¡°It is the Call of the Fallen Angel.¡± Chapter 8: Call Maxwell spoke of his ambition and his life¡¯s work with great emotion. I could tell that he was deeply attached to this technique. Or, I should say Call. Like a Warlock¡¯s Magic Spell or Knight¡¯s Martial Art, Summoners had Calls. The Call of the Fallen Angel was something Maxwell himself had created. It wasn¡¯t a Call that had been tested by time or used by anyone else. It also made me skeptical. I didn¡¯t know anything about Calls, nor Maxwell who had created this. With my naivety, I couldn¡¯t verify its quality. Then again, within the Polaris Family, he was an ¡°Esteemed Sir¡±. I could at least understand that he wasn¡¯t blowing smoke up my ass and knew a thing or two as a summoner himself. In that case, I could trust his expertise. Especially since I knew nothing as it was. I was in dire need of something that would allow me to use my power. This also meant that, perhaps, he wasn¡¯t solely insulting me when he said I was ignorant, stupid, and a dumbass. Maybe that was necessary for me to be successful with this Call, being a blank slate with no biases. Not that it made me less irritated. ¡°You have no use for common knowledge, not yet anyway. Since you have come to me as an empty vessel, I will fill you with the foundational knowledge of this Call. You will learn things as necessary for you to use this Call the way it was created.¡± ¡°Alright. But how good is this Call anyway? I¡¯d at least like to know how it compares to something standard, like a Call from the Magisterium.¡± ¡°Standard? Please.¡± He scoffed, as if I¡¯d degraded his name. ¡°I was a Summoner with 11 Authorities, just shy of the pinnacle of this world. And I was a revolutionary in my field. If not for¡­ No, you don¡¯t need to know about that. Just know that this Call is something that will carry you to the top, so long as you have the talent and dedication. It is not something that anything of the Magisterium could possibly compare with.¡± ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you and this Call much more famous than you are?¡± ¡°As I said, you don¡¯t need to know about that. Should you rise to a respectable level, perhaps you will come to find out yourself. And by then, the knowledge wouldn¡¯t affect your development. Now, take this book and begin reading. I will speak as you follow through with the text.¡± He handed the book to me with care, prompting me to take it with a bit of curiosity. I couldn¡¯t lose anything by learning this, so I may as well get everything I could from Maxwell¡¯s tutelage. Especially if he was offering it for free. ¡°Oh, before we begin¡­¡± Suddenly, Maxwell eyed me with a weird glint in his eye. It was shrewd, causing me to narrow my own. ¡°I will accept 3000 coin a week for teaching services.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± ¡°Actually, after further consideration, I¡¯m thinking 5000 will suffice.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Dropping all pretenses, I entered a heated negotiation with Maxwell. Only when we settled on 3800 coin per week did I finally let out a relieved sigh. In all honesty, 3800 coin a week was a massive amount of money for me. I had barely started working, and each job might only give a couple hundred coin. On top of food, housing, and all the money I would need to buy myself other necessities, I might not be able to pay it. At least, that was in the short term. If I were frugal for a while and managed to get past the next month or so, then I would be fine. Still, it seemed like I wouldn¡¯t be getting a new pair of clothes anytime soon. Thankfully, Maxwell was at least accommodating with everything else. It didn¡¯t seem like he had much of a schedule, so we agreed to meet in the mornings after the Founder¡¯s Market went dark and I was done with work. With that, he began his first lesson. ¡­¡­ Summoning wasn¡¯t as straightforward as Warlock Magic or Knight Martial Arts. Summoning involved contacting spirits from another dimension that Summoners accessed through their minds. And yes, it seemed like even the weapons and gear I could summon, like guns and tomahawks, were spirits. How that worked, I wasn¡¯t sure. But Maxwell made sure that I thought of even inanimate objects as living beings with their own intelligence. I just went with it. After all, that was probably the least weird part about this whole thing. With that, he moved on to other more detailed teachings. First, he taught me that there were two types of summoning: Communing and Marriage. Communing was where one called upon the spirits for a temporary amount of time. This was what I did with the flintlock pistol. With Maxwell¡¯s Call of the Fallen Angel though, I could create a communion with a spirit, and in real time, power it with my Psyka. So long as the communion was active, I could wield the spirit, and it would return to the dimension when the communion was cut. This method of active communion was apparently unique to his Call, though he didn¡¯t tell me what the standard method was. Then there was Marriage. And not unlike what it was commonly known as, marriage involved creating a life¡¯s bond with a spirit. A marriage, he said, was to be treated as if I were to be married to a woman. The commitment would be lifelong, and not only that, but the spirit¡¯s life would be tied to mine. Should I die, the spirit would die with me. This made it far deeper than a standard communion, and was apparently where the specialty of the Call of the Fallen Angel lay. With this system of marriage, I could create bonds with, technically, as many spirits as I wanted. This special bond also afforded both the summoner and the spirit the ability to share their powers in more dynamic ways. In this way, the spirits wouldn¡¯t merely be tools to be used, but an ally to cooperate with. However, the cost to marry a spirit was high, and not something to be treated lightly. To marry a spirit was to permanently remove it from the other dimension, attaching it to your mind and soul. If, while in battle, the spirit were killed, it would do great damage to your soul, no different from gouging out a chunk of it. Thus, marriage involved risk for both the summoner and the spirit. It was only to be done if the summoner truly had a deep bond with the spirit and could reasonably accept and guard against the risks. This meant that the number of marriages should be few. These concepts were easy to understand. However, the process to carry out these processes wasn¡¯t so. To properly commune with a spirit required a complex process called Charming. This was basically spellcasting but for Summoners. But Charming just any spirit wasn¡¯t wise. For one, not all spirits were neutral or benevolent. Some were malicious, and communing with a malicious spirit could end badly should it revolt against you when you needed it to cooperate. So to sift through all the spirits of the dimension, Maxwell taught perhaps the most important and foundational piece of knowledge all summoners should know. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. It was called Projection, something that was universal among all sorcerers. Of course, Maxwell¡¯s Call had a unique way of projecting into the dimension of your Authority. First, there was unassisted projection, which involved a superficial scan of the dimension with your mind. This could reveal details about some unelusive spirits. On the other hand, there was catalyst projection, whereby the summoner turned a married spirit into a catalyst to allow a deep search into the dimension. This afforded them far greater abilities and details, allowing them to glimpse into the nature of the spirits they discovered. It was at this point that Maxwell stopped feeding me information. With the basics down, I understood that the first step I needed to take was projecting into the dimension of my first Authority, or my first star. That way, I could properly and systematically discover spirits, charm them, and then commune with them. Of course, learning those things would come later. With the massive influx of information and the fact that I had yet to pay anything for this teaching, Maxwell sent me away. Agreeing to come back the next morning and bring a 500 coin deposit, I left the Black Spider Market. I was in a small daze as I left through the Polaris Gate. Everything that I had learned, while merely conceptual and superficial, opened up a whole new world. Getting hit by fireballs was one way to make me realize that this was truly a magical world. But actually learning about this magic and taking the first steps toward utilizing it was another thing entirely. Besides, just lecturing me on all that conceptual information had taken hours. While informative, Maxwell seemed to enjoy going on tangents. This naturally extended the duration of his lecture, and by now, the sun had already risen. Walking into the major plaza of the market, I could see the aftermath of the tri-monthly holiday. A few bodies were strewn across some tables, including two draped across the roof of a nearby building. Some maids and butlers were attending to these unconscious partygoers, hauling them off into the Black Spider Hotel. That was also where I was headed. Making my way to the front desk, I met the Key Master who was sitting back and reading a book. ¡°Hello, Key Master.¡± ¡°Ah, John! How was your time with the Polaris Family?¡± ¡°It went well enough, I¡¯d say. My only issue now is how I¡¯m going to pay the extortive fees Maxwell wants for his teaching. I mean, I¡¯ve been in this city for all of a week and I¡¯m still living in a hotel. I barely have a change of clothes too¡­¡± ¡°I see. Maxwell can be shrewd, but his knowledge is worth any cost you may incur. I may be able to assist you, however. Your coin, please.¡± ¡°Oh, here.¡± Digging in my pocket, I retrieved the coin I was given upon entry. I also handed back the key. Taking both, the Key Master¡¯s owl appeared on his shoulder once more. It looked at me, then the coin. After the coin glowed, the man flicked it with his thumb, prompting me to catch it. He also tucked the key into his coat, retrieving another. Unlike the previous copper one, this one was silver. ¡°Your coin and key have been updated. Your new room has been allocated on the 12th floor. Since a little bird has told me that you plan on entering the Magisterium, I have reserved the room for the time until then. I hope that eases some of your financial burden while you settle.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯re giving me a room for free?¡± ¡°Naturally. Otherwise it wouldn¡¯t help you much, now would it?¡± He smiled at me, making me scratch my head with a bit of embarrassment. ¡°Right. Thank you, Key Master. I can only hope to pay this back in the future.¡± ¡°It¡¯s of no consequence. Please, enjoy your stay at the Black Spider Hotel.¡± He gave a charming bow, which I returned in kind. After that, I left to my former hotel room. It was there that I grabbed what little items I had, canceled my reservation, and took everything back to the Black Spider Hotel. In the elevator, I made my way to the 12th floor. It let me out in a hallway, which I walked down to eventually find a room marked with the number 22. My key was engraved with the same number, so I inserted it into the lock, turning it and hearing a click. The door swung open, revealing a room that was far more luxurious and spacious compared to the other hotel. It was like comparing a by-the-hour motel and a five star room. This new room of mine was equipped with a full kitchen, a large bedroom with a window that overlooked the city, a full bathroom, and a comfortable living room. It had everything I could ask for plus some, and all of it was free. I was quite shocked that the Key Master would give me something like this, let alone help me in any way. It wasn¡¯t like my living fees were that expensive, so I could¡¯ve dealt with it. Still, this new home would give me great peace of mind. One less thing to worry about and a source of great comfort. For some time, I stared out the window of my room, seeing the sunrise gradually overtake twilight. It was shockingly beautiful as the rays of light filtered between buildings, reflecting off glass and the intricate construction of places like the royal palace. Combined with the successive events of the day, I was left in a daze. This really was a different life. And now, I was finally beginning to find my place in this foreign world. ¡­¡­ ¡­ Although it was a bit jarring at first, I was able to acclimate to sleeping during the day. And when the sun began to fall, I emerged from my room. With a new bill to pay, I couldn¡¯t slack with my work. Heading to the warehouse, I met Plex and recounted what happened. He seemed happy for me, and since I told him that I needed jobs, he didn¡¯t bother me much. Heading to the job board, I plucked a few papers and read their contents. This delivery service of ours was both simple and difficult. It involved not just ferrying valuable items, but surviving any encounters with unsavory individuals. I had quickly learned that, even with our principles of mercy, I couldn¡¯t give any room to those who may want to cheat me. It was with this mindset that I tackled my jobs. From delivering illegal contraband to ferrying messages, the jobs I took were varied. None of the items we moved were normal. All of it could get you arrested should it be found outside the Black Market. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t have too difficult of a time. While some clients got aggressive, it was nothing I couldn¡¯t quell with a brandish of the knife. The most I had to do was land a square punch on a guy¡¯s mouth when he spit in my face after asking for payment. Another thing I kept track of was the time it took to complete a job. Some jobs required me to deliver items that were already stored in the warehouse, saving me a trip. But others required me to go between two clients to grab a package, deliver it, collect payment, and return to the source. With my knowledge of the market¡¯s layout, I wasn¡¯t the most efficient. But despite that and conflicts with clients, I was able to complete a job at an average time of an hour and a half. That meant I could complete 6 jobs if I worked nonstop for 9 hours. With some downtime in between, 6 jobs would make a 10 hour workday. Then there was the average pay. Some jobs were generous and had commission fees of around 400 coin. Those were usually a bit riskier, since you were either hauling obvious cargo or a small but valuable item. It would invite trouble from others besides the clients. Then there was the standard. The majority of jobs paid between 150 and 250 coin. After a full workday of 6 jobs, I came out with about 1200 coin. That was an average of 200 coin per job. Doing some simple math, that equated to 120 coin an hour. And my weekly bill of 3800 coin divided by 120 came out to about 32 hours of work just to pay for my education. In all honesty, 32 hours of work wasn¡¯t bad. I could have my bill paid off in just a few days. Anything after that would go toward buying myself things like food and clothes. With that knowledge, I decided that 5 jobs per day, 6 days a week, was reasonable. ¡°6000 coin a week. That¡¯s pretty nice.¡± ¡°What is?¡± Libitus questioned from beside me. After a hard days work, I ran into him at the bar we previously met at. That bar was apparently the spot for the delivery men of Plex¡¯s company to hangout. I explained to him all the numbers I had run in regards to my income and weekly bill. And for the most part, my plan seemed sound. But then, I suddenly remembered something that might make everything much more difficult. ¡°Crap! I forgot about taxes! Hey, how bad are the taxes here? I swear if I lose any more than a quarter of my paycheck, I¡¯m gonna burn this city to the ground.¡± ¡°Well, the taxes are about a quarter. At most a third depending on how much you make. But yet again, that¡¯s one of the perks of working in the black market. The ability to entirely disregard taxes.¡± ¡°No shit? Hehehe¡­¡± I chuckled. In the long list of things I hated, taxes were definitely up there. To think I could just blatantly disregard them. I was beginning to love this job more and more. ¡°Oh, one more thing.¡± I remembered something else. ¡°I still have to get my citizenship. You wouldn¡¯t happen to know anything or anyone that could help me with that, would you?¡± ¡°As a matter of fact I do.¡± Libitus took a sip of his liquor. ¡°The Black Market has everything, John. There¡¯s a guy here that handles that stuff. He pays off a customs agent, and all the applications he puts forward get accepted quickly. It basically bypasses all the bullshit you would have to deal with on the official route. Of course, you¡¯ll have to pay a high price, but it¡¯s worth it considering the money you¡¯re beginning to make.¡± ¡°Right. So where can I find this guy?¡± ¡°On Helard Road. The place doesn¡¯t have a name, but it''s known by its building number 333. Go there and ask for help getting a citizenship.¡± ¡°That simple?¡± ¡°Yup. The guy gets a lot of business, so it¡¯s become a proper business.¡± ¡°I see. Thanks. I¡¯ll have to do that tomorrow. Right now, I need to get to class.¡± With that valuable piece of information, I bid Libitus goodbye, heading to the Black Spider Market. Chapter 9: Spirit My second day of learning involved the more complex details of the Call. Specifically, I needed to learn how to Project into the dimension and search for spirits properly, even though I could already seen plenty as I was. Turns out, these dimensions went deep. What I could see was only what existed on the surface. Within each dimension, there were both weak and powerful spirits. It was the powerful ones that lurked in the dark, waiting to be discovered. Naturally, I wanted to commune with or even marry the most powerful ones. Taking several hours to do so, Maxwell taught me what was basically a spell. By weaving Psyka in a certain pattern, I could form a drone and dive deep into the dimension. This would allow me to project. But weaving my Psyka at all was difficult. Just calling on that invisible power in my mind was enough to frustrate me. It was like moving a new limb. It didn¡¯t listen to my commands, let alone move into a complex formation. Luckily, Maxwell had an exercise for that, one that stressed the manipulation of my power. Of course, the exercise also made me tired. It drained my mental energy, making me feel like I had worked for a full 24 hours after merely 2. It was a good thing that these classes were at the end of my day. When it was over and I left with mental exhaustion, I headed to my fancy room in the Black Spider Hotel and knocked out. Contrary to the exhaustion though, my night of sleep was rejuvenating. When I woke up, my mind felt amazingly clear and energetic. Even moving around my Psyka was easier, showing clear progress. And so, I went on with my day, my mood high and my steps light. Taking several jobs from the warehouse at the start of twilight, I headed into the Founder¡¯s Market and made my way around. My deliveries consisted of two small boxes of hard drugs, a bag of jewels, a glass vial of a liquid I didn¡¯t ask about, and some lingerie for a nearby brothel. That last one was fun since I got a few kisses from the ladies there. Which was good, since my mood had been ruined earlier when someone tried to rob me of the jewels. I was able to fend them off with my knife and no small amount of blows, but I took about as much as I dished. My body was bruised and beaten, leaving me to finish my jobs in irritating pain. Well, nothing a hot lady from the brothel couldn¡¯t fix. After leaving the erotic place, I made one last stop. ¡°Helard Road, building number 333. This is it.¡± Finding the unnamed building I was looking for, I pushed open the carved wooden door. It led into a small entry room with a front desk, behind which was a mature yet sharp woman. She eyed me curiously as I walked up. ¡°Hi, I heard that this place could help me with getting a citizenship.¡± ¡°It can. Our standard fee is 1500 coin. You must pay upfront and there are no refunds.¡± ¡°Ouch.¡± I sighed in resignation, taking out 1500 coin. Although I had the money, I would have to work a bit of overtime to make up for it and still make Maxwell¡¯s bill. Over time, I had discovered the different denominations for Coin. Coin was a blanket term, like dollars. And there were different types of coin. This world used silver and gold as its currency, only, the two metals didn¡¯t seem to have quite the rarity as on Earth. Silver coins were less valuable, and there were two types: the standard silver coin and the silver bullion. The silver coin was worth one coin, and the silver bullion was worth 10 coin. Then, the gold coin was worth 100 coin while the gold bullion was worth 1000 coin. I often got paid in gold coin and silver bullion, and only has Plex ever given me gold bullion, so I only had a few on me. I paid the clerk one such gold bullion and 5 gold coins, making for 1500 coin. She took them indifferently and handed me an application. ¡°Fill out all these fields, and we will take care of the rest. The application will be submitted today and will be verified in 5 days. That is when you can come back and receive your official citizenship.¡± ¡°Thank you. Just out of curiosity, how long does it usually take?¡± ¡°On average, 7 months.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She smirked while I sighed in amazement. Seems bureaucracy was a sloth in all worlds. Taking the application, I went and quickly filled everything out. It only asked for basic information, like my full name and date of birth. I didn¡¯t have to input anything like physical descriptions or the name of my parents. I did have to put down two important things though. Upon handing back my application, the clerk stamped my fingerprint and used a device to record my crest. Apparently it was highly illegal to hide someone¡¯s status as a magus, so if you had a crest, it absolutely had to be recorded. I didn¡¯t mind, anyway. It wasn¡¯t like someone could use that against me, and soon enough I would be entering the Magisterium. It couldn¡¯t be hidden. With those things, I was finally done. It took no more than 5 minutes, and I would have my citizenship within the week. The black market sure was nice. Sending the application marked the end of my workday, after which I headed to the Black Spider Market and had another lesson with Maxwell. I continued exercising my Psyka while trying to weave it into the projection spell I was given. At the same time, since I was a total newbie, I was taught general knowledge about Knights and Warlocks. Apparently, although they were all considered Magi, each of the branches had completely different systems of magic. Warlocks were the spitting image of wizards. They had different spells that they could launch from their body, making them very versatile both in terms of combat and utility. This was also why they were considered the best of the three branches. Knights were as their name implied. They were a magical branch of bodily martial warriors. Through cultivating what they called Vigor, a Knight could become stronger, faster, gain endless stamina, and pull off martial arts that resembled the powers of mythic gods. They were the second best. And then, at the bottom of the barrel lied the Summoners. Considered the worst of all Magi, they used Psyka to call upon other-dimensional spirits to fight for them. They couldn¡¯t make themselves stronger, and they couldn¡¯t cast any amazing spells. Their powers were entirely reliant on the spirits they summoned. That wasn¡¯t to say that summoners weren¡¯t strong. It was just that they had hard times fighting Warlocks or Knights at an equal level across all levels. They just seemed to be a step below everyone else. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Maxwell knew that I would be entering the Magisterium, and so he told me to prepare to face that kind of discrimination. But at the same time, he apparently abhored the thought of allowing me to appear weak. He said that he would prepare me in the time I had before entering so as to not disgrace the summoner name, and more importantly, his Call of the Fallen Angel. It was why he worked me to the bone, having me exercise my ability to manipulate Psyka and stuff my brain full of information. At least I was getting my money¡¯s worth¡­ ¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ After the first week of being in this new city, my schedule seemed to settle into place. My work became regular as I took several jobs a day. Occasionally I even got my hands on some of the higher paying jobs. These weren¡¯t heavyweights, but since I was a newbie, these middleweight jobs most often got handed to the veterans. But work was constant, and knowing I had bills to pay, the others were generous. Once or twice a week I would get a job that paid a few thousand coin, giving me plenty of surplus and allowing me to spend a bit more. With the unceasing flow of cold hard cash, I got myself all the necessities I didn¡¯t have. Multiple pairs of clothing, a few accessories like pocket watches and hats, all the various items I needed to keep myself clean everyday¡­ All my needs were satisfied within a few weeks of working. I even paid back my small debt to Plex, making sure we were even. All my earnings that went above my weekly bills would become either savings or go toward buying me some luxuries. Other than that, after a few weeks, I was finally able to learn projection from Maxwell. On top of that, Plex began to receive jobs for the upcoming monthly auction. ¡­¡­ ¡­ After about three weeks of exercising my control over Psyka and trying to weave it, I was finally able to perform the Projection spell. I was with Maxwell during the accomplishment. ¡°Use the newly formed drone to scout the dimension. Once you discover a spirit, it can¡¯t be forgotten or lost, so use your energy as efficiently as possible to seek out as many spirits as you can.¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent as he spoke, focusing on the visions in my mind. As soon as the spell had been woven, I could feel as if my eyes were planted in that drone of Psyka. I could control it, and I used it to fly through the dimension of my first star. I discovered some spirits immediately. Some were identical to my flintlock, and others were items like rapiers. But most importantly, I found ammo. Tons of ammo. Lead bullets and black powder packets littered the entire dimension. These would allow me to reload whatever flintlock guns I used. But perhaps even more than that, I was able to expose certain details about the spirits I saw. I could clearly see just how much Psyka was required to establish a connection to them. Most were well within my limits. But there were some that were expensive. They were the powerful ones that Maxwell talked about, which got me curious. Along with projection, Maxwell had taught me all about communion that was required to utilize the spirits. So with my drone as the medium, I reached out to one of them. It was a flintlock pistol, but instead of a standard one, this one had a much larger and thicker barrel along with engravings on the wood body. It was unique, and when I made the handshake and initiated communion, I figured out why. The communion seemed to trigger an influx of memories from another time. In my mind, I could see a large man dressed in an old militia uniform. He rode on a horse and carried a rapier. On his hip was the flintlock pistol I saw. I quickly understood what time period these scenes came from. The Revolutionary War! A time when America fought for its independence from Britain. A time when firearm technology was in its infancy, yet becoming more important than ever. I saw as this loosely uniformed man rode alongside some soldiers of the Continental Army, all of them defending a village from invading redcoats. The two sides quickly entered a heated battle, the man on the horse swinging his rapier while making his way around the village. It was only after a while that his horse took a shot to the chest, unable to maintain itself and falling to the ground. The man jumped off and resumed battle on the ground. When on the ground, he resorted to using his unique pistol. When he fired, the pistol exploded with roaring flames. The heavy bullet was backed by an abnormally large amount of gunpowder, so much so that he actually managed to kill two men with a single shot after the bullet blasted through their bodies. And his skill with reloading was impeccable, even under pressure. He could pour powder and slam down another round while running before quickly lining back up another shot. The battle at the village lasted four hours, but this was not a heroic tale of victory. Instead, the Continental Army fought until they fell to the tactics of the british army. The man with the unique pistol was one of the last to fall. In the end, he had taken 34 people with him, his pistol, aim, and reloading skill carrying him until the end. With that, the memories stopped. In the real world, I could feel a large and heavy object appear in my hands. I saw the pistol in its full glory, with even a few dried blood stains in the wood. It was heavy, cold, and loaded. And with its appearance, I could instinctively understand how to use it. My arms and hands aimed the pistol just as the man in the memories had. I could feel my body reflexively wield it. I had inherited his skills, the skills infused into the spirit of the gun. ¡°Amazing¡­¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Maxwell asked as he observed the pistol in my hand. As I had learned, summoners could conjure spirits from two different categories: Hot and cold. Hot summons were living spirits like exotic monsters and animals. These were conventionally living beings, and they had intelligence that increased with every level. And cold summons were conventional weapons, like swords, spears, and shields. These were inanimate beings. My category was of the second type, and quite unfortunately, cold summons were regarded as the worst type of summons. So not only was I a lowly summoner, but I had cold summons. Thankfully, I knew that these cold weapons were anything but lowly or lacking in power. I gave Maxwell a vague explanation. ¡°This is a gun. It fires deadly projectiles, like arrows.¡± ¡°I see¡­ This is not a weapon that I recognize, though it looks similar to siege cannons.¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost exactly like that, except dialed down. Anyway, I¡¯ve successfully communed with this spirit.¡± ¡°Yes, congratulations.¡± Maxwell gave his praise while scrutinizing the pistol. ¡°It seems like a decently powerful spirit for your level.¡± ¡°Mm. One thing though. I was able to see the memories of this spirit. Is that normal?¡± ¡°Memories?¡± Maxwell rubbed his chin. ¡°Spirits, regardless of animation, do indeed have what we can consider minds. It has been documented, though rarely, that some cold summons carry with them remnant spirits, most often of warriors from another time or world. This gives special cold summoners some ability as they can inherit the skills of the previous warrior.¡± ¡°Really? Then why are they still considered the weakest?¡± ¡°Because you are inheriting the skill of a warrior, yet not his physique, endurance, strength, or power. You are a glass sword, sharp yet brittle. So even if you inherit the skill of the greatest warrior from another world, you couldn¡¯t hold a candle to even mid level Knights since you lack what truly comprises a powerful warrior which is the powerful body.¡± ¡°...I guess that makes sense.¡± I could understand what he was saying, though it didn¡¯t make me feel good. This meant that, while I could attain powerful guns, they may not be able to carry me far. But Maxwell only smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to your head now. That logic only applies to normal summoners. With my Call of the Fallen Angel, you will be capable of so much more, disposing of preconceived limiters. You¡¯re lucky I even told you about normal summoners. Because if you let the biases of normality taint your mind and teachings, then you won¡¯t be able to use my Call to its fullest extent. So forget about it.¡± ¡°Oh. Alright.¡± His words picked my spirits back up. It seemed there was still more in store regarding this Call. So I disregarded what he said earlier. It wasn¡¯t much longer afterward that we ended the session. I left for my room with both slight exhaustion and a sense of accomplishment. Now, I could properly project and commune with spirits, but perhaps unfortunately, the time to use them was nigh. ¡­¡­ It was the next day that Plex called in the few members of his company. This was also when I discovered that there were more than three of us. There were 5 of us. Myself, Plex, Libitus, and two others. One was Tovex, who I had briefly met alongside Libitus at a bar. The other was a woman who I knew nothing about. ¡°You know Tovex, and this is Rayla.¡± Libitus named the woman I didn¡¯t recognize. After observing her, I could faintly sense a significant amount of power lurking within her body. I knew immediately that she was a Magus, though I didn¡¯t know what type. All I knew was that I would get my ass handed to me if I fought her. The introductions were short as I greeted the two of them. Afterward, Plex began a meeting. Not that it seemed important. Everyone was casual. ¡°The monthly auction is here, so I have jobs as always. We¡¯ll be moving things mainly from the Tavera Family and the Polaris Branch in the Founder¡¯s Market. But we also have a special order, which is the reason I¡¯ve called you all here.¡± Plex smiled while taking out a paper and showing us its front. It had a large symbol on it, that of a skull with blood vessels hanging from its bottom and eye sockets that had chains drooping from them like tears. ¡°The Trenches have requested our help.¡± Chapter 10: Trenches ¡°Who are they?¡± I didn¡¯t recognize the name Trenches, though they seemed to be a mafia of the Founder¡¯s market. Plex smoothly answered my question. ¡°There are four dominating powers of the Founder¡¯s Market: The Tavera Family, the Clockwork Association, a branch of the Polaris Family, and The Trenches. The Trenches though, unlike the others, hold a small amount of territory and basically no organized influence. They¡¯re a gang, nothing more than a bunch of blood-lusting freaks who rule a portion of the market through fear and sheer power. Normally they stay in the dark, making their money mainly through the production of hard drugs. But occasionally they¡¯ll step out into the light, as they are now.¡± Plex waved the paper. ¡°This job from them is rather sudden, which means they¡¯re doing something significant. We can expect to see some good stuff at the auction, but first, we need to move whatever cargo they have for us. Naturally, this involves plenty of danger, more so than usual. Simply stepping into their territory is sketchy, so four of us are going.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious too.¡± A few spoke their opinions, yet Plex seemed to already know his decision. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking John, Rayla, and Libitus. Tovex, you stay back on the outskirts of the territory. We may need your support when making our way out.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°When do we start?¡± ¡°Right now.¡± Plex wasted no time, gathering whatever he needed. ¡°The auction is in two days, but I want to move whatever bomb the Trenches want us to handle as soon as possible. That means we leave in 10.¡± With that, the four of us prepared to leave. It wasn¡¯t much later that we were on the street. For a while things were normal, nothing I hadn¡¯t seen several times before. But then, we stepped across what seemed to be the point of entry. Everything suddenly got dark as we left the rest of the market behind. What lay in front of us were ragged stone roads and beat up buildings. They seemed to be more like shacks as the bristling stench of drugs and chemicals entered my nose. These run down shacks were ever surrounded and inhabited by nothing but thugs. Not a single person I saw seemed to have any semblance of rationality hiding behind those eyes. It got really bad when I saw an orgy in the streets. If the people were at least good looking I could bear it, but the sight of those humans who had their bodies degraded by drugs was unbearable. I put my hand on Libitus¡¯ shoulder and closed my eyes, bearing through the stench and letting him lead the way. ¡°Oh lord, cleanse my tainted eyeballs of the horrid sight.¡± ¡°Yea, that was pretty bad. Couldn¡¯t even get to the whore house first.¡± Rayla agreed with me as we continued deeper into the territory. Thankfully it really was small as we quickly came upon the headquarters. It was there that we were greeted by guards, all of them carrying various creative weapons such as clubs with teeth sticking out of the wood or jagged cleavers. Still, I could tell that all of them were strong despite the rough appearances. ¡°Well if it isn¡¯t Plex. I had a feeling you wouldn¡¯t waste time.¡± A voice sounded at our arrival, one that was masculine yet carried a hint of shrill madness. A man who was leaning on a tilted and shattered pillar stood. My eyes were immediately pulled toward him, but not because of his appearance. Instead, it was like I could see him in my mind. His body carried with it bristling power, radiating an aura of unhinged psychosis. My hair stood on end as my chest constricted in fear. My breathing turned light as adrenaline ran through my system. This guy was dangerous. It felt like he could jump on me and tear me apart whenever he wanted. It only got worse when he looked at me. It was like his hands were reaching out with his gaze, his sharp fingers sinking between my ribs and tearing my chest open. The pain that came with it was enough to blur my vision. I didn¡¯t realize my body was frozen until Plex stepped in front of me. And with line of sight broken, I finally regained myself. My hand waved, calling upon the flintlock and raising it toward that madman while my breath turned laborious. I heard Plex¡¯s voice. ¡°Don¡¯t scare the kid, please. He¡¯s new.¡± ¡°Hahaha! At least he didn¡¯t piss himself! Usually when people have their chest ripped apart, they tend to forget to keep themselves together. Haha!¡± A feeling of weakness came over me while he laughed. At the same time, I saw Rayla move in front of me, pulling my face with her hand. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding. Just focus on me for a second.¡± She raised a cloth to my face, wiping the blood that had started dripping from my nose. Looking into her eyes was a good way to divert my mind from the vivid illusions of that pain. Dare I say it was rather intimate as I felt her hands ensure that I was okay. Still, I felt a bad migraine come on when all things subsided. Not even her pretty face could distract me from that. ¡°Heh, usually people wait until the final hour to come retrieve my packages. But you scurried right over here, didn¡¯t you? Hell, sometimes they don¡¯t even show up!¡± ¡°Business is business, Apocryon. I don¡¯t discriminate between clients.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s what makes you so amazing then! That and how prompt you are in responding to my requests. I only had to wait an hour. Here.¡± Looking up, I saw the madman toss a box. Plex caught it, but before he could stash it, Apocryon smiled. ¡°Open it.¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t intrude on the privacy of my clients. What¡¯s inside is of no business to me.¡± ¡°Well I¡¯m making it your business. Open it.¡± ¡°...¡± With the man insisting, Plex could only comply. Popping the lock, he gradually opened the container. The four of us looked inside, and we saw a neat pile of black pills. If not for their uniform shape, I would have mistaken them for small pebbles. ¡°Those are neat little things called Overkill Pills. Eat one and your body will become a torrent of power that amplifies your output by several fold. Warlocks are uninhibited from casting all the spells they can, Knights are spurred by seemingly infinite strength, and even Summoners are able to call upon countless spirits. Of course, the aftermath is just as violent as the bestowal. The survival rate is currently zero.¡± Apocryon chuckled lowly in excitement. It was Libitus who commented first. ¡°The Army is going to buy the shit out of these¡­¡± ¡°Right?! I¡¯m going to be rich! It will multiply the combat ability of our frontlines! Just imagine thousands of soldiers taking these pills and massacring the enemy!¡± He laughed maniacally with ambitious words. Plex closed the box at the same time. Then, Rayla lifted my slouching body, whispering to me softly. ¡°Get ready to go, kid. You know it''s going to be rough on the way out.¡± ¡°...Shit.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. I cursed while spurring my body. My head throbbed, but right now, that was probably the least of my worries. As if reading my mind, Apocryon retrieved a bag from his waist. He smiled at us while throwing it. When Plex caught it, we could all hear the familiar clangs of metal coin. ¡°Your pay, sir delivery man. 120 thousand coin, plus 30 thousand for hazard pay.¡± ¡°...Holy hell¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but blurt out. 150 thousand coin! That was a massive amount of money! How long would it take me to save that kind of coin?! Even then, Plex merely gave a courteous smile. ¡°We appreciate the generosity. We will deliver this to the auction house as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I admire the confidence in your ability to make it out of here at all. Well, that is why I called you.¡± Apocryon left with those words. And when he disappeared, I raised my gun. My communion with this spirit gave me the skills of that soldier from the revolutionary war. So when I saw a man jump at us from atop a building, my arm reflexively moved. *Bang!* It fired, leaving behind a plume of smoke. And the body fell limply to the floor, a hole through its throat. For a few moments, everything was silent, until Rayla spoke. ¡°That was kind of hot. What was that?¡± ¡°That was how we negotiate with criminals in my homeland. Fuck! My head hurts! Let¡¯s get the hell out of here!¡± ¡°Amen, brother.¡± Libitus laughed while reaching under his coat, retrieving a metal whip with segmented blades on it. Rayla also took out what looked like a small staff. On its end was an arch that cradled a floating heart that pulsed as if alive. Around it, fancy lines appeared. Plex disappeared while smiling. ¡°I got the money. See you all at the warehouse.¡± ¡°Asshole!¡± I yelled while reloading. It only took several seconds as I easily retrieved a bullet and powder from the dimension, slamming everything down in the barrel. At that moment, several other of those psychos came running at us from all directions. Libitus lashed out with the metal whip, Rayla cast some spells that spit out sharp blades of air, and I took aim. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re earning our money today!¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Ugh. Oh yea, that¡¯s tasty.¡± ¡°Having fun yet?¡± Libitus snickered while hoisting my arm over his shoulders. He bore the weight of my body as we walked through the founder¡¯s market. One of my eyes was closed, a thick liquid streaming over it. I smelled smoke and my tongue tasted iron. ¡°Heh, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been drenched in my own blood like this before. Am I really not gonna die?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Rayla¡¯s healing is good enough to keep you alive. Trust in my experience.¡± ¡°I see. You have my sympathies.¡± I laughed as we arrived at a building. Kicking open the door, Libitus dragged me into a bright area. It looked like a hospital with sterile white tiles and beds. I looked through my one eye as a nurse came striding over. Before she could even speak, Libitus flicked a gold bullion at her. ¡°We both need treatment. A few stab wounds and some blunt trauma. We also have another coming, a woman with red hair.¡± ¡°Understood sir. Right this way.¡± She quickly led us to a couple nearby beds. Libitus lifted me into it before he set himself down on another. ¡°Help him first.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry sir, we can help you both.¡± The nurse reassured Libitus, though she did hurry over to my side and pull open my clothes. My body was riddled with lacerations and a few stab wounds, along with huge nasty bruises on my limbs. The fight out of the Trenches was not an easy one. Without Rayla and her healing, I would¡¯ve died. I killed no small amount of people, but not every shot was precise. Despite the large caliber, those freaks didn¡¯t immediately go down unless you hit a vital spot. And smooth bore flintlocks didn¡¯t make marksmanship easy. If I didn¡¯t have the inherited skills from that man, there was no way I would be here now. After seeing my wounds, the woman reached into one of her pockets and retrieved a red pill. She plopped it into my mouth, the pill instantly dissolving. There wasn¡¯t even anything to swallow. Instead, a hot energy spread through my blood vessels. It gave me energy and dampened the pain, even stopping the bleeding of my wounds. At that time, another doctor came over and took a look at me. The man in a white coat laid out a case of tools on a nearby tray. Before he got to work though, he asked. ¡°Is it safe to put you to sleep, or shall I operate while you are lucid?¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t respond, looking over to Libitus. He nodded. ¡°Go ahead and sleep. We¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll get to work.¡± With that confirmation, the doctor fed me another pill. This one dissolved like the last one, and just like that, I turned drowsy before passing out. ¡­¡­ ¡­ When I woke up, my body was wracked with a dull pain. When my eyes focused, I turned my head. I could see Libitus on the bed beside me, his back propped up and reading a book. Turning the other way, I saw a red haired girl asleep on another bed. It was Rayla. I had only known her for a few hours, but my impression of her was good. She was pretty, and unlike the orange hair that was usually associated with redheads on Earth, her hair was actually a blood red. In this world, some people had deep colored hair like that. While she wasn¡¯t jaw droppingly gorgeous, she was still pretty. She was also mature, perhaps a bit older than me. And as I had discovered, she could be a bit flirty. It was fun. ¡°Her wounds were a bit lighter than yours. But with her healing powers, she¡¯ll recover just fine. Yours were still the worst of us. It''s good that your body is resilient.¡± Libitus commented. Taking my gaze off the sleeping Rayla, I closed my eyes. ¡°Yea, not like it hurt any less. Still, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever pushed myself like that before. I didn¡¯t even know I could go that far.¡± ¡°You learn things about your limits during battles like those. They¡¯re valuable experiences, so long as you survive them. Oh, also¡­¡± I looked at Libitus while he smiled. ¡°Your cut. 25.¡± ¡°...Like¡­¡± ¡°Yea. None of us expected him to pay that much, but hey, we earned it. Just don¡¯t spend it all in one place.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡¯ I was a bit dazed. I just earned 25 thousand coin. That was more than everything I had earned up until this point. ¡°Oh, we also have more deliveries to do over the next couple days. The auctions are always the time for big business. You can expect this kind of stuff every month, especially when the major auctions come around. Of course, this was a special case. Singular payouts aren¡¯t quite as big and not nearly as dangerous. But you can expect to make tens of thousands over a mere three day period during normal auctions.¡± ¡°...I like this job.¡± ¡°Yea, it¡¯s pretty good.¡± Libitus chuckled and agreed. And not long after, Rayla roused from her sleep. I could see a few lines of stitches on her lithe body, but they had already healed much better than mine. She turned, her eyes focusing on me. ¡°Hey sweet cheeks. How¡¯s your ass?¡± ¡°Oh god, this is not becoming a thing is it?¡± ¡°You bet your tight ass it is.¡± She giggled as I rolled my eyes. One of the several slices on my body happened to be on my butt cheek, which she had to heal so I could keep running. It was embarrassing. Even Libitus laughed. She snickered a bit as I diverted my gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t worry hun. I¡¯ve healed worse. Besides, you¡¯ve got nothing to be embarrassed about. You¡¯re quite well endowed.¡± ¡°Thanks. So are you.¡± ¡°Hoho, cheeky boy.¡± Her eyes curved as we smiled at each other. A few minutes later, a doctor came over and checked us all out. Once he gave us a painkiller pill and cleared us, we all grabbed our stuff and left. Our first stop was the warehouse. It was there that we saw Plex. But he wasn¡¯t in perfect shape. His clothes were bloodied as he slumped in a chair. The only reason we knew he was alive was because he was drinking a bottle of wine. ¡°Oh, you all finally made it.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been worse. Most of my wounds are internal, so I can only rest to heal. Oh, here are your cuts.¡± Saying that, he took out three bags and threw them to us. I caught mine and opened it, seeing 25 gold bullion coins. They were worth 25 thousand coin. A stupid grin surfaced on my face. It felt nice, being somewhat rich. And the jingle of gold made my wounds hurt less. ¡°Rayla.¡± Plex called while taking a swig of wine. ¡°Take John to the Polaris Bank tomorrow and have him open an account. Do it under the company name. He can¡¯t be walking around with that coin all the time.¡± ¡°Alright. For now, I just need to head home. Walk with me?¡± She waved me over while walking out. I glanced at Plex who seemed to be getting drunk before striding out with her. We stepped onto the cold streets. Since we always worked at night, seeing nobody out was normal. Though, the sun was beginning to creep up, signaling dawn. ¡°Where are you staying?¡± She asked, prompting me to point to the center of the city. ¡°The Black Spider Hotel.¡± ¡°You have a room there?¡± ¡°Yea, the Key Master is letting me stay there until I get into the magisterium in a few months.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I have an apartment that¡¯s in that general direction, though I can¡¯t say its as luxurious.¡± ¡°I only had a hotel before, so I understand. I¡¯ll walk you home.¡± ¡°Why thank you. Don¡¯t you go getting any funny ideas though.¡± She pat my cheek with a coy smile, making me chuckle as we walked. ¡°You can kick my ass, so I don¡¯t have any plans to.¡± ¡°And if I couldn¡¯t? What would you do to me? How might you ravage me with those funny little thoughts?¡± ¡°Hey now, I¡¯m an upright gentleman. No matter how fantastically impure my thoughts are, I wouldn¡¯t go ravaging a woman unless she wanted it.¡± ¡°Hah! Well, at least you¡¯re honest about how horny you are.¡± She smacked my butt as we arrived at the apartment. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll meet you tomorrow at around 6. Since you¡¯re already there, just find me at the entrance to the Polaris Bank. Afterward, you¡¯ll probably be working with me when we get these jobs for auction deliveries. Plex requires us to work them in pairs for safety.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Goodnight then, John. You did well today.¡± She ruffled my hair with a surprisingly caring and soft voice. I waved as she disappeared into the apartment. Then, I made my way to my room at the hotel. Chapter 11: Bank After eating a meal in the morning, I found Rayla at the Polaris Bank. The process to open an account was easy, but the reason more people didn¡¯t have one was due to the fact that you needed to open an account under the name of a verified business. Those in the black market evaded taxes in just about every way. Since most currency was tangible and because nobody in the black market wanted to pay taxes, it was difficult for the kingdom to enforce it. But this also meant that banks which didn¡¯t enforce tax laws were rare, since they were an institution that could be easily and formally attacked by the kingdom. There was a slew of issues that these banks had to deal with, and as a result, they only accepted clients who were verified by a company that worked in the black market. Of course, the Polaris Bank was even more strict. Not just any black market company could do business with them. But Plex had enough of a reputation to get just about anything apparently, so his company and employees could register with this prestigious institution. The Polaris Bank was nothing to joke about. According to Rayla, it handled enough money to rival the entire kingdom in sheer monetary throughput. That was because the richest people in the black market let their finances be handled by this bank. Naturally, this made Polaris an even heavier behemoth than I initially thought. The place wasn¡¯t overly luxurious, but it still looked like a palace when I walked into it. Marble floors inlaid with gold, huge hallways adorned with paintings or statues, and the most courteous clerks I¡¯ve ever interacted with. Rayla carried with her the proven identity of the company. Plex¡¯s delivery service was formally known as Divine Distribution. It even had a crest, which was one of the things required to prove the identity. After that, it wasn¡¯t long after that I was able to open an account. And I was a bit surprised by their system of profit. Basically, I had to pay a certain amount of money to buy a certain sized account. For the lowest tier, they would store 500 gold bullion for me, which was 500 thousand coin. And it would cost half a percent of the total storage, 2.5 gold bullion, every month in order to keep the account open. It was yet another bill on top of Maxwell¡¯s, but nothing I couldn¡¯t handle. Considering my pay, I was still profiting amazingly. Plus, that wasn¡¯t considering the perks of being a client of the Polaris Bank. After opening an account, I immediately deposited all the spare coin I had on me. With last nights profit of 25 thousand coin along with almost a month worth of working¡­ ¡°33,228 coin has been deposited into your account.¡± That¡¯s what the clerk told me, and the number had me giddy for a bit. Rayla giggled from beside me as the clerk left to finalize things, causing me to be curious. ¡°Hey, how much to you have stored?¡± ¡°Do you really want to hear that number?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Close to 30 million coin.¡± ¡°Hah?¡± I gawked. That was 30 thousand gold bullion! I asked with anticipation. ¡°Does this job really make you that much?¡± ¡°God no. For a while I was in the military which made me quite a bit more after I hit the high ranks. And when I left I was referred by a friend to work at the Clockwork Association. I made even more there before eventually settling in Plex¡¯s company. So while I still make decent money, it¡¯s nothing amazing.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± I slowly nodded as my mind drifted. How old was Rayla? She looked young, no older than 30. But her words told me that she had many years of experience. And considering that this world was full of magic, it wasn¡¯t crazy to think that lifespans were longer. Kind of like the mythical elves that could retain their youthful appearances even at old ages. I suddenly wanted to ask how old she was, but that wasn¡¯t very tactful. ¡°So what are you? 60?¡± Instead I guessed, earning a snide smirk. ¡°You¡¯re going to do great with girls when you enter the Magisterium.¡± ¡°I happen to be a blunt person, especially when I know that you¡¯re probably more like half that age.¡± ¡°Hm, something like that. At the very least, I¡¯m not that much older than you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m 22.¡± ¡°...Really?¡± This time she looked at me with surprise. I scratched my roughly shaven chin that betrayed my age. I often got told that I looked older than I was. So when I smiled at Rayla, she scoffed and smacked my chest. ¡°You kids these days.¡± ¡°Hey now, You¡¯re not that much older, right?¡± ¡°Shut up. I make more money than you.¡± ¡°Oh no, my fragile ego¡­¡± We laughed a bit until the clerk came back. ¡°Here you go, John Cooper. The money has been stored and your Card has been prepared. Here.¡± The clerk handed me a card. When I felt it, I realized how unique it was. The border of the card was made of gold metal, and its body was like a window that revealed a flowing black film. On this film, I could see the symbol of the Polaris Bank. The clerk explained how to use it. ¡°All your money is stored within this bank, but through this card, you can retrieve any amount of your money, at any given time, and in any denomination. So if you desired, you could pull out 33 gold bullion, 330 gold coin, 3300 silver bullion, or 33000 silver coin. It all comes from that card right there. Simply tap the symbol and designate how much you wish to retrieve.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Doing as he said, I tapped the golden symbol with my finger. Then, four sliders appeared. I designated a single gold bullion, and with a confirmation, the black film fluctuated. ¡°You can simply dump out the coin or reach in and pull it out.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± I smiled as I reached into the black film, feeling the coin and pulling out the bullion. ¡°Cool!¡± ¡°As your company is a Platinum level client, you have been granted a Gold level account and card. This means that not only can you retrieve your coin, but you can also deposit your coin simply by inserting it into the card at any time. And should you deposit more money and reach the next level, you would be granted a Platinum level card that comes with even more functionality.¡± ¡°Right. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure. If you require anything else, just let me know.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. The clerk left as I continued to play with the card. It was amazing how I could simply throw the coin in and out of the card. It was literally a portal for my money. Magic is amazing. Rayla smiled as my playful attitude. ¡°Alright, be sure you put all your payments straight into that card when you get them. You don¡¯t need to get robbed and lose everything. Also, it only works with your specific Crest, so don¡¯t worry should other people get ahold of it.¡± ¡°Oh, even cooler.¡± With that, the two of us left the bank. Our next stop was the warehouse. There, we only found Plex who looked much better than yesterday, yet still beat up. He smiled at us. ¡°Hey, you two. Have fun at the bank?¡± ¡°This card is cool.¡± ¡°Yes, it is. And you¡¯ll be using it plenty today. Your jobs are on the table. All of them need to be done by morning.¡± Walking over, Rayla and I saw 8 sheets on the table. All of them required us to head to a location, grab an item and our payment, and deliver the item to the auction house. For these jobs, our clients were located all across the city. Some were close, some came from the Foudner¡¯s Market, and others were farther away. I could already tell it was going to be a long night. ¡°We should get started.¡± Rayla sighed while scooping up the papers. Our warehouse was located just outside the city center, putting us right in between the Black Spider and Founder¡¯s Markets. Making a quick decision, the two of us decided to handle 3 of the jobs that came from the Founder¡¯s Market. Of course, they were also the most dangerous. Anything going to the auction was a valuable item, and these items were most vulnerable while in transit. So us delivery men, while neutral and immune in the black market, were often targeted by those who didn¡¯t care. Being neutral and immune simply meant that, should we kill those from, let¡¯s say, the Clockwork Association after a deal gone wrong, we wouldn¡¯t be systematically hunted. Conflicts were always considered personal and wouldn¡¯t escalate. But again, there were those who simply didn¡¯t care. We ran into a few of such people after we had picked up our third item. While crossing through an alleyway, Rayla and I were suddenly surrounded by 4 men. Two carried swords while the other two seemed to be warlocks. I smiled and sighed while looking at the leader. ¡°Hello, gentlemen. How can we help you?¡± ¡°Drop those packages.¡± ¡°Oh, sure thing. Here¡¯s the first one.¡± *BANG* An explosion rang out as I fired my flintlock. The man in front of me froze for a few seconds before falling to his knees, a large hole now in his chest. I turned to the others with a smile. ¡°Who wants the second one?¡± ¡°...¡± They were silent for a moment before running off, disappearing from our sights. Rayla chuckled as we continued walking. ¡°How bold of you.¡± ¡°After escaping from the Trenches yesterday, I¡¯ve become severely desensitized. Besides, killing one and scaring three off is better than making them think they have a chance and having to kill all four. Still, I¡¯d rather not have to at all.¡± ¡°Yea, I understand. But that¡¯s just how the black market is. Don¡¯t feel guilty.¡± She pat my back, and we continued on our way. Fortunately, everything after that was uneventful. Perhaps we got lucky, but we delivered everything to the auction house without a hitch. I also got paid another 14 thousand coin even after dividing the profits with Rayla, putting my total savings at nearly 48 thousand coin. With that, another day ended. ¡­¡­ ¡­ The following day was yet again filled with package deliveries. Rayla and I only exchanged a few hostilities with some unsavory individuals. And while the fights generally ended quickly, Both of us did end up exchanging blows. That hurt like hell. I had plenty of wounds that were still in the process of healing, and getitng punched or kicked only ended with my stitches getting broken. After killing several and scaring off the rest, we finished our deliveries, headed to the hospital, and got fixed up. Not even those difficulties could put a damper on our mood though. I didn¡¯t know what it was, but Rayla and I continued to have fun with each other. The jokes were smooth, the topics kept flowing, the banter was witty. We just clicked. The two of us seemed like best friends even though we had only known each other for a couple days. Of course, there was still plenty we didn¡¯t know about each other. It was hard keeping myself from eluding to Earth, and although Rayla had told me something about her former occupations, she never spoke about it in more detail. And I could tell that she had something to hide. I noticed the few times that we got on the topic of relationships. She often poked at how I had no girlfriend, so I would poke back, as I naturally didn¡¯t see a boyfriend or husband with her. She played it off, but I could tell how her mood went down. That only happened once, and I tactfully never touched the topic again. Not that she stopped telling me to go get a girl. While we walked, she would often scout some hot ladies, mention how big their boobs were, and tell me to talk to them. I would always refuse, of course, but it was still funny. So another day passed, and finally, it was time for the auction. ¡­¡­ ¡­ The Black Spider Market was always flooded during the day of the auction. Thousands of people would flood in from all over the city, even from beyond the city, to be here for the auction. After all, while it wasn¡¯t the biggest auction in the kingdom, it was definitely the most valuable. But this month¡¯s auction was in a weird spot. The auction following the big quarterly auction was always smaller since the most expensive items were just sold off. That would usually mean that there were little people. But there weren¡¯t. In fact, Rayla told me that the number of people was rather high. There was only one reason for that, and the man himself had messed with me while in the Trenches. As the dress code was strict, I ended up spending close to 3000 coin on a nice suit. Rayla had helped me pick it out just before coming to the auction house. It was a simple black suit with gold threaded embroidery and designs. My white shirt was covered with a black vest, and Rayla had me buy a large trench coat. Apparently that was the style here. All the clothes were supposedly enchanted in some way, allowing them to fit to the user. They were also built with attack resistant fabric. The trench coat could eat an entire spell and keep me safe. Though, these features were still limited. As things got more expensive, people stopped tracking prices by coin and more so by gold bullion. So while I could buy a coat and clothes that were defensively amazing and had awesome features like self cooling and cleaning, they would cost a few dozen gold bullion. That was for another time. I felt rather amazing as I walked with Rayla into the auction house. We eventually found Plex and the rest of the company before heading to a suite. It was a suite bought by the Tavera Family. There, I once again met the patriarch. ¡°Goodness John. How many people have you killed in the last month? You feel very different from the newbie you were when Plex first found you.¡± ¡°The two dozen new scars on my body would agree with you.¡± I smiled as we shook hands. The older man in front of me stroked his whitening beard after separating. ¡°Say, how did things go at the Polaris Family? I haven¡¯t heard anything.¡± ¡°Amazing, actually. Maxwell is an¡­ interesting teacher, but what he teaches is good stuff. His Call had saved my life a few times now.¡± ¡°Wait, Maxwell? Albarain?¡± ¡°Yea. That¡¯s who I was taken to.¡± ¡°...¡± The Patriarch frowned before turning and looking at Plex. Plex shrugged while muching on some snacks that a maid had brought around, causing the Patriarch to shake his head. ¡°I see. Well, if its Maxwell, you can¡¯t go wrong. Get as much out of that man as you possibly can.¡± ¡°He¡¯s getting as much out of me too. I mean, nearly 4 thousand coin a week just for lessons.¡± ¡°Heh, its really far more valuable than that. But I will agree that he¡¯s a shrewd man.¡± ¡°Who are you calling shrewd?¡± We suddenly heard a voice, turning to see a tall man draped in navy blue robes. It was Maxwell, and his presence shocked several people, including the Patriarch. ¡°Maxwell? I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± ¡°I had no plans to stop by, but my delinquent student has been missing classes.¡± The summoner approached with a sharp eye, looking me over before huffing. ¡°Getting into fights?¡± ¡°It pays for your classes, so yea. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve missed recently, but work has been literally kicking my ass. Now I know that I¡¯ll be busy during the auctions.¡± ¡°I figured. Well, battles will help with your communions anyway. In fact, maybe you should get into more. Hmm, you.¡± Maxwell suddenly pointed to Plex, who hummed in confusion. ¡°Send this kid to whatever jobs you have in the Trenches.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°That place is a good training ground. As lawless as it is complex.¡± ¡°Bwahaha!¡± Plex started laughing as my face fell. ¡°No way in hell am I going back to that hell hole! Especially not with the shitty weapons I have now.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯ll need to be stronger, attain better summons. So here.¡± Maxwell reached into his pocket and took out a large crystal and a small book. I took both as he explained. ¡°Follow the formations in the book and use that White Crystal to cultivate your Crest to the next Authority.¡± ¡°...I thought you couldn¡¯t do that without the Magisterium.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll overlook it if it¡¯s just one or two levels. It might even help you since you¡¯re a bit too old to be entering as an Authority One.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll omit this weeks pay, so don¡¯t come back until you get your second Authority. Remember, the faster you advance, the higher the chances of your survival. And Plex, if I find that he isn¡¯t in the Trenches, I¡¯ll be paying you a visit. Do not inhibit my teachings.¡± ¡°Hehe, yes sir.¡± Plex chuckled evilly as Maxwell turned to leave. Rayla pat my back in sympathy. ¡°It was nice knowing you, John.¡± ¡°Shut up. I should take you with me.¡± ¡°No thanks. I¡¯ve paid my dues. And hey, the jobs for the Trenches at least pay well. Contrary to what people believe, those gremlins are rich.¡± She laughed as I contemplated how difficult the coming days were going to be. Not long afterward, the auction began. ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time to officially announce the beginning of the 4th monthly auction.¡± Chapter 12: Sold Everyone clapped as the auctions started. This was as much of a social convention as it was a time of business. This meant that drinks and food were plentiful among the stands. As the Tavera Family was paying for everything in the suite, I didn¡¯t keep myself from grabbing anything that looked good. And as I found out, many of the candies were divine while the alcohol was rich. I was one of the few who took a seat by the window. The rest were socializing, including Rayla who apparently had some friends within the Tavera Family. So I was by myself for a while as the introductory items were being shown off. I could hear everything clearly through the glass, the noise being amplified by magic. ¡°A Colossal Goat Horn, enough to make a full set of armor or construct the chassis of a carriage. Starting price: 25 gold bullion.¡± I saw a truly massive horn appear on stage. It was at least 10 feet tall and 40 feet long. It really could be used to build the chassis of a vehicle. I wondered what kind of monstrosity the Colossal Goat was to have such huge horns. ¡°A container of 85 Bone Burrowing Beetles, for any of your alchemical needs. Starting price: 45 gold bullion.¡± That box was worth the entirety of my savings at just the starting price. ¡°An air mask, constructed from the treated leather of a Fire Lamb and infused with a Grade 4 White Crystal. This device can not only filter all the air you breath, but even boost your stamina! Starting Price: 30 gold bullion.¡± That was an interesting one that I might¡¯ve considering trying to get if I could afford it. But unfortunately, it sold at about 75 gold bullion. ¡°The newest prototype of Sawn¡¯s line of transmission devices, the Aerial 8! The details of this device have been purposefully omitted by request of the seller. Starting price: 70 gold bullion.¡± The prices only continued to go up as each item went by. The average price quickly climbed past 100 gold bullion, and every single one was bought casually. Millions of coin being thrown around just like that. And these were just the introductory items. Eventually, the time for introductions were over. More expensive items starting at a minimum of 500 gold bullion started rolling out. From entire sets of armor to crazy intricate weapons, these were high quality items that could be wielded by those with up to 7 Authorities. But nobody seemed to care much. Nobody within my suite paid much mind to those things. And I suppose everyone at this auction was waiting for just one thing. I continued to sit around, eating all the shockingly delicious food that was being handed out. That was, until the door swung open again. ¡°Maxwell?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The sharp summoner came strolling back unannounced. He walked straight up to me. In his hands were two items. ¡°Air mask and Aerial.¡± ¡°...¡± These were two of the introductory items. I slowly grabbed them as he explained. ¡°The Trenches are filled with toxic fumes and drugged air. You¡¯ll want the mask to keep you healthy. And use the Aerial to contact people. Also, they said something about Sawn personally wanting to do some stuff with you and the Aerial.¡± ¡°If you had let me finish, I would¡¯ve told you what!¡± Suddenly, another man came striding into the room. He was scrawny, like a scientist, and on his face was a pair of glasses that flashed with displays. They looked like futuristic holographic glasses. He walked over to me, grabbing the Aerial, which I had surmised was a magic phone. He spoke with haste, as if his mind were filled with a million thoughts. ¡°Sawn, pleased to meet you. This is a prototype model, okay? Prototype. That means it¡¯s not perfect and still needs to be adjusted to suit you until I can create a standardized model. Now I can¡¯t spill all the details, but this thing can basically connect to your mind, to some extent at least. This new feature is limited for now until I work out the kinks, but nonetheless, still extremely useful. Also, this thing can work independently, regardless of if there are repeater nodes around you. I believe the maximum pulse transmission is 40 miles in all directions, and standard transmission is 10 miles in all directions. Trust me, far more capable than whatever else those dogs at Hero Aerial Works are cooking up.¡± The man, Sawn, went on a spiel about all the different things that this device could do. In short, it was a phone. This world had phones apparently, although the ones cheap enough for the common man were limited in function. Still, they provided revolutionary communication abilities. And this man, Sawn, was the owner of Sawn Industries. He created these phones, and this was his prototype model. Apparently, he decided to sell one in order to test it out in the field. And Maxwell bought it. As I started to zone out from all his droning on, the man suddenly grabbed my wrist. ¡°Alright, this thing goes on your wrist right under your crest, which it binds to, like all the other models.¡± *Snap!* Touching the device to my wrist, it automatically unfurled and snapped around the joint, becoming a metal wristband that sat flush against my skin. It wasn¡¯t uncomfortable, surprisingly. ¡°Now, you can only send information from your mind to the device. The device can¡¯t send things to your mind, at least not yet. It is built for it though. So, in order to read things you still have to manually activate the device and read them with your two eyeballs, yes? But, you can now write messages and send them with your mind. You just have to speak them in that empty head of yours and they¡¯ll appear on the screen. Now, I¡¯ll also be monitoring this device and its functionality to collect operating data so I can perfect it. This is what you have signed up for by buying it.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°But I didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t see nor will I care about the messages you send or receive. I know you elites care about secrecy and all that shnazzle. So just use it as normal and pretend that I¡¯m not connected to the thing. I only need data. Data, okay?!¡± ¡°Y-yes?¡± ¡°Good.¡± He nodded before standing and walking away. ¡°Oh! One more thing.¡± He stopped and turned back around. ¡°You¡¯re a summoner? Yes, you are. So, you use Psyka, which is the more elusive of the three. If things go well, I might be able to activate the function so you can also receive data in your mind, since summoners are like that. Only if it goes well! Now, I will be in contact. And please, use the Aerial as much as you can. I need data!¡± With that, Sawn finally walked out, leaving me in a small daze. Everyone was staring at me, prompting me to hide my wrist and mask behind my body. ¡°Mine.¡± ¡°Hahaha! I can¡¯t believe that was Sawn! He¡¯s filthy rich too.¡± Patriarch Tavera laughed before going back to his business. Maxwell then walked up to me, showing his wrist which also had one of these devices on it. ¡°Touch.¡± *Tap* He touched the device to mine, and a screen appeared above my wrist. Add Maxwell Albarain as a contact? ¡°Yes.¡± I confirmed in my mind, and sure enough, he was added to my contact list. I could send and receive messages from him. We could even exchange pictures and videos. Real time calls were also possible. It was a full fledged telephone. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Pay me back by hurrying up and getting your next Authority.¡± With those words, he left once again. Perhaps all those payments every week was worth it. As I admired the Aerial and mask, Rayla came up to me with a smile. Extending her wrist, she tapped my Aerial, exchanging contact info. ¡°I naturally have one too. So does everyone else in the company. Get their contact info when you can.¡± ¡°Sure. Thanks.¡± We smiled at each other. After that, there were no more surprises as the auction continued on. There were dozens of items that got introduced and sold off after the course of several hours. Many of them sold for beyond a thousand gold bullion. The total monetary exchange in just 5 hours was at least 80 million coin. It was a baffling number, but none of it could compare to what was to come. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, the final item of the auction. This is what you all have been waiting for.¡± It was after several hundred more people had flooded into the auction house. The auctioneer had a broad smile on his face as a small cart was rolled out. On top of it was a single box, one that I recognized. ¡°The notorious Apocryon has spread the news far and wide. He has concocted a revolutionary item he calls the Overkill Pills. These pills are capable of increasing a person¡¯s combat power by several times, even on the verge of death. The duration of this increase depends on the user and how long their body can survive the rampaging power. However, despite the amazing effects, taking one of these pills almost certainly ensures your demise. They should only be taken in the direst of circumstances! ¡°Apocryon has dictated one condition for the selling of this product. Not only is he selling a small batch of pills here today, but he is selling an exclusivity contract! The contract will last 2 years, and for that duration, only the buyer can receive these pills to do whatever they wish with them!¡± ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± The auction house was uproarious at the news. Even Patriarch Tavera couldn¡¯t help but curse. An exclusivity contract was huge. Because not only would the buyer become the sole owner of any and all pills that were produced, but they could sell them as they wished. It was a monopoly of the product. This was much bigger than simply selling a batch of pills in an auction house. ¡°Hah! Truly a madman. I can¡¯t imagine how much money he¡¯s going to make tonight.¡± Plex was laughing with a drink in his hand. As for me, I was just enjoying the show. I was happy enough with my new magic phone. ¡°There are more details that Apocryon will personally discuss with the buyer, but that will come later! Ladies and Gentlemen, I officially open the bidding starting at 20 thousand gold bullion!¡± ¡°20 million coin¡­¡± I was baffled at the starting price. Even more so at the subsequent shouts. There were only three big names that sounded out. ¡°50 thousand.¡± ¡°80 thousand.¡± ¡°120 thousand.¡± ¡°200 thousand.¡± The price quickly rose beyond anything I could comprehend. And from beside me, Plex pointed at three other suites that stood suspended above the stands. ¡°I¡¯m telling you right now, the only three bidders for this stuff are the Polaris Family, the Church, and the fucking Dragon Military. A black market behemoth, a religious order, and the damn kingdom itself are fighting for this stuff with money we could never touch in our lives. With a single fucking pill, Apocryon got the big names to move! Haha!¡± Plex started laughing, half because of the absurdity, half because of how drunk he was. I leaned over toward Rayla. ¡°I know the Kingdom and Polaris Family are big, but the Church?¡± ¡°Yes, the Church is a behemoth on equal grounds. That¡¯s because they invented the crystal purification system.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°The most important technique ever created in the history of mankind.¡± Rayla looked down at the bidding ground with a neutral face. ¡°The Scourge is a threat that grows by the year. Monstrosities raid our borders every day, armies of mutant humanoids that seek to kill us all. And they all carry crystals, the incarnation of their power. However, their power is tainted, poisonous. Consume that power, and you would turn into a monstrosity yourself. But the Church created a way to purify the crystal, turning it into a magic engine that pulls in and stores a universal power called Magika. This Magika can turn into any of the three energies that Knights, Warlocks, and Summoners can use to advance their Authorities. The crystals can also be used to create enchanted items, like your new mask.¡± She pointed at the air mask on my lap. ¡°Since the crystal is an engine that constantly pulls in energy, simply tapping into that flow can power objects. It revolutionized the world as we know it.¡± ¡°And the Church has sole control over that method?¡± ¡°Well, they have sole control over the best method. Others have been created, but they don¡¯t have the results that the Church does. So naturally, the Church is a behemoth that sits at the top of the world.¡± ¡°Wow. And now they¡¯re all fighting for this.¡± ¡°1 million!¡± Another call sounded out. By this point, the entire auction house was silent. Only, after the price reached a whopping 1 billion coin, nothing else was heard. The auctioneer, who hadn¡¯t spoken in several minutes, suddenly raised his hand. ¡°1 million gold bullion, going once! ¡°Going twice!¡± ¡°Sold!¡± The hammer slammed down, yet unlike all the other times, no name was announced. In fact, it all seemed suspicious. ¡°They¡¯ll probably negotiate in private. There¡¯s no way you can simply buy something this important. Plus, they¡¯re not going to dump more than that into a single man, let alone a madman like Apocryon.¡± Plex scoffed while taking another swig of what I could only assume was pure ethanol by the smell. And with that, the auction officially ended. We stood with Patriarch Tavera, everybody funneling out of the room. It was surprising that I actually came out of this with two new toys, but regardless of that, I had witnessed something rather amazing here. And to think that I had been a part of the delivery team that transported this billion coin item. Even if everything that happened was just for show. Chapter 13: Gala *Ding!* ¡°Ugh! Son of a bitch!¡± *BANG!* My flintlock fired into a man¡¯s abdomen, one who just hit me with a metal pole. He slumped over after I kicked him away, proceeding to walk my way out. Over my face was the air mask. As Maxwell had said, it was crucial for staying healthy while in the Trenches. Sure, you could go in for a day and come out fine, but over several days? The mask was a lifesaver, especially since the smell of drugs and odor was unbearable. Even more, the air that I breathed was so fresh and revitalizing that it gave me more stamina. I could run and fight for much longer, which was similarly a lifesaver. *Ring!* Suddenly, I felt my Aerial phone go off on my wrist. I looked at it and saw Rayla¡¯s name. I answered, her voice echoing in my mind. ¡°Hey sweet cheeks. How¡¯s the job?¡± ¡°Fucking fantastic. Just got whacked in the leg with a pole.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the other guy look like?¡± ¡°A bloody mess on the floor.¡± ¡°Then it seems you¡¯re still fine.¡± I smiled as we conversed in my mind. It had only taken two weeks for Sawn to activate the mind function of the Aerial 8 prototype. This meant I could carry out calls, see messages, and send pictures all from the comfort of my brain. But apparently, this was only because I was a summoner. Psyka, the power of the mind that summoners wielded, made all this far easier than with Knights or Warlocks. We kept talking as I summoned a hatchet and chopped at a man who jumped out at me with a knife. *Splat!* ¡°So is that suit working well? Now that you¡¯re testing it and all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely made a difference.¡± I spoke while turning, flicking my arm and sending the hatchet flying. The blade buried itself into another man several meters away. Walking past the fresh corpse, the hatchet disappeared, going back to the dimension. Rayla chuckled. ¡°I would hope so. You spent 30 thousand coin on it.¡± ¡°Yea. I mean, I¡¯m not taking nearly as many wounds as I used to, but for those rare occasions, it¡¯s definitely doing its part in keeping me alive. Just a few hours ago it managed to stop a sword from cutting through. It even mitigates some of the impact.¡± ¡°And it looks sharp on you.¡± ¡°Of course. That¡¯s the most important part.¡± I smiled as the end of the Trenches territory showed itself. Making my way into the territory of the Clockwork Association, I found a certain building number and knocked. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Special delivery!¡± I yelled back to the rude voice. Soon after, the door swung open, revealing a short old lady. ¡°Here! 2200 coin! Now get off my doormat!¡± After tossing a sack of coin and snatching the package, the door was slammed shut. Compared to my recent clients, she was a saint. I turned and waved. ¡°Pleasure doing business.¡± ¡°Off my doormat!¡± Another yell came from the building, making me laugh. I then sighed. ¡°Finally done with the day.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have class?¡± ¡°That¡¯ll probably be tomorrow. I¡¯m still on the verge of getting my second Authority. It¡¯ll probably happen tonight.¡± ¡°Oh, well hurry and train then. You know, that¡¯s another thing that¡¯s always surprised me about you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I questioned while calling a carriage, having it take me to the Black Spider Hotel. Rayla spoke with skepticism. ¡°You¡¯re strong for your level. I mean, you¡¯re only Authority One, and you can kill those well above your own power.¡± ¡°Well, I still have trouble with Knights.¡± ¡°Yes, those tough ones seem to be your weakness. But again, you¡¯re only on your first Authority.¡± ¡°Probably just the nature of my summons.¡± I shrugged. I didn¡¯t know how I was supposed to explain the technology behind guns in relation to the magical powers of this world. Soon, I arrived at the hotel. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. I¡¯m home.¡± ¡°Sure thing, sweet cheeks.¡± I ended the call with a smile. At the same time, I nodded to the Key Master. He smiled back. ¡°Good morning, John.¡± ¡°Likewise, Key Master. Thank you for the hospitality.¡± ¡°You say that every time you come through here. Instead, I should be congratulating you in advance on a successful advancement.¡± ¡°Heh, nothing gets past you.¡± ¡°I do my best.¡± He tipped his hat as I walked past. ¡°Enjoy your rest, John.¡± ¡°Thank you, Key Master.¡± With that, I headed up to my room. Upon entry, I went and stripped my clothes in the bathroom. It was there that I turned on the bath and dumped them in the water. Just like that, my nice clothes had all the dirt and blood stripped right off them. Even the water slid off as I picked them back up. Perfectly clean in just a few minutes. That¡¯s what 30 gold bullion gets you. The suit I had spent a significant amount of my savings on was, like my first suit, black with gold embroidery. As there was no worry about getting it dirty, defensively it could eat spells and block swords, and it could moderate its internal temperature, I decided that it would be my normal wear. Even my underwear had fancy enhancements on it. I called the temperature enhancement on it the ball chiller. Being a summoner, I didn¡¯t need to carry weapons on me like Knights did. Anything else I needed to carry was small and could fit in pockets, which my trench coat had plenty of. So I always looked good, though not overly outstanding. My suit wasn¡¯t something that would catch the attention of anyone I couldn¡¯t handle in a fight. After cleaning my body up for the night, I climbed into bed. It was 6 weeks past my encounter with Apocryon and the night at the auction house. Since then, I had been training my Authority and doing jobs. The Trench jobs really did pay more. The average job paid at least 3 times more than otherwise. The cost for this extra pay though were at least 8 trips to the hospital. I¡¯ve gotten treated for stab wounds, poison, broken bones, and a slew of other small issues. I was lucky that this magical world had fantastic medical care, as with enough money, I could recover from everything without a hitch. I even bought some recovery pills from the hospital that I could take during battles. Those kept me going, temporarily keeping my injuries from getting worse and buying me time. I had really ridden the line of death over these past weeks. But hopefully things would be a bit easier soon. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. As I laid in my bed, I glanced at a large bruise on my thigh before grabbing a small book and crystal. They were the two items Maxwell gave me, and I had been training with them ever since. The process to train my Authority involved accumulating more power using the crystal as an engine. You couldn¡¯t simply train your own power. That was like a battery trying to power itself. Instead, you needed an external energy source. That¡¯s what the crystal was. And the book contained spell formations that allowed me to direct the power in a certain way that wouldn¡¯t hurt me. Deviating from those formations hurt like hell, so I quickly learned how to use them properly. Now, I was on the verge of getting my second Authority. I could feel it. In my mind, I saw the second star fill with energy over time. It was a tedious process, but now, it was almost completely full. ¡°Just one more push.¡± I mumbled to myself as I grabbed the crystal and started training. Energy moved into my body, bypassing my physical self and seeping straight into my mind. I could see the second star of 13 glisten. Then, an hour passed. It was at this time that I felt a reaction. All that power had reached a boiling point. I could suddenly feel a connection to the star. It was like a wall was breaking down. I was gaining access to something. Power beyond me was finally within reach. And I grabbed it. *Flash!* The star shone before all the power swirled into a vortex. It shattered the wall, and before I could react, my mind was flooded with information. The second dimension was opened, and through it, I could see more spirits. But all the energy within me was simultaneously drained, leaving me exhausted. I staved off my desire to pass out though and looked into the dimension. What I saw¡­ I didn¡¯t know if I was happy or not. Percussion cap weapon, both pistols and rifles. The percussion cap system was far more reliable than the flintlock system. In fact, in the past several weeks there were a few days when it rained. Those days, I outright didn¡¯t leave for work since my flintlock pistol couldn¡¯t operate when wet. Even if it could, it would be horribly unreliable, and mistakes could mean death for me. So Percussion cap weapons were definitely more reliable and easier to reload. But I had been hoping for something like a multi-chamber revolver. ¡°...Well, things aren¡¯t going to be that much easier. I¡¯ll probably have to climb to Authority 3 before getting six shooters. Luckily this book knows how.¡± This book that Maxwell gave me had the formations for Authority 3, and since he said that advancing a few Authorities wasn¡¯t an issue with the Magisterium, I decided that I would do so. ¡°It took me six weeks, but three of those weeks were spent getting used to the spell formation. If I can figure things out faster, I might be able to advance again in a month. Well, I¡¯ll ask Maxwell tomorrow since I can return to class now.¡± I mumbled while closing the book and putting away the crystal. With that, I went to sleep. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Only six weeks, huh? Pretty fast, for someone who only activated their Crest a couple months ago.¡± ¡°Yes, but unfortunately the new summons aren¡¯t that much stronger. They¡¯re basically more reliable weapons, maybe a bit better in terms of power, but that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°I see. Well, not out of the ordinary. You won¡¯t start seeing significant changes until the latter Authorities. Still, there are many things to teach you until then. So sit and listen. Oh, and your bill has increased to 5 gold bullion a week.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Even numbers, you know?¡± He shrugged, and I could only fork out 5 shiny gold coins. They fell from my Card into his hand, which he immediately tossed into his own Card, which was of the Platinum level. After that, I got to listen to a long lecture that only stopped after the sun had risen. When it was over, I dragged myself out, though not before giving Maxwell a reminder. ¡°By the way, the Auction is coming up again soon.¡± ¡°Of course. Just focus on training your next Authority. Oh, and did you get a suit from that man I told you to visit?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m wearing it right now.¡± It was Maxwell who referred me to a tailor who made these special suits, telling me to buy one if I wanted to survive. In the end, I spent 30 gold bullion on the one Rayla and I had spoken about the day before. ¡°Very well. Oh, take this crystal, and hand me back the other one next time. Use the new one for training. It¡¯s more powerful.¡± He tossed me a White Crystal, one that was identical to the previous, only bigger. With that, I finally left for the day. ¡­¡­ My next few weeks were filled with training and working. The reason Maxwell wanted me to face adversity in the Trenches was because utilizing my spirits naturally trained me as a summoner, especially since I had cold summons. And I had learned a lot through daily battles. The process of Charming to form a communion became far smoother than at first. I also learned a special aspect of the Call of the Fallen Angel that had saved my neck several times. Spirits weren¡¯t limited to their summoned forms. Basically, I could pump my Psyka into these spirits, making them stronger. This allowed my guns to hit harder at the expense of my energy. When faced with Knights who had atrociously strong and resilient bodies, normal bullets didn¡¯t cut it. Instead, I spent chunks of my energy, empowering the spirit and giving it stronger shots that could kill those Knights. And it was this ability that continued to secure my life in the following weeks. Soon, my third auction came around. It marked the 6th month of the year, which meant it was the second quarterly auction. The major auction that was graced by Vatsy¡¯s Gala. The Black Spider Market was festive even before the auction began. The anticipation was high, and I myself was raking in the big bucks. I was paired with Rayla again as we ran jobs for the auction. Thankfully, nothing like the encounter with Apocryon happened again, though that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t dangerous. We were attacked several times, even outside the black markets. It was like these thieves could smell how valuable our cargo was because they always seemed to come out of nowhere. Thankfully Rayla was powerful. Her Warlock spells could take people out faster than my pistols could. We still got a few injuries though, ending up in the hospital a couple times. But it was all worth it. Precisely, it was worth the 28 thousand gold profit. These quarterly auctions were big. And we were privileged enough to attend them. When the day came, I picked out my formal suit and met the company at the auction house. Inside, there were dancers on a stage and an entire orchestra that was playing swing music. The entire place was filled with the aroma of alcohol, perfume, and delicious food. It was a massive party, all hosted by the big wig Vatsy. ¡°Throw on your masks, and have fun!¡± Of course, another symbol of the Gala was the Masquerade. Everyone received a mask, one that matched our attire. After putting them on, a few of the guys dispersed, Plex included. Rayla and I, on the other hand, linked arms and wandered around the place. Occasionally we took some snacks, and most of the time we were talking about whatever came to mind. Spending some time at the bar, she would pick out some ¡®suitable females¡¯ that she tried to get me to talk to. All of them were rather gorgeous. Not even the masks could conceal their beauty. But as always, I refused. And in the end, she invited me for a dance. Unfortunately, while I knew how to dance, I didn¡¯t know anything from this world. So she was the one who had to lead. I quickly picked up on what seemed to be a combination of square dancing and the tango. It was complex but rhythmic, and after feeling each other for a while, we matched our tempo. Of course, I couldn¡¯t help but be tripped up a few times. But everything between us was fun, so we just laughed and kept going. Then, I took the lead and taught her some stuff that I knew. Some simplified tango was fun as I led her around the floor. She was agile as she followed my feet, our bodies almost pasted together while we moved. I knew it wasn¡¯t just me as the heat grew. Eventually our smiles turned somber, our gazes locked onto each other¡¯s, our eyes sharp almost like we were mad at each other. And then, the music slowed. We came to a stop, her chest pressed against mine and our hot breaths brushing against the other¡¯s face. And just when it seemed like something would happen¡­ *Ring!* I heard the Aerial ring in my mind. It was a call from Libitus. It drew my attention, and as soon as my eyes were diverted, Rayla took a breath and backed off. ¡°Sorry, Libitus is calling me.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I need a drink anyway.¡± She smiled as we walked off the dance floor. I made my way to a bar while Rayla excused herself. I met with Libitus who grabbed me and pulled me to the side. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s something you should know.¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked weirdly while grabbing some random wine off a tray. Libitus seemed serious as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s about Rayla. I need you to trust me and avoid trying anything with her.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Please, I saw you two down there. For the past month you two have gotten really close. And I don¡¯t want that to change since she¡¯s been a lot happier since you¡¯ve come around. But please, don¡¯t get seriously romantic. For her sake.¡± ¡°...Why?¡± I got curious. Being honest with myself, I¡¯ve come to really like Rayla. She was smart, mature, had a great sense of humor, and was beautiful. I couldn¡¯t say I hadn¡¯t thought of pursuing anything. But Libitus was making me morbidly curious. He shook his head with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I should tell you. It¡¯s her business.¡± ¡°Hey, let¡¯s not play these games. Tell me, or I¡¯ll just go ask her about it myself. Because I like her too much to beat around such an important detail.¡± ¡°...Fine.¡± He gave in, but before he spoke, he grabbed a cup and downed all its contents. After a cough, he looked around before turning his voice low. ¡°Look, she¡¯s been married before. It wasn¡¯t long before she joined the military that she found her husband. Both of them were Warlocks, so they joined together. But¡­ he didn¡¯t make it out.¡± He spoke with lingering sorrow. ¡°She¡¯s been depressed for years since they had been trying for a child. Still probably hasn¡¯t gotten over it. But when you two met, she¡¯s been all bright and happy. You¡¯re a good man John, and normally I¡¯d say you two would be good together. But¡­ I don¡¯t think she¡¯s in the position to get involved romantically. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll ever be. They seriously loved each other. I mean, she almost killed herself over it. The Scourge took her man in the worst way possible... Plus, you¡¯re quite a bit younger than her. It just¡­ The facts don¡¯t mesh, and I don¡¯t want things to be ruined between you two because of that conflict.¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent, processing these shocking revelations. Libitus sighed when he glanced at me, downing another cup. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, John. But please trust me on this. You two can get as chummy as you want, but keep it as friends. If you try to take it that one step further, I don¡¯t see it ending well for either of you. It¡¯ll just be an amazing friendship brought to an unnecessary halt.¡± ¡°...Thank you for telling me.¡± I responded dully, grabbing an entire bottle of alcohol off a butler¡¯s tray and taking a swig. I pinched my temples. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ think about it.¡± ¡°Well, no need to do it sober. But keep things up like this, and you¡¯ll probably have to make the decision tonight. Oh, she¡¯s coming.¡± Libitus smiled and waved while Rayla walked over. With my back facing her, I clenched my jaw before taking another drink and turning around. ¡°Hey! Care to join us?¡± I offered with a wide smile, waving the bottle around in front of her face. She smirked and took it, taking a swig with a scrunched face. ¡°Bleh! That¡¯s strong! At least get me something tasty.¡± ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s head to the Tavera suite and drink there though.¡± Like that, the three of us got ourselves comfortable in the first-class seating that was armed with a private bar. And so, the quarterly auction was kicked off, filled with happiness and hidden sorrows. Chapter 14: Short ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± ¡°God, you¡¯re so drunk.¡± ¡°No! Definitely not. I¡¯m an American! I can hold my liquor.¡± ¡°Yes, I know. It¡¯s the only reason you haven¡¯t passed out yet. I mean, five bottles¡­¡± Rayla chuckled wryly as she practically carried John. Recalling the night, although it seemed like he just wanted to let a little loose, she felt something was off. It was when he was left alone. It only took a glance to see the hollow stare. And it was only when she moved into his line of sight that he would perk back up and drink a bit more. He downed hard liquor like water, impressing even the Knights of the Tavera Family. And for some reason he made it known that he was what they called an ¡®American.¡¯ That¡¯s what everyone was calling him by the end of the night. Now here he was, basically slung over her shoulder as she dragged him back to her house. And there was one other thing that concerned her. On their way out of the Black Spider Market, she passed by the Key Master. The two were acquainted. It was his words that made her think. ¡°You have something good, Rayla Nolavich.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± His comment had made her heart constrict. Nolavich. That was her late husband¡¯s surname. After he died, she no longer kept it since she couldn¡¯t carry that family name without him. So that name triggered deep memories that she didn¡¯t want to remember. She glanced at his oddly gentle face. ¡°A true friendship is an amazing thing, but still nothing more.¡± ¡°...¡± She didn¡¯t respond to that. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. But she still thought about it deeply as she unlocked the door to her apartment. ¡°Oh, am I actually in a girl¡¯s house?¡± ¡°Are you 12? Here, just lay on the couch.¡± ¡°I¡¯m banished to the couch¡­¡± She rolled her eyes as John sighed, lowering him onto the cushions. Then she sat on the armrest by his head. He was already dozing off. When he shifted, she could see him glance at her through half closed eyes. She reached down, brushing back some of his hair. The two were quiet, simply staring at each other. There were so many things that both of them wanted to say, but there was much more that was better left unsaid. Both of them had straightforward personalities, but in this moment, their desire to carefully tread an invisible line took hold. What they wanted and what they knew they should do conflicted. In the end, Raya spoke first. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go talk to those girls?¡± It seemed like a joking question, but it made John¡¯s mind spin. He could say he didn¡¯t talk to them because he¡¯d rather be with her. It would give him exactly what he wanted, which was to take that step forward. But it wouldn¡¯t align with what he wanted for Rayla, which was to maintain their friendship Rayla didn¡¯t know that Libitus told John about her late husband. She didn¡¯t know that he had been thinking for hours about what was best for both of them. She surely had the same conflict in her mind. Was she ready to get into a serious relationship? Would she mess it up because of her past? And before all that, did she want to chain John to herself? Or did she want him to be with someone that didn¡¯t have all the baggage she did? And her question meant one thing. She was leaving the decision to him. If he wanted it, then she would do it. If he didn¡¯t¡­ ¡°Maybe¡­¡± John mumbled lightly, stopping for a moment as he relaxed his tightening throat. ¡°...I think I was just nervous.¡± ¡°Nervous¡­¡± ¡°...Yeah. Indecisive. Afraid. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m the smoothest talker. Maybe I would mess things up.¡± ¡°...¡± She was silent, but after a while, John asked. ¡°Did you want me to talk to them?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Her voice was unusually soft, yet filled with emotion that threatened to burst. Taking a deep breath, she slipped off the arm of the chair and kneeled on the floor in front of the couch. Her head leaned on the cushion. She didn¡¯t respond for close to a minute. And when she finally lifted her head, she had a small sorrowful smile. ¡°I was just¡­ trying to get you a girlfriend. A lot of those chicks come from rich families. They would be good picks.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s true. Not that I care about that.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Promise me something.¡± She lifted her head and leaned forward. ¡°I need this, but¡­ Promise me¡­ this will never happen again.¡± She said that, and after moving forward, she locked her lips with his. Chapter 15: Advance I wasn¡¯t sure when I woke up, but I quickly realized that I wasn¡¯t the first. And it took a few seconds, but when I saw the messy sheets of the bed and started recalling the night before¡­ ¡°...I fucked up.¡± I had done just about everything I told myself not to, if not more. Not only that¡­ I had finished inside of her! ¡°Ah, shit. I was way too drunk¡­¡± I felt waves of regret. This seriously wasn¡¯t good for either of us. And I wasn¡¯t thinking I¡¯d become a father just a couple months after coming to an entirely new world. Well, I¡¯d own up to it like a man if I had to. Still¡­ I spent close to half an hour wallowing in shame before finally pulling myself up. I knew she had a shower since that was one of our stops the night before. So walking into the bathroom connected to her bedroom, I threw it on and washed up. As for the hangover, I barely had a headache. All the alcohol was high quality, and combined with my vigorous body, I guess I had avoided a large part of the hurt. When I rinsed and came back out, I found my clothes folded on the bed that had been remade. Feeling another wave of shame, I threw on my pants and shirt while slinging my coat over my shoulder. It looked less like a walk of shame that way. Then, I steeled myself as I left the bedroom. My heart throbbed in my chest when I saw Rayla in the kitchen. She was holding a jar, grabbing small cookies out of it and tossing them in her mouth with seeming anxiety. She froze when she saw me, and for a few seconds, neither of us reacted. Until she smiled. ¡°Hey. How¡¯s the hangover?¡± ¡°...Fine. Just a small headache.¡± ¡°Impressive.¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t smile as cheerily as she did. First, I glanced out the window, seeing that the sun was already setting. Then I sighed and walked over to the dining table, standing behind a seat. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, I have to ask.¡± I could feel my face burn as I spit it out. ¡°Last night, beyond all other outstanding issues¡­ I wasn¡¯t exactly restrained with how much I finished inside you.¡± ¡°...That?¡± As if not expecting that to be my concern, she tilted her head. ¡°Putting aside the difficulty for Magi to have kids anyway, there¡¯s tons of magic for that.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to be pregnant.¡± ¡°Oh thank the lord¡­¡± ¡°That seemed to be weighing on you pretty heavily.¡± She had a small smile as I slumped over the table in relief. I sighed. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m 22 and absolutely not ready to be a father. I mean, I¡¯ve still got so much to do before I can settle¡­¡± I stopped there. ¡­That might¡¯ve been insensitive. I could imagine that the crux of the matter for Rayla was if she was willing to get in a relationship with me, who was only 22, and when she had the baggage that she did. We were supposed to stay friends. That way, both of us could be happy. She would have a friend that brightened up her life, and I could still pursue someone that would be a better fit for me while having a close friend of my own. But those plans of simplicity all shattered when she went in for that kiss. And now we were here. For a while I couldn¡¯t seem to raise my head and face her, because I didn¡¯t know what I was supposed to do now. But it seemed she already had an idea. ¡°Hey, John.¡± She called with a soft voice. When I lifted my head, I saw her gentle smile. ¡°...What happened last night was entirely on me. I know what you wanted¡­ yet I let my desires take hold. I won¡¯t make excuses. So I apologize. And¡­ shit, I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Hey.¡± I interrupted her, giving her a smile. ¡°We¡¯re both straightforward people, right? Let¡¯s not make it complicated.¡± I said that as I walked over, putting myself in front of her and sticking my hand out. ¡°Things are good, yea? Let¡¯s just keep having fun like we have been. Okay?¡± ¡°...¡± She stared at me for a second before glancing down at my hand that was waiting for a shake. Rolling my eyes, I reached out and grabbed her opposite hand, placing it in mine and shaking it. ¡°Pleasure doing business.¡± ¡°...Bwahahaha!¡± She broke out in a fit of laughter, making me smile wide. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Haha, you¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever had a guy end something like that with a formal handshake. You¡¯re really something else.¡± ¡°Hey, handshakes are universal.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Sure.¡± She chuckled a bit more before pulling my hand and wrapping me in a hug. ¡°Thanks, John. Really.¡± ¡°...Of course.¡± We hugged for a while before separating and smiling at each other. ¡°...So tell nobody?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Smooth.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ I was worried that things were going to get weird, despite what seemed like a good resolution. But my worries were unfounded. Rayla took it amazingly well, which is what I wanted. She was the one I was worried about, after all. If she had any lingering feelings or if she was just pretending, then she would¡¯ve no doubt drifted away. But we still continued to talk almost every day, occasionally meeting for a night out, or doing some bigger jobs together. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. And nothing romantic ever happened. We continued to be great friends, and nobody could sense that anything was different between us besides the fact that we seemed to be quite a bit closer than before. Libitus had come to me a couple days after and asked me how it went since he knew I went back to Rayla¡¯s place. And I told him that nothing had happened, that I just slept off my hangover. He sighed in relief at that, totally believing me. That basically concluded everything. That night was one I would never forget. I¡¯ve had experience with girls on Earth, but nothing had ever been so hot and passionate. None of my past experiences even came close to comparing. I suppose it was because we were both letting out pent up feelings. Knowing that it would be the one and only time. So we poured out everything without inhibition. But given some time to cool down, we both leveled our heads and continued as we had before. Neither of us tried anything, keeping it strictly platonic. Of course, we deeply cared for each other. We were even closer than before, and we¡¯d managed to build something quite unique. It seemed to work, because even a week later, we were still basically best friends. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°You¡¯re almost there? You¡¯ve been training for all of what, a month?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°Shit. I gotta admit, even for the low level, that¡¯s some talent.¡± Rayla¡¯s surprised voice echoed in my mind. I was sitting in my room, the book and White Crystal in front of me. I was preparing for another training session, one I sensed would be my last before entering the Magisterium. I asked while opening the book and viewing the spell. ¡°How long did it take you? You¡¯re at Authority 8, right?¡± ¡°Yea. I don¡¯t remember exactly, but my first four Authorities took about 3 years to achieve. Everything after that was a slow crawl. But then again, my talent isn¡¯t the greatest.¡± ¡°Still, Authority 8 is massive.¡± I let out a breath. The maximum level achievable was Authority 12. So while there was technically an uncrossable chasm between them, Authority 8 was still amazingly high. Rayla was powerful, that much I knew. And that was despite her getting injured whenever we ran jobs. The reason she got injured was because, unlike me, she was dealing with truly powerful opponents. It was like when Plex came back from the Trenches with the shit kicked out of him after meeting Apocryon. According to my experience thus far, the best I could handle was an Authority 3 Knight and up to Authority 5 Warlocks and Summoners being an Authority 2. But even that was only doable because nobody knew the nature of my weapons. Knights were my bane because, unlike Warlocks or summoners, they didn¡¯t need to preemptively prepare defenses to survive a bullet. I couldn¡¯t imagine Authority 8 Knights, and I barely understood the crazy powers of an Authority 8 Warlock. Whenever Rayla battled, she would always disappear for a while. That was to keep me out of the crossfire. So I never actually got to witness the full power of someone at that level. But the flattened buildings, crevices in the ground, and the occasional sounds I would hear gave away the fact that it was a whole other league. Rayla chuckled. ¡°When you get to that level, you start to realize that no amount of power you attain is truly massive. Things only reach further and further extremes the higher you climb. The you as an Authority 2 might see an Authority 8 or 9 as some kind of god. But as an Authority 8, I¡¯ve met Authority 10s that seem like gods, and those above them¡­ I couldn¡¯t fathom their power, let alone try to reach it.¡± She sighed, her words making me realize just how insane those levels were. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not even a good Authority 8. A good Authority 7 could match me just fine.¡± ¡°Please, you¡¯re amazing as is. Plus, the higher you go, the more problematic things get. Would you really want to live that kind of life?¡± ¡°...No. I wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°So then you¡¯re golden.¡± ¡°Hm, thanks. Now go train. I expect to see some new summons tomorrow since you¡¯ve been yapping about how amazing they¡¯re going to be.¡± ¡°Right.¡± I smiled, and after some goodbyes, we hung up. Picking up the book, I started forming the spell that I had already memorized. And with the crystal, I used its energy to drive the spell and expand my power. Like last time, I was close to unlocking the third star. It took a lot more energy than last time, at least several times more. And yet, I had gotten this far much faster than prior. It was because I had finally gotten used to forming these complicated spells. And without that barrier, most of my time was spent training. In that sense, it had actually taken longer to train, being four weeks of accumulation instead of three. Regardless¡­ Everything was coming to a head. The feelings were almost identical to last time. The energy reached a tipping point, and then, the barrier of the star was broken through. With a massive drain in energy, the third dimension was opened. I slumped in my bed, my mind exhausted wth the outpour. But keeping myself awake, I observed what few spirits I could see in the dimension. And the sight caused me to smile. Six shooter revolvers. Lever action rifles. Break action shotguns. Old school weapons, no doubt. It was the kind of stuff you would see in depictions of the wild west. There weren¡¯t semi-automatic pistols or rifles, not even pump action shotgns. But these weapons meant a vast jump in survivability for me. Also, with my increased pool of Psyka, I could empower my spirits more, meaning more overall killing power. With that, I passed out in glee. I was really looking forward to the future. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Yeehaw, motherfucker!¡± *BOOM* I let out a shotgun blast toward the man in front of me. His body unceremoniously went flying, his chest turned into paste. I wiped some blood splatter off my face, turning toward the others. ¡°See that, assholes?! I¡¯ve got an upgrade!¡± ¡°The American is stronger.¡± ¡°Shit! Just give me that damn coin!¡± From a distance, a bold but inexperienced warlock prepared a couple spells. But with a flick of my wrist, the shotgun was put away and a rifle took its place. Firing a .30-30 cartridge, this wooden bodied beauty was a monster that had already made my life easier in several ways. Particularly, in this way. *BOOM* Another explosion shook everyone¡¯s ears, even mine. And across the way, the bold warlock looked down to find a new hole in his chest. He had even put up some kind of magical barrier, but it had done absolutely nothing to stop the bullet. I had already become notorious in the Trenches, so much so that not many came to bother me anymore. The only ones who came were those in groups. And everyone knew that when I aimed my boom stick, the person on the end of it would get hurt. So they used their brains and started preparing barriers. Before, they might¡¯ve had a chance to mitigate some of the damage. But with these new weapons¡­ I was about to enter a whole new level of notoriety. I could see everyone look at me like I was a freak as I breathed in the wonderful scent of gunpowder smoking out of the barrel end. ¡°Anyone else? I¡¯ve got enough lead for you all.¡± ¡°...Fuck!¡± They grit their teeth, and ultimately, they ran away. I smirked and waltzed my way out. But before long, there was someone who stepped in my path. He snarled at me. ¡°Remember me, American?¡± ¡°...Didn¡¯t I run away from you one time?¡± I scratched my head while looking at the short man who appeared. He had no shirt, showing off his bulky muscles, and a nasty scar in his abdomen. I put that scar there with my flintlock while I was injured and running away. I only recognized him since he really was short. I called him a gremlin no few number of times. ¡°What, you back for revenge? Fucking gremlin.¡± ¡°...Call me that again one more time.¡± He grit his teeth as his muscles bulged in rage. I smiled. ¡°Just get your stubby feet over here, gremlin.¡± ¡°AGGHHH!!!¡± With a bellow, the little man came charging at me. At the same time, I raised the rifle. *BANG BANG BANG BANG* I let out four shots. One hit his leg, one hit an arm, and the other two landed somewhere in that pile of abs. But he only stumbled in surprise before continuing. ¡°Is that all you got?! You summoners are trash!¡± Frowning, I waved my hand, grabbing the shotgun and throwing in two new shells with skillful hands. In that time, he closed the distance even with me backpedaling. ¡°Eat this slug.¡± *BOOM* This time, he couldn¡¯t be so arrogant. Though, I would give him a bit of internal praise. Instead of getting his head outright blown off, he only lost an arm. ¡°GAHH!!¡± He dropped while clutching his empty shoulder socket. But perhaps riding the wave of shock, he quickly stumbled back up and moved to take me down. ¡°You¡¯re dead!¡± ¡°Two shells, dumbass.¡± And that was it. *BOOM* I put a hole in his chest, causing him to freeze. He stood there for a few seconds before I pushed with my barrel, knocking him to the floor. I smiled as blood soaked the dirt ground beneath him. ¡°I¡¯ve told everyone to just leave me alone. Besides, it¡¯s not like I got my gold just sitting in my pockets. Now look at you. Dead. Was it worth it, gremlin?¡± I stepped over his corpse and continued walking. When I finally got out of the Trenches, I walked around before finding a specific bar. It was there that I saw Rayla standing outside, who noticed me and waved. ¡°Hey, sweet cheeks. You¡¯re covered in blood.¡± ¡°And this time, none of it¡¯s mine. I even killed that gremlin from some time ago.¡± ¡°Yes, those weapons of yours are insane. You¡¯re also more aggressive than usual.¡± She laughed while pulling out a handkerchief, wiping my face down. Then, she smirked ¡°You forgot to wear your air mask. No wonder you¡¯re enjoying yourself so much.¡± ¡°Oh, crap.¡± I suddenly remembered that. Normally I had it on while in the trenches, but I forgot it today. ¡°I was cleaning it yesterday. I think I forgot it in my bathroom.¡± ¡°Of course you did. Well, getting high for just one day is fine. There.¡± She finished cleaning and pat my cheek. ¡°Now let¡¯s get a drink. Libitus and the others are already inside.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± We smiled and went inside, meeting the others and having a small post-work party. Chapter 16: Party Maxwell looked me over, nodding in approval. ¡°Third Authority only a few months after starting training. Your talent is good then. You should have no issues in the Magisterium.¡± ¡°Well, I only have one concern.¡± I asked. ¡°My summons, my guns, are way too lethal. I mean, I can¡¯t just dial down their power. That¡¯s not how they work. So if I ever have to fight anyone, like in tournaments or whatever¡­¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about that. A majority of your battles in the Magisterium are going to be against the Scourge or in artificial hunting grounds. The times you will turn your weapons against a fellow Magus are few, and even then, you may be exempt due to the nature of your power. After all, you aren''t the first to have this problem of excessive lethality.¡± ¡°Oh, good. So¡­ other than fighting, what exactly do we do there?¡± The time to enter the Magisterium was coming. I had one more month. The past four months had been filled with constant fighting and working. I had learned more than I ever expected since arriving, and Maxwell had helped raise me to the third Authority. I was a whole new man who had been reforged through the fires of those dastardly Trenches. Or, I should say the smoke. You could get high just by breathing the air of that place. Learned that the fun way. Anyway¡­ Going from all this to a school wasn¡¯t a change in pace that I was quite prepared for. But then again, I didn¡¯t think I would be stopping my work. I still wanted to make money despite having tons in my savings, even if only occasionally. Maxwell sat back in his chair while letting out a breath. ¡°Normally there are three things you do at the Magisterium. You learn their summoner Calls, cultivate your Authority, and fight. But since you¡¯re learning my Call, you won¡¯t be learning theirs. So you¡¯ll be cultivating using the formations they give you and learning to fight against the Scourge. Remember that the sole purpose of the Magisterium is to develop elite soldiers that can fight the Scourge. Therefore you¡¯ll be fighting alongside the military rather often, especially since you¡¯ll be jumping straight into the higher ranks of the school.¡± ¡°Alright. And how long should I expect to be there?¡± ¡°Depends on how fast you climb to Authority 5. It¡¯s at about that level that they tend to transition you to the military, unless you show enough talent to climb higher in a short amount of time. Even in that case though, they would still have you hunting as a part of more specialized units. Also, I should warn you of something.¡± Maxwell¡¯s face turned a little ponderous. ¡°By going to the Magisterium, you¡¯re signing yourself away to the Kingdom. In exchange for the cultivation spell formations of higher levels, you are required to fight for them, or contribute something to the cause. If you were a Warlock then you could study to become an enchanter, but you aren¡¯t, so you¡¯re destined to join the military should you choose this path. Otherwise, you refrain from entering and go your own way, but then you won¡¯t be able to advance anymore. Unless you find an organization that would give you the summoner spell formations for higher Authorities.¡± ¡°So if I want to get stronger, I have to work for somebody.¡± ¡°Nothing is ever free, especially in our line of work. The cost of those White Crystals are high, multiplying with each higher level. And the cultivation formations even moreso. Though, there is one way that you can avoid the military and still go to the magisterium. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°If you get recruited by the Church.¡± He eyed me curiously. ¡°Are you a believer, John?¡± ¡°In?¡± ¡°The Church that believes in Jesus Christ the Savior and son of God, headed by the Pope, and the greatest nemesis of the demonic plague that is the Scourge.¡± ¡°Oh, well I didn¡¯t really know about the Scourge part, but yes, I¡¯m a Christian. I¡¯m American after all. Though if I¡¯m being specific, my parents raised me Catholic.¡± I spoke, but inwardly, I was surprised. I didn¡¯t realize they would also have Christianity here. It seemed to be exactly what I knew it as on Earth. Getting curious, I asked. ¡°Are there any other religions?¡± ¡°Of course. The only significant religion is Terravia, comprised of those who believe in gods that represent the different aspects of nature. You could also say they worship Magic in a sense. Those people have primarily come from the Pillars of Creation.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°The only other kingdom that has been able to stand and survive against the Scourge, other than the Kingdom of Dragon¡¯s Tongue. They are human, but vastly different from us in terms of magic. And because we are separated by vast distance, very little occurs between us. Most people don¡¯t even know they exist, believing that our Kingdom is the last bastion of humanity in this world.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I nodded. ¡°And are there any denominations of the Church?¡± ¡°Obviously, but they are inconsequential. They have tried and failed to make reforms, and very little actually give them the time of day. So they have resorted to forming underground cults that you¡¯ll never hear of.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± ¡°Anyway, since you are a believer and have no affiliations or background to speak of, then you might have a chance of getting recruited. Unlike other cold summoners, I see great potential in your weapons. Truly, they are lethal, and agaisnt the scourge, that means everything. I have no doubt that you will rise to great heights, but I only hope that you are capable of keeping yourself safe. Remember that defense is your greatest weakness.¡± ¡°Yea, I¡¯m a glass cannon.¡± ¡°Perfect analogy.¡± He smirked at me. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Over time, I had begun to feel the great deficiency that was my defense. My offense was amazing, but if I really got hit by a strong attack, I was done for. At some point I would no longer be able to kill my opponents before they hurt me, and that would be the day I either found another solution, or died. ¡°I should buy armor.¡± ¡°Yes, that would be a good investment, especially for you. But take some time to find what kind of armor you like. Perhaps when you begin to fight against the Scourge, you¡¯ll know what type of armor will benefit you best.¡± ¡°Alright. Now, what should I do until I enter?¡± ¡°...Work on the Call.¡± Maxwell nodded. ¡°Yes, extensive study will help you best. I should have you memorize the more complex spells and formations for the higher Authorities.¡± ¡°Oh jeez.¡± I let out a sigh. It was going to be a long month. ¡­¡­ ¡­ A few more weeks passed. My savings climbed by the day, and although I wasn¡¯t rich like the others in the company, I still had a sizeable amount of money lying around. Only a week before I entered the Magisterium, I was actually notified by the Polaris Bank to come in. It was there that I met the clerk, and he gave me some good news. ¡°Congratulations, John. Because you have surpassed 500 thousand coin stored with us, we have upgraded your tier in accordance with your company¡¯s Platinum level. You now have access to two new perks, along with no longer needing to pay a fee for continual storage.¡± The clerk handed me a platinum card, taking my gold one away. The platinum one had fancy designs on it, looking far more luxurious than the gold one. ¡°First, the Platinum Tier allows you to take out loans with 0% interest. Depending on the amount, you are assigned a date to pay back the loans, usually amounting to a few years. Secondly, you can now insert normal items other than coin into the card in order to store it in our secure warehouse. Eligible items include jewels, weapons, small containers, and anything else that can fit within the expanded Card. Go ahead and try pulling the card apart.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Getting excited, I grabbed the two edges of the card and pulled. The entire thing expanded, metal unfolding as if generating new material from nowhere. It ended up as a large box that you could easily drop many things into, so long as they weren''t excessively bulky. ¡°The only drawback to this storage method is that the Card only works within the bounds of the Capital City. If you ever leave, be sure to retrieve anything you might need beforehand. And if you don¡¯t have one already, I suggest acquiring a Spatial Sack in order to transport items on your person no matter where you go.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? And where can I find one?¡± I asked curiously. I was about to be entering the Magisterium, and we would no doubt be leaving the city occasionally. This Spatial Sack sounded like it could help me. ¡°A Spatial Sack is a small bag that can contain items beyond its normal volume. But because of their utility, they are normally very expensive. If you were to spend the entirety of your savings, you would be able to buy a medium grade sack.¡± ¡°Damn¡­ Well, I¡¯ll think about it. Thanks for the info, and the Card.¡± ¡°Of course. As a new Platinum client under a Platinum company, you are no longer required to pay a percentage fee for our services as your company pays a universal rate for all its members.¡± ¡°Nice¡­¡± I was smiling as the clerk finished with everything he had to say. Afterward, I left the bank and called Rayla. ¡°Hey, sweet cheeks.¡± ¡°Hey. I was wondering if I should buy a Spatial Sack.¡± ¡°Hmm, you could, but honestly, it¡¯s not totally necessary for you.¡± Her voice turned explanatory. ¡°With all your weapons being summons and your coin being taken care of by the card, the only loose items you carry on you are that mask and recovery pills. But if you really want it, I suggest getting one of the lower end sacks. They hold enough space to contain a bunch of small items, which is perfect for you. That is, if you want to spend around 50 gold bullion for one.¡± ¡°...Maybe. We¡¯ll see. I¡¯m just thinking if I¡¯ll need something like that for the Magisterium.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re entering soon¡­¡± She went quiet for a moment. ¡°...Just think on it for a while. Oh, and by the way. Plex told me to tell you to keep your schedule clear about three days before your official entrance. That means no work.¡± ¡°Alright. Care to tell me what he¡¯s planning?¡± ¡°But then it wouldn¡¯t be much of a surprise.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Nope! My lips are sealed, pretty boy. You just sit back and wait for me to send you the location.¡± She spoke haughtily before hanging up. I was left rolling my eyes with a smile. From then on, I didn¡¯t see Rayla or the others. It seemed like they were avoiding me. And so a few more days passed, coming upon the day of my surprise. Since I didn¡¯t have anything to do, I slept in and woke up leisurely. I also went to a restaurant for breakfast, even though the sun had already set. After that I hung around for a few hours, spending some time probing my third star dimension for any spirits that might be worth communing with. And finally, once 2am hit, I got a message. ¡°Head to the Caviar Restaurant.¡± It was from Rayla, and the name surprised me a bit. This restaurant was located within the Black Spider Market, and it was the highest end restaurant I knew of. It was never particularly busy, but I knew that the reason for that was the expense. Dressing somewhat nicely, I finally left my room and headed into the market. Seeing the market slightly busy reminded me that there was another upcoming auction. Unfortunately I wouldn¡¯t be able to work it since I would be busy entering the Magisterium. Because of that, Rayla would either take the auction off or work in a trio with some of the others. It didn¡¯t take me long to make it to the restaurant. It was a fancy building with formally dressed attendants, an entire orchestra playing within, and magical lights that set a wonderful mood. I walked in and met a host who smiled courteously. ¡°Hello sir. Do you have a reservation?¡± ¡°I think so. My name is John.¡± ¡°Ah, I was told you¡¯d be coming. Please head to the 16th floor.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Being guided to an elevator, an attendant pressed the button for me. I got a little anxious as we rose, wondering what they had planned. I had naturally guessed that it had to do with my entrance, so I wondered if it was just a congratulatory party. *Ding* We made it to the floor, and the door opened. But the room I was let out on was totally dark. Not even the light from the elevator could illuminate the darkness, as if it was artificial. Stepping out, the elevator doors closed, leaving me in pitch darkness. My hand twitched a bit, my mind subconsciously communing with my double barrel shotgun. Then, the lights came on, revealing my friends of the company. ¡°Surprise!¡± *Poof!* Rainbow lights scattered in the air as everyone jumped with a cheer. It was funny though, because there were only four of them, and three were men. Their voices were all deep, making it seem dull. I laughed with a pretend scare. ¡°Ahh! I¡¯m so scared..!¡± ¡°As if. Get over here.¡± Rayla rolled her eyes and walked over, giving me a hug. After that I greeted the other guys. Libitus handed me a drink and I shook Tovex¡¯s hand. Plex announced. ¡°Congratulations, John. You¡¯re finally getting into the Magisterium. Libitus and Rayla had decided to throw you a party, and with you being my apprentice, I naturally agreed.¡± ¡°Only after making us foot the bill.¡± ¡°I still agreed.¡± Plex shot back at Libitus, making Rayla laugh. ¡°Not important! The point is, tonight we¡¯re going to have fun! A company party! And so long as you¡¯re not totally drunk in an hour or two, we¡¯ve got presents to give to you.¡± ¡°Yes, some expensive congratulatory presents.¡± ¡°Shut up, you¡¯re rich.¡± Rayla shot back at Plex. Smiling, I raised the glass of wine that Libitus handed me. ¡°Well, thanks everyone. Cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± We all tipped back our drinks. Then, a night of festivities was kicked off. Chapter 17: Gifts ¡°Hey, I remember when this kid was new.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°He was so cocky, I mean, he said he¡¯d take me down with him if he had a hard time with a job!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± ¡°Oh god.¡± I covered my face as Rayla laughed her ass off. After an hour or so, we were all tipsy from the high quality drinks this restaurant served. The food we ordered was also fantastically high class. I stuffed my face with some cubes of meat to distract from the embarrassing memories. Libitus nodded and spoke while chewing. ¡°Yea, but in his defense, his summons are pretty crazy. Five months later and he was able to survive even in the Trenches. He can kill people far above his level.¡± ¡°Well, no thanks to Maxwell. How you managed to land that man as a teacher is beyond me.¡± Plex was flabbergasted while tilting back another drink. I raised my glass to Libitus. ¡°Thanks man.¡± ¡°Still stupid for trying to challenge Plex though.¡± ¡°Then I take back my thanks.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Libitus laughed as I stuck up my middle finger. At that moment, Rayla suddenly clapped. ¡°Oh! We still need to do presents!¡± ¡°Presents!¡± I cheered as Rayla stood and went to a corner of the room. There, she grabbed a couple boxes. One was big, and one was small. ¡°Open the big one first!¡± Libitus smiled as Rayla handed the big box to me. I grabbed it from her, feeling a bit of weight. ¡°This is from all of us and Maxwell.¡± ¡°Maxwell?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m pretty sure he pitched in the most out of us all.¡± ¡°Heh, not that he isn¡¯t wiping his ass with gold paper.¡± Plex chuckled as I opened the box. Inside, I could see a piece of clothing. But not just any ordinary clothing. I took out the item, unfurling it and finding that it was a coat, not unlike the one I had bought a while ago. Except, although it was a black long coat, it had purple lines branching from the spine outward toward the edges. They occasionally pulsed, like veins connected to a beating heart. ¡°It¡¯s a coat made from the pelt of a Hybrid Mind Beast. These hybrids are basically a combination of two branches of Magi. This one is both a Summoner and Knight.. They¡¯re rare, and even harder to kill. Not only that, but this pelt is made from the most expensive part of their body, the spinal column.¡± ¡°Basically, it¡¯s fucking expensive and if you die while wearing that, you¡¯ll be the biggest joke of the kingdom.¡± Plex summed up, causing Rayla to kick his leg. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him. We know that your weakness is defense, so this should make up for a good portion of that. It goes down to your knees, so it even protects most of your legs. Just be careful of what it doesn¡¯t protect, like your head and feet. Also, although the coat won¡¯t break, the impact can still hurt you. This won¡¯t make you invincible. It even has some utility when activated that can help you in battles.¡± ¡°Of course. This is more than enough. Thank you, everyone. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°We got it to take care of you, so keep yourself safe.¡± Libitus gave me a warm smile. After that, Rayla handed me the small box. She hastened me to open it. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s this!¡± I was surprised as I pulled out a bracelet. It was a Spatial Sack. I had gone and looked for some myself since I was thinking about buying one and knew what they looked like. In fact, the Polaris Bank sold a line of them. This seemed to be one of those. ¡°This is a Polaris Brand Spatial Sack. It doesn¡¯t have a lot of room, no more than a chest full of worth. But we mainly chose this one for its functionality. With it, you can directly will items into your hand. Its ease of use is worth much more than the potential sheer space. The bracelet also locks to your arm, so it won¡¯t be stolen unless someone cuts it off you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cool! Thanks you guys!¡± I smiled while slipping it onto my right wrist, same place that my Aerial was. The bracelet went a bit higher up the forearm before clamping down comfortably. After that, it seemed to scan my Crest before activating with a pulse of blue light. Then I suddenly became aware of the space inside the bracelet. It really was about a chest sized area, about 4 cubic feet big. So while it couldn¡¯t be used to store any significant amount of supplies, it was enough for any small items I needed. For instance, instead of needing to take a recovery pill out of a container within my pocket, I could just make one appear in my hand and pop it into my mouth. With this, I wouldn¡¯t need to carry anything on my person, so nothing would get lost or stolen. These two gifts that I was given were valuable, especially the coat. I couldn¡¯t imagine how much was spent on it if not just Maxwell, but everyone here pitched in for it. It was a big gift, making me feel really grateful. These were the first friends I had in this world. After leaving behind everything I knew, I suppose that I had been ignoring the homesickness and focusing on making my way here. But now, I wasn¡¯t so homesick. ¡°Thank you guys, really.¡± Getting slightly emotional, I got up and went around hugging everyone. Plex was the last, and as I stood in front of him, he looked up at me weirdly. ¡°You¡¯re gonna make me get up?¡± ¡°Come on. An apprentice can thank his master with a hug, no? Besides, you gave me this job when I needed it most. Despite everything, I¡¯m still thankful for all you¡¯ve done for me.¡± ¡°Eh, fine. I can have a heart.¡± Standing up, the man accepted the hug with a pat on the back. After that, the party went on for a little while longer before ending a bit before the sun came up. When everyone finally decided to go, it was Libitus who pulled something out of his jacket. ¡°Hey! Let¡¯s all take a picture!¡± ¡°With what?¡± ¡°This thing I got. The guy who sold it said it would make physical copies.¡± He fumbled around with a magical device that looked similar to my bank card. As he was still a bit drunk, he was less coordinated. But he got it set up and waved everyone over with a smile. We all bundled together, looking into the card with smiles. ¡°Wait, what about Tovex?¡± ¡°He¡¯s passed out.¡± ¡°Dumbass. Whatever. Smile!¡± Raising it above us, Libitus activated the device with magic. It flashed, and he brought it down. After that, it divided into five cards. ¡°One for everybody. As a memory.¡± ¡°This is cool.¡± I smiled at the flexible card that now had a picture of the four of us. Libitus with a goofy grin, Rayla putting up two fingers, Plex barely keeping himself standing with a drunken face. Tovex in the back on the ground and with his ass in the air. I put the picture into my bracelet, feeling fuzzy on the inside. It reminded me of home. ¡­¡­ Rayla and I were still in the room after everyone had left. I guess they had tacitly decided to give us our own space, as if we were dating. Not that our relationship was that far from it. And when it was just the two of us, I finally got to focus on perhaps the greatest thing about this reserved room in this high class restaurant. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. One of the walls was completely glass, and since this place was near the center of the city and so high up, it gave a clear view of the surrounding landscape. I could see the morning rays light up the sides of hundreds of buildings around the Kingdom¡¯s capital. I could even see part of the Royal Palace in all its marvelous golden glory. It was a breathtaking sight, and I ended up staring at it for a long time. Rayla took a seat with me, staring out the window for a while before reaching over. She placed a small box in my lap. I looked over at her as she smiled. ¡°A personal gift from yours truly.¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent as I opened the box with care. Inside were a pair of gloves. The gloves that Plex had me wear when I first got here were now worn, torn in some places. But since they were for the purpose of covering my crest, I didn¡¯t care much. Besides, worn could have its own charm. Then again, the gloves also helped prevent blisters from wielding all the guns I did. But regardless of all that, this was a personal present from Rayla. I took them out. They were black and fingerless like my current ones. But these seemed to be made of high quality leather, much better than the others. And on the back of the right hand were four letters written in red. Bang I smiled at the thought, and Rayla seemed a bit embarrassed. ¡°I thought, since your summons always explode when you shoot them, it would be fitting. Anyway, the gloves are far better than your current ones. They should be comfortable and have good grip, and the leather shouldn¡¯t ever get worn down or tear from normal use¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re great.¡± I spoke after a moment, putting the new gloves on. They really were comfortable, but more than that, they came from a good friend. ¡°...You know, when I arrived here, I had literally nothing but the clothes on my back. I¡¯ll never be able to see my family or friends again, and everything that was ever familiar to me is now gone forever.¡± ¡°...¡± Rayla was silent, not expecting my sudden confession. I sighed as I looked out the window. As if it already hadn¡¯t, the reality of my situation was hitting me hard. ¡°I knew nobody. But I was lucky to be caught by Plex and dragged into this business. After that I met Libitus. And then, I met you.¡± I looked over, seeing Rayla hang her head. Then she suddenly leaned over, resting her temple against my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m really glad I met you, Rayla. It¡¯s hard to make genuine friends, especially in a new place. So I feel lucky that you happened to be at the company I got dragged into.¡± ¡°...Yea. I guess I¡¯m lucky too.¡± She spoke softly, her blood red hair brushing against my neck as she settled in deeper. We watched the sun come up, and it was only when I heard her snoring that I figured it was time to go. I picked her up and left the market, taking her to my room in the hotel. It was there that I laid her down in my bed before jumping in myself. It was more than big enough for the two of us, so I was comfortable as I let the warmth of the alcohol take my consciousness away. ¡­¡­ ¡­ I woke up unpleasantly to an alarm. Taking a few minutes, I eventually glanced at my eternally closed windows seeing the high sun of noon. Today was the first day of Magisterium entries that I needed to be in the city for. It was also my first day of efforts to flip my sleeping schedule back to normal. That would be hard since the light of day now made me drowsy. Glancing over, I could see Rayla still sound asleep next to me. Her sleeping face was adorable with her hair draped across her lips. Despite supposedly being that much older than me, she only looked to be in her late 20¡¯s. But there was no mistaking the mature charm she carried, which made her seem a bit older. She really was a beautiful woman. Being active with this job made her body toned and strong. And as I had discovered during our night together, her scars only made her that much hotter. After staring for longer than I should have, I finally pulled myself out of bed. I cleaned myself up and got dressed. Today was the first day of our auction runs, but since I had school to deal with, I wouldn¡¯t be participating. I was probably missing out on a few dozen gold bullion, which made me groan in financial pain. When I was basically prepared to leave, I suddenly remembered the new coat I had received as a gift last night. I operated the similarly new spatial bracelet, letting the coat appear in my grasp. Even lower end clothing like the one I bought for 80 gold bullion was equipped with all manner of pleasant enhancements like self cleaning, temperature control, and more. This black coat had all those things and more. But the most obvious part of this item were the purple lines that looked like blood vessels spreading from the spine of the back. I looked at the formations with a clearer head. Down the back from the collar to the tailbone, I could see a long series of thick ridges. It really looked like a spinal column, just like Rayla had described. And from these vertebrae were all these lines that sprouted outward, spreading around to the front of the coat. Perhaps they were more like nerves instead of blood vessels. Either way, all these lines consistently pulsed with the bloom of purple. Until I put it on. When I slipped my arms through the sleeves, I could feel the coat suddenly pulse with a wave of magic. It reminded me of the first time I got hit by magic during my first heavyweight job, a pulse of mana that disrupted my insides. Except this seemed to envelop me with it, scanning my body and conforming the leather to it. Then, I felt something make contact with my mind. It was like I suddenly became aware of a new limb, the coat being the limb. This connection allowed me to see every detail of the coat. I could practically feel it, like it was a second skin. And after a few moments, the magic disappeared, and I found that the spinal column of the coat was now seated along my own spine. It moved with my body yet refused to let go, making it stick like a magnet. This was a good thing, of course. This meant it would stay snug while I moved, not restricting my movements or getting annoying. More than all that, it was incredibly comfortable. While the leather was surprisingly thick, the weight was negligible and the feel against my body was divine. It didn¡¯t stick or feel abrasive. I wasn¡¯t sure how to describe it, but it felt like how I did in my bed when I woke up under the covers during a cold morning. Another thing I noticed was that after the coat had bonded to my body, the pulsing of those purple lines ceased. They faded into a barely faint purple, no longer active like how it had been. Unless you paid attention to it, it would appear like a normal black coat. I was glad, far more than satisfied with this gift. While the connection it formed was mysterious, I assumed it had to do with those abilities Rayla had told me about. After that, I also threw on my gloves. I smiled when I saw Bang on the back of the right hand. It was cute, even cuter when I thought of how Rayla had asked for it to be put there. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Suddenly, I heard Rayla¡¯s moan as she shifted in my bed. It wasn¡¯t long after that she came strolling out of my room, her clothes a mess and her eyes squinting from drowsiness. ¡°...So this is your fancy room, huh?¡± She spoke and cleared her throat while looking around. This hotel room, as expected from the Black Spider Hotel, was more than luxurious. It had an amazing bathroom, heavenly bed, and high quality interior. The living room had soft carpets and plush couches along with a few decorations, one of which was a painting of some crazy complicated spell formation. I chuckled a bit. ¡°Yea, its a bit better than the one at the other hotel I had.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better than my entire apartment.¡± ¡°Speaking of, why haven¡¯t you moved into something like a house?¡± ¡°What do you think I¡¯m saving up for?¡± She smirked at me while walking into the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with water. She spoke after taking a sip. ¡°Houses in the city are expensive. I could easily buy a mansion in any other city, but I don¡¯t want to leave this place. So I¡¯ve been saving to get a property on the outskirts, a bit of a distance from the Founder¡¯s Market.¡± ¡°And yet you pitched in how much to get me this coat?¡± I raised my brow at her. I really was curious as to how much they spent on me, since I was now planning on paying it back in some way. She snickered at me. ¡°Nice try, John. It was a gift, so you have no choice but to accept it. Besides, we actually don¡¯t know how much that coat cost. It was Maxwell who put in the order, and we¡¯re sure he paid a lot more than the combination of what we put into it. But as Plex said, its not like the man isn¡¯t wiping his ass with gold paper. Still, you should be thanking him.¡± ¡°I would, but I actually haven¡¯t seen him lately.¡± I scratched my head. Ever since a few days ago, Maxwell had disappeared from the Polaris headquarters. I hadn¡¯t been to a class in around a week due to that. Rayla changed the subject. ¡°You¡¯re going to the Magisterium, right?¡± ¡°Yea, although the entrance day is tomorrow, Maxwell told me to come a day early to get things sorted.¡± ¡°Yes, especially for you since you¡¯re already Authority 3. As a forewarning, your summons will be tested and you¡¯ll be questioned. They¡¯ll probably ask you things about where you got the spell formations, so have an answer prepared. And, the Polaris Family is not really an answer, nor is Maxwell. I would just say that you¡¯re coming from a magic school in another city.¡± ¡°Oh, alright.¡± I nodded at the valid explanation. It wasn¡¯t like I had anything else. Rayla nodded. ¡°Yea, say that you¡¯re from the Magic Academy of Haelsverg. I¡¯ve heard of people who have used that excuse.¡± ¡°Sure. Thanks.¡± ¡°Of course. Think of it as payment for letting me use your room a bit longer. It is way too early and I need my beauty sleep. Oh, this coat looks good on you too.¡± She walked over, straightening out my collar. Then, she leaned in and gave me a hug. ¡°Have fun.¡± ¡°You know I¡¯m not leaving forever, right? The Magisterium is close, so I¡¯ll still be trying to work.¡± ¡°Yes, but not nearly as much as you were. You¡¯ll be lucky to have free time a couple times a week, especially if you¡¯re jumping into the higher ranks. So don¡¯t worry about coming in. Just focus on getting stronger. That¡¯s what will make you the big money.¡± We separated, after which she walked by me and smacked my ass. ¡°Now get going, sweet cheeks. The Magisterium doesn¡¯t work at night like the black market.¡± ¡°Heh, alright.¡± With a laugh, I finally left the room, letting Rayla have her way with it. Making my way down, I saw the Key Master at the clerk counter, as always. I questioned. ¡°Do you ever sleep?¡± ¡°Oh, John! Good afternoon, and no, I don¡¯t sleep. A full time job requires full time attention!¡± ¡°Sheesh. I hope they¡¯re making you rich with all this work. Are the benefits at least good?¡± ¡°I would say so.¡± He smiled at me charmingly. ¡°Off to the Magisterium?¡± ¡°I am. That reminds me. You said I would get a room until I entered. Well, that time has come.¡± ¡°Indeed. But don¡¯t fret. The Magisterium will naturally provide you with residence, so you will no longer need my assistance. Although, I can¡¯t say that the stay there will be quite as pleasant.¡± ¡°Well of course not. I won¡¯t have the hospitality of the Key Master.¡± ¡°Haha, you flatter me.¡± The man chuckled, and I put out my hand. ¡°Thank you for everything Key Master. Really. You¡¯ve made my life much more bearable with your assistance. Hopefully one day I can pay everything back.¡± ¡°...¡± The Key Master was silent as he looked at my hand for a few moments. Then, as if pushing past hesitation, he reached out and shook it. Our gloved hands clasped as we both smiled. ¡°It is my pleasure, John Cooper. Oh, and take this.¡± Retracting his hand, he suddenly went digging through his coat. Then, he took out a gold key. This was a step above the silver key I was given when taking residence. I grabbed it as he spoke. ¡°Please, come back any time you need, John. Your room will remain as it has been.¡± ¡°Ah, Key Master, you¡¯re making me feel like a leech. Well, I had also been thinking of what I can do, so here.¡± Suddenly I summoned 6 bullets. Unlike normal spirits like guns and such, these bullets could be summoned and kept permanently in the real world since they were consumable. I placed the bullets on his desk, with slight embarassment. ¡°Anything you need me to do Key Master, you just tell me and I¡¯ll do it. Of course, I¡¯m not strong enough to do anything significant now, but give me time and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have a valuable asset to help you when you want it. 6 bullets for 6 promises.¡± ¡°I see. Very well. I will accept your promise. 6 bullets for 6 promises.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No, thank you. And have a nice day, John.¡± With that exchange, I finally left the hotel. My destination was the Magisterium, the most prestigious magic college in the kingdom. Chapter 18: Letter The Magisterium. It was the second largest property besides the royal palace. It was a college with dozens of buildings and even more facilities where all manner of upcoming Magi learned to grow and wield their powers. It was the sole factory that pumped out competent magical soldiers to fight against the Scourge. They also supposedly had a monopoly on the spell formations that cultivated Authorities, but that was less so for the lower level authorities. Tradition dictated that those with Crests were Activated at around the age of 16. Then they would go on to receive a few years of magical education before hopefully reaching Authority 4 or 5 and be released into the military around the age of 19 or 20. Basically, I was way past the ordinary age. Even as I stood in front of the gates, I could see plenty of teens with bright faces practically skipping onto the grounds. It was this place that was pulling me from my work in the markets. I felt it was good to start something new, but something in me also wanted to stay where I was. After all, I had been making something of myself. I had renown. With a sigh, I strolled onto the grounds. Since it was the middle of summer, I could feel the heat bear down from above, a foreign feeling since I had worked in the cool night for five months. But my new coat kept my temperature just right. I didn¡¯t sweat even though it had to be at least 90 degrees out. As I walked onto the grounds though, I suddenly heard a ring in my head. I lifted my Aerial. ¡°I see you. Stay there.¡± It was Maxwell¡¯s voice, something I hadn¡¯t heard in almost a week. A minute or so later, I saw him walk over to me. He was dressed in his luxurious navy blue robes accentuated with gold and a few jewels, clearly displaying his rich disposition. His sharp face eyed me before nodding. ¡°The coat fits you well. A worthwhile purchase.¡± ¡°I hear I have you to thank for it. So thank you, Maxwell. I hope I can pay you back.¡± ¡°That would take a while. Don¡¯t worry about it and follow me.¡± He waved, and I followed with a smile. He led me onto the grounds where we entered one of the first buildings within the central plaza. An Administration building. Bypassing the clerk, we found an elevator and rose a few floors before stopping at an office. He entered, greeting a man. ¡°Berman. This is John, the one I was telling you about.¡± Maxwell brought me forward as I observed this Berman. He was a stout man with a thick beard and glasses. Besides the robes, he looked like a normal office man. But within his body I could sense a thick aura of power, one I only recognized in Knights. It seemed he was really strong, at least an Authority 8 like Rayla. He nodded to me. ¡°So you¡¯re the student. Definitely different from the ordinary students we get every year.¡± ¡°He¡¯s already faced plenty of adversity, and is an Authority 3. I¡¯d like to directly place him within the fourth year class, particularly the Elites.¡± ¡°Hah! That¡¯s too much, Maxwell. The fourth year class I can do. But he¡¯ll have to earn a place in the Elites naturally. Well, at least his age won¡¯t raise any questions. Though, his Authority is a bit low.¡± ¡°His power makes up for it. Just get him in the fourth year.¡± ¡°Sure, sure.¡± With that, Berman retrieved a few sheets of paper and started writing. As he did, he stuck his hand out. ¡°ID.¡± ¡°Oh, here.¡± Pulling out my Card, I tilted it and retrieved my citizenship ID that I received a long while ago. However, the sight of my Platinum Card made Berman¡¯s eyes bulge a little as he took my ID. ¡°...Heh, you¡¯re something else, huh? I guess Maxwell isn¡¯t totally out of his mind.¡± He shook his head while planting the ID against the papers, copying it in some magical way. He then stamped my ID card, marking it, before doing the same on the papers. With that, he was finished. Maxwell took one sheet while Berman kept the rest. ¡°There, that¡¯s the entry form. He¡¯s been given residence and the classes you asked for. His ID is also that of a fourth year¡¯s. No questions will be asked about his Authority, but his power still needs to be tested. So go ahead and head to the grounds. Just show them that paper.¡± ¡°Sure. Thank you, Berman.¡± ¡°Eh, it¡¯s nothing. At least I got to see something interesting.¡± He smirked at me while I was dragged out by Maxwell. Then, I was taken past the plaza and onto some training grounds. They were large fields of what seemed like soft stone. There were also plenty of kids already getting tested, including a line. Maxwell sighed and pointed. ¡°Just go wait in line and show them this paper when you need to.¡± ¡°Alright. And should I be showing off everything?¡± ¡°No. You have multiple weapons, so just take out one and use it. Don¡¯t worry about looking good. Just get your power logged and finish.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± With that, I stepped into the line. I was surrounded by young kids, some as young as the minimum age of 16. The oldest one I saw might have been 18. I was 22, and while I wasn¡¯t much older, I felt far older. Hell, I felt years older than when I had first come to this world. The black market had changed me greatly. I waited in line for a while as Maxwell stood to the side lazily. When it was close to my turn, a kid nearby suddenly spoke. ¡°I like your coat.¡± ¡°..?¡± I turned, seeing a boy who looked to be around 17 or 18. He seemed extroverted, so I just nodded. ¡°Thanks. You look pretty powerful.¡± ¡°Heh, I¡¯m already Authority 2. My family had the spell formations for it.¡± ¡°Is that right. What family?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure you¡¯d know.¡± ¡°Try me.¡± I casually went along as his voice turned low. But I didn¡¯t expect the answer. ¡°They¡¯re kind of hidden. We¡¯re called the Tavera Family.¡± ¡°Oh? I see.¡± ¡°You know about us? So you¡¯ve been to the black market?¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Something like that.¡± I chuckled at the coincidence. At the same time, it was my turn. I waved to the boy. ¡°Tell your Patriarch that John said hello.¡± ¡°Patriarch¡­¡± He seemed a bit baffled as I stepped toward a man behind a desk. I handed him the papers. ¡°What type of Magus?¡± ¡°Summoner.¡± ¡°Hm. And what type of summoner?¡± ¡°Cold.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± He seemed disappointed, perhaps a bit pitying, as he pointed. ¡°Go up to the target dummies and utilize your power against them. You have one minute to attack the dummy.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± With that, I moved over. There were a dozen target dummies that looked metal, so I casually picked one. In my hand appeared a revolver. Specifically, it was the Colt Peacemaker, one of the most famous revolvers that symbolized the American West chambered in .45 Colt. In the past when I had communed with this gun, I had recieved the memories of an outlaw who was a particularly good shot. He wasn¡¯t known for his quickdraws, but he made up for it with sheer accuracy, especially when riding a horse. I had gained his skills that I found to be fitting since I was usually running away from something in the Trenches. I could wield this Peacemaker like a pro. Spinning it in my hand, I silently took aim at one of the dummies. My time had started. I pulled back the hammer, and fired. *Bang!* An explosion rang out, startling everyone around me. Looking past the gun, I saw my bullet hit the dummy in the head, yet off to the side a bit. Not quite a perfect shot, but still a killing blow. Since I had five more bullets, I let them loose. *Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang!* One more to the head and three to the chest. After that, I started ejecting cartridges and replacing them with new ones. Once it was fully loaded, I decided to have fun and tape down the trigger while fanning the hammer. *Bang Bang Bang!* Shorts went out in rapid succession, smoke rising from the barrel of my gun. After the last round, I found that most of my shots hit center mass. Only one had grazed the side of its body. All my bullets left deep depressions on the dummy. It seemed to be normal iron or the like. I clicked my tongue. ¡°Decent accuracy. I¡¯ll take it.¡± With that, I let the revolver return to the dimension, walking back to the clerk. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Uh, yes. Wait a moment.¡± Hurriedly writing things down on the paper, he seemed to describe my ability in detail. And he got many things right. I wielded a weapon that fired small projectiles at high speeds. And I could fire 6 projectiles before reloading each projectile individually into the weapon. At the end, he rated my power as ¡®exceptionally lethal¡¯, but containing no supportive or defensive utility. With that, he handed my sheet back to me. I walked over to Maxwell with it. He nodded. ¡°Very well. We have skipped most of the troublesome work. You will receive all your academic materials during your first day, so for now, we must settle you into your new residence. Come.¡± He waved me along. Leaving the training grounds, we entered deeper into the college. The place we arrived was the residential building for all fourth year students. It was smaller but more luxurious than the buildings for any of the other years. It was basically two massive mansions squished together. On the inside, there were plenty of rooms that resembled small suites. All of these students were well cared for. On the way in I only saw a few other students. They all seemed to be around my age, perhaps with a year of difference. I was observed with curiosity when I walked to my new room with Maxwell. It was when we arrived at the top floor that he finally stop. ¡°Here. Room 312. This shall be your home for the next year at minimum.¡± He unlocked it with a key and beckoned me in. I strolled through the doorway and saw the moderately luxurious interior. It wasn¡¯t anything compared to my room at the hotel, but I would still be comfortable here. I bobbed my head. ¡°Alright. Is there any more business to take care of?¡± ¡°I took care of everything already. I have assigned your classes and arranged your cultivation materials. You will receive everything tomorrow. Remember, you now begin in the morning, not end.¡± ¡°Yea, I¡¯m already working on my sleep schedule.¡± ¡°Good. A letter will be delivered to you tomorrow morning containing directions for the day. And remember, you will still be having lessons with me. Three days a week to start. There is still much to teach you before you inevitably leave.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± I sighed. It seemed like I would still be forking out money for him. Not that I didn¡¯t have more than enough to last me a while. ¡°Also, your bill has gone up to 10 gold bullion a week. Since I¡¯ll be teaching more core material.¡± ¡°What?!¡± With that bombshell, the man finally took his leave. I was left groaning in financial pain. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Oh god¡­ Why is there a delivery here¡­¡± A younger kid was skittish as he ventured deep into the academy grounds. It was a place only the elites of the Magisterium would normally go, a place that he had no right being near. The year four residences. It was a legendary place that everyone sought to rise toward, to be placed in. To be there was an honor that earned you renown for years to come. All the great legends of the school were located here. He was only supposed to be delivering first day letters to all the new freshmen. It was supposed to be a simple and easy job. But then, he found one letter that was addressed to room 312 of the year four residence. At first he thought it was a great opportunity to sneak a peek at the place. Everyone dreamed of going over there, so he quickly took the letter and rushed over. But the closer he got, the more the pressure mounted. Just walking through the year three residential area was nerve wracking enough. Those guys were psychos that fought tooth and nail to rise higher. He felt like he would be challenged if he so much as looked at someone. And the silence of the year four area only made it worse. He looked at the entrance to the building. It was luxurious, fitted with gold and artistic pillars that symbolized greatness. And on the inside, he saw the hall walls that were lined of portraits of those legendary names who had come and gone with great prestige. There were even weapons, all of them giving off daunting auras. The young man didn¡¯t want to be there, even if it were a chance of a lifetime. But he trudged through, taking the elevator to the top floor. ¡°This is the fourth year residence. So why are one of these letters going here¡­¡± He muttered while searching. And looking at the golden numbers on each door, he found himself going the right way. But then, he turned a corner and was startled. A large man stood before him, one whose gaze made him shake in anxiety. He was tall, a longsword on his back that radiated the light of glory and ferocity. This young man, like all others who were fans of those renown figures at the top of the rankings, knew who it was. But he didn¡¯t so much as make a peep when the man took the letter from his hand, glancing at it curiously. ¡°So I was right. Some newbie managed to sneak his way to the top. Hm, I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± With that, he turned and slowly walked off with heavy steps. The young man stared until he disappeared. Finally, he caught his breath and turned, running out of the residence. ¡°That was the Severing Blade, Ravon¡­ I just met the rank 20 Elite! And lived!¡± ¡­¡­ *Knock Knock* ¡°Ugh¡­¡± After waking up to banging on the door, I sat up groggily. I was not handling this sleep schedule change well. *Knock Knock* ¡°Two seconds! Damn!¡± I shouted to the impatient person at the door. Wiping my eyes, I sighed and walked over in nothing but a pair of loose pants. ¡°Yes?¡± I opened the door and looked through with squinted eyes. But the sight wasn¡¯t one I was expecting. A man, perhaps as tall as I was, stood across from me with a large sword on his back. At first glance he gave off the feeling of a Knight, so my guard instinctually went up. He looked me over with silence. During that time, I started to realize that he was rather powerful. At the least, he was on another level compared to those Psychos in the Trenches. I asked. ¡°Seems the delivery boys here are rather amazing.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± His masculine voice came out, seemingly not pleased by my remark. I just nodded toward the letter in his hand. ¡°That is for me, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± He hummed before handing it to me. Then, I shut the door. ¡°Thanks.¡± *Thud* He stopped the door with his hand, pushing it back open with strength I couldn¡¯t resist. After all, he was a Knight. No matter how fit or strong I got, Knights would always surpass me. I could only contend with low level ones, and higher level ones forced me to keep a distance. I frowned. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, please take your leave. Otherwise I¡¯ll be removing your hand from my door personally.¡± ¡°Heh, at least you¡¯ve got balls. What¡¯s your name?¡± He leaned forward threateningly, making me wary. ¡°None of your concern, otherwise you¡¯d know it. Now get your face out of my doorway before I tear you a third eye socket.¡± *Click* My revolver appeared, the barrel rising to his eye level. This caused him to smile. ¡°A Cold Summoner. How underwhelming. I¡¯ll be speaking with whoever decided that throwing you into our residence was a good idea.¡± ¡°Go ahead, dipshit. So long as you stop interrupting my morning.¡± *Bang* I slammed the door as he finally backed away. I then heard his footsteps grow distant. My guard went down as I took a deep breath. ¡°Sheesh. I am not a morning person.¡± After that, I cleaned myself up and got dressed. I opened the letter as I walked out of my room. It was the day of the opening ceremony for the Magisterium. Chapter 19: Orientation ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± ¡°We gotta get good seats!¡± As I walked to the Magisterium¡¯s massive stadium, I could hear hundreds of students running past me with excited faces. The whole thing caused me to smile. This was basically high school for all these kids, so I could understand their happiness. The stadium was basically a huge colosseum. It had one massive field that was bigger than a football field and was surrounded by rows and rows of stairs and seats. The place could easily fit tens of thousands, more than enough for the entire school and then some. I entered and found that they divided the seating by year. Walking up, I was planning to follow the very few fourth year students in when suddenly I was stopped. ¡°ID please.¡± ¡°...You didn¡¯t ask for theirs.¡± I pointed to the other fourth year students who were walking through. They just waltzed right in. He smiled wryly. ¡°Sorry sir, I reognize them, but not you. I need to check.¡± ¡°Eh, fine. Here.¡± I retrieved my ID, which he took and saw a big number 4 on. He handed it back with a slight bow. ¡°Sorry about that. Please, go ahead.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I hummed while walking past. Then, I entered a reserved section for all the fourth years. Before I sat down, I glanced over. I could only see about 40 students here. Without a doubt, they were all powerful, at least an Authority or so higher than myself. But there were so few. Compared to the freshman seating that was already jam packed, each person was basically taking their own row, if not grouped up in small cliques. I was pretty casual as I found myself a seat, but I still couldn''t help but notice the not so few stares. Nobody in this school knew who I was, and I suddenly jumped into the fourth year class. It would naturally raise questions, and some might not take kindly to it it like that one guy who disturbed my already unpleasant morning. But I couldn¡¯t think that much about it. I was really just here to cultivate higher power and train myself against monsters instead of humans. ¡°And now, a performance from the College of Enchanted Arts!¡± An announcement was suddenly made as a few dozen people walked into the middle of the field. They seemed like a big marching band, or perhaps an orchestra. Either way, they had many instruments and dancers. It wasn¡¯t long before I heard music, and the dancers began going through their routine. There were lights that lit up with waves of their hands and feet, and the music reached my ears rather pleasantly, both upbeat and soothing. But I wasn¡¯t too impressed. I had seen too many of these displays during the auction days in the Black Spider Market. And those people had such amazing skills, easily dwarfing these newbies. Still, I enjoyed the entertainment that all the freshmen were going nuts over. It lasted quite a while, but when it finally ended, a figure of authority stepped out along with waves of applause. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself.¡± His voice reverberated through the air. It was deep, but more than that, it carried actual power. His words commanded attention and respect. ¡°I am Yottra Carrion, the President of the Magisterium and Duke of the Kingdom of Dragon Tongue. I welcome everyone to this most prestigious institution.¡± Everyone went dead silent as he spoke. You could practically see the tangible reverence coming off those students in the other stands. Truly, he was a great man who stood at the pinnacle of this kingdom. And not just socially. To rise in this world, power was everything. This Duke was only below the King, and that meant he held power that was capable of dominating damn near the entire world of Magi. He was at least Authority 10, if not 11. And although Authority 10 was only 2 levels away from Authority 8 where Rayla stood, truly, the difference was insurmountable, not to mention Authority 11. It was said that Authority 12 was the highest peak of power. I wondered if the King was at that godlike level. Yottra went on to speak about the Magisterium and its great purpose. He spoke of the Evil Scourge and how we were the greatest hope of humanity to put an end to that extinction-level threat. This place was not only an institution to cultivate powerful Magi, but to encourage competition and growth through adversity. Through fighting monsters and sparring with our fellow Magi, we would learn how to better our skills and spells until all of us could become a force that turned the tide of the everlasting war. It was all motivational and inspiring, which was nice, but I couldn¡¯t help but see the darker side of it. These Magi were all better than the ordinary human, but in the end, anybody below the top were still merely soldiers. They were more like really effective cannon fodder rather than some special elite force. But unfortunately, in this world where there was an unending war with an enemy that seemed impossible to kill, the reality could be nothing but dark. I sighed as Yottra finished his speech. ¡°Now, I will allow your Council President to take the stage. Once again, welcome to the Magisterium. For Honor.¡± ¡°For Honor!¡± ¡°For Honor!¡± The stadium chanted the mantra of the Kingdom with Yottra. Then the Council President took the stand. ¡°Good morning everybody! My name is Tally!¡± ¡°Oh jeez.¡± Getting to this point, I groaned and tuned out. The girl up at the podium was an overly enthusiastic third year who spoke of nothing but high hopes and sugarcoated expectations. She was like some kind of mascot. And sure enough, I saw plenty of the fourth years get up and walk out. I decided I would join them, leaving the stadium before everyone else. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Besides, I had things to do. Heading to the library, I picked up a few books from a nice clerk lady. After that I went to the Resource Distribution Center where I received the spell formation and cultivation crystal that would allow me to cultivate my fourth Authority. Simply by joining the Magisterium, I was allowed to rise to the next level. Then again, what was Authority four to these people? I could imagine what would be asked of people in order to recieve the spell formations for higher Authorities. No doubt, most of it came in the form of military service or merits. Alongside these items came my class schedule. There was a class for cultivation, but that was only one of many I was assigned. Scourge Analysis, Geography, Emergency Medical Proficiency. These three classes would take up most of my day, along with daily cultivation. But there was one that I looked forward to. ¡°Applied Hunting.¡± I muttered curiously at the description for this class. Basically, every other month there would be a two or three week long period where the entire class would go out on a field trip and hunt. This could include beast hunting in a controlled forest reserve, or hunting the Scourge alongside the military. This controlled hunting allowed all us Magi to put our powers to the live test. After all, practicality meant everything. Theory meant nothing if it couldn¡¯t deliver on the battlefield. There would be nothing the first month of school, and come the second month, they would be throwing us out there for a whole two weeks. It seemed I would have time to get my bearings before getting thrown into the deep end. On my class list were the times for each class. Tapping my Aerial, I checked the time and decided to make my way. Scourge Analysis was the first class of the day. It was a class that taught everything regarding the Scourge. Monsters, materials, weakpoints, tendencies, geographical habitats, and counter tactics. Normally, someone in the fourth year wouldn¡¯t be taking this class. Having gone through several years, they had already learned everything they needed to. But since this was my first year, I had none of those basics, which was why I was thrown into the freshman class. I had to admit, it was a bit embarrassing. When class started, I was surrounded by nothing but young teens. I was severely out of place, wondering if I would be able to get away with teaching myself. It was no different for the class after that. Geography wasn¡¯t the normal geography class that I had thought it would be. One could say it was an analysis of the macro scale movements and shifts in the Scourge¡¯s activity. It analyzed the territory that they had conquered and the areas that were currently warzones. Though, there was also some geographical study, primarily teaching major landmarks around the world that we would need to know. Still, it was hard to focus when a bunch of teens were glancing at me constantly. I chose a back seat, but even the kid next to me was constantly stealing glances. I beared with it. I knew I would probably end up out there fighting the Scourge, so this was knowledge I needed to know. I had fought people up until now, not monsters. The two were radically different, even though I didn¡¯t have the experience to determine such. I basically likened it to the difference between two boxers fighting each other and a boxer fighting a bear. The same tactics naturally couldn¡¯t be used. And many of the things they talked about, even on the first day, surprised me. The Scourge, according to public sources, was made out to be nothing but a mass of horrific monsters that sought the destruction of the world. We were pretty evenly matched with them in sheer power, but while we had the advantage in personal power, they had the advantage in numbers. But there were some special entities that posed the greatest threat. After all, nobody cared about the cannon fodder. There were two types of Scourge creatures that were most concerning. First, the ones who gained intelligence with power, earning the ability to control the Scourge forces in strategic ways. And second, the humans who were captured and demonized, turning into an inhuman monster that was both intelligent and powerful. The Scourge didn¡¯t just destroy. It devoured. And occasionally, the unlucky victims would be demonized and warped into a monster beyond their own will. The most horrific way to die to the Scourge, and one of the darkest realities of the war. It was when I heard about this that I couldn¡¯t help but remember Libitus¡¯ words from that night at the auction house. ¡®They seriously loved each other. I mean, she almost killed herself over it. The Scourge took her man in the worst way possible¡­¡¯ Demonization. Was that what happened to Rayla¡¯s husband? Not only was he captured by the Scourge, but he was demonized, and then reappeared on the battlefield, confirming his demonization. Was he killed? Or is he still one of those monsters? I was pretty sure he had been killed. If not, there was no way that Rayla would have recovered as much as she had seemed to. She probably would have remained in the military until he was relieved of his monstrous existence. Only his death could allow her to move on, even if only a little. It was a mind numbing thought to have. I couldn¡¯t fathom that kind of grief, to know that the person you loved with your heart and soul had been warped into that kind of monstrosity. And to have to kill him even after that¡­ I suddenly felt a wave of sorrow for Rayla. I almost wanted to call her up the instant I inferred these things, but it wasn¡¯t like I could explain that I knew about her husband. Libitus had gone behind her back to tell me that before she did. ¡°...Shit.¡± I cursed under my breath in the middle of class, earning a few glances. Now my mood was ruined, and I had a new irreversible hatred for the Scourge. If they were simply an enemy, then I could sympathize since there were always two sides to a war. But this monstrous entity was nothing but a demonic stain upon the world. Nothing but a parasite that wrought ruin. It seemed I now had another reason to get stronger, other than mere survival. And I was glad that I could wreak my own retribution with the most lethal weapon in two worlds. ¡­¡­ ¡­ The first day passed, and I walked to my new on-campus residence with a neutral mood. After learning about nothing but the Scourge, the last class of the day lightened the darkness with a lecture about the body. It was here that I learned that anatomy, or medical science, was just as advanced in this world as on Earth. The knew everything I knew and more. They knew about cells, the components of cells and their functions, along with all the myriads of biological functions that riddled our impossibly complex bodies. Not only that, but they had learned about how the magical forces of this world interacted with the body. Of course, that stuff only appeared in the more advanced classes. I had expected a primitive or vague detailing on the body and medical care, but I found quite the opposite. In fact, this class of mine was looking to be more of a paramedic course than otherwise. We would learn not just about the body, but all about the types of medical care. They would teach us how to similarly respond to various injuries, making us EMTs in training. This also seemed to be the most difficult class in the Magisterium, obviously because of how complex it was and how much there was to memorize. But when all of these people were going to be specialists on the battlefield, it was rather important that they at least knew some stuff. I was similarly in distress during the class. I wasn¡¯t cut out for memorizing all that information, a reason I never even fathomed becoming a doctor. Too much to learn. But I found myself keeping up, especially in my other courses. And I knew why. Psyka, the power of the mind. Summoners, although generally known for being weak, were also known for one other thing. Being the smartest people in the kingdom. With minds that became sharper, faster, and stronger with every Authority they gained, Summoners received many boosts to their cognitive abilities. They were the most successful in academics, even beyond Warlocks who studied magic spells. This would naturally help immensely in regard to my classes. I almost looked forward to it. Beyond that though, I only had one thing to focus on. Cultivating my Authority was my most important task. With a greater Authority, I could unlock bigger and badder guns. Those would secure my survival, especially since I was sure my first hunting trip wouldn¡¯t be an easy one. I was hoping that I could advance in a month, like I had been, but upon opening the book to see the formations I needed to use, I couldn¡¯t help but lose a bit of hope. ¡°This is absurd. What am I looking at, a circuit board?¡± The book was filled with all these impossibly complex lines and symbols. It was hard to even look at, let alone use. It seemed Authority 4 was a rather massive jump. But I had a better mind! I knew I couldn¡¯t be held up for long by this complexity, so I dedicated at least a few hours to studying the formations. Besides, I found it oddly enjoyable. Studying the formations wasn¡¯t as simple as tracing the lines in your mind. If it were that easy, everyone would be able to advance. No, it was what the lines and symbols represented that halted people¡¯s progress. The formations were a guide. By trying to mimic them, people would come to understand the formation within the magical realm and learn how to use it in order to cultivate greater power. It was like learning a language, and whenever I studied the formation, I would slowly gain understandings. It was like a bar that slowly filled up with progress, as if I were downloading information into my mind from the file that was the formation. And the feelings of progress were nice, even if tiring. But I quickly figured out that it would take much more time for me to so much as decipher the formation, let alone cultivate the power. A month wouldn¡¯t be enough. But up until now I had been cultivating every day, so I had gotten used to the slow but steady progression. So I stuck around in my room, waiting for the end of the day where I would go to bed early and catch up on sleep. Chapter 20: Training Another day came around, and I wasn¡¯t disturbed like the first. All was normal, except for the fact that I was completely wrong about the schedule regarding our hunting trips. The fourth years had things a bit different, and what I had heard about only applied to those in the earlier years. Turns out, the hunting trips would be one month on and one month off. That meant that, at the end of the month, I would leave for an entire month on this trip. And I wasn¡¯t simply going to a forest inhabited by monsters. No, I would be joining a special military unit that specialized in small scale Scourge hunts. This was all to say that I was being thrown straight into the deep end, and much earlier than I anticipated. All this information came to me when I arrived back home from classes, seeing that a delivery had been delivered by Maxwell. A letter detailed the aforementioned information and also came with an interesting surprise. The primary focus of his letter, and the package that came with it, was regarding the White Crystal. The Church pioneered the first and best way to purify Black Crystals infected with the Scourge¡¯s poison, creating White Crystals. These crystals could be used in magical devices or used for cultivating Authorities. But the Magisterium, or the Kingdom, didn¡¯t use the White Crystals of the Church. In order to combat the Church¡¯s monopoly on the crystals, they developed their own method, an inferior one. It purified most, but not all, of the Scourge¡¯s poison. This created purity grades for the crystals and introduced problems that came with cultivating with them. It was no different from cultivating with poison. The energy given to you was impure, and methods had also been created to purify the energy inside of you after the cultivation was donor. Basically, the Kingdom created a problem and its solution all in an attempt to economically fight the Church. While it was a natural course of action for two massive organizations, it was still a shitty situation for those who were forced to use the tainted crystals. All those at the Magisterium and the Kingdom¡¯s military were those victims. Of course, many went and got their hands on the Church¡¯s White Crystals anyway, and thankfully, Maxwell was making himself out to be one of my avenues. Inside the package I received was a White Crystal a grade above the previous one I used. Maxwell said that, due to the nature of my Call, I couldn¡¯t cultivate with the impure crystals at all. My Call would reject any form of impurity, so I was forced to use White Crystals. Not that I had an issue with this. And with the White Crystal was another set of advancement formations that he told me to use instead of the standard ones. They were even more complex, and he didn¡¯t explain why, but since I was already going along with his guidance, I couldn¡¯t stop here. Thanking him inwardly for the help, I threw the crystal into my spatial bracelet. I simultaneously stashed the other crystal away. I wouldn¡¯t need it anymore, not that I could begin cultivating immediately. Beyond that, there was only one other piece of information that I paid attention to. Everyone at the Magisterium was placed into combat classes. These classes taught Knights martial arts, taught Warlocks how to use their spells in various situations, and taught Summoners how to effectively utilize their summons. But I wasn¡¯t placed into any combat classes, or at least, not on paper. Apparently Maxwell had arranged something else for me. It was something like a Club. The place was basically a training ground. Due to the unique nature of my summons, I couldn¡¯t go fighting anybody for fear of outright killing them. Guns were kind of an all or nothing weapon. So he put me into this club that I would report to when classes were over. So the next day, after going through all my classes, I went around to a certain building number located in an obscure corner of the campus. Only, it wasn¡¯t a building that I came to. It was a gate with the number across its signboard. I walked through, seeing a small building to the side. I went and knocked on the door, waiting several seconds before it opened. ¡°Hm? Who are you?¡± The man who greeted me was a rough one. He was old, his eyes sharp and scrutinizing, and the wrinkles on his face scrunching in a perpetual frown. But he was dressed in rather luxurious clothing. I recognized its quality, even though it wasn¡¯t an extravagant robe like what Maxwell wore. In the black market where nice things were everywhere and also exorbitantly expensive, I had developed a good eye for something¡¯s quality. I greeted back casually. ¡°Hi. I¡¯m John. I was told to report here after classes.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Maxwell¡¯s apprentice. Come in then. I¡¯ll explain everything.¡± I walked in with his beckon, closing the door behind me. I found that this small room was completely dark except for the dozen screens that covered the front wall. Each one displayed a different video feed, some of them displaying two. In each feed was a person. I saw some knights, several warlocks, and only a few summoners. They were all fighting, and their opponents weren¡¯t each other, but what looked like robots. Of course, they couldn¡¯t be mechanical robots. I saw all these magical designs on their bodies, ones that glowed whenever their mosntrous bodies moved just like beasts. ¡°This is the Magisterium¡¯s finest training ground. Not everybody comes to know about this place¡¯s existence, and even fewer actually get to use it. Only the Elites can come here freely, but you¡¯ve been made something of an exception. You can thank Maxwell for that, but there is a condition.¡± The man eyed me. ¡°You can use this place for the next month until you go on your next excursion, but if you don¡¯t produce satisfactory results while on that trip, then you won¡¯t be allowed back. Now, allow me to explain what you do here.¡± He pointed to the screens. ¡°Every day, I set up a different scenario using the battle puppets. These scenarios are designed to mimic Scourge battles. From Hive raids to frontal mass battles, I can reproduce any kind of scenario imaginable. And you will be faced with those scenarios. The difficulty level varies, and sometimes I set up scenarios where you work in teams. Regardless, this is the place to train you in true practical combat, second only to fighting actual battles with the Scourge. With your lack of experience, this is a holy place for you, so cherish this next month wisely. And since the scenario has only started recently, you can still join in. Here.¡± The old man handed me a necklace. It was flat and made of thick black metal. When I put it on, it sat snugly against my skin, using magic to adhere to my body without moving or disturbing me. ¡°Thats a safety band. It¡¯ll keep you alive, but be warned, you can still be injured, and heavily at that if you¡¯re stupid. Not only will you learn to kill here, but you¡¯ll learn how to eastimate an enemy¡¯s power level and how to respond. Now, the scenario today is a basic one, some jungle hunting. There are monsters and humanoid puppets all throughout that forest landscape. Your sightlines are limited, so your ears will be your best ally. How you approach battles is up to you. Either way, your goal is to fight on the leaderboard against the others. Tap the jewel on your band.¡± Following his directions, my finger found the protruding jewel on the necklace, tapping it once and seeing a screen appear in front of me. It was a leaderboard containing a dozen or so names. Every participant was on there, and it showed a point score beside their name. It was no different from a game, making me smile a bit. ¡°Wave away the screen and it¡¯ll go down. And when you¡¯re ready, you can step through the portal outside. It¡¯ll drop you in a random spot in the forest at least 100 meters away from an enemy. And if you decide that you¡¯re done with training, tap the jewel on your band and say ¡®I quit¡¯. That¡¯ll bring you back out here. Now go on. I look forward to what Maxwell¡¯s apprentice has up his sleeve.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He waved me away, and I took one more glance at the screens before leaving. There was a portal on the side of the building. So after summoning a lever action rifle, I headed through it. ¡­¡­ I really was thrown right in the middle of a jungle. My reappearance came with a small wave of disorientation. I quickly focused though and took a look around me. The jungle was still bright, but the ground was covered in mud, bushes, vines, and tree roots. It was complex terrain, and fighting here could obviously be dangerous. So I decided that I needed to keep my enemies at a distance, and if they found me, then I would try and take them in a head on manner. My shotguns should take care of anything that got too close for comfort. My coat also gave me a source of comfort. It undoubtedly had extraordinary defensive abilities, and Rayla had told me that it came with some other special abilities. Unfortunately I wasn¡¯t told how to activate it, so I would either have to ask later or figure it out myself. With my reassurances, I started slowly walking through the jungle. I kept my head on a swivel, constantly surveying my surroundings and waiting. Until I heard a faint brush of some leaves in the distance, making my head instinctively snap over. My hearing and instincts had become refined after many weeks in the Trenches. I could pick up on even faint footsteps, as I had been subject to no small amount of ambushes. So my hands moved instinctively, my body lowering and my eyes taking aim across the sights of my gun. At the end of my barrel, I could see a monster. It wasn¡¯t an animal, but one of the puppets that was shaped like one. It was an agile creature, looking closer to a tiger than anything else. It didn¡¯t seem to have seen me yet, so I kneeled down and steadied my barrel. This would serve as good aim training as well. I was already glad Maxwell had got me into this place. With those thoughts, I centered my sights. And I didn¡¯t hesitate in pulling the trigger. *BANG* The sound shook the jungle, and in the distance, I could see the monster drop to the floor, dead. In my vision, I could see the number 100 pop up, the points I earned for the kill. Smiling, I got up and started running. Letting off shots attracted everything¡¯s attention toward me. It was the fatal flaw of my guns. I couldn¡¯t be quiet with them. But I could mitigate the downsides by changing positions. Even if I ran into enemies while relocating, it was better than being swarmed from all sides. And as expected, it wasn¡¯t long before I encountered another puppet. Except this beast was bigger, like a bear. It found me and charged. I stopped and raised my gun, slowing my breath and firing. *BANG* Another shot, and I cleanly hit the bear¡¯s skull. But it didn¡¯t go down. The beast was dazed for several moments, not dead, but obviously hurt. I took the opportunity to infuse some power into my gun. It glowed with a faintly holy light, as if being blessed. And my next shot was all the bear could take. Its head exploded with the empowered bullet, dropping to the floor. ¡°Dropped like a drunk stripper. Alright, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± I found another direction and took off after smiling at the 400 points I got. After not encountering anything for a while though, I decided to drop down and hide. Fighting enemies was easy but tiring. If I wanted to spend some time in this training ground, then I would need to space my battles. This is why I found a large bush and settled inside of it. I didn¡¯t really care about getting dirty either, since my coat was always comfortable and could clean itself later. From there I watched a few monsters go by at a distance. And when I decided that enough time had passed, I targeted one and took my shot from the bush. Although I didn¡¯t have a scope, my aim was still decent enough to hit some shots at around 100 meters. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like these puppets were small. *BANG* Smoke rose up within the bush as the monster dropped dead. After that, I reloaded some bullets and waited. Naturally, monsters made their way to my general position. And from the bush, I took several out. I had to empower several of my shots. That was the proper term for using my Psyka to make my spirits, or my guns, stronger. And with every kill, my points grew. It was only when I had killed 6 that I finally rushed out of my bush, a large group converging on my location. I fought off several monsters while running, killing four more and eventually managing to calm the agitation my gunshots had caused. Like that, I repeated a cycle of hiding, killing, running, and hiding again. The forest was big, and there were varying densities of monsters. But I noticed that the further in any direction I went, the stronger the monsters got. But that just meant more points. Besides, not all monsters had tough bodies. Many were of the warlock type, casting their own specialty spells. But those were the easy ones. My killing speed was good. And my routine went well until I encountered another person, not a puppet. Hiding within a foxhole underneath some tree roots and bushes, I spotted a person in my sights not that far away. They seemed to be looking for something, probably me, as I had been causing tons of noise. But I just watched for a while. I tracked them with my sights, my finger brushing the trigger while imagining if I could hit my shots while they were moving. It was a woman, and an agile one at that as she could scale and hop between trees. She had short brown hair and wielded a sword, obviously a knight. It made me a bit more wary. Knights were my bane. But as I imagined taking my shot, something interesting happened. It was right as I had the thought of pulling the trigger that the girl suddenly jolted and dashed out of the way with inhuman agility. Of course, I wasn¡¯t actually planning on taking the shot, but it seemed that she had sensed my intentions. For a moment I thought that something like that should be impossible. How could she possibly read my mind from a distance, or at all for that matter? Especially since she was totally unaware of me. But after dodging a nonexistent shot, she suddenly turned toward my general direction. She didn¡¯t immediately spot me, but it wasn¡¯t long after that I saw her eyes lock onto me through the bushes. I smiled as she crouched aggressively. Then, I rose. I slipped out of the bushes, waving with a smile. ¡°Hey there. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°...I should be asking you that. I don¡¯t recognize you.¡± She narrowed her eyes and straightened her body, feeling less threatened now that I lowered my gun. I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m new here. This is my first day at these training grounds. I¡¯m kind of having fun too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one making all that noise?¡± ¡°Guilty as charged.¡± ¡°...A cold summoner.¡± She had a peculiar look while observing my gun. Even I could sense the type of Magus a person was. It was a sixth sense, so she could obviously do the same, especially since she was probably of a higher Authority. Then, she looked at my face. ¡°...You¡¯re the new fourth year.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve heard of me?¡± ¡°Not anybody can just walk straight into our class. Besides, Ravon made a big deal about you. It seems he lost since you¡¯re still here.¡± ¡°Ravon?¡± ¡°The Severing Blade, yes. My, you really are new here. You don¡¯t even know the names of the Elites¡± She smirked a bit, and I couldn¡¯t help a chuckle. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not the best with names. But I¡¯d still like to hear yours.¡± I smiled and approached, putting out my hand. The girl smiled and shook it. ¡°Tana.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Tana. I¡¯m John.¡± ¡°Hello John. You¡¯re a noisy one, but since you¡¯re here, you must be powerful despite being new.¡± ¡°Yes, and I apologize for startling you earlier.¡± I chuckled while remembering how frantically Tana had dodged my imaginary bullet. My words made her tilt her head as we separated hands. ¡°Yes, I was actually confused as to why you were so open with your Intent.¡± ¡°Considering the fact that I have no idea what that is, you can probably imagine that I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± ¡°Wow. You¡¯re really new.¡± She was quite baffled by my ignorance. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh at that. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m still learning a lot.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t learn anything in your combat class?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a combat class. The lethality of my weapons prohibits fighting others.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She eyed the rifle in my hands and glanced in the distance at a few puppets I had killed. I hadn¡¯t attacked more than a few times, and every target had died. If that wasn¡¯t lethal, then what was? I smiled. ¡°Care to teach me about this so called Intent?¡± ¡°Huhu, I¡¯m not exactly here to teach. But I¡¯ll make a bet.¡± ¡°Shoot.¡± I nodded, and she brought up the leaderboard. ¡°Beat me on the Leaderboard, and I¡¯ll teach you.¡± ¡°I seem to have a long ways to go then.¡± ¡°You sure do. So let¡¯s see if your lethality can earn the tutelage of an Elite. Of course, I won¡¯t just sit idly either.¡± She spun around and crouched, launching her body into the air and onto a tree branch about 40 meters away. She then looked behind her at me, waving with a snicker. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in being a tutor, so you better get going!¡± ¡°Heh, playing hard to get, I see.¡± I chuckled as she dashed into the distance. I couldn¡¯t fathom the kind of strength or agility her body had to be able to bound dozens of meters with each step. Once she promptly disappeared, I pulled up the leaderboard. My name was sitting nicely at the bottom. And from there, I searched for Tana. I quickly found her name. Out of the 14 people currently in this jungle, she was sitting high and mighty at third place. I had a grand total of 5300 points, but she had a whopping 64000. ¡°Bullshit. As if I even had a chance. Well, I guess I should at least try. Let¡¯s get out of last place first.¡± With that, I sent my gun back to the dimension and started jogging. The deeper I went, the more powerful the monsters, and the more points I got. If I wanted any kind of chance, then I would need to test my wit with those beasts. And I didn¡¯t stop for anything, not even the few beasts that ended up in my path. Soon enough, I arrived where I wanted to be. Chapter 21: Enlightenment The jungle changed colors, from green plants to bright purple plants. The dirt also changed from brown and black to a deep red. It was a rather jarring change. But this was still the place I wanted to be. The monsters here, as I had found, were significantly stronger. No longer could I kill a knight type beast in a few shots to the head. It took large portions of my Psyka and well placed bullets in order to kill them. And even then, that gave them time to close distance. They were fast, tough, and agile. My aim was stressed, as was my athleticism. Thankfully I had learned a lot in the trenches, being ambushed and attacked by several people at once. That experience allowed me to keep my bearing in the face of a beast that refused to die. And more than that, each beast was worth upwards of 2000 points! My score on the leaderboard rapidly climbed with each kill. In fact, it only took half an hour to climb to 20 thousand points. But in that time, Tana had gained another dozen thousand. It was only a bit slower than me, and even given several hours, I might not be able to catch up. But that was no reason to stop. My foremost purpose in being here was for training. I wasn¡¯t simply trying to farm points, as that would defeat the purpose. It would only be a month from now that I would have to go and fight the Scourge alongside a military unit. As confident as I was in my guns, I understood very deeply how inexperienced I was with fighting monsters, and more than that, working with others in a combat situation. My aim wasn¡¯t perfect, even if it was good. In a fast paced and stressful environment, a mistake on my part could kill an ally. Most fighters were Knights, and they fought in close combat. As a ranged attacker, I would need to land my shots on target without hitting them. Of course, many of the memories that I received from the spirits of my Authorities directly gave me fantastic aim. Especially the more powerful spirits, which contained the experience of skilled soldiers or accomplished gunmen. And those memories didn¡¯t simply vanish when I wasn¡¯t communing with the spirits. They remained faintly in my mind, and my personal experiences from utilizing those memories stayed with me. I was rapidly learning, increasing my skill at lightning speeds. But it would still take time before I was perfect, and that wasn¡¯t to mention how the styles of battle would change as I unlocked other weapons. Self preservation was also an important issue that I needed to take care of. My greatest weakness was defense and close quarter combat. So I would need to use this training ground as a place to rectify my shortcomings, at least a little. Thankfully, this purple jungle was the perfect place to do that. I didn¡¯t run the risk of dying, but I did risk injury. I hadn¡¯t been touched for the most part, but when I entered the purple jungle, that changed. Depending on the monster, i would suffer at the hands of claws or fists. But fortunately for me, every attack was eaten by my coat. And the attacks didn¡¯t so much as leave a scratch. I suppose the outer layer of the coat was made of some kind of malleable material, because any blemishes would repair themselves even if it was deformed. Not only that, but I could feel some kind of magic activate whenever I was in distress. It heightened my awareness, giving me what felt like 360 vision. I could see even the plants behind me, and my mind could process things faster. Even my reactions were sped up. It was like the coat facilitated my body¡¯s commands, as I could move my arms and legs with far more agility. The response time was almost nonexistent, allowing me to dodge things that my body normally couldn¡¯t. Those effects faded when the threat was gone, however, and i usually felt rather drained. It took a sizeable amount of my Psyka, but who cared so long as I could keep myself safe? The jacket was proving to be an extraordinary asset. At some point, I also equipped my air mask, taking it from my spatial bracelet. I was used to fighting with it on, and it provided me with greater stamina. I fought through the purple jungle for a couple hours, and over time my points rose higher and higher. But it never went above Tana¡¯s. When I finally made it to 60 thousand points, she managed to hit 85 thousand points. And when I made it to 85 thousand points, she rose to over 100 thousand points. Thankfully, I at least wasn¡¯t in last place. In fact, I made it to the top 5 with relative ease. But the training didn¡¯t last forever. Just as I started to get a little hope, thinking that I might be able to surpass Tana, I heard a ringing from my necklace. ¡°Training¡¯s over.¡± A second after those words, I felt an unknown power wrap around me. I was promptly teleported out of the training grounds, appeared near the building by the entrance. I wasn¡¯t the only one. A quick count told me there were a dozen others. I quickly spotted Tana as well. But we only glanced at each other, because I felt everyone¡¯s eyes suddenly land on me. I knew people would be curious since I was a newbie, but their interest seemed to go beyond that. I was the subject of their scrutiny until that old man came back out. He looked at me before speaking. ¡°Everyone is free to go except for that one.¡± He meant me as he waved everyone else out. And without much suspense, they all left. Except for Tana, who walked over to me and touched her wrist to mine. My aerial exchanged contact info with hers.. ¡°I don¡¯t mind teaching you a little. But don¡¯t expect a full blown class.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me. Have a good day, Tana.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She smiled while leaving. I only turned back around when I heard a scoff. ¡°How charming. If not for your complete lack of foundational skills, I¡¯d say you¡¯re perfect. Get in here.¡± Waving me along, the old man headed into his little outpost. I saw the same screens as last time, but now, they were all filled with recordings of my fights. Once I closed the door, he plopped down on a seat. ¡°Your power is seriously suited for killing. I¡¯ve never seen a more offensive power before, not from warlocks nor knights. Tana is an Authority 5, and you were able to keep up to some extent. Of course, she was nothing but relaxed today, but the fact that you even managed to climb out of last place is nothing short of a damn miracle.¡± He sighed while turning to the screens. ¡°But despite how excessively lethal your weapons are, you still don¡¯t have many of the techniques you should have. You¡¯re still obviously a newbie. For example.¡± He pointed to one screen. On it was a video of my encounter with Tana. Specifically, when she dodged my imaginary bullet. ¡°Your Intent. You have no control over it, and since you¡¯re a ranged fighter, that¡¯s a major issue.¡± ¡°What is Intent anyway?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your mind¡¯s affect on the surroundings. It¡¯s literally your intentions that seep into the air all around you. People can pick up on that, and it allows them to read you like a book. And there are techniques, especially for summoners, that allow you to conceal it. I can already tell you that those techniques will be your most important, because otherwise you won¡¯t be able to kill anyone stealthily like you did with those puppets.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Having understood the wild concept, I began to see how important it was. Intent concealment was something I needed to learn quickly. ¡°Also, you need to learn how to solidify your Psyka. You waste way too much of it when you infuse your summons with it. Unfortunately there are very few Calls that allow you to do such a thing anyway, and I know Maxwell¡¯s Call is special. So consult him on it. You¡¯ll become more efficient and powerful when you bring it under control. Look.¡± He pointed to another screen, one that showed my gun as it glowed with power. That glow was seen whenever I infused my Psyka into a spirit. ¡°That glow is a telltale sign of your lack of control. I would estimate that nearly half of your power is wasted in the infusion process, and it only gets worse as you infuse more. But the good news is that you obviously have a bountiful pool of Psyka anyway.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± I didn¡¯t exactly see how my pool of Psyka was bigger than normal, but apparently this old man could. He glanced at me. ¡°You infused a lot of Psyka into your weapons thourghout the hours that you were in that jungle. I couldn¡¯t estimate it properly, but when looking at the glow of your spirits and how often you killed those high level puppets, and then considering the fact that you¡¯re only at Authority 3, I can only conclude that the sheer amount of Psyka at your disposal is rather enormous. Granted, your power is entirely offensive in nature, but not everyone can jump several Authority levels like you do. That easily puts you on par with the Elites in terms of your latent potential. I can see why Maxwell took you under his wing.¡± He seemed to grumble while shutting down all the screens. ¡°Alright, now get out of here. Be back tomorrow immediately after your classes. We¡¯ll have another scenario going, one that will give you some very valuable experience. I can¡¯t have you dying during your hunting trip, after all.¡± ¡°Okay. Oh, and what should I call you?¡± I asked, since the old man still hadn¡¯t given me his name. He spokke while ushering me out of the room. ¡°I¡¯m called the Puppet Master.¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Puppet. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± He narrowed his eyes at me while I left. As I walked back to my room, I did a mild reflection on the past few hours, mainly my talk with Mr. Puppet. Honestly, he was a bit hard to talk to. His sharp eyes and authoritative demeanor didn¡¯t leave much room for discussion. I could go back and forth with Maxwell when he taught me his Call, but I couldn¡¯t do that with this old man. It was a bit stifling, but he still fed me valuable information. My Intent and my control over Psyka. Two techniques that I would need to consult Maxwell on. Though, I wondered why I wasn¡¯t already taught this stuff. Tapping my Aerial, I called my teacher. ¡°What is it?¡± His monotone voice echoed in my mind. I responded in a direct fashion. ¡°I learned about Intent and Psyka solidification. Are they things I need to learn techniques for?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°...Well do you happen to know any that I could learn?¡± It took a second for me to respond after he gave me such a succinct answer. I heard him hum. ¡°Controlling your Psyka and solidifying it is something that can only come through practice and dedication. Knights and Warlocks spend years constantly honing their control, and there are extremely few who are ever able to solidify their power. So while a technique isn¡¯t actually necessary for evolving your control, there is a technique that can help.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The one you¡¯ve been practicing this entire time. The one I taught you when you first came to me.¡± My eyes widened a bit. I recalled the technique I used to practice daily. It was nothing more than tracing various complex and redundant formations with my Psyka, and it was horribly tiring. It seems that was the technique I was looking for. But that left me more confused. ¡°If I¡¯ve been practicing this entire time, then why are my infusions so wasteful?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did you expect to be a master when you only started learning less than half a year ago?¡± ¡°...Kind of? It¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°Childish.¡± He snorted, causing me to chuckle a bit. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll just keep practicing it more.¡± ¡°Do so. However, there is one modification that you can make if you want to reign in your Intent. You just need to practice tracing those formations, but make them appear within the world.¡± ¡°How the hell do I do that? Isn¡¯t it supposed to be an extra-dimensional power?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hard, really. You already do it when you empower your spirits.¡± ¡°...¡± My face scrunched in confusion, but i sort of understood what he was saying. My Psyka went beyond my body when I empowered my spirits with it, since my spirits were also beyond my body. So technically, I was already doing that. But the spirit was still the medium. To do away with that medium and make my Psyka appear in the air wasn¡¯t something I thought was possible. I questioned. ¡°I can only infuse my spirits with Psyka. Besides, Psyka is the power of the mind. How do I make this mind power appear beyond the mind?¡± ¡°You need a medium, of course. So find one. What appears in the air, that is connected to you, and that you can infuse your Psyka into?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking.¡± ¡°Well, time to figure things out on your own. Use that empty head of yours, and don¡¯t come back to class until you can read minds.¡± Right after he said that, Maxwell ended the call. I was left staring into space in a slight daze. Read minds? How the hell was I supposed to do that? I realized that I had stopped walking at some point, but I wasn¡¯t in the mind to care that I was standing in the middle of some empty plaza. It felt like something was clicking for me, despite my confusion. What appeared in the air? Those words made me think of my Intent, when Mr. Puppet said that it was literally my intentions that seeped into the air around me. So my Intent was in the air, and it was undoubtedly connected to me. So was that the medium? Did I need to infuse my Psyka into my Intent? I suppose they were both a part of the mind. But unlike spirits, my Intent wasn¡¯t something tangible that I could feel. I didn¡¯t even know it existed until a few hours ago. So how could I infuse my Psyka into something I couldn¡¯t see or feel? If I figured that out, then I could manifest my Psyka in the air and practice both solidifying my Psyka and controlling my Intent. And these thoughts made me think of something else. My coat, when it had activated and enhanced my senses. It did more than just speed up my thinking and reaction times. It actually let me see the things around me, even things that weren¡¯t within my field of vision. I had been able to see the ground under my feet and the trees to my back when fighting a puppet to my front. 360 vision. But of course, I didn¡¯t suddenly grow eyes on the back of my head. My coat took my Psyka when it was activated, and it had done something with it that let me see the world with something beyond my senses. Was that what I needed to do? Mimic the effects of my coat? Use my Psyka and see the world through the lens of my mind. But I couldn¡¯t just do that, even though I understood. I needed something to go off of, something to feel that could guide me, like using training wheels to ride a bike. I needed to activate the coat. Suddenly, I tapped my Aerial again. ¡°Hey, sweet cheeks! How¡¯s school?¡± Rayla¡¯s sweet voice made me smile a bit. But I felt rushed, so I didn¡¯t humor her like I usually would. ¡°It¡¯s good. Hey, I was wondering how I could activate the coat¡¯s abilities.¡± ¡°Oh, right, I didn¡¯t tell you about that. It activates automatically when your body is in distress. But if you want to activate it preemptively, you just need to infuse your Psyka into it. You should''ve felt it make a connection with you, so just stream your Psyka into that connection.¡± ¡°Oh. Alright. Thanks.¡± ¡°Are you training?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°Then call me later. I have some things to ask you, preferably before the week¡¯s end.¡± ¡°Sure.¡° We said goodbye, and I rapidly focused back on my objective. I when I had first worn the coat, I had felt a wave of magic run through my body. The coat had formed a connection, making it more like a new limb rather than an accessory. Whenever I put it on, it would bond with me again. Even now I could feel the connection that appeared within my mind. So I streamed my Psyka to it, filling it with my power. Once I did that, I could once again feel the effects. I could see each blade of grass at my feet, the laces of my shoes, the socks under those shoes, the buildings behind me. It was like looking into a whole new world. But more than that, I could see other people in the distance. And each of them had an a faint energy around them. From that energy I could sense something about them. I could sense anxiousness, excitement, exhaustion, or anger. Most of their faces were neutral, not eluding to anything out of the ordinary. But these energies exposed their inner feelings. And on top of that, I could almost see into the future. I could see the next step they were going to take. I could guess the hand they were going to use to scratch an itch on their face, or their next movement to open a door. Their Intent. I could see it and read it. It was vague, but it was there. And then, I looked around myself. I could see a much thicker Intent than any of the others, perhaps because it was my own. But unlike the others, I could practically read my own mind through it. No wonder Tana was able to dodge my imaginary bullet. I was basically telling her what I was going to do through this Intent of mine. But that wasn¡¯t my biggest concern. Instead, I quickly focused my Psyka. I could finally feel my Intent. So I let my Psyka out. A little wasn¡¯t enough, so I let it all flow. I mustered the entirety of my pool, pushing it all out into this energy field of mine. The coat was acting as my guide, and I tapped into that feeling. And then, I could see it. The air. Or, I should say aura was the best word for it. An aura around me that spread for dozens of meters. It was like a beacon of light, broadcastinig my existence to the world. And anyone with eyes could see a bright light. This aura of mine, how it was so spread and open, made me feel exposed. Everyone else also had auras around them, most just as big as mine. And through them, I could get an even deeper glimpse into their mind, as if I was getting a hint of their thoughts. How could anyone live knowing that their thoughts were practically spilling out into the open like this? It made me shudder. Maxwell could see all this, no doubt. So this entire time, my mind had probably been an open book to him. No wonder he seemed so lofty in his attitude, as if he knew everything. He may as well have, with an ability like this. This seemed to be some kind of enlightenment for me. ¡°I need to reign this shit in as soon as possible. It¡¯s almost humiliating.¡± I mumbled out loud, but even that was weird, because it felt like I was speaking even before I did. I was basically guessing what I was going to say, and then making true on those guesses. But with those words, I made my conviction. Then, I suddenly felt a wave of weakness and exhaustion. I faltered, falling to one knee as my supernatural awareness disappeared. No longer could I see what my eyes couldn¡¯t. However, I still felt like I was far more aware of the world, and especially the people. I could still sense a hint of the aura of those strangers in the distance, even though it was no longer as deep. It made me laugh even though I was wracked with a horrible headache moments later. Truly, an enlightenment. Now, I could at least begin to work on bringing things under control. Chapter 22: Nest I barely managed to get to my room, where I passed out the second I threw my body onto my bed. I had probably crawled for most of the way there, but I really didn¡¯t care since I had just become enlightened. As someone who had spent his entire life on Earth, a magic-less world, these sorts of feelings were all new and eye opening. How else was I supposed to react to being able to glimpse the thoughts and feelings of people I didn¡¯t even know? And then there was the fact that I was at the bottom of the barrel in terms of utilizing this ability. How much more was there that I could become capable of? I went to sleep with all sorts of thoughts on my mind. And it was some much needed rest, too. I had dumped all the Psyka I had into the coat and my aura. It was worth it, but I had been left a husk. Unfortunately, I slept for longer than I expected. By the time I woke up, it was already well past noon. I slept through my alarm. It made me panic, since I had missed all of my classes, the last of which was ongoing when I cralwed out of bed. ¡°Well, at least I¡¯ll be rested for training.¡± Those classes didn¡¯t particularly interest me right now, so I didn¡¯t care too much. With that, I freshened up before getting a bite to eat. The Magisterium had a nice restaurant on campus, so I checked it out and ordered some food. It was rather cheap compared to what I was used to, not that the Founder¡¯s Market was a good reference to have. And after eating there, I spent the last hour or so I had assessing my new abilities. I was now aware of my own and other people¡¯s auras. And even without the coat as my guide, I could stream my Psyka into it. This was the biggest barrier, but with the power of an exorbitantly expensive item, I was able to bypass it. And by infusinng Psyka into my Aura, I could finally understand what Maxwell was talking about. I understood that my Intent, along with other details about myself, were spread beyond my body through my aura. And since I could stream Psyka into it, and I could control my Psyka, that meant I should be able to control my aura, and by extension, my Intent. I rode that simple logic and tried to test my theories. In my room, I sat in a chair and dumped some Psyka into my aura. This increased my awareness of my aura by many times, similarly consuming energy. And with my Psyka inside my aura, I began practicing. I used the same formations that Maxwell had taught me, forming lines and symbols of Psyka. But instead of doing these things within my mind, I did them within my aura. And it was then that I saw a faint glow. A line of light appeared in front of my eyes. It was red, and it formed the same shape that I drew with my Psyka. My Psyka had manifested beyond my body. From there, I continued drawing. The formation was created in front of my eyes as dozens of red lines and symbols appeared in the air. But this method of drawing was different than I knew. I quickly encountered difficulties because of this difference. I wasn¡¯t simply drawing it, like paint with a brush. Instead, it felt like I needed to imagine my Psyka being drawn. From there, it would be drawn. I likened it to an out of body experience. I wasn¡¯t doing the drawing. I was telling my mind to draw. It seemed like the same thing, but it wasn¡¯t. There was a certain detachment between the two, a line that I was barely getting the hang of riding. It took a lot of concentration, and even more than that, a suspension of disbelief. I almost couldn¡¯t understand how I was doing this, and because I didn¡¯t understand, I got close to convincing myself that I shouldn¡¯t be able to, or that it wasn¡¯t possible. But I deliberately kept myself ignorant, simply doing it whether I thought I could or couldn¡¯t. It was only by doing that that I could continue, as if I started to question it, then I would lose the ability. It was similar to dreaming, where if you became aware that you were dreaming, then the dream would stop. What I had to do was something close to lucid dreaming, where I was aware that I was dreaming, but I suspended my connection to reality in order to let it play. And by doing all these things, I was able to accomplish not just controlling my Psyka beyond my body, but tapping into my Intent. Through this technique, controlling my Psyka would be no different from controlling my intent. But it was incredibly difficult, so much so that I couldn¡¯t complete even a fraction of the formaiton that I had made hundreds of times before. It would require another level of control, but at least I now had another level to rise to. Knowing that, I shut things down, returning to reality. I was now tired, but thankfully I would still be able to participate in the training. But when I looked at the time¡­ ¡°Shit! I¡¯m late!¡± It had started 10 minutes ago. I promptly rushed out of my room and threw on my air mask, using its boost in stamina to run to the training grounds. I arrived with labored breaths, seeing a group of people outside the building. I saw Tana, who looked at me with a snicker, and Mr. Puppet, who seemed angry. ¡°You! Why are you late! You better have a damn good reason, or you can just go home! I don¡¯t cater to lazy asses!¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°...¡± I was silent as he called me out. And when everyone turned to me with questioning looks, I took off my air mask and answered back with slight confidence. ¡°I was learning to control my Intent.¡± ¡°Bullshit. You didn¡¯t even know what that was yesterday.¡± ¡°...Fine.¡± I suddenly concentrated, tapping into my aura and doing what I had just done only a few minutes ago. Suddenly, red lines sparked and appeared in front of me, writing a few segments of a formation in the air. Unfortunately I wasn¡¯t entirely focused, not to mention I was tired, so the formations broke apart not long after. But that was enough. Mr. Puppet seemed more than surprised, as did several of the others around me. Tana especially had wide eyes. I felt a bit accomplished, so I couldn¡¯t help the smile. After a few moments, Mr. Puppet grumbled. ¡°You win. So get over here and listen up.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± I gave a weird salute before standing with the group. He sighed. ¡°Since I¡¯m not explaining everything again, I¡¯ll keep it short. Today we¡¯re doing a group scenario. Five groups of four will each be separated into their own environments. Your goal is to raid a Hive, killing the King in the process. The Hives will be identical, and you will be scored based on how fast and how many enemies you kill. Total extermination will result in a perfect score, but mind you, there will only be 3 hours to complete this raid, and killing the King will require the fullest effort of every group member. Now, stand by while I form the groups.¡± He grabbed a sheet of paper, reading off a list. Everyone¡¯s name was one I didn¡¯t know, and I watched as they all walked to the side and separated into their groups. I was a part of the third group. ¡°Tana, John, Heubert, and Umara.¡± I moved with Tana, standing off to the side. Two others moved with us. One man and one woman, who I guessed were Heubert and Umara respectively. I nodded to them as Mr. Puppet finished forming the groups. ¡°Alright! Walk through the portal and begin! Clock starts now!¡± He gave us no time to mentally prepare, and we were forced to rush into the portal without so much as an introduction. But everyone seemed used to this, so I rolled with it and entered with my group. I felt the weird sensation of being teleported before I appeared within a barren desert. In front of me, I could see nothing but red sand. But when I turned around, I could see huge stone structures. They rose up like towers, and many of them were connected to each other, forming walls and barriers. Their black luster told me that they weren¡¯t exactly natural formations, but knowing this world, they could be. And in the distance amongst the tops of all those towers, I could see holes that housed what seemed like huge locusts. Of course, they had the signature look of puppets, but everything else resembled the body structure of an insect. And while some had wings, others didn¡¯t. At the front, there was an entrance into what seemed like a maze of this locust hive. ¡°Let¡¯s introduce ourselves.¡± Someone spoke. I looked at saw that it was Umara. She looked like a Warlock, with some gray robes and a staff that held a cluster of crystals atop its pole. And although she asked to introduce ourselves, everyone ended up looking at me. So I went first with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m John, and I guess you could call me a ranged fighter. Pleasure to meet you all.¡± ¡°Mm. I¡¯m Umara. Warlock specializing in ranged spells.¡± ¡°Heubert. Knight specializing in defensive combat.¡± ¡°Tana. Knight specializing in offense.¡± I nodded to the others as they gave a brief introduction. Heubert was a large man, built like a football lineman. He carried a large steel shield and sword, and his bald head gave off a meathead type feel, contrary to his sharp, squinted eyes. And then there was Tana, the nimble swordswoman. Two ranged fighters, a tank, and a melee fighter. It was a rather well rounded lineup, especially since we might be fighting off some flying puppets. The others seemed pleased as well. ¡°We have a good group.¡± Heubert nodded pleasantly. Tana smirked a moment after, though. ¡°Yes, it would be a good group without John¡¯s fatal flaw.¡± She smiled at me. ¡°You can¡¯t keep quiet, can you?¡± ¡°No, not really.¡± ¡°Then that increases the difficulty by several times.¡± ¡°Wait, you were the loud one yesterday?¡± Umara suddenly questioned, earning a nod. ¡°Yea, that was me. My weapons are powerful but they have a hard time keeping it down.¡± ¡°So basically, every puppet is going to be flooding toward us so long as he¡¯s active. But I will admit, his weapons are amazingly powerful.¡± Tana pat my shoulder before looking toward the Hive. But then, Umara spoke with a thought. ¡°If it''s loud, I might be able to help. I know a sound isolation spell. It''s not absolute, but it could mitigate a good chunk of the sound.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a thing?¡± I asked in surprise, and she gave me a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s an auxiliary spell that I learned. I haven¡¯t really used it, but if it¡¯ll help, then I can. It¡¯s stationary though.¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t matter too much. You two would stick in the back line anyway, so when we get into fights, you can cast the spell and John can do his thing.¡± ¡°That works.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement. After that, Heubert put on his helmet and hoisted his shield. He looked like a real knight. ¡°Then let¡¯s get going. We have three hours, so let¡¯s move fast.¡± ¡°And kill fast.¡± Tana took the front with Heubert while Umara and I followed behind. We entered the gates of the Hive, getting a better view of the towers that seem constructed of thousands of stone disks stacked on top of each other. And since the wind was mostly blocked by the walls, the wind didn¡¯t blow any sand into our eyes. However, it still shifted under our feet, making mobility a bit more of a concern. What we found were many pathways, almost like hallways, as we continued through the Hive. It was a maze of these walls and towers, but in general, there seemed to be one set direction. We didn¡¯t see anything except the occasional flying locust that passed between towers. However, afer covering enough distance, we arrived in a large plaza. It seemed to be a junction between several more possible paths. And within this junction, there were dozens of locusts crawling about. Heubert lowered his stance as several noticed us. Tana also unsheathed her sword. ¡°Get ready.¡± ¡°Casting sound isolation.¡± Umara muttered under her breath, and before I knew it, a slight ripple in the air formed a dome around us. The sounds coming from the outside didn¡¯t change, making me think that it had done nothing. But I decided to trust it and summoned a weapon. It was my rifle, and I raised it while looking through the iron sights. My target was a flying locust that was turning our attention to us in the air. And with a quick adjustment, I pulled the trigger. *BANG* The sound was the same, but nobody besides Umara recoiled at the sound. And with that shot, the flying locust fell out of the sky. Its body was much bigger than normal, probably the size of an adult man. It made me cringe as green blood splattered on the floor. At least they were easy to kill. ¡°The isolation works! Go!¡± Tana shouted before dashing off, thrusting her sword and piercing the body of a locust on the ground. Her sword swung and bisected it, leaving a huge trail of blood. Heubert also prepared, staying in front of us while shield bashing a few bugs that crawled forward. And Umara prepared some spells, lights flashing in the air as arrows of ice appeared out of magic circles. A glimpse at the spells reminded me of circuits, as did most spell formations. Her icicles pierced a few different locusts after preparing for a few seconds. And I chambered another round, taking aim at another unlucky puppet. Chapter 23: Quad Shotgun The battle was intense as a few dozen puppets flooded toward us. Although I wasn¡¯t making a huge commotion, the sounds of battle still reached the immediate vicinity, attracting more reinforcements. I was forced to fight beside Umara since she was the one maintaining the sound mitigation field. I could maneuver or run like I was used to doing while fighting, which made me a bit anxious. But I quickly found solace in the skills of my allies. Particularly, it was Heubert who brought me great reassurance. He seemed to always have an eye on his backline, constantly protecting us if anything got too close. So I never had to worry about being jumped on by three or four puppets. As for Tana, she was wreaking havoc around Heubert, maintaining a close distance but dashing in all directions as she slaughtered locusts. And with the support of my team, I was able to put in some work. My killing speed was even faster than Tana¡¯s. I could kill a locust in a single shot, and it only took a minute or so to clear the skies of anything with wings. After that, I leveled my sights and killed anything around us. But this was where my aim was stressed. With Tana dashing everyone, there was risk of hitting her unlike Heubert who staid relatively still. In fact, over the course of the battle there were a few times where I almost hit her as our targets coincidentally aligned. It taught me to double check my shots, but hesitation could also result in a delayed shot, and if Tana dashed over in that short time frame, then things could turn for the worst. It was a mix between being aware of my allies¡¯ positions and predicting their next moves. I had to read Tana¡¯s movements and work around them, because that was my job as a ranged fighter, not the other way around. So my killing speed slowed, but by that time, the small army had been cleared. It was then that the sound isolation spell went down. Around us were nothing but bloody corpses resembling locusts. I tilted my head while stepping over one. ¡°Curious how these puppets have blood¡­¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s keep moving.¡± Heubert motioned us along, and we formed up before traveling deeper into the Hive. Between fights, my only job was staying quiet. Tana and Heubert would take care of any small groups we encountered and Umara would take out any airborne targets. So for the most part, I was simply being escorted to the next major battle. It was an interesting experience. And we had two more major battles, both of which I acted as our most powerful turret. Tana was second only to me, and not by much. She killed incredibly fast, only limited by her speed. And once I had taken out all airborne locusts, my killing speed would slow below hers. We were incredibly efficient. We had probably killed a few hundred in only an hour and traveled through nearly half the Hive. Our progress continued at a fast pace, though I wondered how the other groups were doing. There was no leaderboard to track progress. When we finally went through half of our time, we seemed to enter the core of the Hive. It was a tall dome with hundreds of pores across its walls. Each pore contained either a locust or what looked like eggs. And in the center of the dome was what looked like the Queen of the Hive. She was massive with a huge crown of bone and two large mandibles that chittered frequently. But her torso was attached to a large organic mass on the ground. It looked like a nest, so the quick assumption was that she couldn¡¯t move as she pleased. We saw all of this from outside the entrance to this dome, and it was clear that we couldn¡¯t simply walk in and do as we pleased. We would easily get swarmed, and no amount of tanking on Heubert¡¯s part could protect Umara and I from that. So we backed off and formed a plan. ¡°We need to funnel them, keep them from surrounding us and gradually taking them out.¡± I called upon my knowledge of gaming tactics from my old life as I gave that piece of advice. And they all nodded. ¡°Yea, that seemed to be the best course of action. But, where can we funnel them?¡± ¡°There¡¯s plenty of walls outside the dome.¡± ¡°True, but they won¡¯t simply walk over to us.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I smiled a bit and looked down at my rifle. The others smiled. ¡°Right, we have you for that. Alright, let¡¯s get into position. John, you no longer need to be quiet.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± I chuckled a bit as we retreated to a set of walls that would act as a natural funnel. Once in place, I stepped out, taking aim. Over my iron sights, I could see the queen deep within the huge dome. It was frequently swarmed by locusts, and its figure within my sights was small from being a distance away. With an exhale, I pulled the trigger. *BANG* My bullet sailed, and immediately after firing, I could see the queen recoil from the shot. After that, its gaze rested on my. I had hit its crown, which didn¡¯t seem to do much of anything. *SCREECH!* It let out a scream, causing me to turn tail and run back behind Heubert. ¡°I pissed it off!¡± ¡°We can see that! Just start killing them! Heubert, I¡¯ll block them with you! Umara, prepare crowd control!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± With her hands spread, Umara began preparing some more complex spells, her mouth uttering a foreign language as lights flashed around her. Tana and Heubert took position at the choke point, while I kept my eye on the sky. Air neutrality was what I secured first and foremost. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. And without suspense, the hundreds of locusts within the dome began to swarm out. I didn¡¯t hesitate to fire as many rounds as I could. With each bullet, I would either miss or ouright kill a locust. I would say my accuracy could be rated 7 out of 10 shots. Which for flying locusts was rather good. And there were plenty of flying locusts. But still not nearly as many as those crawlers. Tana and Heubert were quickly jumped on, but before they could be overwhelmed, Umara finished her spell. Her eyes opened while the light of the complex spell before her flashed with brilliance. ¡°Corrosion!¡± She snapped clapped her hands, and the spell dissipated. At that moment, an orb of some dark substance appeared amidst the attacking hordes. It rapidly grew into a ball of acidic green slime before suddenly compressing and exploding. It released waves of not only corrosive gas, but heinous smelling and awfully sticky slime. It covered two third of the locusts, even many in the air, dragging them down as their wings were corroded. And with most of the locusts slowed down, Tana and Heubert had a far easier time keeping them away from us. My accuracy also went up, poking dozens out of the sky with rapid shots. But sheer numbers wasn¡¯t all the Hive offered. Suddenly, we heard some distinct roars. Three large beetles emerged at that moment, armored and pissed off. I quickly released a test shot.¡± *BANG* *Ting!* The bullet richocheted off their armor. With a frown, I empowered another shot with a large chunk of Psyka before aiming just under its head. *BANG* *Roar!* This time, the bullet sunk into its body, causing the beast to recoil in pain. But it didn¡¯t seem to do that much other than slow it down. ¡°Just clear out the fodder! Then we can focus on the big ones!¡± Tana shouted, and my sights left the beetles. I shot with more haste, doing my best to kill as many of the locusts. As the beetles marched forward, Umara seemed to recover from the big spell and spoke to me. ¡°John, how¡¯s your energy?¡± ¡°I still got plenty. Why?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m going to be sparing to save energy for the big ones. Can you compensate?¡± ¡°I¡¯m shooting as fast as I can right now. If you feel that¡¯s enough, then go ahead and rest.¡± I spoke while pulling the trigger and slinging the lever action of the rifle. And Umara seemed to deem my effort sufficient as she took a back seat, keeping an eye out but not casting any spells. Since most of the locusts could be killed with one shot, I didn¡¯t have to spend that much energy even after killing as many as I did. Ammo took a shockingly small amount of Psyka to summon, and my communion with the spirits gradually took Psyka away over time. It was very efficient, and with my practice in the Trenches, my stamina in combat was rather exceptional. Of course, that was until tough enemies came around, in which case I got tired very fast. But if it was just fodder like this, I could go all day. I let loose shots with frightening speed, impressing even myself. You could only shoot so fast with a lever action, after all. And reloading took some time as well. Thankfully, the corrosion spell combined with my speed made quick work of the flying bugs. With that, Tana and Heubert only had to stave off the crawlers. Which they did well, until the big ones arrived. The beetles came with oppressive strength. To my shock, Heubert directly fought them, taking their massive blows head on. But him and his shield managed to block them without retreat. But that was only one. Tana harassed the other two, keeping their eyes on her. And I focused on killing any remaining crawlers until there were none left. It was perhaps 20 minutes into the battle that only the big beetles remained. It was then that Umara came back, shouting out to Tana. ¡°Weakness!¡± ¡°Their underbelly! And their backside! Other than their face, that¡¯s it!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Umara took the information, and their exchange taught me a bit about what seemed like standard protocol during battles. She then turned to me. ¡°Can you shoot any of their weakpoints?¡± ¡°Not really their underbelly. If I could get behind them, I could shoot them in the back. But we gotta get out of this funnel first.¡± ¡°Sure. Tana! Heubert! Push out of the choke! John will loop around behind them!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Heubert acknowledged with a roar. Then, he hoisted his shield and charged towward his beetle. The bug was blown out of the funnel, and he looped around. In panic, the big followed him, creating a big gap in space. Tana also pulled one away, but the other turned toward Umara and I. She shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll distract it! Now go!¡± She cast some fire spells with those words, burning the face of the beetle. At the same time, I sprinted off toward the gap in the funnel. I entered the large area between the walls and the dome, circling around while evading the beetles that were occupied with their prey. And my first target was the beetle on Umara. She couldn¡¯t last long, so I got around it and focused. I didn¡¯t have to go far, and since I was already close, my weapon of choice was easy. A double barrel shotgun was the normal choice, but after spending some more time cultivation and probing my third star, I had found a more powerful spirit. A quadruple barrel shotgun, with a thick body that made it seem more like a cannon. All four shots could be fired at once, not that I would ever try such a thing. With that weapon, I charged behind the beetle harassing Umara. And I quickly spotted its weakness, a fleshy backside that was relatively unprotected compared to its armored front. I took aim, and waited for the bug to steady before pressing one of the two triggers down fully. A signifiant portion of my Psyka left with the slugs. *BANG BANG* Two shots rang out in rapid succession, and the backside of the beetle was torn asunder. Blood sprayed everywhere, but I wasn¡¯t finished. I let off the other two shots after I steadied the weapon. *BANG BANG* Another two, and even more gore than before. This time, the beetle couldn¡¯t seem to handle it as it rapidly weakened while trying to spin around. I backed away as blood poured out of the puppet. But with its front turned toward me, Umara had a clear shot. ¡°Explode!¡± She cast a quick spell, and a shard of ice was created. It gouged into the beetle¡¯s body before exploding into fragments, destroying the bug from the inside. It collapsed only moments after. I nodded to Umara from across the corpse before running off. After that, I went on to help Tana while Umara worked with Heubert to ease some of the pressure. Tana had already done some damage herself that weakened the beetle, and with my help, it rapidly fell. The other was the same way. Heubert ended his adversary while sinking his blade into its neck. With that, all three armored soldiers were killed. But it wasn¡¯t easy. My empowered shotgun took a lot out of me. Tana and Heubert had to wrestle with those beetles alone, while Umara cast a huge area spell that slowed or killed much of the locust swarm. We were all spent, but there was still one enemy left. We truged toward the now empty dome. The queen had yet to leave her nest, though I wasn¡¯t sure if she could. Her body seemed attached to it. But before we could enter, Heubert stopped us. ¡°Hang on.¡± We all looked at him before looking at the queen. She was gazing at us with hostility, but she was quiet. She seemed to be waiting for us to come to her. ¡°...Its a trap.¡± ¡°Probably. What do we do then?¡± Tana asked, but then they all turned to me. I looked back at them weirdly. ¡°You want me to kill it?¡± ¡°Can you? Getting close could be dangerous.¡± ¡°I can also help.¡± Umara stepped up beside me. Seeing her, I just shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll try, but that armor might be a pain. Hey, see if you can¡¯t burn the nest she¡¯s attached to while I shoot.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Umara nodded and started casting, even though she seemed exhausted. And I exchanged the quad shotgun for a rifle, taking aim at the stationary target. Unlike the shotgun, I didn¡¯t have a fancy variant rifle. I made a mental note to go digging more for one later. Chapter 24: Contract I gazed at the massive inferno in front of me, my head throbbing and a bit dizzy. The queen had been a sitting duck, relying on its guards to protect her. And she was directly attached to her nest in some grotesque fashion, so she had no way to attack us who kept our distance. Umara had cast a simple fireball spell, igniting the entire nest and letting her burn. And I put a few bullets into her mouth, ending her quickly. But the fire didn¡¯t stop and continue to burn until the entire dome was lit on fire. I suppose it wasn¡¯t made of stone after all since it had turned into probably the largest bonfire I had ever seen. We all sat around watching the tower of flames. Our objective was complete. But we didn¡¯t immediately leave. There was still time before the scenario ended. So instead, I ruminated in silence. This scenario was valuable experience. For the first time I had cooperated with others in holding off hordes of beasts that were supposed to resemble the Scourge. I had found the limits of my crowd control abilities, had to stress my aim while shooting around my allies, and learned how to let others protect me. I felt like I did good, especially since it was my first time doing anything like this. After reflecting on everything, I also discussed things with the others. I asked about any of my deficiencies, but they didn¡¯t have anything negative to say. With the sound isolation spell, one of my few weaknesses was taken away. In fact, My weapons were decisive in killing not only as many locusts as we did, but taking care of those armored beetles. Without me, they would have stressed themselves far more than they did, and even then it was questionable whether they could make it out alive. Dominating the skies and providing powerful attacks had made me an asset no lesser than them. And I was still only an Authority 3. Considering that the others were Authority 4 or 5, I was doing very well. Finally, after some waiting and recovering, we all felt our bodies be pulled back to the outpost. After teleporting, I could see all the other groups. Like us, they seemed battered and tired. Some even had bloody injuries. On the contrary, none of us were wounded. Mr. Puppet came out of his room and looked us all over. ¡°Congratulations. Most of you achieved perfect scores, which is just about expected. Of course, some were faster than others. I present to you, the first place team.¡± He lifted his arm, motioning toward us. I was surprised, but my expression was hidden behind my air mask. Mr. Puppet didn¡¯t have anything else to say about our team, so without suspense, he waved us off. ¡°You¡¯re done for the day. Tomorrow is basic hunting. John, you stay.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± I walked over with a smile. The two of us entered the room after I said goodbye to my team. Once the two of us were alone, he slumped down into a chair as I took off my air mask. ¡°Be honest, how difficult was that compared to your work?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ I would say its pretty easy, actually. There was never a threat to my life. Not even an injury. It was really only a workout.¡± ¡°Hmph. Show off.¡± He snorted before looking back at the screens. On one of them was a video of my battle outside the dome. ¡°I placed Umara in your group knowing she had that sound spell. It got you guys through the maze with ease, almost too much ease. And with Heubert protecting his back line, you never had to worry much about close combat. In all, that team was almost perfect for you. You¡¯ll do good to remember that for your trip. Still, even then I had underestimated just how freakish your weapons are.¡± He looked toward another screen. It was a close up shot of me and my quad barrel shotgun when I was using it to decimate those beetles. ¡°Everyone else hit a wall with those beetles. But with the others distracting them, you were able debilitate those things unhindered. Your instincts are good in regards to keeping distance and managing the threats around you. But¡­ That damage¡­¡± He shook his head, as if unbelieving of the power my guns contained. It made me smile with a bit of pride. ¡°I finally understand why Maxwell is so serious about you. Your only weakness is your defense. Also, I saw you slow down your shots frequently when your targets were anywhere near your teammates. Understandable, but with your lethality, more will be expected of you. You¡¯ll need to work on your aim and awareness. But even then, developing your control over your Psyka and Aura will solve those problems.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Please, there¡¯s no way you didn¡¯t feel it.¡± He scoffed at me while pulling his eyes away from the screen. Then, I could feel his gaze seemingly pierce through me. ¡°You actually managed to infuse Psyka into your Aura. I¡¯ve heard of only prodigies that could do so at your Authority. For reference, half of the Elites here today are Authority 4. And only 3 of those at Authority 5 are able to do what you do. So you can understand the rarity of such an achievement. And you also know that your Aura is a powerful tool for understanding your surroundings and others. If you can read other people¡¯s intents, and have perfect control over your body, there will be nothing to worry about in regards to your aim.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± I pondered his words, simultaneously recalling my past experience with infusing Psyka into my Aura. So much as becoming aware of my Aura gave me a deep awareness of the world and people around me, far more than before. Instead of merely seeing with my eyes and listening with my ears, I could feel the lives around me and react without even looking. I could feel threats as they approached, could feel my body on a deeper level and exercise greater control over my muscles. My agility had increased by a significant amount, and my mental abilities jumped with it as my Psyka was evolved. The power of the mind, Psyka, was a powerful thing in the right hands. Why it wasn¡¯t given to Warlocks, I had no idea. It would be perfect for them who cast spells all the time. Regardless, these powers would be greatly beneficial to me. Shooting guns was a very sensory driven activity, relying on your sight and the precise control over your fine motor movements. It also required extensive knowledge on your weapon, yourself, your target, and everything around it. Processing all these variables on the fly couldn¡¯t be done by just anybody, and even with the skills and memories within my spirits, I was still developing my personal capabilities. Psyka, by extension, would expedite all of that and shatter the skill ceiling associated with the art of marksmanship, opening up greater levels of power. I could only grow from here, and I was beginning to see the definitive path forward. ¡°You just keep practicing. In fact, that should be your main focus for the next few weeks. You¡¯re not going to advance anytime soon, so honing your control over Psyka and your Aura is paramount. And when I see you here, I expect to see that practice. I don¡¯t want you focusing on competition at all. The only exception is during team scenarios, of which we will have two more before the end of the week.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Then get on out of here and recover.¡± He waved me out, and I left the training grounds. I walked to the Magisterium¡¯s restaurant first, ordering some food to go before heading to my room and chowing down. I didn¡¯t have anything to cook, and with my savings, was too lazy to bother. As I was eating though, I got a call. It was Rayla, so I picked up with enthusiasm. ¡°Hey sweet cheeks.¡± ¡°Hey. How goes work?¡± ¡°Funny you should ask. I¡¯m actually calling to pass a message to you.¡± Her tone became a level more serious. ¡°According to Plex, Patriarch Tavera has requested you for a job. He wants you at your earliest convenience within the next day or so.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± I kicked back in a chair, curious about this sudden job. ¡°Do you have any details?¡± ¡°Well, I know you¡¯re not the only one. I guess the Tavera Family is moving something big or numerous, but they¡¯re putting together an escort team for a load of cargo. And you¡¯re moving between cities, so its a big deal. Obviously, you¡¯ll also be paid handsomely, but it¡¯ll be a multi-day trip. Plex will also be going.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Are you going?¡± ¡°Unfortunately no. I¡¯m staying behind with Libitus and Tovex to run things during Plex¡¯s absence. I would be if you declined though.¡± I rubbed my chin with a moment of silence. ¡°Do you want to take it? I can just leave it to you.¡± ¡°Honey, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m taking away this chance from you. Developing rapport with the Tavera Family is crucial. To reject now will basically burn the bridge between you two. Don¡¯t ever expect another request if you turn this one down.¡± ¡°Well that doesn¡¯t really leave me with a choice now, does it?¡± ¡°Not really, but it¡¯s not like you¡¯re missing much at the Magisterium. You¡¯ll obviously be fighting during your trip. This isn¡¯t something that¡¯s gone unnoticed by the other powers, so you¡¯ll get your practice.¡± ¡°That¡¯s comforting. Well, I guess I accept the job. When do I report?¡± ¡°Tomorrow, go to the Tavera Mansion during operating hours. You¡¯ll meet with the Patriarch and he¡¯ll give you the details. Also, I recommend pulling some coin out for the trip. You¡¯ll be at a new city, so you never know when you¡¯ll need some. Just throw it in your bracelet.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Good. Now, catch me up.¡± With business out of the way, the both of us continued to talk into the night. Or, it was more so night for me and morning for her. I mentioned my new ability to sense Aura and infuse my Psyka into it, which she was more than shocked about. Unfortunately there wasn¡¯t much advice she could give me since she was a Warlock, not a Summoner. Plus, she hadn¡¯t been able to do the same until she was an Authority 6. But she did tell me that this ability singlehandedly managed to drive her Authority up an entire rank. Without it, she would have never jumped to Authority 8, regardless of her feelings about her personal talent. After that, we talked for an hour or so before I decided to head to bed. I was still tired from the scenario earlier in the day, and now I knew that I had an eventful trip ahead of me that I would need to prepare for. ¡­¡­ The next day, I arrived at the training grounds after classes. It was there that I spent about an hour hunting and working on my Psyka control. I also notified Mr. Puppet about my absence in the coming days. He wasn¡¯t happy, but he knew about my work from Maxwell, so there wasn¡¯t much of an argument to put up. I left after having done a proper workout with my Psyka, and when the sun set, I was off to the Founder¡¯s Market. I found myself smiling as I greeted Chef Black at my usual entrance. The man was excited at my arrival, not having seen me in a while. I chatted with him briefly before heading in. My steps then took me to the Tavera territory where the mansion was located. I immediately noticed the change. Unlike normally, I found plenty of Tavera¡¯s men who were scurrying around. It was much more active, and if it was this obvious to me, then it was even more so for the other powers. They were doing something big. I was curious as to what. I walked up to the mansion whose doors were wide open today. It was there that I met an attendant who was expecting my arrival. My meeting with the Patriarch was prompt. ¡°Ah, John. I appreciate you responding to my request, despite your busy schedule at the Magisterium.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem, Patriarch. Besides, I¡¯ve been getting itchy lately. It¡¯s been too relaxed in that cushy school. You¡¯re doing me a favor.¡± We shook hands with a few laughs before he invited me to sit. ¡°I¡¯m glad things are working out as such. And forgive me for being so succinct. As you can guess, we¡¯ve been busy preparing.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll lay out my request clearly.¡± The gruff man straightened himself out within his seat, looking down at a map on his desk. I analyzed it too, and it gave a large overview of what was considered the Kingdom of Dragon Tongue. The Kingdom¡¯s territory seemed to be located toward the southern region of a large continent. Below them were mountain ranges covered in ice and snow, while above them were several other cities. Above that was the warzone, the frontier of the war against the Scourge. He pointed to one city that was between the frontier and the capital city in the rear. ¡°Our destination is the major city of Joffrun. It¡¯s a major distribution landmark, responsible for facilitating a majority of the trade between the capital city and the frontier cities. We¡¯re delivering cargo there, and the trip to get there will take an estimated 6 days with only a few delays. However, this is also on an unofficial road that runs parallel with the major road.¡± He traced a faint line that ran beside a thicker trail. This hidden road was no doubt a smuggling route, and instead of taking the path most traveled, it ran through the untrodden forest beside it. There was even a small mountain range between them that it ran through. I could already tell this trip wouldn¡¯t be very fun or relaxed. ¡°There will be two waves, but the first wave is the only one that matters. It will have almost all the cargo and personnel. You will be on that first wave, and you will also be facing whatever attacks that await you. We¡¯ve already heard reports of the Clockwork Association sending out men. So a fight is guaranteed. However, this is exactly where you shine.¡± He smiled at me, and I finally figured out why I was specifically requested. My weapons were powerful, and there was only one enemy that could give me a hard time. They were the resilient Knights. As for Warlocks and Summoners¡­ Well, the entirety of the Trenches already knew that I couldn¡¯t be touched unless you sent a juggernaut at me. They learned that the hard way. So if I were up against the Warlocks of the Clockwork Association, then I should be having an easy time. Even more so if I were protected by the Knights of the Tavera Family. I was beginning to think that this trip might go smoother than originally thought. I was their specialist hired almost exclusively to hunt a bunch of wizards. The Patriarch smiled at me, as if reading my thoughts. ¡°I can guarantee your protection, so long as the convoy isn¡¯t decimated. And all I ask is that you prevent that from ever being able to happen. You¡¯ll be paid handsomely for this work of yours, the terms of which are listed in this contract.¡± He handed me a sheet of paper, which I took with a curious eye. I quickly read through the simple clauses. Legalities weren¡¯t much of a thing here, but for something this big, having a contract would eliminate confusion and misunderstandings. After a quick read, I found that I really was being paid well. I would be paid a baseline rate of 85 thousand coin, which was already a lot. But there was also something like a commission. Basically, I would be paid for my kills. The pay would depend on the enemy, specifically if they were powerful or valuable. But otherwise, the rate per kill was 5 thousand coin. If there was anyone at Authority 6 or above, then I could be paid upward of 15 thousand per kill. I barely held back my glee. My bullets were becoming valuable. And all this money was going straight to me. I wouldn¡¯t have to cut the profit with others. As for verifying my kills, that would be done by one of the Patriarch¡¯s men. At the end of the trip, We would compare our numbers, check the discrepancy, and pay accordingly. They were fair terms, so I readily signed. Patriarch Tavera smiled. ¡°Good. You will be leaving at dawn. Simply report to the North Gate. All basic necessities will be given to you, like food. I do recommend that you pack a small chest¡¯s worth of items, like spare clothes or any personal items. You will be leaving the range of the capital city which means that using the Bank and communication will be impossible. There will also be healers and proper sleeping arrangements, so your experience won¡¯t be completely miserable.¡± ¡°Haha, right. Thank you, Patriarch. Consider this expedition a success.¡± ¡°I expect nothing less from the American.¡± He laughed as we said goodbyes. After that, I went back to my room at the Magisterium. It was there that I started packing a few things. The space within my spatial bracelet wasn¡¯t huge, but it was enough for what I needed. I only planned to bring two sets of clothing, and one of them was the one I had on. My primary choice in clothing was all enchanted with various convenient things like self cleaning, durability, and mild temperature regulation. With all the money I had, I simply didn¡¯t settle for less, especially when this world lacked the technology of Earth. What I packed would get me through the trip just fine. But there were other things that I decided to stock up on. One of those things were my recovery pills. I hadn¡¯t had to use them since I stopped working, but now they would probably come in handy. I threw the rest of my stash into my bracelet. I always kept a few on me regardless, but now they were all there. With that, I was basically set. Besides food, there really wasn¡¯t much else that I used throughout the day, besides the luxuries of a shower and porcelain throne. Chapter 25: Assassin ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be cutting it kind of close.¡± ¡°Yea, seems like you won¡¯t be getting much rest for the next several weeks.¡± I yawned as Rayla spoke from beside me. Since I had to wake up bright and early, she decided to take me to the North Gate after her work in the market. Our topic of conversation was the fact that there wasn¡¯t that much time left until the Magisterium would send me away on our hunting trip. This trip with the Tavera Family would take at a week, and that was with only a few hiccups factored in. It could take longer depending on the attacks that were thrown our way. Thankfully, there was one new detail that gave me a bit of solace. Turns out, there was a dedicated railway between the capital city and the City of Joffrun. This railway was precisely as I assumed it. It was a magic train dedicated exclusively to moving people and light amounts of cargo. This was because it moved underground. There was a network of these railways between all the major cities, especially going to and from the frontier cities. They were built as a quick response network for the military, but eventually became somewhat commercialized as the technology got better. We wouldn¡¯t be using this railway to get to Joffrun, but we had the option of taking it back. Apparently it wasn¡¯t cheap, costing a few hundred coin for just one short and cheap trip. But what was a few hundred coin to me? I often forgot that I was actually kind of rich by the normal standard, and a single well placed bullet during this cargo haul would outright cover any expenses. So I absolutely planned on taking this train back. Still, even with this, I would have around a week and a half before I was once again sent off for another expedition. Since it was morning, I was tired. And the thought of going on two back to back trips had me feeling even more so. Rayla gently rubbed my back comfortingly. Not far from us was the North Gate. ¡°I¡¯m sure everything will be fine. You just need to focus on coming back from this trip. It¡¯s going to be dangerous. People will die, and don¡¯t think that you can¡¯t be one of them.¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m not a bit relaxed. After all, I managed to find myself a piece of insurance last night.¡± ¡°Really? A new weapon?¡± ¡°Mhmm. Why do you think I¡¯m so tired?¡± I smiled while rubbing the bags under my eyes. I was up late, but it was worth it considering what I found. She sighed. ¡°Alright. But your safety comes before all else. Money means nothing if you can¡¯t come home to use it. I expect you to buy me a drink with all that money when you get back.¡± ¡°Of course. We can even get dinner at the Caviar Restaurant. Just stop worrying so much. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I turned to Rayla a bit of a distance from the gate. I could see Tavera insignias from here, and they were beginning to gather. But Rayla was really worried. I could tell, despite the smile she wore. It almost seemed like she was sending me off to war. I wrapped her up in a hug, which she returned with a squeeze. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a week, okay? Just make sure you don¡¯t gain any weight from stress eating those cookies of yours.¡± ¡°Ugh! Right as the moment was good!¡± She scoffed and pinched my arm, but I couldn¡¯t feel much through my coat, making me laugh. Just then, she abruptly turned her head. I followed, seeing Plex walk over with a smile. ¡°Hey you two. How goes it?¡± ¡°Hello Plex.¡± Rayla greeted, and Plex turned toward me. ¡°Go ahead and check in John. We¡¯re leaving soon.¡± ¡°Oh, alright.¡± I nodded before giving Rayla one more quick hug and walking off. I checked in with the captain of this convoy, who verified my identity and thanked me for being there. That was when I turned my head, looking back toward Plex and Rayla. She seemed to be scolding him, or at least lecturing. Her face was dead serious as Plex just stood there and scratched his head weirdly. I turned away before they could see me staring, staring out at the large convoy that was parked in front of the gates. The North Gate was a literal gate connected to the walls that surrounded the capital city. They were grand and manned by plenty of guards, but also built with a bit of a fortress feel to them with tall watchtowers. It was no doubt built for war, but thankfully never used for it. I was surprised though about the Tavera convoy. They were being incredibly obvious about everything they were doing, and even beyond their enemies, the Kingdom was doing nothing to stop it. Would the Kingdom simply allow them to smuggle and operate totally unhindered, as if they were legitimate merchants? It was amazing to think about, but that¡¯s exactly what was happening. ¡°Hey, tell me something.¡± My thoughts were interrupted as Plex suddenly appeared beside me. It chilled my neck a little considering I had heightened awareness after realizing my Aura. I was beginning to realize how powerful Plex really was. He pat my shoulder. ¡°Just how chummy did you and Rayla get?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s like she¡¯s your wife and sending you off to war. What the hell did you do to her that¡¯s got her all worried over you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re just good friends.¡± I spoke casually, but I was suddenly anxious. No longer could I simply hide my thoughts with acting. I knew Plex could see a certain level of my thoughts and feelings, and considering how he almost immediately smirked in amusement, I was absolutely sure he picked up on something. I cursed my inability to reign in my Aura and closed my eyes. ¡°Just watch my back during the trip.¡± ¡°Hehe, dodging topics is like admitting guilt.¡± ¡°Stop trying to read my mind. In fact, I¡¯ll be picking your brain about Aura too.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve learned about it?¡± He asked with a smile, making me shrug. After that, the captain of the convoy called everyone over, preparing to leave. I was assigned a wagon, so I went to board it. But before doing so, I turned back to Rayla standing in the distance. She waved as she stood alone within the plaza before the gates, her red hair blowing just slightly with the morning breeze.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it I waved back, but the sight of there standing alone soured my mood as I thought about her history. I could imagine why she was worried, and I hated that I was making her feel that way. It went beyond just watching me go on a dangerous trip. It was risking losing someone that you cared about. I forcefully pulled my gaze away and entered the large wagon. Plex quickly noticed the change in my mood, but I didn¡¯t care. I took a seat, and before long, the convoy started moving. ¡­¡­ ¡­ It didn¡¯t take us long for the convoy¡¯s path to diverge from the standard route. It was only a couple miles beyond the city gates that they turned down an unobvious but still decently tread road. Most of the surroundings around the capital were grasslands and farmland. There weren¡¯t many forests, probably all having been cleared out for their wood. Most of my focus though was surveying the convoy I was protecting. At first, there had only been 6 wagons. Each wagon was only a bit smaller than a semi-truck from Earth. They were equipped with comfortable interiors, large rubber wheels, a metal structure, and some hatches that acted as windows. Some were filled with cargo, and some held people. These wagons had already impressed me enough. In fact, they were closer to actual trucks than otherwise. They were magical armored vehicles that took us across dirt roads with speeds exceeding 40 mph. But these 6 vehicles weren¡¯t the only ones. After driving for a while, the convoy stopped for a moment. There were two other vehicles that we met with, ones that had been stationed ahead in advance. And these monsters were something I didn¡¯t expect to see in this world. They were basically mobile fortresses. They called them the Hunkers, and these two vehicles were twice as wide and a bit longer than a normal semi-truck. They were plated with layered steel that glowed with magic enchantments, making them as tough as a tank. And while they lacked their own armament, there were protected turrets that Warlocks could launch spells from on their tops. These two Hunkers would act as the core of the convoy, transporting the most valuable cargo while acting as a fortress that we could defend from. Plex and I were moved to the Hunker that took up a position near the rear. I was also introduced to a turret, a place perfect for a ranged fighter such as myself. They were making my job incredibly easy. Though, such things were synonymous with more effective protection as well. After arranging the convoy proper, the true trip started. For the most part, it involved sitting around and waiting for something to happen. Fuel came in the form of White Crystals, of which there was plenty, so the convoy would only come to a stop once a day during noon where we would need to handle any business of ours. During that time, while everyone settled themselves, all the food for our meals would be cooked and we would be allowed to do things like bathe a bit. There were also scouts that were responsible for keeping watch during all hours of the day and night. People like myself and the few Warlocks on board were required to keep ourselves rested until we were attacked so that we could respond effectively. Being inside the Hunker, my anxiety was significantly decreased. It was wonderful how strong armor eased your worries. Even if we were suddenly hit with a barrage of spells, we would be perfectly fine and could respond with relative ease. Even those in the standard wagons were still protected by some metal. But I was still a bit stiff as I felt the vibration of the Hunker rolling across the moderately rough road. It didn¡¯t ease my mind to know that we were sitting ducks and were being targeted for every leg of this trip. And there was nothing we could do to preemptively eliminate any threats. Being on the other end of guerilla warfare was nerve wracking. ¡°They¡¯ll probably give it time.¡± Plex suddenly appeared and took a seat next to me, muttering those words with a bottle of alcohol in his hand. ¡°Two things happen as time goes on. People either become complacent, or a nervous wreck. So they¡¯ll wait until we¡¯re most vulnerable which will probably be in three or four days. Thus, it¡¯s the last two days that will be the most dangerous. So enjoy the peace and quiet until then.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t help.¡± I mumbled back, causing him to laugh while leaving. It was obvious that the end of the trip would be the worst. Their goal was to keep us from arriving at the City of Joffrun, and if they failed earlier on, they would get desperate and throw everything they had at us. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if an entire army showed up to bar our path. Well, this was when it paid to be a ranged fighter. I just needed to stick around in the back and do what I did best. Or at least, that¡¯s what I thought. The first day passed, and my anxiousness grew. ¡­¡­ ¡­ It was difficult to go to sleep. And that was disregarding the weird feeling I was having. The Hunker, while large with rubber wheels, wasn¡¯t exactly smooth. Suspension was a piece of tech this world had yet to perfect. But the droning of the vehicle served to at least make me drowsy. And the bunk beds within were soft, though cramped. You couldn¡¯t actually sit up in them. There was probably only 16 inches between my mattress and the bottom of the next bed. But for some reason, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep. I had my eyes closed for about an hour, buy my mind seemed to be overactive. I kept thinking about what could happen, how we could be hit with magic missiles at a moments notice. And I couldn¡¯t see well in the dark. One thing that the convoy did was kill all lights. It let everyone¡¯s vision adapt to the dark so that if we were attacked, everyone would be able to see. Any lanterns were snuffed for that reason. But at a distance, my vision still suffered when it was dark. How was I supposed to hit my shots? If anything, I would make myself a beacon with each bullet fired. I was starting to think that night time was the worst time for us to get attacked. After a while of trying to force myself to sleep to no avail, I tossed around and opened my eyes. Although it was dark, the moon was always bright, and the turrets weren¡¯t far from us. Their openings let in light like a natural lantern. It was easily midnight, and while I lay there, I saw someone in a bunk not far away shift around. He crawled out with a yawn and looked around. I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep. I don¡¯t know why I did, but I felt it would be weird if you saw someone just staring at you from their bed. And well, perhaps that was my best decision on the trip. Because a few seconds later, I heard the slightest noise that made my instincts kick in. A knife sliding out of a leather sheath. It was quiet, but I recognized the metallic sound. And peeking one eye open, I saw that man holding a bright silver blade. He walked over toward me, and I felt my heart beat out of my chest. But he didn¡¯t seem focused on me, so I kept pretending as he stopped right in front of my bunk. Then, my eyes flew open. A sawed off double barrel shotgun appeared in my hand, and I pointed it from under my sheets. I obviously shifted a bit, making noise. But that was also when I heard another sound. ¡°Ack!¡± It wasn¡¯t loud, but in this quiet room, it may as well have been a scream. I heard liquid, and the metal of the blade, along with the sudden struggle of the unlucky victim. That¡¯s when I took aim, right at the only portion of the assassin¡¯s torso I could see. His crotch. *BOOM* The sound was deafening, especially in an enclosed space. But hey, it was an assassin. What else should I do, let him kill someone? And as expected, the entire Hunker roared to life. Everyone around me jolted awake as the assassin¡¯s body flew backward. His lower body was now a mess of gore, and he started vomiting profusely after he landed. I didn¡¯t take another shot, instead shooting to my feet and taking a look at the man in the bunk above me. I quickly got a look. The right side of his neck was bleeding, and his hand was pressing against it as hard as he could even though blood continued to flow. At the same time, a man ran in. He was the captain of this convoy. ¡°What happened?!¡± ¡°Get a healer!¡± I shouted back right at him, my ears still ringing form the shotgun blast. He seemed confused, so I yelled again. ¡°Get a healer, unless you want this man to die!¡± ¡°...Healer!¡± Thankfully, he took my word for it. He ran out, and only a second or so later, I saw him dragging another man back by the collar. It was a healer, and he was placed in front of me. ¡°Heal him! Knife wound to the neck!¡± ¡°R-Right!¡± He stammered. Everyone was asleep, so the wake up call was jarring. But these were experienced men. Without hesitation, the healer cast a spell, lines conjuring above the wounded man and targeting his neck. At that moment, I turned around, facing the captain. Then, I pointed to the man who was still groaning on the floor in agony. ¡°Him! He¡¯s the assassin!¡± ¡°...Son of a bitch.¡± The captain cursed, walking over with a scowl and looking down on the assassin with rage. ¡°I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d get into our ranks. John, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done well. This will not go unrewarded.¡± ¡°Well, its my life on the line too.¡± I gave a perfunctory response. It would have been bad if this assassin was able to operate unhindered. For all I know, it would have been my life next. ¡°Doc, how is he?¡± The captain asked the healer, who nodded. He had collected his bearings and could operate on the victim with more care now. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. It was lethal, but we responded in time. Plus, he seemed to have been able to dodge a blow that would have otherwise killed him. He¡¯ll be asleep for the next day though, and I need about half an hour to operate. When he wakes, he¡¯ll be good as new.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± The captain nodded. After that, he went around calming everyone. With the blast, everyone had woken up expecting to do battle. The convoy had even stopped. But we all needed sleep, and the threat had been dealt with. While we still needed to be on alert, we also didn¡¯t need to make everyone paranoid. The captain grabbed another healer who went to work preserving the assassin¡¯s life, at least for a little while. He was also dragged away, probably to be questioned and tortured. Well, that was beyond my pay grade. All I know was that, despite the hectic event, I managed to pass right out upon getting into bed. And I slept like a log that night. Chapter 26: Attack Second day of the trip. There were many people who were on edge, and it was understandable. There had been an assassin in our ranks, so people became wary. But when the convoy was stopped a couple hours before noon in order to give everyone some down time, a meeting was called. Turns out, the assassin wasn¡¯t someone of the Tavera Family. Apparently, all those of the Family were given a tattoo, and the assassin didn¡¯t have one upon inspection of his corpse. Apparently, he had killed one of the people of the convoy and managed to board without raising suspicions. This was in part due to a mask he wore, one that was constructed to look just like the victim he replaced. Regardless, the assassin wasn¡¯t a traitor, which eased most of the worries. However, as a precaution, the entire convoy went through a small inspection. There was a list of everyone on the convoy, along with the hired muscle like myself and Plex. And one by one, each member of the Family was called upon to inspect their tattoo. Every tattoo was placed on the center of the chest. The symbol was of two sabers crossed between each other, the blades pointing to either shoulder. Each blade also had two different inscriptions written on them, while the hilts bore red ruby charms. This tattoo was only given to members of the family who had sworn themselves after reaching a certain age and going through a trial by fire. And there was nobody besides Plex and I who wouldn¡¯t have the tattoo. After all, this was a very sensitive mission. Nobody who wasn¡¯t absolutely loyal or trustworthy to the family would be brought on this trip. So with the Captain, Plex and I watched as everyone on the convoy was inspected. Everyone passed with ease. Nobody who went up was nervous, because none of them were assassins or spies. However, when everyone had stepped up and gotten inspected, the inspector ran through his list and frowned. He walked up to the captain and reported. ¡°Sir, there¡¯s one person who didn¡¯t show.¡± ¡°Is it the victim who the assassin impersonated?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°...¡± The Captain went quiet and looked back toward the convoy. Then, he looked toward Plex. ¡°Can you find him?¡± ¡°Sure thing, friend. Unless he already bailed.¡± Plex smiled and suddenly disappeared. After that, the Captain and I waited. We saw the occasional door open on the vehicles, but otherwise, there were no sounds. After a mere minute, Plex reappeared in front of us, shrugging. ¡°There¡¯s nobody inside the convoy. So they either left last night or have stealth skills that surpass mine.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s pray its not the latter.¡± The Captain grumbled before turning back to the inspector and muttering some things. ¡°Mark him as dead, and if anybody finds him, he¡¯s to be arrested on sight.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s get rolling.¡± With that, the convoy resumed its journey. As we drove, I hung around inside one of the turrets. It was an enclosed extrusion on the top of the Hunker with a single narrow window that circled all the way around it, like a pillbox. This way, you could attack without worrying about getting hit. For the most part anyway. I was in there for several hours, half sleeping and half enjoying the sights of the landscapes that we passed by. Being able to see miles of untouched land was a rarity on Earth, especially in America. It was always either farmland, towns, or cities. So a genuine wilderness was new, not that I hadn¡¯t at least been to some national parks. I even saw some new animals that wandered around the road. When the sun began to set though, Plex suddenly came to me with the day¡¯s dinner. It was a large bowl of meatloaf and some weird veggies. ¡°Eat up. The food is probably going to get worse as we go, so enjoy it while you can.¡± ¡°Right. Oh, since you¡¯re here, let me ask you something.¡± I spoke while dropping down from the turret, keeping Plex from leaving. I sat on a stair while taking a bite, as did he. ¡°Yesterday, I was a bit on edge. And then an assassin popped out of nowhere. Now that he¡¯s dead, I¡¯m perfectly fine. Can you tell me what that¡¯s all about?¡± ¡°Yea. That¡¯s your attunement into Aura.¡± He confirmed my guess as if it was obvious. ¡°Being aware of Auras naturally reveals certain things about people, even if you don¡¯t realize. This is what normal people call a gut feeling or their sixth sense. The people who have a really good gut feeling have a higher attunement into Aura than normal. But when you actually realize your Aura, that gut feeling gets far stronger and more accurate.¡± ¡°Okay. So were you feeling nervous?¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Hah! That¡¯s funny.¡± Plex snickered at me and took a swig of alcohol. And on second thought, it really was a stupid question. I¡¯ve never actually seen Plex nervous about anything. The only one he treated with seriousness was Apocryon, and that was for good reason. That psycho could hurt me just by looking at me. Thinking that far, something suddenly clicked. ¡°Hey, during our delivery for Apocryon, when I had those visions and was hurt¡­¡± ¡°Yea, that was him fucking with your Aura. That man is feared for several reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is his attunement into Aura. Aura is a mysterious thing. It''s far rarer to tap into it than to be blessed with a Crest, and those who can get good with it are prodigies among those few. How he can do what he did, I have no idea. Its a field that nobody knows anything but the basics about.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Plex¡¯s words made me curious. On one hand, there was Apocryon who could induce hallucinations and nightmares by interacting with other people¡¯s Auras. And on the other hand, there was Plex who could reign in and conceal his Aura. Along with invisibility, it made him virtually undetectable. You wouldn¡¯t know he existed until he was right in front of you. Two totally different ways of wielding Aura, and both of them had great application. I surely had a lot to learn. And with that in mind, I turned back to Plex. ¡°Hey, can you teach me to conceal my Aura like you do? While I was at the Magisterium, there was somebody who was able to predict my shots because of it. They said my Intent wasn¡¯t concealed.¡± ¡°Heh, your Intent and Aura are two different things. Sure, your Intent spills out through your Aura, but concealing your intent is much easier than concealing your Aura.¡± ¡°And how¡¯s it done?¡± ¡°...Fine, I guess I can dispense some wisdom to my protege.¡± Plex took another sip and sat up a bit. ¡°You can conceal your intent by controlling your thoughts. By doing something similar to emptying your mind, you can prevent others from predicting your next action. Basically, if you aren¡¯t thinking about your next moves, then they have nothing to sense. That¡¯s why Knights train their instincts, because if they move based on instinct instead of conscious thought, then they can¡¯t be predicted.¡± ¡°Okay, and what about Aura?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a whole different deal. Controlling your Aura isn¡¯t simply taught, otherwise everyone would be controlling it like intent. Your Aura is your conscious thought and more. It can reveal your emotions, your character, the state of your body, even your memories. That¡¯s why they say Aura is the bridge to the Soul.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± His explanations made me realize that Aura was far more complex than I thought. I had thought it was synonymous with Intent. But it also confused me. I thought back to the past days at the Magisterium. I had been writing formations in the air by infusing my Psyka into my Aura. This made my power appear externally, and the way to control my Aura better was to simply practice controlling my Aura with Psyka. And thinking about it, I realized it was incredibly simple. Psyka was the power of the mind, and Aura, while holding details about all aspects of your self, was mainly a reflection of the mind. The power of the mind controlling a reflection of itself. Psyka was the perfect tool to control Aura. Was this why I was able to get as far as I did despite being new to this whole thing? Then again, I didn¡¯t think other summoners were doing as I was. Perhaps it was just my luck, having something as expensive as my coat to help me break through that barrier with force. Suddenly, I narrowed my eyes at Plex. ¡°How did you learn to control Aura?¡± ¡°Me? Well, I had shown talent for it in the military, and they imparted some techniques to practice it. After that I was trained by someone and I learned Aura concealment.¡± ¡°So it can be taught! You just don¡¯t want to actually teach me.¡± ¡°Hey, they were very complex techniques. Besides, you couldn¡¯t even use the practice technique. It was tailored to using Vigor, not Psyka. If you want something for you, go ahead and ask Maxwell.¡± ¡°I already have a practice technique. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking about learning to conceal it.¡± Plex¡¯s eyes turned a bit wide in surprise. Seeing a hint of skepticism though, I decided to prove it. Concentrating, I managed to write a few segments of my practice formation, the lines appearing in the air with a glow. I had gotten better after practicing, but there was still a long ways to go. It was enough to prove my ability to Plex though. After gawking a bit, he scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re a little monster, huh?¡± ¡°I think this much talent is necessary in order to survive the Trenches.¡± ¡°A little narcissistic too.¡± I smirked at his jab, earning a sigh. ¡°Whatever. Look, I¡¯m not gonna spend the next 5 years training you to conceal your Aura, but since we¡¯re inside this damned hunk of metal and I¡¯m bored shitless, I don¡¯t mind throwing you a bone.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Just listen, and we¡¯ll find out how good your talent really is.¡± Plex leaned back into his seat, rummaging through his memories and lecturing in a way that seemed as if he was reciting lines from a book rather than from his personal experience. I didn¡¯t mind much though, because anything that could give me hints was good enough. I was certain that being able to conceal my Aura would become an invaluable tool as a ranged fighter, even beyond other applications of Aura like what Apocryon showed me personally. Of course, Plex¡¯s lecture wasn¡¯t just a bunch of words that he spewed from that alcoholic mouth. He so generously showed off some spell formations, simultaneously warning me that they pretty much only worked for Knights as they were formed from Vigor, not Psyka. Not that I could immediately use them anyway. The formations were incredibly complex, yet I still managed to guess that they were similar to the practice formation that Maxwell gave me. I primarily listened to all the theory about concealing your Aura, how it involved not just a brutish method of containing it within your body, but obscuring it. Plex had long since mastered the method to obscure his Aura, and now, he was skilled in the art of truly erasing his Aura entirely, making is existence undetectable. Of course, he wasn¡¯t the best. Apparently, compared to some people that he knew of, his skills were barely adequate. At the same time though, these people he compared himself to were also the best in their field, and one of them was a rather legendary assassin. They were people who couldn¡¯t be found unless they wanted to be. Plex described the presence of that legendary assassin as fading. You could be looking right at them and your mind still wouldn¡¯t be able to process that there was a person in front of you. He even spoke of another whose presence wasn¡¯t fading, but so obscured that even a small glimpse at them would induce hallucinations and cause a small bout of hysteria and paranoia. Obscurity so great that it scrambled the minds of others, unable to be comprehended. In a tangent, he continued to explain that the ways to manipulate Aura, despite their rarity, were incredibly vast. There was one point he eventually led me to though, and that was how you can only utilize one primary path of controlling your Aura. For example, Plex could conceal his Aura, but because he had practiced and mastered that method so much, he would never be able to learn how to induce mind damaging hallucinations like Apocryon did. You could basically only choose one ability, and so he urged me to deliberate carefully whether I wanted to learn concealment or not. Because at a certain point, it became a path of no return. Of course, I didn¡¯t think I would regret learning concealment regardless of that fact. It was too useful, even if only people like Plex, who could make themselves invisible, could capitalize on the ability to its fullest. From there on, he continued to lecture. The talk only lasted a couple of hours since Plex didn¡¯t feel like continuing into the night. Eventually, the convoy settled for the night. The vehicles continued to roll, but all the bunks were filled as people retired. We couldn¡¯t settle for long though. Only an hour after everyone had gone to sleep, I suddenly woke to an explosion. An alarm went off, and everyone threw themselves out of bed. ¡°Enemy attack!¡± Chapter 27: When, Not If It was the first real attack on the trip. It seemed like we would have to be on high alert from now on. I scrambled around a bit, as my entire bunk room was flooded with bodies. Because of that, despite the urgency, I waited for about half a minute as everyone got out of the way. When I was finally allowed to step out of my bunk, I headed straight for my turret. I always wore my coat since it was my greatest form of protection, especially on this dangerous trip, so I didn¡¯t need to equip it. Instead, I merely threw on my gloves and air mask before climbing into the little pillbox. From that vantage point, I was able to look around. The convoy stopped rolling after being intercepted. It seemed the enemies had prepared an ambush and managed to bring us to a halt. Not unlike us, they had vehicles of their own. They were small cars that had slammed into the vehicles in front of us, forcing us to stop. And from the safety behind these cars, warlocks launched spells while others ran over and tried to raid. Suddenly, I saw a bright fireball headed for me. I suddenly ducked, and my head was graced with a bit of warm as a few tongues of flame flickered through the window before fading. As I rose back up, I contacted the dimension of my Authority. I found what I wanted, a rifle that looked somewhat similar to all the others with its wooden body, but holding a few key differences that made it a unique spirit. When I grabbed it, its memories flooded into me. This time, it was much smoother and more brief than the first time I had communed with it. Memories of a marksman from the American Frontier. He wasn¡¯t known for his quick draw or skill with a pistol. Instead, he was known for his long range shots. And he was made capable by the rifle in his hands, one of the first of its kind, potentially the progenitor to an entire line of an extremely popular modern weapon configuration. The sniper rifle. Of course, it could barely be considered such. The rifle was specifically known as the Remington-Lee. It was the first rifle to utilize a box magazine and was a bolt-action rifle. The man in the memories had fought in the Spanish-American War and later attained this rifle prvately after retiring from service. The rifle was then modified to mount a telescopic sight, technically making it a sniper rifle. And it was used as such. It was precisely tuned until he could reliably hit human-shaped targets at upwards of 250 meters away. He even opted for the heavy .45-70 Gov, allowing the rifle to pack enough punch to hunt even large game like bison. In the end, this rifle was heavily modified from its original factory configuration. It wasn¡¯t a well known rifle and came from a time before the firearm reovlutions of the Great War, but compared to the other rifles I could attain, this one was no doubt the best, especially at a range. I mounted this rifle on the window of the turret box, taking aim at the targets near the front of the convoy. They weren¡¯t more than 70 meters away, so I didn¡¯t have to adjust my aim as many would need to do with the slow .45-70. I placed the crosshair of my sight over the body of a Warlock casting magic from the roof of a vehicle. At the same time, I faintly recognized the markings of the Clockwork Association. *BANG* I pulled the trigger, and despite aiming at the warlock¡¯s head, it was his chest that let out a violent puff of red. He colapsed at the same time, slumping off the vehicle. After that, racked another round, finding another target. My primary targets were the warlocks casting magic. Normally they couldn¡¯t be easily touched since they often cast magic barriers to combat incoming spells and Knights had to close distance to harm them. And since bowmen were outclassed by warlocks, they basically didn¡¯t exist. But I defied all conventional notions of combat, being able to fire small projectiles at extreme speeds. These bullets were masterful at piercing magic barriers because of their size and instantaneous power, and so long as that happened, the warlock behind it would surely die with their soft, fleshy bodies. However occasionally, there were some warlocks that wore garments with sufficient protective measures to stop a bullet. While shooting, I managed to find three of such warlocks. Unfortunately, these warlocks still died. It wasn¡¯t because their gear was lacking, but because it simply didn¡¯t cover their head. They never wore armor like Knights so their heads were normally exposed. This allowed me to simply place a bullet between their brows, even if I had already shot them. I found the opportunities to do so after they walked out from their cover. When my first shot failed, they would get startled before retreating behind their vehicles. But after realizing that I left behind nothing but a bad bruise, they got brave and came back out, only to meet their end seconds later. Like that, I basically took out every warlock in the ambush. And this was despite the Hunker I was in getting attacked. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. I wasn¡¯t worried about my back, because the Tavera Family was a family of Knights. They were the best at close combat, so our vehicles would only get boarded in the worst case. Because of that, I would likely be the last one to get hurt or die in any battle we faced during this trip. I just needed to do my part in taking out the enemy¡¯s warlocks before they could do any real damage with powerful spells, something the Patriarch basically hired me to do in the first place. And I did my job perfectly. While breaking down magic barriers forced me to empower my bullets a bit, it was nothing I couldn¡¯t do with ease. So with that, the battle flipped. The Tavera Knights went on the offensive and killed everyone else after all the warlocks had died since they no longer had to worry about incoming spells. And since I didn¡¯t want to accidentally shoot somebody, I stopped not long after. I watched as the battle concluded. The corpses and vehicles were looted for anything valuable like White Crystals before being discarded. It was a bit eye opening to see the knights pick up and throw the vehicles with only a bit of strain, the hunks of metal crashing off the side of the road and out of the convoy¡¯s way. And before long, we were back to rolling. Before I could sink back into bed though, the Captain came and found me. ¡°Thank you for your good work, John. We suffered only a few major injuries and no deaths. That wouldn¡¯t have been possible without you killing those warlocks. I must say, it''s a bit surreal having such a major advantage like you with us to establish dominance. I understand why the Patriarch personally hired you.¡± ¡°Thanks, Captain. Expect more of it in the future. Unless it''s a really powerful warlock, I should be able to kill them with only a few shots.¡± We shook hands with a smile. To outright eliminate the threat of spells really was a game changer. Without me here, these knights would have to carve their way through the enemy knights in order to kill the other warlocks, and during that time, dozens of spells would rain down on top of them, potentially killing many before they could finally turn a battle into their favor. Even with your own warlocks, you had to wait and defend while the warlocks of both sides tried to kill each other. It could take a long time for that to happen and would similarly result in many more casualties. But I could directly eliminate them. Killing warlocks could be said to be my forte. So instead of the warlocks determining the tide of battle, that right had been given to me alone. The battle would be determined by how fast I could kill the opposing warlocks. The Captain seemed to have discovered that this battle, which led to his next words. ¡°Yes, you keep doing what you did tonight. I plan to have a meeting tomorrow to discuss this as well. With you here, all we have to do is wait until you can eliminate those warlocks. I want the others to understand this detail so we can adjust our tactics and reduce our injuries and deaths. Of course, I also want your input. If there is anything we should know, then do tell us.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help the slight anxiousness at the sudden proposal. The Captain was basically saying that he would adjust their battle tactics to revolve around my ability to take out enemy warlocks. This meant that future battles would hinge on me alone. It was a sudden onset of responsibility that made me worry about whether or not I could perform. I was confident in my ability to kill warlocks, but now there were people who would be relying on me. If I failed, things could go wrong. Although I couldn¡¯t really think of any reasons besides a sheer power difference that would cause me to fail, I still initially shied away at the responsibility. But I was a variable that nobody had accounted for on this trip. This meant that the Captain fully believed that he and his knights would need to kill all warlocks on their own. So even if I failed, the result could only be better than if I weren¡¯t here at all. I only brought benefits, regardless of how much. This thought brought back my confidence, but I still didn¡¯t intend tot ake full responsibility for the outcomes of these battles. This dictated my next response. ¡°I understand, Captain. I don¡¯t mind you changing tactics, but your knights still need to be ready to do things themselves. I alone can¡¯t win an entire battle, and I don¡¯t want people becoming complacent thinking they can just rely on someone else to keep them alive.¡± ¡°That is natural, of course. I never intended to put everything on your shoulders. But my men will at least know that they can act more defensively instead of recklessly attempting to kill well guarded warlocks.¡± ¡°Sure. That¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ll do my best regardless, and those warlocks will be my first targets. So long as I¡¯m not hindered, I don¡¯t see any reason why I can¡¯t get rid of them all.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Our conversation concluded with that. Afterward, the convoy went back to sleep, and I went to bed with thoughts of accomplishment. ¡­¡­ ¡­ Although we had cleanly avoided any deaths and dispatched the first wave of enemies with relative ease, the convoy was still on edge. Another attack could come at any time. I also overheard some conversations about displeasure among the fighters, their targets being the scouts. We were supposed to have people devoted to alerting the entire convoy in the event of an attack, giving us some time to prepare before being bombarded. Although it didn¡¯t seem like much, even just a few seconds could be valuable time to begin preparing. Apparently, that was the secondary job of the few warlocks who were onboard. They knew spells that could detect anomalies in a wide area. And a few vehicles worth of people were definitely anomalous, so it was a wonder why we weren¡¯t alerted well in advance. Hearing about this didn¡¯t anger me much, but I also wasn¡¯t nearly as urgent as the others. They had to get out and fight, and without time to prepare their gear, they could be caught with their pants down. Sometimes literally. I didn¡¯t even have to go outside, just hiding away in a fortified pillbox with my rifle. But I still felt some empathetic indignation on behalf of the other fighters. In the last battle, injuries could have been avoided if the scouts did their job. Unfortunately, it seemed like I had initially been missing a few details. When evening of the next day dawned, I asked Plex about the situation while eating dinner. Apparently, the assassin and his missing partner had both killed and assummed the identities of two warlocks on the convoy, cutting down on the already small number of warlock personnel. After all, why wouldn¡¯t you attack the one glaring weakness of a convoy full of knights? Without warlocks, they would have a much harder time fighting back. And this made me even more valuable than before. It was no wonder why the Captain wanted to revolve his defensive tactics around me. I was better at killing warlocks than other warlocks and made up for their weakness perfectly. Well, unless our enemies didn''t find out who I was and specifically counter my actions, I could continue to work unhindered. Perhaps that was a bit much to ask though, because I had already established a high level of renown in the black market. I was too iconic, so perhaps it was only bound to happen. A matter of when, not if. Chapter 28: Target Another day passed uneventfully, and the tension only grew despite not having been attacked again. We would arrive in only three more days. For the most part, I had been focusing on learning what I could from Plex. And the surprising part was how I actually made some progress. Through practicing the formation that Maxwell gave me, I was able to hone control over my Aura. And through Plex¡¯s teachings I was actually able to restrain it, just slightly. If wasn¡¯t enough to make a big difference. Plex said that Aura was like a shining light. Being able to restrain it only made the light dimmer, and I couldn¡¯t dim it much. To him, my Aura was still as obvious as daylight. But the fact that I could even attempt to conceal it was shocking enough. It was so much so that he basically stopped teaching me after calling me a freak. Plex was one of the few people who knew that I hadn¡¯t even activated my first Authority when I arrived at the Capital. So to go from that to actually exercising control over Aura in only a bit over half a year was baffling to say the least. I understood this as well, but it wasn¡¯t like I could apologize. Not even I knew why this was coming easily to me. Was I supposed to explain my talent somehow? Then again, I wondered in the back of my mind if my talent had something to do with the fact that I came from another world. My Authorities and summons were obviously tied to my origins, so perhaps I really was given something special upon arrival. Well, to suddenly be thrown into a world of magic when I came from a world of nothing but science was a jarring change, so it was only right that I was given something to ensure my life here. Consider it compensation for being murdered by a robot truck. I found myself smiling. During the fourth day of travel, the scouts were at full alert at all times. We were expecting attacks at every hour of the day, and I was beginning to understand what Plex had told me at the beginning of our trip. People either became anxious or complacent as time went on, and the convoy had chosen the former. Nobody went without their gear on, and the atmosphere was constantly somber. It was like they were expecting to die or something, which made those with relatively good moods sour. I was included. I wasn¡¯t anxious, but it was difficult to be around a bunch of people with such bad moods. At some point, I was basically praying for the battle to hurry up and get here so that these knights would get out of their head and just swing a sword around. And maybe that¡¯s exactly why they waited so long. It was a mind game. The fourth day passed slowly, but it passed, and nothing happened even during the night. Plex told me to get some sleep and even to sleep in as long as I could. He said that they would strike when we were most vulnerable, and that was when everyone was tired. Sure enough, the fifth day rolled around, and nothing happened so long as the sun was up. As soon as the moon came out though and night fell, it happened. ¡°Enemy spotted!¡± There was a yell, and from under my covers, my eyes shot open. The entire convoy woke up. We hadn''t even gotten an hour of sleep, but we were forced out of bed. And not long after, I heard the exxplosions. Except, unlike the first time, this explosion rocked the entire Hunker. I was thrown out of my bed as the vehicle quaked, threatening to roll onto its side. But it righted itself under gravity, and everyone continued to rush out. ¡°Have fun, John!¡± Plex yelled while disappearing, causing me to scoff before rushing to my turret. Peeking through the window, I spotted an enemy convoy toward both our front and back. We were brought to a standstill, and the frontmost and rearmost vehicles were being raided. Spells also came en masse, flipping the smaller trucks and exploding amidst our knights. They were responding with trained reactions, but several already had wounds. I didn¡¯t delay, communing with my scoped rifle and taking aim. My priority, as discussed with the Captain, was to take out the warlocks. That was my only job, and how many people died hinged on my performance. It was a lot of pressure, especially now that it was time to make true on my promises. But I pushed myself to step up. Judging by the strength of their spells and what seemed like thick magical barriers in front of them, I could guess that the warlocks were more powerful this time around. So I empowered my rifle with a large amount of Psyka before finding my target and pulling the trigger. *BANG* An explosion rang out through the battlefield as I felt the gun recoil into my arm. On the other end, I could see the warlock drop with blood spraying from his neck. It seemed I missed both his head and his chest, but managed to hit the side of his neck, taking out an artery. Well, he was also about 110meters away, this intuitive sense of distance coming from the memories within the rifle. With that shot, I shook off some of my nerves. ¡°You¡¯re good, John. You¡¯re good at your job. Just keep shooting. Slow and steady¡­¡± I took a deep breath, settling my heart before taking aim again. However, before I could shoot another target, I suddenly saw a spell fly toward me. I ducked, and there was a large explosion of fire. ¡°Ow! Warm!¡± I winced as a tongue of fire licked my face, singeing some of my facial hair and burning me a bit. After taking a moment, I put on my air mask before lifting back up. However, I could see more spells coming at me. I ducked as another fireball threatened to burn my air mask. ¡°Shit. They know its me. I can¡¯t shoot like this¡­¡± I realized that they had prepared specifically for me. Without me, they would have an easier time taking out the knights. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it I couldn¡¯t allow it, so I moved to another turret. But after firing a single shot, I was once again suppressed. ¡°Fuck! Fine! I¡¯ll go meet you myself! Since when have I been scared of close combat?!¡± Pulling out of the turret, I kicked open the door of the Hunker and headed outside. All around me, I could seen knights battling each other. The strength they wielded gave me goosebumps, reminding me just how weak I was in front of those types of Magi. But I was being protected by them, and I couldn¡¯t let those damned warlocks do as they pleased. So I ran to a good location before taking aim, finding a warlock and firing. *BANG* My gun flashed, and another warlock died. Of course, I was also spotted, and because they saw me beyond the metal fortifications of the Hunker, I was attacked. I quickly ran behind one of the trucks as a spell hurdled toward me. Not all the ranged spells were fire, but they all had the familiar flashes of magic spells, giving them away. After that spell exploded where I was once standing, I relocated and fired off another shot. That shot didn¡¯t kill the warlock though, his barrier stopping it. ¡°These guys are strong¡­¡± I muttered before relocating once again. I had to keep moving and shooting. And since that previous warlock was strong, I avoided him and targeted the others. Over time, I managed to kill four more warlocks with empowered shots. I also found 3 warlocks were were strong enough to block my bullets. But with the pressure eased, the knights were doing noticeably better. In fact, we were pushing them back. I also wasn¡¯t getting focused as much, giving me more room to shoot. And it was all downhill from there. Our momentum snowballed as I continued to shoot those strong warlocks. I couldn¡¯t kill them since they kept strengthening their barriers, but my efforts still made them hide away. If they didn¡¯t avoid me, then I would eventually pierce through. But if they hid away, then they couldn¡¯t attack the knights. In fact, I managed to kill one because he thought he could strengthen his barrier before I could fire twice. Unfortunately, he underestimated my fire rate and one of my bullets snuck through after shattering his barrier, blowing a hole through his head. However, perhaps because I stayed in one spot for longer than normal, another spell was thrown at me. And it wasn¡¯t one from one of the weak warlocks. Those I had killed. No, one of the strong ones decided to focus on me. And I barely noticed when the spell was already heading toward me. I saw as a large ball of water came flying in my direction. It didn¡¯t look harmful, but I could feel the magical energy contained inside of it, which made me panic. In that moment, my jacket lit up with purple lines. I felt my mind speed up, everything around me suddenly moving in slow motion. And I threw my body out of the way, my muscles straining themselves to move as I commanded. Thankfully, that was enough to avoid eating the entire spell with my body. I dodged, the spell landing beside me. But then it exploded, and I was hit with a dense wave of water backed by shockingly powerful pressure. It was like being hit with a shockwave. The water dug into my side, and while it was stopped by the jacket, the impact stilled slammed into my arm and shook my organs. I was thrown a small distance, tumbling around before coming to a stop. ¡°Agh¡­¡± I groaned as my head spun, but the adrenaline going through my body forced me to wake up despite the pain. I lifted my head, barely taking in the surrounding sights and making sure there were no enemies. I managed to catch a glimpse of the warlock who launched that spell, and the sight was a bit shocking. There was a knife going through his chest, and from over his shoulder, I could see Plex smiling at me. Plex dropped what was now a corpse before disappearing once again. I sighed, deciding that it was okay to take a few more seconds on the floor. With that, the battle was basically over. By the time I pulled myself up, the last few enemy knights were killed while any remaining warlocks were killed by Plex. I didn¡¯t even have the chance to shoot anymore. But I had done enough. A majority of the warlocks were killed by me despite having been suppressed for a while, taking away almost all the pressure on the knights. I even killed one of the strong ones. When I remembered how I was actually being paid for killing enemies, I couldn¡¯t help the foolish grin that surfaced. ¡°Heh, I¡¯ve been counting too. This is gonna be one hell of a pay check.¡± ¡°John!¡± My head suddenly turned at the call of the Captain. He came walking over with a half smile. ¡°Thank you John, once again. You helped us immensely.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Captain. How is everyone?¡± ¡°Well, this battle wasn¡¯t as forgiving as the first.¡± The Captain explained the casualties. We had sustained a few deaths and several injuries. The healers would need to work overtime to heal all the wounded. We were also stopping for a time in order to recuperate. Heading forward would only be throwing ourselves into more enemies. In fact, the Captain was entertaining the idea of driving the convoy backward for a while in order to recover before pushing forward once again, just in case there were enemies headed our way. But all things considered, we were still doing very well. They had expected many more deaths than this. I alone was saving many lives with my efforts. Well, I had to eat the explosion of a spell in the end, but otherwise I was getting off lightly. ¡°I also apologize for not being able to protect you. There¡¯s not much we can do about spells, so we couldn¡¯t keep you from getting suppressed. Still, your performance was great despite that.¡± The Captain gave his apologies, but I just reassured him. I had worked around it, and I couldn¡¯t expect perfect conditions while everyone was fighting for their lives. After a short discussion, we separated, the Captain leaving to gather reports and help out. On the other hand, I retreated to the Hunker where I took off my coat and took a look at my injury. My arm was bruised, as was my side, the surrounding skin turning a bit purple. But otherwise, I was completely fine. My head hurt more than anything, and I would have no issue shooting a gun right now if I needed to. The coat really was an amazing item. At the same time though, I wondered what level that warlock had been at. That attack was powerful, and if not for my coat¡¯s abilities, I wouldn¡¯t have reacted in time to dodge as much as I did. And in that situation, the blast from the water spell would have done far more damage than it did. ¡°Authority 6? I¡¯ve only really had experience with Authority 4¡¯s and 5¡¯s, so I¡¯m probably right since he was quite a bit stronger. You know, I wonder how strong people within these mafias are at the higher ranks?¡± As I questioned, I suddenly saw Plex walk into the Hunker. I decided to ask and waved him down. ¡°Plex!¡± ¡°Yes, my name is Plex.¡± ¡°How strong was the warlock you killed?¡± ¡°Authority 5, at its height.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I guess my estimation was a bit off. The strong warlock I killed probably wasn¡¯t at Authority 6 either. But this also gave me a reference for my limits. ¡°So I probably can¡¯t kill an Authority 6 Warlock.¡± ¡°Not unless you catch them off guard, and that gets rarer the higher their level. Plus, you can¡¯t compare these guys to those of the military, at least not the good ones. There are some techniques called Perpetual Spells that a Warlock can maintain at all times, and they almost always use it for Mana Barriers. So you won¡¯t be able to instantly kill anybody competent, not unless you get much more powerful than you are. And many of these guys within the mafias aren¡¯t quite competent, at least not at the lower levels.¡± ¡°Hm. Disappointing.¡± ¡°Hey, be grateful you can kill anybody above your level anyway. I¡¯ll give it to you John. Your summons really are something special. But they aren¡¯t impossible to fight against. You¡¯ll figure this out as you climb the ranks and become less able to kill those far above you.¡± ¡°Yea, I figured.¡± I could only nod, because I had thought of those things too. The only reason I didn¡¯t fret though was because my enemies were beginning to shift. In the future, I would be fighting more beasts than people, and they required a different set of tactics. Intelligence was much less of a problem. Instead, sheer power and crowd control was the name of the game. At least from what I¡¯ve experienced so far. But so long as I was at the Magisterium, I knew that I would probably continue to take on jobs in the black market, especially if my services were requested like in this case. So I would still need to hone my skill in the art of human warfare, because right now, fighting people was far deadlier than fighting beasts. It was with these thoughts that I retired for the night. I didn¡¯t particularly care about what the Captain had planned for the convoy. My only job was to respond when needed. But, in the back of my mind, I was also worried about the target on my back that seemed to be getting bigger and bigger. Chapter 29: Yeon Guild ¡°Another attack!¡± The next morning, when the sun was only just beginning to peek over the horizon, everyone was woken by alarms and the yell of a warlock. Usually if I got less than 8 hours of sleep, I would feel groggy and even a bit sick. But I didn¡¯t feel any of that as the explosions of magical spells rattled the Hunker and woke me with a surge of adrenaline. ¡°5 am? These guys really need to fuck off.¡± My nerves had died down as of late. A couple of sudden battles was enough to condition me, at least to the point where I wasn¡¯t in a constant state of fight or flight and hyperawareness. That was the only reason some of my irritation could slip through as I climbed up into a turret and took aim. I immediately took count, finding about 13 warlocks posted not just in their own vehicles, but in the forest beyond the road. We had hit a roadblock of boulders that seemed to have been placed by the enemy warlocks, and now we were being pincered from both sides. And this time, the warlocks seemed to be hiding behind natural formations a bit more, not just standing out in the open where I could shoot them. It made this more difficult, and because the sun wasn¡¯t fully out yet, it was a bit harder to see into the treeline. But with my scope, things were made easier. Plus, the lights from their spells made them stand out like beacons, guiding my crosshair. Learning from prior battles, every warlock had a barrier up, and all of them were strengthened. They were specifically countering me, and not every warlock was casting spells. They seemed to be searching. In fact, several were looking toward my Hunker. It was clear that I had caused them no small headache, and perhaps now they were trying to do something about it. I knew that the moment I took a shot, I would probably be bombarded with spells. And If I stepped outside to try and reposition, then I would be putting myself in danger. So they wanted to pin me down or eliminate me entirely. So I waited, thinking of what I could do to help with this battle while avoiding the focus fire of a dozen warlocks. And then, it hit me. Why did I have to only shoot the warlocks? Why not the knights? I would have to use more power, but if I switched guns as well then killing several knights wouldn¡¯t be a problem. But going outside at all was still a problem, even if I had more freedom out there as opposed to in a stationary turret. Suddenly, I thought of my most glaring problem besides the sounds my guns made. It was the muzzle flash, which was incredibly obvious considering how much I stood out in general. If I got rid of that, they I would be golden. The sound was so loud that it couldn¡¯t be precisely traced at a distance, so I could still operate despite it. That¡¯s when I had an idea. Kicking open the door of the Hunker, I headed out and crouched down. And looking at the vehicle, i smiled. Suddenly, I crawled under the Hunker itself, taking up position on the ground. From there, I could see up to everyone¡¯s waist, and it was easy to tell apart the Tavera Knights from the enemy knights. After that, I aimed my rifle. The knights were always much closer than the warlocks, so I didn¡¯t have to stress my aim. And since I was now under this vehicle, I couldn¡¯t be hit by the warlocks. It was the perfect solution, so I aimed at an enemy knight with a smile, pulling the trigger. *BANG* My bullet flew, and the knight that I shot buckled almost instantly. It gave a window of opportunity that the Tavera knight took immediate advantage of. With that, I let off round as fast as I could send them. I had to infuse a large amount of Psyka into each round just for the bullet to pierce through both armor and the tough bodies of the knights. But I quickly learned that my shots didn¡¯t have to be lethal for them to be effective. Suddenly getting hit by a bullet was a death sentence when you were also fighting against an enemy. It was a fatal distraction. So I even lightened up on the Psyka, focusing on my fire rate. And like that, the knights swept through their enemies. I didn¡¯t even have to kill the warlocks. With my assistance, the knights were able to pierce through all defenses and kill them for me. And I wasn¡¯t disturbed a single time, the enemy warlocks unable to deduce my position underneath the vehicle and behind the bodies of my fellow knights. And so the battle was won. After I crawled out, I could see everyone either getting treated or cleaning up. The Captain also came and found me. ¡°John! Excellent work!¡± ¡°Thank you, Captain.¡± I smiled at his enthusiasm while we shook hands. ¡°I saw exactly what you were doing, and I have to say that it was a genius tactic. In fact, because those stupid warlocks couldn¡¯t find you, they stood around hiding for half the battle! Just your presence alone is enough to disable them! And don¡¯t worry, even though you didn¡¯t kill anybody, you allowed us to kill those knights far faster than otherwise. I¡¯ll make sure you are paid for this battle.¡± ¡°Just doing my duty, sir.¡± I felt a bit shameless, saying that while grinning ear to ear. I had to admit, the huge paycheck this was turning out to be was a great motivator. However, this battle did indeed take a larger toll on me. Even though I was smiling, my head was screaming at me with a migraine after using so much Psyka. I felt like I would pass out any moment. So I kept our conversation short, and my next stop was the bunk where I fell right asleep. I couldn''t even be bothered with breakfast, and I slept until well after noon. Of course, I woke up to a starving stomach because of that. Thankfully I had been saved some food, not by Plex, but by some of the knights. I was thanked to no end while eating, probably because they had received my direct help. I was also guaranteed protection by the entire troop, so it was nice to know that everyone would be looking out for me. I just told them to make sure nobody attacked the Hunker, because it had basically become my nest. If I lost that, then I would be in serious trouble. After that, evening dawned. After this, we would only have to make it through one more day. We would arrive the following evening, and so farr, everything was going amazing. I had barely been hurt, and deaths were minimal. Injuries were prevalent, of course, but in normal cases most of those injured knights would be dead. I had saved no small amount of lives, and even though the last battle was more difficult than the other, I thought we could make it through the rest smoothly. Unfortunately, thinking that seemed to have conjured quite the opposite. Because when the moon appeared high in the sky, I was once again shocked awake by all too familiar explosions. Thankfully I was rested, so I didn¡¯t have issues responding. But when I saw what we were up against, I could only curse under my breath. It looked like an army was waiting for us. Of course, we had an army of our own, but we were tired. Thinking back, I suppose the healers had it the worst. Well, they would need to step it up pretty soon. Because when attacks were launched, copious amounts of blood was shed. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it And the pressure I was put under skyrocketed as these enemies sought the head of the American who had been causing no small amount of trouble. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Shit!¡± ¡°Break through!¡± ¡°Get those fucking vehicles out of the way!¡± ¡°Agh! Someone kill that warlock!¡± *BANG* Screams and gunshots made my ears ring. I suppose I was finally getting a small taste of what war was like on Earth, in this case. Thankfully, my air mask filtered what I breathed, so I didn¡¯t get the dense stench of blood and fire. It was my only solace during these battles. While fighting, I thought back a couple of times to what I had surmised at the beginning of the trip. My conclusion was that the final days of the trip would be the hardest since the enemy would be more desperate, throwing everything they had at us. I knew it was bound to come, especially since I was here keeping a vast majority of the convoy alive through every battle. But I underestimated just how difficult it was going to be. Well, I couldn¡¯t be blamed either. After all, I didn¡¯t expect that another mafia would come and try to bar our path. For most of the time, we had been facing the Clockwork Association. But on the last day, not only did we fight two back to back battles with those damned warlocks, but another mafia known as the Yeon Guild suddenly appeared. They were supposedly a rival mafia that operated in the only black market in the City of Joffrun, our destination. And through the shouts and screams of battle with them, I learned that the Tavera Family was attempting to encroach on their territory there. These mafias were more widespread than I initially thought. They had slices of the black markets of several major cities. There were even entire villages that they controlled, these small settlements acting as places for their families to grow and produce more children who would later be inducted into the mafias. Of course, the Capital was always where most of their power resided, so I wasn¡¯t missing much. But that was beside the point. There were naturally other mafias than the few I knew of, most being entirely localized to a single city. But that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t powerful, and because they only had one nest, they didn¡¯t take kindly to others trying to intrude. Well, I knew there was more to the story, but that was all above my paygrade. I was only hired muscle who needed to help them reach their goals. Still, whatever the Tavera family was doing, it was enough to garner what seemed like the full force of their rivals. I wondered several times through the trip why our enemies didn¡¯t just send their full armies all at once. Surely it would be more effective, right? But this was wrong. Wearing down your enemy was effective, and striking when they were tired and when you were well prepared was the best. And, well, what they struck with when all was on the line seemed like their full army. It was like everything beforehand had only been a warmup. Dozens of knights, many of which were terrifyingly powerful, and just as many warlocks. Not only that, but I finally got to experience a full force battle between not Authority 6¡¯s, but Authority 7¡¯s. Turns out, the Captain was an Authority 7 Knight, as well as the strongest person in this convoy. And after asking Plex, the highest power in a mafia usually stood around Authority 9. For the Tavera Family, that was their Patriarch. So sending an Authority 7 was big. After all, although the highest power was Authority 9, that didn¡¯t mean they had many Authority 8¡¯s. The Tavera Family may have two, at best four, and leaving the Capital wasn¡¯t usually acceptable under any circumstances. So Authority 7 was the best we had. Not that it was shabby. The Captain was at the height of Authority 7 as well as someone who had served for many years in the military. He was experienced and powerful. And this showed in the battle he fought. Honestly, the entire thing made me want to cower. Atrocious strength and speed was basically all there was to it. The Captain could create craters in the ground with his feet, tear apart an entire vehicle with his hands, jump higher than trees could grow, and attack with speed that my eyes couldn¡¯t keep up with. I quite literally wouldn¡¯t last a second if I had to fight him. In fact, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he could dodge my bullets. Of course, displaying such feats of strength took a lot out of him. There was a reason he didn¡¯t show such strength earlier. And perhaps more shocking was the enemy he fought, who was likewise a knight, but not the type you¡¯d think. He was a martial arts specialist, someone who fought with his body. He wasn¡¯t just a boxer who only fought with his fists either. His kicks could take out the trunk of a tree, his fists blowing holes in steel, his arms and abs able to deflect blades, and his footwork allowing him to reposition with blinding speed and impossible agility. His body just floated around while he attacked the Captain, and their fights took them to all corners of the battlefield. In one moment, they¡¯d be right in the center of a dozen men, and the next, they would be flying over the treeline and laying into each other on the other side of a hill. Their power wasn¡¯t something I could wrap my head around. It was disorienting seeing it at all, because it was stuff I had only seen in movies and the like. To actually see it in the flesh jostled my brain. It was like it didn¡¯t want to think that it was possible. But the damage they wrought was very real. I could only thank the Captain for keeping that pugilist from tearing apart the hunker I was hiding inside. But, other than that distraction, I was wholly occupied with trying to stay alive. For the entire final day, we bounced from battle to battle. It was like there was a long line of people just waiting down the road and taking turns beating us up. And every time, we sustained more damage. It built up. More deaths, more injuries, and greater exhaustion. We were lucky our convoy was large, because any less people and we may not have been able to make it this far. And there was no opportunity to rest. At first it was manageable. I would get tired, restrain my use of Psyka, and gradually recover between battles. But as each hour passed, my mind¡¯s fatigue built bit by bit. First it was a constant headache, but then it turned into sharp pains that made me flinch with every surge of blood from my heart. Not only that, but I was attacked rather often. I had thought that I could just hide like I had, whether that was amidst the knights or around the Hunker. But no matter where I went, it wouldn¡¯t be long before I was spotted by a knight or warlock and attacked. Running away from bloodthirsty knights was especially fun. My speed couldn¡¯t compare to theirs, so I was forced to move as fast as I could, delaying them with a shotgun, before getting an ally to save me. That scenario played out four times, and each time, I was pulled closer to death. The warlock spells that exploded around me weren¡¯t much better. No small amount of damage was blocked by my coat, but I still sustained several nasty bruises and a possible fracture in my left arm after getting slammed in the side by a large rock. Holding up a rifle became harder after that, and how I continued to manage was a miracle. But I did, even though I sometimes wanted to climb into the Hunker and just hide for a while. But my willpower was strong. If there was one thing that I knew about myself, being one of my better qualities, was that I didn¡¯t buckle under pressure. Something about adversity like this spurred something within me, compelling me to step up and push back. It was a quality that only came out during sports, but here, it showed itself in full force when it really mattered. Despite the head splitting migraines, despite the blood that dripped down my arm from a wound under my sleeve, despite the physical and mental exhaustion from trying to help while being hunted by knights and warlocks¡­ I found it within me to continue surviving. And I never stopped shooting back. ¡­¡­ ¡°Hah¡­ Ugh¡­¡± I lay against one of the trucks while catching my breath, groans coming from underneath my mask. I felt some blood stream down the side of my head, a small wound from a small rock that came flying in from seemingly nowhere. What hurt the most though wasn¡¯t the wound it gave me, but the impact it had against my head that was already dealing with the nastiest headache of my life. Not only that, but my left arm throbbed with shooting pains every time my heart beat. It had been that way for more than a few hours now, and moving my fingers had gradually become more difficult. I concluded that my arm was broken, but unfortunately I couldn¡¯t get it treated in the middle of a battle. I barely even remember how I got that injury. In fact, so much as opening my eyes felt overwhelming. There was too much stimulation, the battle overwhelming my senses. But I couldn¡¯t close my eyes just in case I had to dodge another spell, nor could I just tune my hearing out and ignore what was going on. In the distance, I could see all the knights intertwined in fights. The tides were turning in our favor, the enemies of the Yeon Guild falling beneath the sabers of the Tavera Family. Pulling my gaze away, I looked toward the Hunker not far away. From their turrets, the few warlocks that we brought were launching the occasional spell. Unlike me who could get hit by fire and water that easily slipped through the window, they had barriers that could block all that stuff, letting them fire freely. Looking at that tank on wheels, I felt the urge to go over and climb inside. I just wanted some rest, and surely the Hunker¡¯s defenses could afford me that. But at the same time, there was still more I could do. I learned through much pain that maintaining a communion with a gun basically cost as much Psyka as I passively recovered. This meant I could keep a gun in my hands and shoot unempowered bullets as much as I wanted. Of course, bullets that weren¡¯t infused with Psyka weren¡¯t as powerful. Depending on the conditions, the best they could do was pierce a knight¡¯s armor and damage a warlock¡¯s barrier, yet do nothing to the body underneath. But in this battle, those two things were enough. So when I ran out of energy, that¡¯s what I resorted to, trying to afford my allies any advantage I could. After all, a bullet to the face, although not enough to kill a knight, was still a nasty distraction equal to a sucker punch. And if I was lucky enough to hit their eyeball or mouth, then even unempowered bullets became lethal. Unfortunately, my accuracy also lowered when I was exhausted, so those chances were low. Still, my bullets afforded our knights many opportunities, sometimes outright securing kills. So I couldn¡¯t stop. The only tough part was that, with every shot, I needed to move. Having my position locked down was a death sentence, so if I wasn¡¯t ready to run, then I didn¡¯t want to shoot. Even the air mask couldn¡¯t keep me going forever. In fact, I had eaten food on the battlefield during a morning battle, trying to keep my energy levels up. Taking a piss also wasn¡¯t out of the question, though doing so while watching out for spells was an interesting experience. ¡°Ugh. Dammit. I just need a breather. There¡¯s food there too, and I¡¯m starving right now.¡± I grunted before deciding to head over. I ducked low before slowly making my way, arriving at the beat up door to head inside. But that¡¯s when I heard something in the distance. A scream, getting louder and heading my way. I looked up. Chapter 30: Duchess ¡°GRAHHH!¡± *BOOM* A body came flying through the air, hitting the side of the Hunker like a cannonball. It was that Authority 7 Pugilist from the Yeon Guild. The Captain wasn¡¯t able to kill him in the first battle, so he left before coming back again in a later battle for a rematch. He seemed to be getting his ass kicked once again. But, when he landed on the Hunker, my neck tingled as I stared blankly. It folded under his body, the tank warping before flying off its wheels and into the air. I watched as the door, that was once right in front of me, flew a small distance away. The entire tank rolled a few times before gradually coming to a stop. And then, the pugilist clawed his way out of the metal. When he emerged, his eyes fell onto me who was now standing out in the open, frozen. Seeing the gun in my hand, he smiled brightly. ¡°You! Get over here and die, you fucking American!¡± He snarled and threw his body toward me. My coat¡¯s abilities activated, but even in slow motion, his hand moved too fast for me to react to. I watched, feeling my soul leaving my body as if to try and avoid that monster in human skin. But, right as he was going to grab my head in his huge hand, I saw a line of silver arrive to the side. The pugilist¡¯s eyes went wide, and I saw blood bloom from his wrist. He had been relieved of his hand, pulling away with a scream. But that hand was still heading toward me, even if no longer attached to its owner. I tried to tilt out of the way, but those fingers still graced the right side of my head. *Slice!* ¡°Argh!¡± It felt like I was slapped, heading to the floor as I felt a jolt of pain go through my head. At the same time, I felt a horrible sting where my right temple was. I already knew what happened. ¡°Fuck! What are those nails?!¡± I touched where I felt the wounds, and blood dripped down my fingers when I pulled away. The nails of that pugilist were as sharp as knives! Was there any part of a knight¡¯s body that couldn''t kill me?! Now, there were some lacerations across the side of my head. Not only that, but the stinging I felt only got worse as my headache became manageable. There was some foreign power that was making it hurt, probably the power of Vigor that knights wielded. I¡¯ve heard that at higher levels they can emit some. It was how Plex made himself invisible, and swordmasters could use it to release blades from their swords. Now, this power ate at my wounds, making it hurt much more than it should. And that was just a scratch from that man. Of course, he was in a much sorrier state. ¡°AHH! My hand!! You son of a bitch!¡± ¡°John! Let me handle this meathead!¡± The Captain dashed in and appeared before me, yelling out those words as if I was even able to do otherwise. With that, I ran away while the Captain drove that pugilist back. With one less hand, there was no way he could win now. And that was basically the end of the battle. Not long later, our knights killed every last warlock and enemy fighter, not allowing anybody to retreat. By now, the sun was setting, so it was getting darker and cooler. Nobody even cheered when the battle was finished. They were just that exhausted. As for me, I overlooked the Hunker that had served as my nest for the past several days. It was crumbled, now only a pile of metal. The two warlocks that had been inside those turrets were now piles of meat somewhere inside the debris. They had died instantly, not even to an intentional attack. I thought, if I had been any faster in boarding it in order to take a small rest and grab some food, I would have died without even knowing how. Everything would have been over, just like that. This new life of mine would be finished, and everything I¡¯d built up so far would have been for nothing. And I would never have returned to Rayla, who was worried and waiting for me back at the Capital. She would have been left alone, and I would have caused her grief that she may never have recovered from. It was a sickening feeling, one that terrified me more than anything. And for a moment, I thought that perhaps this kind of life wasn¡¯t for me, that I was better off just sticking to some ordinary job in the capital while leading a life away from all forms of hostility. The thought that I could so easily die like that, despite everything I did to avoid it, ate away at my mind. But then, I looked around at everyone else. Those who survived did so in part because of me. I played perhaps the largest part in securing the lives of those in this convoy than any other person here aside from the Captain. Without me, they would have suffered far more casualties. It was why the Captain had emphasized my importance after every single battle we fought. I was making a very real and noticeable difference. And soon enough, I would be putting this skill of mine to work not against people, but against beasts who threatened the entire human race of this world. In short, the sense of duty I felt overruled my fear. The thought of being able to turn the tides of any battle and save the lives of my allies infected my mind, turning fear into strength that brought out a deep sense of valor. After that, it was like the pain I felt turned into fuel for that fire. I couldn¡¯t say that this was inspiring a sense of purpose in me. These battles were between mafias, and I wasn¡¯t a part of one. I was hired muscle. I was doing this for money and to earn a reputation with figures of authority. Very little of this was something to be proud of, not that it was something to be ashamed of either. But through these battles, I knew I was growing. It would only make me better so that when the day came that I turned my guns against the true plague of this world, I could do so with even greater violence. And I would save more people. That way, perhaps I could avoid praying for the dead as much as I have been recently. Standing before the Hunker, I bowed my head and thought of those two warlocks who I had almost joined in death, wishing that despite everything, they would find peace. ¡­¡­ ¡­ We arrived at the City of Joffrun. Our convoy was missing a hunker and a truck, along with most of the cargo that had been lost with the destruction of those two vehicles. But all things considered, the trip was a massive success. That Pugilist had died to Plex after he almost killed me, and we either decimated or repelled every army that came our way. We had many casualties, at least a third of our forces dead and everyone being injured in some way. But we had made it. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. At the very least, we killed much more than we lost. And since the majority of the cargo had arrived in good condition, the job was a resounding success. Despite how conspicuous it was, all the trucks aside from the other Hunker rolled directly into this city. I sat atop one of the trucks, getting a good look at this city. It wasn¡¯t as grand as the Capital, that was for sure. But it had its own charm to it. I couldn''t be impressed because the Capital was basically the greatest center for humanity¡¯s prosperity in this world, but that didn¡¯t mean new things weren¡¯t cool to see. This city had one massive palace at its center, one that seemed to act as a hub for all kinds of business. In fact, there was one massive road that led straight to that palace in the city center from the gates we entered through. The road was straight and nearly 2 miles long. I could also see thousands of people and wagons occupying it. And as our battered vehicles drove down that road, we pulled plenty of heads. We were already conspicuous without looking as beat up as we did, so the scars of battle that littered the trucks only added to it. And then there was I who sat above everyone¡¯s head. You could see my torso wrapped in bandages from beneath my coat and my arm hanging in a sling. Not only that, but I occasionally took puffs from a cigar. ¡°Cough¡­ I¡¯ll need to get used to this.¡± After letting out a breath of smoke, I felt my lungs spasm before I muttered those words. This cigar wasn¡¯t some kind of drug despite what it looked like. I had actually been surprised by its existence when the Captain came around and handed one to me. It was basically a revitalizer. The cigar was made from some special magical materials and infused with a bit of Vigor. This made it almost medicinal in nature, capable of relieving the pain from wounds and helping the body recover with the fortifying power of Vigor. My Recovery Pills were basically the same thing, except the cigar could last much longer and was more potent. They weren¡¯t cheap, but with the money I was about to receive alongside my savings, it wasn¡¯t much. I learned where to get more from the Captain, who said it was actually a product created by Apocryon and bought by the Tavera Family, giving them sole rights to produce and sell it. The cigars were a popular product of theirs, especially among Knights due to their infusion of Vigor. Not only that, but these cigars were part of the reason for this trip. Apparently there was a vital ingredient that could only be found near this city, so securing the production of the cigars required them to invest in this place. This convoy contained the investment, though there was naturally much more to it than just that. Anyway, I decided I would buy some when I got back to the Capital. While thinking of that, we eventually made it to Joffrun¡¯s black market. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have the time nor interest in exploring this city. After the convoy linked with their headquarters, I went to go meet with the Captain. However, upon arrivinig in the central area of their headquarters within this foreign black market, I saw that he was speaking to someone, and one that seemed rather noble. It was a woman, and just by looking at her I could sense deep power. It was definitely above Rayla, so she had to be at least Authority 9. She had ashen gray hair and wore dark robes accentuated with purple. Her face was sharp, yet there was an undeniable air of maturity around her. She almost looked familiar, but I wasn¡¯t in the mind to care much about that. ¡°Just watch yourself within my city. I don¡¯t want another war like that anytime soon. Cross a certain line, and I¡¯ll be forced to do something about it. At the very least, keep things discreet.¡± ¡°Of course, Duchess. My Patriarch also sends his good graces and wishes to hold a discussion with you. I hold his contact information, if you would like it.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Agreeing, this Duchess exposed her Aerial and touched it to the Captain¡¯s, exchanging information. Then, he gave a small bow. ¡°Thank you, Duchess.¡± ¡°Sure. Be sure to¡­ Who are you?¡± Suddenly, the Duchess turned toward me, who had been lingering to the side. Surprised that she was bothering with me, I just nodded to her. ¡°My name is John, Duchess.¡± ¡°You look injured, John. Summoner?¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Hmm, young and Authority 3. Are you enrolled in the Magisterium?¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She nodded, and suddenly, the Captain chimed in. ¡°Duchess, John is an exceptionally powerful Summoner that the Patriarch personally hired to help us defend the convoy. His potential is great.¡± ¡°Well, Authority 3 can¡¯t do anything for me right now. Nonetheless, I will keep in contact. Please settle yourselves with haste. I don¡¯t enjoy my city being chaotic.¡± ¡°Of course, Duchess.¡± ¡°And John.¡± She looked at me. ¡°Remember the name Talerria.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± With that odd request, the Captain and I exchanged goodbyes with her. She left the markets, and I finally got to speak with the Captain who sighed. ¡°She runs this city, yet has a major hand in the operation of the black markets here. We cooperate witht her directly. Anyway, how are your wounds, John? You were pretty battered after that last battle.¡± ¡°Eh, I¡¯ve never been afraid of scars.¡± I smiled while remembering the aftermath of the battle. Because the healer was stretched to his limits, anybody with superficial wounds was forced to either wait or just heal normally. Despite that, I had actually been offered to get healed considering my contributions to the convoy, but I had turned it down. The healer checked me anyway though, and when he discovered my broken arm, he didn¡¯t let me refuse treatment. At the very least, he forced me to get my arm realigned, which I decided wasn¡¯t a bad idea. So the bones of my forearm were successfully repositioned, and through magic, secured in place and the fracture fused. After that my arm was wrapped with a splint and hung in a sling. Recovery pills and the cigar in my mouth helped all my other wounds take care of themselves. However, there was one wound that wasn¡¯t as easily dealt with. The wound from the Pugilist¡¯s fingernails was infused with destructive Vigor, creating two lacerations on the left side of my head. The lacerations went from my temple beside my eyebrow to the back of my head above my ear. It looked like I had been clawed by a monster, and that wasn¡¯t really far from the truth. And because of the Vigor, the wounds weren¡¯t easily healed. In fact, until now I wasn¡¯t sure if all the Vigor was actually gone. The lacerations had begun to heal, but they were taking much longer than my other wounds. Plex told me that it would leave a nasty scar, but it wasn¡¯t like my body didn¡¯t have plenty of those, so I didn¡¯t mind. After assuring Captain Ignov that I was fine, he went on to once again praise my work. It was like he wanted to make sure I wouldn¡¯t leave without knowing how important I was to their success. I felt weird receiving all the compliments, especially since people died. It barely felt like a success right now. In the end though, he settled down and I told him about my intentions to leave. ¡°Of course, John. You¡¯ve earned both rest and your paycheck. Here, I wrote this up a couple hours ago.¡± Suddenly, he took an envelope out of his coat pocket, handing it to me. It was sealed with wax and the symbol of the Tavera Family, with some slight modifications. It was probably a personal seal. I took it with curiosity. ¡°When you get back to the Capital, hand that to the Patriarch. He¡¯ll pay you out then. And don¡¯t worry about the kill counts. I think you¡¯ll more than appreciate the bonuses I¡¯ve stipulated.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I nodded and stashed the envelope. I trusted the Captain¡¯s word, so I didn¡¯t feel the need to verify anything. And if I was being honest, I would be fine accepting nothing more than the base pay without the kill count bonus. It was odd how going through hardship made you more of a generous person, not that I still wasn¡¯t raking in coin from this job anyway. ¡°Oh, and here. For your travels.¡± Reaching into his coat once more, Captain Ignov pulled out another item. I recognized it rather quickly. It was a metal cigar case. It looked brand new, its faces made with deep gold and engraved with dark red designs. The red designs were of roses and leaves, and the colors were so vibrant that it seemed like an actual painting. ¡°This is one of our signature cigar cases, owned by many high profile elites within the Kingdom since its the best of its kind on the market, along with the best looking. It''s designed to preserve the magical potency of those cigars. Go ahead and use it.¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent as I pressed a latch on the side of the case, popping it open. On one side of the case, there were five loops to hold more cigars, three of which were filled. And on the other side there was a fancy lighter constructed from an entire White Crystal as well as a cigar cutter. After closing it, I looked back toward the Captain. ¡°Is it alright for me to have this? How much are these?¡± ¡°Well, you can¡¯t really buy them, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t be very valuable. Besides, I don¡¯t think the Patriarch would mind. We give them to friends of the Family and circulate them among Elites and Royalty. And you, John, are a friend of the Family. If not, you wouldn¡¯t have been called to help us on this trip.¡± ¡°Oh. Well, I guess I can only give my thanks.¡± It was feeling like an honor to receive this cigar case, as odd as that was. I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond except with a thank you. Captain Ignov smiled and smacked my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a good one, kid. Better than Plex, I reckon.¡± ¡°I heard that.¡± Suddenly, Plex appeared beside us, causing the Captain to click his tongue. ¡°Sneaky as always. By the way, I could¡¯ve handled that brute from Yeon by myself.¡± ¡°Yes, but then I wouldn¡¯t be getting paid for his head.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why John here is better. Go on and get out of here. The Rails leave in about 3 hours, so you better head over and get a ticket.¡± With that, Plex and I said our goodbyes, leaving behind the Captain who was now assigned to this city. I also made sure to get the man¡¯s contact info for my Aerial. Networking was always important. After that, we went to the junction for the Rails, or trains as I knew them. These Rails didn¡¯t leave very often because there weren¡¯t many of them, but we didn¡¯t have to wait for long before snagging a ticket and boarding. Just like that, I completed my job and was on my way home. Chapter 31: Height The Rail took no more than 6 hours to bring plex and I back to the Capital. That meant it could cover a day¡¯s worth of travel in an hour. The job had taken just about a week, given all the battles. And the only reason it didn¡¯t take longer was because of my input. Considering that this world was using magic instead of technology, I wasn¡¯t sure if I should be impressed by the speed of the Rail or if that much should be expected. Either way, when we pulled into the Capital¡¯s junction, I sent out a message to someone who would surely be expecting it. And by the time I had walked out onto the city streets, Rayla had already arrived. She found me with a bright smile. ¡°John!¡± ¡°Hi Rayla.¡± I chuckled as she ran over, feeling a bit buttery inside. She almost jumped toward me, wrapping me up in a tight hug. Unfortunately it hurt though, causing me to grunt as she aggravated some wounds. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry! Are you hurt?¡± ¡°No, it''s fine. I just need a bit more time to recover.¡± ¡°We should get you to the hospital.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine-¡± ¡°No, you still need to get back to the Magisterium. You can¡¯t have any lingering wounds when you go on your next trip, so let¡¯s go.¡± Not giving any room for refusal, Rayla linked with my arm and pulled me along to the Founder¡¯s Market. I just acquiesced, partly because she was right and partly because I needed to see the Patriarch anyway. Soon enough, we arrived at the hospital we always went to while doing jobs. Since my face and name were rather famous here, I was quickly given service. One of the healers sent Mana throughout my body, fixing any internal wounds while pushing my natural recovery into overdrive. I felt my body turn hot, as if I was working out. That process lasted for several minutes before my pain faded away and the healer finished. Then, I sat up, feeling hungry and thirsty but relieved. After paying, we headed out and grabbed some food. Rayla knew what healing could do to the body, so she had already picked out a fast food place. It was there though that she suddenly asked a question after not speaking for a while. ¡°Have you ever thought of using some Crowns?¡± ¡°What are those?¡± I asked back at the mention of an unfamiliar term, prompting her to explain. ¡°Crowns are enhancements for the body. Because Warlocks and Summoners can¡¯t strengthen their bodies like Knights can, there was one major advancement made many years ago by a Warlock Alchemist from the Church who went insane. She called them Crowns, and these Crowns could utilize the power of the Scourge and White Crystals to strengthen the human body in special ways similar to Knights.¡± ¡°That sounds dangerous.¡± I nodded while thinking of the implications of such a technology. A woman had to experiment using materials from Scourge beasts and infusing them into her body while trying to squeeze out enhancements. Crystals from the Scourge were poisonous normally, so I didn¡¯t even want to know what putting those materials inside your body would do. And Rayla nodded in confirmation. ¡°It is dangerous, or was. In short, that Warlock named Madam Tracie ended up deliberately killing herself after going insane and gave her body for her research. The Church utilized her sacrifice and ended up perfecting the technology to some extent. It''s been many years since then, and while getting your hands on a Crown is still expensive, it''s not nearly to the degree of decades ago. For higher level Warlocks and Summoners, these Crowns are extremely valuable enhancements to their strength that can eliminate some weaknesses.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I hummed while munching down on some food. These Crowns really did seem valuable, but I didn¡¯t know enough about them to make a decision right now. I responded while finishing my meal. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask Maxwell about them, then.¡± ¡°You should. I¡¯ve known many Warlocks in the Military who have used them without side effects, and there are many that go beyond simply making your muscles stronger. I¡¯ve heard of one that can enhance your vision several times over, something you might like.¡± ¡°That does sound interesting.¡± I smiled while imagining what it would be like to have such powerful eyes. I wouldn¡¯t even need scopes for my rifles. Taking note of all this information, Rayla and I made our way over to the Tavera territories, arriving before their headquarters. I was welcomed in, and Rayla followed me to the office of the Patriarch. ¡°Ah, John! Very good to see you in good health. Congratulations on the successful trip, and thank you for your good work. I¡¯ve received a report from Ignov.¡± The Patriarch stood, the two of us shaking hands before taking a seat. I smiled, glad he was aware of everything. ¡°Yes, Patriarch. Although we lost some men and cargo, I would say it went rather well.¡± ¡°Indeed. I¡¯m aware that your contributions were a major factor in our success. I don¡¯t have all the details since Ignov is still busy over there, but his praises spoke enough. I believe you have a letter for me?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I took out the wax sealed letter and handed it to the Patriarch, who broke it open and read through the single page within. He took a minute, nodding a few times, before setting it down with a thoughtful smile. ¡°I see. Well, I suppose that¡¯s the only number I need. Tell me John, what was your kill count on this trip? Even a rough estimation is fine.¡± ¡°I believe the count was around 35.¡± ¡°So if all the enemies you killed had an average strength around Tier 3 or 4, then you would be receiving about 175 Gold Bullion for your kills. Along with the initial 85 and not even factoring in certain higher value kills, that makes at least 260 Gold Bullion for the job. With other factors, it¡¯s actually more like 280 to 300. However, Ignov mentioned nothing about kill counts. Instead, he told me what to pay you directly.¡± I was silent as the Patriarch made some rough calculations. And when he finished, he suddenly reached into a drawer, pulling out a wooden box. He slid it toward me before sitting back and waving. ¡°Your payment for the job, John Cooper.¡± ¡°...¡± I was curious as I slowly reached over and popped the latch of the box. Even Rayla couldn¡¯t help but lean forward. And opening the box, I saw 6 columns of glistening gold coin. With my quick mind enhanced by Psyka, I counted 100 coins in each column. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. That made 600 Gold Bullion, or 600 thousand coin. All for one week of work. But I didn¡¯t immediately take it. While the sight made me salivate, I was wondering why I was being paid double of what I deserved based on my kill counts. The Patriarch explained as if reading my mind. ¡°In the report and letter, I was told that you did a fantastic job in killing enemy Warlocks, of which constituted most of your kills. However, establishing that kind of superiority did more than just kill others. You also saved my men. I had been expecting to lose at least half of that convoy since we¡¯ve been stretched thin lately. But you, John, managed to cut those potential losses in half. This payment is for the lives you saved alongside the enemies you killed, and believe me, I value keeping Tavera lives more than delivering death to our enemies. So go ahead and dump that coin into your Card. You aren¡¯t allowed to leave until you do.¡± He spoke with a smile, making me scratch my head in embarrassment. It felt weird being praised like this, even if I also enjoyed it. So while trying to look as humble as one could doing such a thing, I grabbed the rows of coin and tossed them into my Bank Card. Just like that, my savings had doubled to reach over 1 million coin, or 1000 Gold Bullion. Even then, it was still hard to believe that my services were worth so much. Though, that feeling conflicted with the undying pride I had in my guns. For now at least, I remained humble. Later I would have the time to sing my own praises about how totally awesome American violence was. ¡°Oh, some extra cigars for you as well. Don¡¯t worry, the ones that normal humans can use are rather cheap, so just think of it as an extra bonus.¡± The Patriarch also handed me a small box of cigars, ones identical to those I had received from Captain Ignov. There were 30 inside the box, which I stashed into my Spatial Bracelet. With that, my business concluded with the Patriarch. Just in case though, I notified him that I would soon be gone for a month on a hunting trip with the Magisterium. After all, I wouldn¡¯t be able to take jobs for that duration. He assured me that was okay and gave his apologies for taking me away from school in the first place. After that, Rayla and I left. It was currently evening, so Rayla would have to go to work soon. But until then, we decided to spend some time together at her place, her wanting me to recount my time on that trip. So I did so until she left, after which I headed back to my dorm at the magic college. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Where the hell have you been?¡± ¡°I seem to recall telling you that I would be gone for a bit.¡± I responded while flinching away from the harsh voice of the Puppet Master. I knew why he was unhappy. I missed over a week of training, and in only 6 more days, I would be heading out to finally fight the Scourge alongside the military. Not that I hadn¡¯t gotten any training in either. I would argue that fighting humans was much more difficult than fighting mindless beasts in every way. If I could preserve my life against an organized assault spanning several days, then I could survive against some monsters. Mr. Puppet scoffed at my answer though. ¡°You told me you would be gone, but not for a week. You barely have any experience fighting my puppets, and you want to march onto a battlefield and fight Scourge Beasts? Do you not value your life?!¡± ¡°Hey, I at least wasn¡¯t idle. Combat experience is combat experience, regardless of the enemy.¡± ¡°...Just how many people did you kill on this trip of yours?¡± ¡°A few dozen.¡± ¡°Hmph. Even with the threat of extinction, humanity can¡¯t seem to put aside its own petty desires and squabbles. What a waste of lives.¡± Mr. Puppet let out a deep sigh laced with a hint of contempt. He wasn¡¯t disagreeing with what I did specifically, but the entire situation as a whole. And I could understand. You¡¯d think with the vast enemy that was the Scourge at their doorstep that humanity would come together under the threat of mutual extinction and devote everything they had to stopping it. But instead, there was infighting that resulted in the loss of countless lives. People that could put their efforts toward killing another beast were being wasted. But the Kingdom of Dragon Tongue had been around for a long time, and that existential threat was no longer so bad. They had defended for so long and were numbed to the constant shadow of their enemies until they were able to ignore it. Only if they were on their last legs would they finally wake back up enough to feel themselves being drowned and overwhelmed. Then again, that naivety could only be afforded by the sacrifice of those who stood at the forefront. After feeling a bit somber myself, Mr. Puppet snapped me out of it. ¡°Whatever. This week you¡¯re going to be doing nothing but training. I¡¯ll set up scenarios every day for you and your teams. I suggest you learn everything you can and get used to these types of battles, because you¡¯ll be facing it for real soon enough. Anyway, go ahead and get out there now. Regular hunting today, but I¡¯ll modify things specially for you. Survive for the next two hours and I¡¯ll consider today a good day.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I hummed and walked out, entering the portal after throwing on the protective band. Then, I was dropped into a mountainous region. There were hills, sheer cliffs, ravines, and mountains all around me. And not long after appearing, I heard a somewhat distant roar. It seemed I would be the prey instead today. So with a sigh, I picked my weapon, equipped my air mask, and started running. ¡­¡­ ¡°Hah¡­ Hah¡­¡± With labored breaths, I made it to the top of a small mountain. Then, I suddenly turned around, the barrel of my shotgun humming a tune as it followed. A beast screamed from behind. *SCREE!* *BOOM* The empowered slug took off its head, the body falling down the steep trail and crashing into several other corpses. After that, I posted up behind a large boulder, taking out my rifle and getting ready. A few hundred meters away, I could see around a dozen puppets running their way toward me. For the entire time in this barren mountain range, I had been constantly hunted down by small groups of beasts that the Puppet Master no doubt controlled to attack me. I used the land to my advantage since I couldn¡¯t hide, constantly battling and running. There was no chance to sit still, because relaxing meant that I wasn¡¯t killing an enemy that was coming toward me. *BANG* The scoped rifle in my hands accurately felled a monster below. At the same time, I saw a lance of magic appear beside another beast. I didn¡¯t so much as flinch when the lance flew and hit the boulder I was on top of. These beasts needed to be much more accurate if they wanted to hit me behind such advantageous cover. *BANG* I took out the monster that failed to distract me, moving on to the others and letting off more rounds. By the time they were about to reach me, there were only three left. So I put away the rifle and took out a revolver in my right hand and a sawed-off shotgun in my left. I fired the revolver, letting off all 6 rounds in the cylinder. With those rounds, only one monster died, the bullets not packing a heavy punch and not carrying much of my Psyka. Now there was two left, and when the first one dove at me, I fired the shotgun. *BOOM* It blew its head off, but there was still another. I barely aimed again before firing. *BOOM* Another shell, but this time, I only took off an arm. The monster still lunged toward me. It was big and shaped like an alligator with large claws and a huge mouth. Its tail thrashed violently while it screamed in pain, all the while it was still trying to kill me. Just about every puppet I had killed wouldn¡¯t stop trying to kill me unless I put it down. No injury would stop it, not even a blown off limb. That had caught me by surprise twice, and those two incidents were valuable experiences that taught me the difference between humans and these beasts. So as I saw the claw of this beastly alligator coming at me, I thought of a few ways to combat it. Two of my guns were empty, and communing with another gun didn¡¯t happen instantly. My next move wouldn¡¯t consist of a weapon. But I was a quick thinker, even before Psyka enhanced my mental faculties so much. And using that quick brain of mine, I suddenly swung my shotgun. *Smack!* The alligator¡¯s body was bashed to the side, the claw missing my body. Then, I kept swinging the heavy shotgun, beating its head into a pulp. ¡°Fuck. Off. You. Damn. Lizard!¡± *SCREE* It let out another loud sound before recovering and trying to attack again. But right as it did, in my hand appeared a lever action rifle, which I placed against the alligator''s head. *BANG* Its body collapsed as a new hole was created next to its eye socket. With that, I sighed and took a seat on the nearby boulder, finally being able to feel the cool breeze across my sweaty face. I looked around into the distance. Because I was close to the top of a mountain, I could see the wider world. But that wider world was cut off by some kind of invisible wall, no doubt the bounds of this constructed place. I really wondered what kind of power allowed someone to just create miniature worlds like this one on a whim. Even the puppets were impressive because they seemed just like regular beasts. It could obviously only be done by magic, but to think that any level of magic could allow someone to do this was absurd. How were you supposed to kill someone like that? Was it possible, even with my guns, to ever pose a threat to that kind of existence? It seemed impossible, even more so to think I could ever reach that height myself. During my time in this world, I had never truly entertained the idea of reaching the highest pinnacle of power. It simply seemed too far away. For someone like me who came from another magicless world, I didn¡¯t believe myself to be a part of that same system, so I didn¡¯t even think it would be possible. I would continue to build my power so long as I could. How far that would lead, I didn¡¯t know. I¡¯m sure I could do great things even if I only reached Authority 8 like Rayla. But for now, the notion of reaching something like Authority 12 was completely beyond me. It didn¡¯t even seem like a cool thought. It was just overwhelming, like thinking of every problem I would ever have to face throughout this life and packaging it all into a single box. In fact, I¡¯m sure it entailed nothing less. Ambition was good, but only up to a certain point. I could feel that as I thought about these things. And soon enough, my time on this hunting ground was finished. I was teleported out, appearing alongside several others who had also been hunting like me. Chapter 32: Black Spider ¡°John! I knew I heard you in there.¡± Tana spotted me not long after appearing. She, along with the others I had once teamed with, came to greet me. Umara and Heubert smiled as we shook hands. ¡°Hey, where have you been all week? You just disappeared.¡± ¡°I was on a business trip.¡± ¡°Is that what gave you the new scar on your head?¡± Umara moved to my side and traced the wound on my temple. Even Heubert moved over curiously to see it. I shrugged. ¡°It was a bit eventful.¡± ¡°Apparently.¡± ¡°Listen up!¡± Suddenly, we were interrupted by the Puppet Master. Everyone turned, seeing him standing at the door to his monitor room. ¡°For the next several days, I will be running scenarios for all of you. Your trip is coming up at the end of the week, and I intend to prepare you all. These scenarios will all be difficult, and very few of you will be able to get perfect scores. I will also be shuffling the teams twice, so you will need to learn to cooperate with others you don¡¯t know. This means you need to prepare yourselves for several days of exhaustion and pain. Remember that recovery is also a part of battle, so I won¡¯t be hearing any excuses. And none of you are allowed to skip!¡± ¡°Well isn¡¯t that great...¡± Everyone groaned, already feeling the oncoming torture. After that, we were let go. I walked with my little group back to the dorms. ¡°Hey John, what exactly do you do? Beyond the Magisterium, I mean. Heubert suddenly asked. When I looked at him, I could see him eyeing my coat. Well, everyone eyed my coat at some point. It was subtle, but if you got a decent look at it, it wasn¡¯t hard to tell that it was expensive. I smiled a bit sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m just a delivery man.¡± ¡°Delivery? What do you deliver?¡± ¡°Oh, you know, just whatever packages need to be moved. People call the company I work for and request deliveries between them and a client. I¡¯m responsible for picking up those packages and making sure they get to the customer.¡± ¡°Wow. Sounds simple enough. Then, how much does delivery work pay?¡± ¡°It depends on the job honestly. Regardless, I just worked and saved as much money as I could before entering this place. I don¡¯t have many things that I can call my own, but the few things I do are valuable enough.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Heubert nodded, as did the two girls. My words were vague, but it wasn¡¯t like they would guess that I worked in the black market. But then, Umara tilted her head. ¡°So that business trip was a delivery, right? So what exactly gave you that scar?¡± ¡°I uh¡­ A package fell on me, had some metal items in it. I barely dodged, but it still cut the side of my head.¡± ¡°But you got it healed, no? It¡¯s a new but healed scar. And usually when you get healed, scarring doesn¡¯t occur, especially not that badly¡­¡± ¡°I only got it partially healed, enough to stop the bleeding and seal it. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t have enough money to get it completely healed and erased.¡± I made something up on the fly, interrupting Umara¡¯s train of thought. It seemed she was rather sharp, or just enjoyed digging into other people¡¯s business. Thankfully she dropped it with a shrug. It wasn¡¯t like I was adamant about keeping my line of work a secret, but it also wasn¡¯t something I intended to broadcast either. The fewer people who knew about who I was, the better. After all, I had a not so small target on my back. I had killed no small amount of people and pissed off far more. Despite being neutral, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the Clockwork Association put a bounty on my head. It seemed Tana and Heubert were still a bit suspicious though, which I couldn¡¯t do much about. Not long later, we arrived at the dorms. Saying our goodbyes, all of us retired for the night. ¡­¡­ ¡­ The following days were filled with constant stress. The Puppet Master was serious about getting us ready. Every day, he had a new scenario which involved different monsters and different maps. From dark forests to bright white deserts, he threw us into every situation imaginable. One scenario required us to hunt down a particular monster hidden within the aforementioned dark forest. Another required us to hold off against hordes of monsters within an established base. We even had to escort a person from one base to another, the person being a puppet who wasn¡¯t allowed to be hurt during the transport. All of the scenarios had us on our toes and stressed our wits. They all also lasted between 4 and 8 hours. Needless to say, the following mornings were all dreadful. I had no time to cultivate my Authority or practice controlling my Aura. My main focus was just surviving each day and trying to do well. Another downside was how I was slotted with a different team every single scenario. I saw no person twice. This required me to get to know a couple dozen elites and operate around their skillsets. Luckily, because the different types of Magi only fell into three categories, it got easy to guess what each person could do as a baseline. For example, I could generally predict how capable a Warlock was and how they fought. I knew that Knights were either defensive or offensive, not having much utility at all, and were almost always close combat fighters. As for summoners¡­ I only saw one of those. And he was an interesting fellow. We got along well. That summoner was a hot summoner, as opposed to cold, who could summon ethereal beasts to his side. It was the textbook example of a normal summoner. He was able to summon three beasts, one of which was a serpent while the other two were a bear and tiger. He made a contract with those spirits at the beginning of the scenario, and they stayed with him throughout the entire thing. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. But, unlike me who actively communes with my spirits, he had to give them payment upfront. This meant that his Psyka was massively drained before anything even began, and sending the spirits back early would waste some of the Psyka he spent. It was a generally strict system without nearly the same flexibility mine had. Of course, because he was also an Authority 5, his spirits were powerful. They could go toe to toe with several of the puppets we fought, holding the line just as well as a Knight. Only, when one of his spirits was killed, he suffered backlash. That was yet another downside of normal summoning. Either way, I got a perfect score for 3 out of 5 scenarios. It was rather exciting, and even the Puppet Master was impressed, though he tried his best not to show it. Like that, the end of the week came. Only the fourth years were to leave for their trip at this time. Everyone else had another month or so before they would go. So a few days before our departure, the entire fourth year dorm was flooded with letters regarding the trip. In it were the details. At the end of the week, we were to take a Rail out of the Capital and head to the frontier military installation known as Calatrop Base. We would be accompanied by several fourth year instructors, one of which was the Puppet Master. Once there, we would be given assignments and groups. And although we were being treated with a bit of special courtesy, it was generally expected that we learn to live in the military environment as normal soldiers. This meant we would have tight bunks and need to know certain protocols and rules. Of course, we were also granted a bit of leniency. Not only had we students not gone through basic training, but we were also talented and powerful individuals. Everyone in the fourth year of the Magisterium was young yet much more capable than the rest. If you couldn¡¯t hit certain benchmarks, then you would leave early for basic training, continuing your magical advancement within the walls of a base. If you made it to the fourth year, you were almost guaranteed to reach Authority 8 at some point in your life. So although it was naive thinking, to expect the fourth year students to be able to hold their own wasn¡¯t unfounded, even in a military environment. They had some weight to throw around, especially when most of those in the general population had no magical power to speak of. That held true even in the military. I was curious to see how things were run, if I was being honest. I wasn¡¯t completely unfamiliar with the military on Earth, and I knew that medieval armies lacked organized training and systems compared to modern militaries. I wondered if that were true here, though I doubted it considering humanity was constantly under attack by the Scourge. They couldn¡¯t lack military development, otherwise they would¡¯ve fallen long ago. So I looked forward to it all. More than that, I looked forward to truly facing the Scourge for the first time. Thankfully, the Puppet Master gave us the day before our departure off. I didn¡¯t even go to classes that day, just spending my time taking care of business. I had a few people to talk to, the first being my mentor. ¡­¡­ Standing outside the Black Spider Hotel, I saw as carriages came and went, each of them dropping off rich or influential figures. This place was always full of those individuals. You couldn¡¯t come to this place otherwise. Of course, there were lucky exceptions like myself. But the vast majority of people would never so much as hear about this place, let alone knew what existed behind the luxurious exterior. I entered after some men in suits and robes. At the desk, I saw the Key Master checking them in and handing them bronze keys. Afterward, they all disappeared into the elevators. I walked over once he was free, smiling. ¡°Good day, Key Master. Having fun?¡± ¡°John! A pleasure to see you here. And I always have fun checking in esteemed political guests.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± I leaned on the desk, looking to where those political figures disappeared. ¡°Who were they?¡± ¡°Two Marquesses and three powerful merchants. They¡¯ve come here to discuss business, as many of such stature do. This place not only acts as a hotel, but a grounds for diplomacy and exchange. You could say it¡¯s a neutral territory guaranteed by the Hotel itself.¡± ¡°By the hotel? Not the Polaris Family?¡± ¡°Indeed. The Black Spider Hotel is its own entity. The Polaris Family operates behind the face of the Black Spider and within its market.¡± ¡°Wow. I guess that makes the Hotel powerful.¡± I mumbled while visualizing everything in my head. How powerful did you have to be to have the Polaris Family, a known behemoth in the black markets above even the Tavera Family and Apocryon¡¯s Trenches, hide behind your authority? It implied that this Black Spider was much more than just the name of the market, an entity all to itself, and one that held more power than the other factions. All of which was shocking, because I had never heard anything about this before. I thought I knew about more than the average, even within the black markets. After all, I had basically uninhibited access to both markets and worked with a few large organizations within each. This was all afforded to me by Plex, but my point still stood. And sitting even deeper in the darkness of the black markets was an invisible monster I had never even known about until the Key Master gave me this subtle glimpse. It took a bit of self control on my part to not take a look at the Key Master, trying to hide the complex thoughts in my head. I was also questioning the identity of this man behind the desk. Unassuming and always treating everyone with professional courtesy, he seemed like nothing more than his station, a simple clerk. But, he was always here. Always. I could enter this lobby at any hour of the day and he would be here. In fact, his absence was rarer than otherwise. According to Plex, if he wasn¡¯t there, then the entire black market would be on high alert. Just how powerful was the Key Master? ¡®Shit, my Aura.¡¯ I suddenly snapped out of it. I forgot that I couldn¡¯t conceal everything about my state of mind. My Aura was acting out of my control. With a deep breath, I forced myself to forget about everything, turning back to that unassuming clerk. ¡°Well Key Master, don¡¯t work too hard.¡± ¡°You as well, John. I hear you¡¯re about to leave for your hunting trip. Calatrop Base, correct?¡± ¡°...Yea.¡± I was half surprised, and half expectant to hear him say that. It was another peculiar thing about the Key Master. He seemed to know everything. He knew when I was going to meet Maxwell for the first time. Back then, I assumed it was because this hotel was under the jurisdiction of the Polaris Family, and by extension, the Key Master knew about some of the affairs within it. If he was notified to look out for my arrival, then it was expected. But if this hotel was its own separate entity, then the Key Master wasn¡¯t affiliated with the Polaris Family. He shouldn¡¯t have known. And maybe I was looking too far into it, but I didn¡¯t think he should know about my destination. But I quickly pushed all that to the back of my mind. ¡°I¡¯m planning on talking to Maxwell about some things before I go.¡± ¡°Understandable. Then I won¡¯t take any more of your time. Please go ahead. An elevator is waiting for you. When you come back however, I have something to speak to you about.¡± ¡°Oh, well alright. Later then.¡± With a bit of awkwardness in my step, I walked past the desk and entered the elevator. Like that, I entered the market where I found my way to Polaris¡¯ headquarters. I entered Maxwell¡¯s study with a sigh. ¡°Hey, Maxwell.¡± ¡°Oh, hello John. I was expecting your arrival.¡± He set down a book, looking at me through a magic monocle. ¡°I see the Puppet Master has been getting you ready. Good.¡± ¡°Yea, he¡¯s really wearing us to the bone. I just wanted to ask if there was anything I should prepare.¡± ¡°Well, not as if you can¡¯t bring most of what you own with you. Just make sure you have the White Crystal and the cultivation formations. I expect you to make good progress while you¡¯re gone.¡± ¡°Really? It feels like I¡¯m going to get nothing done¡­¡± I scratched my head. The formations for Authority 4 were incredibly complex, and understanding them was proving to be several times more difficult than that for Authority 3. It felt like I would need at least several months. I didn¡¯t believe I could finish before the end of the year, at least, which was in 3 more months. But Maxwell thought otherwise. ¡°Authority 4 is a watershed. Your mind will go through great changes in the process of advancing. Unlike the previous Authorities which merely required you to accumulate before breaking through barriers, you will change the very essence of your Psyka and go through an evolution. This is why the formation is far more complex, because it will guide you through the process of that evolution. So, think of it not as one large array for simply gathering power, but a guide for circulating your power step by step.¡± ¡°...Alright.¡± I recalled the formation as he spoke, realizing that I should take his advice and change the way I was approaching comprehending the formation. After that, he leaned back into his seat. ¡°By the end of the month, I expect you to have comprehended the entire formation. After that, it will probably take you around 4 months to advance.¡± ¡°Oh. Well, I guess that¡¯s not too bad.¡± I scratched my chin. It was a bit shorter of an estimate than I expected, but reasonable. The hard part though was comprehending the formation. It seemed I had my work cut out for me. This trip would be difficult in more ways than one. Chapter 33: Hunters Maxwell and I spoke a bit more about the expectations for the trip. It seemed straightforward, and anything else I needed to know would be spoken of at the base. But beside that, there was another topic to discuss. ¡°By the way, Rayla spoke to me about Crowns. I wanted to hear your opinion on them.¡± ¡°Crowns, hm?¡± He went silent in thought, formulating his words. ¡°They are very useful tools, but only if used correctly. Crowns are derived from specific Scourge Beasts, taking their abilities, fusing it with a White Crystal, and permanently engraving the body with it. Naturally, this makes the most important detail the Beast you¡¯ve taken an ability from. Each body can only accommodate a certain amount of Crowns, so finding the right one for you is extremely important, just as much as its overall power.¡± ¡°Okay. So do you have any recommendations?¡± ¡°Well, I can give my opinion, but you know your skills best. Regardless though, you won¡¯t be receiving one anytime soon. To acquire a Crown is difficult beyond cost. Finding the right beast can take time, and the best Crowns come from Unique beasts and Royals. Neither of those are something you can hope to kill, and you surely don¡¯t have the money to buy one. Anything lesser likely isn¡¯t worth it for you, so it''s best to forget about it until you reach around Authority 6 or 7.¡± ¡°Damn. That¡¯s a long ways away¡­¡± I frowned. I knew things took time, but these Crowns seemed cool, and I obviously wanted one now. But they were permanent, so like tattoos, I didn¡¯t want to get something I would regret down the line. That made it something I would only truly deliberate quite a while from now. After discussing all that, Maxwell had nothing else to say, so I took my leave. I headed back to the Key Master¡¯s desk on my way out, morbidly curious as to what he wanted to tell me. ¡°Hello again, Key Master.¡± ¡°Ah, John. Here, allow me to pass on some news. The Key Master spoke with a smile. ¡°It seemed there¡¯s been a bounty placed on your head.¡± ¡°That actually happened?¡± My eyes widened. I had just been worried about something like that, but I didn¡¯t think it was actually possible. But after lifting his arm, I saw the Key Master expose an Aerial. This was the first time I¡¯d seen accessories on his person. He tapped it a few times, revealing a screen that hovered above his arm. On it was a list, and he found my name before tapping it. He turned the screen, allowing me to read. ¡°Bounty for John Cooper, known as the American. 22 years old, 6 foot 4 inches in height, is a fourth year student at the Magisterium and worker for Divine Distribution. Estimated power is Authority 5, a cold summoner with projectile weapons. Bounty is set to 40 thousand coin.¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent for a while, seeing the profile that had a decent grasp on who I was. It was rather scary, but I couldn¡¯t help but notice something. I frowned. ¡°That¡¯s it? 40 thousand?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a decent bounty. Not enough to move the high class hunters but enough to cause you trouble. It seems it was just recently put up.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± This time, I went silent forr a different reason, remembering what I had been thinking about when I was previously speaking with the Key Master. Who the hell was this guy? And what the hell was that program he was using? I didn¡¯t know about any sort of programs for the Aerial devices beyond calling and texting. Sure, you could send images and the like, but there wasn¡¯t much functionality besides that. It surely wasn¡¯t anything like phones from Earth. But this seemed to be some kind of program or service not unlike the internet. If that was the case, and there really was some kind of magic internet here, then I really wanted to know how to use it. And I really wanted to know what that program was that would allow me to see my bounty. The Key Master closed the program. ¡°I recommend you be careful, John. I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ll have trouble with the Hunters that come your way, but do be sure to take precautions so you don¡¯t get attacked and killed while unaware or vulnerable. Thankfully you will be leaving tomorrow morning, so the interest in the bounty will subside and turn to low levels by the time you come back.¡± ¡°Right. That¡¯s a very fortunate coincidence.¡± ¡°Yes. Stay within the Magisterium though. It is your safest option besides within this hotel. I don¡¯t recommend leaving for anywhere within the city, and if you must do so, right now is the best time.¡± ¡°Okay. Thanks, Key Master. I¡¯ll take off now then.¡± ¡°Of course, John. Safe travels.¡± With that, I said goodbye. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t quite go back to the Magisterium. I had a small bit of shopping to do. I needed a few more sets of clothes, something I seemed to lack. In fact, I had planned some time with Rayla to do so. I planned to go see her after Maxwell and finish off my night with her. And my plans didn¡¯t change, but now I was anxious with an actual target on my head. Not long later, within a tailor shop of the Founder¡¯s Market specializing in defensive and enchanted clothing, I found Rayla. This place was one we had come to before. ¡°John! You look tired. Those scenarios really kicked your ass, huh?¡± ¡°Yea. Though, I guess there¡¯s something I should tell you.¡± Briefly, I told Rayla about the new bounty. And with a single sentence, she seemed shocked in several ways. ¡°You said the Key Master told you about it?¡± ¡°Yea.¡± ¡°Weird¡­ But either way, this isn¡¯t good. That bounty system is known as the Black Spider Registry. They call it a Web, and its a place that can only be accessed by Aerials with special functions attached. I don¡¯t know much more than that since even I don¡¯t have access to it, but I do know that its a place for assassins known as Hunters. Anybody within it can place a bounty on someone¡¯s head, so long as they have the money. People can even bid to increase the prize, and the killer gets the big payout.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound good. There¡¯s a lot of people who want me dead.¡± ¡°Yes, there are. Unfortunately it comes with the job.¡± ¡°Do you have a bounty?¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Me? Please.¡± She chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not that amazing. You kill much more people than I do, mainly because of the way your weapons work. But, I¡¯ve known people who have been killed by Hunters. One of them was one of Plex¡¯s prior apprentices, someone who got greedy and angered some very wealthy people.¡± ¡°...¡± I thought back, remembering being told about that. It seemed there was more to the story, but only now was I realizing just how dark this stuff could get. Now, I was being hunted. And unless that bounty came down at some point, I would need to watch my back. Perhaps sensing my stress, Rayla grabbed my hand and pulled. ¡°Hey, it¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m here now, so I won¡¯t let anyone touch you. Okay, princess?¡± ¡°Heh, thanks.¡± I chuckled a bit as she pulled me through the shop. There were plenty of basic clothes hanging on racks. All of them had self sizing features, temperature regulation, and decent defensive properties. At the very least, it wouldn¡¯t be torn by anything other than a blade and would remain in great condition through even the roughest treatment. Considering I was heading to a battlefield, this was the stuff I wanted. We picked out several basic shirts, some black, some white, and others with some cool designs on them. This world was very modest in its clothing, at least in regards to colors. Unless you were rich, you probably weren¡¯t getting your hands on much colorful wear. But to have some nicer shirts and pants wasn¡¯t out of the question, especially for people like us. Rayla often liked to wear dark red and black, colors that went well with her blood red hair. I always wore my black overcoat, so Rayla picked out some shirts that could accentuate from underneath the coat and pants that matched it. She even picked out a few pairs of shoes, some more like boots, others more formal looking. By the time she was done, my spatial bracelet was loaded. I would need to bring an actual bag to pack some things. ¡°To think I actually have enough things to pack a bag¡­¡± I sighed as we left the store. Those words were heavier than I thought. I had plenty of things back on Earth. Devices, dozens of articles of clothing, accessories, things I could fill a room with. I had an apartment back then, and it wasn¡¯t empty. But here, there wasn¡¯t much to call my own. The clothes on my back and the few accessories I had were all there was. It was a bit amazing, having all these things. I wondered if one day, I could get a real home and fill it with a bunch of things. It seemed impossible. I was living such a different life here. Suddenly, I looked toward Rayla. Since I needed a chest for my items, we decided to go and get one. But as I watched her lead me down to another shop, I wondered if she was having the same dilemma. After everything she had gone through with her late husband and being in the position she was as a former military member and working in the black market, she was likely finding it impossible to truly settle down somewhere. Getting a house, a home, might seem nice on the surface, but it represented far more than just owning the property. It was about establishing a place for you to settle down, a place that you were committing to. On a more intimate level, it was a place to grow a family with the person you loved. For Rayla who had all of that taken away from her, maybe she couldn¡¯t find it in herself to take that step, to finally give in and settle. She already had enough money to get a nice property within the city and never work another day in her life. But here she was, still working as a deliverywoman and giving the excuse that she was still saving up. It made my heart ache. ¡°Here, what about this one?¡± She pointed to a chest as I finally snapped out of it. I didn¡¯t really know how I got into a furniture shop, but I just went with it. The chest before me looked completely ordinary, but apparently it had some magic locks and was structurally enhanced. It was really difficult to break into, and the key for it could apparently track it and alert me to tampering. Of course, it was also 50 thousand coin, but hey, had to protect my investment, right? I bought it without thinking too much, dumping a stack of Gold Bullion on the counter before finalizing the sale. As a courtesy, they even engraved my name on it, the guy writing it on the lock right then and there. After that, I picked it up. It was large, more than enough for what I needed. It was also enhanced with spatial magic, making it contain much more than its actual size. This didn¡¯t make it that much more expensive though because, unlike spatial sacks, this thing didn¡¯t have to worry about making a small accessory contain so much space. It was kind of heavy though. And unluckily, just as we were getting ready to leave, my neck suddenly tingled. I turned, just in time to see a patron within the store jump toward me. I raised the chest into the path of the shortsword. *Ting!* The chest easily blocked the blade, even though I was actually knocked to the ground. ¡°Shit!¡± Rayla cursed as I tumbled across the ground. In her hand appeared her staff, mana whipping around her as a spell rapidly assembled. But the man, who I quickly deduced as a Hunter, was only focused on me. Unlukcily for him though, I was quick to equip my trusty boomstick. The shotgun barrels lined themselves up with his lunging body, my Psyka infusing into the shells. *BOOM* The explosion shook the shop, the slugs from my shotguns hitting the man so hard his body was flung away. I broke open the double barrel the next moment, removing and slotting in two new shells with practiced movements. I was getting pretty good. Shockingly though, I wasn¡¯t finished. The man still jumped to his feet, though not uninjured. He now had an extra hole in his stomach. The fact that he could move at all though spoke to his incredible strength. After all, that was two empowered slugs! I scoffed. ¡°All of you Knights are cockroaches, I swear. Even the dumbasses can get tough enough to survive their stupidity.¡± I grumbled while climbing to my own feet. In that time the hunter brought out some small sphere and crushed it. It let out a blue foam, one that spread over the wound and seemed to seal it. After that, he suddenly dodged as a barrage of spells shot toward him. ¡°My shop!¡± ¡°Go fuck yourself!¡± Rayla cursed as she fired off her magic. Some were inaccurate, but others hit their mark. What seemed like magic missiles battered the hunter into a bloody mess, even more so than my shotgun blast. He was pushed toward me, and with a dodge, used Rayla¡¯s spell to take another lunge. But I was ready, my shotgun drawn and my finger squeezing. *BOOM* Another explosion, and this time, he wasn¡¯t so lucky. His chest was blown open, the corpse sliding across the floor in front of me. Right after that, Rayla placed 5 Gold Bullion on the shop counter before grabbing my arm and running out. ¡°That was a hunter. We need to get out of here.¡± ¡°Not without my chest!¡± I shouted while diving for the chest, picking it up and looking over it. There wasn¡¯t a single scratch on it, making me nod. ¡°Money well spent. Now let¡¯s get to the school.¡± Saying that, the both of us made a beeline for the Magisterium. Thankfully, that seemed to be the only hunter. I felt like I was being watched as we were leaving the market, but not long after getting out, that feeling disappeared. Then, we got a carriage to take us to the school. It was only after arriving at the gates that Rayla sighed in relief. ¡°That was almost bad. You¡¯ve got good instincts.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my practice with Aura. Looks like I have more of a reason to keep practicing.¡± I smiled while thinking back. I reacted to that man before I even knew what was happening. That level of intuition almost felt clairvoyant. At the same time though, it let me know just how important something like that was in a fight. I would need to focus on it during my trip. Rayla also smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad. You leave tomorrow morning, right? I¡¯ll be there to send you off.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t turn that down.¡± ¡°Good, because I won¡¯t let you. I¡¯ll say goodbye then, so for now, get a good night¡¯s rest.¡± She gave me a hug, which I returned. And inwardly, I sighed. Rayla was an amazing woman. Smart, level-headed, beautiful, and powerful. But as time went on and I learned more about her, I only became more conflicted. She was someone I wouldn¡¯t mind truly dating. She seemed like someone I could be happy with, and she was someone I wanted to make happy. But two issues ate at me. For one, I didn¡¯t want to do anything out of pity. That wasn¡¯t right for either of us, and given her story, there was a lot of it. But more importantly, I also have much of my life ahead of me. I was only beginning my path to power. At the very least, I wanted to reach Rayla¡¯s level before settling. My powers, my ability to summon weapons and gear from Earth, was too amazing not to cash in on. It would bring me much desired security that I could protect a family with. So I couldn¡¯t begin a real relationship with Rayla. At least, not yet. If I ended my path, and both of us were still in the same place, then I don¡¯t believe I would hesitate. But a lot could happen in the years it would take me to reach that end. And in the back of my mind, that thought made me fear for her. Fear that I wouldn¡¯t be able to give her what she had lost. Fear that I may not give her the fulfilling end she deserved. That hypothetical scared me, even though it was something I had to face. If there was ever someone else, then would I really be able to forget Rayla? Would I really deny her everything I could give? As I separated from her and left into the magic college, I silently brooded over that thought, both hoping that I would someday find someone and dreading the prospect of actually doing something about it. And the fact that I hoped for it at all left me in a spiral of self-loathing. That night, I went to sleep with a lot on my mind. Chapter 34: Dream A magic formation filled my mind. It was too complex to comprehend in its entirety, but somehow intuitively I completely understood how to use it. I could feel the Psyka within my mind begin to cycle as I followed the formation¡¯s directions. The Psyka became thousands of little stars of power in the space of my mind, and as it cycled, they created streaks like comets yet contained themselves within a small area as if quartered by an invisible orb. This small area of chaotic shooting stars became a huge bundle of power, but more than that, as it grew in size, I found my mind becoming clearer, faster, as if that small area was becoming a second brain. At some point, those stars of power that were drawing lines with their converging movements became so fast that they became a white orb, the streaks of those stars becoming so blinding that you couldn¡¯t differentiate between the hundreds of them within such a small space. Compared to the rest of the space within my mind, however, the white orb was still small. It was like a marble compared to the size of the brain. But despite that, the power it contained made me feel as though it were trying to match my brain in sheer power, yet falling short because of my own inability. That small white orb of fleeting Psyka enhanced my mental faculties in every way. My speed of thought, given a rough estimation, went up by around a third. But more importantly than that, it felt like I had unlocked the ability to control my thoughts with greater discipline. It was like that orb was a device that I could control, one that could be directed to process certain things. Controlling it was no different from controlling my Psyka, which was like a limb. And in the center of all of it, filling every corner of my mind and allowing this orb to form in the first place, was that massive formation. From a cursory glance, I could only understand the first quarter of it. There was still a lot to go, but I could tell that should I realize all of it, that white orb would gain enough power to truly match my brain in ability. It would unlock a whole other realm of cognitive power. And I was about to attempt to understand more of it. I felt like I could understand anything, my mind completely open to absorbing information. In this moment, I was endlessly creative, my mind working in overdrive yet completely comfortable, if not blissful. Almost like a dream. A dream¡­ My thoughts reached a certain point, and with a realization, I came to understand that I was dreaming. After that, everything collapsed. And my eyes opened. ¡°...¡± I was frozen in my bed. I didn¡¯t know where I was, nor did I care. The only thing on my mind was that formation. I wanted to think about it more. It was all there in my mind, just waiting to be looked at and deciphered. But as I thought about it more, the more those feelings disappeared. It was like water in the palm of my hands, unable to be held or contained, constantly slipping away. And when it was all gone, and my eyes finally zoned in to see the roof of my room at the Magisterium, I realized it was all gone. ¡°...Shit!¡± I cursed before shooting up. I reached into my spatial bracelet and took out a sheet of leather. This leather contained the formation for advancing to Authority 4. After thinking about the portion of the information I understood, I realized that it all came from this formation. And as I looked at it, feeling the changes in my mind, I realized that I had just comprehended an entire quarter of this formation in my sleep. I didn¡¯t even remember what the first quarter of the formation looked like. If you asked me to draw it out, I¡¯d put down a few lines before giving up. It was too complex to memorize. But it had appeared in my dreams, in its entirety no less. Well, that was the power of the sleeping mind. Something about it made you feel like a savant, but as soon as you woke, all that would slip away. I was no stranger to lucid dreaming. Deliberately causing it wasn¡¯t an uncommon thing for me. I was pretty sure most people lucid dreamt occasionally. But it seemed that, with the power of Psyka, dreaming could invoke very real changes. It was actually beneficial if used in this way. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t something I could really control. It was like getting inspired. Things like that just came to you. You couldn¡¯t really force it. I suddenly wanted to go back to sleep, anything to go back to that state. But I had already woken, and my mind was feeling euphoric. That white orb of Psyka within my mind was there, acting like a core of energy for my thoughts. I could direct it like electricity. It was a level of control over my thoughts that I wasn¡¯t quite sure how to handle. It was like another mind entirely, almost separate from my own. I would imagine this was what growing an extra limb was like. It was a part of you, but separate until you assimilated it. Was this what powerful summoners had at their disposal? If this orb grew to fill my entire mind, how much faster would my thoughts be? I was already beginning to feel like a genius, but taken a dozen steps further, just how amazing would my mind be? No wonder summoners were hailed as the smartest among the Magi. I couldn¡¯t imagine what would come later. I spent the next long while sorting myself out. It was hard to concentrate when my focus was on using the orb. In one moment, I had the orb focus on comprehending more of the formation before my eyes. But in another moment, I had it focus on scouring my dimensions for weapons and spirits to summon. Whenever I shifted its power, I felt my mind receiving all kinds of information. These were my thoughts, but they almost felt foreign. It wasn¡¯t uncomfortable, just disorienting because I couldn¡¯t turn it off. But after thinking about turning it off, I realized I could direct it in a more general way. Around the orb that was filled with chaotic shooting stars of beaming Psyka was the rest of my mind. It was like an ocean, one that moved in a slower, more idle current. And within that ocean were many more stars than what was contained within the orb. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. If I directed the power of the orb outward, it seemed to spread its power out toward the entire ocean. When that happened, I felt a small wave of relief as my thoughts, while still quick, weren¡¯t so unnaturally focused. It was hard to keep up with my own mind when it was moving that fast, as weird as that was. After doing that, I took another few minutes just to stew in silence, processing everything. But then, I suddenly raised my arm. When doing so, I felt like I had greater control over even my body, as if I could feel the clusters of neurons activating and enhancing my mind-muscle connection. But that wasn¡¯t the point in doing so. I brought up my Aerial, calling my teacher. ¡°What.¡± His dull voice echoed in my mind, seemingly not happy with my early morning call. I spoke anyway. ¡°Hey. So, I comprehended some of the Authority 4 formation.¡± ¡°Congratulations, and goodbye.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± I made him stay, throwing out what would interest him. ¡°I came to understand about a quarter of the formation all at once, and I did so within my dream. While dreaming, I formed an orb of energy within my mind. It¡¯s made things a lot faster.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± This time, I heard his voice perk up with impression. ¡°Seems you¡¯ve been inspired. And to think you¡¯ve had a dream at this stage. You¡¯re quite lucky.¡± ¡°Really? I don¡¯t really think it¡¯s luck¡­¡± ¡°So you think it''s skill? Until I reached Authority 9, I had only dreamt perhaps 3 times in my life. Dreams only become more frequent when a summoner gets more powerful. Pushing toward Authority 10, I had them rather often, perhaps once or twice a week. It¡¯s a known phenomenon. In fact, most people will never have a dream at all unless they climb to the higher Authorities. ¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent as I contemplated these sudden new facts. On Earth, dreams were common enough. Everyone had dreams. Dreaming every night was normal, even if you didn¡¯t remember it. But, to never dream? Was sleep really just a time of darkness and suspension for the people of this world? It was something I never would have thought of. Was that really one of the main differences between this world and Earth? Dreaming? It was fascinating, but if dreams were a time of inspiration that could help a person comprehend magical concepts, then the more I dreamt, the faster I would grow my power. It was a serious advantage, even if an odd one. When I thought about it more though, I also realized it was kind of depressing. Dreaming was the great escape from the harsh realities of life. It made sleep enjoyable, besides being able to rest and recover. And nobody in this world was able to experience the bliss of dreaming about flying. Then again, many dreams were also indecipherable messes that made no sense, but that was beside the point. How sad, I thought. ¡°...Well, just wanted to let you know. That little orb in my mind is rather amazing, too.¡± ¡°Yes. The fact that you¡¯ve created your first Spark is a great boon. Most summoners have to understand the entire formation before being able to start, but it seems you¡¯ll be able to cultivate throughout the process of understanding. It will accelerate your growth even further, depending on how well you use it.¡± ¡°Wait, the first? There¡¯s more?¡± ¡°When you reach Authority 9, you will have formed three, each acting no different from an extra mind when completed. Your talent determines how powerful each Spark is, and without enough power, you will be unable to cultivate the next. I don¡¯t worry about that with you, so long as you don¡¯t squander the gifts you¡¯ve been given. So work hard.¡± ¡°Right. I will.¡± ¡°Then goodbye. And take care of yourself on the trip.¡± *Click* With those words, Maxwell suddenly hung up. I could feel genuine care in those final words, making me smile a bit. Despite his usually cold attitude, I knew he cared. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t invest so much in me. Not that I ever planned on taking advantage of it. One day, I would pay back all those that helped me in this life. But that could only wait until I had the power to give them something of value that matched or exceeded their position. After letting out a long breath, I looked at the clock and saw that it wasn¡¯t long before I¡¯d have to leave. I then turned my head toward the large chest next to my bed. It looked rough but unblemished, designed to blend in despite its rich and powerful construction. I got up and cleaned myself for the day before getting ready to leave. Opening the chest, I saw that it looked completely normal inside. It had a smooth wood finish that wouldn¡¯t damage anything within. But, there was also a hidden button that looked like one of the many rivets that built the chest. I pressed it, and the inner walls fell down to reveal space that shouldn¡¯t be there. According to the shopkeep, this chest could contain three times its actual size. In order to utilize the extra space, you just needed to push that button and place the items into the newly exposed area. It was no different from placing an item through an invisible wall, which made it disorienting but cool. Nodding to myself, I pushed the button again and the walls came back up, sealing the subspace and making it look normal. After that, I threw all my items into it. Every piece of clothing I owned went into it, along with some other miscellaneous items I had. Once that was done I properly dressed myself in my standard attire. Pants, a shirt, my overcoat, and some comfortable shoes. Then, I picked up the chest. It was about time to report for departure. One more useful function of the chest was weight reduction. I could activate that feature at will, making it light enough to easily carry. And when it was time to hand it off, I could deactivate it, making it its normal weight. Anything to reduce suspicions. Like that, I headed out. And I wasn¡¯t the only one. All fourth years were leaving for this trip, so the entire dorm was active. I passed by several people, all of them carrying chests similar to mine. We all exited the dorms before making out way out to the entrance of the Magisterium. ¡°John!¡± Along the way, I bumped into Tana and Umara. Tana was lively as usual, but Umara was quiet. She didn¡¯t seem like a morning person, and neither was I. So for the most part, we walked in silence, humming and nodding idly as Tana talked along the way. And so we arrived at the entrance to the Magisterium. There, we found a dozen carriages and wagons already waiting for us, along with many staff and instructors. ¡°Come grab a nametag and attach it to your luggage! Everything will be loaded into the wagons before being taken to the Rails for stowage!¡± We were all guided through a process of logging our names and loading our chests onto the wagons. I attached a tag to my own chest with my name on it before tossing the chest into a wagon with a dozen other chests like my own. After that, we were assigned carriages that would take us to the terminal for the Rails. Before that though¡­ I looked around. As the minutes passed, more people began to gather. They were all the younger year students, and I suppose their powerful seniors had caught their eyes. It was no secret that the Elites and fourth year students were all famous in the Magisterium. I hadn¡¯t really noticed because I was new, receiving little to none of that fame. But everyone else around me was more than well known. There was a leaderboard in the Magisterium, and those on the leaderboard were known as Elites. They were a group of people which had no defining limits. There could be hundreds or only 10. And each of the Elites had earned their position through killing Scourge beasts. And beside their name was a point counter. The Elites earned points based on the number and strength of the beasts they killed. The top Elites had a few thousand points. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t know how points were assigned. That would be something I learned when I got to the base on this trip. But regardless, the people who I had been doing scenarios with under the Puppet Master were all Elites at minimum. I was a major exception in their group, as only Elites were actually allowed to receive his services. And not all fourth year students were Elites. In fact, last I checked, there were currently only 28 Elites. For reference, there were around 140 fourth year students. I had met most of these Elites, at least those who did the Scenarios. I heard that some of the Elites did training outside the Magisterium and never showed, so I had yet to meet all of them personally. But people like Tana, Umara, and Heubert were all Elites who I had gotten to know over a few weeks. Outside of classes, they were people I would occasionally stick with, like currently. And we attracted a lot of attention. Heubert wasn¡¯t here, so it was just Tana and Umara by my side as we waited. And I couldn¡¯t help but notice and feel a lot of younger students staring. Chapter 35: Sawn Tana snickered as she noticed the attention we were getting. ¡°Be careful John. You might become famous if you keep sticking around us like this.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never been famous before. At least not in a good way. So it might be fun.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Are you famous in a bad way?¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s a matter of perspective.¡± I thought about it for a second. My notoriety in the black markets had both good and bad points that kind of balanced each other out. But considering the threat to my life, I figured it was more bad than good if I had to lean one way. I shrugged and looked over at Tana. ¡°Hey, what rank are you again?¡± ¡°Rank 15.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re average.¡± ¡°Shut up. At least I¡¯m an Elite in the first place.¡± ¡°Heh, just wait. How about you, Umara?¡± ¡°Rank 8. Heubert is Rank 22. But the ranks don¡¯t mean too much, mainly because they rely on kill counts. Someone like Heubert who specializes in defense and protection shouldn¡¯t have his value measured by something like that.¡± ¡°Very true.¡± I nodded in understanding. Heubert was responsible for protecting his team, not killing. So his prowess couldn¡¯t be judged by the same standards as an offensive counterpart. But he was still an Elite, which spoke to his ability and strength. Now Tana, on the other hand, was a purely offensive Elite. That meant she could, for the most part, be judged wholly by her ability to kill. In which case, she was average among the Elites. And Umara seemed to be higher among the hierarchy, which wasn¡¯t too surprising considering her great utility. That made me wonder how good the number 1 Elite was though. I hoped to see them soon. It took a while to pack and organize the entire fourth year class, so we got to hang out for a while and wake our bodies up. All the while, even more students came crowding over, all watching their seniors get ready to depart. There had to be at least a few hundred students all gathering around the gates. *Beep Beep* Suddenly though, I heard a beeping sound in my mind. It was a sound I had never heard before, so I was curious and tapped my Aerial. And I picked up a call. The name on it said Sawn. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°John! This is Sawn from Sawn Industries. I¡¯m on my way, so I need you to stay put.¡± ¡°...Okay?¡± *Click* The call hung up, making me curious as to what this very famous man wanted to do with me. Then again, I still used his experimental Aerial, so perhaps it had something to do with that. And about a minute later, a large carriage rolled up to our group. It attracted plenty of eyes because it truly was very large, at least twice as big as the carriages we were taking. The door opened, revealing Sawn who I had met several months ago at that auction. He found me and waved. ¡°John? Who is that?¡± Tana asked, realizing that this was for me. I just sighed. ¡°Sawn, apparently. Hang on. I¡¯ll be right back. Hopefully.¡± I left and walked over to the carriage, boarding and shutting the door behind me. And inside, I was baffled by the sight. Sawn sat behind a large table, on which were several devices that looked like both magical and scientific instruments which filled the entire carriage. No wonder it was so big. It was a mobile lab. He waved me over. ¡°Good to see you again, but I don¡¯t want to spend much time out here. Come, I need to add and activate some of the Aerial¡¯s features for you. Just place your arm here.¡± He pointed to a device, a cradle for the Aerial. Taking a deep breath, I just sat down and did what he said. He explained as my arm was locked in, and a few devices went to work opening the Aerial and tampering with it. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard, but there¡¯s something we call the Web. It¡¯s a service exclusively for the newer generational Aerials since only they can tap into it. It¡¯s basically this invisible information network between all kinds of people. Right now, only the Kingdom and some other powerful individuals can open Nodes which give access to different services. Anyway, I¡¯m opening your Aerial up to this Web. I want you to access it as much as you can, for data collection. And I want you to do so while you¡¯re at Calatrop Base. I¡¯ve set up nodes for the Kingdom at every major military installation for easy information transfer. It¡¯s revolutionary, but it still needs refining. And your Aerial is designed to act as a mobile Node in order to test out certain functions¡­¡± Sawn ranted for several minutes while working on the Aerial. And as he spoke and described everything, I started to gain even more respect for the man. He was creating the Internet! And phones! And he was doing it all with magic! It seemed to me that, with magic as the hardware, all Sawn needed to do was figure out the software. Compared to developing physical computers and the like, this was far easier. But regardless, this man was bringing an informational revolution to this world. I couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of admiration. At the same time, it was rather surreal to be in the presence of someone with such genius and stature. I mean, if I equated him to someone from Earth, he was the head of a billion dollar company that was changing the world. To even meet someone like that was an honor. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re leaving like this. I can collect more data. Also, be sure to test out the local communication function when you leave the range of the communication Nodes, like while on missions.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± *Click* With that, my Aerial was reassembled and set back into place on my arm. Now, it was a tad bit bulkier with new devices on it, looking a bit more futuristic. Then, I suddenly spoke up, calling on the knowledge from my home world. ¡°Hey Sawn, I have an idea.¡± ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± He asked while tampering with some more things on his desk, not even lifting his head. I spoke anyway. ¡°Well, let me ask first. How do I access Nodes using the Aerial?¡± ¡°You need their specific web address, which is basically their name, and you enter it into the Web program that¡¯s newly installed. That lets you connect directly to their Node and receive the information on it.¡± ¡°I see. Well, what if you created something like Domains? These domains would basically compile the addresses of every Node under it, allowing you to access them like names on a book. They can be divided according to their geographical area, like by city. And people can search these Domains for the addresses of the Node services, getting descriptive results instead of needing to know the exact address.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°...¡± Sawn went silent, stopping whatever he was doing to listen. I continued. ¡°And there can be multiple levels of Domains. There can be one Domain for a city¡¯s Nodes, and one Domain for all the city level Domains. This would allow you to access every node regardless of location, as well as divide the traffic across different levels for more efficiency. Of course, you¡¯d have to make a repository of every web address, assigning them rules for data transfer across these Nodes-¡± ¡°We have something like that.¡± Sawn suddenly spoke, cutting me off. ¡°We have these repositories for the web addresses, as well as a small system of what you¡¯ve described as Domains. It¡¯s in its infancy, but we¡¯re working on it before deploying it. We intend to make every web address accessible in some way in the future, using a tool for searching that can aim the user toward a specific Node that will give them the data they want via descriptions. For now, however, we are stuck with simpler systems. There are very few Nodes, most of them being used for the Kingdom¡¯s operations such as military communication and magical study. The Magisterium has one of its own for their Alchemical and other research programs. But that isn¡¯t enough to implement the systems we want or collect data to test them. On top of that, we have issues with data storage within these singular Nodes, something we need to optimize and scale.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± I nodded, realizing they were further along in the game than I thought. I remembered some details about how the Internet worked on Earth. I didn¡¯t know many specifics, but enough to know how data moved from one place to another. There were many hierarchies and rules that a computer had to follow set by the internet protocol, so I thought that I could give Sawn an idea about it. But it seemed he didn¡¯t need it. ¡°I guess you just need to make Nodes larger and more accessible then.¡± ¡°Yes. More Nodes, more Aerials, more data, and more functions. And that¡¯s exactly what your Aerial is helping us work toward. If everything goes according to plan, the technology behind your experimental Aerial will become the basis for the mass production and accessibility of Nodes.¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s impressive work.¡± ¡°No, what¡¯s impressive is that you were able to come up with ideas about something you hardly know anything about. What you¡¯ve described is something the people at Sawn Industries have only conceived of after about 3 years of optimization and brainstorming. You¡¯re a smart kid. Perhaps when you¡¯re done with your career in the military, you can come work under me at my company. Summoners are always welcome researchers.¡± ¡°...Perhaps. Thank you, Sawn.¡± ¡°Sure. Now don¡¯t be late for your trip.¡± With a goodbye, I left the carriage, stepping back out into the light. I couldn¡¯t help a smile as I arrived back at Tana and Umara¡¯s side, thinking about how valuable Sawn¡¯s offer was. ¡°What was that?¡± Tana asked, causing me to shrug. ¡°Eh, not much. Just saying hi to an acquaintance.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re acquainted with Sawn of Sawn Industries, the creator of the Aerial?¡± ¡°...Well¡­¡± I was quiet under Tana¡¯s scrutinizing eyes, scratching my cheek. Umara muttered in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t recall there being a Noble household going by the name Cooper¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a noble.¡± ¡°Then how did you get associated with Sawn? That man actually came to you personally as well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡± ¡°Enlighten me.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara got in my face as well. Both were morbidly curious about my relationship with Sawn, which was understandable. But I didn¡¯t really want to tell them. I should¡¯ve kept my mouth shut earlier. I made something up. ¡°I just delivered some stuff for him once¡­¡± ¡°Right, you¡¯re a delivery man. And apparently you move cargo for one of the richest men in the world.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. We just crossed paths one time and I happened to get the job.¡± ¡°Where could you possibly cross paths with a man like that?¡± ¡°...¡± I went silent, realizing I was only digging myself a deeper hole. Seriously, Umara really liked to dig for dirt. ¡°I plead the fifth.¡± ¡°What? What does that mean?¡± ¡°It means I refuse to talk.¡± ¡°Come on, you can tell me. I¡¯m good at keeping secrets.¡± ¡°And digging for them. Please, get off my ass.¡± I put my hand on Umara¡¯s face, pushing her away. She took a step back with a small laugh. At the same time, we all heard a shout. ¡°All fourth year students, please board your assigned transports! We depart for the Central Terminal in 10 minutes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s us.¡± Tana let out a breath. With that call, the three of us boarded the carriage we were hanging by. We weren¡¯t the only ones. Heubert didn¡¯t seem to be a part of our group, but there were a few others. Three more people boarded with us. There were two benches within this carriage, so I sat between Tana and Umara who wanted to be by the windows. The ones who joined across from us were also Elites, some I was familiar with. One of them was the only Elite who was a Summoner like me. He could summon a bear, serpent, and tiger, and we had done a scenario together. His name was Ruden, and he recognized me as soon as he boarded. ¡°John! It¡¯s good to see you again.¡± ¡°You too.¡± We shook hands as he sat down, chatting for a moment before another person boarded. It was a girl and a warlock just like Umara. In fact, they seemed like friends. ¡°Hi Umara!¡± ¡°Good morning Hailey.¡± Hailey sat across from Umara. She was a petite blonde girl who seemed lively, and she didn¡¯t hesitate to chat with the more reserved Umara. Finally, the last spot was filled by a man. I didn¡¯t recognize him at all, making me curious. But the others went quiet at his arrival. As he boarded, he looked around before eyeing me for a moment. I nodded to him, which he returned with the same courtesy before taking a seat beside Ruden, looking out the window. Suddenly Umara lifted her sleeve and tapped her Aerial, typing out a message and sending it. I received it momentarily. We had exchanged info a while ago, even if we didn¡¯t use it much. ¡°That¡¯s Feiden Desmus. He¡¯s a noble child of the Desmus Marquess household. He¡¯s a Knight, ranked 2 in the Elites. He¡¯s fast and strong, but his biggest asset is his insane spear technique. He¡¯s an Authority 5 and has reached the Enhancement stage where he can imbue weapons with his Vigor beyond his body. He could kill you with no more than two fingers.¡± Umara¡¯s explanation caused me to realize that this man was a big deal. Not only was he nobility, but he was seriously strong. The Enhancement Stage of a Knight was one of the levels that a Knight could advance to, and it required skill to achieve, not Authorities. Below the Enhancement Stage was the Novice Stage, and there, a Knight could only utilize Vigor within their bodies, doing nothing extraneous with it. Enhancement was the first Stage where a Knight could bring Vigor beyond their skin and into another object. And beyond Enhancement was the Master Stage where a Knight could release Vigor from even their weapons, creating attacks that could strike from a distance with devastation. And going even further beyond was the King Stage where Vigor went beyond merely being a destructive energy and gained unique properties. But because so few people ever reached this stage throughout history and, by extension, never studied it, not much was known about it. At least, that¡¯s what was taught publicly. It seemed Feiden truly was talented if he had reached the Enhancement Stage so early. As far as I knew, none of the Tavera Knights I had fought with on that trip were of the Enhancement stage except for the Captain and that pugilist from the Yeon Guild. His Vigor was the reason I had a scar on the side of my head. For a while, nobody spoke in the carriage. Everyone seemed pressured by Feiden for some reason. He just stared out the window, almost like he was used to this kind of treatment. After looking at him for a while, I suddenly spoke. ¡°Feiden, right? Amazing work, being second among the Elites.¡± ¡°...Thanks.¡± After turning from the window and facing me for a second, he nodded with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve also come to hear about you. John, correct? It¡¯s a pleasure.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± We shook hands, and I smiled now that the ice was broken. He seemed nice enough. Then, I asked about something on my mind. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you at the training grounds run by the Puppet Master. Do you train elsewhere?¡± ¡°Yes. I train under a mentor from my family. Lately I¡¯ve been focused on advancing my use of Vigor instead of combating Scourge beasts.¡± ¡°Understandable. Sheer power determines who you can even begin to fight. If you can¡¯t so much as damage their body, tactics and strategies are useless.¡± ¡°Indeed! I can understand why, but many instructors at the Magisterium believe more in teaching students combat tactics. It simply doesn¡¯t suit me right now, and besides, I¡¯ve had enough practice against beasts over the years.¡± Feiden described some of his experiences. It seems that he was already well known for having a high kill count against Scourge beasts from all the hunting trips he¡¯d gone on. And at some point, learning to fight beasts simply wasn¡¯t as valuable as increasing his power and skill with the spear. And I understood his reasons. I myself had issues with the power behind my guns and bullets. At a certain level, they were useless against Knights due to their tough bodies. So it didn¡¯t matter how amazing my strategies against an enemy were, if I couldn¡¯t pierce their bodies with my bullets, then I couldn¡¯t kill them no matter how hard I tried. If not for the fact that I had no experience fighting Scourge beasts, I would also have been purely focused on advancing my Authority. But because I was inexperienced, I spent all my time at the training grounds. Still, I intended to switch gears soon. After this trip, I should have enough experience along with the Puppet Master¡¯s training. So nothing would be more important than simply advancing my Authorities and searching for more spirits to commune with. Chapter 36: Drunkard As I contemplated the near future, Feiden suddenly asked me a question, continuing our conversation. ¡°How about you, John? I hear you¡¯re a Cold Summoner. You made quite the disturbance when you entered. I heard all about you and how you directly entered the fourth year class.¡± ¡°Yea. Because of my age and how I was already Authority 3, I was placed into it. That, along with my summons. Their pure lethality makes them capable of killing above their level.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s impressive. So this is your first trip, correct? It¡¯s a big jump going straight to working with the military. Do you feel prepared?¡± ¡°Well, if it¡¯s anything like the Puppet Master¡¯s scenarios, then I should at least be able to keep myself alive.¡± I shrugged. It wasn¡¯t like I had to adapt a spear or sword technique to the behaviors of beasts. My guns were simple. Point and shoot. The only things I had to worry about were my positioning in relation to the enemy and how the sounds from my guns attracted attention. Feiden nodded. ¡°Yes, the Puppet Master is very good at preparing people for the Scourge. If you can survive those scenarios, then you should be able to handle yourself on this trip.¡± ¡°Good to know. And hopefully, I¡¯ll be placed into teams I¡¯m familiar with. I¡¯ve only worked with the Elites, so if I¡¯m thrown into a group with normal fourth years, then I¡¯m not sure how things will go.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about that too much. The Puppet Master will be overseeing the placement and management of the Elites. You¡¯ll be placed into a group that he¡¯s given you before and with people that work well with you. They can¡¯t have us dying, after all, so there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll put you with completely new people.¡± ¡°Oh. Well thank goodness.¡± I smiled, one of my concerns being taken care of. After that, Feiden and I continued to chat for the remainder of the ride. Since we were heading to the outskirts of the city where the Central Terminal was, it didn¡¯t take too long. And once we arrived, we got off the carriages before entering the Terminal. We were all herded toward one area where our Rail was being prepared and our luggage loaded. There was time to hang out. Most people just began talking, but I had my attention directed elsewhere. Looking around, it wasn¡¯t long before I spotted Rayla in the crowds. Our huge group was obvious, so she didn¡¯t have an issue finding me. Leaving the others, I walked over to her who had a beaming smile. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Hey, Rayla.¡± We hugged, and for a moment, I couldn¡¯t help but think that we no doubt looked like a couple. She asked once we separated. ¡°Everything packed?¡± ¡°Yup. Most of what I own is in that chest.¡± ¡°Good. How does your body feel? Have you recovered?¡± ¡°For the most part. Still a bit sore.¡± ¡°Light a cigar then. That Rail ride is your last chance to really rest. You¡¯ll be busy for the next month.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°You just need to worry about yourself. I know Maxwell probably gave you things to do, but don¡¯t let all that keep you from taking care of yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I spoke reassuringly. Like with the Tavera trip, she was worrying again. And I could only speak to console her. And she let out a sigh. ¡°I know. But you know I can¡¯t help but worry. The Scourge is dangerous. It¡¯s not like fighting people, and you haven¡¯t had much practice.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been training against those puppets without rest, so I¡¯m not completely unprepared. Besides, I¡¯m good at staying alive, or I wouldn¡¯t have survived the Trenches for as long as I did.¡± ¡°Yea, you are good at what you do. But that only scares me more.¡± She suddenly hugged me again. I could only respond in kind. ¡°...Just worry about your life first. Nothing matters more than keeping yourself safe. Promise me that.¡± ¡°...Alright. I promise. Only if you stop worrying so much.¡± ¡°No thanks. That¡¯s my right as the one sending you off.¡± I smiled as we continued to hug. It lasted quite a while, both of us simply taking in the other¡¯s warmth and comfort. ¡°All students, prepare to board!¡± Then, there was a shout. It made me lift my head, and from within my arms, Rayla sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you, John.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too. When I get back, we should head to a restaurant. I doubt the food at a military base is any good.¡± ¡°Hehe, no, it¡¯s not like the delicacies of the Capital. So I look forward to your return.¡± She smiled at me while we separated. I stared at her for probably a few seconds longer than I should have, taking in the image of her deep red hair, lovely face, and mature body before finally turning away and walking. It was oddly difficult to leave, as if I were leaving her instead of leaving for a trip. I don¡¯t why it felt like that, but it did. But those weird feelings faded when I got back to the group and saw Tana snickering. ¡°Who was that, lover boy?¡± ¡°A close friend of mine.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. That hug was 10 minutes too long to just be friends.¡± ¡°Hey, she worries. Besides, she¡¯s pretty. I like hugging pretty girls.¡± ¡°Hoho, is that right?¡± ¡°Yea, so don¡¯t come looking for me to hug.¡± ¡°Ugh! Rude!¡± Tana stomped, causing Umara to laugh as we boarded the Rail. I glanced back one more time as we did so, seeing Rayla smiling and waving. I waved once before disappearing into the train, my smile fading before a sigh escaped my mouth. Afterward, we Elites were led to one particular car. The place looked like a living space with rows of couches instead of basic chairs. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Having been on one of these before, I simply slumped down into a seat. My hand then dug into my coat, pulling out the golden cigar case. Slipping out one of the cigars, I cut the end with the cutter before sticking it in my mouth and lighting it. The lighter device was actually built around a small White Crystal, one that heated up and could be placed against the end of the cigar to burn it. It was incredibly easy, but my mind wasn¡¯t on that. After lighting it and taking a few puffs, I let out a long plume of smoke which momentarily faded. After putting the case back in my coat, Umara came over with a surprised look. ¡°You smoke?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a drug type. It helps with physical recovery.¡± ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t know they made recovery medicines in the form of cigars. Where is it from?¡± ¡°Secret.¡± I directly refused to answer, causing her to pout before taking a seat next to me. ¡°The Rail should take about half a day to arrive.¡± ¡°This base is pretty far then.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a frontier base, so yea.¡± ¡°Right. Is there a bar in this Rail?¡± I asked while standing from my seat, the cigar making my body feel a bit better. Umara looked at me weirdly. ¡°Maybe? It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been on a Rail.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to look.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara went silent, but she still got up and followed me. I left the car, going to the others before finding a bar. I took a seat and ordered a drink. Umara sat beside me. And it seems Tana followed since she arrived as well. And another unexpected guest was Feiden. I looked at him with raised brows. ¡°You drink?¡± ¡°On occasion. I like to taste more than drink.¡± ¡°Oh. I like to drink more than taste.¡± I shrugged as he ordered some wine. I got myself something that was similar to tequila, my favorite liquor. And Tana looked around, her eyes curious like a kid seeing something new. I raised my brow. ¡°You gonna get something?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never really drank.¡± ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°Old enough. I¡¯m not a kid.¡± She snapped, causing me to raise my hands in retreat. In the end, she went to Umara who also ordered a drink, asking about what she should get. And when she finally got a glass filled with a brown liquid, she looked at it with anticipation. Then, she took a sip, immediately coughing after while shaking her head. ¡°Blegh! How do you drink this?!¡± ¡°In time.¡± Feiden chuckled and chimed while I smirked and tapped Umara. ¡°Umara, get her something sugary.¡± ¡°Hehe, okay.¡± Laughing, Umara ordered another drink for Tana. This time, it was a purple color. Tana tasted it warrily, and this time, her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°This is good. I only taste a bit of the alcohol.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point. Just don¡¯t drink too much. I don¡¯t need to be dragging you into the military base drunk off your ass.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Tana smiled while downing her drink and asking for another one. I just shook my head. Like that, the four of us just hung out and chatted. But over time, more people came to find us. First it was Ruden the summoner, then Hailey, and then Heubert showed up. And with so many coming over, more people came to check things out. I saw more Elites who I had done scenarios with, greeting them all as they took a seat at the bar. Some ordered drinks, others just hung out and socialized. But for the most part, the car turned into a small party, everyone having fun. It lightened my downcast mood, that and the buzz from a few drinks. Well, we had half a day. It was enough time to filter the alcohol from my body. And Tana would surely need it. ¡°H-Hey, Umara. I¡¯m pretty, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Tana. You¡¯re very pretty.¡± ¡°Thank you so much! Hey John! Fuck you!¡± ¡°Bahahaha!¡± Feiden burst out laughing, his face a bit red as he slammed the table. I sat there stunned. It seemed Tana was an aggressive drunk. Even the bartender couldn¡¯t help a chuckle, making me shake my head and ignore her as she went off to try and fight someone. I watched with a smile, letting out long plumes of smoke with my cigar. ¡®Makes me feel old.¡¯ I laughed inwardly, pretending like I was some wizened old man with my glass of liquor in hand and a stogie in my mouth. Another good thing about these cigars was how long they lasted. They didn¡¯t burn through quickly. In fact, one cigar could burn for about 30 hours. And I had stocked up before leaving, meaning I had more than enough to last me through the next month. ¡°Can I try?¡± Suddenly, I heard Umara speak from the chair beside me. I looked at her for a moment before taking the cigar out of my mouth and passing it to her. ¡°Just suck air through it.¡± ¡°This really isn¡¯t a drug, is it?¡± ¡°No. The only drug I use is alcohol.¡± I said that while taking another sip. And after a few seconds of playing with the cigar, Umara put it in her mouth and breathed in. ¡°Cough! Ugh. It actually tastes good, but my lungs don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Yea, mine didn¡¯t either at first. But it helped keep me alive, so I got used to it.¡± ¡°Mm. My body feels good. This has some really good medicinal properties.¡± She looked at it curiously before taking another puff. She held it in a bit longer that time before coughing it back out and handing it to me. ¡°So what do you really do?¡± She suddenly asked, causing me to laugh. ¡°I told you. I¡¯m a delivery man.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I trust that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying. If you don¡¯t believe me, I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± I shrugged. I didn¡¯t care if she believed me or not. If anything, she was better off not knowing. She glared at me for a few more seconds before gradually turning away. Still, she stuck by my side. I couldn¡¯t help but find her a bit cute. Umara was a talented Elite, hence why she had earned her position. And she was rather pretty. Her face was sharp, and her wit a bit sharper. Her hair was actually dark gray, like ash. And her signature Warlock robes were often either black, purple, or a combination of both. Usually she also carried a staff, but right now, it seemed to be stashed away. I couldn¡¯t see any obvious spatial accessories on her body, so they were either covered or integrated into her robes discreetly. Making a spatial device that couldn¡¯t be easily found wasn¡¯t uncommon, at least in the black markets. At the same time, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder about her own background. She tried to pry so often into mine, so I got curious. ¡°Are you a noble?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Father?¡± ¡°Mother.¡± ¡°Title?¡± ¡°Duchess Talerria. She resides over the City of Joffrun.¡± ¡°...¡± I suddenly went silent, my eyes going wide. And then, I laughed. ¡°Bahaha! Shit! No wonder I thought that look was familiar!¡± ¡°What? You know my mother?¡± ¡°Hah! Not personally, but I suppose you could say we¡¯re acquainted professionally.¡± I thought back. I had met Duchess Talerria not long before leaving Joffrun. And thinking about it, she really resembled Umara. She was sharp, the color of their hair and clothes were the same, and she enjoyed digging into people¡¯s business. We hadn''t even met before and the Duchess had asked all about me. It was like she couldn¡¯t go without knowing everything about someone, or at least enough to satisfy her curiosity. Like mother like daughter. They were almost identical. And Umara grabbed my arm, shaking it. ¡°How did you meet my mother? In what context?¡± ¡°I was finishing a job and we bumped into each other. Heh, she snoops around just as much as you do. I swear, you two are twins.¡± ¡°What kind of job were you finishing? Was it that trip you were on? Why did it take you to Joffrun?¡± ¡°Not telling. Do you know what kind of business your mother works in?¡± ¡°Yes, but she works in several industries. Which one are you talking about?¡± ¡°Heh, nice try.¡± I chuckled, causing her to shake me harder. ¡°Tell me!¡± ¡°If your mom hasn¡¯t told you, then I¡¯m not. She¡¯d kill me if she found out I did that.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t take that risk.¡± ¡°Tell me!¡± ¡°No.¡± I dodged Umara¡¯s glare, refusing to give up the information. ¡°If you wanna know, figure it out yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll follow you when we get back to the Capital.¡± ¡°That might actually be dangerous for you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Secret.¡± ¡°...I hate you.¡± She said that before snatching the cigar out of my mouth, putting it in hers before walking away. I only laughed as I heard her cough more. After that, the rest of the ride passed smoothly as I chatted up some new friends and avoided a drunkard who we had to eventually pin down to keep her from drinking more. Chapter 37: Calatrop Base ¡°We arrive in 10 minutes! Prepare to disembark!¡± Shouts echoed through the train cars, spurring me from my sleep. After several hours of chatting, laughing, and playing small games, everyone had gotten tired and drifted off to sleep. The entire car with the bar was littered with unconscious bodies. Of course, we hadn¡¯t been sleeping for long. In order to pass the time, everyone found something to do. Besides the usual, there was a period when some of the Knights sparred. In order to not damage anything, they did something similar to fencing. Over half the Elites were Knights in the first place, so many went up to challenge themselves and have fun. Even I went up, taking a light sword and utilizing my nonexistent sword skill to try and poke the other Knight. Even after 5 minutes of trying though, I couldn¡¯t so much as touch them. It made for a nice laugh. And after that, the warlocks went up and let out displays of spellcasting. Many of the spells let out were nothing more than parlor tricks, like little sparks of fire or little droplets of water being thrown at the opponent. It was funny seeing the reactions of those who got bit by a spark, only for the other to stumble when their hair was blown back by a sharp gust of wind. Things of that nature filled the ride, and I watched for the most part, a smile on my face. It felt like I was back in college messing around with some friends at a sporting event. And it all helped me realize that, in the end, these people were all just young adults who liked to have fun. The Magisterium and the war against the Scourge put a lot of pressure on them, especially the Elites, but that didn¡¯t mean they didn¡¯t still want to kick back and let loose. They were only a couple of years younger than me, so I had no issue relating and getting along with them. Most would feel like these Elites were unapproachable professionals wholly focused on growing their strength. But what kid was interested in that? They knew how to have fun just like anybody else their age. They didn¡¯t suddenly lose their humanity with their talent. So the ride was refreshing for me. I feel like everyone had gotten closer. Just like me, everyone else also woke up with the shouts. We had slept for around an hour or two, a power nap sufficient to revitalize us for whatever was awaiting us at this military base. In the car, bodies littered the couches and floor, all of them slowly rising and stretching. I heard groans and moans, along with a few who didn¡¯t actually wake up and continued to snore. One of which was Tana, who I saw passed out in the corner of the room. When I thought back, I couldn¡¯t help the laugh. After a few hours of constant drinking, she finally couldn¡¯t hold it and left to go vomit. Umara was stuck holding her hair back. But shockingly, after recovering for a bit, she was right back at it. She proclaimed that she needed to build her tolerance, but reality was cruel as she hurled again not even an hour after trying to drink more. After that, we pinned her down and forced her to rest, which ended with her passing out. That was about halfway through the ride. Hopefully she would be recovered enough to walk straight. I thought of that as I went over and shook her. ¡°Hey, Tana.¡± ¡°...¡± She didn¡¯t respond, even after I shook her harder and tapped her face. Then, Umara walked over. ¡°I got it.¡± *Splash* She summoned some water, pouring it over Tana¡¯s head. And the reaction was violent. ¡°Ahh! Stop! Please!¡± ¡°Wake up.¡± Umara was rather merciless with her words, but still gently helped Tana up. To my great surprise though, she didn¡¯t seem hungover at all. Tana just got up and cracked her neck before letting out a long breath. ¡°Ehh. How long was I out?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here, so you do the math.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like math. Whatever. I need to pee.¡± With a yawn, Tana walked out of the car in search of a restroom. I stood there, a bit stunned, before connecting the dots. ¡°So Knights can resist the effects of alcohol. No wonder she could drink so much.¡± Tana had drank nonstop for hours despite her having no experience with alcohol. I suppose it was only her strong body as a Knight that allowed her to do that. I sighed in slight envy. ¡°How lucky. They can¡¯t get hungover.¡± ¡°Yes, their bodies are naturally resistant to poisoning. It¡¯s why I wasn¡¯t worried.¡± ¡°Mm. Well, how are you doing?¡± ¡°Fine, actually. Those cigars help your body filter the alcohol as well, so I¡¯m feeling good. Oh, and here.¡± Umara suddenly handed back the cigar. It was barely a quarter burnt, so I took out my golden cigar case and stashed it for later. The sight of it caused Umara¡¯s eyes to widen a bit. After that, everyone gathered in the main car we had first arrived in. There, the instructors were briefing everyone. ¡°The orientation will simply consist of the most basic things you need to know. Tomorrow is when you¡¯ll receive a tour of the base and get to know your daily routine. Just listen to the Commander so he can quickly get you situated in your barracks.¡± The Puppet Master gave those words, and not long after, we all felt the Rail come to a gradual stop. I nudged Umara with my elbow. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Hey, what are the military ranks?¡± ¡°Oh, I was tested on those. Hang on¡­¡± She took a second to think before counting with her 10 fingers. ¡°Ensign, First Ensign, Corporal, Sergeant, Master Sergeant, First Sergeant, Commander, Chief Commander, First Commander, and Brigadier.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Those are the Infantry ranks in the military, and they go by your Authority. The Commander we¡¯re going to meet would be an Authority 7. And the Intelligence ranks have different names.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I nodded, and right after, the door to the car opened, revealing the terminal we arrived in. Unlike the one in the Capital, this one wasn¡¯t fancy or very well kept. The floors were made of gray stone bricks, and across the way from all the Rails, there was what looked like a large warehouse with tons of cargo in it, probably stuff that needed to be transported. There were also many troops moving about the plaza. I took a look at the standard uniforms. Because this world¡¯s military wasn¡¯t facing a human or generally intelligent enemy, there was no need for camouflage. It was likely that such measures would be useless before a beast¡¯s senses. Plus, guns and bullets weren¡¯t the primary mode of combat. Therefore, entire sets of steel armor were much more important than cloth that could blend into the surroundings. So instead, the uniforms were sets of clothing that, in their most basic setup, were designed to be worn under armor. This meant that they were sleek and generally comfortable to wear. The fabrics of the shirts, for instance, seemed to be some variant of polyester derived from a plant. This made them flexible, smooth, and relatively tough. Some of my sets of clothing were polyester, in fact. And the pants were like jeans, but thinner and more flexible. They were belted and meant to fit nicely under a set of armor. If I had to describe it, they would be a heavy duty pair of dress slacks. As for the colors, they went by the theme colors of the Kingdom of Dragon Tongue, which were black, white, and blue. The shirt was entirely blue, and the pants were black like formal slacks with blue lines running down their seams. Some were also wearing coats, ones that looked like wool jackets. And then there was the Commander in front of us who was wearing a formal overcoat with some medals and badges pinned on it. One of our instructors, a fourth year teacher who I hadn¡¯t met before, went forward to greet him. ¡°Commander Bosnen.¡± ¡°Instructor Gretia. Welcome to Calatrop Base.¡± They shook hands before the instructor turned to us. ¡°Alright students, listen up. Most of your arrangements will be handled by Commander Bosnen here. He is your leader for the duration of your stay here. You will listen to his instructions as if they were orders from us. Besides, in a year, you all will join the military and he will outrank you anyway, so act according to your position. Now, I¡¯ll hand you off. Go ahead, Commander.¡± ¡°Thank you, Instructor.¡± The Commander stepped forward after we had all piled out of the Rail. To the side, we could see all our chests and cargo being hauled out and into the base by some other soldiers. The Commander looked over each of us before speaking. ¡°You all will address me as Commander. I have been given authority by the First Commander overseeing this base to take care of you all while you are here. This means you are my responsibility, and my words will therefore dictate the next month of your lives. Failure to follow orders will result in suspension for the rest of your trip as well as rigorous training designed to promote reflection and introspection. Am I clear?¡± ¡°Yes, Commander.¡± I spoke in response, along with the rest of the group. They all seemed familiar with this kind of environment, and they had indeed been to these places plenty of times before. Starting in the third year, students would work alongside the military. That was because most students graduated after their third year, so it was designed to help them get familiar with working at a military base in advance. This meant that all these fourth year students around me were no strangers to a military environment, responding and acting properly. Many backs had already been straightened, including mine. The Commander also seemed to know this since he didn¡¯t yell and wasn¡¯t making us scream in response to his words. There was no need to drill these things into us. The third years, on the other hand, would likely go through a period of training designed to teach them the basics of operating at a military base. They would be yelled at, have to yell in response, and would need to move about in strict ways. I was glad I didn¡¯t have to go through that, skipping straight to the good stuff. ¡°Follow me, and we will assign your rooms.¡± The Commander turned, the students all following without bothering to look at their instructors. Right now, this Commander had the greatest authority. We walked into the base, and I took everything in as we went. The entire base was designed in a hemispherical way. The walls were arched in the front with four sections separated by towers. At the base of the hemisphere, it tapered off and circled around a massive fort. The fort was built in the rear portion of the base, separated from the walls by three distinct fields. In the midst of these fields were all kinds of things separated by their purpose. For instance, in one field there was a bunch of training equipment. In another was combat equipment like armored vehicles and caches of supplies. And another was filled with structures attached to the walls, likely for extra security. And attached to the side of the fort were a few large structures, likely the barracks. During our walk there, nobody spoke a word, so I didn¡¯t either even though I had questions I wanted to ask Umara. Finally, we arrived at one of the buildings. The Commander spun around and spoke. ¡°This is the male barracks. Just as a forewarning, any fraternizing between the men and women will result in suspension. I¡¯m sure you all can keep it in your pants for a month, so please don¡¯t put us in an awkward situation.¡± A few people chuckled, one of them being Umara. Her weird smile made me snicker. Then, we all saw some wagons roll over, their backs loaded with all our chests. ¡°Alright, all the men, grab your luggage and head inside. Pick any room and bunk you want. Each room holds two people. And ladies, follow me.¡± The Commander waved all the women over. Umara nudged me as she left, making my brows raise. We seemed to be getting quite close. After watching their backs for a moment, I turned and found Feiden. With a smile, I smacked his shoulder. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s room together.¡± ¡°Oh. Alright.¡± He easily agreed, and we went to find our chests. I quickly found mine, grabbing it before heading inside. The entry door led into a long hallway, which I walked down with Feiden behind me. ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°I suggest the ones around the middle. Not too close to the entrance where the Commander comes banging on your door, and not too close to the bathrooms where everyone is constantly coming and going.¡± ¡°Alright. Middle it is.¡± Picking a room in the center of the hallway, I opened the door and walked in. The small room I entered had two beds on either corner across the way as well as a single bench, table, two chairs, and two dressers to store items. Everything was generally worn out. The floor was wooden and there was a single light in the center of the ceiling. No luxury to speak of. I sighed, thinking that I had taken my extravagantly luxurious room at the Black Spider Hotel for granted. The only thing worse than this would be living outside or in a tent. As for the bed, when I pressed on it, my hand didn¡¯t sink down. It was pretty stiff, with a wood base and thin mattress filled with who knows what. The pillow wasn¡¯t much better, and there was only one sheet and one wool blanket. I was quickly figuring out that I packed light. Hell, I should¡¯ve brought an entire bed. I might¡¯ve if I knew this piece of crap was waiting for me here. And naturally, Feiden was prepared. He had his own pillow and set of blankets that he draped over the bed. Seeing me glance over there, he turned to me and smiled. ¡°Would you like a blanket?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. Live and learn, right?¡± ¡°Haha, indeed. I remember my first time on a base. Stressful and unaccommodating, was how I¡¯d describe it.¡± ¡°Sounds about right.¡± I chuckled and took a seat on the bed. At the very least, it looked and smelled clean, so they weren¡¯t making me sleep in used sheets. Not long after that, we heard one of the instructors call all the men. Heading out of our room, the instructor let us know about some things for the following day. Things like where the cafeteria was, where the bathrooms were, where we needed to report the next morning and when. After that final briefing, we were all allowed to finally retire for the night. Tomorrow, there was a lot waiting for us. Chapter 38: Squad The next morning, I woke up bright and early to an alarm from my Aerial. And that wasn¡¯t the only thing I got. After rolling over and spending a few minutes to wake up, I tapped the device and saw that I had a message. It was from Rayla, and attached was an image. My brows raised as I opened it. The picture was from the auction that came at the end of every month. However, I suddenly remembered that not only was this auction last night, but it was the major auction accompanied by Vatsy¡¯s Gala. I suddenly sat up. ¡°I missed the Gala! Dammit!¡± I cursed while palming my forehead. I obviously knew I couldn¡¯t go, but what a shame! I had only been to one Gala before, and it was an amazing experience. Taking a moment, I started to count the months, and after some basic addition, I realized that I wouldn¡¯t have to miss the next one that would occur at the end of the year. I sighed in relief and slumped back down into my bed again. ¡°What¡¯s this Gala?¡± Then, Feiden asked with drowsiness. I had woken him up. I spoke while sighing. ¡°Just a party. It¡¯s pretty fun, but it doesn¡¯t happen very often.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He nodded and yawned before climbing out of bed. ¡°I suggest you use the bathrooms before everyone else does. It gets crowded and smelly.¡± ¡°True.¡± Following, I grabbed some items before strolling to the bathroom. It was a large tiled space with stalls, shower curtains, and lots of metal bowls. Basic but functional. And we weren¡¯t the only ones to wake up a bit earlier. The few male instructors, including the Puppet Master, along with some other guys were already there and getting ready for the day. Everyone was quiet, just minding their own business. Nobody was in the mood to chat so early in the morning. I went through my morning routine, but as I was brushing my teeth, I suddenly remembered the picture Rayla sent me. I quickly pulled it back up. And I couldn¡¯t help the grin that surfaced. There were actually two pictures. The first was of Rayla and the others like Plex, Libitus, and Tovex. They stood stiffly in a group, everyone smiling except Plex who was too busy drinking. And the second picture was of Rayla by herself, dressed in a rather sexy black outfit and blowing a kiss into the picture. I got a nice shot of all the goodies, by design. ¡°Well isn¡¯t that something?¡± I laughed before closing it, going through the rest of my morning with a smile. She sure knew how to cheer me up. Then, not long after finishing my routine, I heard some shouts that shook our building. ¡°Be ready in 15 minutes and assemble outside the barracks!¡± It was our Commander, and his shouts woke everyone who wasn¡¯t already out of bed. After that, the bathrooms and hallways were flooded as everyone rushed to get ready. On the other hand, Feiden and I took our time and headed outside. I enjoyed the morning breeze cooling my face. My coat never allowed me to get cold or hot, so the wind felt refreshing instead of making me shiver. Seeing as how Feiden and I were the only ones out, I grabbed the golden cigar case from my inner pocket. After lighting the quarter-used cigar, I took a few deep breaths of smoke, feeling the rejuvenating effects that washed away some of my drowsiness and woke me up. Not long after, people began filing out of the barracks, gathering outside. Not far from us outside the building adjacent to the male bunks, we could see all the girls gather, the two sides peeking over at each other. Then, the Commander came, gathering both groups before announcing. ¡°Alright, listen in. We¡¯re going to guide you through your routine for the next month. I¡¯m going to give you all a tour of the places you need to know and remember. We are also going to assign everyone their squads. These squads can change at any time, but likely won¡¯t unless there is good reason. So be prepared to get familiar with them. Now, follow me.¡± The Commander waved, and everyone followed him into the command center of the base. Upon arrival, I looked around and saw various facilities and many officers carrying out their duties. To my surprise though, not many of them were powerful. Some officers were completely ordinary. Well, I suppose it shouldn¡¯t have been surprising. Behind every soldier were a dozen logistical officers. It took no small amount of manpower to operate the war machine, and it couldn¡¯t possibly be entirely composed of Magi. So I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there was some kind of draft or mandatory service for everyone. After entering the command center, the Commander briefed us on several of the facilities. One was an intelligence post, the officers within being responsible for gathering and analyzing the movements and patterns of the Scourge near the base. They were also responsible for collecting intelligence gathered by squads that went on reconnaissance missions and making sense of it, compiling it all into actionable data. Then, there was the office sector, a large area devoted to the bureaucratic side of the base. Here, many officers were busy filling out tons of paperwork and collecting mission reports from the various squads. Then there was an area that held several briefing rooms. Inside these rooms were magical projectors and devices that could display information pertaining to a mission. Before being sent out on a mission, we would come here to get a rundown. After that, we toured the rest of the base. We were introduced to the mess hall where breakfast, lunch, and dinner were served at regular intervals. We were taken to the medical building, a place many never wished to get familiar with. Then there was the armory where we could get supplies, some recreation centers for entertainment, a training facility for physical fitness, a maintenance facility for gear, and a storage area for miscellaneous items. There was even a chapel for the believers. The Commander spent several hours giving us this tour, and we also met several key officers who would be helping us during our stay. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. We were barely done before lunch came around. At that time, the Commander finally let us go to the mess hall and get some chow. Everyone flooded into the building, and I noticed that everyone was generally familiar with everything. And I had no issue simply following in their footsteps, getting myself food. It wasn¡¯t a buffet. There was a long line of pots and trays with various foods in them, and there was a limit to how much you could take of each one. But you could indeed go back for seconds and thirds. At first glance, I didn¡¯t recognize most of the food. It didn¡¯t look particularly appetizing, but I knew that was coming from my perspective as someone who almost always ate out at restaurants. Still, I grabbed from the trays that smelled better than the others and soon had a full plate. I went and took a seat at an empty table. ¡°How sad, sitting by yourself.¡± Umara came up behind me, taking a seat on my right. With her was Tana, and Feiden arrived not long after. I smiled at her and started eating. At the same time, I asked a question on my mind. ¡°What kind of positions do ordinary people occupy in the military?¡± ¡°They are Intelligence. There are two ranking systems in the military, one for Infantry, and one for Intelligence. There are no power requirements for Intelligence, unlike Infantry. But they do have to be educated. The Kingdom has several schools specifically for training and teaching those officers.¡± ¡°Mm, that¡¯s what I thought.¡± ¡°This is rather common knowledge, but you don¡¯t know it. Did you entirely skip the first few years of classes at the Magisterium? But even then, you learn some of these things during school when growing up.¡± Umara looked at me from the side, going on another one of her deductive rabbit holes. ¡°Where did you grow up?¡± ¡°Far from here.¡± ¡°What city?¡± ¡°It was a village, called Yumir Village.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s surprising though. You don¡¯t look like you¡¯ve come from a village. And you¡¯re too educated to not have gone to a proper school, which only exists in cities.¡± ¡°Look at you, sniffing around for more secrets. Am I that interesting to you?¡± ¡°The fact that your origins are a secret does in fact make you very interesting.¡± She gave me a grin, causing me to laugh. This girl really did like digging into my business. But I also couldn¡¯t help but notice the others nodding with thoughtful expressions. Seriously, Umara was turning me into some kind of hot topic, as if my existence here was some kind of conspiracy. ¡­Well, it kind of was. But that was beside the point. After dodging more of Umara¡¯s sneaky questions, lunch finished and we were given some free time to explore. However, we were also given some sheets which informed us of our squads. Everyone gathered and read the lists, and chatter ensued. I quickly found my name and read the names of those I was grouped with. ¡°Feiden, Umara, Vetsmon, and Tana. Hm, not a bad lineup, but I don¡¯t know who Vetsmon is.¡± I smiled. Besides this Vetsmon who I didn¡¯t know about, the group was perfect. Feiden and Tana were Knights who were skilled in handling enemies up close. The two of them would be able to keep everything away from Umara and me while we supported them from behind. And Umara alone was a great partner to have by my side. She knew many utility spells, including some area spells and spells that compensated for the weaknesses of my guns, like their sound. ¡°Oh, Vetsmon. It seems we have nothing to worry about.¡± After reading it, Feiden nodded from beside me, causing me to ask. ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you greet him yourself?¡± He pointed, and I looked over. Heubert was a stocky man, tall and built like a football linebacker. I had thought he was on the bigger side, but this Vetsmon almost put him to shame. Well over 6 feet tall, Vetsmon walked over with a towering figure that looked down on even me. I could see his muscles through the white robes he wore, and his Aura was awfully threatening. He was someone who I¡¯d never met before, likely one of the topmost Elites who we never saw much of. His skin was a deep brown and he had long black hair that took nothing away from the sharp jawline and raging masculinity. It was like he radiated testosterone. He walked up to me, seeing as how my focus was on him. And being completely honest with myself, I felt a bit inferior in front of his hulking figure. But I still straightened my back to greet him, putting out my hand. ¡°You¡¯re Vetsmon?¡± ¡°Yes. John, right? I¡¯ve heard about you. Nice to finally meet you.¡± He smiled, exposing his pearly white teeth while shaking my hand with his bear paws. I couldn¡¯t even close my grip, and my strength was naturally far below his. He was a Knight through and through. But his robes reminded me of something else. Why did they resemble priest robes? Maybe I was just overthinking it and this guy just really liked fancy white clothing. After our greeting, Vetsmon went around to the others to exchange pleasantries. As a group, we would need to get familiar with each other. Trust was one of the most important factors of any team. It seemed Vetsmon was a good guy. Nobody had any trouble talking to him. And while he was talking to the others, Umara came over to me and whispered in my ear. ¡°He¡¯s Rank 4, a Knight specializing in defense and protection like Heubert. He¡¯s seriously strong, and with you, our group has basically no weaknesses. In fact, we could very well be one of the most powerful groups on this trip.¡± ¡°Rank 4? The Puppet Master seems to think highly of me.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile a bit. I wasn¡¯t even an Elite yet, and I was being grouped with people in the top 10. Umara was 8th, Vetsmon was 4th, and Feiden was 2nd. While Tana was our weaker link, she was still ranked 15 out of 28 Elites. And she specialized in speed anyway, not sheer strength, so she should be able to fill some gaps in our composition. For example, she would probably end up our scout. I couldn¡¯t help but think that despite not being an Elite, the Puppet Master was treating me as one in the upper echelons of the group. And at the very least, I knew that I could pull my weight. After all, I had been training with all the Elites for the past several weeks. If I couldn¡¯t keep up, I probably would¡¯ve been kicked out a while ago. From the side, Umara smiled at me. ¡°I can confidently say that you¡¯re one of the most powerful people in the Elites. Your guns are amazingly lethal, making you too good at killing things. So if you¡¯re allowed to do as you please, only an overwhelmingly tough enemy would survive. This group is practically built to protect you.¡± ¡°Well, even without me, it would be a powerful group.¡± ¡°Yes, but with you, it¡¯s even more so.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I hummed, glancing at Umara before nudging her with my elbow. She nudged me back with a stifled giggle. After that, we were called by the rest of the group, gathering together to discuss some things. I had worked with Tana and Umara several times, so I knew them and their skill sets well. But I didn¡¯t know much about Feiden despite the fact that we had become good friends recently, and Vetsmon was still a mystery even though he looked about as reliable as someone could ever be. So for now, we talked about each other¡¯s abilities, strengths, and weaknesses, quickly understanding everything our group was capable of. And in the end, we came to the conclusion that there wasn¡¯t much that we weren¡¯t capable of. Vetsmon utilized a tower shield befitting his large body and strength, capable of going toe to toe with Authority 5 Beasts. His weapon of choice was a spear, but he could also use a sword for when he wasn¡¯t being weighed down by his shield, making him very versatile. And Feiden was naturally a swordsman who excelled in both speed and strength. He basically had Tana¡¯s strengths and none of her weaknesses while possessing amazing technique. And then there was me. I laid out my abilities and weaknesses clearly. After all, I needed to be protected to some extent. I couldn¡¯t let them think that I was perfectly fine on my own and then get killed out of carelessness. After describing my guns and how they worked in principle, Vetsmon and Feiden were able to come to an understanding. And with all our abilities on the table, everyone was able to come to a conclusion as to how we needed to operate. Suddenly, I thought of something humorous. Back on Earth, as a boy in the prime years of his life, I had played no shortage of video games of all kinds. And as I worked with more people, I couldn¡¯t help but recall my experiences in those games to help me with forming a battle plan in my mind. Some video games required you to engage in quick yet strategic decision making, have good pattern recognition, and know how to use the skills, powers, and environment at your disposal to fight for the best outcome. All my training with the Puppet Master¡¯s scenarios had forced me to utilize all these things, but the fact that some random video games could help me with real-life battles was a funny concept. Anyway, after a bit more conclusive discussion, we determined that Vetsmon would be the core of our formation. His direct support would be Feiden while Tana would drift between everyone. Umara and I would be paired in the back. She was responsible for ensuring that I could operate at full capacity, and I would be responsible for protecting her while also providing ranged firepower for the rest of the team. Of course, our strategies would have to change according to the enemy and terrain, but we knew our jobs, which was most important. Chapter 39: Seige Since we had our team, and everyone got along just fine, we decided to move around together. We had been introduced to all the facilities of the base, but there were still some things we needed to know. For one, we had to know about certain protocols. For the most part, they were standard. After all, this was the military. There would be very few times when protocols deviated from what was in the book. Still, after we had some free time, the Commander came back and gathered us together. For the next few hours after that, he went over all the necessary protocols. Specifically, he explained what we needed to do when missions arose. For the time being, we wouldn¡¯t be sent out by ourselves. Each squad would be paired with another soldier from the base who would primarily be responsible for navigation and general oversight. After all, the soldiers here knew the lay of the land much better than us. When the time came for a mission, everyone would gather in the briefing room before being assigned a task that would involve us going beyond the walls and out into the wilderness. After our briefing, we would be given supplies for the mission. This included packs of food, water, medical supplies, and other equipment we would need. And after gathering everything we needed, everyone would meet at the gates for final preparations before heading off. Then after returning, there was a process of taking damage reports. Injuries, loss of equipment, expenditures, and other miscellaneous things would be logged before we could retire. That was basically the gist. I couldn¡¯t really bother to hear the extensive details, and it didn¡¯t seem like the Commander cared too much about making sure we knew. After all, this wasn¡¯t our first rodeo. With that, the day gradually came to a close. Missions would be assigned in cycles. This meant that different squads would go out on different days. Also, not every mission would involve killing something. Sometimes it would be a perimeter patrol, and sometimes it would be a search and destroy mission. If things got really exciting, then this base would be raided by a wave of beasts and we would need to help defend. But the chances of that happening were low since this base wasn¡¯t located on the true frontlines of the war front. This place was merely here to fill in gaps and make sure that enemies didn¡¯t slip through. We also needed to clear anything that tried to nest and develop itself between the cracks, making sure our allies in distant lands didn¡¯t have to worry about being attacked from the sides or back. So there wasn¡¯t a whole lot of action. And while there were still frequent hunting missions, they would be split between all the squads, not leaving much for any single group. Well, I was completely fine with that. I still had yet to kill a real Scourge beast. I didn¡¯t need to jump straight into a frontal battle. Easing my way in was preferable. Like that, we ended our second day uneventfully. The night concluded after everyone had eaten dinner and went back to the barracks. The next day, we were supposed to receive our first orders. A schedule would be given, and the Puppet Master had said that the Elites were going to be some of the first to deploy on real combat missions. So I went to sleep with excited anticipation. I wasn¡¯t all that fearful, especially since my squad was damn powerful. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°...¡± I woke up at some point during the night, not to my Aerial alarm, but to a weird feeling. I didn¡¯t really sense anything other than a faint omen in the back of my head. My heart was also beating pretty hard, enough to send noticeable tremors through my bed. I sat up, remaining there for several minutes. And then, I heard it. *WHIRRRR* An ear piercing alarm suddenly sounded through the whole base. Feiden instantly woke, as did everyone else who had functional hearing. His eyes widened as he looked at me. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡± ¡°No shit.¡± I frowned while jumping out of bed. I had a hunch as to what was going on. There was really only one thing that could send this entire base into high alert. Sure enough, I heard several shouts outside the barracks. ¡°Enemy attack!¡± ¡°All hands to battle stations!¡± I could hear a commotion outside as all the soldiers on base instantly jumped to the call, rushing out to get ready. I decided to arm myself for battle as well, equipping my standard gear for when I would train. The coat was the last thing to go on as Feiden and I ran out of our room with the others. ¡°All students, gather here!¡± I heard the Puppet Master shout, catching everyone¡¯s attention with a light that appeared over his head. Right now, the sun was just barely peeking over the horizon. It was dark, but just light enough to see clearly. Still, the beacon drew us to him. The girls and boys gathered as all the soldiers ran past us. He spoke with utter seriousness. ¡°This is not a drill! The base is about to come under siege, and all of you are about to become important defenders! It¡¯s time to step up! Find your squads and gather before the gates for further instructions! Elites, stay behind! Everyone else, get moving!¡± With his command, a vast majority of the students ran off toward the gates. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. As for us Elites, we stuck around as he gave out more commands. ¡°Listen up! I want all the Warlocks to head up the walls! I will be up there and will be your commanding officer for this battle, so listen to my orders! As for the Knights, you will report to the Commander and get ready to engage in close combat! So if you haven¡¯t already, get your damn armor on and move! Go!¡± With those words, everyone turned and ran off, including the Puppet Master. Before we got far though, he shouted again. ¡°John! I¡¯m giving you full autonomy, so get into the central tower and start raining hell!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± ¡°Umara, go with him!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± We both smiled and ran off. During our tour of the base, we had gotten familiar with the walls. They were designed to defend against sieges like this, and there were five primary towers spread evenly along the walls that acted as defensive shooting positions for warlocks. And in the middle was the largest central tower. It had several levels and overlooked the entire base. It was the perfect vantage point for someone like me. Umara and I rushed up there along with dozens of other soldiers. Many of them were yelling and screaming orders, and at some point, we could hear explosions. After some time and squeezing through people, we climbed up the staircases and got to the top of the wall. That¡¯s when we took a second and looked over. In the distance, we could see a dark wave of beasts surging toward us. They were a thick tide that quickly covered any visible ground. It was a bit overwhelming, seeing that many beasts rushing toward us. I really wondered what I could do here. In situations like these, warlocks who could cast area of effect spells were the most effective. But I knew I was still valuable. That was especially when I saw some of the much bigger beasts in that ocean of monsters. They would no doubt be my targets. My guns did a lot of damage but only to singular targets, so they would be the best to focus on instead of just firing randomly into the crowd. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Umara pulled me along, helping me focus. Like that, we rose to the top of the central tower. From there, I could overlook everything. ¡°Who are you guys?! Where is your commanding officer?!¡± Not long after we got there though, we were suddenly yelled at by a soldier. He seemed to be someone with a high rank, a powerful warlock from my guess. But I didn¡¯t know him and didn¡¯t particularly care right now, so I responded succinctly. ¡°We¡¯re students under the Puppet Master¡¯s command! He¡¯s ordered us to be here and give long range support!¡± ¡°Puppet Master¡­ Fine! Just don¡¯t get in the way! Otherwise I¡¯m sending you down!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Glad that this guy wasn¡¯t making things difficult, I moved with Umara over to an empty window. The inside of this tower was built with warlocks in mind. So not only did it have a great vantage point, but the firing windows were large and plentiful, yet built in a way that would still protect us. There wasn¡¯t a single part of the battlefield that I wouldn¡¯t be able to shoot. Like that, we set up and got ready. Even as the monsters approached, I could see dozens of spells being launched into the distance. All of them exploded inside the monster tide, most creating flames and disrupting their momentum. Not only that, but there were special weapons used along the walls, cannons to be exact. Of course, these weren¡¯t generic cannons but special ones utilizing magic. They were built with enchantments and could launch huge balls of fire that would explode like a bomb. Of course, it couldn¡¯t fire quickly, but they lined the walls and were operated efficiently. Like that, holes were punched in the advancing armies. Still, they blindly charged forward. Up above, I took out my sniper, getting into a comfortable position and looking through my scope. I took a close look at the monsters. And they were grotesque. They looked like mutated abominations. Tigers with spines shooting out of their backs, bears with bone spurs jutting out of its body, lizards with irregular scales that made them seem like a bed of razors, and many other monsters I couldn¡¯t recognize. Of course, some looked more normal than others, but it was clear that the Scourge really was just a monstrous collection of unintelligent creatures. They thirsted for nothing but destruction and human flesh. Some were more mutated than others, and these were the stronger creatures. Not only that, but a larger size generally meant more power, so there were many large monsters that stood a few heads above the rest. It was clear that the Puppet Master dialed down the grotesque looks for us in training, but otherwise, they looked and operated exactly how I¡¯d known. Otherwise, what use was his special training? After finding the familiarity, I calmed myself and spoke. ¡°Umara.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How long can you kill the sound?¡± ¡°If I focus on nothing but that spell, I can do so for several hours.¡± ¡°Could you?¡± I asked, not doubting if she actually could, but if she was willing to do so. To simply cast a single spell for several hours was no doubt boring and tedious. It might be fine for the first hour, but after that, she would end up just sitting by me and doing nothing but supporting me. But without her spell, I would draw too much attention. It didn¡¯t matter how much was going on. My guns were simply too loud and pulled the attention of everything within a mile. That meant this tower would be attacked and I wouldn¡¯t be able to work. But if nothing could hear me, then I would be a silent killer. The battle would continue as normal while I simply killed everything I laid eyes on. I felt bad asking her for this, but thankfully, she didn¡¯t seem to mind much. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll support you. Just do what you¡¯re good at.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled at her, and after getting a smile in return, I turned around and focused in. A moment later, I heard the surrounding noise turn muffled. This was the normal effect of her sound spell, especially when she confined it to a small space. After all, I was the only person she needed to muffle. The windows in this tower were placed nicely. I was actually able to lay down and aim through some windows near the floors. These windows were meant to provide a line of fire down toward the base of the walls. Steadying my weapon on the ground and pointing the barrel through the window, I took aim at one of the big enemies. It was several meters tall, towering over the others nearby, and making it a large but tough target. And without empowering any of my shots, I fired. *Zip* My subsonic rounds produced untraceable sound as they pierced into the face of that behemoth. The massive beast had naturally tough armor that almost looked like rock, so I aimed for its only vulnerability. Several spells had already exploded on its body harmlessly, the beast continuing to truck forward. But as soon as the bullet landed, it recoiled in shock. *ROAR* It let out a pained bellow as the round scrambled its fleshy face, shattering what little armor it had around its eyes and mouth. However, it didn¡¯t do any real damage, that much I realized. So with that shot as the gauge, I empowered the rifle and corrected my aim just slightly. *Zip* *SCREE* This time, the beast let out a scream as the bullet accurately hit its eye. Blood exploded from the wound as it thrashed around in pain. I didn¡¯t let up, firing more into its face with increasingly powerful shots. And after around a dozen more bullets, the beast finally fell, crashing into its surrounding army and crushing several of its kin. I took a long breath after that, settling myself before finding another. As time passed, the army in the distance only grew. Even though I could see the end of it, there were still thousands of these beasts moving toward us. And among those armies were a few dozen massive behemoths. They marched alongside the smaller ones, giving off a grave presence. That one behemoth I killed took a good amount out of me. Empowering that many shots, especially ones that could kill a beast such as that, consumed great amounts of my Psyka. But after I had created the Spark with my cultivation in dreamland, I had gained a great amount of passive Psyka regeneration. The Spark initially only seemed to boost my cognitive power. But Psyka was directly tied to the mind and its thoughts. This meant that, the more powerful my mind, the more powerful and plentiful my Psyka. So the Spark, which acted as an engine for my mind, afforded me greater power regeneration. I hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to really test it since I immediately left for this trip, but now, I would be putting it all into action. Without much rest, I took aim and fired at another behemoth, working to bring it down. And without realizing, I happened to be helping this base much more than I initially realized. Chapter 40: Elite ¡°ROAR* Another behemoth fell, marking the 13th that I had killed. Of course, doing so took hours and all the energy I had. What had initially been morning turned into afternoon. Now, the sun was beginning to lower, bringing us into evening. I had only left twice during the day in order to eat once and take a piss. Otherwise, I had been laying inside the central tower the entire time. And Umara had never left my side. Operating her sound spell, while tedious and boring, wasn¡¯t that difficult for her. If anything, she utilized this time as a training opportunity. At the very least, I was working harder, so I could confidently say that I wasn¡¯t wasting her support. But I was reaching my limit mentally. I had gone through my entire Psyka pool a few times over, constantly regenerating and using any dregs of power I got when I got it. I had basically been running on empty for half the day. And it was when I hit my 13th kill that I finally couldn¡¯t hold on anymore, the gun disappearing from my hand as I could no longer maintain the communion. I grunted as I felt my head throb. Thankfully I wasn¡¯t also focused on surviving. With the tower and this many warlocks around me, I didn¡¯t have to worry about getting hit even if spells were launched at us. I just laid there, and a few moments later, I suddenly heard the surroundings get louder. Now that Umara wasn¡¯t muffling sound, I could hear everything clearly. Unfortunately, it also hurt my head to suddenly get an influx of sound. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get you into the bunks. You¡¯ve done enough.¡± I heard Umara mutter as she helped pull my body up. I initially wanted to refuse her help, but when I started to get to my feet, my headache multiplied until my vision blurred and the dizziness threatened to throw me off my feet. Umara slung my arm over her shoulder as I became unsteady, using her body to prop mine up as I finally stood. Given several seconds, I started to acclimate and feel better, but my mind was still drained of all its energy. We left the tower, making our way down the walls. And as we did so, there was a sudden shout. ¡°Damn, John! Where was that during training?!¡± The Puppet Master appeared in front of us, marching over with a wide grin. It was uncharacteristic of him to be so excited. ¡°Hey! Do you know what Authority those monsters were?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Authority 5! You just killed a dozen of those things! Congrats on officially becoming an Elite! Now go get some rest! Umara, take care of him.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Umara shouted back before continuing to carry me back down. She spoke as we finally descended the wall. ¡°Killing an Authority 5 Scourge Beast earns you the title of Elite. It¡¯s usually done as an Authority 4 and is a sign that you¡¯re really talented since you can kill above your Authority. Normally, you need to kill it by yourself, have witnesses, and there needs to be a consensus that you unilaterally contributed to its death. But since you just killed a dozen, there¡¯s no need for that.¡± Umara explained as we crossed the field, smiling at me as she finished. ¡°I¡¯ve only ever killed 7, so congrats on becoming one of the top Elites in a single day.¡± ¡°Eh, it¡¯s just another Tuesday.¡± ¡°How humble of you.¡± She giggled as we arrived at the male barracks. Directly bringing me inside, I pointed her to my room. We entered and I was laid on my bed. After getting comfortable, I seemed to become more aware of my headache as it shook my brain. I also felt like I was going to pass out any second. For a moment I got worried since this base was still being sieged by monsters. But I knew that I had contributed as much as I could. I just had to trust that everyone else would be able to hold on. Before I even realized it, my body shut itself down without warning. Everything went dark, and I no longer felt any pain. ¡­¡­ ¡­ A magic formation filled my mind. At its center was a single orb of fleeting lights that spun fast in orbiting patterns, yet slower than they should¡¯ve been. I recognized it almost instantly, yet with some willpower and tricking my own mind, I maintained a suspended sort of awareness of what was going on. I focused on the formation. Its outer edges were all bright, indicating my comprehension. As for the dark parts that moved toward the center, I slowly started to analyze them as my focus moved along the lines. However, unlike the first time, my analysis now was far slower. It felt like I really had to focus on understanding it in order to make progress as opposed to last time when it all just came to me. Not only that, but some parts were indistinguishable. I felt like I could see them, but when I focused on them, they simply slipped my mind. I moved on from those parts, focusing on what I could as I made my way around the formation. And over time, the stars of Psyka that filled my mind began to converge. A few stars made their way into the Spark at the center, adding to its power. With every star, I felt the Spark make my mind more sensitive. However, because of my recent battle, the Spark was drained and begging for replenishment. This made things progress slower. But that was also an unexpected boon. If the Spark replenished itself faster, then I would have less time in this dream to work on the formation. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. On the other hand, the less energy it had, the slower my thoughts were and the slower my analysis was. It was an equal balance between energy and speed, both of which increased over time and yet decreased the time in the dream. I quickly caught onto this as the Spark continued to replenish itself faster and faster, my focus becoming sharper yet my dream beginning to slip away. It got to the point where I even had awareness of my body despite still being in the dream, yet I hung on for as long as I could. And finally, I felt the dream shut down completely. Even with my eyes closed and my body unmoving, I knew that it had ended. My eyes fluttered open as I felt the changes. Before, I had comprehended a quarter of the formation. Now, that was about 35%, and my speed of thought had been enhanced accordingly. Now, it was 1.5 times faster. Everything else rose proportionally to that, like the amount of Psyka I had and its passive regeneration. Plus, my mind now felt sharper than ever. I had recovered completely from that day of battle. Looking back, I really put everything I had into it. The monsters had been charging with undeniable momentum, so perhaps I felt afraid for both myself and those Knights below me, but I didn¡¯t hesitate to pour out all of my power. Some behemoths were stronger than others. A few took an entire hour each to kill while some were easier. But no matter what, I had reached and surpassed my limits. Turns out, that also helped put me into dreamland for longer periods. Unfortunately, it seemed that I would need to analyze the formation while awake in order to give myself material to work with while dreaming. I remembered those blurry messes blocking my progress, and it was obviously a lack of information. Dreamland wasn¡¯t omniscient. I needed to give it fuel to burn, but at least now I had some advantages to make use of. At some point, I opened my eyes and looked around. I could see light stream through the window of my room, making me think that it was the next day. I had passed out around evening when the sun was setting, so 12 hours of sleep would put me around morning of the next day. But when I stood and opened the raggedy curtains, I saw that the sun was actually setting. ¡°Oh.¡± Lifting my wrist, I activated my Aerial and saw the time. I had slept for over 20 hours. *Rumble* At that moment, I felt my stomach churn. It was completely empty, and I was starving. I also felt my parched mouth. Quickly taking out a water container, I downed the entire thing. ¡°Ugh, I need food.¡± I groaned as my stomach screamed for food, the water aggravating it. Leaving my room, I left the barracks and went over to the mess hall. Along the way, I saw people along the walls continuing to battle. The sight made me want to go over and fight, but I had to take care of myself first. My steps were hasty as I made my way by the kitchen, swiping a tray and filling it with whatever looked edible. I could barely even wait as I did that though, directly stuffing some smaller items like slices of bread into my mouth while grabbing more. Nobody said anything, so I didn¡¯t care much and turned around to find a nearby table. Then, I heard a voice. ¡°John!¡± I froze and looked up with a face full of bread, finding Umara sitting with the rest of our assigned squad. They waved with a smile. Unfortunately, my hands were too full to return the greeting, so I just walked over and sat down. Tana laughed as I did so. ¡°I know you just became an Elite, but did you really have to sleep for an entire day?¡± ¡°...¡± I stared at her silently while chewing my bread. This took several seconds, during which everyone waited for my response. Once I swallowed, I spoke. ¡°How many Authority 5¡¯s have you killed?¡± ¡°Ouch.¡± ¡°Heh, he got you there.¡± Feiden and Vetsmon smiled as they commented, making Tana lash out. ¡°Hey, who said we were comparing scores?!¡± ¡°Nobody. He just asked you a simple question.¡± ¡°But there was an implication!¡± ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb!¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± We all laughed as Tana refused to lose. Once she calmed down, Umara nudged me with her elbow. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Fine. I recovered fully.¡± ¡°Good. You pushed yourself a lot.¡± She spoke comfortingly, making me feel a bit warm and fuzzy. Then, Vestmon chimed in with a nod. ¡°You¡¯re really impressive John. I fought one of those things today, and while I¡¯ve killed several before, they don¡¯t get any easier. The most I¡¯ve handled is four in a day. I have no idea how you killed a dozen in a single sitting.¡± ¡°From the safety of the tower is how. Compared to you guys, I have it a lot easier. You¡¯re the impressive ones, going toe to toe with those monsters. I could never.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Given the same circumstances, I know you would perform just as well. You¡¯ve got the determination and the heroic spirit. So don¡¯t belittle yourself. What you do is no less impressive than what anyone else does, no matter the position.¡± ¡°...¡± I went silent for a bit, mulling over those words before nodding and sticking my hand out. Vetsmon smiled and took it, the two of us shaking hands. ¡°Thank you Vetsmon.¡± ¡°It was nothing unobvious. After yesterday, I can confidently say that I would fight fearlessly knowing you¡¯re there behind me.¡± ¡°I appreciate that. And with you guys there protecting me, I know I have nothing to worry about.¡± I spoke my genuine thoughts. I was vulnerable in battles, so having someone like Vetsmon who was trustworthy and reliable gave me great peace of mind. Knowing that he could fight an Authority 5 head on meant that the two of us could easily secure those kills. I would never have to worry about being overwhelmed. Then, I suddenly looked over at Umara who was smiling while staring down at her plate. With a grin, I put my arm around her shoulder. ¡°And let¡¯s not forget my favorite support warlock.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°How were you after an entire day of casting that spell? You don¡¯t talk about yourself much so I forget that you can get tired too.¡± ¡°Oh, it wasn¡¯t too bad. I was tired, but not as much as you.¡± ¡°Still. I couldn¡¯t have done it without you.¡± I gave her a hug, patting her head once before letting go. Despite Umara liking to snoop around my private business, she didn¡¯t talk much otherwise. She simply stuck to herself and silently worked hard. I had noticed that over time. I made a note to check in on her more instead of just assuming she was doing just fine. ¡°Look at these two¡­¡± I heard Tana snicker, making me shrug. After that, we all finished eating before heading back out. The siege lasted into today as well, but by now it was close to ending. What remained was simply clearing out anything else that walked and taking care of the piling corpses. There were even some teams that came to claim loot. These people would cart out corpses before cutting them open and extracting the Black Crystals. These Black Crystals were poisonous to humans. Only after they were purified did they become White Crystals, so in this raw form they were worthless. Every Scourge Beast had them as well, so they quickly piled up. I saw a large wooden crate filled with them. What was curious was how the crate gave off a faint black fog, like it was seeping that poisonous aura into the surroundings. I had never seen anything like that before, so I asked Umara about it. Apparently, with enough crystals or a sufficiently powerful one, the Magika within them will manifest as a fog. A bunch of White Crystals in a small space will do the same thing, except the fog would be white. That fog represents an increased density of Magika, and it''s actually very beneficial to cultivate in. But doing so is naturally expensive. On the other hand, staying away from a poisonous black fog such as the one around that crate was generally advisable. Just being near it would make you feel sick, but figuring out how to counter that poison is also a form of training. After walking by, we all headed back to the wall. By now, things were calming down, but there was still work to be done. Deciding to help out while I was energetic, I went to head up the wall and pick off some strays. On the way though, I encountered the Puppet Master, who seemed happy to see me. Chapter 41: Asked Out ¡°Nice of you to finally wake up.¡± The Puppet Master greeted me with a half smile. We shook hands on approach as he looked me up and down. ¡°I see you¡¯ve gotten a bit more powerful. Good. As an Elite, you have some catching up to do.¡± ¡°So killing an Authority 5 is a prerequisite for becoming one?¡± ¡°It is. Just one is enough to get you on the list. You also earn points for each kill. I tallied you at 7 kills, so when we return, the list will update to reflect that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Tana suddenly spoke up in confusion. ¡°I thought he killed 12?¡± ¡°He technically did, but not all of them were his sole work. It was difficult to tell and I wasn¡¯t watching the entire time, so after some talks with the other instructors, we settled on 7. In fact, they initially only wanted to credit you with 3, but I convinced them otherwise. After all, I know how your summons work the best.¡± ¡°Well, the count doesn¡¯t matter that much. I¡¯m just glad I¡¯m actually an Elite now. Do I get paid?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Unfortunate.¡± I clicked my tongue in playful disappointment, causing the Puppet Master to smirk. Then, I nodded to the walls. ¡°I was going to pick off some more stragglers.¡± ¡°Mm, go ahead. By the way, you Elites will be heading out soon. There are already several reconnaissance missions lined up to be completed. This recent siege was by no means natural and we want to know why, so it¡¯s a perfect opportunity to put you all to work. Be prepared for that, but at least for the next three days, you all will be free to do whatever you want.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± We all nodded. After that, I went up the walls while the others went to retire. They had been working all day while I was asleep, so I couldn¡¯t expect them to accompany me. Heading up to the central tower, I got a good look at the entire battlefield. The dirt ground for the surrounding half mile was stained entirely red with blood. So many monsters had died that it had soaked the mud. Not even the walls were spared as the bottom half was covered in thousands of red streaks. Not only that, but the massive amount of corpses released a deathly rotten fog. The aura was so palpable that I felt suffocated even from the tower. I promptly took out my air mask, sealing it over the bottom half of my face before communing with a rifle and taking aim. Near the walls there were squads of soldiers moving corpses into massive piles and burning them. They surely couldn¡¯t just let them rot, and spells made for easy disposal. But beyond I could spot lots of scavengers and lingering beasts. Some were stalking the soldiers while others were feeding on their dead kin. While there were guards making sure the disposal teams weren¡¯t attacked, they also weren¡¯t proactively attacking themselves. I was perfect for the job, so I didn¡¯t hesitate to pull the trigger and get to work. However, this time, I didn¡¯t have Umara with me. So when my gun exploded with power, everyone on base heard it. *BOOM* The shockwave rang the ears of the soldiers in the vicinity and startled everyone else. All attention was promptly turned to the tower. Nobody came to stop me though, so I continued. Like that, shots rang out for the next hour or so. It was only when the sun set that I had to stop since I couldn¡¯t see anything. ¡°Hooh¡­¡± I took a deep breath after releasing my weapon, sitting up and propping my back against the wall. I sat there for a bit, stewing in my thoughts while taking out a cigar and putting away my mask. Taking a few puffs helped revitalize my body. Staying still for hours on end, especially in the positions that I was in, made my body incredibly sore and stiff. I still felt the remnant aches from the first day of the siege. And then I had slept for an entire day, not making it much better. It was lucky that my mind felt brand new, giving me some relief. All alone in the tower, I was able to get some good alone time. Thinking back, I realized that this was the first time I truly came into contact with the Scourge. I didn¡¯t really have the time to worry about first impressions, but perhaps the aftermath of the battle was better for that anyway. Just their mere presence was poisonous. In life, they sought nothing but the deaths of everyone at the base. And in death, they infected the landscape and spread their rotten scent. It would take several days of rotting for a normal animal to leave behind the horrid stench they did. But the Scourge did so in a mere day. Not only that, but I could sense the poisonous aura coming from all of them. Within each of those bodies was toxic Magika stemming from the black crystals, so it was spread in a subtle way that only those attuned to aura could make out. Where an ordinary person would merely want to vomit from the scent, a Magus would feel like their soul was sickened from being near the terrible aura. They truly were a scourge. They were good for nothing, their only purpose to corrupt the world. At least animals were an integral part of nature, creating an irreplaceable balance. But this world would be better off without the Scourge. No, it was more accurate to say that the Scourge would need to be eradicated before this world could truly prosper. They were the nemesis of life itself. I now understood that fact, something I hadn¡¯t before. And I knew that there was far more to the Scourge than just this. This siege was a mere glimpse of what they were capable of, nothing more than a tasting. The Kingdom of Dragon Tongue, backed by the power of several immense magical organizations and the Church, containing multiple Authority 11 Magi, had yet to actually defeat the Scourge. This meant that there were beasts and enemies that I couldn¡¯t yet fathom. It was likely that the only reason humanity had survived until this point was through their intelligence, something that the vast majority of, if not all, the Scourge beasts lacked. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. But, did the Scourge also contain intelligent individuals? I thought back to the story about Rayla¡¯s late husband, who had been infected and turned into a Scourge entity. Did he have or retain his intelligence? Although twisted, it was possible that he could still think with the capacity of a standard human. In that case, the Scourge no doubt contained intelligent beings at the helm. It was the only way they could wage meaningful war against the humans, the only way to prevent the humans from systematically wiping them out. It went both ways, after all. If humanity could find a way to fight back against the Scourge, then they could find a way to eradicate them. The fact that hadn¡¯t happened yet spoke volumes about the depth of the Scourge. In that case, what was the Scourge? Was it a virus, like a zombie virus? Was it a special species? I was more inclined to think that they were like zombies, but it also wasn¡¯t that simple. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how little I knew about the situation. I had learned a good amount about the Scourge, but it was all public knowledge. After all, it was known that the Scourge could infect humans. But there were also no mentions of intelligent Scourge beasts. Maxwell had spoken of Royals and Unique Beasts when discussing Crowns. I had no idea what those were. Not even the academy spoke of them. My knowledge was severely limited, which oddly seemed to piss me off. But it became clear from today that the Scourge was my existential enemy. For a while now I had been questioning the reason for my appearance in this world. I was brought here with my knowledge and a power that allowed me to summon historical armament from Earth. It seemed perfect for dealing with the Scourge. I was beginning to think that they were the reason I was brought here. Perhaps I was some sort of saving grace, but then again, I had a hard time believing that I would be able to become powerful enough to bring about any significant change. How could one man fight against an army? It was simply impossible, made only slightly less impossible through cold steel and explosives. Well, either way, I would do what I could. In this world, fighting in the war meant you were protecting all of humanity from ruin. There was nothing political about it. That made it really easy for me to simply accept what I was doing. I felt no remorse in anything I did here, only fulfillment knowing that I was ending a purely evil enemy. ¡°Heh, I need to get better.¡± I chuckled a bit, thinking that I needed to focus more on cultivating my power. Everything went back to that. Just then though, I heard the sound of footsteps going up the stone stairs toward the tower I was in. I looked at the doorway while letting out a smoke filled breath, watching as Umara walked through. We stared at each other for a moment before she spoke softly. ¡°You didn¡¯t come down.¡± ¡°I was brooding.¡± ¡°What about?¡± ¡°Come sit with me and I¡¯ll tell you about it.¡± She smiled at my words, walking over before taking a seat at my side. We sat shoulder to shoulder as I briefly explained some of my thoughts. And her response was empathetic. ¡°Yes, the Scourge is indeed mysterious. At least for us. Perhaps that¡¯s to protect us though. I mean, if everyone knew just how terrible their enemy was, how many people would really volunteer to fight? On the contrary, making them seem like mindless beasts that could be easily defended against would inspire the false bravado of everyone who merely wants the glory of the battle without the sacrifice or horror.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s a good way of putting it. My, how wise of you.¡± I looked at her, slightly impressed. Coming from the perspective of naivety like myself, she displayed a great understanding of the possible unknown. She smiled a bit. ¡°Those words come from my mother.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°You know her. She¡¯s powerful and naturally well aware of the threat the Scourge poses. The things she tells me about them usually spare the more intense details. She protects me, even though I don¡¯t want that. I¡¯m under the impression that I should be exposed to it now and have time to process it. That way I can stay ahead of the curve.¡± ¡°I can see the logic in that.¡± I shrugged in understanding, but then I sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, age is also important. That and experience. Experiencing something traumatic before you¡¯re fit to cope with it can be permanently debilitating. Your mind may not have the ability to process it yet, whether you like it or not. Basically, if you trust your mother¡¯s objective judgment, then don¡¯t rush it.¡± ¡°I do trust it. That¡¯s the only reason I no longer force the issue. But that doesn¡¯t mean I like it.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re mature enough to understand it.¡± ¡°I suppose.¡± She sighed with obvious indignation, as if her maturity were a burden. And I understood her plight, even if not from the same perspective. It was amazing how much a person¡¯s mentality changed as they got older. Just a single year could flip your worldview. A single event could impart life changing experience. I understood that from my time on Earth. It was the only reason I had entered college. I trusted the judgment of my parents who had more experience than I, along with the advice of other adults around me, several of which had expressed their regret over their own youthful ignorance. I knew that I was young and didn¡¯t know better, so I followed their directions instead of blazing a trail on my own. Well, I was also fearful of what would happen if I was truly cut off from them, who were my lifeline, but I knew I had enough self awareness to see the truth. Sure enough, a few years later, my mindset had completely changed. I no longer needed their guidance to see that their advice was true. It was amazing to experience my own evolving way of thought, as if I were spectating my own life. It seemed Umara was similar. However, after a few moments of silence between us, I could see her fidget and smile weirdly. She seemed nervous. My heart thrummed a bit harder, as if I could predict what was happening. In fact, I could sense her Aura get a bit bolder, like she was about to do something big. She could hide little, my senses reading her like a book, only stopping short of being able to hear her exact thoughts. ¡°So¡­ I was wondering¡­¡± ¡°Mhmm?¡± ¡°Well, there really isn¡¯t anything to do here, but there is back at the Capital. Anyway, I didn¡¯t know if you would be open to the thought of, maybe, going to a nice restaurant when we return¡­¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent for a few moments while looking over, seeing Umara almost shiver in nervousness. Of course, the fact that I had just been asked out had me a bit fluttery as well, but not nearly as much as her. It was like her life and death hinged on my answer here. Seeing her like this was extraordinary, like seeing an extinct species. I never thought she could get this nervous. All of our interactions prior had been completely cool. She was always rather monotone, almost stoic, except for when she occasionally teased me. Of course, she wasn¡¯t robotic. She was just really low-key. Unlike Tana who wore her heart on her sleeve, she preferred to keep quiet and watch. So this was totally new, getting a glimpse of just how¡­ girly she could be. It was unbearably cute. I couldn¡¯t even think of anything else as I barely stifled laughter. I felt gleeful. ¡°Oh lord, I¡¯ve never seen you this nervous!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t laugh! Please!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ve just never been asked out on a date before. It¡¯s kind of magical.¡± I chuckled, thinking that I¡¯ve always been the one on the other end. Was this how girls felt? Seeing how Umara looked like she was going to explode though, I did my best to control myself and ease her mind. ¡°Ahem. I think a date sounds great.¡± ¡°...Are you sure?¡± ¡°Look at you, being all shy.¡± I laughed as she tried to bury her face in her knees. After a moment though, I nudged her with my elbow. ¡°But we''ll only be back at the capital in 3 weeks. That''s too long.¡± ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean that I like you right now and don¡¯t want to wait 3 weeks just to go on a date. Granted, being on a military base does indeed make things difficult, but I¡¯m sure we can figure something out. Who said we can¡¯t take a date to the recreation room?¡± ¡°O-Oh¡­¡± She let out a long relieved breath at my words, causing me to laugh again. Just like that, I had started a new relationship. I could see her smile really wide too. She even rocked back and forth like a kid who just got some candy. But then, she rubbed her chin. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about a date to the recreation room¡­¡± ¡°Eh, we¡¯ll figure something out. For now let¡¯s go eat.¡± I stood before reaching out and grabbing her hand, pulling her up to her feet and out of the tower. We headed to the mess hall where they were serving dinner. Very few people were there, so we had some alone time while eating. During that time Umara seemed to calm herself down, returning to her usual quiet self. But as I sat across from her, I couldn¡¯t stop smiling, constantly thinking back to how she went about asking me out. I even laughed a few times, causing her to cover her face with her hands. Ah, how cute. Chapter 42: Bounties The day after that exciting night, I met back up with my squad. Of course, seeing Umara again was fun. It was like I was teasing her with every glance I gave her, just the two of us aware of what was different. I had a smile on my face all day while she tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Part of me just wanted to go up and give her a kiss on the cheek, just to embarrass her. But I held myself back. Although I hadn¡¯t grown up in this world, enough time and interaction had made me understand that social customs weren¡¯t the same as America on Earth. Everyone was generally more reserved and modest, more so resembling 20th century America rather than the 21st century. This meant that there wouldn¡¯t be any sex after the third date. Hell, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if we barely started kissing by that point. I understood that everything would move slower. Not that this changed the way I thought about things. From my experience, I was used to things moving much faster. While I was willing to wait for things like sex, I wasn¡¯t sure if I had it in me to do something like wait until marriage, even though according to my own religious belief system, that was the standard. At the very least, I would be pushing our intimacy forward as best I could. That was simply the way I did things. Before all that though, we would need to have our first date. Which, considering the circumstances, wouldn¡¯t be easy. There really wasn¡¯t much to do on this military base, especially not alone. The recreation room always had people in it and I wasn¡¯t interested in having our date in a room full of sweaty knights. There weren¡¯t any restaurants, clubs, or any other fun places to go either. In fact, the best candidate for a date given the bare requirements was probably the chapel. So unless we went AWOL, sneaking onto the Rail and going back to the city, having a date would be close to impossible. However, after some thinking, I realized that not all hope would be lost. There was still one activity that could give us both alone time and a good location. Missions. After the sudden siege, a few days were spent simply recuperating. Shockingly, there were zero deaths during that time, though there were a few critical injuries like some severed limbs. But it ended very well, all things considered. And afterward, the cleanup was taken care of swiftly. So I spent most of my free time with my squad, all of us just hanging out and having fun. We would also find other squads to play games with, and on the training grounds there was frequent sparing ongoing. I also spent a lot of time studying my formation. That alone took up 3-5 hours of my day since I would get so engrossed. But eventually we were put to work. When the second week of our stay started, there was a large list of missions suddenly posted. Like that, all the Elite squads were called to report early in the morning. So the night before, we all went to bed eagerly. ¡­¡­ ¡°You have your armor prepared?¡± Feiden asked from across our room. I could see him preparing all his own gear with familiarity. Feiden wore a full set of armor, but he also had some special items like recovery pills similar to what I used to carry. Since I had very little to prepare, I just nodded. ¡°Yea, I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°Do you even have armor?¡± ¡°Yea, it¡¯s my coat.¡± ¡°That thing?¡± He looked at the coat hanging on the corner of my bed with curiosity. It looked like a normal black coat unless you inspected it closely and found the purple lines. So to most people, I just really liked the coat and wore it all the time. Not that it was a false assumption, but the main reason I wore it was for its protection. But I didn¡¯t need people knowing how amazing it was. Even I didn¡¯t completely understand how high quality it was. So I gave him a succinct answer. ¡°I can¡¯t wear heavy armor like you guys, so that coat acts as light armor.¡± ¡°I see. What about your feet and head?¡± ¡°I have boots. As for my head, I can¡¯t say I really have anything for it. Plus, I need my eyes for my weapons, so no helmets.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± Feiden nodded. He had seen my weapons, so he generally knew that my sight was important when working with them. After that, Feiden went back to preparing his gear. I, on the other hand, started messing with my Aerial. Before leaving, Sawn had given me some special instructions. First, I needed to access the Web. And second, I needed to test out the local communication functions. The second part was easy. With a press of the button I could turn my Aerial into a local Node and allow anybody nearby to share communications with each other. Under normal circumstances you had to be connected to a city¡¯s Node in order to send messages, but since my Aerial became that, I could act as the server for everyone in my group. It would be great for our mission. Not only that, but I could contact someone back at base if we were ever in trouble since my Aerial had a much longer range than normal one. It was the first part, accessing the Web, that proved to be more difficult. Simply getting there was easy. There was the equivalent of an App on the Aerial that brought me to a rudimentary browser. I could search for and access Nodes from there. The issue was actually finding a Node to connect to. There wasn¡¯t much of a search engine yet, so sifting through Nodes was like looking through a phone book. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. I had actually started going through them during my free time. While doing so I saw many interesting Nodes. Most of them required some kind of authorization to access. But shockingly, this didn¡¯t prevent me from accessing them. I could only assume that my Aerial had some advanced permissions because I directly bypassed the authorization process every time. Because of that, I actually managed to view the Magisterium¡¯s Node that held hundreds of research documents and information. I didn¡¯t go through it all but did indeed stash the name of the Node for later. There were many others just like it including some shady private Nodes that I didn¡¯t care to stick around in. But above all these, I kept an eye out for my main target. And while Feiden went to bed, I actually found it. ¡°Black Spider Repository¡­¡± I mumbled while clicking to access the Node, and without delay, I was allowed access. A website appeared in front of my eyes, one with several different pages that ranged from forums to the big list of bounties. I went straight to look at the bounties, and sure enough, I found myself on there. Below my portrait was the 40,000 coin bounty as well as my personal details. But below that was a page dedicated to information on my whereabouts. There wasn¡¯t much on that page other than the fact that I had left the Magisterium for a trip. Beyond that, it was blank. It felt weird looking at a bounty for myself. Part of me was fearful, remembering just how dangerous my time in the city would be. I really couldn''t let my guard down, but I wasn¡¯t sure how I was supposed to be eternally vigilant. Thankfully there wouldn¡¯t be much attention on me when I went back since I would have been gone for so long. I couldn¡¯t imagine that someone would risk their life to kill a supposed Authority 5 for a mere 40 Gold Bullion. With a sigh, I scrolled past my portrait. There was no use worrying about that stuff now. I looked at the others, primarily the bounties with the highest payouts listed at the top. And I saw some interesting names. ¡°Anderson, an Authority 11 Paladin of the Church. Luna, the Head of the Polaris Family, Authority 10+. Gunsen, Headmaster of the Clockwork Association, Authority 9+. Patriarch Tavera too? Seems everyone famous has a bounty.¡± I chuckled as I saw a name I knew. The topmost bounties had rewards of billions of coin. It was enough to live the rest of your life lavishly, but it was arguable that there was no amount of money in this world that could buy the death of some of these people. How many people could kill an Authority 11? There were probably a handful of people within the kingdom, and even less who would be willing. So basically, these rewards were just trophies that those people could flaunt, like an ego boost. People like myself would be in far more danger since we could actually be killed. After scrolling for a while, I no longer saw any names that I recognized. While I got a good read on some faces, some of which were very pretty women, I mainly just snooped around for the hell of it. However, when going through some of the other pages, I saw another interesting list. It was a bounty list, but instead of for humans, it was for Scourge beasts. I looked at the link to the page for a bit before clicking it. I was morbidly curious, so I didn¡¯t hesitate to find the top of the list. And the number one spot made me confused. ¡°The Four Kings¡­¡± I was a single bounty for four individuals. I scrolled through the details and saw their names. King of Anarchy King of Despair King of The Brood King of Unholy Light These were the titles of the four strongest beings of the Scourge. Each of them stood at the pinnacle of power, Authority 12, and had lived for hundreds of years. They were each terrifying existences. There were no pictures of them, and there wasn¡¯t even a bounty posted. But there were some details about their power, or at least the consequences of their presence. The most eye catching was the King of Unholy Light. It was said that all who stood within the light emitted by this King would be melted where they stood and turn into an unrecognizable monster known as a fleshbug. These fleshbugs would then seek out the nearest human, and upon contact would melt the victim and turn it into an identical fleshbug. The most horrifying part about this wasn¡¯t the transformation though. It was the fact that, when a fleshbug would seek out a human target, it would mysteriously acquire the memories of that human and begin speaking with the voices of those its target knew and loved. It would come to you with the voice of your lover, child, or best friend. And with your memories it would try and tempt you toward it while hunting you from the dark. Because of this, there were accounts of soldiers going insane from the horror and trauma of encountering these fleshbugs. And it was said that a siege of these monsters would hail a unholy symphony of screams that drowned out entire valleys. Simply reading about this beast made me shiver, and I quickly remembered that this was just one of the four Kings. I didn¡¯t end up reading any information about the other three, forcing myself to scroll past the bounty before staring up at the ceiling with my eyes wide open. To say that I wasn¡¯t scared was a lie. But I found comfort in the fact that the Kingdom of Dragon Tongue was able to hold its ground against these horrifying creatures and survive till this day. There were people out there so powerful that they could fight on the same level as those Kings. They were keeping us safe. This was all I could tell myself to try and drown out the horror from those stories. Because I knew that, if anything, those stories were watered down from reality. After several minutes, I finally regained myself. But I found that I wasn¡¯t able to close my eyes, so I pulled back up the site and started scrolling further down the list. The beasts lower down weren¡¯t nearly as terrifying. They had pictures and there was much more detailed information. I read intently, compiling information on dozens of different beasts of different types and levels before coming to a conclusion. There were in fact intelligent beasts among the Scourge, and those beasts didn¡¯t come from infecting humans. There were bloodlines within the Scourge, and there were different levels for these bloodlines. The ones most prevalent were the Royal bloodlines. There were four of them, and each descended from the Four Kings. In fact, those with these bloodlines weren¡¯t really beasts. They were humanoid creatures with intelligence and special powers. They could cultivate power just like humans, but in general were more powerful at the same Authority. An Authority 6 Royal wouldn¡¯t lose to an Authority 6 human, regardless of type. It took very talented humans to fight on par with Royals, and the only saving grace was that there weren¡¯t many Royals. At least, there weren¡¯t many worth concerning over. The limits of a Royal was purely dictated by their bloodline density, which fell off with each generation. This meant there was a strict hierarchy that frequently cycled itself at the lower levels and almost never changed at the higher levels. Other than that, there were Unique beasts. These were creatures without a royal bloodline that ascended beyond standard limits to attain both intelligence and strong powers. Some of them even birthed their own families and bloodlines. I saw many of both types of these creatures on the bounty list. Because of that, I now knew the identifying features of a Royal and what to look out for with a Unique beast. At some point, I logged out of the Node and shut down my Aerial. In the darkness I stewed in my own thoughts, thinking about what I learned. It was a shock to know that there were obscenely powerful beasts out there, ones that could annihilate entire cities simply by being there. And then there were the Royals and Unique beasts, enemies that I would probably end up facing sometime in the future. Looking at them and hearing about their powers had me fearful. It was difficult to believe that I could actually rise to their level, let alone kill them. But my own powers gave me confidence. And when I thought about the threat they posed and the devastation they¡¯ve caused, I became more angry than cowardly. They needed to be eradicated. Every last one of them were monsters undeserving of their life on this world. I was already sure before, but it seemed that with everything I learned, I was only becoming more certain of my conviction to fight these monsters. So for a while I laid on my bed, smoldering in hate that drowned out any fear I had for the Scourge. And it was only late in the night when I finally managed to fall asleep. Chapter 43: Fortitude *Coo! Coo!* ¡°...Huh?¡± A confused sound escaped my lips as I heard the echoing calls of a bird. The lush greenery around me didn¡¯t seem out of place even though it wasn¡¯t there when I fell asleep. Or, I thought it was greenery at first, but when I stepped forward to walk around a tree, I took a glimpse at the blue bark of the tree trunk and the purple grasses that rose up to my knees. I stared at it for a moment before drifting through the forest around me, making my way forward as if I knew where I was going and wasn¡¯t in a completely unfamiliar place. Or perhaps someone was guiding me. It felt like my steps weren¡¯t intentional, like a boat without sails being led by the currents underneath it. I was led out of the forest, the trees and brush coming to a halt all at once as I reached the end. The knee-high grass drew a perfect line across the landscape I gazed upon, going from tall to dirt. The mud I stepped in did nothing to dirty my shoes, but when I looked at it, I saw that it wasn¡¯t brown, but red. And it wasn¡¯t mud. My vision focused, seeing a few brown patches where the blood had yet to coat. The scent of iron suddenly filled my nose, making me so nauseous that I fell to my knees and vomited. ¡°Cough!¡± What I vomited, I didn¡¯t know. All I knew was that I fell to the floor with a miserable feeling in my stomach. However, I could only remain there for a few seconds before everything suddenly changed again. The blood soaked mud disappeared. What replaced it was a deep black filament, like the ground was made of metal shavings and gunpowder. My fingers could slip into it, but it also fell apart easily, coating my hands in ashy dust that couldn¡¯t be removed. For some reason, I wiped my face right after, smearing it all over my forehead, cheeks, and eyes. Some got in my nose as well, but I didn¡¯t feel like sneezing. Then, I lifted my head. I saw nothing. No land formations like hills or plains, and no blue sky. It was night, but with no stars. The landscape I stood upon was a perfectly flat plain made of black filament. There wasn¡¯t even any wind, no humidity either. After only a few seconds, my mouth became dry. Then, as I stood there with no direction, I felt a small vibration in the ground. It traveled up the soles of my feet and shook my legs. At first I thought it was similar to the purrs of a cat, a gentle and low vibration. But it didn¡¯t stop, and over time, it jumped in intensity. It soon sounded like the growls of a tiger or lion. Then it got loud, sounding like a jackhammer that caused earthquakes. After that, all I could hear was screaming that shook the skies and ground, threatening to throw me off my feet. My heart rate skyrocketed. It felt like I was fighting for my life even though I couldn¡¯t see the enemy. It felt like something was coming, yet just its mere presence in the area was sowing havoc and chaos. I got angry, irrationally so. It felt like I needed someone, something, to appear in front of me so I could kill it. And then, I felt something behind me. So I turned around with a twisted face, a low battle cry escaping my lips as I prepared myself for battle. But what I saw instantly washed away all feelings of wrath or battle. It was an ugly being. Its amalgamated torso carried six arms with no symmetry, as if they were sown randomly across its body. It also had four legs, one of a lion, one of a lizard, and two hind legs with talons. And it had two heads, one of a human, and one of what I could only describe as a pile of flesh. The human head had no eyes and a mouth sewn shut. It only had two slits for a nose and many more scars that twisted its visage. And the mound of flesh had 6 eyes and three mouths, each mouth having two tongues. It was a horrible sight, and just gazing upon it induced catastrophic fear that made my eyes bleed and legs shake in weakness. But I didn¡¯t buckle. That was because, just when I felt so weak that I couldn¡¯t so much as stand, a pair of arms reached out from behind. They hugged my chest, helping me stay on my feet and wash away the fear inside me. It felt so comforting, like the embrace of a mother. My mind turned clear with its power, and yet when I continued to stare at that abomination in front of me, I still felt deep fear. I knew that I couldn¡¯t kill it. Despite the courage that I mustered to so much as face it, I knew that it was impossible to harm it. So I spoke to the being behind me. My Guardian Angel. ¡°I need strength.¡± I said, yet I knew I asked. And perhaps I wasn¡¯t surprised by its response. ¡°You need fortitude.¡± She told me in a sweet, unwavering, kind voice, and yet I laughed. I chuckled even while gazing at that abomination. But within me, I could already feel sorrow for something that hadn¡¯t happened. And then, my eyes opened. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°John?¡± ¡°...¡± I looked up, seeing the ceiling as well as Feiden¡¯s concerned face to the side. He turned away when he noticed me looking over. Then, I felt a bit of moisture, lifting my fingers to my eyes to find tears. Part of me wanted to act confused, but I knew what I had just seen and felt. I couldn¡¯t deny it, even if it was a dream. So I just sat up, the room filled with an awkward silence I didn¡¯t care to acknowledge. I sat there for several minutes as Feiden dressed himself in his armor. I didn¡¯t move to do anything, simply thinking. That was, until Feiden finished and spoke. ¡°Our briefing is in an hour. Are you coming to eat?¡± ¡°...Yea. I¡¯ll be right out.¡± ¡°Alright. Take your time.¡± I could hear the attempted comfort in his words as he left. Soon enough, I was all alone. After another several minutes, I suddenly took out a parchment, looking at all the complicated lines written on it. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. I had already comprehended a quarter of it. And now that I looked back, I hadn¡¯t even used the White Crystal to power that advancement. It simply happened, but then again, what changed wasn¡¯t technically my overall power level, but how the power was constructed and utilized. Along with the parchment, I retrieved the White Crystal Maxwell had given me. Then, I began circulating it. Closing my eyes and becoming aware of my Aura, I cast Psyka into it and empowered it. Then, blue lines started appearing in the air. They sparked, shooting across space and copying the formation in my hands. At first they drew short lines, but after only three tries, I managed to draw the entire first quarter of the formation in mid air. I opened my eyes, seeing the partial formation, before expanding it. The empty circle that was my unfinished formation began to fill up just a little bit more. And the Spark within my mind grew that much more. The Spark was entirely focused on building more of the formation, and with each second that the formation grew, the Spark received more power to use for its focus, creating a positive feedback loop. I rode that wave, pushing it further and further, even treading into territory I hadn¡¯t yet gotten to, comprehending it on the fly. But then, I suddenly stopped. Taking a long breath, I looked at the formation that was now 40% complete. In fact, I had stopped on purpose when I actually had more in me. I simply felt like I should. I felt like pushing these moments of inspiration too far would burn me out. Not only that, but it would tire me before the mission. It was great progress and almost effortless. With a small smile, I took my gains and went. Stashing the parchment and crystal, I stood from my bed and wiped what remained of the dried up tears on my face. After that, I cleaned myself up and dressed before heading out. ¡°John!¡± After entering the Mess Hall, I heard Tana call me. She was sitting with the rest of my squad, so after going to grab food, I went over and sat with them. Umara was sitting on one end, so there was an open spot next to her which I cleanly took. I had a feeling she did it on purpose. I tapped her with my elbow as I sat and glanced at Feiden. He smiled at me, which I returned before focusing on eating. We were all silent for a while. After all, we didn¡¯t have much time. ¡°Time to go.¡± After several minutes, Vetsmon suddenly spoke and stood with an empty tray. I followed, stuffing the last of my food in my mouth. The others came behind us, and before long, we all headed toward the briefing room. At the entrance, the Puppet Master was waiting. I greeted him as we went through the door. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Puppet.¡± ¡°John. I hope you¡¯re rested.¡± We shook hands before I grabbed a seat at the table in the room. As soon as everyone had greeted each other, we all settled in. Along with the Puppet Master, there was also our Commander along with one other officer. ¡°Alright, listen up.¡± The Commander spoke as the room went dark. Then, the wall in front of us flashed before displaying a magical projection of a map. It was of the surroundings beyond the base. There were some markers as well as indicators for geological features. ¡°You are the first team we¡¯re sending out on a mission. This man here is Lieutenant Captain Hemet, an Authority 6 Warlock. He¡¯ll be following you all and overseeing the mission. I¡¯ll allow him to explain the details.¡± ¡°Good day, you all. You can just address me as Sir Hemet.¡± The officer waved to us. He was an average height man with a slim build dressed in some light armor. He seemed friendly enough with his combed back hair, so we all nodded back to him. Then, he pointed to the map behind him. ¡°Our mission today is to do some reconnaissance. These Scourge Tides are by no means random. There is usually an entity guiding them, usually using the tide in order to test whatever base they siege. Our goal is to find that entity, or at least its traces. If we can¡¯t find it or at least confirm its departure, then there may be a risk of another Tide.¡± ¡°Sir Hemet has come from the nearby Frontier Bastion Gevaulda. Turns out, they¡¯ve also experienced a Scourge Tide, and not one on a level ours could compare to. It seems we caught its remnants, but that also means the leading entity could be around here, so he will be your guide and you will support him.¡± Commander Bosnen chimed in after, giving us a little more context. News that we weren¡¯t the only ones to get sieged surprised me, primarily because I felt that we should''ve been warned. I figured it was safe practice to warn any bases in the vicinity of a Scourge Tide, just in case. While the alarm did in fact go off some time before the Tide arrived, it definitely took longer than that for the Tide to travel. Then again, perhaps I was thinking too much. It wasn¡¯t like a base that was getting besieged could keep track of every enemy, especially when the forces they faced were apparently so much greater than what appeared on our own doorstep. I guess we should just be thankful that we had any advance notice at all. Sir Hemet spoke. ¡°We will take a Crawler out to the entity¡¯s most likely location, which is this hillside right here. There are a few other places around there to check out if that doesn¡¯t give us anything, including a forest nearby. This operation will take an entire day. We won¡¯t be getting back until late at night, and depending on our results, we will continue tomorrow. Also, be prepared to fight. There may be small groups of beasts that continue to lurk, so this won¡¯t just be a sightseeing trip. Any questions?¡± ¡°What supplies should we grab?¡± I raised my hand and asked. If we would be outside the wire all day, then we would at least need food. He nodded at my question. ¡°I suggest grabbing some rations, enough for two days. Since we¡¯ll be in a Crawler there will be some cargo space to store packs. Otherwise, just bring anything you¡¯ll need to take care of basic necessities. There are no special requirements for this mission, and I will be bringing medical supplies just in case.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Then go ahead and pack. We leave in 15 by the gate. Dismissed.¡± With his word, we all stood to leave. All the rations were stored by the mess hall, so we stopped by there to grab supplies. I also grabbed a pack to store those items. I had never received one, so I simply requisitioned one from the armory. As for anything else I thought I needed, they were all stashed away in the spatial sack on my arm. With that, we all met up by the gates. In front of it was the Crawler Sir Hemet spoke of. It was a vehicle that looked like an armored truck. Inside it had two rows of seats along with a magic turret on top. And in the back it had an enclosed cargo trunk. We all threw our bags in the trunk before boarding. I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I felt the cold hard metal of its construction. This thing was an inch of armor away from being an APC. The space given to us was nice too. Since people in this world tended to be taller, vehicles were accommodating for that. We wouldn¡¯t be cramped in a metal box. Sir Hemet was driving, and after we had all boarded, the truck rolled out of the base. The location for our recon was about 15 miles away. With this truck, it would take around an hour to get there when factoring in all the terrain. So I settled in, next to Umara of course. She hadn¡¯t spoken at all this morning, But we had made eye contact several times which was more than enough to make both of us smile. But I was also sitting next to Vetsmon, who was enjoyable to talk to. Right now, he was geared up in plate-armored pants. His chest plate was sitting underneath his seat, and his weapon was undoubtedly stashed in a spatial sack. His torso was covered in a fitted cloth shirt meant for wearing underneath armor, but because it was fitted, it made his muscles bulge. I had a good physique, but this man was simply built larger. A brick shithouse, if you will. He was a wall and definitely knew how to use that to his advantage. I nudged him. ¡°Hey, what did you do to get that huge? Do you eat entire cows for dinner?¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m fortunate enough to have a large diet, yes. I¡¯ve also trained since I was of age. Most of that training wasn¡¯t for the spear or sword, but simple physical training. My family believes that endurance is even more important than weapon skill.¡± ¡°Your family? Are you from some kind of knight family?¡± I asked, curious more about the structure of his background rather than his personal origins. I had heard about families in several industries, and they seemed to be similar to entire organizations. Vetsmon nodded. ¡°It¡¯s something like that. My family is a Paladin Peerage of the Church. We have a few branches, but I come from the main branch, surnamed Verga.¡± ¡°Oh, a paladin peerage.¡± I nodded, impressed. I had only ever heard of paladins in fantasy, but it seemed they were a real thing here. But I was still curious, so I inquired. ¡°What does it mean to be a paladin? Or a paladin peerage?¡± ¡°A Paladin Peerage is simply a noble family within the church that is headed by a Paladin.¡± ¡°And what is a Paladin?¡± ¡°All those who are Authority 12 under the Church become a Paladin.¡± ¡°Oh, so they¡¯re the strongest.¡± I was enlightened and asked another question. ¡°So your father is a Paladin?¡± ¡°Haha, no. My great-grandfather was, but he died in the last major war. But he was not the first Paladin of our line, and thus we have retained our status as a Paladin Peerage, hoping to produce another one.¡± ¡°I see. Are you going to be the next?¡± ¡°If the Lord wills it. Otherwise, I will simply do as I can. Paladins aren¡¯t the only people who can influence a war. Every soldier matters, so as long as I bring value to the Church, I will continue down my path.¡± ¡°Ah, how noble of you.¡± I nodded before suddenly smiling at him. ¡°Now tell me how you really feel.¡± ¡°Hey now, why would I expose myself? He responded cheekily, causing us to laugh. After that we continued talking to pass the time. Tana and the others chimed in at some point too, spilling details about their families and origins. And soon enough, we started to approach our target area. Chapter 44: Contact At some point the Crawler rolled off-road. We tread through some plains before heading up a large hill and finally coming to a stop. Everyone disembarked and scanned the surroundings. There was no immediate threat, but we still had to be wary. The entity we were hunting wouldn¡¯t be alone, that much we knew. However, we also didn¡¯t know how powerful it was. Since we weren¡¯t going in with much intelligence, an extra layer of caution was warranted. But after several minutes of looking around, nothing was found. So we all settled while gathering around Sir Hemet. ¡°Alright, here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do.¡± He took out his Aerial, tapping a few times before bringing up a map. ¡°From here we need to move down the hill in that direction. While we don¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary now, this thing could be hiding in plain sight, so we still need to search some key landmarks. But since we don¡¯t have communications all the way out here, we¡¯ll all need to go together.¡± ¡°I have a suggestion.¡± I suddenly raised my hand, prompting Hemet to turn and stare at me. I spoke. ¡°I¡¯m good with long distance attacks and observation, and this hilltop is perfect for someone like me. I was wondering if it would be better for me to stay here and provide some overwatch for the group.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re the summoner?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± I nodded, to which he went silent for a few moments. ¡°...Very well. You will stay with the Crawler and watch us from afar.¡± ¡°Understood. I will also need Umara to stay with me for support.¡± ¡°The warlock? That doesn¡¯t seem optimal. If you get attacked you will need close range support, so¡­¡± Sir Hemet looked around, finding and pointing at Tana. ¡°She will stay back with you.¡± ¡°...Are you sure, sir? Umara is already my designated support, and she¡¯s not a knight, so she may hold you back while traveling.¡± I spoke back up. While staying back with Umara was partially driven out of my desire to have some alone time, it was also practical. Her auxiliary support was rather critical to ensuring I didn¡¯t attract every living thing within a 5 mile radius, including potential enemies. We complimented each other well, even if there was truth to Hemet¡¯s statement. But his only response came with a frown. ¡°Please don¡¯t question my decision. I¡¯m not a knight either and I¡¯ll be walking just as much. Leaving you here is already enough of a risk. She will stay with you here and neither of you will leave this position until we have returned. Am I clear?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± I responded dully, my mood having been quickly ruined. I get it. He was military, I was just a school kid, and I was talking back. He didn¡¯t even need to explain himself, but he was being lenient and exercising some patience, even if it was thin. He sure wasn¡¯t like that in the briefing room. It amazed me how different he had become in just an hour. Perhaps he was just locked in for the mission, but it still pissed me off. I was glad I was taller, since I was able to look down on him as he tried to seem intimidating while exercising his authority. Eventually he turned away. ¡°Gear up. We¡¯re heading out as soon as possible.¡± With those words, everyone else went to go and make final preparations. As they did so though, I went up to them. It was time to test out my Aerial¡¯s main function: the mobile Node. With the built in program, I was able to create a node on the fly and allow others to connect to it. This wasn¡¯t simply something like a website that gave information, but a transceiver that could send and receive data. The transmission range of this Aerial was far higher than the standard ones, meaning I could connect to everyone even when they were miles away. And with myself as the medium, they could all maintain contact with each other. So I went over to everyone and helped them connect to my Node. It took a few minutes, but before long, everyone was connected and could send messages to each other. I could even create a large group chat, which I did, allowing us to pool our messages. Of course, Hemet wasn¡¯t invited. My current mood could basically be summed up with the phrase, ¡®Fuck that guy¡¯. Umara also came up to me one last time before leaving, giving me a wry smile. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to talk back for me.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t for you, but for everyone. I work best with you. But since that¡¯s not happening, we better hope I don¡¯t need to step in. Otherwise, any nearby enemies will come flocking. Keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Right. I will.¡± She nodded seriously. Such a thing was a very real possibility and could end badly if not handled properly. With that, the group separated. Vetsmon, Feiden, and Umara left with Hemet while Tana and I stayed behind. We watched as they descended the hill. Their first landmark to investigate was actually the side of the hill itself. It was completely covered in scattered rock formations including massive boulders and deep crevices. The entity could be hiding anywhere inside, and they would need to check. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t be searching blindly. That¡¯s why Hemet was here. Using detection spells, they could scan an area with pulses of mana, greatly accelerating their search speed. They wouldn¡¯t be going that far from us at the top. At the least, they would always be within my range. Before finding a rock to perch myself on though, I went around the Crawler, taking a peek at the driver¡¯s seat. And its layout surprised me. It looked similar to cars on Earth. There was a steering wheel, a key to start it, and pedals on the floor for acceleration and braking. Of course, Hemet didn¡¯t leave the key behind, so I unfortunately couldn''t play around. Still, it was good to know that vehicles were similar to what I knew. Then again, the design was rather intuitive anyway. Not surprising that it was universal. It was only then that I found a rock, brought out a seat for myself, and got comfortable.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Taking out my rifle, I could see the group gradually making their way down the hill through my scope. While doing that, I lifted my Aerial and started speaking. ¡°Come in, squad. Comms check. Can you hear me?¡± ¡°I can hear you.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°Same here.¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that?¡± I smiled as I heard Hemet¡¯s voice through someone else¡¯s Aerial, speaking again. ¡°Just another form of communication, sir. I¡¯ll inform you all if I spot anything out of the ordinary. For now, you¡¯re clear. Let me know if you need anything else.¡± ¡°Will do. Good to know my back is being watched.¡± Vetsmon smiled while looking back up the hill, waving once toward us before continuing down. And I could see Hemet¡¯s weird face as he wasn¡¯t sure what to say. Yea, that¡¯s right asshole. You didn¡¯t get invited to the party. I smiled in petty victory. After that though, we all settled in for the long haul. For me, I just had to hurry up and wait. And since I was watching, Tana decided to kick back and relax. My, how I wished Umara was here. We could be talking and keeping each other company, but our asshole superior decided to get in the way. Well, I wouldn¡¯t neglect my job, but I still wasn¡¯t happy. And since they were all busy hiking, I couldn¡¯t really text her either. How depressing. For about two hours I watched them hike down. That was when they reached the bottom of the hill and spread out a bit more. Vetsmon stayed with Umara, going one way while Hemet and Feiden went another. They searched all the dozens of crevices and hidden areas, but after an hour, nothing came up. At some point, noon started to come around and the sun started beating down. Thankfully summer had already passed and it was getting cooler, so it was actually a really nice day weather-wise. It was sunny, making everything clear. From my vantage point, I could make out any and all abnormalities. As I looked between the two groups, Tana spoke from beside me. ¡°You know, the missions on these trips seem cool for a bit, but then you¡¯re forced to sit around for hours and suddenly you wish you had just stayed back at the school. At least with the Puppet Master we had constant battles.¡± ¡°Eh, I think real danger tends to make things more exciting, even if most of the time you¡¯re just plain bored.¡± I commented back while adjusting my seating position. I had learned over time that staring through an optic could fatigue your eye. So since I first sat down, I had been using my left eye to observe, saving my right eye for when I needed it. I also got nice and stiff when sitting in one position for so long, so I shifted between several different positions on top of my chosen rock. I also stacked my bag full of rations and supplies underneath me, providing some extra cushion. Doing that, Tana and I talked back and forth for a while. We laughed occasionally and simply passed the time. But then, the first interesting thing happened. It wasn¡¯t much. Nothing more than a random rock suddenly shifting and falling down the side of the hill. But it immediately caught my attention. My sharp eye, having been trained by video games from Earth to pick out the tiniest and fleeting details in fast paced shooters, spotted a momentary distortion heading down the hill. It was the slightest warp in light, but it was enough to make my heart thrum with adrenaline. Sure enough, only another second or so of observation and I was able to see the distortion again as it headed toward my squad. I suddenly yelled into the open comms. ¡°Enemy contact! Heading towards Vetsmon, your right side!¡± In my scope, I watched as Vetsmon and Umara instantly turned with my directions. But I wasn¡¯t going to trust that they would spot the enemy and risk them getting hurt, so after taking a few seconds to aim, I pulled the trigger with an empowered shot. *BOOM* *Screech!* Everyone heard a scream as my bullet tore into the entity. Blood splattered across some rocks as the distorted light flickered even more, outright revealing the enemy. It was a gray beast that looked like a spiked wolf. It had sharp spines along its back and a sleek, thin body. Its abnormally long claws made it look even more vicious as it left streaks across the rocks it jumped along. My bullet had torn accurately through its torso, but it wasn¡¯t enough to severely injure it. Plus, after revealing itself, it went berserk. It started running and streaking across the hillside, heading down toward its prey. I couldn¡¯t land another shot. But now that they could see it, I had no qualms. Sure enough, Vetsmon stepped forward with his tower shield and spear, meeting the beast head on. They clashed before long, Umara supporting with some debuffing spells from behind that would provide him an advantage. And as that happened, I pulled away from my scope for a moment and looked around. At several other positions along the hillside, I could see some more distortions. More of those beasts came charging, but the more they moved, the easier they were to spot. I spoke into my Aerial. ¡°Feiden, three more enemies coming in behind you! Umara, one more to your left! I¡¯m taking my shot!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± I heard her voice come back over. At the same time, I took aim at the moving distortion. It was moving slower, perhaps trying to sneak up while its kin was acting as bait. At that moment though, I saw Tana step up. ¡°Should I go help?¡± ¡°No!¡± *BOOM* I took my shot, hitting the beast and taking it out of stealth. I then looked at Tana. ¡°Stay here and check the surroundings over there for me. Tell me if there are any enemies coming. This noise might attract attention.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± She didn¡¯t hesitate to follow my orders, running off and scanning the landscape around us. While she did that, I continued to watch my squad. Despite having three enemies, Feiden was fine since Hemet was right there. He cast large area spells to find the enemies, lock them down, and then kill them before Feiden could even step in. And since I had shot both of the beasts going toward Vetsmon and Umara, they were able to easily handle those fights and finish them off. But even that was less of a pressing concern. After all, they weren¡¯t the controlling entities. The boss was still out there, and it was definitely in control of those wolf beasts. Otherwise, they would have appeared sooner. Then, all of a sudden, I felt a chill go down my neck. I instantly responded as the powers of my coat actuated with a purple flash, spinning around while communing with a peacekeeper. Sure enough, I saw a beast running right toward me in slow motion, about to lunge forward. Its distortion faded as it jumped, its maws aimed right for my throat. But my pistol came up in time, my barrel only a few feet away from its vicious snout and blood red eyes when I pulled the trigger. *Bang!* ¡°Agh!¡± The body went limp as my empowered bullet tore straight through its skull, but the body continued straight toward me, falling on top of me. I felt its claws and spines stab me in a few places not covered by my coat. I immediately threw it off, but blood came out as I did so, staining my clothes. ¡°Shit. These are nice too¡­¡± ¡°John! Are you okay?!¡± Tana came running over, sliding to my side with worry all over her face as if I was going to die. I waved her away. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Keep watching out for enemies.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Let me get the med kit.¡± ¡°No, I got it.¡± How could I not have my own medical supplies on me? I had been injured too many times to count in the trenches, so I had gotten pretty good at packing wounds. Taking out some gauze and wrap, I felt around and stuffed the wounds based on how much it bled. Anything that wasn¡¯t pouring was left alone. And after taking care of that, I went right back to work. Sending Tana off, I looked back down, seeing the finished battles. However, even though the wolves were dead, Hemet was still moving. ¡°I found the entity! It¡¯s running, so I¡¯ll chase! You all stay!¡± Just like that, Hemet used magic to give chase. Right after that, I saw a figure running toward a hill opposite to us. I took aim at it, but it was too far to hit. It may only have been 400 or 500 meters away, but that was beyond the effective range of this weapon. This rifle was pre-world-war, after all. It wasn¡¯t a modern sniper. Besides, Hemet could take care of it. And since he was gone, I took command. ¡°Everyone, head back up here and regroup.¡± ¡°John!¡± Right as I spoke, Tana suddenly shouted. I had a bad feeling. ¡°I see enemies coming toward us! There¡¯s a lot!¡± ¡°...Fantastic.¡± I scowled. "You see, Hemet? This is why you listen to me. You think you know how I operate better than I do? You think my judgment was just shit out of my ass? And now there¡¯s a horde coming! How wonderful! Everyone, double time! Put that training to work!¡± I shouted while changing positions, setting my sights on the small horde of stray beasts heading toward us from the bottom of the hill. And I opened fire, cursing our stupid commanding officer. Chapter 45: Alone Time Feiden and Vetsmon were quick to ascend the hill. Knights had it easy like that with their ridiculous strength. And Vetsmon carried Umara so she didn¡¯t get left behind. So before long, we had all regrouped and prepared. *BOOM* The explosions coming from my guns echoed across the landscape. I was shooting as fast as I could, but although most of the beasts were weak, there were plenty of them. And after my squad assembled around me, I paused and took out a cigar, speaking while lighting it. ¡°Vetsmon, Feiden. You two will take point in front of us. Feiden, support Vetsmon. Tana, you¡¯re going to support them both. Take care of anything they can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± They all nodded and moved forward. There was a good amount of space on top of this hill, so they wouldn¡¯t have to fight on sloped terrain. But all that space left room for beasts to fill. If we weren¡¯t careful, we would get surrounded. Well, not like we hadn¡¯t faced these scenarios before with the Puppet Master. There were very few times that any of the teams I worked with ever failed, no matter the situation. More often than not, I took command. As the observation specialist, I tended to have a better grasp on the overall situation. Of course, finding people who would trust me in the first place was more of a concern. Thankfully, Vetsmon and Feiden took to my orders easily despite this being the first real time we had ever worked together. Or perhaps it was just how irritated I sounded. Right now, I wasn¡¯t in the position where I would take no for an answer. After the knights moved up, I looked toward my trusty warlock. ¡°Umara, you¡¯re responsible for crowd control. Don¡¯t let our vanguard get surrounded.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± She nodded and moved up, beginning to cast spells. As for myself, well, my job didn¡¯t need to be stated. Climbing on top of the crawler, I got a nice view of everyone¡¯s backs as well as the slope down the hill. A rough estimation yielded a hundred or two beasts. And they weren¡¯t all coming in one large group. They were scattered and had no sense of unity, attacking in small waves. By the time I was ready, Vetsmon had already made first contact. He greeted the first beast with the tip of his spear, outright skewering it and throwing it away, almost slicing it in half from that action alone. And Feiden followed up by simply slashing a beast across the face when it lunged at him, killing it instantly. That¡¯s when I suddenly remembered. Vetsmon and Feiden were Authority 5. Only 6 people in the Elites were Authority 5, and they were two of them. The rest were Authority 4, with myself occupying the bottommost rung. So those two had no issue dealing with beasts under their level. They could even fight Authority 5¡¯s head on, those behemoths I had seen during the siege being some of them. So while an entire army of beasts could overwhelm a single person, that didn¡¯t mean the person would fall. It simply meant they would take a bit more time to clear them out. I understood quickly that Vetsmon and Feiden didn¡¯t need much help. Plus, they had the support of Tana and Umara who would only make it easier for them to kill faster. And that wasn¡¯t to mention me, their overwatch who would pick off a few to keep their backs safe. The only issue was, beasts only continued to come. In the distance, I could see faint dots heading toward us. They were still scattered, but there were a lot of them. At least another few hundred by my count. I felt a headache come on even as my cigar worked to alleviate my wounds. If that asshole had only listened¡­ Now I was stuck cleaning up the mess. Taking aim, I decided I could work on my marksmanship here, picking off distant targets. My bullets sailed over the heads of my squad, some bullets missing, others finding their mark. Over time, as I communed with more weapons, I received the experiences of more people. Sometimes during my training, I would take a dive into the dimensions of my Authorities and sift around for more weapons to benefit from. Of course, cursory communions didn¡¯t garner that much. I found that the more I used a weapon, the more I would deepen the connection and the more experience I would receive. And so far, I had used this Remington-Lee scoped rifle quite a bit. My connection with it was deeper than any other gun I had and the experiences I received from it were invaluable. I wasn¡¯t a marksman before coming to this world. Sure, I had some experience shooting guns, but nothing that would make me extraordinary. My aim was decent. That was all I knew. But the experiences from this rifle made me into a proper marksman, someone who could utilize his weapon with adept familiarity. That made this weapon''s effective range of 300 meters truly effective in my hands. There was little I would miss unless the target was moving sporadically or was smaller than normal. But I still had much to learn. I wasn¡¯t an expert yet, and since guns were my thing, I needed to get very good at them. That included these older variants, even though they may not be as precise or easy to use as the modern ones. And thankfully, I improved as I continued to practice, especially since my mind was improving as my Spark grew more powerful. With a sharper mind, I indirectly strengthened my senses and dexterity. Being able to think faster was especially helpful, my reaction times shortening considerably and my ability to make judgments jumping a magnitude. This was all to say that, even right now with only decent marksmanship, I was a damn good shot. *BOOM* Another bullet sailed beside Vetsmon¡¯s body, instantly killing an incoming beast about 120 meters away. About two hours had passed, and right now, I was wholly concentrated. Those two hours passed relatively easily. The beasts were constant, but they were never overwhelming. Our group worked well, supporting each other and efficiently killing monsters because of it. I was able to thin out some groups before they even stepped foot onto the hill, so by the time they arrived, they had no choice but to get caught in some of Umara¡¯s traps and finished off by Vetsmon, Feiden, and Tana one by one. Feiden killed the most by far, while Vetsmon was a close second. And Tana, although she didn¡¯t kill a lot, did her job very well. She was responsible for watching the surroundings of her allies, not simply finding as many enemies to kill as she could. Her job, like Vetsmon¡¯s, was protection. She made sure that Feiden could properly support Vetsmon who was acting as the tank and prevented any beasts from pressuring Umara. So she was constantly moving, providing her extra power where needed to keep the battle favorable. I was beginning to see why she was in the middle ranks. She was fast, meaning she was a great scout. So she didn¡¯t kill a lot, but she was still vitally important to make sure things didn¡¯t go wrong. After all, if Umara was suddenly pressured, and her auxiliary support for Vetsmon disappeared, then he would get overwhelmed and Feiden would be taxed trying to help. It would lead to a catastrophic breakdown in formation which would only spiral into dire consequences. So even without me here, Tana was enough to balance the battle. They didn¡¯t need me at all. But I was here, and the role I played could be described as such. Pure firepower. My job was to deal as much damage as possible without getting in the way. In fact, I didn¡¯t even need to observe much. That was technically Tana¡¯s job. And commanding the team could also technically be left to Vetsmon. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. I was simply sheer killing power added on top of the team¡¯s skillset. I knew that well and wasn¡¯t under the delusion that I could do any more than that. So I wanted to get good at my job, because although I was technically only extra power, I could also dictate the flow of a battle. I could make victories absolute and turn losses into wins. I could save lives and dampen casualties. So I wasn¡¯t needed, but I was self aware enough to know that my power would be desired in any team and all battles. And expectations would be placed upon me because of that, expectations that would bear the weight of not just victory, but the lives of those around me. So lacking skill in the only job I had wasn¡¯t allowed. I had to become a master at what I did as soon as I could do so. I had to improve at every step, using the experiences I gained at every level of power to better myself. *BOOM* I fired, catching a glimpse of the dead beast on the other end before shifting my sights to another. My hand chambered another round, the bolt sliding smoothly along its chamber and slotting in another bullet. My eye maintained visual through the scope the entire time, allowing me to quickly acquire my next target and fire again. And as my concentration peaked, I stopped noticing how much time had passed. I simply continued to fire. Until, at some point, there were no more enemies to kill. Everything went silent all at once, my gun being the last thing to sound. I lifted my head, looking at my squad ahead of me. They looked rather tired, as was I, but the surrounding piles of corpses showed just how much fruit our effort bore. Doing one last scan, I couldn¡¯t spot any other beasts coming toward us. With that, I finally relaxed. ¡°We did it!¡± Tana cheered, her armor coated in blood. In fact, everyone was except for Umara and I. Killing so many beasts was bound to paint some things red. The others smiled, looking between each other. ¡°How is everyone? Any wounds?¡± ¡°None here.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± After Vetsmon asked, everyone shook their heads. I was the only one not to though. Having been reminded and with my tunnel vision fading, All the pain of my wounds set in again. They weren¡¯t bad, just a bunch of shallow stab wounds and some lacerations. My cigar and the healing had stopped all the bleeding and would ensure I wasn¡¯t in any real danger. But it still hurt like hell, and I had been laying on top of the Crawler for hours. Combined with the exhausting target practice, I didn¡¯t feel like I could move. I groaned. ¡°I could actually use some help¡­¡± ¡°Oh, right! John¡¯s hurt!¡± ¡°What?¡± With Tana¡¯s shout, everyone came rushing over. Vetsmon directly jumped up onto the Crawler and checked me out. I waved when he landed next to me. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just some wounds from that wolf beast earlier. I got poked.¡± ¡°Your clothes are bloody. Wait, you¡¯ve had these for that long?¡± ¡°Well, not like I was going to sew them up on the spot. I took care of what I needed to. Here, just get me down.¡± I put my hand out, prompting Vetsmon to take it and help me up. He helped me down the Crawler and sat me down inside of it. Shining a light on my front side revealed my nice white shirt entirely red with blood, along with my pants despite it being a bit less obvious. It wasn¡¯t the first time I had gone so long without treatment, but unfortunately it only got more painful the more time passed without it getting at least cleaned and patched. It felt like my entire body was sore, every movement causing shooting pains to hit my limbs. I had basically caught a porcupine with how many sharp spines and claws that wolf had. It was only natural I was injured. What I was more pissed about was how Sir Hemet still had yet to return. ¡°Where the hell is our lovely commanding officer?¡± ¡°I have no clue. He ran off and has yet to show up. Hopefully he¡¯s back before the sun sets.¡± ¡°He better be. Shit, I need to get sewn up.¡± I cursed while stripping my coat and shirt. Looking at my bare chest revealed several wounds across my torso, some of them long slices, and others being slender punctures. They had all clotted, and my cigar alleviated some pain, but not all of it. I let out a plume of smoke while looking up, glancing at Umara who was cringing while looking closer. She saw my gaze and asked. ¡°Are you really okay? Do you need anything from the medkit?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just need a doctor. Hey, why don¡¯t we all eat since we¡¯re stuck waiting? Feiden, you mind pulling out the rations?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Feiden¡¯s face brightened at the mention of food, gladly going to fetch a bag of supplies. We all pulled out some rations and started chowing. After many hours of fighting, we were all hungry. However, I also used this opportunity. Nudging Feiden with my elbow and nodding toward Vetsmon, I asked. ¡°Do you guys mind watching for Sir Hemet on top of the Crawler? I was thinking about laying down in here.¡± ¡°Oh, sure thing.¡± ¡°Tana, could you go with them?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Tana lifted her head in confusion, her mouth full of food. That¡¯s when I saw the two men go into thought. Vetsmon was the first to smile widely as he looked between me and the only person I wasn¡¯t sending out. Feiden quickly understood as well, though he seemed more surprised than anything. As for Tana, well, it seemed she was as dense as she was innocent. Vetsmon grabbed Tana, pulling her. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Tana.¡± ¡°Huh? We all need to watch?¡± ¡°Yes. All three of us can keep track of every angle if we sit in a circle.¡± ¡°...But why?¡± ¡°Just go.¡± Vetsmon no longer asked as he dragged Tana out. Then, the Crawler was left empty, light shining through the windows. Stuffing the last of my food in my mouth, I suddenly turned and laid down. My head landed on Umara¡¯s lap. I looked up, seeing her looking down at me with an embarrassed face. ¡°Could you be more obvious?¡± ¡°Hey now, I wasn¡¯t lying. I really do want to lay down. My body is killing me.¡± ¡°On my lap though?¡± ¡°Seeing a pretty girl like you helps alleviate my pain.¡± ¡°O-Oh¡­¡± She smiled weirdly and looked up to hide her face from me. How cute. It was fun seeing her all flustered, especially knowing how she would get me flustered with all those prying questions. As she dodged my goofy grin though, I had a thought and adjusted my head a little. Because she was almost always wearing some robes, her figure wasn¡¯t all that obvious. I knew she definitely wasn¡¯t as curvy as Rayla, but even just looking up at her from the vantage point of her lap, I had a good portion of my vision blocked by her chest. It was just a cursory observation. I wasn¡¯t so picky even if I had preferences, definitely not enough so to diminish my thoughts about her. Still, I was a guy, and she seemed to be a sleeper. I couldn¡¯t help but click my tongue with impression. Plus, I couldn¡¯t seem to get over her ashy gray hair. Like Rayla¡¯s, it was an exotic color that mesmerized me. It was amazing to think it was completely natural. Not only that, but when I looked into her eyes, I found a deep purple that looked almost black. I hadn¡¯t really paid attention before, but they were beautiful. ¡°You¡­ look good too.¡± Suddenly, I heard Umara mumble, her eyes darting over to my body beside her. ¡°You¡¯re not a knight, but you¡¯re strong.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± ¡°Is there a reason you work out? I know it''s good for you, but usually only knights need to keep themselves in good shape. Everyone else really only needs to be able to run.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a matter of principle for me.¡± I answered while thinking back. Ever since coming to this world, I definitely hadn¡¯t worked out as much. The city and Magisterium definitely had gyms though, and there were even sports, though I didn¡¯t know any of them and didn¡¯t have the time to watch much. So I wasn¡¯t in the shape I was when I first came here. However, there was one thing that surprised me after a while. Given several months, I should¡¯ve lost a good amount of muscle mass and weight after not working out for a while, my stamina dropping into the gutter, my muscles becoming less cut, and my metabolism coming to a halt. But very little of that stuff happened. I retained my shape rather well and my stamina no longer dropped to nothing within a week of no activity. I still ate a lot and felt just as strong as I was. I chopped it down to simply a consequence of being in this world. Perhaps the magic of this world brought that kind of benefit inherently, or maybe it was a benefit of being a Magus. I didn¡¯t know, but I wouldn''t argue with the results. Still, I did still do some workouts a few times a week. Hell, the Puppet Master¡¯s scenarios doubled as fantastic cardio. And I did so not to become stronger, but to simply not get weaker. I would work out regardless of where I was in life. Keeping in shape was good for me both physically and mentally, as it was for everyone. I wouldn¡¯t forsake that, especially when considering what I now did. I explained this to Umara, who nodded while listening. ¡°I see. That¡¯s good. Not that we have a choice sometimes.¡± ¡°True. Sometimes those scenarios are nothing but a running workout. I think the Puppet Master makes us do those on purpose.¡± ¡°Hehe, yea.¡± ¡°And you? What do you do to keep yourself fit? Or are you just naturally built this way?¡± I poked her stomach, feeling what seemed to be some pretty tight abs. She giggled and blocked me. ¡°I don¡¯t do much, just some basic workouts. Even warlocks need to take care of themselves. I definitely don¡¯t have abs like yours.¡± Saying that I felt Umara¡¯s hand move over and brush my belly with her fingers. My brows raised as she continued to stare a bit, but then, she frowned as her finger graced the skin around one of my wounds. ¡°They look bad. You¡¯ve got a lot of scars too. Are you really okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. They¡¯re just sore. I¡¯ll be better once we finally get back to base.¡± Saying that, I went quiet and shifted a bit, relaxing even further. ¡°Ah, how soothing.¡± I smiled while nestling into Umara¡¯s lap a bit more. I heard her chuckle when I did, and then I felt some fingers run through my hair. Is this girl actually petting me? I felt her fingers comb my hair and straighten it out, her fingernails scratching my scalp. I felt tingly as she did that. Now I really was completely relaxed, almost enough to go to sleep. This went on for a while as she got more comfortable with what she was doing. I felt like I never wanted it to end. How unfortunate that I was hurt, otherwise I would be doing more than just laying on her lap. I felt a bit selfish being the only one getting treatment, but when I opened my eyes and looked at her, we both met with a smile. She seemed to be enjoying herself. That¡¯s when I heard the dreaded announcement. ¡°Sir Hemet is back!¡± Chapter 46: Novelty Vetsmon pounded on the Crawler, his voice acting like a douse of cold water. My eyes opened as I frowned, looking straight up toward the ceiling. It took me a few seconds to mentally prepare myself, my mood worsening just thinking about Hemet. ¡°...Fine.¡± I got up, feeling my wounds get aggravated as I stood and cracked my neck. Umara got up with me, the two of us silent as I exited the Crawler. Since I was shirtless and it was becoming evening, I was hit with a cool breeze that gave me goosebumps. But it felt good despite that, so I took some deep breaths to calm myself down. Vetsmon looked at me with a smile, which turned a bit as I saw him check me out. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of wounds. And scars.¡± ¡°Eh, comes with the job. So where is he?¡± ¡°Over there.¡± He pointed, and I saw a figure on an opposing hillside making its way toward us. He wasn¡¯t running or making any kind of haste, so it would be a while before he actually got here. I tapped Vetsmon and pointed. ¡°Hey, you mind going over there and checking on him? We should make sure our commanding officer isn¡¯t horribly wounded.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He nodded before bounding over there. I saw him traverse the entire distance in less than a minute, arriving by Hemet¡¯s side. They stopped and spoke to each other, and as they did so, I lifted my Aerial to my mouth, speaking into the group channel. ¡°Vetsmon, ask if we can get the keys for the Crawler. I can drive it over.¡± ¡°...¡± There was no response as they discussed for a little while longer. Then, I saw Hemet hand something over to Vetsmon before he came running back. I looked over to Tana, Umara, and Feiden. ¡°Load up. We¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± They moved with haste, packing everyone and loading into the vehicle. Then Vetsmon arrived, handing the keys to me. ¡°He¡¯s wounded. Do you really know how to drive that thing?¡± ¡°You mean they don¡¯t teach you? And I thought I was the uneducated one. Gimme.¡± I grabbed the keys from Vetsmon, smiling as I jumped into the driver¡¯s seat. The key wasn¡¯t a normal key. Instead, it was a keycard type object that you could slot into a holder next to the steering wheel. I threw it in, following the obvious patterns to point it straight, and watched as the dashboard glowed and the vehicle started. There were some mechanical parts on this Crawler that generated some vibrations, so I could tell when it was ready to ride. Like that, I placed my hand on a stick located where the center console would be. From watching Hemet drive, I knew that these cars only had two gears, one for drive, and one for reverse. It was magically driven, so it was more similar to electric cars than gas cars. With that, I tapped the gas pedal, feeling the Crawler move forward and instantly getting a feel for its power. ¡°Alright, here we go.¡± My first time driving in this world started without a hitch. Spinning the car around, I found a clear path and drive down, encountering some mild turbulence but nothing that would flip us as I made my way toward Hemet¡¯s figure. Before long, I pulled right up to his side. He was sitting down on a rock, some of his clothes a bit bloody and very obviously injured. I poked my head out and flicked my head toward him. ¡°Get in.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ When the sun finally set, we arrived back at base. I rolled directly through the open gates, skidding to a halt over the dirt ground. After that I jumped out, a smile on my face. ¡°That was fun. It was more powerful than I thought.¡± ¡°Ugh, oh god.¡± Tana stumbled out of the Crawler, as did Umara and Vetsmon. Feiden seemed to be alright though. I didn¡¯t mind them and looked at the clock. ¡°Hm, turned an hour drive into a 30 minute drive. Pretty damn good.¡± ¡°You¡­ You don¡¯t know how to drive.¡± Sir Hemet mumbled as he almost fell from the Crawler. But I rebuked. ¡°Please, I¡¯m one of the best.¡± ¡°We almost died.¡± ¡°No way. I always had control.¡± ¡°We drove sideways!¡± ¡°It¡¯s called drifting, and it was intentional.¡± I continued to quip back as everyone critiqued me. The road back was hardly a road, just a dirt trail that hadn¡¯t been tread in a while. So it wasn¡¯t super smooth, but we were in a truck, so we were fine. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. There was also a speedometer, and even at my fastest there was still 40 on the dash. Considering the highest speed was around 100 mph, I wasn¡¯t going that fast. But I suppose since most people in this world weren¡¯t used to driving, they found it a bit rougher than normal. ¡°I was taking it easy too since I¡¯m still hurting. Right, I should head to the doctor.¡± ¡°Blegh¡­¡± As I walked off, I heard some weird noises behind me. But I ignored it. I seriously needed to get my body taken care of. After arriving at the medical bay, I was seen by a doctor who checked me in and started fixing me up. The man was quick and efficient. After giving me one of their stronger healing pills, he went to work on sewing me up. I laid there for close to an hour as he worked. We talked about my cigars as well, him telling me that he had only seen them a few times in his life since they were apparently rare and valuable. I didn¡¯t reveal much, but the fact that I had a case full of them was rather telling. Still, unlike Umara, he didn¡¯t pry and only told me that they were a good thing to have. With that, I was taken care of and released. Since it was night, I caught up with my squad and ate some dinner before retiring. ¡­¡­ ¡­ The next few days weren¡¯t as eventful. Sir Hemet had been successful in killing the commanding entity, and while we had been forced to fend off a small army in the process, it was nothing that needed to be stressed about since nobody had gotten too hurt. Still, when I was called in for a debrief with an officer, my displeasure in regard to certain decisions on Sir Hemet¡¯s part was made known. Not that it would do anything, but I liked knowing that my feelings on the matter were officially documented. So our mission was wrapped up. Since I had gotten hurt and there were plenty of other teams that could use the work, we wouldn¡¯t have another mission for a while. And even if there was a mission for us to complete, it wouldn¡¯t be anything like killing a commanding entity. Plus, since we had cleared out the surrounding several miles of Scourge beasts, there wouldn¡¯t even be search and destroy missions. We had effectively made the rest of our trip boring. It was quite unfortunate for the other teams. But that didn¡¯t mean we weren¡¯t active. I, especially, had work on my plate. For one, I needed to study and cultivate that advancement formation. Maxwell was expecting me to have completely comprehended it by the time I got back, so I needed to work on that. Although, I had already cultivated half of it. He had said that I would be able to grow my Spark as I managed to complete more of it, the two going hand in hand since I had made the Spark in the first place. Normally one would need to comprehend the entire thing before gradually forming the spark afterward. So since I had deviated from the normal path, the timeline was probably different. Shorter or longer, I didn¡¯t know. All I knew was that the deeper I went, the more difficult the formation became. The entire formation was a huge instruction set for Psyka to follow. By following the formation I had, a Spark would be created. However, the formation on the paper didn¡¯t match the formation when actually applied. Well, it did but didn¡¯t. The formation given to me was a guide. By mimicking the shape of the lines with my Psyka and Aura, I was able to glean the true shape and get the correct formation. The reason the formation on paper wasn¡¯t technically correct was because the shapes drawn with Psyka during cultivation weren¡¯t something that could be put on paper. It was similar, but also completely different. So I had to remember the true shape of the formation, as well as constantly study the parts that only continued to get more complicated. I was lucky to comprehend so much in my dreams, getting inspired from time to time. But I still needed to study the formation if I wanted to take advantage of dreaming at all. So for a couple hours each morning and night, I would study the formation. Although using Aura and Psyka was novel at first, studying still got boring. I wasn¡¯t able to spend 6 hours a day just sitting down and printing formations like a computer. Plus, I also wasn¡¯t forsaking productivity during the rest of the day. The others in my squad also had things to do. Feiden, Vetsmon, and Tana were all knights who trained their bodies and martial arts. So they would be found on the fields going through their own routines or sparring. Since they were in a squad, they often sparred each other. Umara also studied spells since she was a warlock, and that was on top of her advancement formation. Warlocks were considered isolated researchers for a reason. They may not emerge from a room for half the day simply because their training was comprised entirely of studying and more studying. There wasn¡¯t as much practical training. As for myself, other than studying the formation, I also worked with my summons. That practice was basically either shooting or searching for more guns to shoot. After finding the Remington-Lee modified sniper, there wasn¡¯t anything else that really caught my eye. I had done a lot of searching, but all I found were swaths of lever actions, revolvers, and the occasional double barrel shotgun. There wasn¡¯t much variation and the power of those spirits wasn¡¯t outstanding, nothing that would compel me to change my current selections. I had a long rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol. That was all I really needed and ended up using. So until I found an outstanding weapon variant, there wasn¡¯t much reason to spend a lot of time searching. That just left shooting practice. For this I went to the Puppet Master who got me permission to do what I wanted. After he talked to Commander Bosnen, I was given the authority to go wherever along the walls and shoot. So I picked a nice secluded spot and got to work. On the east side of the base, there was a tree line that led into a forest about 200 meters away. It was that tree line that I used for target practice. I picked some trees that stood out and started. Some trees stuck out from the forest and some were deeper in. I picked several across varying distances and simply opened fire. My gunshots were heard across the entire base, but I had gotten permission, so it was fine. For a few hours I simply shot regular bullets. I would riddle one tree with bullet holes before moving on to another, my goal being to keep my grouping tight. The scope on this rifle wasn¡¯t modern, so there was no such thing as adjustment dials. That meant I had to gauge the distance with my eye and adjust my shot accordingly. For shorter distances closer than 500 meters or so, that was fine. But pushing any farther than that would require a bit more precision, not to mention this rifle wasn¡¯t even accurate past 300 meters. Regardless of my target though, I sought tight groupings and consistency. I even pushed myself and bit and tried to shoot down some birds that flew by. I never hit one, but I still tried. So I spent several hours of my day behind a rifle. I also didn¡¯t forsake my peacekeeper, but since I couldn''t go outside the walls by myself, there wasn¡¯t much practice I could get with it other than practicing my reloading after fanning the hammer into the distance, seeing how many rounds I could fire in a minute. And when I wasn¡¯t doing anything productive at all, I was doing one of two things. Eating or flirting with Umara, sometimes both. Since we could talk to each other via Aerial, we would find times to meet and hangout. And when we weren¡¯t together, like during the night after curfew, we would be texting. And during that, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a weird sense of¡­ novelty. Umara would text back within seconds. The only time spent without a response was the time it took for her to read the words and then type back a response and hit send. There was very little deviation from that. Which was nice, because back on Earth, it definitely wasn¡¯t like that. With relationship experience came both good and bad points, and it was never fun being interested in a girl who would play as if dating was a game. Seeing a message when it was sent, but only texting back several minutes later because doing so in a timely manner may be seen as desperate, needy, or whatever other negative trait they came up with, was common with some girls. And it was something I hated. But here on this world, where texting was barely a thing and the social standards were different, there was none of that. Of course, I hadn¡¯t been around on this world for long and had only had a relationship with two women, but the difference was so stark that it could be taken as the standard, even if there were outliers. When I texted Umara, she simply responded. How great was that? And our conversations seemed to go on endlessly, both via text and in person. We would tell stories, spill some harmless secrets, talk about family and all the quirks we loved and hated. It was all so fresh. Talking with her made me feel light. Although it was a new relationship and that made me a bit blind, every moment with her felt fun. I think the best part of it all was how she had come on to me first. It was clear that she liked me and I made it clear that I liked her. There was no suspense, and that made everything flow so smoothly. Neither of us had to be reserved out of fear, every interaction and moment of intimacy advancing our relationship forward. It was so different from everything I had experienced on Earth, which made it even more enjoyable. In fact, it was so enjoyable that the days flew by quicker than I could keep up with. Before I even realized, the end of our trip approached. Chapter 47: Attacked ¡°You guys have one more mission before we leave.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± We all looked at the puppet master with hardly concealed reluctance. We had been on three other missions after that search and destroy mission after the siege, but all of them were patrols. That meant we jumped in a Hummer, which was cramped, and rode around a perimeter for hours with nothing to do. It was boring and always ended with stiff limbs. Not to mention, Umara and I weren¡¯t able to be all over each other since the others were around. Of course, I tried to make it interesting for myself by shooting at random targets as we drove, testing my skill. But I was yelled at by our supervisor all three times, ending in nothing but more boredom. So none of us were eager to go on another mission, especially when we only had a day left on this trip. Seeing how unenthusiastic we were, the Puppet Master laughed. ¡°Haha, come on now! You guys got the only combat mission on this trip, so you can¡¯t complain. Now, you have one more patrol to do.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± We all groaned, making him laugh even harder. He waved and walked away. ¡°You leave in an hour! Don¡¯t be late! Hahaha, isn¡¯t military life fun?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to kill something.¡± Tana grit her teeth, kicking back her chair and standing. We all stood with her and left to get ready. An hour later, we were all piled inside a Hummer. Our supervisor drove us out and we made our way to the perimeter. The perimeter wasn¡¯t an actual part of the base. It was merely an invisible boundary between what this base considered their territory and the outer wilderness. Our job was to look out for anything weird or suspicious. If there were signs of Scourge activity, we needed to report back and investigate. Of course, there were never any signs of activity. We had figured that out after the first two patrols. If anything, we were just bait for whatever might be lurking around. If we could draw out a Scourge beast, then we had done our jobs properly. But that meant we didn¡¯t even have to keep our eyes peeled. So as soon as we left the base, Tana and Feiden closed their eyes and took a nap. Vetsmon also seemed to have brought a book, which he read. As for Umara and I, we just cuddled in the back seats. I had my arm around her as she lounged back into my chest. It wasn¡¯t long before noon, so the sun was still rising toward its zenith. Since we would be out here for about 6 hours, all of us tried to get as comfortable as possible. Even I got an hour long nap in, drifting off until around noon. After that, everyone seemed to have woken up properly, prompting us to start a random discussion that got a bit heated and went on for a couple hours. It was only during the second half of our drive that everything calmed down again. At that point we just sat around bored. Then, after having lounged back with Umara for long enough, I opened my eyes and got up. ¡°I need air.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t stick your butt in my face again.¡± ¡°You know you like it.¡± ¡°Ew.¡± Tana gave me a disgusted face as I climbed up and pushed open the roof hatch, letting me stick my head out. There wasn¡¯t even a turret on this Hummer, but there was a hatch for it. Thinking that, I let the wind blow across my face as I took some deep breaths. I looked around, seeing some forests in the distance and nothing but grassy plains around us. I could also spot a bunch of wildlife. In these undisturbed areas, there were lots of creatures that would wander about. I didn¡¯t recognize a lot of them, but in general they still fell within standard classifications. Birds with feathers, mammals with hair and fur, small insects, and other scaly or reptilian friends. It was just the colors and some other special features that made them much different from Earth¡¯s animals. In one of the forests I looked at, I also saw some monkeys. When we rolled by, a lot of them stopped to look at us. They had black fur and red eyes. They looked rather menacing. Too menacing, in fact. Seeing them gave me a bad feeling. ¡°Hey, Vetsmon.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Out your window, the treeline in the distance. Black monkeys with red eyes. Check it out.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± The big man looked out his window, taking a few seconds before responding. ¡°They look hostile.¡± ¡°...Gear up. I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Alright. Hey, buckle in too¡­¡± He didn¡¯t question as he put on his armor. The others readied their gear as well while strapping in. As that happened, the monkeys all swung away, seemingly having enough of our presence. That¡¯s when the driver looked back. ¡°Hey, did you find something?¡± ¡°Not sure. Some black monkeys with red eyes were looking at us.¡± ¡°Those? They aren¡¯t uncommon. The ones with red hands are the ones we gotta watch out for.¡± ¡°...Let me check.¡± Taking out my rifle, I scoped in and tried to find some more. But after a minute or so, I couldn¡¯t find any others. Still, my bad feeling grew. That¡¯s when I heard some sounds from a forest closer to us. Turning, I saw some more monkeys. They were all swinging through the branches, following us in parallel. And their hands were red with long black claws coming out of their fingers. My eyes widened, but before I could say anything, I saw everything turn in slow motion. I felt alarms scream in my mind, my coat flashing with purple as its powers were activated. In the corner of my eye, I could spot the source of my panic. There was a giant gorilla barreling straight toward us from the treeline of the forest. It was fast and big, almost as big as the Hummer. It was going to ram us, and I had no illusions about its strength. It was going to flip the Hummer. So I sunk back down through the hatch, barely closing it behind me while yelling. ¡°Incoming!¡± *BOOM* It was like we were hit by a bomb as the Hummer was lifted from the ground. I could only duck and cover my head as I went tumbling inside this metal can. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Right as I went flying though, my entire body was grabbed. It felt like a bear was hugging me as we whipped around, the Hummer rolling several times before coming to a stop. Once we settled, we could hear a bunch of sounds coming from monkeys that boarded our vehicle, screaming while banging on the windows and doors. ¡°John? You alright?¡± ¡°...I love you Vetsmon.¡± ¡°Woah now, your girlfriend is right there.¡± He chuckled while letting me go. Since the car was now on its side, I had to balance on one of the seats. The others unstrapped themselves as well, crawling around. That¡¯s when I had to close one of my eyes, feeling moisture crawl down my forehead. ¡°John, you¡¯re bleeding.¡± Umara climbed over to me, touching my head and coating her fingers in blood. There was a lot, so something must have split open. I did in fact have a headache now, but the adrenaline helped stave the pain. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Get ready for battle. I¡¯m making a call.¡± I spoke while bringing out my Aerial, tapping it a few times before bringing up a profile. I called, and before long, I heard a voice. ¡°John? What, are you that bored?¡± The Puppet Master spoke with amusement, but I didn¡¯t really have time for jokes. ¡°We¡¯ve been attacked.¡± ¡°...By what?¡± His voice became serious, and I quickly gave him the details. ¡°Some monkeys. Black hair, red eyes, red hands, and long black claws. One of them was huge and just flipped our Hummer.¡± ¡°Those are Red Eye Bandits. They¡¯re strong and tough, but weak to magic, so keep Umara safe. You said there¡¯s a big one? What¡¯s the color of its fur?¡± ¡°Black, like the others. ¡°Good. If it were purple, you¡¯d be dead. Alright, we¡¯re sending a team. Where are you? Looking through a window, I described the landmarks around us, which seemed to be enough. After that, I hung up. ¡°Help is on the way.¡± ¡°They won''t be quick enough.¡± Vetsmon grumbled. At the same time, there was a loud sound. *CRACK* One of the side windows was almost shattered. Outside, we could see the gorilla pounding on it. *Shatter!* It quickly broke under the second hit. Then, we could see one of the smaller monkeys crawl through it. Right when it did though, I raised a shotgun and fired. *BOOM* ¡°Agh!¡± It exploded, blasting the monkey to chunks, but simultaneously ringing our ears. Everyone recoiled, Vetsmon putting his hand on me. ¡°Let us take care of things inside!¡± ¡°Right.¡± I nodded apologetically. After that, more monkeys started to crawl in, but they were all butchered by the knights. Vetsmon skewered some with his spear while Feiden stabbed others. We killed a lot of them, and eventually things went silent. That¡¯s when Tana suddenly spoke. ¡°The driver¡¯s dead¡­¡± We all looked over, seeing her looking at the driver¡¯s seat. That¡¯s when I realized. The gorilla had come at us head on, so the driver took the hardest hit. From where we sat, the entire front of the Hummer looked flattened. The driver was crushed in the process. I frowned, but didn¡¯t dwell on it. From my experience working with the Tavera Family and killing people in the Trenches, I was rather numbed to death. But I remembered that the rest of my squad didn¡¯t have my experience. They may have only seen a few deaths before, definitely not as much as I have. I could see the shock on Tana¡¯s face as she saw the dead body. Even Vetsmon and Feiden seemed a little rattled. But we didn¡¯t have time for that, so I stepped in. ¡°Hey, leave it be. We¡¯ve got a huge fucking gorilla outside that isn¡¯t leaving us alone. Get ready to leave the Hummer.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just stay inside?¡± *Creak* Right as Umara asked me from behind, we all heard the sound of metal bending. *Bang!* *Shatter!* There was pounding on the side of the car, the glass windows being blown to bits and the doors warping out of their hinges. I looked at Vetsmon while the gorilla tore our car to shreds. ¡°Just keep it off of us.¡± ¡°Yea. Time to put these muscles to work.¡± He flexed while looking up at the gorilla. Then, one of the doors was torn off. Vetsmon jumped out right as the door was thrown, ramming straight into the gorilla and tackling it to the floor. ¡°Go! Feiden, help him!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Feiden jumped out right after him, and we could hear the sounds of battle outside. I grabbed Tana, who still seemed a bit rattled. ¡°Go! They need help!¡± ¡°...Right!¡± She nodded while zoning in, climbing out of the vehicle. I then looked back to Umara. She looked to me as well. She seemed scared, but I knew she wouldn¡¯t back down. ¡°That thing is weak to magic, so you¡¯re the most important here. I probably won¡¯t be able to do much to it, but I¡¯ll keep you safe from anything else.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± I climbed out of the car, helping her out as well. That¡¯s when we saw the battle. ¡°Oof!¡± Vetsmon raised his shield, taking a blow from the gorilla that knocked him back several feet. Feiden then jumped in, drawing his sword across its body and creating some shallow wounds. But the gorilla was tough as nails. It didn¡¯t even seem to notice the wounds as it attacked Feiden as well. It wasn¡¯t slow, being able to keep up just fine. The gorilla stood 10 feet tall. Even Vetsmon was dwarfed by it. And its muscles bulged through its skin like plates of armor. I knew at a glance that anything other than a fully empowered bullet wouldn¡¯t be able to pierce through. Even then, I would be hard pressed to give it a single bad wound. I was still only Authority 3, while Vetsmon and Feiden were Authority 5. They could match the gorilla, but even then, they seemed to be slightly outclassed. And killing those Authority 5 behemoths during the siege took me time, not to mention that I wasn¡¯t the only one doing damage. If I had an hour to simply shoot this gorilla without it fighting back, then I might be able to kill it. But in this situation, I was almost useless. In the end, it seemed like I really was the weak link in this team. I liked to think that I was important with my sheer damage, but against a truly powerful enemy, I still couldn¡¯t rise to their level. But I wouldn¡¯t allow myself to be dead weight. So I did the only thing I could. Protect them. Let them work. I looked around, finding some other monkeys that tried to attack Feiden and Tana. Tana was working to fend them off while Feiden tried to help Vetsmon despite getting attacked from behind. Umara was also attracting attention, and I couldn¡¯t let her get hurt. So I raised my shotgun and fired. *BOOM* I blasted a monkey that was heading toward Umara with my quad shotgun before turning and firing at another heading toward Tana. I walked toward the battlefield, letting off more shells at the annoying pests that tried to distract my teammates. I was completely focused, utilizing the powers of my coat sporadically even though it sucked down my stamina. I gave everything I had to defend them, because I could contribute nothing else. Only they could fight and kill the gorilla, so until I got stronger, I would stick to what I could do. And I naturally attracted attention with all the noise I was making. The gorilla couldn¡¯t do anything about it since Vetsmon was fighting it to a standstill, but all the other monkeys could. There weren¡¯t many, but there was enough. Plus, they came from all directions, surrounding me and testing my reloading speed. I was practically throwing my shells into the four barrels, running and dodging while firing to keep the monkeys from tearing my throat out with their claws. But I couldn¡¯t keep everything at bay. Eventually, one got over to me just as I ran out of ammo. I lunged at me, its claws digging into my stomach. They were no different from knives, so blood immediately spilled. Taking that opportunity though, I summoned a peacekeeper and pressed its barrel against its head, pulling the trigger. *BANG* *Slice* Its claws fell out, my blood going with it. It made me feel sick, like my life was spilling away with the blood. But adrenaline was one hell of a drug, so I used it to push through the pain and continue. I used the remaining bullets of my revolver to fend off anything close before reloading my weapons and firing more rounds. Corpses stacked around me as I did so, and the number of monkeys started to dwindle. But at some point, I felt myself cough, causing blood to pour into my mouth. Weakness came over my body for a moment, causing my aim to falter as I fired. The monkey that took my shot was only injured as it continued toward me and attacked my leg. It grabbed my thigh, its claws digging in like a vice and drawing even more blood. I barely managed to retrieve my revolver as I fell, firing and killing it. But there were two others, the last of them that seemed to be emboldened by my fall. They attacked, and I managed to shoot one, killing it instantly. But the other landed on me, its hands going for my neck. I wrapped my arm around my neck though, taking advantage of my coat''s defensive properties. So instead of cutting me with this claws, the monkey slammed down relentlessly, beating my arm and chest with blows that felt like sledgehammers. It also clawed around, doing anything it could to kill me. I felt it carve up my face and hands, but I did anything I could to keep it from hitting something that would assuredly end my life. I didn¡¯t panic, even as I could feel death getting closer. I just kept defending myself while attempting to kick or push it off. Everything happened so fast. My mind operated even faster, making everything seem like slow motion. But a creature such as that monkey, which had strength and speed so far above mine, moved faster than I could keep up with. If I didn¡¯t have my coat that could hold me together and protect me, then it would have ripped my limbs off and torn my neck out. It was amazing. I had killed two dozen of these monkeys just for one that slipped through to put me on death¡¯s door in a matter of seconds. How were summoners supposed to fight like this? No wonder they were regarded as the weakest. At least warlocks had barriers to protect them. If not for my squad, I would be nothing. Those were my thoughts as I suddenly felt the monkey get yanked off of my body, the next moment accompanied by a sickening crunch. Chapter 48: Lesson ¡°JOHN!¡± Vetsmon, Feiden, and Tana heard Umara scream from behind. They had been so preoccupied with the gorilla that they hadn¡¯t had the time to look back. It was almost dead through their efforts, but they hadn¡¯t noticed one thing. After John emerged, they hadn¡¯t been attacked by a single monkey. But at some point, his gunshots ceased. They didn¡¯t think about what that meant, and so they only realized once they took a glance behind them. There he was, laying down while getting attacked by a single monkey. It clawed and beat him, tearing through his skin like it was paper. His face was already coated in blood, yet he still tried to cover himself, anything to survive the attack. They forgot just how weak he was. Why were knights the strongest? Because when faced with those same claws, their skin would resist their cuts and their muscles would nullify those blows. Such an enemy to a person like Vetsmon was no different from an annoying, flailing child. But to someone like John, a single wrong mistake would allow that monkey to end his life. Behind the confidence and powerful weaponry was still just an ordinary man. For him to even face what he did took courage far greater than theirs, because unlike them, he could have his life ended on a whim. They couldn¡¯t imagine being able to die so easily. That¡¯s when Vetsmon sensed something. The hairs on his neck stood as he turned, seeing Feiden¡¯s spear glowing with flowing gold Aura. After that, he lost track of him. His figure blurred, flying across John¡¯s body and ripping the monkey away. He reappeared next to him, monkey in hand. The little beast flailed in Feiden¡¯s arms, waving its claws to try and cut him. But Feiden merely reached for its neck. And he tore its head off with his bare hands. Vetsmon couldn¡¯t help but feel fear. He had never seen someone so fast, but more than that, he had never seen Feiden doing anything but smiling. He didn¡¯t think Feiden was capable of such rage. Even the gorilla froze for a moment. Vetsmon jumped away when he realized he was still in a battle, standing off against the gorilla. It was riddled with injuries and was definitely weaker than before. But so were they. Now though, they were all filled with hatred for this creature. It had touched their summoner, their friend. Nothing other than death would be enough for it. ¡°Haahh!!¡± Tana suddenly came swinging down from behind, her sword slicing through the achilles heel of the gorilla. It fell to its knees, and Vetsmon took that opportunity to drive his spear forward. The gorilla retaliated, but he entirely disregarded its attacks, pressing forward with all his strength. And his spear went straight through its neck. At the same time, he took a blow to the chest, getting blown away. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He groaned, but now, the gorilla¡¯s fate was sealed as it fell, blood pouring from its neck. As it collapsed, Vetsmon looked back toward John, running over where Feiden and Umara had already arrived. Feiden had the medkit, taking its contents out as Umara packed the wounds. She had opened his shirt, revealing several stab wounds where the monkey had clawed his stomach. His face also had several lacerations across it, as did his hands which had lost a few fingers. Umara cried as she grabbed more fabric to soak up all the blood. ¡°Shit! It won¡¯t stop bleeding!¡± ¡°Wait, move.¡± Vetsmon suddenly knelt down, removing the packing in John¡¯s stomach wound. Sure enough, after opening the wound, he found a long black claw sitting inside. ¡°These monkeys shed their claws inside their victims. It¡¯s basically poison, making them bleed more. Here.¡± He pulled the claw out with his fingers. Then, Umara repacked the wound. Vetsmon went to his other wounds as well, taking out two more claws in his leg and one poking out of his ribcage. After packing the major wounds, Umara also started cleaning up his face. She never stopped crying, even as she checked him for any other injuries. ¡°Come on, John. You¡¯re gonna be okay. Everything¡¯s going to be fine.¡± *Cough* Right as she said that, John coughed more blood that had pooled in his mouth. His breathing was shallow, and he was already unconscious. After turning him on his side, Umara suddenly remembered something and went through his pockets. There were two things she found. His golden cigar case and a glass container full of red pills. She quickly retrieved one of the pills and put it in his mouth. It dissolved instantly, melting into his system. After that, she could only wait. ¡°Where¡¯s our help?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll take them a minute to get here. Tana, go over there and scout.¡± ¡°Right.¡± With Vetsmon¡¯s word, Tana took off into the distance, finding some high ground to search for their rescue team. Feiden also left, not saying a word as he went to do the same. Vetsmon and Umara were left. They both kneeled next to John, Umara continuing to sob. ¡°...It¡¯s my fault¡­ I didn¡¯t protect him.¡± ¡°...The blame lies with us all. We knights should have been more aware. I had forgotten that he¡¯s just an ordinary man.¡± Vetsmon spoke with regret. At the same time, he wondered about exactly what John had asked himself. How do summoners fight? Hot Summoners had beasts and companions to protect them, so even they weren¡¯t defenseless. But Cold Summoners, who had nothing but their weapons and their wits, seemed to be incapable of engaging in any meaningful combat. Their bodies remained ordinary, even if the weapons they summoned were powerful. But even with a powerful weapon like a legendary sword, how could you use it when a beast was too fast for you to keep up with? You would die before you knew what happened to you. Most of the summoners Vetsmon knew eventually became researchers because of their intellectual abilities. They were brilliant strategists and thinkers, even above warlocks, and unlike Knights, they didn¡¯t need to fight to advance their authorities. Still, compared to knights and warlocks, summoners seemed to be the outliers among Magi. Some people said that all three were equal, and that summoners just had yet to find their way like knights and warlocks had. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. But seeing this, Vetsmon had a hard time believing it. It was almost a curse for John¡¯s weapons to be as amazing as they were. They would drive him into battles like this, and perhaps someday, kill him. Vetsmon looked over, seeing how scared Umara was. By now it was obvious the two were in a relationship, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel that doing such a thing was irresponsible. A soldier could die at any time, and their deaths would only hurt the ones they loved. To have a relationship was only setting oneself up for failure. ¡°Vetsmon!¡± Suddenly, he heard Tana¡¯s voice on his Aerial. He looked over to see her waving. In the distance, three vehicles were barreling down a trail. He watched as they rolled up to them, Tana and Feiden right behind. The Puppet Master jumped out, taking a single step and arriving by their side. He saw John who looked half dead, frowning. ¡°You all let him get attacked?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± Vetsmon stood, facing the Puppet Master as if ready to be executed for a crime. The others also stood, silent with their heads down. The Puppet Master grit his teeth and yelled. ¡°Vizen! Get him out of here!¡± ¡°Already on it.¡± Another man appeared. He was one of the Magisterium¡¯s instructors and a warlock who specialized in healing. After appearing by John¡¯s side, he cast several spells, sealing his wounds before having some others pick him up and take him away. Many soldiers also scouted the area, tallying the kill counts and writing up reports. The Puppet Master yelled as if he couldn¡¯t see anyone beside him. ¡°You all almost killed your squadmate! You know he¡¯s a summoner! So what the fuck were you doing?! Answer me!¡± ¡°...We got distracted.¡± ¡°Yea, that gorilla must¡¯ve been so hard to fight! I mean, look at you! A few bruises, even a bit of sweat! You look like you¡¯ve faced that hardest opponent of your life! Fuck! And you!¡± The Puppet Master turned his attention to Tana, who flinched at his voice. ¡°You¡¯re the Scout! Your job isn¡¯t to battle the alpha! You¡¯re supposed to make sure that your vulnerable teammates aren¡¯t getting ripped to fucking shreds! But you got tunnel vision thinking that the alpha was an opponent you couldn¡¯t handle! You are the most responsible for this! Your lack of awareness is what caused this! Do you understand that?!¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Tana shouted in response while tears poured from her eyes. Then, he turned to Umara. ¡°You! You couldn¡¯t spare a single damned spell, could you?! I know John probably told you that you needed to focus on the alpha since I told him it was weak to magic. But who would¡¯ve thought that he misjudged the strength of his opponent! Someone who only awakened half a year ago didn¡¯t manage to gauge the urgency of the situation properly, making you think that you couldn¡¯t even spare him a glance!¡± The Puppet Master turned to everyone as their eyes widened, shocked by the new information. ¡°That alpha was weak, and none of you saw it! You all got so caught up in the heat of the moment that you all seemed to turn into braindead rocks! Umara has a quarter of her mana left, Feiden doesn¡¯t have so much as a single scratch, Vetsmon¡¯s shield is still intact, and Tana isn¡¯t heaving for air on the floor! All of you could¡¯ve done more! You could fight a second one and come out on top! And yet, the weakest one out of all of you almost died! You couldn¡¯t spare a single damn second of attention or strength to make sure he wasn¡¯t getting his face eaten! ¡°To think that the summoner has more balls than all of you! To think he managed to kill 29 of those monkeys by himself while getting wounded and protecting you all! To think that I almost lost one of my students today because I put him with an incompetent team! I expected more from all of you as the highest ranking Elites in the school. Now board the trucks. We¡¯re going back.¡± After grilling all of them on both sides, the Puppet Master left and boarded a Hummer. The others did as well, not so much as uttering a single word the entire way back. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­ Shit.¡± When I finally woke up, I was hit with a wave of hunger. It felt like I hadn¡¯t eaten in days. Not only that, but I couldn¡¯t open my right eye. So my left eye opened, taking in the sights of the hospital. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s awake!¡± I hear an unfamiliar voice call out, making me cringe at the loud sound. ¡°Hey, can we tone it down a bit?¡± ¡°John!¡± ¡°Agh, son of a bitch!¡± I held my throbbing head when the Puppet Master yelled. But I didn¡¯t get any reprieve when he started his rant. ¡°You dumbass! What the hell were you doing putting yourself in the position to get hurt like that? Are you trying to die? You know very well where your limits lay and you went out there anyway.¡± ¡°Yea, well, I was just trying to contribute.¡± I refuted as my headache faded, feeling a bit of indignation. ¡°I¡¯m not as strong as the others. As soon as we were faced with a real enemy, I found myself useless. So I did what I could and made sure that everyone could fight without fear that they would be attacked from behind. I was doing my job, and I messed up, getting hurt in the process.¡± ¡°Please, you talk as if you aren¡¯t a part of the team. I already gave the others a lesson on what they did wrong, because this should never have happened. But you¡¯re not blameless either. We both know that you¡¯re not useless, so stop spitting bullshit. You putting yourself out there like that jeopardizes the integrity of your team. If you had taken even a single measure to keep yourself protected, you could have turned that quick battle into a protracted one, even if it was at the expense of more energy. And if you hadn¡¯t been injured, you could¡¯ve done the same job even better than you did while also being able to help after all the small fry had been eliminated.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t have that kind of time though. Vetsmon was getting thrashed and even Feiden had a hard time cutting that beast. It needed the full focus of our team or we would¡¯ve been overwhelmed.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s the problem.¡± The Puppet Master smirked. ¡°That gorilla was powerful, yes. It¡¯s a mutated variant of those monkeys and stands at the peak of Authority 5. It only needed a bit more time to evolve again and grow its purple hair, becoming an Authority 6 beast you couldn¡¯t so much as scratch. But it was by no means overwhelming for your group. You didn¡¯t properly understand the power of your team nor the beast, leading you to believe that it was a life or death battle. Well it wasn¡¯t, and with you basically being the leader, your team moved according to your sense of urgency. The heat of the moment clouded the judgment of you and your entire group and almost led to your death.¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t respond. If that was true, then I really had made a serious miscalculation. But I didn¡¯t have enough experience. I didn¡¯t even know what the beast was until the car had been flipped. And with everything that had been said over that call, I was led to believe that it was a beast nearly impervious to everything that we could throw at it besides magic. I thought Vetsmon and Feiden would only be able to distract it while Umara dealt the damage. And since I couldn¡¯t do anything to it, I took up a supportive role. But there was nobody to help me, and I got tackled so fast that I couldn¡¯t even call for help. Feiden reacting as fast as he did was a godsend. Still, just a few seconds of attacks had left me devastated. I knew I was in the wrong, but I didn¡¯t feel like my judgments were entirely incorrect either. I simply did what I could with the information I had on hand. And it seemed like the Puppet Master knew that as well, because the next moment, he sighed. ¡°Ultimately, you¡¯re not completely at fault. You just don¡¯t have as much experience. As a summoner, learning to gauge the strength of those around you is vital. You¡¯ll naturally get better at it as you get stronger and develop your Aura. Sometimes I forget that you¡¯re still just an Authority 3. Your squad seems to have forgotten too, but something like that won¡¯t happen again.¡± The Puppet Master¡¯s face turned stern. ¡°Tana is being transferred to a new squad.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°The greatest fault lies with her. Her responsibility is to keep track of the flow of battle, ensuring that all the parts of her squad¡¯s formation is operating smoothly. While it could be said that Vetsmon and Umara are also at fault for not maintaining awareness, she failed entirely. Because of her, we almost lost you. So she¡¯s moving.¡± ¡°...¡± I went silent. I technically didn''t disagree with his judgment. But I also didn¡¯t feel it was right. ¡°Can I ask something?¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she took your lesson pretty hard since she knows exactly what she did wrong. I¡¯d be devastated to lose a friend because I failed to live up to my duty, and I¡¯m sure she can¡¯t even imagine losing a friend in the first place. Her desperation to never make a mistake again is probably overwhelming, right?¡± ¡°I would agree, yes.¡± ¡°So keeping her in the squad and letting her live up to it would make her far better than downgrading where she¡¯ll never be able to reconcile her mistake, correct?¡± ¡°Correct. But that comes at the risk to her squad¡¯s lives, especially yours since you¡¯re the most vulnerable.¡± ¡°And if I¡¯m willing to take that risk? Would you let her stay?¡± ¡°...¡± The Puppet Master¡¯s placid faced stared at mine, as if not entirely convinced. So I gave him a bit more bait. ¡°I¡¯d rather have someone desperate to protect me than someone who gets complacent when they get put into the best Elite squad in the school.¡± ¡°...Fine. She¡¯ll stay.¡± He finally agreed, making me smile a bit. Tana did in fact make a mistake. We all did. But I knew her well enough to know it wouldn¡¯t happen again. She was too desperate to let a second chance go to waste, and she would grow as a person because of it. And it wasn¡¯t like she was incompetent. She was diligent and wanted to become stronger. We were also friends, so I felt like my squad shouldn¡¯t be split up just because of one setback. ¡°By the way, I talked to Maxwell.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The Puppet Master suddenly dropped that bombshell, catching my attention. ¡°In his own special way, he said he¡¯s glad you¡¯re not dead.¡± ¡°Olkay. What did he really say?¡± ¡°That if you had died it would¡¯ve been a major loss in his investment.¡± ¡°Yea, sounds about right.¡± I laughed a bit. Maxwell was always a bit sparing with the care and compliments. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m giving you time off once we get back to the Magisterium. You should be close to advancing, so don¡¯t come back to training until you do.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I readily agreed. I really was close to advancing. In fact, I had completed the formation. My comprehensions only compounded as my Spark got stronger, resulting in me completing it even faster than I thought I would. Now, I was just accumulating power with the White Crystal. I was basically just a battery that needed to completely charge before finally breaking through the last barrier to Authority 4. I was eager to see what awaited me at the next level. With that, the Puppet Master let me be. I then called my squad. Chapter 49: Drink It Nerd *Ding* Vetsmon, Feiden, Umara, and Tana all heard a sound from their Aerials. Umara¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s John!¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°It says, I have risen.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Oh, he told us to bring some food too.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go see him!¡± Umara was the first to jump up, running over as the others followed. ¡­¡­ I heard four people barge into the hospital. ¡°John!¡± ¡°Watch the stomach.¡± I spoke as Umara dove over, wrapping me in a hug. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at how much she worried. ¡°Are you okay? How are you feeling?¡± ¡°You probably know better than me. I haven¡¯t gotten an update yet. But I feel fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She continued to hug me for a while longer. As she did, I looked around at the others. I reached out with a free hand toward Vetsmon who walked over smiling. ¡°Glad to see you well, John.¡± ¡°Likewise. How long have I been out?¡± ¡°About a day. We leave tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯m eager to get the hell out of this place. Oh, is that food?¡± I looked over to see Feiden approaching with a tray of food. He smiled and placed it on my lap. ¡°I just grabbed what they had available.¡± ¡°Thank you. This is definitely something I¡¯m not going to miss though.¡± I spoke as Umara separated, allowing me to eat. I engorged myself for about a minute, finally giving my empty stomach some fuel. At some point though, Umara perked up and reached for something. ¡°Oh, I grabbed your items.¡± ¡°Ah, shank you.¡± I mumbled with a half full mouth, taking the cigar case, the pill bottle, and my coat. They all went into my spatial sack, except for the cigar case. I opened that and took out a fresh stogie, cutting the end and lighting it. The smoke I inhaled felt like a wave of rejuvenation that spread through my whole body. ¡°Hahh, so nice. If only we got paid for our kills. I bet that gorilla was worth a lot.¡± ¡°The Kingdom only does that for stronger beasts.¡± ¡°A shame.¡± I sighed at Umara¡¯s comment. I was used to getting paid by the job. Now, I wasn¡¯t getting paid at all. At that moment, I saw a nurse walking over. ¡°John Cooper?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re awake, I needed to talk to you.¡± ¡°Oh, go ahead.¡± The others took a step back, letting the nurse over as she read off a clipboard. ¡°Well, your injuries have been mostly healed except for the worst ones. You¡¯ve thankfully lost no organs or limbs thanks to the timely intervention of Instructor Vizen, but in total, there were 54 different injuries. Six of your ribs were cracked. Your femur had a surface fracture. We found 31 lacerations across your hands, face, chest, stomach, and legs. And on top of the major bleeding caused by 12 stab wounds, there were some infections caused by the poison of the monkey claws. You also lost three fingers that we were able to reattach with no issue. You¡¯ve recovered from everything very nicely. The only thing you need to worry about will be the scarring.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Well, I¡¯ve got enough scars anyway. Who cares about a few more.¡± ¡°Healthy optimism.¡± The nurse chuckled a bit before writing a few things on her clipboard. She then set it down and reached over. ¡°I¡¯d like to take off your bandages. The injuries on your face should have sealed by now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded as she started undoing the white wrapping that covered half my head. It quickly fell off, so I took out my Aerial and turned on the camera, looking at myself. Before, the only scars on my head had been on my left temple beside my eyebrow. But now, there were a few others. There was another on the left side, going from my cheekbone to my ear, drawing across it almost like it was cut in half. That wasn¡¯t even the most obvious one though. By far the most noticeable were the two deep scars running down the right side of my face. They ran in parallel, going from my forehead and down my eyebrow, slicing across my eye and cheek before ending at my chin beside the corner of my mouth. What shocked me the most was the fact that I even still had my right eye. Even the nurse spoke about it. ¡°You¡¯re lucky, Mr. Cooper. Even your eyelid was split open, but those claws still missed your eye by a hair¡¯s breadth. Otherwise you¡¯d be half blind right now. I think a few prayers are in order for that miracle.¡± ¡°...I think you¡¯re right.¡± I let out a long breath, thinking how devastating it would be if I lost my good eye. Inwardly, I gave a quick thanks to my guardian angel before smiling. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a few more for the collection. How do I look?¡± I faced Umara while pulling her onto the bed with me. Other than those two across my eye and the one across my ear, there were a few shallow scars that would fade with time. All of it was enough to call my face disfigured, but I didn¡¯t mind that much. It didn¡¯t seem like Umara did either as she gave me a shy smile back, her face a bit red from my bold move in front of everyone. ¡°It looks good¡­ You¡¯re still just as handsome.¡± ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re cute when you¡¯re embarrassed.¡± ¡°...¡± She went silent, placing both her hands over her face. I could almost swear some steam came off her burning ears. But she still leaned into my chest. It was hilarious how contradictory this girl could be. ¡°Ahem, anyway.¡± The nurse interrupted with a weird smile. ¡°The other wounds on your body still need some time to fully heal. You shouldn''t have any problems functioning normally, but if you do, tell someone. You may also feel soreness when moving. That¡¯s normal and will fade as you heal. And if it wasn¡¯t obvious, please refrain from strenuous activity for at least the next few days. You should be completely fine within a week if you take a recovery pill once a day. Other than that, you¡¯re free to go. Your other bandages can come off whenever you want them to.¡± ¡°Got it. Thank you.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The nurse left with that. Afterward, I dressed and left the hospital with the others. But I split up while walking to go back to my room and clean up. I first took a shower. There, I took off the bandages around my torso and leg. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Both of them revealed some nasty scars far worse than the ones on my face. It looked like there was a small crater in my stomach right beside my abs, like someone had carved out a chunk of my body. There were also some deep lacerations across my chest. Of course, these were only additions to several other scars, but they were definitely the worst. The ones on my leg were also nasty. The nurse was right about the soreness too. Just walking felt like I was hobbling on a broken leg. The monkey that left that wound had basically torn out some of my muscle. It had grabbed my thigh with those claws and pulled, meaning it both stabbed and sliced. The wounds pictured that scene rather clearly. There weren¡¯t any stitches to worry about since the wounds had sealed, thankfully. So with that, I finished showering. After grooming myself a bit, I dressed in some fresh clothes and took a look at my coat. It was still stained with blood, so I got to cleaning it, which was easy enough. Technically it was self cleaning, but sometimes it needed a bit of help. I just had to wipe off all the crap that refused to leave, which in this case was all the dried blood. Soon, it looked brand new. So I slipped it on and went back out. I spent the rest of the day with my squad, all of us hanging out. I could tell that everyone still felt bad about what happened, but I did my best to reassure them. And I suppose Tana felt the worst, seeing how the Puppet Master basically pinned my near death on her. But that would take a proper talk to reconcile. For now, we just appreciated each other¡¯s company for our last day on base. After that, night came. And with that, our day of return arrived. ¡­¡­ ¡­ The fourth year class stood before Commander Bosnen. ¡°It was good working with you all this past month. It¡¯s fortunate that we¡¯re all leaving here in one piece. Despite all of us being shocked by a sudden siege after just the first day, you all stepped up and provided valuable manpower. Because of you guys, we¡¯ve only lost a single soldier this entire month. For that, we thank you. Now go ahead and head home. You¡¯ve earned a break.¡± ¡°Thank you, Commander.¡± The instructors shook hands with the man before we all boarded the Rail. We were free. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to eat some real food.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they served actual slop last week.¡± ¡°I need to bring some blankets next time too. I completely forgot.¡± I heard chattering while boarding. Before long, all of our cargo was loaded and we took off. The Rail jolted a few times while accelerating. As that happened, all the Elites moved to one of the cars and lounged. Nobody felt like partying right now. We were all tired since it was barely dawn, so everyone got some shut eye. Umara and I found our own corner couch, and before long, both of us were out cold. That lasted a few hours before people started to wake up around an hour or so before noon. And with chatter, those who didn¡¯t wake naturally did so anyway, everyone starting to socialize. I stayed with Umara even after everyone had gotten up, enjoying her company. ¡°So we can finally go on a proper date now.¡± ¡°Anything better than a patrol will do it for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad the standards are low now. Makes my job easy.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± She laughed before poking me in the side. ¡°Hey, if you really want, we can go to Joffrun and find a restaurant there. I know a nice one, and we wouldn¡¯t have to worry about paying.¡± ¡°So you think me cheap?¡± ¡°N-No. I just wanted to go to a nice place for our first date, but I didn¡¯t know if spending so much was okay with you. I don¡¯t want to worry about money.¡± ¡°Oh. I suddenly like you even more.¡± ¡°...¡± She went silent, covering her face with both her hands. It made me laugh. Seriously, how cute could this girl be? I pinched her side, causing her to flinch. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the money. I¡¯ll bring you to the nicest place I know and we¡¯ll have a wonderful night. Sound good?¡± ¡°Y-Yea. When?¡± ¡°Give me a day or two to settle back in. As soon as I tie up some loose ends I¡¯ll let you know.¡± ¡°What loose ends?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± She pouted, suddenly blowing some air into my ear and tickling me. Calling it loose ends wasn¡¯t entirely accurate, but I did in fact have some business to settle. I didn¡¯t forget that I still had a bounty, one that wasn¡¯t going away anytime soon. Hunters would be after my head and I needed to make sure that my arrival wouldn¡¯t attract attention. And if it did, I needed to deal with it. While I would like an entire week to get a feel for the situation, I didn¡¯t want to delay my date. A few days should be enough to get rid of the eager ones. Or maybe I would get lucky and nobody would bother me. *Ding* At that moment, I heard a notification from my Aerial. It was a message from Rayla, asking about my arrival today. My face fell just a bit. Right, that was something else I needed to take care of. I was on the trip, so nothing but my life on base had been on my mind. I had forgotten about the one thing that might be affected by my new relationship with Umara. But part of me was beginning not to care anymore. So I decided I would face it when it came, texting back with that in mind. As noon passed, some of the Elites started to poke around at the bar. And when one drink was pulled out, several more came with it and soon, a small party was started. Tana jumped at the opportunity to drink again, downing cup after cup of any fruity drink she could get her hands on. So it was no surprise when she stumbled over toward me drunk off her ass. ¡°J-John!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± She came crying, her face entirely flushed and her blonde hair a little messy. ¡°You almost died because of me! I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t do my job!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Tana.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not!¡± ¡°Watch the snot.¡± I raised my arms as she came crawling over on the couch. Umaara was quick to dodge out of the way, so I was stuck with Tana all over me, a crying mess. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! Get off!¡± ¡°I just want a hug! Am I still your friend?¡± ¡°Yes, now- AH! Watch the knee!¡± I jumped as her knee accidentally snuck into my precious place. I almost threw her off, but couldn¡¯t because of her weight. ¡°Alright, time to go! You¡¯re too heavy!¡± ¡°What?! I¡¯m not! You take that back!¡± ¡°Ack!¡± As I tried to stand, I was yanked back onto the couch, being put into some kind of arm lock. I reached out to Umara who watched, but all I received was a faint smile as she just stood there. Damn, she¡¯s going to get it later. And so I struggled, only being freed several minutes later when Vetsmon wrestled Tana for me. I laughed as they went to the floor, Tana seeming to completely forget about her apology to me. Well, I guess that was our proper talk. Whatever to ease her mind. I wasn¡¯t able to find Umara after straightening myself out, so I went to the bar where Feiden sat, looking like he was brooding. I pat his shoulder and sat next to him. ¡°So I have you to thank for saving my sorry ass.¡± ¡°There should never have been any saving.¡± ¡°But there was. And thanks to you, I get to go home.¡± ¡°...¡± He was silent, obviously not wanting to accept it. And I understood. It was a given to save your dying teammate, but the situation should never have devolved to that point in the first place. So saving me was, in a weird way, actually something to be ashamed of. We were both silent while I ordered a drink. After taking a sip, I spoke again. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve taken full responsibility for everything that went wrong.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. ¡°Au contraire, my brother. I quite literally walked myself in that situation. I misjudged several things and took it upon myself to take unnecessary risks when there was no need to. I should¡¯ve been more careful, and then even Tana wouldn¡¯t have had anything to do.¡± ¡°But you were supporting us.¡± ¡°Irrelevant to the point. If I had simply made better decisions, then there would have been no problems. Plain and simple. Trust me, I got an earful from the Puppet Master too. Since I¡¯ve been kind of acting as the leader of our squad, it was my actions that led to this outcome. So even though it was me, I¡¯m responsible for what could be considered the near-death of a squadmate. That¡¯s also why I¡¯m going to take a step back." I explained, taking a sip of my drink as Feiden thought about my words. Then, he looked at me weirdly. ¡°What do you mean, take a step back?¡± ¡°I mean I¡¯m going to drop the whole leader thing. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s supposed to be Vetsmon anyway. He¡¯s got more experience and a better grasp on how things work, so for all our sakes I¡¯m going to make sure he¡¯s the one giving orders from now on.¡± ¡°...I see the logic, but I¡¯m not sure if I like it.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. It''s not like anything major is going to change. Regardless, I just want to make sure you aren''t worrying about anything. There''s no need to, because we''re doing just fine. So relax.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± He smirked a bit. I could tell there was still a bit on his mind, but it seemed I had reassured him somewhat. After that I turned around, looking around to see all the Elites having fun around me. With curiosity, I suddenly tapped Feiden¡¯s elbow. ¡°Hey, who¡¯s Rank 1?¡± ¡°Oh, he doesn¡¯t do anything with the Magisterium. He¡¯s basically a student in name only.¡± ¡°Too good for us, huh?¡± ¡°Kind of, yea. He¡¯s a Duke¡¯s direct son, so his royal blood is as thick as his biceps. He¡¯s the strongest person that I¡¯ve seen in our generation. Last I heard, he¡¯s pushing into Authority 6.¡± ¡°Shit. Alright. Now, which girl do you have a crush on?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m suddenly remembering my youth school days.¡± Feiden muttered while turning his gaze away, making me smirk and motion toward all the people in the car. ¡°Come on now. Which one has your fancy? Just about all of them are pretty. Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t talked to any of them." ¡°...I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh goodness. My friend, you are wasting the tools you¡¯ve been given.¡± ¡°Tools?¡± ¡°The looks, the charm, your status as what may as well be the highest ranked Elite. You¡¯ve got everything you need to make any girl in this room fall for you.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know about that.¡± He scratched his head shyly, causing my face to go placid. If Vetsmon was a man who radiated pure testosterone, then Feiden could be considered a bit of a pretty boy. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, and he was built lean. But lean by knight standards meant that instead of body builder muscles, he had slim muscles that rippled with fibers. And not only was he was the most powerful person here, but he was the son of a Marquess while still being humble and reserved. This man was damn near perfect. What girl wouldn¡¯t jump at the opportunity to date him? Of course, the only way anything would happen was if he had some confidence and actually talked to a female. So it seemed I would need to help this poor man out of his shell. ¡°Alright, time to get you buzzed since I¡¯m not even sure if you can get drunk. Once you¡¯re a bit looser we can bring some females over for you to talk to.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really think there¡¯s a need for that? A relationship would only get in the way of our training, right?¡± ¡°My god. It¡¯s even worse than I thought. Here, drink this entire bottle.¡± ¡°B-But my parents will be waiting upon arrival. I can¡¯t be drunk for that, can I?¡± ¡°Feiden, my good friend.¡± I looked the man in the eyes. ¡°Let it be known now that I¡¯m not a good influence. However! Life is not all about training and doing what¡¯s right. It¡¯s also about having fun, which can often involve being a little naughty from time to time. So long as you don¡¯t knock a girl up, you¡¯ll be just fine. I mean, what¡¯s the worst that can happen? Daddy grounds you for having fun with your friends? I think the trade is worth it.¡± *Cling* I put a bottle in his hands and clicked my glass against it, taking a swig. He stared at the bottle for a few seconds, and seeing his hesitation, I yelled. ¡°Drink it nerd!¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Chapter 50: Girlfriend ¡°Ugh, yea, I¡¯m stopping there.¡± Letting out a belch, I set down my glass. As I pat my stomach, Umara walked over and sat beside me on the couch. She leaned over, looking toward the other end of the room where four people sat. ¡°Hey, is that Feiden?¡± ¡°Shit, I don¡¯t even know anymore.¡± I waved and let out an exasperated sigh. After about an hour, Feiden got just drunk enough for his shell to disappear. But it seems the shell was there not for his sake, but for the sake of other men. After gathering a group of people, Feiden and I sat down and started talking with all of them. Umara joined, nesting under my arm to claim me as girls started to show interest. At some point, we started telling stories about our patrol where I was wounded. In an attempt to help him, I pushed most of the storytelling to Feiden, letting him have the spotlight. And after that, things spiraled out of my control. Men got pushed out and some girls slipped in, taking up spots around him while asking all sorts of questions and gasping at his dramatic recollections. Before I knew it, three different girls had claimed him. Now, he was all alone in a corner with those three still all over him. They had been talking for an hour, and the girls were beginning to get touchy. I couldn¡¯t help but think that I had unleashed a monster. This guy had so much charm that simply opening his mouth to speak had women swooning. And these weren¡¯t just any women. They were Elites! I recognized them, but we had only been acquainted before. Still, this man had three of them all over him. Alcohol was truly amazing. I raised my Aerial for the dozenth time today, snapping several pictures. I couldn¡¯t help but think it was rather hilarious, in a way. Feiden didn¡¯t even realize what he was doing. He was so dense that it would take them stripping naked for him to realize they weren¡¯t just there to have a nice conversation. Suddenly, Vetsmon walked over, sitting by me while looking at Feiden. ¡°How wonderful. It¡¯s like watching a unicorn shit diamonds.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s a unique analogy.¡± ¡°I think you mean weird.¡± ¡°Yea.¡± I agreed with Umara. Where did he get that one from? He laughed, taking a sip from his drink. Like that, the three of us watched Feiden get pulled in three directions as each girl pined for his attention. It was amusing, but didn¡¯t last forever. After another hour or so, the Rail began to slow to a halt. I could hear the chatter of the central terminal before the doors even opened. ¡°Time to disembark!¡± We all heard the Puppet Master¡¯s shout, standing to leave. I took a puff from my cigar while walking over to Feiden. He sat with his eyes closed, his legs crossed on his seat and his arms resting on his knees. At some point, he had entered a state of meditation. Vetsmon said he wasn¡¯t actually asleep and what he was doing was a training exercise to enhance control over the body and focus of the mind. Why he suddenly started doing that, I couldn¡¯t even guess. But the girls with him had basically been blown off, so two left, and only one stayed for some reason. She sat next to him, also meditating. Because they had a lot to drink though, both of them were swaying a bit, looking like they would fall over any minute. But we had to leave, so I tapped his shoulder. ¡°Come on, Feiden. Time to go.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve almost reached enlightenment, hang on.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a monk now? Get up.¡± ¡°Wait! I¡¯m almost there.¡± ¡°...¡± We all went silent and waited. Then, he suddenly bent over, vomiting. ¡°Bleghhh¡­¡± ¡°Bwahahaha!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I expected.¡± I shook my head as Vetsmon laughed his ass off. After that, we got Feiden on his feet and helped him out. He seemed to have sobered up for the most part, so he could walk normally. But his face was flushed and he still seemed slightly woozy. Well, it would make for a fun memory with his parents. As for his friend, after sitting there for a few moments in silence, she suddenly opened her eyes and ran off, probably to do the same thing as Feiden. Well, so much for that. With Feiden, we walked out with the rest of our class. After unpacking all our chests and luggage, everything was packed onto wagons that we boarded to take to the Magisterium. We arrived at the school promptly, and there, we found crowds of people waiting for us. They all looked like parents and relatives, along with some students of the other classes. We all disembarked, receiving some cheers as we did so. ¡°Elites! Gather!¡± We were suddenly called, all of us turning to gather around the Puppet Master. He gave us a faint smile. ¡°Congratulations on your first trip. The military bases we travel to in the future will gradually become bigger and bigger, the threats you face growing likewise. You all are the most talented in this institution, and so you will be pushed to grow as much as you can before we let you go. But we will do our best to make sure that you can keep up. Expect squads to change based on your performances. I will discuss more changes during our next training session. But for now, you have four days off. Enjoy your time and recover. Dismissed.¡± He let us go succinctly, everyone cheering for the small vacation. With that, we could finally go greet everyone waiting for us. My squad split up, and after grabbing my chest, I went to go find my welcome party. Soon enough, I found Rayla. She stood with Plex and Libitus as well, surprising me. ¡°John!¡± ¡°Hey guys.¡± ¡°Wait, what happened?!¡± Rayla ran over, checking my face that very obviously had a few new scars on it. As I set down my chest, Plex smiled and looked over. ¡°Seems he got intimate with some beasts. I forget that regular humans scar easily.¡± ¡°Yea, I can¡¯t just regenerate chunks of flesh like you knights. Poor little me has to be careful.¡± ¡°Mm, indeed. If only there was a way to solve that issue.¡± He shrugged, as if helpless. It made me narrow my eyes at him. ¡°Teach me how to turn invisible.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Too much of a pain.¡± ¡°Then tell me where I can get a manual.¡± ¡°As if.¡± ¡°Tsk, cheap ass.¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± He chuckled. After brushing Plex off, I gave Libitus a brief hug. ¡°Good to see you John. Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be completely healed in a few days. Nothing lost.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. What gave you that?¡± He pointed to my face, causing me to run two fingers down the scars. ¡°I think they called it a Red Eye Bandit.¡± ¡°Those monkeys? They¡¯re known for ambushing caravans. They can be vicious. I¡¯m honestly surprised you didn¡¯t get your face ripped off.¡± ¡°My squad got to me in time.¡± ¡°Seems you¡¯re in good hands then.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I nodded, but then, I looked at Rayla. She had a stern face as she jabbed me with her finger. ¡°What did I say about keeping yourself safe?¡± ¡°That it was generally advisable.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play smart. From what I can see, you almost died. Those Bandits have poisonous claws that shed as they attack their targets. I can see scars around your fingers meaning they got cut off and reattached. And it¡¯ll take you a few days to recover even with your cigars. I can assume that had anything gone any worse, you¡¯d¡­¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent, my smile having faded into nothing as she continued. I was beginning to see a pattern with her, one that I¡¯m not sure I liked. She stopped herself though, and after taking a few deep breaths, settled down and gave me a hug. ¡°...I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe. That¡¯s all that matters.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I returned it lightly, hearing Libitus sigh in the background. ¡°Wait, mom!¡± Right then, I heard a familiar shout. Separating from Rayla, I turned around and saw Umara walking toward us. In front of her was Duchess Talleria, the city lord of the City of Joffrun. I suppose I had forgotten that Umara was her daughter. No wonder she offered to go to a restaurant in Joffrun. With her mom being the city lord, she could go wherever she wanted. The Duchess walked up to me. She stood only a few inches shorter than me, but she seemed much more overwhelming. The way she carried herself simply demanded subservience, a feeling of suppression I could sense through her Aura. Despite how she seemed to be generally stoic like her daughter, she gave me a faint smirk. ¡°John Cooper. This is the second time we have met.¡± ¡°Indeed. I hope you¡¯ve been well, Duchess.¡± ¡°Hm. I came today simply to make sure my daughter was okay. I didn¡¯t expect for her to want to introduce me to her new boyfriend.¡± ¡°Mom!¡± I saw Umara flush from behind her mother, looking toward me with half apologetic and half embarrassed eyes. It put me in an awkward position too. Rayla was here and I hadn¡¯t been planning to break the news like this. Umara and I were assuredly in a romantic relationship, but since we hadn¡¯t been on a proper date yet, the boyfriend/girlfriend label wasn¡¯t yet plastered, even though it was technically true. Well, I knew she was fine with it being said, but I was beginning to understand that this Duchess had no sense of subtlety. I gave the Duchess a smile. ¡°I hadn¡¯t realized Umara was your daughter until well after our meeting, Ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Did you pursue her after she told you?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°I-I pursued him first!¡± Umara shouted, standing between me and her mother defensively. ¡°I did it, so you can¡¯t say anything!¡± ¡°Your actions surprise me, dear. But that changes little. This matter cannot be decided on so simply. How do I know this charming young man hasn¡¯t seduced you due to your status as my daughter? Perhaps he used his rugged looks to his advantage while sweet talking you. A woman would be hard pressed to resist that.¡± ¡°Mom, please!¡± Umara looked like she was going to cry as her mother continued speaking. And I also couldn¡¯t help but smile weirdly. Come on lady. At least try to hide your preferences. But those words about Umara¡¯s status as her daughter brought up a few questions. Inwardly, I tried to recall the various titles of nobility. I never deigned to pay attention to the pompous adventures of the british crown, so I wasn¡¯t entirely sure about the order of ranks or the titles the wives would hold, or if it was even the same in this world. ¡®Duchess, is that a Count¡¯s wife? They both have c¡¯s in them.¡¯ Curious about my conjecture, I leaned over toward Umara and asked. ¡°Hey, what level is a Duchess at? Is it like, Count equivalent?¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± This time, she was the one who looked at me weirdly. I raised my hands in defense. ¡°I don¡¯t know the levels of nobility.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? Everyone knows them. Even village kids know them. It¡¯s the first thing they teach in school.¡± ¡°I just got the male and female titles mixed up.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± Suddenly, the Duchess spoke up, interrupting us. Her eyes were narrowed at me. ¡°I refuse to believe you don¡¯t know what my title means.¡± ¡°I can confidently say I would bet my life on it.¡± ¡°...Alright.¡± She smiled and raised her hand. Then, an impossibly complex spell formation appeared above her palm, spreading into hundreds of layers before collapsing into a single circle that flashed with overwhelming power. ¡°This is a spell that will detect if you¡¯re lying. If it determines that you have, then it will kill you.¡± ¡°...I¡¯d like to rephrase my earlier statement.¡± ¡°So you admit you¡¯re lying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, but I don¡¯t know if your spell will kill me due to a misinterpretation. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m a very lucky person, so I¡¯d rather not take the chance regardless of the circumstances.¡± ¡°Fine. It won¡¯t kill you.¡± When she said that, the spell greatly diminished in power, though remaining just as complex. I sighed, but then she made another stipulation. ¡°If you want to pursue my daughter, you must answer three of my questions truthfully. If I don¡¯t get satisfactory answers, then I¡¯m putting a halt to this relationship.¡± ¡°Mom! You can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°I can and I will.¡± She ignored Umara and held out her hand in front of me. I looked at her with a neutral face. And with a grumble, I put my hand in the spell. At that moment, I felt a jolt throughout my body. I felt my Aura flare out as an odd power surrounded my mind, feeling like my every thought was being read. ¡°Question one.¡± I snapped out of my daze as the Duchess asked. ¡°Do you understand where my title lies among the ranks of nobility?¡± ¡°No. I never cared to learn the titles of nobility because it didn¡¯t concern me. I know them briefly and know that Duchess is a female title, but don¡¯t know the male equivalent. If I knew the male equivalent, I would know where it fell among the ranks because I generally know the male titles.¡± *Flash* The spell glowed blue, causing the Duchess¡¯ eyes to widen a bit. I assumed blue meant that I told the truth. ¡°...More ignorant than I thought. Next question.¡± She moved past it, asking again. ¡°You still knew that she was my daughter and that I am the City Lord of Joffrun. Are you pursuing my daughter because of her status, my wealth, or my power?¡± ¡°No. While it¡¯s impressive that she¡¯s rich, I would never date her or any other girl just because of that. Rich girls can be nothing but spoiled, pretentious princesses with no redeeming qualities other than knowing how to wave daddy¡¯s money around. From what I¡¯ve seen, Umara is nothing like that, and I find that both relieving and attractive. As for you, I barely knew you were a warlock when I first met you, let alone how powerful you were. It didn¡¯t even cross my mind until a minute ago when I got confused about your noble title.¡± *Flash* After I stopped talking, the formation flashed blue again. This time, the Duchess was smiling a bit at my answer. But she still moved on to the next. ¡°Alright, last question. Your intentions seem pure, but I question your seriousness. Do you pursue this relationship simply because my daughter is beautiful and you seek her virginity, or do you seek a long term commitment with the prospect of marriage?¡± ¡°Mom! That¡¯s too much!¡± Umara almost screamed, her face turning entirely red. But I simply looked the Duchess in the eye as I answered. ¡°I don¡¯t fuck around with my relationships. More than anything I¡¯ve wanted a woman who would love me and support me just as much as I loved and supported her, as generic as that may sound to some people. If we reach that point in the future, and enough time passes to affirm our compatibility and cement our relationship, then there¡¯s no reason why marriage wouldn¡¯t be in the cards.¡± *Flash* I saw yet another blue glow, smiling to myself. Sure, Umara was beautiful and I¡¯d be lying to say that I didn¡¯t want to get intimate with her. But like almost every man, I¡¯ve always wanted a mutually loving relationship that could become something more than just a temporary fling or a sex friend. Unfortunately, that seemed to be hard to find while I was on Earth as a college aged male. ¡°Hm.¡± The Duchess hummed while dispersing the spell. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ve heard enough. Dear, could you please get off the floor?¡± We both looked down, seeing Umara curled up in a ball on the ground, her head completely covered by her robes. I barely held back a laugh as the Duchess sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll be in the city for today, so I¡¯d like to see you for dinner, daughter. I¡¯ll be here at 8 to pick you up. And you.¡± She turned to me, making me stiffen a bit. ¡°I won¡¯t interfere, for now. We''ll see how you handle being in this position. But regardless, keep my daughter out of your business, please.¡± ¡°Rest assured, ma¡¯am. I don¡¯t really work anymore. But I did want to bring her to a restaurant behind the Black Spider Hotel.¡± ¡°Depends.¡± ¡°The Caviar Restaurant.¡± ¡°Oh. Fine, I¡¯ll allow it.¡± She waved, almost looking pleased that I had chosen that one. With that, she took her leave, saying she had business to attend to. And it was only after she disappeared that Umara finally pulled herself off the ground. Plex also nudged me with his elbow. ¡°Hey, what did you talk about? She isolated the sound.¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Yea right. I saw the lie detection spell.¡± ¡°Nothing that concerns you.¡± ¡°Fine. Now, who¡¯s the girlfriend?¡± He looked at Umara as she dusted herself off, doing her best to look like nothing had happened. Seeing Plex, she smiled and put her hand out, her face still rosy. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Umara. A pleasure to meet John¡¯s friends.¡± ¡°Oh, they¡¯re his friends. I¡¯m just his boss. Still, it¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡± Plex smiled and shook Umara¡¯s hand, his words making my brow twitch as I kicked him in the shin. When he backed away, Umara greeted Libitus and Rayla as my girlfriend. It seems that after the Duchess¡¯ line of questioning, there was no more suspense about where we were at so she openly went with it. But she spoke with none of the embarrassment or shyness from earlier. I could see what looked like her noble etiquette kick in as she carried herself professionally and relatively confidently. Still, I could also see the surprise on Rayla¡¯s face. And I couldn¡¯t help but stress a bit. This wasn¡¯t how I was planning to do this at all. Chapter 51: Checked the Boxes After greeting everyone, Umara smiled. ¡°It¡¯s great to meet you all. I¡¯ve never seen any of John¡¯s friends or family before.¡± ¡°Oh, we haven¡¯t either. I think he¡¯s just a loner.¡± ¡°Would you shut up?¡± I kicked Plex again as he trash talked me, making him jump and back away. Rayla spoke. ¡°We all work with John at our company.¡± ¡°What company?¡± ¡°Divine Distribution. We deliver cargo, messages, what have you.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Umara nodded as her smile turned to more of a curious grin, causing me to smirk. This girl, always trying to poke deeper into my business. There was no way she didn¡¯t know that what I did wasn¡¯t normal since even her mother mentioned it, but now she had more people to pry information from.¡± Not that she could do much with the company name. Anything she could find officially wouldn¡¯t tell her anything. Rayla suddenly smiled, looking between Umara and I. ¡°So, how long has this been going on?¡± ¡°O-Only a few weeks. We haven¡¯t actually been on a proper date since we¡¯ve been on a military base, but I think we made it work.¡± ¡°The closest thing to a date we had was fending off a horde of Scourge beasts.¡± ¡°And you got injured there too. I¡¯m starting to think you¡¯re a magnet for trouble.¡± ¡°What can I say? I do my job well.¡± I smiled and shrugged, causing her to pinch my arm. Rayla chuckled a bit. ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy for you guys. It took you long enough, John.¡± ¡°Yea, I was starting to think he was messed up in the head somewhere. This guy passed up every damn girl we put in front of him!¡± Plex smirked from behind Libitus, causing me to shake my head. Umara just laughed. After that, we had a few more conversations before Umara and I were let go. We still needed to go back to our dorms and unpack. The two of us walked back together after grabbing our chests. We didn¡¯t talk much, but I had a lot on my mind. It was easy to fake pleasantries, so I wondered how Rayla was handling the news. We had been close, definitely closer than good friends should be. But we hadn¡¯t gone past a certain line ever since we slept together. It had been long enough since then, but there had always been a bit of suspense between us. Now, that was all dashed away with Umara¡¯s appearance. Not that it was going to be any other way. I had a lot of time to think during the trip, or more precisely, fill my mind with things other than the emotional conflict between Rayla and I. And I realized that there was no use in putting off the inevitability. I wasn¡¯t going to date or marry Rayla. Maybe I didn¡¯t want to accept it before, and so I convinced myself that perhaps it might happen. But I could have made it happen at any time over the past several months. There were countless opportunities to shatter the thin barrier between us and engage in a proper relationship. But I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t want to, even though I hated myself for that. Now, I was pursuing Umara, and she unintentionally showed me exactly why I didn¡¯t pursue Rayla. It seemed that whenever I was with Rayla, there was a dark shadow hanging over both of us. Sure, the two of us were mature and carried ourselves as such, making for a rich relationship. But the shadow was too much for me. It was selfish, but if I wanted the best for myself, then I wouldn¡¯t find it with her. On the contrary, Umara and I only seemed to have fun while still being able to engage each other intellectually and emotionally. And we still had a long ways to go in regard to our intimacy, which only made me excited. I had already decided that I needed someone who was at my level, who fit me better. It wouldn¡¯t take anything away from my friendship with Rayla, but now, the lingering tension between us was no longer there. The line had been clearly drawn. I didn¡¯t look back as Umara and I disappeared into the fourth year dorms. We went to Umara¡¯s room first, which was on the top floor like mine. But whereas my room was 312, her¡¯s was 344. It was down a hall, but not that far thankfully. ¡°This is me.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I nodded as she used her feet to open the door, kicking it open and heading inside. I followed her in, setting my chest down by the door and looking around. When the light came on, I saw a moderately decorated room that looked pretty normal. There were two paintings, one medium sized plushie on her bed, and then a large poster containing a diagram of what I could only assume was a spell formation. Umara spoke as she put down her chest. ¡°I¡¯m glad I was able to meet your friends. They seemed nice.¡± ¡°Well I¡¯m glad they seemed that way.¡± ¡°Heh. Now I just need to meet your family since you met my mother.¡± ¡°Oh. Did I not tell you about that?¡± ¡°About what?¡± She looked back at me weirdly. I felt odd while explaining. ¡°Well, I have a family. It¡¯s just that I won¡¯t ever be able to see them again.¡± ¡°...What do you mean? I thought you came from a village.¡± ¡°I did, but I wasn¡¯t born there.¡± ¡°So you lied about growing up in Yumir Village?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I confessed directly, deciding that it was best to get some things out of the way. ¡°I traveled to the capital from Yumir Village, but I have no relation to it or anyone there. Besides the Chief who gave me the ride here.¡± ¡°So then¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m from a place very far away. So far that I¡¯ll never be able to go back. And my family is there, so I won¡¯t be able to see them again.¡± ¡°What was that place called?¡± ¡°Earth.¡± ¡°Earth¡­¡± She stared thoughtfully for a few moments before walking over to me. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Her arms wrapped around me in a hug. ¡°...I know there¡¯s probably more to the story, but no matter what, it must be difficult not seeing them.¡± ¡°Yea¡­ But I¡¯ve made my peace with it. There¡¯s nothing I can do anyway.¡± ¡°Not that it makes it any easier.¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent as I returned the hug. It really was difficult, but I found solace in the fact that we had only separated. While they didn¡¯t know that, and that worried me, I knew the truth. It was enough for me, mainly because it had to be. Still, I found some comfort in Umara¡¯s arms. I felt bad that I had lied to her, but her understanding only made me like her more. After a while of that though, I smiled a bit and broke the silence. ¡°So, your mother is fun.¡± ¡°C-Can we forget about that?¡± ¡°As if. Honestly, I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re more embarrassed than me. I¡¯m the one who had to answer those questions.¡± ¡°I mean¡­¡± She went silent, gradually burying her head in my chest. ¡°...I almost died.¡± ¡°Hehe, I saw.¡± I chuckled, but being honest with myself, those questions and my answers had gone a bit deeper than I thought our relationship warranted. I had essentially said that I may marry Umara in the future. For the sake of even being able to try, I didn¡¯t hesitate to lay out the truth like that. But it could be said that we had taken a rather big step just then, laying everything out on the table so clearly. Suddenly, Umara backed away, her ears red and her head dipped. ¡°Alright, go and unpack. I need to meet my mother soon anyway.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± We separated after she turned me around and pushed me out. So grabbing my chest, I went back to my room and settled down. After that, I decided to run some errands and say hi to my mentor, as well as see if I couldn¡¯t start baiting out any latent threats. ¡­¡­ ¡°Aahhh!!¡± Umara jumped face first into her bed after John left, kicking her legs sporadically while squealing into her pillow. Her mind was entirely filled with what she heard earlier. After being so embarrassed by her mother that her blood boiled in shame, she listened to John speak words that made her heart flutter and breath hitch. It was so overwhelming that she curled up on the floor and buried herself in her robes. She couldn¡¯t help but fixate on that one word: marriage. She barely kept up as her fantasies flew out of control. She wasn¡¯t even able to look John in the eye. Even just hugging him made her feel tingly. Her last resort was pushing him out to give herself some room to process her spiraling emotions. That, and she needed to prepare for dinner with her mother. Dressing up took time, so she unpacked while thinking about everything before calming down and picking out her clothes. But she encountered a conundrum. She went through all her dresses, some of which were stored in spatial sacks, and tried on 6 before she caught herself. With every dress, every piece of jewelry, she pictured herself walking down an aisle. How would it look beside him? Is it too noble for his tastes? Would our colors match? Before she knew it, she had spent an entire hour debating the validity of every dress she owned for a scenario that only had a chance of happening years in the future. At some point, she could only pick out her nicest black dress, feeling it was barely satisfactory. And after putting on some light makeup, slipping on her earrings, and wrapping a bracelet around her wrist, she put on a fur coat and left her room. On the way out, she passed by John¡¯s door and knocked, but to no avail. He was gone on what she could only assume was business. With a sigh, she left the dorms and arrived at the gates, seeing a large carriage. Jumping inside, she sat across from her mother who was similarly dressed. The Duchess looked her daughter up and down. ¡°Did you dress for the dinner or for him?¡± ¡°I just dressed nicely!¡± *Rumble* The carriage rolled as Umara shouted exasperatedly. She was beginning to reach a limit today. Sensing that, the Duchess smiled and looked back down at her Aerial. On the screen was a picture of John along with the bounty of 40 thousand coin. Below that there were several details about him. More specifically, the Duchess paid attention to one number. Estimated kill count: 108 Before the Duchess, there was no hiding. Over the course of just two hours, she had already collected nearly every piece of information there was to know about John Cooper. But everything she saw only made her more curious. A kill count recently surpassing the triple digits, a number that probably didn¡¯t match the true number, despite only being Authority 3. Then there were the weapons he used to carry that out. But more interesting than that was the complete lack of background. He had appeared out of nowhere. Even villages had to take a consensus and submit records to their ruling counties. But there wasn¡¯t a single record of John¡¯s existence. And that wasn¡¯t even considering that he was nothing like a village boy should be. Anybody who came from those backwater establishments was uneducated, unrefined, and poor. But John wasn¡¯t any of those things. Although he didn¡¯t carry the air of a noble, he still knew his manners. Then again, he was more ignorant than she initially thought since he didn¡¯t even know that the title of Duchess was equal to that of a Duke, the highest noble title only under the King himself. Of course, after her interrogation, she confirmed that his intentions with Umara were pure enough. In fact, compared to some snobby noble boys, she quite liked him. But his background was a complete mystery. She had at least wanted to know where he came from, but the only name she found on record was Yumir Village, and he most assuredly didn¡¯t come from there. She wanted to interrogate him more, but she also knew when she was overstepping. She held herself to certain standards and, as a Duchess, wouldn¡¯t stoop so low as to force the information out of him. As for everything else, well, she had already found it. A delivery man who had a relationship with the Tavera Family and was employed directly under the notorious Plex. Admitted to the school as a fourth year under the recommendation of Maxwell Albarain, a name she was very familiar with. There was even a piece of information mentioning the Golden Key he obtained from the Key Master of the Black Spider Hotel, as well as interacting directly with Sawn of Sawn Industries. It was like the kid was a walking magnet for notoriety, interacting with some of the most famous underground names out there. Of course, he also fought tooth and nail to keep his life under those circumstances, but there were many others who had died due to far less. Which brought her more interest in his summons and his power. Training under Maxwell for less than a year had brought him up to Authority 3. And after just a few days at Calatrop base, he had already become an Elite, a most recent piece of news. Every detail painted an extraordinary picture, and the only thing that amazed her was that he wasn¡¯t more famous. Of course, if he kept on his path, that would change very soon. For now, the only decision she had come to was that he was worth keeping around, and that her daughter coming in contact with him was actually lucky. As she thought about those things, the mother and daughter arrived at the nicest restaurant in the capital, besides those behind the Black Spider Hotel. ¡°Welcome, Duchess. Your table awaits.¡± After stepping out, they were greeted and led to their table directly. For a Duchess, there was no such thing as waiting or a lack of personal service. Taken to the top floor, they were given a private room that overlooked the nighttime capital city. It was a gorgeous view that even Umara couldn¡¯t help but take in with wonder. ¡°So, tell me about your trip. I hear it was eventful.¡± ¡°I was. We were attacked a few times.¡± Umara went on to recollect the events of the trip, like the siege, their search and destroy mission, and then their last patrol. In each event, she always ended up talking almost strictly about John¡¯s side of the combat. There was one detail that surprised the Duchess. ¡°He can utilize his Aura?¡± ¡°Mm. He told me about it. He said it''s still useless for anything besides reading the atmosphere, but he eventually wants to use it for something that can help mitigate his weaknesses, like invisibility.¡± ¡°I see. So his talent is up to standards as well. Seems you picked a good one.¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± Umara ducked a bit bashfully. The Duchess looked at her daughter while resting her chin on her palm as if scrutinizing. ¡°Dear, do you truly like this man?¡± ¡°Yes? I wouldn¡¯t pursue him otherwise.¡± ¡°I understand that. But you¡¯ve always been rather apprehensive about dating. For years you''ve refused to humor all the handsome suitors thrown your way. And then two months go by during your fourth year at the Magisterium and you come home from a trip with a new boy. You can understand why I¡¯m more than a little surprised.¡± ¡°W-Well he just seemed to check all the right boxes¡­¡± ¡°Like?¡± The Duchess¡¯ eyebrows raised, causing Umara to fidget. ¡°He¡¯s smart.¡± ¡°Doesn''t seem that smart to me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not from around here, so he doesn¡¯t seem to know much of the culture. But from what I¡¯ve heard, he¡¯s shockingly well informed on lots of topics, even by our standards. It¡¯s why I never believed he was from a village.¡± ¡°And what has he spoken of?¡± ¡°Well, lots of things. He knows about the human body, like how it''s composed of billions of individual living things called cells. Oh, he also talked about light and said that there¡¯s such a thing as invisible fire. There was also some stuff about space?¡± Umara described what seemed like a dozen different scientific concepts, and her mother was confused as much of the information was entirely foreign to her. As someone who stood at the top of the world, there was very little she didn¡¯t know about. She was someone who was more than able to push the limits of magical research, and technological development, even the most bleeding edge science, could be browsed on a whim. It was all well within her grasp. But she hadn¡¯t heard about most of what Umara mentioned, let alone how most of it seemed completely made up. Eventually, she shook her head. ¡°Nevermind that. Continue.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Well, besides being smart, he¡¯s rather charming. We can talk for hours. He¡¯s also strong for someone who isn¡¯t a knight. And¡­ he¡¯s kind of fearless.¡± Umara glanced out the window and toward the city. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him scared of anything. Even when our Hummer was flipped, he was the calmest one, even though he¡¯s just a summoner. Even when he was attacked and almost killed, I didn¡¯t sense an ounce of fear. Almost like it had nothing to do with him.¡± ¡°Sounds reckless.¡± ¡°I would say that for every summoner who dares to step foot on a battlefield.¡± The Duchess didn¡¯t refute, smiling with unreadable thoughts. Chapter 52: Whole Truth The Duchess sighed, seeing her child¡¯s dreamy gaze. ¡°Oh how hard you¡¯ve fallen, daughter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m perfectly in control of my emotions! You asked about it anyway, not me!¡± ¡°Because I''m your mother and this concerns more than just yourself. All I can tell you is that if you pursue this man, you¡¯ll need to be prepared to drag him into a world he¡¯s completely unfamiliar with. Your noble duties cannot simply be neglected, and you¡¯ll be required to bring him to a majority of affairs since we both know you have many suitors vying for your hand. I¡¯ll never arrange your marriage for you, but that means you must take responsibility for your relationships.¡± ¡°...I know.¡± Umara nodded solemnly. Dating the daughter of a Duchess was a big deal. She had forgotten about that mainly because she never involved herself with much at the Magisterium. And when pressured to date, she used her studies as an excuse. But now she was stirring the pot, and both her and John would need to bear the consequences. However, seeing Umara¡¯s seriousness, the Duchess couldn¡¯t help but chuckle a bit. ¡°Don¡¯t be so worried. I have a feeling he¡¯ll be able to deal with everything fine considering his occupation.¡± ¡°As a delivery man?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°...What does he really do?¡± Umara asked, her curiosity blazing. But the Duchess shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s just a delivery man.¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± ¡°Language.¡± ¡°...Unlikely.¡± ¡°Hmph, your mouth has become loose.¡± The Duchess smirked and looked out toward the city. ¡°Dear, you know I¡¯ve been keeping certain realities of this world away from you. But you''re growing up, and I won¡¯t be able to shield you forever. Of course, your choice to date someone involved in those things isn¡¯t helping me, ,but I understand that sheltering you is no longer as necessary as it had been.¡± ¡°...So can you tell me about what he does?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, but I won¡¯t stop him from exposing it to you either. However, I¡¯ve already warned him and I don¡¯t believe he¡¯ll test me. He¡¯s not to involve you in his work. The people he works with and knows are very dangerous individuals. Your identity is under no circumstance allowed to appear in that world. It¡¯ll create a huge mess for all of us, even though I wield a lot of power in that sector as well.¡± ¡°I have a hard time believing there are people who can pressure you.¡± Umara looked at her mother with scrutiny, but all she earned was a shaken head. ¡°I¡¯m not all powerful, and power isn¡¯t everything. There are those who can match me and have no interest in the royal affairs of the Kingdom. They work in the dark, creating entire Empires that nobody you see around you will ever know existed. And they who have few rules wield even more influence than I do and fight to secure more power with means I only dare to defend myself with. You, my dear, are leverage capable of being used against me. Do not give them an excuse to make a move by involving yourself, or we¡¯ll all regret it. Do you understand that?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± Umara nodded seriously. It seemed the waters were far deeper than she imagined. She didn¡¯t think it was possible for anyone other than the King and other Dukes to pressure her mother, but it turns out there were others out there who were more than capable of that, and she didn¡¯t even know they existed. The Duchess looked at her daughter. Despite her warnings, she was still curious. ¡°John is a special case since he appeared out of nowhere. He has no background to speak of and works a unique job that gives him special immunities. He¡¯s lucky. So when you see him, you can tell him that you¡¯re allowed to take tours and go to the parties, but by no means are you allowed to operate in any capacity. I won¡¯t babysit you, so take it as a learning experience.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Umara nodded happily. She was finally free! ¡°Also, I want you to come home tomorrow. Your father wants to see you.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Her happiness subsided with her mother¡¯s next comment as she simply dipped her chin. After that, the mother and daughter discussed more business and leisure until ending their dinner later into the night. ¡­¡­ ¡­ After heading to the Black Spider Hotel, I greeted my favorite receptionist. ¡°Key Master!¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s John. I see you had an eventful time.¡± ¡°You would be correct.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to see you in one piece at least.¡± We shook hands as I nodded. ¡°Yes, no lost limbs, thankfully. Hey, I have a question. A Duchess is on the level of a Duke, right?¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡°Okay. What does it mean to be a Duke?¡± I asked with curiosity, since my original questions from before still hadn¡¯t been answered. And unlike the others, the Key Master simply answered. ¡°A Duke is someone who has been given a certain level of royal authority by the King. They are at least Authority 11 and are given a Dukedom. Some Dukedoms are entire cities while some are massive swaths of land beyond the Capital. And Dukes or Duchesses who reach Authority 12 are titled Grand Dukes, standing almost equal to the King himself. As for regular Dukes, they are often given the responsibilities of managing their territories, as well as certain key positions within the monarchy.¡± ¡°So they¡¯re a bunch of bigshots.¡± ¡°I suppose.¡± The Key Master chuckled at my succinct summary, and I was beginning to realize just how important Umara was. She was basically a princess, and her mother was terrifyingly powerful, standing just below the pinnacle of this world. To think Umara actually pursued me first. Somehow, I managed to seduce a princess. Well, she seduced me too. Regardless, I had a feeling that things would be changing rather soon. There was no way dating someone like her wouldn¡¯t bring some special consequences. Was I going to have to learn how to act like a noble? I sincerely hoped not. Besides, I was American. The last time we got told what to do by royalty, we shafted those pompous assholes so hard that they fucked right off back to their tea-sucking continent. So on one hand, I hoped I wouldn¡¯t get put in a position to make things difficult for Umara. On the other hand, I looked forward to a tea party. ¡°Have you been embroiled with a Duke?¡± The Key Master suddenly asked, making me scratch my head. ¡°I may or may not be dating the daughter of a Duchess now.¡± ¡°Oh my. Talerria?¡± ¡°Yea. So tell me, how bad of a position am I in?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Not so much bad as it is difficult. I suggest you go get a new suit costing around 200 gold bullion, because the boyfriend of Lady Umara Talerria can¡¯t be seen as just any ordinary man. You¡¯ll have to prove yourself in many different ways.¡± ¡°Oh goodness.¡± I sighed in financial pain. It seemed being Umara¡¯s boyfriend would prove to be costly. Well, my savings of 1 million coin wouldn¡¯t be for nothing. Though perhaps I would need to pick up a few jobs soon. ¡°Will my coat not be enough? I¡¯d say it¡¯s pretty high end. Definitely cost more than 200 gold bullion.¡± ¡°That depends. In some cases it may be, but if you¡¯re going to a formal event, a proper suit is a must. You can¡¯t meet the highest nobility in the Kingdom wearing a leather coat.¡± ¡°I guess.¡± ¡°I can recommend you to a tailor right here in our market. I get my own suits from him.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll take that name.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I smiled and got a reference. Apparently the tailor was pretty popular among those who knew him and naturally only carried the best services. After getting that, we talked a bit more before I decided to go. ¡°I should get to Maxwell.¡± ¡°Of course. Have a good evening, John, and be sure to keep yourself safe outside.¡± ¡°I will.¡± With that, I took the elevator and entered the market. I was greeted with the familiar plaza and road with high class buildings on either side. And down that road was the Polaris Family Headquarters where Maxwell stayed. After greeting the guards, I went in and found my way to Maxwell¡¯s door. After knocking, I shouted. ¡°Housekeeping!¡± ¡°...What?¡± I stifled a laugh as I went through the door, finding a very confused Maxwell. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°You sound disappointed.¡± ¡°Housekeeping may actually have been more welcome.¡± ¡°Ouch.¡± I brushed the painful words off and walked over to his desk. ¡°Just wanted to check in.¡± ¡°Yes, I see you¡¯ve made significant progress. Are your comprehensions complete?¡± ¡°They are.¡± ¡°Good. Since you only need accumulation, I¡¯d like you to start coming in every day until you advance. And don¡¯t train outside of here anymore.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°And bring 10 gold bullion the next time you arrive.¡± ¡°How about 9?¡± ¡°Since you want to be cheap, I¡¯ll take 15 now.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Jumping, I proceeded to negotiate my way down to 13 gold bullion. Afterward, Maxwell chuckled. ¡°How naive.¡± ¡°Uh huh. I wanted to ask you about something.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Applications of Aura. Plex can turn himself invisible. How do I do that?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Maxwell glanced at me with narrowed eyes. ¡°Aura Techniques are closely guarded secrets. Even I don¡¯t possess more than the one I practiced. But that one isn¡¯t suitable for you.¡± ¡°Where can I get one?¡± ¡°Nowhere other than the Church or the Kingdom. And to attain one from either of them would require you to not only achieve Authority 8, but to have demonstrated that you are assuredly loyal to them. So like Crowns, it is not something you can get anytime soon. Until you can, however, you should constantly refine control over your Aura. The benefits it will give you are absolutely worth the effort until you attain a technique.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I was a bit disappointed. Yet another thing I would have to wait for. After that, Maxwell waved. ¡°Alright, you can go. I will prepare for your arrival tomorrow. Until then, recover and stay out of trouble.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Saying goodbye, I headed out of Polaris and made my way back to the Magisterium. Thankfully I didn¡¯t meet any unsavory individuals, allowing me to sleep peacefully that night. ¡­¡­ ¡­ *BOOM* *Splat!* I fired my shotgun, turning the man¡¯s chest before me into a pile of spaghetti. Through my air mask, I only groaned as the knife in my leg stung. ¡°Ugh, you know, I didn¡¯t consider the possibility of you all working in groups.¡± *Slice* I ripped the knife out and looked around. There was another dead body besides the fresh one, along with one more Hunter. The first Hunter was a warlock, and he didn¡¯t even get a chance to fire a spell since I promptly parked a bullet in his brain. The other that I just killed was a knight, but not one specializing in strength. Instead, he was shockingly fast. But with the powers of my coat, I was able to keep up and use my shotgun. Now, there was another knight who stood there with three bullets in his torso. He wasn¡¯t dead yet, but he was bleeding. I didn¡¯t know what level they were at, but it didn¡¯t seem very impressive. The only wound I received was from that knife, and it was one that the last man standing had thrown at me. ¡°Seriously. I don¡¯t ask for much other than peace and quiet. Not my fault everyone wants my money.¡± ¡°You killed enough people in the trenches, you son of a bitch!¡± The knight spat his hatred. But it was so ridiculous that I barely held back a laugh. ¡°Those guys? Every single one of them tried to kill me for my money or the cargo I was moving. If I hadn¡¯t been attacked first, then I would¡¯ve just made my deliveries and been on my way. I would say the only people I attacked first were the ones trying to withhold payment. But it wasn¡¯t like I killed any of them.¡± ¡°Quiet! You killed innocent people!¡± ¡°Like who? These two guys?¡± I pointed to the two corpses nearby, making him grit his teeth. ¡°Yes! And dozens of others, including my brother! None of them deserved to die!¡± ¡°Fine. So what do you want?¡± I spoke while throwing open the cylinder in my revolver, taking out the spent casings. My eyes remained on the knight as I did so, hearing his demands. ¡°I want you to pay for every single one of those deaths! You¡¯ve robbed our families of people who can make money to support us, so you need to compensate us!¡± ¡°I see. I suppose when I defended myself, I was too harsh. I should¡¯ve at least given them a chance to live.¡± I nodded in understanding as I filled three of the chambers in the cylinders with fresh bullets. It closed with a fresh click. Afterward, as the knight started to smile, I raised the peacekeeper and pulled the trigger. *Bang Bang Bang!* He froze as three more bullets buried themselves in his chest, taking a few seconds to fall over. After that, I went to each of the corpses and grabbed anything that looked valuable. One of them even had a spatial sack, though a shitty one. As I did so, I looked over to the knight. He laid there with his eyes looking at me. He was still alive, but rapidly dying. ¡°Wow. Knights really are resilient. Unfortunately for you, I don¡¯t negotiate with criminals, especially when they try to hurt me. After all, I did in fact leave some of you alive. But you guys always came back. Talk about frustrating. I¡¯ve got friends too, you know. Should I just lay down and let you all rob and kill me? How convenient for you. You didn¡¯t even demand my death either. You just wanted my money. I would¡¯ve respected you more otherwise. Not that it was very high to begin with. Also-¡± I looked over, suddenly halting my words when I saw that he was dead. I let out another sigh while standing. ¡°Whatever. Time for the doctor.¡± Making my way through the market, I found the hospital as was routine. ¡°Oh my, there¡¯s a customer I haven¡¯t seen in a while. How are you, John?¡± The girl at the front desk greeted me with a smile while waving over a nurse. I greeted back with a grin. ¡°Hey Kayla. Had a little run in with some friends.¡± ¡°No shit. Just the leg?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± *Ting* I flicked a gold coin at her, which she caught reflexively and stashed. ¡°Right this way.¡± She brought me to a room nearby. Like that, my leg wound was sewn together and healed. It took no more than a few minutes from start to finish. Since I was basically a regular here, I had become familiar with the nurses and doctors. They especially liked me since I tipped them for all their treatments, something nobody else did. So all my treatments were expedited. Treat them nice, and you get treated nicely, even if it cost a bit more. ¡°Alright big guy, you¡¯re all set.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°By the way, do you have coagulants? These are good for taking care of the flesh wounds on the spot.¡± The nurse suddenly brought out a canister with an odd nozzle and trigger on it. ¡°These can be reloaded by swapping the cans. Just spray the contents on the wound directly and it¡¯ll seal it while numbing it. It also expands so you don¡¯t need very much.¡± ¡°Oh. This looks useful.¡± I checked the canister out. It wasn¡¯t large, but after a demonstration, I found it very effective for the job. My recovery pills didn¡¯t operate very fast. While it could keep my body together, if I got a laceration or stab wound, I wasn¡¯t able to take care of it besides shoving a bunch of gauze inside the wound. This was the next best thing. ¡°Give me three of these nozzles and a dozen canisters.¡± ¡°Coming right up.¡± The nurse smiled and went off to grab me the supplies. Just like that, I was loaded with more medical supplies. Of course, it was a bit expensive, costing about 2 gold bullion. But I didn¡¯t tend to spare the expenses when it came to my safety. Yet another reason they liked me. I bought my medical stuff from them, besides the cigars. And so I walked out of the hospital and continued on to my original destination. Umara had left the city after our first day back. Since then, three more days had passed. The vacation given to us by the Puppet master was coming to an end, and I had been fighting off hunters who still seemed eager to claim my head. I was also training with Maxwell every night. I had made good progress, constantly getting closer to Authority 4. In fact, I was so close that I was pretty sure I only needed one more night. And that¡¯s where I was headed toward. After greeting the Key Master at the hotel, I went to Polaris and found Maxwell¡¯s study. But before I even entered, I could feel a dense, comforting Aura from the doors. Pushing them open, I found a chair surrounded by an odd device. It was a ring that hovered a couple feet off the ground, encircling the chair. And along the ring were 8 White Crystals. ¡°You¡¯re here. Go ahead and take a seat.¡± Maxwell was succinct, waving me toward the chair. I just did as he said, slipping under the ring and seating myself inside of it. At that moment, I felt a dense power wash over my entire body and mind. It seemed the ring was concentrating the power of all those Crystals around the chair. Not only that, but all of them were Authority 4 Crystals, a level above me. ¡°This device will assist your advancement. Every third advancement is important. As a Summoner, your mind will open itself to vast power. Usually you would be able to drain an entire White Crystal above your Authority, but because you are talented, I¡¯ve prepared far more than necessary. Now, listen to my instructions carefully.¡± Maxwell instructed while tapping a few buttons on the ring. ¡°When you advance, your mind will become a bottomless pit of energy. However, it is Magika that will be infused into your body, a universal energy. Therefore, if we take advantage of this moment, you will receive boosts to more than just your mind. It is possible to infuse both Vigor and Mana into your body, providing you with a stronger body and even giving you a certain level of Mana resistance.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible?¡± I was rather surprised. The three types of Magi weren¡¯t supposed to be able to use the powers of the others. If it was possible, then there would be people who broke the system and rose to levels unfathomable to others. Maxwell responded plainly though. ¡°It¡¯s not as amazing as you think. The power will reside in your body passively. You won¡¯t be able to cast spells or move your Vigor. But it will be there, providing enhancements. Of course, it''s nothing amazing either. It won¡¯t suddenly make you as strong as a knight. But it''s something. Besides, we¡¯re doing this for the main benefit of flooding your body with Magika, not that. ¡°Your Spark will be subject to the flood of energy. From what I¡¯ve learned, it¡¯s a malleable object that can be tempered, just how a knight¡¯s body and a warlock¡¯s mana core can be tempered. However, it has to be open to the tempering. That¡¯s why tonight, you are going to entirely empty yourself of Psyka. Then, we will begin your advancement.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± I slowly nodded. It seemed like the advancement process was complex. But I was still confused. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard about this at the Magisterium.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s a method exclusive to certain families, just like how my Call of the Fallen Angel is a summoning technique that stands at the top of all techniques. You think they just pass these things out for free?¡± ¡°I guess not¡­¡± I went silent. For some reason, I felt like I wasn¡¯t being told the whole truth. But we proceeded anyway. When Maxwell was finished with preparations, he looked at me. ¡°I want you to expel your Psyka. This device will help you with that before reversing the process. Now, begin.¡± He activated the device in full, and when that happened, I felt a deep vacuum force overtake my body, tugging on all the Psyka in my mind. Chapter 53: Future After the vacuum force appeared, my body instinctively raised its defenses. Four of the White Crystals seemed entirely empty, and because all their power was contained in the space around the chair, their desire to refill ended up exerting itself on me. It was trying to suck out my Psyka, which was a bit scary. But after I calmed down, I started doing as Maxwell instructed. Activating my Aura, I started infusing my Psyka into the air, expelling it with the fastest method I knew. I couldn¡¯t even generate a portion of the advancement formation before the Psyka was ripped from my control. Like that, my Psyka formed streams that refilled the Crystals. And it took no more than 20 minutes to deplete nearly all my energy. My mind felt weak and disoriented. Psyka was directly tied to the mind¡¯s ability to operate, so removing all of it should end with me passing out. And sure enough, when I didn¡¯t even have the energy to resist the suction force, the rest of my Psyka was whisked away. I fell unconscious, even as I thought I heard the ramblings of a crazy old man. And the next thing I felt was a force that hit my head like a truck. It felt like someone was force feeding me as waves of Magika slammed into my body. My mind was faced with a one sided barrage of Psyka while my body was hit with Vigor that made me feel like I was burning up and Mana which made me feel in tune with the world. And on top of all that, as I was overwhelmed with Psyka that my mind couldn¡¯t seem to process, my advancement began. The Spark in my mind finally seemed to hit the threshold. But whereas my previous advancements ended with all my power being used to break through the barrier to the next dimension, my Spark instead began to revolve with more power. I felt all the stars and lights within my mind begin to swirl like a vortex. When it did that, it felt like all of my thoughts were flashing through my mind, as if my brain were out of my control. But at the center of it all was my Spark, which when faced with a mess of a host who couldn¡¯t keep control of his own thoughts, was forced to step in and bring order. And so my spark began to evolve, becoming what could be considered a second mind. The Spark opened itself up to greater power, and as Maxwell had said, my mind became a bottomless pit of energy. But the influx of energy was far too overwhelming. My Spark was bombarded from all sides as Psyka was forced inside the empty vessel. Normally, it would take several hours for a Mind to passively refill its Psyka. It would pull on the Magika in the atmosphere and process it into what I needed. But now, the pressure coming from the outside was so great that Psyka was forced inside without it being allowed to process things, like pressurized water shooting through a filter. And consequently, my Spark was tempered, forced beyond its limits to become something better. Of course, I had to deal with the effects. For one, my mind felt like it was going to shatter. I had a headache unlike anything I¡¯d experienced before. But at the same time, I wasn¡¯t sure if it could be classified as a headache. A mindache? Whatever it was, it was overwhelming. I couldn¡¯t concentrate on anything, like my thoughts were being scrambled. However, things weren¡¯t completely out of my control. With my Spark being force fed energy, I naturally regained some semblance of conscious thought. That¡¯s when I heard Maxwell shouting from beside me. ¡°Write the formation! Use your Psyka!¡± His words reached me loud and clear. Although my mind had a tornado inside of it, my senses were in fact stronger than ever. So with my Spark, I made a decision and focused all of the Spark¡¯s power on using my Aura to write out the formation. Around me, blue lines were drawn in the air, flickering with complexity. Shockingly, it only took me a matter of seconds to draw the entire formation. Even after comprehending the entire thing, it would take me several minutes to write it out completely. But now, it felt so easy. So I continued to draw more, even drawing the practice formations Maxwell taught me that were redundantly complex. And so, thousands of different formations appeared around my body, glowing just as bright as the White Crystals on the device. The Psyka in my mind was drained in the process. But with the influx coming from the Crystals, my reserves of energy cycled between plummeting and rising. It was like my brain was breathing. It was unlike anything I¡¯d ever felt. At some point, I didn¡¯t even feel the pain anymore and simply devoted everything I had toward tempering my Spark and Mind. How long the process lasted, I had no clue. My Spark was the only computer properly operating, and it was entirely devoted toward drawing formations, not counting the passing time. So I seemed to only regain full consciousness when my mind was no longer turbulent, calming and solidifying like normal. When that happened, I stopped drawing the formations. The influx of Magika was no longer able to overwhelm my mind, and my mind wasn¡¯t so open to its power. It processed incoming energy like normal, and I returned to my baseline. I stared ahead while regaining myself in a daze. I wasn¡¯t even entirely sure what had happened when thinking back. It felt like days had passed. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°...Fine.¡± I responded habitually, as if nothing had changed. But after regaining my faculties completely, I noticed several drastic effects. For one, the sheer power of my Spark, and by extension my mind, was unbelievable. An entire magnitude higher, it seemed. It felt like I would have no issue killing that gorilla from the patrol back then. Unlike before, I felt so much closer to it. My weapons would be able to reach it. As for the speed of my mind, it had rosen accordingly. My thoughts flowed so smooth and with such volume that I barely felt like myself. And if I had to identify the difference numerically, I would say it multiplied by about half of my mind¡¯s power, meaning a 5 times increase in speed. And on top of that, my Spark had essentially become a second mind. This didn¡¯t mean I had an entirely different set of thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Instead, it was more like multitasking had become true multitasking. I could focus on two entirely different subjects and trains of thought at once with complete clarity. When I looked inward at my mind space, I could see the Spark revolving with glistening brightness. It was also several times bigger, so instead of being the size of a marble, it was now the size of half my brain. I felt like a damn savant. I felt so clear headed that for a moment I wondered if I could cure cancer. I also wondered if, in the case I did cure cancer, I may also figure out how to eliminate the aging of the human body? My train of thought stopped there, moving on to more important things. Along with all the enhancements to my mind, which seemed like a top to bottom restructuring and renovation, my body had also undergone changes. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. For one, I could now feel the Vigor and Mana within me. The Vigor made me feel stronger, as it obviously would. But I also felt my lingering wounds begin to fade much faster. My metabolism also increased, and in general, I felt healthier. The benefits weren¡¯t life changing. I don¡¯t think I would be able to match even an Authority 2 knight in strength. Any knight around my level would still be able to fold me with ease like origami paper. But I had been raised above the baseline, which came with comprehensive benefits that would make my life much easier. The attainment of Mana, however, came with benefits much less obvious. As I had felt earlier, I seemed to gain a certain attunement with the world. It was similar to Aura, except more mystical. It was like I could more clearly feel the currents of the air around me, the moisture of the atmosphere, the temperature, the textures and attributes of the wood chair I sat on, the intensity of the light and sounds echoing through the room, and more. One way of putting it was that I was gaining information about the world around me, but instead of getting that information through my senses, I was feeling it directly. When I thought about how warlocks worked, I realized how this all operated. Warlocks affected the world around them with spells. Well, the spells required you to collect information on everything you were going to affect. To create a little sphere of water, you needed to sense the moisture of the air around you, or pull water directly from a source. If you wanted to muffle sound like Umara, you needed to sense the sound and cast a spell to affect that sound in a certain way. And sensing things through the sensory organs wasn¡¯t the same. Instead, when I focused on it, it felt like each of the different things around me like the air, the wood, and the moisture all had different types of mana bonded to them. It was this mana that I sensed and, if I were a warlock, could affect. That¡¯s also when I realized that warlocks didn¡¯t rely so much on their minds as they did their feelings, as odd as that sounded. It was all exciting to feel and get used to. I felt like a completely new person. At some point, I stood up and left the ring, moving around Maxwell¡¯s study and utilizing all of my new senses. I also thought about dozens of new things, exercising my mind with wonder. I barely felt like my mind was my own. It almost felt like its own entity. In my stupor, I ended up walking about the study for half an hour, not to mention how long it took to do everything else. So when I found myself looking at Maxwell, who stood there observing me, I zoned in and asked a question. ¡°Was this method of advancement standard in any capacity?¡± ¡°No. It was purely experimental. I derived this theoretical method a few years ago but never had anyone to test it with. Luckily, you¡¯re the perfect person to do so with.¡± ¡°So you used me for one of your crazy ideas?¡± ¡°I did. In fact, the techniques you use to practice your Call are also entirely new, made long after I created the Call itself. But because I couldn¡¯t practice it myself, it remained untested. So far, you¡¯re proving all of my theories and ideas correct. I¡¯m rather proud of myself.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I hummed with narrowed eyes. I was right. I was a guinea pig for this old man¡¯s crazy experiments. While the results couldn¡¯t be argued with, I didn¡¯t really like being lied to and unknowingly risking my life and future. But I didn¡¯t say anything about it. I very quickly realized that, besides the dirt cheap payment I gave him for teaching me, this was the price I paid for the power he gave me. The Call of the Fallen Angel was, supposedly, one of if not the best Summoner Call there was. And he gave this to me. He gave me the techniques to practice controlling my Aura. He gave me the White Crystals to power my advancements. He bought my coat which had saved my life on numerous occasions, a coat which I still didn¡¯t know the cost of since it was so high. Now, he had provided eight Authority 4 White Crystals, along with a ring device, to power an advancement that had brought me a dozen steps forward in power. And he would continue to guide me in the future. All that, just for being a guinea pig to some new ideas founded upon very tangible techniques and theories. To say I was benefiting greatly was an insult to his generosity. ¡°John.¡± He called, catching my attention. His eyes were deep as he spoke. ¡°There has yet to be a single Summoner that has reached Authority 12. Did you know that?¡± ¡°No.¡± I shook my head, quite shocked. As far as I knew, there were multiple Authorities 12¡¯s in the Kingdom, and yet all of them were either Knights or Warlocks. Maxwell himself had reached Authority 11, but something happened to bring him back down. Still, it seemed his ambition never died as he gave me an explanation. ¡°We Summoners are far behind the Knights and Warlocks. We are considered good for nothing more than being thinkers. While honorable, using our power for such mundane tasks is an insult to the majesty of Psyka itself. Our potential merely needs to be realized, and across decades I have been trying to forge a path to the top. My Call is the best simply because it utilizes an entirely different system of summoning, utilizing Psyka in a far more fluid manner that gives incalculable advantages. ¡°But that is only half the battle. The other half is the advancements themselves. I cannot explain it to you right now. You simply wouldn¡¯t be able to understand. But just know that right now, you are several steps ahead of any summoner at your level. You could easily match Authority 5 Summoners an entire level above you. And yet, that is merely normal progress. It is every other summoner that has their growth and power stunted from the very beginning. Even I was not able to escape that fate. But you are the first to deviate from that path. I can already see the difference.¡± Maxwell¡¯s eyes glowed as he looked at me. It felt like he could see through me completely, his Aura blossoming with power I couldn¡¯t fathom. Before him, there was nothing I could hide. ¡°Did you know that your Spark is different as well? The formations I have given you are all my own creations. Normal summoners have Sparks as well, but they develop only two throughout their lives. The first is started as an Authority 3 and finished as an Authority 5. And the second one is only created at Authority 10. But you will go through three phases of evolution, completing two sparks and then amalgamating them, evolving them, expanding them until they envelop your entire mind, ascending it to another level entirely! This will be done by the time you are an Authority 10! How could any other Summoner possibly compare?!¡± ¡°...¡± I recoiled a bit at Maxwell¡¯s aggression. It was a bit scary, but I completely understood him. Summoners were too far behind. We were weak. Even with our power of the mind, across so many decades and centuries we had failed to figure out a better system and produce an Authority 12. Compared to the Knights and Warlocks, we were pathetic. And it was ironic since we were supposed to be the smart ones. But Maxwell was paving the path all by himself, despite no longer being in his prime. He was devoting his life to finding the light at the end of the tunnel, something which nobody had been able to do before. He was the saving grace of the entire Summoner class. It was no wonder he engaged in his study so fanatically. And compared to all that, who cared about lying to some random kid to test out the theories? The results would be worth far more than even his life. I understood all this, and so my perspective flipped. But after his excited outburst, Maxwell caught himself. ¡°N-Nevermind. Forget what I said. Look, the formations I¡¯ve given don¡¯t deviate that much from the standard. There¡¯s minimal risk and I¡¯ve run personal tests as best I could. I-¡± ¡°Maxwell.¡± I called, putting a halt to his ramblings. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I understand what you¡¯re doing. So don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll cooperate with everything fully. I¡¯m okay with being the experiment.¡± ¡°...Are you sure? The risks are indeed minimal, but should something go wrong, it may harm your future and talent. What I do is for the future of the entire Summoner class, even going so far as to potentially be the last bolster of strength humanity needs to defeat the Scourge. But¡­ you are your own person. I will not force you down this path, which may seem hypocritical considering my half-truths. But everything you¡¯ve done up until now is completely sound. From here on out, I am no longer as certain. Are you willing to take the risks and place your future in my hands?¡± He looked me in the eye solemnly, clearly concerned about my answer. I could tell how important this was to him, but I wasn¡¯t doing this for that reason. Instead, when I thought about the Scourge and the prospect of defeating them, I realized that what I was doing was something with importance beyond myself. This wasn¡¯t just about getting stronger. It was about blazing a path to hope for all Summoners, maybe even humanity. Because even if I had to sacrifice my future, I would provide crucial information that would allow other summoners to garner success where I failed. History and success were paved through sacrifice. Ancestors before us would give their lives so that their sons and daughters could become better than them, live better than them. What I was doing was no different. Maxwell had sacrificed decades so that his successor would be able to go farther than he did. I had stepped into that role, now. However, there may come a time where I would need to sacrifice something in order to pave the way for someone else, because it wasn¡¯t certain that I would succeed. So I wouldn¡¯t back down now. I looked back at Maxwell with a strange sense of confidence. ¡°I¡¯ll place my future in your hands, even if the outcome is uncertain. I just hope that I can meet your expectations.¡± ¡°...You already have, son.¡± ¡°...¡± I froze up a bit as Maxwell looked at me with uncharacteristic love in his eyes. But then his own eyes suddenly widened as he cleared his throat. ¡°My apologies. Forget that. Now, tell me everything different you feel. After that you can go home and rest.¡± ¡°...Sure.¡± Deciding to look past that awkward moment, I did my best to explain everything I was feeling with my mind and body. After that, I was let go. When I left the Polaris headquarters though, I saw that the sun was rising. Checking my clock, I saw that nearly 9 hours had gone by. ¡°Damn. And he stood there for that entire time.¡± I whistled a bit, impressed. Since it was morning, school was about to begin, and I was no longer on vacation. Thankfully, I felt completely awake, like I had slept for two days straight. So I went directly to the Magisterium where I finally got to see my wonderful girlfriend again. Chapter 54: Date ¡°This girl is actually going to class. What a nerd.¡± I laughed when I read the message on my Aerial. I got to the Magisterium a bit late, so classes had already started and Umara was a diligent student. I had wanted to skip school with her, but since she was already there, I decided I may as well go through classes too. Funnily enough, I was completely engaged. I felt like everything was far easier to understand. When I recalled all the information I had been taught, everything just slid into place. Because of that, all those subjects became so much more interesting to me. Thinking about those things also led me to think about all the classes and subjects I had studied on Earth. Another feature of my advancement was better memory, which allowed me to remember and recall things with much greater clarity. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but I was pretty sure there would be a time in the future when I really would have perfect memory. So when I recalled several different topics and scientific disciplines, I was able to both understand them and get some ideas. Earth was well into its modernity. At least, America was. But that meant that all that information was at my disposal. Even though I couldn¡¯t recall everything since I didn¡¯t know everything to begin with, that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t introduce certain things to this world. Electronics, industry, even some obscure scientific concepts. I was pretty sure I had invaluable knowledge to contribute to any industry in this world. I just needed to pick which one, and I already had some ideas. Sawn had already shown me the door to his company. If I went to him with some knowledge he could use to either improve his products or completely revolutionize the industry, then there was no reason he wouldn¡¯t take me in on the spot. Of course, this would all be for money. There really wasn¡¯t any other benefit to doing it. After all, it would take an entire lifetime for certain pieces of technology to develop and mature. I wouldn¡¯t be able to see the finished products in my lifetime, so I could only benefit from short term innovations. Not that any of that would happen right now. My top priority was simply increasing my power. For the foreseeable future, that¡¯s all I had to care about. Money wasn¡¯t an issue, for now. With those thoughts, I ended the school day. That¡¯s when I texted Umara to meet me somewhere on campus. I waited around, leaning on a wall near a doorway that students used to exit the classroom building. Soon, I saw Umara walk out. I whistled at her. ¡°Woah, who¡¯s that hottie?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Umara spun around, as did several other people nearby. They all looked at me, then at Umara who realized what was happening and started to flush red. She dipped her head and walked over, headbutting my chest. ¡°Why?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re cute when you¡¯re embarrassed. I can¡¯t help it.¡± I laughed and gave her a hug. ¡°Hey, so how about a date tonight?¡± ¡°Wait, really? Tonight?¡± ¡°Mhm. But we¡¯re going to skip training. Since your mother said I can take you on a tour, I¡¯ve decided to do so.¡± I smiled and recalled one of our conversations. Umara and I hadn¡¯t gone three days without talking to each other. In fact, we were texting at almost every available moment while calling during our nights. During that time, she had told me about what her mother told her. I intended to take Duchess Talerria¡¯s warning very seriously and keep Umara out of my business, and not just because I was scared of her warning. I understood Umara¡¯s identity clearly now and knew that there were certain lines she couldn¡¯t cross. Getting involved with the black market was one of those lines. But you didn¡¯t have to get involved to be there. With me by her side, Umara would be able to expand her horizons without worrying about shady business. Of course, not only did she not certainly know that it was the black market that I was involved in, but she also had no idea what the black market even represented. It would be a jaw dropping experience, surely. ¡°Skip training?¡± Umara asked surprisedly, making me smirk. ¡°What, are you scared?¡± ¡°Shut up. I¡¯m just concerned about what the Puppet Master will say tomorrow when we finally show up.¡± ¡°Eh, who cares. Now let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Wait! I should get dressed!¡± ¡°No need.¡± I laughed and dragged her out of the Magisterium. Who needed to look good for the black market? She could be dressed in rags and fit in just fine. Like that, we made our way to the entrance. Along the way, I started to explain some things. ¡°So, did your mother give you a definite answer on what I do?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then since we¡¯re going there, allow me to enlighten you. I operate in the black markets.¡± I gave her the answer clearly, feeling a bit weird as I said so. And she nodded slowly. ¡°I had a feeling that was the case.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m a delivery man, and the cargo I deliver ranges wildly. I don¡¯t ask questions, simply bringing a package from one place to another while collecting payment.¡± ¡°Oh. So what¡¯s the weirdest thing you¡¯ve delivered?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a hard question¡­ I¡¯d say one that¡¯s definitely up there is a finger.¡± ¡°Huh? A finger?" "Yes, an actual severed finger.¡± "Eww." She cringed, making me chuckle. ¡°Yea, well, that was only once. Anyway, the place I¡¯m bringing you to now is the largest black market in the Kingdom. There are only a few ways to get in, and this is one of them. I think you¡¯ll like it.¡± Making my way down a street with Umara¡¯s hand in mine, we promptly arrived at our first stop. ¡°Welcome to the Golden Trading Post.¡± ¡°Oh, I know this place!¡± Umara jumped excitedly, and her knowledge of this place didn¡¯t surprise me. It was an extremely popular trading spot and it wasn¡¯t actually within the black market. Her knowledge of it saved me my breath. ¡°Alright, makes my job easy. This place is popular, but it¡¯s also a front. One of the official entrances is here. Come on.¡± Pulling her along, we arrived at a busy food shop. That¡¯s where I called out. ¡°Chef Black!¡± ¡°Huh? Oh! It¡¯s John! Haha, how are you kid?!¡± The big chef walked over to us, giving me a handshake and looking at Umara beside me. ¡°And who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°This is my girlfriend, Chef.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Tally. Pleasure to meet you, Chef.¡± ¡°Hoho, how fun!¡± The Chef chortled as Umara gave a curtsy with an alias, bowing a bit in response. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Then he chuckled at me. ¡°A girlfriend, huh John? It¡¯s about damn time!¡± ¡°Well, had to find the right one, you know?¡± ¡°Hoho, how bold! Well, anyone who can catch John¡¯s eye must be something special. Here! Allow me to treat you!¡± Marching back, Chef Black grabbed us both kabobs with some juicy cubes of meat on it. We took them with smiles, taking a bite. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s good!¡± ¡°Haha, much appreciated.¡± Chef Black gave a fancy bow, making us laugh. After that, he waved us through the door in the back. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t hold up your date. Head on in!¡± ¡°Thanks, Chef. For your troubles.¡± *Ting!* I flicked a gold coin at him, which he caught before raising his hat toward us. ¡°Many thanks, friend.¡± With a wave, I pulled Umara into entrance. I also shifted from holding hands to linking arms, which she took happily. Before I even arrived, the secondary door was opened for me. The man on the other end greeted me. ¡°John.¡± ¡°Hey Gavin.¡± ¡°Enjoy your time inside.¡± He ushered us in, and like that we entered the black market proper. I whispered to her. ¡°Prepare to have your mind blown.¡± ¡°Is it that amazing?¡± ¡°Huhu, you¡¯ll see what I mean.¡± I chuckled, and soon, we arrived at the main plaza. *Bang!* Both of us suddenly stopped walking as a man flew out of a bar door and rolled across the floor at our feet. Another man then came running out, barreling toward his adversary with hate in his eyes. ¡°You better pay for that fucking beer, you cheap sack of shit!¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± ¡°Sheesh.¡± I clicked my tongue. There was always someone fighting out here. Umara was observing with shock too. I pulled her along though, not particularly caring to watch a drunken brawl. After that, I brought her through a few streets that were lined with establishments of all kinds. It was like the city, except not nearly as orderly. At first glance it seemed festive with all the floating lights and activity, but most of the people here were always looking for something exciting to occupy themselves with. This plaza was where those people came together and had what they considered fun. As we walked, I pointed out some of the unique places. ¡°That¡¯s a smithy. They can make armor, but it¡¯s cheap crap. That¡¯s a tailor. They¡¯re actually pretty decent. Oh, that restaurant made me vomit, so I wouldn¡¯t recommend it. And that place is where I bought my citizenship.¡± ¡°...How interesting.¡± Umara mumbled with barely disguised disappointment, causing me to laugh. "Haha! You''re so cute. Come on, let''s keep going." I pulled her along, and she followed almost reluctantly. It looked like Umara was having her worldview shattered in real time. The more I showed her, the less impressed and more disgusted she became. Sure, the black market had some cool stuff. But it was all surrounded by degeneracy and idiots. Her face was especially great when we passed by a brothel street. Although we didn¡¯t go through it, just one glance made her face warp into a sight to behold. We walked around for around an hour, and it was only when I brought her to a nice dessert place that she finally got some relief. I watched as she chowed down on a small slice of cake. ¡°So? Mind blown?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so mean. Here I am thinking it¡¯s some mysterious haven for rich people, and then you show me what I can only describe as a scummy rat hole of the city.¡± ¡°Pfft. Well, that¡¯s not totally inaccurate.¡± I chuckled and poked my finger out, taking some frosting off her cake. I tasted it and nodded. ¡°Mm, that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Here.¡± Suddenly, she raised her fork with a piece of cake on it. I smiled and opened my mouth, letting her feed me. ¡°Mm. Yummy.¡± ¡°Hehe, what a dork.¡± She giggled while taking another bite. I continued to watch her for a bit before muttering. ¡°So, your first assumption isn¡¯t entirely wrong.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°This is just one of the markets. It¡¯s called the Founder¡¯s Market. The other one is called the Black Spider Market, and it¡¯s basically exactly what you¡¯re expecting. Damned rich, over the top fancy, and ushers some of the most influential people in the kingdom.¡± ¡°Oh! We should go there!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That¡¯s our next stop. I just wanted to show you where I work. Well, I don¡¯t really work here, but you know what I mean.¡± ¡°Where do you work then?¡± She asked while finishing the cake, both of us standing to leave. I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s a place called the Trenches, and we¡¯re not going there. It¡¯s basically everything you¡¯ve seen except 100 times worse. It¡¯s dangerous, headed by a psychotic asshole, and you get high on whatever drugs are in the air just by stepping foot into its territory. That¡¯s the last place I¡¯d ever bring you.¡± ¡°Oh... So why do you work there if it¡¯s so bad?¡± ¡°Because I get paid like a pimp.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The paychecks are large. Anyway, we should head out.¡± Linking arms, I led Umara out of the Founder¡¯s Market and back into the city. We didn¡¯t go straight to the hotel though. Instead, I brought her back to the Magisterium. ¡°Back here? Is the date over?¡± ¡°As if. Now¡¯s the time to get dressed nice. We¡¯re heading to dinner.¡± ¡°Oh! Alright, I¡¯ll go get ready.¡± With a rosy face, Umara ran to her room while I retreated into mine. I threw on a nice suit after cleaning up, applying just a dash of cologne that I bought from the tailor I got the suit from. Once I felt I was ready, I left my room and headed toward the Magisterium¡¯s gates, tapping my Aerial and pulling up a number. Soon, Umara exited the dorms. When I saw her, I was actually stunned. She came out in a dark purple dress that wrapped around her torso before flowing down into a slim, free skirt. It was simple, with no flamboyant frills, sparkles, or accessories. Yet, it seemed to be expertly hand made to fit her body perfectly. And it matched her purple eyes so well. Alongside her done-up hair and a hint of makeup, she looked so amazing that I was rendered speechless. She brushed her hair behind her ear while walking over to me. ¡°I didn¡¯t overdress, did I?¡± ¡°...You¡¯re absolutely beautiful.¡± ¡°T-Thank you¡­¡± She smiled as I took her hand, entwining our fingers and making our way to the gates. There, a carriage awaited, one I had called on my Aerial. It was luxurious, one that I had seen diplomats and rich merchants use while riding through the city. And our destination was the same as many of those influential figures. ¡°Black Spider Hotel.¡± I spoke, and soon, the carriage moved. I felt hardly any vibrations while we drove, making me smile since many of these rides could be uncomfortable. Then, I looked back at Umara. I couldn¡¯t seem to take my eyes off her. ¡°Damn. You¡¯re making me feel like a bum.¡± ¡°N-Nonsense! You look great! I just feel like I¡¯ve gone a bit too far. I picked out one of my nicer dresses.¡± ¡°No no, I need to be able to match my girlfriend, not bring her down. I just have yet to go to that tailor and buy a good suit.¡± I thought about the tailor the Key Master recommended to me. I didn¡¯t care about the cost, but I had been occupied lately with fending off Hunters and advancing to Authority 4. I regretted that I didn¡¯t make the time earlier. My suit was still nice. I had a white shirt, black slacks, nice dress shoes and a blazer. I definitely wasn¡¯t underdressed, but a dress like hers could only be matched by a fancy tuxedo. Well, I didn¡¯t worry about it that much. Still, I would need to correct this small issue the first chance I could. After a bit more talking, we arrived in front of the Black Spider Hotel. Before getting out, I took out my Platinum Bank Card, tapping it on a device the driver used to receive his payment. He spoke when I did so. ¡°Have a good night.¡± ¡°You too man.¡± With a wave, I stepped out and took Umara¡¯s hand, helping her down the carriage before linking arms. And so we stepped into the Hotel, the first person to greet us being the Key Master. He smiled widely as he saw me approach. ¡°Good evening, John. And good evening, Lady Umara.¡± ¡°Hello, Key Master.¡± ¡°Good evening, Key Master.¡± Umara curtsied, making the Key Master clap with a smile. ¡°You both look dashing. Off to taste the delicacies of the Black Spider Market?¡± ¡°And a little tour. I wish I could bring her to an auction, but we missed the last one.¡± ¡°Well, they happen every month. Surely you¡¯ll be able to make one soon. Until then, there is still much to see.¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± I nodded, and suddenly, one of the elevators nearby dinged and opened. The Key Master waved us toward it. ¡°I won¡¯t hold you longer. Please, enjoy your night under the stars.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± We bowed toward each other a bit before separating. After entering the elevator, I inserted my key and dialed in the numbers. Like that, we were taken to our destination. While that happened, Umara asked. ¡°Who¡¯s that? You two seem friendly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the Key Master. He¡¯s responsible for providing rooms in the hotel, as well as handing out the keys to allow entry into the Market. He also helped me a lot when I first came here, so I owe him.¡± ¡°I see. Also, I saw that Card you pulled out in the carriage. My mother has one of them that looks just like it.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t surprise me.¡± I smirked a bit as the elevator doors suddenly opened. And we stepped out, greeted by the floating lights and stone brick streets of the Black Spider Market. Umara¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked around at the opulent buildings and rich individuals that walked down the sidewalks. ¡°Welcome to the Black Spider Market.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice! Now this is what I was expecting!¡± She laughed as we started walking, excited to see a mystical place that didn¡¯t resemble the slums. Along the way I pointed out some of the places we passed like the Polaris Bank. I also explained some things to her, such as my Bank Card and the auctions I had mentioned. ¡°The auctions sound interesting. Are the items really valuable there?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say that the people who buy stuff from it are far richer than I am.¡± ¡°Oh? And just how rich are you?¡± ¡°Hey now, what if you just want to use me for my money?¡± I poked her in the side, obviously joking around. She could probably move far more money than I could any day. Sure enough, my words made her chuckle mischievously. ¡°Hoho, maybe I just want to know if my boyfriend needs any help. After all, the bill for tonight is sure to be big.¡± ¡°I can handle a restaurant bill no problem, you needn¡¯t worry. And I¡¯ve only stashed what I could from all my jobs. It¡¯s not enough to live like a king, but enough to pay for everything I need along with a bit of luxury. I at least don¡¯t need to work while I¡¯m at the Magisterium.¡± ¡°Hmm, sounds like you¡¯ve worked hard. Unfortunately I can¡¯t relate as the daughter of a Duchess.¡± ¡°How spoiled.¡± ¡°Am not! I¡¯ve worked very hard for my power, and unlike other nobles, I don¡¯t get showered with stipends or rich allowances. The most valuable things I have are my robes and staff.¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± I wrapped my arm around her and squeezed a bit in comfort. After that, we approached the Caviar Restaurant. At the door, there was a host who smiled at us in greeting. Chapter 55: Kiss ¡°Good evening, John. Your table for two has been prepared.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I nodded as we were led in. Once inside, we heard the music of the small orchestra that was playing some upbeat, jazzy music. We were taken to an elevator on the wall, ascending to the 11th floor just below the private floors. There, we found a dozen or so booths with many guests occupying them. It was private enough to not worry about eavesdropping or wandering eyes, but still a public space where many people could enjoy yet another orchestra. Here though, there was a pretty singer up on stage. Her voice was soothing as she sang to the rhythm of a piano and violin. ¡°Here you are. I will be back with refreshments soon.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± We took our seats. The booth wrapped around three sides of our table, partially exposing us to the stage up front. Umara sat across from me. ¡°So, do you know everyone or something?¡± ¡°I think that host just assumed. I did make a reservation for this time.¡± ¡°Still. We¡¯ve come across a dozen people who know you like old friends.¡± ¡°Huhu, you should see the hospital. Everyone there knows me too.¡± I chuckled a bit before explaining. ¡°I¡¯m quite notorious in the Founder¡¯s Market. But I¡¯ve made just as many enemies as friends. After all, with my weapons, it¡¯s even easier to kill people than Scourge Beasts.¡± ¡°Kill people? I thought you made deliveries?¡± Umara looked rather shocked, making me sigh. ¡°I do, but you saw what the market was like. If I grab a box of Moonshine from some drug dealer and take it to another person¡¯s house, it¡¯s not alway guaranteed that they¡¯ll give me the money I¡¯m owed. That¡¯s when I need to persuade them, and most of the time, it gets violent. Not only that, but in the Trenches where everyone is drugged out of their mind, someone might just see me walking by on the street and attack me. I risk my life every time I so much as step foot into that place.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± She frowned at the revelation. And I watched her carefully. I was curious to see what she would think because I didn¡¯t regret anything I did for a second. I was just doing my job. It wasn¡¯t my fault that it was made dangerous by the people around me. I sure as hell wasn¡¯t the one going out and robbing people. If she really had a problem with it, then I could only regret that she wasn¡¯t mature enough to see the truth. But my judgment of her wasn¡¯t off the mark. ¡°I kind of wish I could join you on a job. Imagine how easy it would be to get rid of annoyances with me there to support you.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s true. But I wouldn¡¯t want to put you in that kind of danger.¡± ¡°Hey now, that¡¯s not what you should be thinking. I trust that you¡¯ll keep me safe, just like you should trust that I can do the same for you. If you wouldn¡¯t bring me there, then you shouldn¡¯t be there either. And if you would go there, then you should want to keep me by your side. I¡¯m supposed to be your partner, and not just when it''s convenient.¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent as she solemnly finished with dead seriousness. She brushed her hair back as she continued. ¡°That¡¯s actually something I wanted to talk with you about. That day during our patrol, I failed to protect you. I almost let you get killed just because I got distracted.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t your faul-¡± ¡°It was, and I¡¯m not making excuses, so don¡¯t make them for me. You were two seconds away from leaving this world forever. What should I have done then? Should I have blamed Vetsmon? Tana? You? Nothing would¡¯ve mattered because no excuse would have been good enough. Regret doesn¡¯t bring back the dead. You¡¯re here because Feiden was fast, and we were all lucky. That¡¯s it. The fact I ever said that I would support you before makes me look like a complete joke.¡± ¡°...¡± My mouth closed shut as I listened. And her words made me realize something. On Earth, soldiers were all brothers up until the modern era. There were few women, simply by virtue of physical differences and how that translated to battlefield performance. But here, there were just as many women who became Magi as men. And they were very much capable of rising to attain god-like strength. The magical weapons given to them as Magi leveled the playing field. And Umara would become a soldier, just like I would. After this year at the Magisterium, we would enter the Kingdom¡¯s military and fight the Scourge every day. We would be exposed to the same threats. I wasn¡¯t giving her due respect by protecting her, even though that was my instinct. As weird as it was, if she was going to be fighting by my side, I needed to treat her as a fellow soldier, my equal. Of course, she would be my girlfriend first. But certain situations called for certain perspectives. She spoke to me with conviction. ¡°Thankfully, I¡¯m lucky enough that I don¡¯t have to regret. Nothing like that will ever happen again. I want you to be able to trust me, trust that even when the enemies get close, I¡¯ll be able to stop them from harming you.¡± ¡°...Alright.¡± I nodded, the two of us looking into each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll work on that. I think we¡¯ll all be working on our squad¡¯s cooperation this month. And the Puppet Master knows exactly what we need, so we¡¯ll get our time. I just don¡¯t want you to worry so much about it. It¡¯ll work out.¡± ¡°I''ll worry as much as I need to before I can trust myself as well. But... thanks.¡± We smiled at each other, and then, our waiter came around. ¡°What drinks can I start you with tonight?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll take some Vesania Wine and water. As for her¡­¡± ¡°Indigo Caspa, and some water.¡± ¡°Coming right up.¡± We gave our orders. At the bar during our trips to and from Calatrop base, we had tried many drinks and found some good ones. Vesania Wine was a rich berry wine, very tasty. And Indigo Caspa was a vodka drink that glowed blue and tasted oddly like pomegranate. Before long, we received a bottle for each, the waiter setting and filling the glasses. I took a sip, smiling at how good it was. I also watched Umara take two entire gulps of her drink, making me chuckle as she shook her head a bit. ¡°The drink¡¯s not going anywhere.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just warming myself up.¡± She refuted before calming down and taking a regular sip. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. After that, the waiter came by and took our food orders. I got myself a large platter filled with 8 different types of meats. And Umara got herself a large slab of steak as well as a salad filled with a dozen different exotic vegetables I¡¯d never heard of. And while we waited, we both talked endlessly. She asked me more about the black markets, along with some of my experiences. So I indulged her with stories while asking some of my own questions about her life as nobility. I learned some interesting things as a result. Nobles were people with several responsibilities. They had to manage their territories and people while lots of them were executives in the military which required constant attention. Duchess Talerria was one of those people, in fact. Apparently she used to be a Brigadier, which was an Authority 10 Infantryman. But there didn¡¯t exist any ranks for Authority 11 Infantry since those people were expected to take on greater responsibilities. Well, the Duchess wasn¡¯t interested in getting educated to become a Marshal. So to make use of her after she became an Authority 11, she was put in charge of a Warlock Corps. Other than the Kingdom¡¯s Authority 12 Warlocks, she was the leading expert, especially when it came to military applications. But it wasn¡¯t like she was constantly busy. She had a certain amount of freedom, mainly because nobody could seem to tie her down to anything boring or mundane. Instead, it was her husband who had to deal with a lot of the paperwork. He had been a full fledged rank 10 General and an Authority 10 Knight. It seemed he ended up using his knightly stamina working late nights taking care of correspondence on his wife¡¯s behalf. Getting to this point, I also learned that Umara wasn¡¯t an only child. She had a little sister, and not one that was only a couple years younger than her. Apparently this sister was 14 years old. Umara was 20 years old, 6 years older than her sister. I remembered that the more powerful someone was, the more difficult it became to have children. But it didn¡¯t become impossible even if siblings may be far apart in age, so given enough time, two strong parents would be able to have multiple children, though their talent wasn¡¯t guaranteed. From what Umara said, only the first three children had a strong chance to inherit the strong talent of their parents. It was proven that any more after that, and the chances of a child having any talent to even become a Magus was random. So families were very important. Steps were taken in order to breed strong warriors regularly. Noble households always had strong parents and families so being able to step into one was extremely difficult. Unless you had a relatively open minded mother who let her daughter pursue her own chosen mate. I quickly realized that I had done something pretty rare, as the noble class would almost always pick their spouses from well known circles. Even Umara had a whole list of suitors. Hearing that, I couldn¡¯t help the chuckle. As if there was even competition in the first place. This was a monopoly, and I was dominating the market. Umara and I continued talking even as the food was served. Although the food was amazing enough to warrant salivating silence, we also seemed to have too many things to talk about. We had already talked every day for a month now, spending hours in each other¡¯s company, texting, or calling. But we never had a dull moment. Even in times of silence, we comfortably enjoyed each other. I had never been so in tune with someone before, even Rayla it felt like. It seemed that with every day that passed, I only continued to like her more, especially since I knew that she liked me just as much. At some point, we finished our dinner. That¡¯s when Umara looked over. In front of the stage where the musicians played was a dance floor, and there were a few couples out there. The music had turned slow to accommodate them. It seemed to be that time of the night. So after a few minutes to make sure we were both finished, I stood from our booth and put out a hand. ¡°Care to dance?¡± ¡°I would love to.¡± She smiled radiantly as she took my hand, the two of us moving to the dance floor. Since coming to this world I had learned to dance a little. At the very least I knew how to keep pace with my partner. Besides, we were slow dancing. The most important thing was that we were in each other¡¯s arms. My left hand held her right, and my right hand went to her waist while her left hand moved around my shoulder. We didn¡¯t speak a word as our bodies came close, practically hugging each other. Her bust pressed slightly against the upper part of my abs, giving me an intimate idea of how full it was. We rocked back and forth with the music. While she seemed a bit embarrassed at first, she was eventually able to look into my eyes with rosy cheeks. The only thing we could see was each other. After that, I simply did as I felt. When a kiss happened, someone had to make the first move. It didn¡¯t just happen, especially the first time. One of the people involved had to take the first step in. And it wasn¡¯t going to be her. She was nervous. As far as I knew, she didn¡¯t have any experience. So when I took the first step, I started by intertwining the fingers of our clasped hands. My hand on her waist then moved up, getting a hold of her back. And then, it was as simple as getting closer. Through her back, I could feel her heart beating erratically. And I didn¡¯t go all the way. I wanted her to meet me, cross the little bit of distance I left between us to seal the deal. I barely held back a smile as she boosted herself up on her toes a bit, my hand supporting her back, helping her towards me. And our lips locked. It was shallow, but sweet. I could immediately tell that she had zero experience with this. So I helped her, taking it slow and letting her feel around. We separated a few times as well, adjusting before going right back. Over time, she got more eager, pushing herself against me, her tongue going deeper and deeper. I was the one who had to stop after almost two minutes, pulling away reluctantly. For a moment her eyes begged me for more, but when she regained herself, she once again realized that we weren¡¯t the only ones here. But she also didn¡¯t seem to care much. Still, I wasn¡¯t interested in making out on the dance floor, so I walked her back to our table. Seeing the table full of empty plates and half drank bottles, I looked at her. ¡°Are we done here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± I grabbed her hand and my bottle of wine. She also grabbed her bottle of Caspa. Like that, we went back down to the entrance of the restaurant where I quickly paid for everything with a tap of the Card. And so we left, making straight for the Hotel while taking sips from our bottles on the way. Soon, we reached the elevator where I punched in the number for my room. We ascended, standing side by side in tense silence. When I glanced at her though, I found her stealing looks. And as if we could read each others minds, we went straight back to kissing, unable to even wait for the room. When the elevator arrived and opened, we pulled away and walked out. I led her to my fancy room, pushing the door open and welcoming her in. She didn¡¯t say anything about how nice the room was or even the fact that I had it. Instead, she jumped on me, wrapping her legs around my waist and taking us both down to the bed after I threw the door shut behind me. I was surprised by how bold she was. It seemed she had flipped a switch, because I couldn¡¯t sense a hint of shyness, embarrassment, or shame. Not that I minded. We had been saving our first kiss for this date because it sure as hell wasn''t going to happen on the military base. It was an unspoken, but definitely real agreement. So when else would we do it? The third date? The tenth? If not now, while we were hotter than ever for each other, then when? I would¡¯ve done it earlier if the circumstances had been better than crappy, but a military base didn¡¯t allow that. I knew that both of us had wanted to for quite a while, but only now were we finally in the position to let loose. So we tumbled across the bed, Umara constantly learning and exploring new ways to use her tongue. It was exhilarating and passionate, filling my head with so much dopamine that I felt I was going to explode. And Umara couldn¡¯t seem to control herself as she hounded me for more. For a moment I started to doubt if she had really done this before or not. But she was definitely new at this. With Rayla, there was no mistaking her experience. But with Umara, there was zero familiarity to speak of. ¡®Ah, fuck it.¡¯ I stopped questioning things, simply indulging in the moment. And we never stopped. Even if we weren¡¯t rolling over each other, we were laid down beside each other, constantly kissing, sometimes momentarily, sometimes deeply. But we didn¡¯t go beyond that. It wasn¡¯t time yet. Not even I wanted to sleep with her right now. We would simply need time before reaching that step. Yet I couldn¡¯t help but feel that this was damn close to it. It was basically sex with our mouths, our tongues dancing around, pulling, pushing, intertwining. We communicated without words, feeling the other with unseen clarity. And it went on for so long. Glances at the clock on the wall told me that two hours passed before I knew it, but I simply never felt like I wanted to stop. Not to mention the boost in stamina from my recent advancement that kept me energetic. But I could tell that after a while, she started to get tired, even if she didn¡¯t want to. So I slowed it down, the two of us cuddling more. Besides, I was tired as well. I didn¡¯t forget that I hadn¡¯t actually slept the night before. Both of us started to cool down after that, no longer so ravenous. It was only at that point that she was able to talk again, her voice soft as a whisper. ¡°We don¡¯t have to go back, do we?¡± ¡°No. We can sleep here.¡± ¡°Mm. That¡¯s good. I had fun today.¡± She let out a light breath that graced my nose and shifted her body, pressing closer while resting her head on my chest. I combed back some of her hair as I responded. ¡°I¡¯m glad. Now I can properly call you my girlfriend.¡± ¡°Hm, and I get to call you my boyfriend.¡± She leaned forward after saying that, giving me a kiss on the cheek. I returned with a kiss on her forehead. After that, her heavy eyes closed as she fell asleep in my arms. I joined her not long after, falling into a deep slumber supported by the rich comfort of my hotel bed. Chapter 56: Long Day When I woke up, I was enveloped by comfort and ease. I felt amazingly rested. I had been up for almost two days straight since, during the time I was supposed to sleep a night ago, I instead advanced and my mind was overloaded with energy. I couldn¡¯t go to sleep even if I wanted to. But now, I had finally slept and reset my system. That rest seemed to have completely solidified the effects of my advancement, making me feel even stronger than before, perhaps smarter as well. But my mind was preoccupied with the girl in my arms. Once my eyes opened and cleared, I saw her still dead asleep. In fact, she had started drooling on my arm at some point, leaving a puddle on my sleeve. I just chuckled a bit and continued to lay there. Honestly, sometimes it felt like the touch of the person you liked or loved was just as intoxicating as any drug. Simply looking at Umara made me happy. Was I head over heels for this girl? Nah, no way. I¡¯m in complete control of my emotions. After a while of staring and enjoying her comfort, I suddenly saw her shift a tiny bit, indicating her awakening. I smiled and leaned forward a bit, kissing her forehead. Then I kissed her cheek, her breathing hitching a bit. And then I kissed her chin, causing her hand to clutch my shirt. When my lips were planted on her neck, her breathing came out like a shiver. ¡°J-John¡­ Haah¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, good morning.¡± I pulled away and looked at her with a smile, her ears burning red as she let out a few harsh breaths. Unlike last night though, she was no longer so daring and bold. In embarrassment, she turned and buried her face in the pillow. I laughed while climbing out of bed. Both of us were still in our attire from last night, not having bothered to take anything off or change. Perhaps we would need to engage in the walk of shame back to the Magisterium. Then again, I had my coat in my spatial sack, so throwing it on would make me look normal. I looked back at Umara. After some silence, she went from embarrassed to curious about the room. ¡°Is this your own room?¡± ¡°Yea. The Key Master gave it to me back when I had nowhere to stay.¡± ¡°You were homeless?¡± ¡°Temporarily when I first came to the capital. I didn¡¯t have a single coin to my name back then, but the Key Master was generous enough to give me this room for free.¡± ¡°Wow. Honestly, it¡¯s nicer than my bedroom at our family mansion, so you got a pretty good deal.¡± ¡°I would agree.¡± I nodded and looked around. This place was befit to house the famous, rich, and influential. To get a place like this anywhere else in the city would cost a massive sum of money, and I had gotten it for free. Well, I¡¯ve gotten everything I have now through the generosity of many people. It will take a long time trying to repay all of them, but it¡¯ll happen one way or another. Letting out a small breath, I pointed to the bathroom. ¡°If you need to, you can clean up in there. Do you have a change of clothes or do you want to go out and buy some?¡± ¡°No, I have my robes.¡± ¡°Oh, good. Well, you take the bathroom first. I¡¯ll order some breakfast.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± She nodded and jumped out of bed, heading into the bathroom. While she did that, I ordered some room service, getting a breakfast platter. And it didn¡¯t take long to get here. I heard a knock on the door by the time Umara came back out in her robes. ¡°Here you go, sir. Call if there¡¯s anything else you need.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I took the cart that was rolled in, bringing it over to my dining area. The wall closest to the dining area was entirely made out of glass from floor to ceiling, so we were able to eat while taking in the view of the morning city from so high up. ¡°Oh, smells good.¡± Umara smiled and sat down, digging in with me. While we ate though, I looked out toward the two most eye catching buildings in the city. The Royal Palace and the Magic Spire. They were the tallest buildings in the city, the Royal Palace being particularly bold and grandiose with its golden exterior and artistic depictions across the pillars and walls of its construction. The Spire was similarly prestigious, created of dark crystal and enchanted profoundly. The Magisterium wasn¡¯t far from that place, but the two seemed worlds away. I had heard much about the Spire. It was a place most warlocks aspired to go. It was humanity¡¯s single greatest magic innovation center. I believed Sawn worked from there as well. However, since warlocks were coveted in the military, it was difficult to get into the Spire. It was mainly for the dedicated researchers. In fact, I believed that the majority of people within the Spire were summoners, not warlocks. Suddenly, I remembered something and broke the silence. ¡°Hey, I wanted to ask you about something.¡± ¡°Sure.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Summoners have Sparks that that strengthen our mind and Psyka. What do Warlocks have?¡± ¡°Oh, we have Mana Hearts. We accumulate mana in our hearts and that mana gets circulated through our blood, allowing us to intimately connect with the world around us. But there are different systems of spellcasting dictated by how we layer our Mana Hearts through our advancements.¡± ¡°I see. So, is the term tempering familiar to you?¡± I asked, thinking back to Maxwell''s explanation. Warlocks and Knights were supposed to have a system of tempering, something Summoners didn¡¯t have which stunted their growth. Sure enough, Umara nodded. ¡°Yes, though it¡¯s a very rare path to take and not exactly well known. My mother allows me to but she tells me that I can¡¯t tell anyone about it. But, how do you know about it?¡± ¡°Maxwell, my teacher. He helped me carry out some tempering during my recent advancement.¡± ¡°Ah, I knew something felt different. So you advanced. Congratulations.¡± Umara smiled in cheer, but after a few more seconds, her face suddenly fell. ¡°Wait, Summoners don¡¯t have tempering.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like it if you kept this a secret for now, but my teacher has created a way to temper a Summoner¡¯s Spark.¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s revolutionary! Summoners are notoriously weak because they¡¯re unable to temper themselves like knights and warlocks can. It has prevented them from ever reaching Authority 12. If that changes, the whole of humanity will benefit!¡± ¡°Maybe. But, I wanted to ask about how warlocks temper themselves, see how my tampering would match up.¡± I asked, wanting more information. I didn¡¯t know much about how knights and warlocks worked. And Umara started describing her own tempering experience. It seemed similar to mine. By gathering multiple White Crystals above your own Authority, you could concentrate Magika and use it to temper yourself during an advancement while your body was completely open to its power. However, it seemed that Umara¡¯s tempering was drastically toned down from my own. Whereas I was surrounded by 8 White Crystals, all of which had their powers concentrated by a device, and had all my Psyka drained in its entirety, she only had 3 White Crystals and also didn¡¯t drain herself of mana. Apparently the ring device was common enough for those who had the money and connections to get one for advancements. But everything else about her tempering was watered down. I felt like I was going to die at one point during the tempering, but she had very mild pain. Not only that, but she didn¡¯t even know that she could enhance her body with Psyka and Vigor. Since her tempering was easier, it was arguable if her body was enhanced by those two energies at all, though I was inclined to believe she still received some. So it begged the question. Why was her tempering so much more mild than my own? Maxwell was basing the tempering according to how the other Magi did it, merely adapting it to Summoners. Was he just being more extreme? Or was Umara¡¯s tempering not extreme enough? Because we were both aware of tempering, there wasn¡¯t any need to hide things. I told her about the differences between our experiences, and she too quickly figured out that something was wrong. ¡°I created a Mana Core during my Authority 2 and 3 advancements. Then I merged them during my advancement to Authority 4 to create the foundation for my Mana Heart. That¡¯s when I conducted the tempering with my mother. So it seems like tempering is supposed to occur during every third advancement, but I don¡¯t know why mine was weaker than yours. I don¡¯t believe my mother would withhold anything from me.¡± ¡°Maybe you should ask her. Perhaps there¡¯s something different about warlocks and summoners that requires different intensities.¡± ¡°I doubt it, but I¡¯ll wait to ask. No matter what, my first tempering has already passed. In fact, I¡¯m close to Authority 5.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. Think you¡¯ll have it before the next trip?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She nodded while taking a bite out of some eggs over easy. I smiled and watched her, going through the rest of breakfast before deciding to head out. By now, classes had already long started. Not that I cared. As a good delinquent, I took my sweet ass time going back to the Magisterium where me and my girlfriend went straight to the dorms. Once inside, she nudged me. ¡°Hey, let me see your room. You got to see mine.¡± ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t mind, but we were just in my other room. I¡¯d think it''s a lot nicer than here.¡± ¡°Just show me.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± I looked at her weirdly while entering my dorm room. And as soon as the door closed, she jumped on me while sealing our mouths. Oh, so that¡¯s what she wanted. Chuckling as she wrapped her legs around my waist, I went and placed her back against a wall, propping her up and going to town. And that¡¯s when I learned that she was a very fast learner. Compared to last night, she seemed like a pro. Still, I was shocked at how eager she could get. With how embarrassed she always got when I teased her or showed her some love, I figured she was just more innocent or reserved. But my goodness. This girl could get dirty. After pinning her against the wall for a while, she eventually pushed off and brought us to the bed where we continued. And we didn¡¯t stop until one of my alarms went off around an hour later, signaling the time to head over to our training. So after we reluctantly pulled away from each other, we cleaned up and left the dorms. ¡°Oh, we should go see the leaderboard.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I wonder what place you¡¯re at.¡± Suddenly remembering how I was now an Elite, we both went and checked the leaderboard where I would be placed. The leaderboard was located in the school¡¯s secondary plaza near the west wing. There, the board was held between two marble pillars. I looked at the silvery white metal frame that had 32 names atop it. And there, in 11th place, was my name with 490 points next to it. I nodded with a pleased expression. ¡°Not bad, if I do say so myself.¡± ¡°Mm, for only going on one trip, it¡¯s amazing. Keep going like that and you¡¯ll reach the top of the leaderboard. Though, I¡¯m surprised that there¡¯s also 3 others who become Elites.¡± Umara looked at the bottom of the leaderboard where three more names were added along with mine. While she was occupied though, I suddenly turned and looked around. There were always plenty of students within the plaza, but I was noticing how many eyes the two of us were pulling. With my Aura I could sense the curiosity in the gazes of all the younger students, wondering who I was. I could also sense a lot of boys staring at Umara. At first, I was simply amazed at how acute my senses and attunement to Aura had become. But the next moment, I found myself smirking. I suddenly took Umara¡¯s hand in my own, raising it and kissing the back of her fingers. ¡°W-Wait, why?¡± She looked at me with a flushed face, her eyes darting around to all those around us, seeing all their whispers and giggles. I didn''t respond, intertwining our fingers before pulling her to the training grounds. There, we found most of the other Elites waiting around by the Puppet Master¡¯s outpost. The rest of our squad was included. As we walked over, I felt Umara¡¯s hand clutch my own a bit harder. I could imagine that it was a bit nerve wracking to be so open about our relationship in front of friends, but at the same time, what would it mean if we let go? That we were afraid to tell people? Well, I think we were beyond that with everything that had happened in recent days. Still, even I was a bit embarrassed as I saw Vetsmon and Feiden chuckle mischievously. ¡°Look at these two.¡± ¡°Where were you guys yesterday?¡± ¡°I-I knew it!¡± Tana shouted from behind the men, as if she hadn¡¯t been completely oblivious a week ago. I laughed a bit as Umara tried to hide behind me. ¡°We were having fun not getting our asses kicked by the Puppet Master.¡± ¡°Yea? Well, you¡¯re in for a good surprise.¡± ¡°John!¡± Suddenly, there was a yell as the Puppet Master came stomping out of his outpost. I scratched my head as he approached. ¡°Where were you two yesterday?! Actually, I don¡¯t want to know. But since you skipped a scenario, your squad gets to do a hard one today! Now get ready!¡± ¡°Well shit.¡± I cursed as we were all mercilessly enveloped by a pulling force, teleporting into the scenario. Today was going to be a long day. Chapter 57: 4th Dimension The scenario we were given was rather straight forward. Two unkillable Authority 5¡¯s were thrown at us, both of them modeled after the gorilla that attacked us during our patrol. They were big, fast, and strong. And no matter what we did to them, they wouldn¡¯t fall. Not only that, but they were supported by some other monkeys that, while able to be killed, were constantly replaced when one died. So it was an endless battle that taught us not how to fight, but how to survive. Primarily, how to keep your team protected while under threat. The monkeys came after Umara and I who didn¡¯t move as much as our knights. And since Vetsmon and Feiden were occupied with the gorillas, Tana was responsible for helping us and them. But there were so many monkeys that Vetsmon and Feiden couldn''t be protected from, which would distract them and open them up to devastating attacks from the gorillas. So Tana was forced to bounce between two sections of the battlefield, supporting her teammates where needed. When Feiden was attacked, he was forced to test his speed and retaliate while also keeping himself safe from the gorilla. As for Vetsmon, he simply had to endure a beating. The gorilla he faced was strong, even more than him. So he had to survive a two pronged assault while also making sure the gorilla didn¡¯t go and attack his squad. I, on the other hand, needed to constantly avoid those damned monkeys while killing as many as I could. Getting hit was considered a failure on my part, so I needed to release as much firepower as I could while being pressured. And Umara needed to support her entire squad. Sending spells my way to ease my pressure, assisting Tana, or throwing some rebuffing spells at the gorillas Vetsmon and Feiden were fighting. She had to take the most valuable course of action at every moment which required keeping an eye on the entire battle. It stressed all of us, pushing us to our limits. However, compared to the others, I was rather relaxed. Well, I was dealing with the most enemies. My speed of thought was stressed as a dozen monkeys would attack me and my squad at any given time, making me dodge, run, and shoot without break. I actually had to rely on Tana and Umara¡¯s support, and given what had happened not long ago, both of them were wholly aware of everything I did and encountered, not willing to let the slightest bit of harm befall me. In fact, I could feel the senses and gazes of my entire squad on me throughout the entire battle, like I was a child requiring babysitting. But, despite all the pressure, I wasn¡¯t all that serious. That was because of my recent advancement. I underestimated just how much power I contained now. Empowered shots that only a week ago would drain my stamina to nothing could now be fired with ease and volume. My body also had much greater stamina and strength than before, allowing me to utilize my speed of thought and avoid enemies with never before seen agility. Even I was surprised by it all. My reactions were faster, my dexterity was more accurate giving me faster reload times, and I could run for much longer. At some point I was backpedaling while firing two Peacemakers. Not only that, but my senses were sharper, the most obvious one being my vision. With better eyes combined with all the other benefits, my ability to aim and hit moving targets jumped significantly. My accuracy was through the roof. Everything simply became easier. By the time I got used to all the changes, I was killing so fast that the monkeys couldn¡¯t keep up. The Puppet Master had to spawn a lot more to keep up the pressure. My only regret, however, was how I hadn¡¯t actually fully completed my advancement. The dimension for my fourth Authority had yet to be opened. Technically I could do it whenever I wanted so long as I had all my energy. But I had been so preoccupied with Umara that I had forgotten. I was making out instead of finding some new guns to commune with. The horny was getting in the way of productivity. I made a note to fix that tonight. ¡­¡­ ¡°Since when did you advance?¡± ¡°Since two days ago.¡± I responded after arriving back at the outpost where the Puppet Master was waiting. The rest of my squad was on the floor. The knights were fighting for every particle of air they could get while Umara looked like she had been drained of all her spirit. While I was also tired, I was definitely doing better than them. The Puppet Master grumbled. ¡°You ruined my plans to kick your ass into shape. But whatever. It seems your advancement was rather significant. I¡¯ve never seen you perform so well, and from a cursory glance, your Psyka capacity has increased by a magnitude. For an Authority 4, you¡¯re exceptionally powerful. I¡¯ve only seen Authority 6 Summoners who can match you in terms of sheer power.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Mm. Just don¡¯t let it get to your head. Summoners are considered weak for a reason. You¡¯re on par with the rest of your squad now, but your defenses still can¡¯t compare. If I were you, I would be trying to find something that can help protect you a bit more. Go talk to Maxwell about that.¡± ¡°I will.¡± I nodded seriously. My coat was great, but it couldn¡¯t protect my head or hands. So long as I wore it right, which I hadn''t been before, I also shouldn¡¯t have to worry about my torso or most of my legs being hurt. I needed to find something to keep my head safe. As for my hands, I didn¡¯t think I actually needed to worry that much about them. The only reason I had lost a few fingers last time was because I was using my arms and hands to defend my head against the monkey. If I didn¡¯t need to do that, they would be safer. Not only that, but Rayla¡¯s gloves, which I still continued to wear, were shockingly tough. I only lost my fingers at the point the fingerless gloves no longer covered, which was just below the first knuckle. Other than that, the rest of my hands didn¡¯t have a single injury. So the gloves did their job. As for the risk of my fingers not being covered¡­ Sometimes, style was a bit more important than safety. And if I really needed to, maybe I could get the gloves modified to cover the entire finger. But I didn¡¯t intend to change them. They were a personal gift and I would wear them as long as I could. So a helmet was most important. I would indeed need to ask Maxwell about that. The Puppet Master asked another question. ¡°By the way, your summons look the same.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to open the next dimension tonight. I got distracted and forgot to yesterday.¡± ¡°Heh, distracted my ass. I had guesses about what the Duchess of Joffrun had talked to you about. Seems I was correct in my assumption. And that¡¯s none of my business, not until it starts affecting you professionally. Do whatever you want, but when it comes time to battle, you need to be completely invested.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I smiled at him knowingly, causing him to scoff. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Whatever. Tomorrow, I expect you to have opened your new dimension. I¡¯ll give you all a hunting day so you can test things out. Now get out of here and recover.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± I waved and walked off. The rest of my squad also pulled themselves off the ground and followed me. We all went back to our dorms to clean up before heading out to the Magisterium¡¯s restaurant to eat. After our time on base, we had become a lot closer. We decided to hangout whenever we could. It was unfortunate that I didn¡¯t take the same classes as them, but that wasn¡¯t too big of a deal. I felt I was learning a lot more by actually hunting and killing the Scourge than I was at school. Sure, there was a lot of sheer knowledge that was good to know like the thousands of different types of beasts, combat strategies on certain terrains, standard procedure for Scourge encounters, medical knowledge, and more. But there was nothing like a good battle to teach you exactly what you needed to do. While the school wasn¡¯t teaching useless knowledge, there was still only so much you could learn academically. Experience was the best teacher. I suppose that¡¯s why the Puppet Master was there. It was only unfortunate that not everyone could utilize those training grounds. Since our training ended later in the day, we ended up spending a few hours together before separating. Umara and I ended up in my room that evening, doing the obvious. But we couldn¡¯t for long because as soon as I was recovered, I prepared to break through my dimension. Umara was understanding, so when night fell, she sat on the end of my bed while watching me. I sat at the head with my eyes closed. Inwardly within the mystical space that was my mind, I could see 13 stars. 3 were bright, inside them my dimensions. The other 10 were dim. I targeted the 4th star, and with a thought, all my Psyka flooded toward it. It was almost too easy to break through the barrier, the dimension being blown open and the 4th star brightening with power. Disregarding the sudden drop in energy, I instantly sent out some Psyka drones to scout the dimension. And the immediate findings made me excited. The Springfield 1903. Colt 1911. Winchester M97 Trench Gun. And most surprising of all¡­ Grenades! My eyes brightened with excitement. These weapons were primarily used during World War 1, a time when the industrial War Machine was beginning to bare its fangs, only overshadowed by the extreme development of its successor war. I had a feeling that there was a lot more to be found as well. The potential for variant weapons was limited before the Great War. Firearm technology was slow to develop without that immense pressure. So now that my summons have reached this era, I should be able to find some more specialty weapons. My versatility and destructive power would reach new heights. How unfortunate that I couldn¡¯t test things out right this moment. Especially the grenades. With a thought though, I suddenly summoned one. The canister appeared in my hand, its body composed of 40 serrations. I felt the trigger as well as the pin hanging from the top, feeling a bit inexplicable. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Umara shifted on the bed, looking over at the unfamiliar object. ¡°This is a grenade, a fragmentation explosive. Pulling this pin and releasing the trigger will light a fuse and cause this thing to explode within about 4 seconds.¡± ¡°Explode? How big of an explosion?¡± ¡°If it were to explode right here, it would kill both of us. When this thing explodes, it causes its metal shell to blast into dozens of pieces, all of them flying outward and shredding anything they touch. The explosion itself has limited effects." I showed her the grenade¡¯s features while mumbling, and she looked at it a bit warily knowing that it was a deadly weapon. I couldn¡¯t help my smile though, feeling eager to start using these new weapons. After admiring the grenade for a while longer, I willed it away and grabbed Umara, bringing her to the sheets with me. ¡°Tomorrow is going to be fun.¡± ¡°You always look happy when you get to use your guns.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because they¡¯re totally awesome.¡± ¡°More awesome than kissing?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Ugh! No hesitation!¡± She exclaimed in playful anger, making us laugh as we ended the night with a bit more romance. ¡­¡­ ¡­ The next day during hunting, I grouped up with my squad. And I spent four hours doing nothing but putting my weapons to the test. Beforehand, I requested the Puppet Master to send me some non-agressive beasts so that I could simply gauge the destructive capabilities of my weapons. The Puppet Master complied, sending all manner of beasts of varying levels that simply wandered around without attacking. Naturally, the first thing I tested was my grenade. Like bullets, grenades consumed a certain amount of Psyka upfront. It wasn¡¯t like my weapons where I could commune with them and give them a steady stream of energy to maintain them. And grenades took a decent chunk of my Psyka to summon. Not only that, but they could contain a lot of Psyka while empowered, increasing their destructive capabilities to an unseen level. Upon testing with various beasts at Authority 4 and 5, I found that the grenade did fantastic single-target damage. A beast like the gorilla, against an empowered grenade, would be heavily wounded if it exploded in close proximity. Entire limbs could be blown off depending on where it landed, and the shrapnel would scramble its insides, causing excessive bleeding. However, against groups of beasts, the effect of the grenades was limited. Sure it could injure multiple if they were crowded around, but it simply wasn¡¯t worth the energy it took to summon and empower it to fight groups of more than 5. Still, even the others were shocked by how effective the grenades were. Even Umara didn¡¯t realize just how good it was until she witnessed it. Basically, anything less than Authority 5 would be blown to chunks. And it wasn¡¯t like I had to shoot it either. I simply threw it and hid behind cover. It was easy. Well, that was every weapon of mine. Guns made killing easy, and as I continued to advance, I would get better weapons that made killing even easier. I could already imagine what was in store for me later. In fact, Umara seemed to be catching on as well. With each of my Authorities, my guns evolved. She seemed to be able to see that to some extent, even though she didn¡¯t really know how they worked. After working with the grenades for a while, I went and summoned some of the other standard weapons. The most important guns I found were the Springfield rifle, the Trench Gun, and the Colt 1911 semi-automatic pistol. The Springfield 1903 was a bolt action rifle with a 5-round built-in magazine. Using loading clips, you could easily load five rounds into the magazine. The rifle was chambered in 30-06, which while lighter than the 45-70 Govt that I currently used with my Remington-Lee, was also more reliable at distances around 300 meters. The heavier 45-70 would slope downward significantly beyond 100 meters, whereas the 30-06 had a much flatter firing angle at the same distances. Not only that, but where the 45-70 would lose its velocity and deliver less force, the 30-06 would retain a significant amount of its initial force even up to 300 meters. So for distance targets, it was the better choice. Not that it was a slouch with close range targets. With the magazine, the Springfield could inherently shoot more rounds per minute than the Remington-Lee, which was perhaps the most important aspect I had to worry about. The only issue was the lack of a scope on the Springfield, but it still had iron sight which, within 200 meters, was technically sufficient. Not to mention that I was often shooting large beasts anyway, not humans, making long range shooting easy. Perhaps my favorite gun out of the lineup though was the Trench Gun. This shotgun was a tube fed pump action system, like normal shotguns. However, this shotgun had a notorious reputation due to its slam-fire receiver. This meant that, if I held down the trigger, I could fire the weapon by pumping the shotgun¡¯s slide. This gave it the ability to fire off shells at an alarming speed, only limited by how fast I was and how many shells were in the tube. The weapon was so dreaded that historically, when Americans got their hands on this weapon during the trench warfare of WW1, Germans were so scared of its use that they formally bitched about it and attempted to outlaw its use. Naturally, their protests and threats were met with nothing but scorn and derision. The hypocrites who threatened to execute anyone found with the gun yet continued to use poison gas and flamethrowers lost their balls and could only cry about it. And so the Trench Gun became a staple of the American War Machine, a weapon so terrifyingly effective that all those during its era feared the very mention of it, almost as much as the man behind it. To say that I wasn¡¯t excited to hold this sexy steel babe of a weapon would be nothing but bullshit. When it first appeared in my hands, I couldn¡¯t help myself and ended up kissing it on the receiver. Twice. I tried to not notice Umara¡¯s weird gaze as I took out the last weapon. The Colt 1911. Created by John Moses Browning, as many of the greatest weapons were, the 1911 pistol is one of the most iconic weapons ever made right next to the Colt revolvers of the wild west and some more modern rifles like the AR-15. Chambered in .45 ACP, this magazine-fed pistol was America¡¯s standard issue sidearm for over 7 decades. And even after it was replaced by the posh Beretta M9, it remained so popular that it continued to be used across all fields into the 21st century. Upon equipping this weapon, despite Umara¡¯s warning gaze, I still kissed it. The others also found it weird, but I couldn¡¯t expect them to understand the significance of this legendary weapon. Otherwise, they would be kissing it too. Besides those primary weapons, I couldn¡¯t find anything else noteworthy without first digging deeper into the dimension, which would take time. And so, I spent all day training with my new toys that only increased my ability to kill faster. I was sure that during the next trip we went on, I would be able to perform even better than previously. Chapter 58: Suits After our day of hunting, my schedule went back to normal. We had three weeks until the next trip out to another military base. During the second week though, I took care of a few orders of business. First, and most importantly, was my advancement formation. I could now begin making my way to Authority 5. So far, my advancements haven''t taken me more than 2 months each. But when I received the next advancement formations from Maxwell, I realized that there was no way I would be doing this in just a month or so, regardless of how I progressed over time. The advancement formation to Authority 4 looked like a complex circuit board. The one for Authority 5, however, was several times more convoluted. But even that wasn¡¯t enough to describe it. For one, the formation actually had three layers to it, resulting in me receiving 3 large sheets of paper the size of my torso from Maxwell. Each sheet of paper looked like the schematics for a CPU, and they were all supposed to layer on top of each other, interconnecting between thousands of different points. Comprehending the entire thing would only begin the process of creating another Spark and usher me into the doorway for Authority 6. It wasn¡¯t until I became Authority 6 that I would finalize the creation of the second Spark. So for 3 Authorities, I would be trying to create a single Spark. Of course, it wasn¡¯t as simple as just repeating the process I used to create the first one. First of all, because I already had a Spark occupying my mind, creating a second spark would introduce conflicts. The first Spark was constructed by creating an engine of Psyka. This meant that a vast majority of my Psyka now resided within the Spark. As for the rest of my mind, it was like an ocean powered by currents, the first Spark likened to a boat which could be purposefully driven. But the boat and ocean were intricately connected. Although there was the entire ocean that was my mind, all its energy had been focused around the boat. This meant there was nothing else to give to an additional boat. So in order to advance, one had to not create another boat, but turn the ocean and its currents, the memories and computational power of the mind, into something more direct and functional like a river. At least, that was how Maxwell described it. The way I understood it, the next Spark would be turning my Hard Drive of a mind into an SSD. And with an SSD, all of the information within my mind would flow far faster. The components of my mind would likewise function faster proportionally to the increase in information flow rate. The next three advancements would restructure and upgrade my hardware so that it could accommodate a much stronger technology, which was the second Spark. By the time I was finished, I would already be climbing beyond many powerful summoners, even those above my own Authority. The power that these advancements would grant me were radically better than the standard. But of course, this also meant that it came with more discrepancies. Unlike the standard formations that had been improved upon and utilized for centuries, these formations were completely new. It wasn¡¯t certain that they accurately described the path forward. So unlike the narrow and clear path I had been on previously, the way forward was now a bit blurry and winding. But thankfully, I wouldn¡¯t be without a guiding light. Maxwell knew more than anyone how his formations weren¡¯t completely refined. Although he had been working on them for decades and he wielded a mind that I couldn¡¯t even fathom the power of, there may still be some small errors or inconsistencies. While I would be on my own for the most part, simply trying to comprehend things in the first place, he offered me help should I absolutely need it. If there was a part of the formation that simply didn¡¯t feel right no matter what angle I took it from, then he would give me advice and explain things. Not only that, but he told me that even without him, there was only so far off the path I could go before nature itself stopped me. Advancements were by no means a mistake or man-made creations. They were firmly rooted in nature, and humanity¡¯s development of Magi and the system of advancements were actually all discoveries, not inventions. Sure, it took a lot of trial and error. But the perfect system wasn¡¯t dictated by the Magi themselves, but the feelings they garnered when hitting certain milestones. Like in everything else, nature would always let you know when something was off. There was a reaction to every change, good or bad. And if something was bad, then nature would resist and attempt to correct it. This applied to Magi as well. Going down the wrong path introduced several negative effects, the most obvious of which was pain. I had forgotten it since I hadn¡¯t experienced it in a long time, but when I used to deviate from the formations back during my second Authority, I would feel a searing pain in my mind. After all, one needed to circulate Psyka according to the formations. If you circulated that energy incorrectly, it would cause a backlash, like an engine misfiring. What this meant above all was that Maxwell¡¯s formations, while definitely not the standard, were validated by nature itself. The very fact that I didn¡¯t feel pain when circulating the Authority 4 advancement formation meant that it was technically correct. This meant that the standard formations that created weak summoners were also correct. That fact caused me to question several other things, like why there were multiple routes of advancement and what they meant. But that was beyond me right now, so I didn¡¯t bother thinking about it. Anyway, I at least felt more reassured about my decision. I said that I would help Maxwell and be his guinea pig for this new system of advancement. That might¡¯ve been mainly driven out of my desire to be a part of something bigger than myself, maybe my desire to be special. But I had stuck by my words, even though I was also a bit nervous about it. Maxwell¡¯s explanations gave me more solace. I at least knew that I would achieve some success, and failure wouldn¡¯t be permanent. If I encountered an obstacle, then I merely needed to work with Maxwell to find the correct path, because no matter what, the path was in fact there. And along with the formations I was given, Maxwell handed me an Authority 5 White Crystal which would be the engine for my cultivation. Although I was significantly more powerful than a summoner at my level, compared to knights or Warlocks, I was only average, maybe above average. Sometimes I forgot that this path wasn¡¯t actually making me better than the standard, just better than the weak baseline for summoners. So an Authority 5 White Crystal was more than enough for me. After receiving my items, I sighed a bit. I didn¡¯t want to have to start all over again on comprehending a new formation, especially one that seemed impossible to figure out. But I didn¡¯t exactly have a choice. Thankfully, studying these formations was mildly interesting. I simply enjoyed using my powerful mind, and gaining results from the formation was rewarding. So I didn¡¯t have an issue spending at least a couple hours a day studying. So with all that, one of my biggest orders of business was checked off. But there was yet another that I needed to take care of. And it involved Umara. When we both had some free time, we headed over to the tailor I was recommended by the Key Master. It was naturally located within the Black Spider Market, but it wasn¡¯t one so easily accessed. Maxwell had recommended to me a tailor a while ago, one that I used for some more basic formal clothes equipped with mild defensive and convenient enchantments. Back then, I had spent over 30 Gold Bullion on a single suit, which at the time felt like a price gouge. Now though, I would be making my single largest purchase to date. I approached a building in the market. It was entirely unmarked and made of pitch black wood. I almost couldn¡¯t see the floor with how dark it was. It seemed to absorb all light, leaving only the faintest indications that there was something there. And from the entrance, there were two white strips of light that drew a path toward the receptionist''s counter. A man stood there behind a curved podium. There was nothing in front of him, and he looked like his only job was to simply wait there for the occasional rare guest. ¡°Good day, Mr. Cooper.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Oh, hello.¡± I was surprised that he already knew my name, but at the same time, I couldn¡¯t find it that odd. I was already numbed to this kind of thing. ¡°If I may, can I see your Golden Key?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± With his request, I pulled out the Golden Key from the Key Master. He nodded when he saw it before waving a hand. ¡°Please, follow me to meet the Couturier.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled and followed, Umara linking arms with me as we were taken down another drawn path. It took us through what I could only assume was a hall before we arrived at a large double set of dark gold doors. After opening them and stepping through, we entered a room that was all black like previously. In the center of the floor, however, was a bright white ring. There was also a man waiting within, who looked at me with bright eyes. ¡°Greetings, Mr. Cooper. I¡¯m the Couturier Hans Meier. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± ¡°Now tell me, what can I create for you today?¡± *Flash* As he said that, several more rings of light that wrapped around the ceiling lit up. The walls also revealed several mirrors, allowing me to see every angle of the room. I glanced around while responding. ¡°I need a suit, fit enough for the highest class gatherings.¡± ¡°Of course, sir. Anything else?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have anything else in mind, but if you let me know what else you provide, I wouldn¡¯t mind getting more.¡± ¡°Then allow me to display our selections of features.¡± He smiled and clapped, and from the ground, a few hatches opened up to reveal several sets of clothing. There were standard suits, noble suits, and royal suits fit for a king. The glamor could ascend to any level and I knew there was more to these suits than I knew. After all, with higher quality materials and design came inherent capabilities. My other suits, which were far cheaper than these, came with defensive and comfort features. There was no way these didn¡¯t also come with those. Hans listed some things off, describing several of the suits. ¡°We offer just about anything you can think of, but most clients come to us for the longevity and integrity of their clothing. Our most basic suits can resist Authority 4 attacks, and we are capable of constructing coats that can withstand the onslaught of even Authority 10 beasts. Due to our special materials, every piece of clothing also comes with a certain level of self-mending capabilities. And besides defensive properties, our suits provide only the most comfortable features. As for its appearances, our fabrics can sport anything from basic colors to the most eye catching or profoundly deep visuals.¡± ¡°I see that¡­¡± I was mesmerized while looking between the suits. Magic on this world did things that science hadn¡¯t yet been able to do on Earth. And what I saw on these suits seemed to defy all common sense. One suit looked like it was a portal to the depths of space. I could see stars and explosions of colors, and the image wasn¡¯t static. It would change with my perspective and position, shifting as I moved to reveal more fantastic images. Another suit looked like the incarnation of fire. It burned, but there was only a bit of warmth coming off of it. It looked just like real fire and I couldn¡¯t fathom how it was doing so. Another looked like it was crafted of a single piece of fogged glass, while another looked like it was made of amethyst. It was flamboyant and not something I would wear unless it was a joke, but nevertheless, it clearly displayed great skill and ability. So my imagination was the limit, but I also couldn¡¯t say that I was very artistic. While my mind functioned faster, that didn¡¯t suddenly make me good at everything. But I realized that I at least had to have an idea. That caused me to look at Umara. Technically I was getting this for her in the inevitable situation where I would have to dress nicely for a bunch of nobles. I was committed to her and that would involve making certain decisions around her. But part of me wanted to make these suits a bit more versatile. I didn¡¯t have the money to buy a new suit for every occasion, nor a dozen of them. So I thought about it for a bit before pointing at one of the more basic suits. ¡°I need something that can fit multiple occasions, not just a single party.¡± ¡°Ah, so we seek versatility. Worry not, Mr. Cooper, the suit you take away from this place won¡¯t be worn but once. Our selections come with the ability to change certain aspects of their visuals. For now, how about you give me a selection of colors? I will design four different suits, and you can tell me how you like them.¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go with¡­ Black, purple, red, and gold.¡± ¡°Understood. Give me a moment.¡± With his smile, all the suits in front of me disappeared. Then, four blank suits took their place. And with a wave of the hand, he began casting several spells that enveloped the suits, warping their shapes and colors. One spell also surrounded my person, seemingly measuring the different portions of my body using a series of notches. With that, the suits conformed to the general shape of my body, yet they all had different styles. The first of them was the most basic suit type worn by thousands of others throughout the capital during their day to day lives, sporting basic dark colors. The second was a step above, designed for normal formal events put on by the lower class. This one had black pants, a red shirt, and a black coat with some red trim. It looked really refined, but not so outstanding as to be out of place. The third was a step above that, designed for the most formal events a normal person could go to like Vatsy¡¯s Gala. This suit was quite a bit more dazzling with the same black foundation, but now with gold designs and trim. It looked more like an art piece than a suit. And finally, the fourth suit was the most stunning of them all, clearly designed to be worn to noble gatherings. This suit was black paired with a purple shirt and vest along with some purple shoes. The purple vest had subtle black designs woven into its fabric, and these designs seemed to meld together with the designs on the jacket. The black jacket shimmering purple designs flowed across its entire body. But despite being obvious, the designs weren''t overwhelming or showy. Only when looking closer at the suit would you be able to appreciate its intricacy. Not only that, but inlaid into the entire design was thin golden lace. However, this golden lace couldn¡¯t be seen under normal circumstances. If you weren¡¯t looking directly at the suit, you wouldn''t be able to see it. But as soon as you did, you would be able to see an odd glittering gold that didn¡¯t seem to be a part of the suit itself, almost as if it were shimmering beyond the fabric. It even looked like it was flowing, as if they were tiny veins pulsing with light. I took a step back and looked at all of the suits. They would all fit different occasions. I wouldn¡¯t really need anything other than these four if I were to buy them all. At least, that depended on whether it was frowned upon to wear the same thing to multiple noble occasions. I didn¡¯t exactly give a damn, but I had to for Umara¡¯s sake. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Umara tore her eyes away from the suits when I called her, letting me ask. ¡°At your noble parties, am I going to have to wear something different every time?¡± ¡°Ah, well, yes and no. Some parties have themes, others are standard gatherings and some are holiday events. The girls are really the only ones that have to worry about having a ton of dresses. I don¡¯t think the men care enough to worry about that, but for certain things they have to. For holiday events, you can wear the same thing every year since it''s the same holiday. For gatherings or more personal affairs you can just wear something nice depending on how well you know the host. But for the biggest events like the annual King¡¯s Court Ball, nothing but the best is required, and all the girls and most of the men have something new every year.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I hummed in thought. At the very least, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about buying everything now. If I needed something, I had time to get it. Suddenly, Umara spoke again. ¡°Y-You don¡¯t have to worry so much about that. That last suit over there is more than enough for the nicest events you¡¯ll have to go to. The others also check just about every box for varied events, though I would recommend getting some color variations of the second and third ones, just for a bit more variety.¡± ¡°If I may.¡± At that moment, Hans chimed in, waving toward the second and third suits. ¡°The third suit can have its color scheme changed at will. While it can¡¯t shift its design, because of our special fabrics, their colors are capable of becoming any of our predetermined palettes. This is changed by the handkerchief. Observe.¡± With a wave, Hans took out seven different handkerchiefs. And he put a white one into the chest pocket of the third suit, making it flash and change its color to a white variation. He also had red, blue, dark green, violet, gold, and the original black. When slotted into the chest pocket, it could shift to any of these base colors while simultaneously changing its trim and design colors to match. It amazed me, and I realized that this single suit was actually 7 suits in one. Then, he went on to display the same thing with the fourth suit, just with a bit more limitation. Instead of being able to turn into any color, it was restricted to white and black, the color schemes basically flipping to their opposites. As for the others, well, they were cheap enough to buy multiple sets of. Not to mention that the first suit was standard, and I already had a few pairs of regular suitwear. Plus, my coat was already nicer than even the second suit, and I wore it daily. ¡°Would you like to try on the last suit?¡± ¡°Hm, sure.¡± Hearing Hans, I nodded. That prompted him to wave to the side, revealing another room. ¡°Along with our suits, we offer special undergarments. Step inside the room and change into the pair already selected for you. Once you come back out, we can dress you.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I followed along and entered the room. It was basically a changing room, and after the door closed, I stripped myself and put on the singular pair of what seemed like spandex underwear. It hugged my body but wasn¡¯t all that tight. It was also black just like the entire building was, eliminating the ability to make out any curves or definition when looking at it head on. I walked back out in just that, my gaze going straight toward Umara. She¡¯s already seen me shirtless, but she still got rosy cheeks while trying to divert her gaze, and failing. I chuckled a bit and stepped back into the circle. Then, Hans brought over the suit pieces one by one. Pants, shirt, vest, jacket, shoes, and a necktie. I put everything on while he straightened whatever he needed to. And I looked between the mirrors, feeling like a new man. I almost couldn¡¯t believe how good I looked. And that wasn¡¯t out of my own narcissism. This suit was just so well made and fit me in the perfect way, making me look like some kind of rugged royal fit to rule a kingdom, bringing out all my good points as if they were obvious. I fell in love immediately. I felt like it was perfect. Chapter 59: Unfortunate I was more than satisfied by the suit. I didn¡¯t even want him to change anything. With one look, he had created what seemed like the perfect suit for my appearance and personality. But now, it was time to bite the bullet, so I asked. ¡°How much is this?¡± ¡°That depends on the material it will be made out of. If you want defensive properties capable of stopping Authority 6 attacks, this suit will cost about 500 thousand coin.¡± ¡°Ouch. Now, if I were in a situation to wear this suit, would I really need to rely on its defensive properties?¡± ¡°That depends on your own securities. I¡¯ve tailored many knights and warlocks who fight in the suits and dresses they bring out of this place. Our pieces are more than capable of acting as a full set of armor, along with it bringing comfort, convenience, and style. So for someone like yourself, a summoner who may rely more on his armor, it might be wise to always be prepared.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I didn¡¯t immediately agree, looking at the suit a bit more. I had no intention of fighting in this thing. I had my coat for that. So I suppose my only hesitation in not asking for something less came from the fact that I didn¡¯t want to seem cheap and sparing. But when I looked at the other suits, I just shrugged. ¡°With Authority 4 defensive properties, how much are the second and third suits?¡± ¡°That would be 50 and 150 thousand coin respectively.¡± ¡°And the fourth with Authority 5 properties?¡± ¡°300 thousand.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Nodding, I looked to Umara. She was gawking at the prices, but I ignored that. ¡°What do you think about the latter three?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, I have no issues with any of them. But try them on. I want to see you in them.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± After I agreed, Hans went on to help me dress in the others. I also got to try out the color changing functions of the third suit. In fact, after I dressed in them, he made a few other small alterations to make it fit me better. Umara seemed satisfied, so after making sure I was good with everything, I decided to pull the trigger. After redressing in my original clothes, I went back out. ¡°I¡¯ll take the latter three.¡± ¡°Understood, sir. Follow me to finalize the sale.¡± Hans led me out to another private room where Umara and I were seated for a few minutes. We were served drinks and some snacks, of which I indulged, before Hans came back with a card. ¡°This card will be our method of contact. When your suits are finished, this card will flash gold. Come back with it, and you will receive your suits.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Now, the total for your purchase today will be 500 thousand coin. If you don¡¯t mind, please deposit the coin here.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± With a nod, I took out my Platinum Card from the Polaris Bank. I then designated the amount to be taken out, and just like that, stacks of Gold Bullion were withdrawn. I set them all on the table between us. Before long, 10 stacks of coin were arranged before us. Before I could make the trade though, I felt Umara¡¯s hand grab my arm. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Hans, but could we have a moment?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Hans looked up at Umara, then at me. I was confused, but nodded, prompting Hans to leave for a moment. Once the door to the room closed, Umara spoke. ¡°John, you don¡¯t have to get the suit. I am in fact going to bring you to noble gatherings. Events like the King¡¯s Court Ball are included, even though you aren¡¯t a noble. Simply being my boyfriend, or more like my potential husband, will demand your presence. But¡­ I didn¡¯t realize how much this was going to cost you. Look, we can get you suits for the occasions that come up. I don¡¯t know how much you have, but there¡¯s no way this isn¡¯t a lot for you. Hell, it¡¯s a lot for me. Only my mother has spent more than this in a single sitting, and she¡¯s the Duchess.¡± ¡°...It should be fine.¡± I smiled at her, thinking it was nice to have someone so considerate with me. She looked worried, and I didn¡¯t blame her. Though she didn¡¯t know it, I was spending half of my savings on three pairs of clothing. Granted, these suits could be worn for the rest of my life. I may never have to buy another pair again, so this could be considered an investment. But I was still buying this because of her. We¡¯ve already had conversations about the events that we would be going to, and in fact, one of them would occur before our next trip out to a military base. That was only two weeks away. But even so, I didn¡¯t feel like I was making a mistake. If I had done something like this on Earth, people would think that I was moving way too fast with this girl and couldn¡¯t think straight. And I had never done something so drastic with or for a girl before. But that was because here, things were different. The very fact that Umara had just called me a potential husband proved that. Here, relationships were taken far more seriously, especially with nobility. Hell, throughout history on Earth, it was also like that. Chastity and exclusivity were a given. People got married before or during their 20s, and there was hardly any such thing as a divorce since keeping the family together was more important than anything else. Umara had also spoken to me about many of the noble customs and unwritten rules. I wanted to learn since I was getting involved, and basically, every relationship was a big deal. It represented new alliances, shifts in power structures, and the ushering of a new generation of powerful children. And it was especially taboo to break commitments. Marriages were always final, divorce was unheard of, and to have sex and break up would ruin the reputation and prospects of the involved parties, including the parents. So no relationship was started casually, and it sure as hell wasn¡¯t advanced easily either. Every step forward took very careful consideration and would come with an increasing amount of strings and consequences. What this told me is that Umara was taking me very seriously. I was her potential husband even though we had only been on a single date and had been cuddly for a month. While she was taking a lot of unseen pressure, she was still moving forward with me. And all I was doing was enjoying her. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! So I saw this as an opportunity. I was investing in both high class garments as well as her. Because I too took her seriously. Besides, I was never that afraid of spending money. If I knew that I could handle the expenditure, I didn¡¯t hesitate much. And just because I was spending a large chunk of my savings didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t handle it. I sat there for a little while looking at Umara. Her slightly pale but beautiful face, her worried purple eyes, her ashy gray hair sloped in front of her shoulder. I remembered how gorgeous she was in that purple dress during the date, how she stunned me into silence and made me look subpar. And I decided that I should be more than capable of matching her. That was a matter of principle. I smiled at her, taking her hand into my own. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. There¡¯s no reason I shouldn¡¯t be wearing them at some point, right?¡± ¡°R-Right. But it¡¯s still 500 thousand coin for some suits. You could use that for so many other things, like armor to protect yourself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going broke with this purchase. You want to know how much I have?¡± ¡°...¡± She didn¡¯t answer, probably because she didn¡¯t want to pry into something personal. I could already tell that, despite being the daughter of a Duchess, she was money shy. So I brought out my bank card, tapping it a few times and showing her the amount within my account even after withdrawing so much. Her eyes widened. 530,446. That was how much coin I had stored. What I had taken out was actually a bit less than half of my savings, though not by much. I had spent months saving all that up, and now months of work was turning into three pairs of suits. But I didn¡¯t mind all that much. So after letting Umara see the number, I put the card away. ¡°You think we could find some good armor with that?¡± ¡°...Yea.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I smiled and stood, going to the door and bringing Hans back in. Once he sat down, I motioned to the coin. ¡°Sorry about the delay. I¡¯m going to get the suits.¡± ¡°Of course. Allow me to assure you that none of my clients have ever been dissatisfied. In this place, quality is placed above all else. And when you go to put on that suit for the first time, I know you won¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I nodded and leaned back a bit. At the same time, Hans clapped, ushering in a butler who collected all the coin and left. Then, we all stood, Hans and I shaking hands. ¡°Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Cooper. If you ever need a couturier in the future, our doors will always be open. That includes the lady.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± With that, we were led out of the establishment. It was a bit disorienting when we exited, going from absolute pitch black to normal daylight. And once outside, I pulled Umara in and kissed her. Her mouth opened, letting me in for a deep kiss that lasted only two seconds before I pulled away. She looked at me, shocked and embarrassed. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I just wanted to. Come on, we still got the whole day left. Good for a date.¡± ¡°O-Okay.¡± She smiled and linked arms with me as we took a stroll through the market. ¡­¡­ ¡­ When morning of the next day came, I woke up a bit early and left the Magisterium. I decided to stop by a certain apartment. I arrived just as the sun began to rise above the horizon, making the sky a faint blue, light beginning to wash away the fatigue of the night. And I waited outside the door. I seemed to have good timing, because not long later, Rayla appeared. She stiffened a bit when she saw me, but I just smiled and waved. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hey. What an unexpected surprise.¡± ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t heard from you in almost two weeks. I thought I should check in.¡± ¡°...¡± She was silent, standing there for a second before walking over and unlocking her door. We both walked into the dark apartment. I couldn¡¯t help but feel nostalgic as I looked around. It seemed the same, but it felt like I had last visited years ago. The first thing that caught my eye though were the six empty wine bottles sitting on her counter. It made me sigh. I knew she hadn¡¯t taken it that well. ¡°Sorry about the mess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. How¡¯s work been?¡± ¡°Well, same as always. Although exciting, things don¡¯t exactly change much. Though, I¡¯ve picked up a few jobs in the Trenches. Seriously, I don¡¯t know how you managed all that time working there. I feel sick just thinking about that place.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I had much choice. I guess I just because a bit numb to it after a little while.¡± ¡°Mm. So, what brings you by?¡± She asked while taking out another bottle of wine, popping the cork and pouring two glasses. I nodded when she handed me one, taking a sip before speaking. ¡°I wanted to ask, though I didn¡¯t expect things to go that way. What do you think of Umara?¡± ¡°Her? She seems nice, but I was surprised to hear that you were dating the daughter of Duchess Talerria. I suppose I can only say that I¡¯m impressed. Still, being her boyfriend will come with its difficulties.¡± ¡°Yea, it will. Things are calm now, but we¡¯re going to be attending a certain event soon. I¡¯ve been told that it¡¯ll stir things up.¡± ¡°Oh? What event?¡± Her red eyes glanced at me curiously. ¡°It has something to do with the Magisterium. Basically it¡¯s a gathering of the noble students in the fourth year. I¡¯m not exactly sure what its purpose is other than to socialize, but regardless, Umara and I will be appearing in an official capacity, which is apparently a big deal.¡± ¡°...I can imagine.¡± She nodded softly before glancing down, seemingly lost in thought. I watched her for a few moments before continuing. ¡°Anyway, I just wanted to come here and make sure you were okay. I know my news came suddenly and in a crude fashion.¡± ¡°...Why wouldn¡¯t I be okay?¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t respond to that, watching as she lifted her gaze and gave me the slightest smile. Why wouldn¡¯t she be okay? We both knew exactly why she wouldn¡¯t be, and it was obvious she wasn¡¯t. In fact, ever since we walked through the door, I felt nothing but distance from her. It was clear as day how she was already treating me differently, not to mention how she hadn¡¯t said a word to me since the day we came back from our trip. But she was making it seem like it was nothing, like I had come over here, worried about her, for nothing. I felt a bit of indignation, but I didn¡¯t show any of that on my face. It wasn¡¯t her fault. It wasn¡¯t mine either. This was simply how she felt about the situation. Perhaps, all this time, she was hoping for a different outcome. Maybe she had spent all that time being friends with me in hopes that we would eventually take it a step further, that I would become willing to take that step. And now, I had shattered all hopes of that. I made it clear that we wouldn¡¯t go beyond anything other than good friends, and she was upset. For a while I stood there, processing a lot of different things, mainly about why I hadn¡¯t chosen her. Her trauma, the depressive atmosphere, our radically different paths in life and how they would only continue to diverge until we stood in two entirely different worlds. For the foreseeable future, I would be fighting the Scourge, whether it was at the Magisterium or in the military. In my mind, I was prepared to be doing this for the next decade until I could reach whatever limits my talent had before retiring and perhaps working with Sawn. And Rayla would continue to remain in the Capital at Divine Distribution, delivering packages and making tons of money until she finally decided to get a home and retire for good. Even if I wanted to, making our relationship work would be extremely difficult. For me, not entering the military wasn¡¯t really a choice, mainly because I felt called to fight the Scourge. I wouldn¡¯t forsake that calling. Rayla had a lot of good points, but there were also many cons that weighed too far into the negative for me. It was unfortunate¡­ for her. I couldn¡¯t say that I was losing much. For me, it was simply a relationship that never came to be. For her, it was the loss of a potential lover who could replace her late husband. I wouldn¡¯t be him, and by now, I no longer felt sorry about that. I suppose that¡¯s why I so easily pursued Umara. So I wouldn¡¯t blame her, nor myself. After several seconds, I smiled at her. ¡°You¡¯re right. Nevermind.¡± I raised my glass as she stared at me, downing the rest of my wine before placing the empty glass on the table. Then, I turned and walked toward the door. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay. Since I need to go to class soon, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± ¡°...¡± She was silent as I opened the door. But I didn¡¯t immediately leave. I lingered in the doorway for a bit before speaking. ¡°You know I¡¯ll always be there for you, right?¡± ¡°...¡± Once again, I heard no response. So I left, closing the door behind me and walking away. I sighed while walking through the Capital, taking out a cigar and lighting it. ¡°How unfortunate.¡± Chapter 60: Dress *Flash* ¡°Hm?¡± Sitting in class, I suddenly felt something and reached into my pocket. I took out a golden card, my eyes widening. ¡°They¡¯re done. Hell yea.¡± I smiled and suddenly stood from my seat, walking across the classroom to leave. The teacher looked at me weirdly. ¡°John?¡± ¡°Sorry, have some business!¡± I smiled and waved while striding out. After running through the Magisterium, I made my way out and toward the Black Spider Market. I passed the Key Master on the way in before taking the elevator to the market where I found the unmarked black building. And inside at the reception desk, I saw Hans, my Couturier. ¡°Ah, Mr. Cooper. I see you¡¯ve made haste.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s because I¡¯m excited.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pleased. Go ahead and give him your card and I¡¯ll take you to the back to try everything on.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I nodded and placed the card on the reception desk, the concierge taking it as I walked off with Hans. He brought me to the same room as before where there was a single floating platform in the center, one that looked like it was made of light itself. On top of that small square platform were three rings. I stood before them, a bit confused. Hans explained. ¡°These three rings each contain your three suits. These rings are special in that by putting them on, you can easily equip each piece of your suit without so much as raising your finger. Each suit has been handcrafted to perfectly conform to your body, and by using that information we can develop rings tailored to dress you in but seconds. When activated, the rings can also store any clothing currently on you, allowing you to swap wardrobes at your convenience.¡± ¡°Oh wow.¡± I was genuinely surprised. Talk about convenient. I was beginning to understand why all this costed so much. ¡°Go ahead and try the ring on the left.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± With a smile, I grabbed the leftmost ring and slipped it on my right index finger. After that, I could feel the ring make some kind of connection with me, so I tapped into that connection and activated it. And with a flash, I could feel the clothes on my body shift as my existing clothes were stripped and new clothes were placed onto me. I looked at the mirrors around me, seeing the least expensive suit that I had purchased. It felt amazingly comfortable, and it fit so well that I almost couldn¡¯t believe it. It was no different than a second skin. Not only that, but the special undergarments designed to pair with these suits was also equipped. After several seconds, I unequipped it and saw my original clothes reappear on my body. After that, I grabbed the second ring. And I saw the second most expensive suit appear. It looked exactly as it did before, if not better. I felt amazing seeing the intricate designs and deep colors. I also tried out a few of the other paletes, mesmerized by all the different ways this single suit could look. But I almost couldn''t hold in my excitement when I tried on the last suit, a 300 thousand coin piece of clothing. And when it appeared, I laughed. Hans smiled beside me as I smiled as wide as I could. I felt like a damn king. But it wasn¡¯t long before I took the suit off. I would save its full glory for when it was time to show it off before other nobles. With that, I took all the rings, looking at Hans. ¡°Thank you, sir. I¡¯m completely satisfied.¡± ¡°You honor me. Just remember that those rings are capable of being stored within your spatial sack.¡± ¡°Oh, even better.¡± With surprise, I threw the rings into my spatial band eternally sitting on my arm. And they went in without issue, despite being something similar to spatial sacks themselves. Then, Hans bowed a bit. ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Cooper. I guarantee that even nobles will be awed by your presence. After all, not even royal tailors can surpass the art imbued within every strand of fabric composing my works.¡± ¡°Indeed. You deserve that pride.¡± I didn¡¯t deny him at all. It wasn¡¯t narcissism, but self awareness to say that this man was a master at his craft. After that, we said our goodbyes. I left the building with a spring in my step, heading straight for the Magisterium. It hadn¡¯t taken long at all to run this errand, but I wasn¡¯t planning on going back to classes. Instead, I simply decided to walk around the city for a bit. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Alright, gather around.¡± After completing a scenario, the Puppet Master called all the teams. We all stood around, many teams looking battered. But it wasn¡¯t like he cared as he scratched his beard and spoke. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°The day after tomorrow, all of you will be attending that ball, so there won¡¯t be any training tomorrow. Take the day off and recover. Dismissed.¡± ¡°Oh, nice.¡± I pursed my lips, happy with the news. Then, I looked at Umara. She stood by my side. She was tired, her creamy white face just a bit paler than normal, but otherwise untouched. I reached over and rubbed her back. ¡°Ready for that?¡± ¡°Yea. Are you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why I wouldn¡¯t be.¡± I shrugged as we started walking off. At that moment though, we both heard something. ¡°Feiden!¡± It was a shout, so we turned and saw a girl running toward Feiden. He smiled as she caught up to his side, making my eyes flash in interest. ¡°Oh? Look at these two. Did something happen? Hey Vetsmon, did something happen?¡± I turned toward the big man a little ways behind us, making him smile. ¡°Hehe, he doesn¡¯t want to admit it, but I think he¡¯s taken a fancy to that girl.¡± ¡°So he finally did it. Who is she?¡± ¡°Rank 9, Mira Revanon. She¡¯s the daughter of Marquess Revanon, so she stands equal to Feiden in status. She¡¯s also a Knight who uses an axe.¡± ¡°Wow. She must be strong then.¡± I nodded while watching them walk off, deciding that I would need to have a chat with Feiden. Well, the upcoming gathering would be a good opportunity. I turned back to Vetsmon. ¡°You¡¯re going to be at the ball, right?¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Good. I can¡¯t wait to see you all dressed up.¡± ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t get to go to very many of these. I¡¯ll be bringing my best suit.¡± Vetsmon smiled widely, his large grin making me chuckle a bit. After talking a bit more, I walked off with Umara. The two of us went back to our rooms to clean up before meeting again in mine. We cuddled on the bed, and that¡¯s when I thought about the event some more. This event wasn¡¯t for all the fourth year students. It was rather exclusive. Only nobles and the Elites were allowed to be in attendance, and even then, an Elite who wasn¡¯t a noble may not attend. It was supposed to be a noble party. The students would bring their parents and everyone would mingle for the night. The event would begin at sundown and it would be nice enough to warrant my second best suit. Not only that, but it was also the signal for the true start of the year. Certain elites and noble children who had yet to be seen would show up. For example, the Rank 1 Knight was supposed to make an appearance, and from then on, he would join us on our trips. Why they seemed to operate on another schedule, I had no idea. Regardless, there would be a lot of big names and powerful people there. And I would be faced with all of them and their scrutiny as Umara¡¯s new boyfriend. I could already imagine the pressure, but I had no intention of shrinking away from it in any capacity. But there were still some things I needed to know like proper etiquette that Umara had been teaching me. I was able to pick up on most of it pretty easily, but there were some things that I simply didn¡¯t care to do. In fact, there was one thing I warned Umara of. I would refuse to bow my head to anyone, no matter who it was. She was confused by that, and I didn¡¯t explain myself very much. I basically left it at a difference in culture. Other than that though, I didn¡¯t mind following some basic decorum. Of course, I thought many things were simply excessive or idiotic, but I did my best. I couldn¡¯t be too rigid. I was rather excited for the event too. It was a new experience, being among nobility. While I had some biases, I understood that even in America, there was a world composed of the rich and famous that I couldn¡¯t fathom nor step foot into. Now, I would be getting a taste of it, stepping into it in an official capacity and facing all the consequences of that. Thankfully my curiosity didn¡¯t go unsatisfied for long. A day and a half passed, and the evening of the event arrived. As the sun was setting, I was inside my room at the Black Spider Hotel. I looked at myself in the mirror. After simply showering and grooming my hair, I put on a ring and equipped my second best suit. It was an art piece, to say the least. The base color was black, and with a handkerchief, I changed all the accent colors to purple. The jacket had some designs across the chest, back, and sleeves. They struck the perfect balance between adding some tasteful art to it and keeping its ¡®noise¡¯ down. Designs on something like a suit could be too much or overly eye catching, but on this suit, each line was drawn with purpose and went no further than it needed to. As for the fancy vest underneath the jacket, it hugged my torso like a glove. Both it and the shirt were fitted to show off my build without restricting any movement. The pants were the same, not hugging my legs but also not flowing with much excess space. And everything had designs that matched the jacket. It seemed like the designs flowed into each other as well, drawing all the way down from my chest to my feet. I don¡¯t think I could ask for or conjure up a better suit besides my best one. I really didn¡¯t regret my purchase. And so, after dressing, I prepared a few more things and left my room. While in the elevator going down, I received a message. I didn¡¯t even have to look at it to know what it was. After arriving at the lobby, I saw the Key Master standing behind his desk as always. But there were also two other people nearby. The first was Duchess Talerria, the other being Umara. It seemed the Duchess was talking with the Key Master, but they stopped their conversation upon seeing me. Umara smiled knowingly, having already seen me in this suit. But the Duchess seemed surprised, looking me up and down as I approached. I greeted her. ¡°Good evening, Duchess.¡± ¡°...Yes, good evening, John.¡± ¡°And good evening to you. You look stunning.¡± I turned to Umara, taking her hand and kissing it while looking into her eyes. She currently wore a dress similar to the one she wore for our first date. It was subtly gorgeous like the last, except black was now its primary color instead of purple, though it still had purple accents. It was meant to match my suit, something we had naturally agreed upon beforehand since being a couple demanded matching dress. She smiled a bit bashfully, her face turning rosy. ¡°Thank you. You look handsome, too. Now I feel like the underdressed one.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that when you¡¯ll still be catching all the eyes.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± I lifted my head when I heard the Duchess¡¯ interruption. She looked at me with a smirk. ¡°I see you found a good couturier. How much did it cost you?¡± ¡°Just this suit was 150 thousand coin, and it isn¡¯t even the best.¡± ¡°I see. Well, if you¡¯re in that, you¡¯ll have no trouble. Now come, we need to head over.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I nodded, but before leaving, I turned back to my favorite concierge. ¡°I appreciate you, Key Master. You have a good night.¡± ¡°Likewise, John. Enjoy your night.¡± He gave me a wave as I left with the Duchess, and faintly I could feel her watching us in the corner of her eye. Like that, we made our way outside where there was a huge, fancy carriage waiting. It was emboldened with the regalia of the Duchess herself, making a very clear indication of the personage inside. And the interior was lavish. Upon entry, I sat on one side with Umara while the Duchess sat on the other side across from us. It was large enough to fit two couches and still have plenty of legroom. She stared at us with a small smile, embarrassing Umara a bit. But I could also feel how Umara stood her ground, not shrinking back or hiding from it. In fact, since I saw her in the lobby, I could feel the confidence and sense of nobility she gave off. Tonight, she wouldn¡¯t be allowed to show any kind of shame or embarrassment. There was no room for weakness, and I had to match her. Not that I needed to be told. Regardless of her presence, I would never carry myself as anything less than the best. I didn¡¯t give a damn what anyone else thought of me, and they would know that. This was simply what we had to do, because although I didn''t like it, our relationship was subject to public opinion. The degree at which it affected us was up to the Duchess, but if we didn¡¯t show her that we were serious, she may step in. Technically, there was absolutely nothing stopping her from ending our relationship whenever she wanted. It was only her respect for her daughter¡¯s choices and her opinion of me that was keeping her at bay. But if either of those things went away, then we were done. This was all stuff that Umara and I had discussed. Honestly though, I quite liked the challenge. It made things fun and exciting. I liked how cute Umara looked too, heading to the event as if about to declare war. And soon, we arrived at the venue. The mansion of Duke Yottra Carrion, the President of the Magisterium. Chapter 61: Hasnt Even Begun When we arrived at the mansion we were directly ushered to the front of a long line of carriages. A Duchess naturally couldn¡¯t be forced to wait, so when we stopped, we directly stepped out onto a tiled stone path. Umara held my arm as we walked up the entrance. And at the door was the President himself, Yottra Carrion. He was dressed in a grand white suit and side cape. His presence was valiant, like a general who a million soldiers might follow into battle. I couldn''t help but notice though how he was actually my height. When he smiled at the Duchess, I could sense faint superiority. It wasn¡¯t malicious, but simply a matter of fact. Although Carrion and Talerria were equal in status and Authority, it seemed there was more than met the eye which might deepen a divide between them. But the Duchess didn¡¯t seem to care, simply approaching him as if they were two friends meeting for a drink. ¡°Greetings, Duchess. I¡¯m glad you could grace us with your presence tonight.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re having us, Duke Carrion.¡± ¡°Please, allow me to show you in.¡± Carrion waved, guiding us into his home and toward the event area. There were two halls that would be the focus of tonight''s gathering. One seemed to contain all the parents and guardians, while the other would be where the students themselves mingled. Of course, there was nothing stopping anyone from moving between, but it seemed that the parents wanted to maintain some distance and allow their children to take care of themselves. We didn¡¯t walk for long. At some point, we arrived in the hall where more parents than students resided. Carrion led the Duchess to a table, and once there, I felt him turn to look at Umara and I. Or, more specifically me. I could feel his curious gaze on me, his Aura a bit stifling from so close. ¡°You¡¯re John Cooper, right? I¡¯ve heard many things about you. Your performance thus far has been eye catching.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you, your grace. But I could never do as well as I have without the support of my squad. I have them to thank for keeping me safe.¡± ¡°Indeed. As a summoner, you naturally rely more on your team. Nevertheless, you¡¯ve become an Elite in record time. It is lucky that you earned your spot so quickly. For some time, I had been worried that you were biting off more than you could chew considering you were directly inserted into the fourth year class, not to mention working with the Elites while lacking merits. I¡¯m glad that you are at least up to standard and won¡¯t hold your team back.¡± ¡°...Thanks.¡± For a second I was a bit baffled. Could he at least try to hide his attitude? I could almost taste the derision. The night hadn''t even begun! After I gave a late response, Carrion faced Umara, who was also a bit jarred by his obvious distaste. ¡°Umara, it¡¯s good to see you well. I can imagine your mother has taught you plenty in the way of spell formations?¡± ¡°...Enough to put me to sleep, your grace.¡± ¡°Haha, indeed. I don¡¯t know how you warlocks manage. Still, I hope your amazing progress can continue through the year. It would be a shame to get distracted by those unworthy of your time and fall behind all those who are about to emerge.¡± ¡°Indeed, your grace. Thankfully, the people around me are more than worthy of my time and attention.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Carrion nodded as Umara tightened her grip on my arm a bit. Suddenly, I wasn¡¯t smiling as much. I looked the Duke straight in the eye, but all I got in return was a dismissive glance. It seemed the President was a passive aggressive asshole. How fun. After a second or two, Carrion turned to the Duchess and gave her a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave. Please, enjoy your night.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± She nodded back as he walked off. I also watched his back as he disappeared from the hall. When he finally left my field of view, Umara mumbled. ¡°His son was one of my suitors.¡± ¡°Oh. So he¡¯s bitter. Nice.¡± I chuckled a bit, my mood being boosted. It seemed my very presence here would piss people off, but I was okay with that. Although the Duchess¡¯ support couldn¡¯t be wholly relied on, seeing how she did nothing to defend me from the President¡¯s verbal attacks, that didn¡¯t mean that I couldn¡¯t somewhat use it. No matter what, I was with her daughter. The name Talerria demanded a certain level of respect. To slander my name would be fine, but Umara couldn¡¯t be easily touched. And there was only so much they could do or say to me without also slandering Umara. I had a certain bubble of protection, but I knew that to some people, that simply wouldn¡¯t matter. I couldn¡¯t wait to meet those people. A grin appeared on my face as the Duchess suddenly tapped Umara¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Go mingle. I¡¯ll call for you if I need it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She responded before the two of us walked off to the other hall. Our carriage didn¡¯t arrive until well after the stated arrival time, so there were already plenty of people here. And I recognized many faces, including those of my squad. I saw Feiden, Vetsmon, and Tana lingering around one of the tables, and they all stood when we walked in. ¡°John!¡± ¡°Hey guys.¡± ¡°Damn, you look good!¡± Vetsmon came over and pat my shoulder while checking out my suit. I just laughed a bit as his huge paw hit me like a hammer. ¡°Thanks man, you look good too.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s my best suit. I initially thought it might be too much, but now that you¡¯re here, I don¡¯t have to worry.¡± He took a step back as if admiring a work of art. I checked him out at the same time. Instead of black like mine, his suit was pure white with blue trim and designs on it. There was also a symbol on his chest of what I could only assume was his Peerage. The white made it a bit flashy, but otherwise, it wasn¡¯t particularly spectacular. Still, with how large he was, I couldn¡¯t help but think there was nothing else to look at but this bright statue of a man. After that greeting, I looked at Feiden. His suit was a bold maroon with some black designs across it, literally the opposite of Vetsmon¡¯s suit. It was slim and defined his figure, making him look like some kind of devilish lady killer with that pretty face of his. And then there was Tana. I was surprised at how pretty she looked as she wore a medium length green dress with some frills. Her blonde hair was curled and done up in a bun as well. She looked refined, contrary to how she normally was while fighting. In fact, it was such a stark difference that she looked older, like a mature woman. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I smiled and nodded at her. ¡°Good evening, Tana.¡± ¡°Hi, John! Nice of you to finally show.¡± ¡°Fashionably late.¡± I smiled and gave her a hug. Feiden chimed in after, coming over and giving me a handshake. ¡°With a suit like that, I can understand. How much did that thing cost?¡± ¡°Take a guess.¡± ¡°Hm, 20 thousand.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°50.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°80.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°110.¡± ¡°Getting closer.¡± ¡°...150?¡± ¡°Bingo.¡± I laughed and smacked his shoulder while he gawked. Vetsmon and Tana looked shocked too. If only they knew that was just a fraction of the true bill. Even Umara sighed knowingly. ¡°Are you actually a noble?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°The fact that a normal man has a better suit than most nobles here speaks volumes.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t exactly call him normal.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m getting food.¡± Dodging their banter, I left Umara with the group to go grab some snacks. Dinner was supposed to be served here, and I didn¡¯t intend to let the good food go to waste out of pedantic decorum. There were a dozen long tables just filled with all kinds of meats and delicacies that were calling my name. So I loaded myself a huge plate, grabbed a drink, and went back to the table my squad had claimed. The others had also gotten food, and deciding she didn¡¯t want to be the odd one out, Umara ended up getting some too. So for a while, we all sat and ate while observing all those around us. I especially was keeping an eye out. Ever since I had walked into the mansion, I felt like I was constantly being stared at. And few of the gazes were merely curious. I felt hostility, mostly from those I didn¡¯t know. As for the Elites, I knew most of them and we were relatively friendly. So unless they were just being two faced, then I shouldn¡¯t have much issue with them. But the unfamiliar outnumbered the acquaintances. There seemed to be plenty of nobles that hated my presence here, especially by Umara¡¯s side. I didn¡¯t know why they had issues with me when most of them probably never had anything to do with Umara anyway, but I also knew that some people simply didn¡¯t need a reason to hate somebody. I could disregard it for the most part, simply ignoring everything I felt through my Aura. But I had to admit that it was irritating. Unfortunately, the night hadn¡¯t even started. ¡°Greetings, ladies and gentlemen.¡± Suddenly, President Carrion stepped up to a podium, overlooking all his guests with a bright smile. ¡°I thank everyone who has graced this annual event with their presence. Tonight is a celebration of a new year and the beginning of a long road of achievement for all those talented enough to make it to their fourth year at the Magisterium. Some familiar faces are also coming back to participate in the upcoming excursions. We welcome them, as well as those who have recently joined the ranks of Elites through great feats of strength.¡± *Clap Clap* Everyone applauded as he paused, going for a few seconds before settling. After that, he gave the rest of his opening speech, little of which I cared to listen to. And once he was done, a nearby stage was populated with some musicians who started to play music. With that, everyone began to mingle, walking between tables and chatting with familiar friends. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m going to go say hi to someone.¡± Tana stood from her seat, suddenly walking off to go greet what looked like a good friend. Not even 10 seconds after, a girl walked over. She was dressed in a slim red dress, a simple one without any frills or designs on it. Yet, she still looked amazing. She walked over to Feiden, tapping his shoulder. ¡°Hi!¡± ¡°Oh, Mira.¡± Feiden quickly stood, giving the girl a hug before both of them turned to us. Mira waved. ¡°Hello! Nice to meet you all.¡± ¡°Good evening.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± We all smiled back, Mira looking between us and Feiden. ¡°I was¡­ hoping we could grab a drink.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Feiden didn¡¯t immediately respond, looking toward us first as if we needed to give him our approval. I scoffed a bit. ¡°What, are you going to say no? Hurry up and take care of your lady.¡± ¡°R-Right.¡± Feiden scratched his head in embarrassment before putting his arm out and letting Mira take it. As they walked off, Mira gave me one last smile and wave, which I returned. Vetsmon chuckled as they disappeared. ¡°What a good friend.¡± ¡°Hey, you guys did it for me. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Y-Yea.¡± Umara dodged my smile as I hugged her. Getting some alone time was always essential for a budding relationship. Sometimes, friends just needed to take a step back and let things happen. Of course, there were the exceptions. Feiden had to be led around. Thankfully, it seemed that Mira had a good grasp on that and took the initiative, otherwise Feiden would sit in a corner all night by himself. After that, it was just Umara and I plus Vetsmon. Just when I started to get worried about the third wheel though, Vetsmon stood and pat my shoulder. ¡°Hey, I want you to meet my parents.¡± ¡°Your parents? At least take me to dinner first.¡± ¡°Haha, come on. I¡¯ve told them about you and they¡¯re curious.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Umara?¡± ¡°You go on ahead.¡± Umara unlinked her arm from mine, smiling. ¡°I have some friends to meet too.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll find you later then.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She waved as I walked off with Vetsmon. The two of us crossed halls, heading to where all the adults were lounging. There were some students there as well, talking with relatives or the parents of friends. Most people here knew each other in some fashion, so there was lots of social activity. And around one table, there was a group of adults dressed in white. I took a guess and assumed that they were all related to the Church in some way. We approached, catching their gaze. Once there, Vetsmon spoke. ¡°Mom, Dad, this is John.¡± ¡°Ah, Mr. Cooper. Our son has spoken a lot about you. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you as well.¡± I shook the hand of a man and woman, both of which were rather huge. Vetsmon was pushing 7 feet tall himself, and it seemed he got that from his father, because the man was just as big. He looked more grizzled though. If Vetsmon were a pure man, then his father was a veteran who looked like he¡¯d seen it all. Through his brown beard and bushy eyebrows was a deep gaze that almost looked like a thousand yard stare. But he still seemed relatively lively as he smiled while shaking my hand. As for the mother, I honestly thought she was Vetsmon¡¯s sister. She looked amazingly young. The only indication of her age was the way she carried herself. But even that was overshadowed by her smile which made her seem like a youthful woman in her prime. Seeing her out of context, I wouldn¡¯t place her a day over 25. She was dressed in a white dress with lace sleeves covering her arms. It was modest, but she was without a doubt a beautiful woman no lesser than any other noblewoman here. However, she was as tall as I was, throwing me off a bit when she stood. This whole Verga Family was a bunch of giants. After greeting them, I looked toward the others. Vetmon¡¯s father introduced them. ¡°These are the parents of another fourth year. He¡¯s not an Elite, so I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯d know him.¡± ¡°Probably not. But it¡¯s nice to meet you all anyway.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± I shook hands with another pair of parents. After that, Vetsmon and I sat down at the table. Mr. Verga spoke. ¡°So, John. Are your parents here?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ No, they aren¡¯t.¡± ¡°Ah, unfortunate. But I can understand. Being in the presence of so many nobles must be suffocating. Especially for you. Even we¡¯ve heard rumors about you and the daughter of Duchess Talerria. There are a lot of very unhappy suitors here.¡± ¡°Yes, there are. I suppose it¡¯s quite unfortunate for them, suffering where I¡¯ve succeeded.¡± ¡°Huhu, how bold.¡± He gave a deep chuckle. Even his wife couldn¡¯t help the smile. She chimed in. ¡°You¡¯re not a fan of nobles, are you John?¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t have much of an issue before. But I haven¡¯t even been here an hour and they¡¯ve already gotten on my bad side. So yes, my already low fondness is decreasing into the negative.¡± ¡°Yes, I can understand. In recent years the noble class hasn¡¯t been kind to those of the Church either. All I can say is, they¡¯re going to find an issue with you anyway. So if you can¡¯t avoid the hate¡­¡± ¡°I may as well do as I please anyway, feelings be damned.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± She almost shouted in agreement, making me laugh a bit as her husband pat her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re getting excited.¡± ¡°Ahem, I¡¯m fine. Anyway, there¡¯s no reason you shouldn¡¯t just continue. But do be careful. There are very few things a noble won¡¯t dare to do to a commoner when they¡¯re upset, regardless of your relationships. So if you need help then just call my son, he¡¯ll give you some assistance.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Can¡¯t let anyone touch the best summoner in the Magisterium.¡± Vetsmon smacked my shoulder, causing me to grunt at the heavy impact. ¡°Yea, thanks.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re a summoner, John? What type?¡± Mrs. Verga suddenly asked, causing me to turn to her with a bit of curiosity. ¡°I¡¯m a cold summoner.¡± ¡°Oh! I¡¯m a cold summoner too.¡± ¡°John¡¯s summons are amazingly lethal. He has even more killing power than I do.¡± Vetsmon explained a bit, and with each word, his mother became more interested, staring at me with brightening spirit as if meeting a long lost friend. Chapter 62: Escalate I let Vetsmon explain my guns from his own perspective. His mother listened intently the entire time before chiming in. ¡°So your summons are ranged. Mine primarily consist of swords, but I can also summon spears and knives. Look.¡± She waved her hand, and in it appeared a knife. It was masterfully crafted, looking like it was carved from some kind of obsidian rock. The blade was so sharp that I felt like it could cut me from a distance. And the golden hilt had intricate carvings across its body, including some inserted gems. ¡°These knives herald from some other world, and that world contains master crafters even better than those from here.¡± ¡°Another world? Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve retrieved many weapons with unfamiliar writing. Even this knife has it. It''s definitely a language, but even after searching I¡¯ve found no language in our world¡¯s history that looks like this.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I nodded as she showed me some of the script engraved onto the flat of the blade. I also couldn¡¯t recognize it, but it definitely wasn¡¯t something randomly generated. This meant that all summons came from another world, and well, my very existence also backed that theory up. After a bit of thinking, I also took out one of my summons, a Colt 1911. ¡°Here, this is what mine looks like.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve never seen anything like this. How does it work?¡± ¡°Well, bullets are inserted here, and this hammer slams down to fire it out of the barrel when you pull the trigger¡­¡± I showed off several parts of the gun, taking out the magazine and racking the slide a few times to show how it worked. Her eyes sparkled as she watched. ¡°Amazing! Well, it seems your summons are built for the express purpose of fighting at a range. That¡¯s good. If it were like mine, you wouldn¡¯t be able to do much.¡± ¡°Did you fight in the military?¡± ¡°Briefly. I¡¯ve risen to Authority 9, but even with legendary weapons, I was never able to do much. Most of my fighting was done in my early years. After that I married my husband and left for the Church. However, there was indeed a special technique I used that kept me valuable in the military. John, did you know that summoners are actually able to pass off their cold summons to others?¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible?¡± My eyes widened a bit. It wasn¡¯t a topic widely discussed, mainly because there was nothing to say about it. A cold summoner''s weapons couldn¡¯t be utilized beyond their body. I had figured this out rather early. If a weapon were to fall out of my hand or get thrown, then it would disappear as soon as it left a certain boundary around my body, going straight back into the dimension. The only exceptions to this were the fired bullets and more recently my grenades. But even the bullet shells and magazines would vanish when dropped. There was simply no way for me to hand off a weapon to someone like Umara. But it seemed like Vetmon¡¯s mother was capable of doing the impossible. If she could hand her legendary weapons to a knight, then that knight would have their combat power boosted significantly, and cold summoners would become walking armories. Something like that would change the entire dynamic of the summoner class. They would become some of the most valuable magi around. And in a way, being able to do something like that made sense. As Mrs. Verga just said, what good was a legendary weapon if it couldn¡¯t be used by a suitable warrior? So then, what point was there to having summoners? They seemed good for nothing other than being smart. But if this were possible, then that wouldn¡¯t be the case. Cold summoners, the most useless and weakest summoners, would bring weapons from other worlds to equip the warriors of this world against the Scourge. I wanted to know more about this, but my hopes were quashed when I saw Mr. Verga place a hand on his wife¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Dear, please don¡¯t spill the Church¡¯s secrets so easily.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a secret though. And it¡¯s not like I was going to teach him anything.¡± ¡°Haah¡­ John, I apologize. My wife gets excited and doesn¡¯t realize when she¡¯s speaking about things she shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh, no, that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Anyway, tell me about your trips. I¡¯ve heard that your squad encountered plenty of beasts during your time.¡± The topic was changed, and I reluctantly went with it. Vetsmon chimed in as I continued to think about the implications of what was said. And the only conclusion I could come to was that, if cold summoners learned to master such a technique allowing them to share their weapons, it would lead to a system where summoners, although valuable, were destined to be used no different from the weapons they conjured. This would naturally introduce a significant amount of conflict involving the fate of the class, and that would be the reason why such a thing might be kept a secret by the summoners who would know about it, or at least, why they wouldn¡¯t investigate it thoroughly. I thought about my own views on it for a while, but after about an hour, I suddenly got a message on my Aerial. It was from Umara. ¡°Come help me.¡± ¡°Well shit.¡± I cursed and stood from my seat, catching everyone¡¯s attention. Vetsmon asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Umara wants help. It seems like it''s time to draw some lines in the sand.¡± ¡°Do you need help?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve got some experience dealing with people. There¡¯s no reason I shouldn¡¯t be able to deal with this.¡± I spoke while buttoning my suit, adjusting myself before walking off. I crossed into the other hall and looked around at all the noble students. And at one particular corner, there was a group of men huddled rather close together. With a sigh I walked over, crossing the entire hall with an unhurried stride. As I did so, I could sense an increasing amount of gazes falling on me. And as I got closer, I could hear Umara¡¯s voice. There was no panic or fear in it, simply annoyance as she dismissed all their attempts at conversation or ignored their questions. So since my girlfriend was being hounded by a bunch of men who couldn¡¯t take a hint, I wasn¡¯t polite to them. I looked toward one man a few inches shorter than me. He had mana within his body, so he was the first I reached out for. My hand went for the back of his neck, gripping it so hard that he let out an involuntary yell. ¡°Agh! What the hell?!¡± ¡°Back off, please.¡± I said that and threw him behind me, disregarding whether or not he went tumbling to the floor. As for the others, I put my hand on their chests and pushed them aside. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Hi. Umara, let¡¯s go.¡± I grabbed Umara¡¯s hand after shoving another man off to the side, opening a gap she could slip out of. And then I started to walk away. Right as I did though, I felt my free arm get grabbed by the wrist. My immediate action was to let go of Umara and pull out my pistol, pointing it while turning around. And I met the eyes of a familiar individual. A knight, or as I knew him, my unwelcome mailman. He was the one who had delivered my welcoming letter on my first day at the Magisterium. Having had a rude awakening and considering he had been a total asshole who threatened me, I ended up placing a gun against his head to drive him off. Later, I had found out that he was Rank 20 on the Elites, someone who went by Ravon and had the nickname ¡®Severing Blade¡¯. He was blonde like Feiden and was generally handsome, but he carried himself like he was above all. Still, when I saw him again, I smiled a bit. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it my delivery boy? Come to give me another letter?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Ah, you said that back then too. So? Where¡¯s my letter, boy?¡± ¡°...You¡¯ve got a loose tongue.¡± He snarled and started tightening his grip. It wasn¡¯t much for him, but I could feel my forearm begin to compress more than I¡¯d like. So I frowned and placed my gun right in front of his eye socket. ¡°Be careful, or I¡¯ll do what I said back then too and tear your pretty face a third hole.¡± ¡°You just harassed a noble, and you think you can just walk away? I think you need to learn your place, John Cooper. You¡¯re a commoner, nothing more.¡± ¡°Yea? Is that why I so easily passed up your rank in the Elites? I gotta say, I was disappointed to learn that you were so low on the board.¡± ¡°You son of a-¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Umara stepped in just as Ravon started to tighten his grip again. I could feel my arm start to tremble as pain wracked my bones. ¡°Ravon, back off!¡± ¡°Umara, are you really dating this disfigured troglodyte? I could name a dozen men off the top of my head who are better in every way than this fiend.¡± ¡°What, like you? John already has a higher kill count than you and he started just last month.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll be coming back, so it¡¯ll be easy to surpass him.¡± ¡°Surpass me?¡± I chimed back in with a chuckle. ¡°You had a year¡¯s head start and you still fell behind. Did you have your thumb up your ass the whole time?¡± ¡°Watch yourself, peasant! You¡¯re nothing more than a Cold Summoner, and you¡¯re in the hands of a knight. I have you at my mercy, so if you want to feel as your arm is slowly crushed in my palm, just keep talking.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who¡¯s misunderstanding the situation here, dickweed.¡± I lowered my voice as my arm felt like it was going to fracture. ¡°You may have my arm, but I have your fucking life. If you did your fucking research, then you¡¯d know that there is nothing you can do in this very moment to save yourself if I wanted to kill you where you stand. Do not make the mistake of thinking that I jumped into the Elites out of luck, or that you are in any way stronger than I am. So, let go of my arm. Or break it, and watch as I tear your fucking face in half.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°...¡± We were both silent while staring at each other, the stalemate continuing. I usually wouldn''t be so aggressive, but being in the hands of a knight as a normal man was one step short of signing my life away. There was a reason I never let it happen, habits ingrained into me after spending long enough in the Trenches. The few times that I wasn¡¯t able to do so, I was very close to dying and relied on my coat¡¯s powers to save me. And I didn¡¯t have my coat on, so to put it lightly, the fear for my safety was screaming at me to simply put a bullet in his brain. But the reasonable part of me was suppressing that fear and keeping my itchy finger in check, making sure I wouldn¡¯t make an irreversible decision. But then, right as I wondered if he would really crush my bones into splinters, I heard a voice. ¡°Get your hands off of him!¡± ¡°Who¡­ Ugh!¡± Feiden flew in like a shooting star, grabbing Ravon¡¯s face and relinquishing his grip on my arm. And with righteous justice, he picked him up by his head and slammed him into the ground face first. *Boom!* ¡°Ouch.¡± I cringed a bit as the floor was cracked by Ravon¡¯s hard head. Simultaneously, while I sighed a bit in relief, Vetsmon ran in from behind. ¡°Are you okay John?¡± ¡°Yea, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Are you?¡± Umara spoke and grabbed the arm that Ravon had been squeezing, pushing up my sleeve. I flinched at the pain, and once rolled up, I could see my forearm now purple from wrist to elbow. ¡°Shit, did he break it?¡± ¡°He what?¡± Feiden lifted his head at Umara¡¯s words before gritting his teeth and looking back down at Ravon. In his hands, Ravon seemed like nothing more than a ragdoll to be yanked around on a whim, like he was an ordinary man and not a knight. ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for that!¡± *Bang!* ¡°Agh!¡± Feiden sent out a punch straight into Ravon¡¯s face, instantly creating a bruise as blood flew out of his nose. Then he shifted his focus and lifted his foot, slamming his heel down onto Ravon¡¯s arm. We could all hear it. *Pop!* ¡°Ahhh! Fu-!¡± ¡°Listen to me very carefully!¡± Feiden grabbed Ravon¡¯s face just as he started to scream, turning his head toward him. ¡°Touch our summoner again, and I¡¯ll tear your damn arm off! That goes for everyone here! If John doesn¡¯t kill you first, then I¡¯ll hunt you down and make you regret ever hurting him!¡± ¡°...He is so drunk.¡± I mumbled in surprise. I had never seen Feiden so angry before. So although his flushed face seemed to be due to anger, I could definitely tell that he had more than a few drinks. The next moment though, there was another voice that interrupted Feiden¡¯s ramblings. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The President came walking over with measured steps. Next to him was the Puppet Master, surprisingly. Seeing them, Feiden tossed Ravon aside, standing up and adjusting himself so he looked proper again. The Puppet Master watched Ravon¡¯s tumbling body before ignoring him and glancing at me, seeing my arm. ¡°Is it broken?¡± ¡°Almost.¡± ¡°Hm. Thank you for not shooting.¡± ¡°Pay for the healing and we¡¯ll call it even.¡± ¡°Alright. Just go find Vizen at the hospital, tell him I sent you¡± He nodded without question, causing President Carrion¡¯s eyebrows to raise. A moment later though, the President took in the sight of a beaten Ravon, frowning. ¡°John Cooper, you started this altercation after blatantly attacking your fellow students. That¡¯s grounds for punishment.¡± ¡°Wait! I was being harassed, and John was just helping me!¡± Umara stepped in front of me, her very presence acting as a shield. But he gave no more than a cursory response, as if she had nothing to do with the situation. ¡°I can hardly call a conversation harassment, Lady Umara. On the other hand, throwing a student to the floor and threatening the life of another is unacceptable behavior at this institution.¡± ¡°But President! John didn¡¯t-¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t up for discussion.¡± The President shot a glare at Feiden right as he tried to explain, his Aura exuding a deep pressure that nobody around could refute. Feiden had no choice but to retreat. Not even Umara could say anything. Despite me having done the least amount of damage and having actually gotten hurt, he was clearly targeting me and wouldn¡¯t stand for any challenges to his authority. But by this point, I was already beginning to see red. These nobles were really starting to push all the right buttons. ¡°Hey, President.¡± ¡°John¡­¡± Umara turned around, perhaps warning me after sensing how pissed I was. But my patience for bullshit was run through a while ago. Sure enough, the President turned to me with that high and mighty grin of his. It was a good thing that he wasn¡¯t any taller than me. I could face him on equal grounds. ¡°What is it, Mr. Cooper? Perhaps you would like to offer an apology to Ravon?¡± ¡°Please, I would sooner shoot myself in the foot. In fact, I should be offering you the chance to apologize to me.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The President was surprised by my words, and it was clear from his frown that he found them to be quite insulting. I continued before he could refute. ¡°I was grabbed by a knight. You might not understand, but a summoner like myself feels very threatened when a knight manages to get a hold on them. Any normal summoner would be at their mercy, not to mention how my arm feels half broken right now. You see that?¡± I raised my arm, exposing the swelled bruise that was my left forearm. I could barely clench my fist without shooting pains. Regardless, the evidence was clear. ¡°I was injured because you failed to uphold order in a timely manner. More than that, a student from your Magisterium has obviously failed to learn not to threaten or attack their fellow students, especially while at a party. That responsibility falls on your shoulders. So perhaps an apology is in order, to myself and Umara for being harassed, and to all the other students here who may have been failed in their education at your institution.¡± ¡°...Be careful, Cooper. To dare question my ability makes me question your right to be at my institution at all.¡± ¡°Hoho, President, you¡¯re misunderstanding something.¡± I chuckled a bit as his Aura started to become more ominous. ¡°I¡¯m not questioning anything. The bruise on my arm is hard evidence. The only reason it''s there is because of your oversight.¡± ¡°There has been no such thing! And I will not stand for your slander or accusations.¡± ¡°And I won¡¯t stand for your prejudice. You don¡¯t want accusations? Then put your dog on a fucking leash, or don¡¯t be surprised when I put him down after he ruins my nice night.¡± ¡°...Now, I think you¡¯re the one misunderstanding something.¡± The President suddenly stepped forward, pressuring me with his presence, standing less than a foot away. My jaw clenched a bit. He was a knight, not to mention a Duke at Authority 11. He could kill me with less than his fingernail, and I could clearly feel that looming death over me through his Aura. But I continued to look him straight in the eye as he growled with a low voice that only I could seem to hear. ¡°You are a student at my Magisterium, and a guest at my mansion. In both places, you have no authority nor right to dictate the law. I alone hold that right. My word is King here. And your very existence is a disturbance, let alone your feeble attempts at maligning my name.¡± ¡°That''s feeble? And yet it still gets you so worked up. Compared to that, your ridiculous attempts at pinning the blame on me are outright pathetic. I¡¯m starting to doubt whether or not your word really is law. Yet another failure at educating your students.¡± ¡°...Then to teach you, I¡¯ll give you a 10 day suspension. You can take that time to reflect.¡± ¡°Oh, now we¡¯re getting somewhere.¡± ¡°Speak more, and I¡¯ll simply expel you from the Magisterium.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± I smirked, almost willing to take up the offer. Before I could talk more though, Umara stepped in between us under the eyes of everyone in the venue. ¡°Stop! President, let¡¯s not cross the line.¡± ¡°Umara, do not tarnish your name by stooping to defend him.¡± ¡°And do not tarnish yours by acting like you¡¯re a king, even within your institution. Your hospitality here has led to nothing but harassment toward me and injury toward my boyfriend. Do not make the blunder of thinking you can treat the daughter of Duchess Talerria in such a manner, nor the mistake of thinking that my boyfriend should not receive the same respect I demand as my equal. You¡¯ve already done and said enough, so let¡¯s put a stop to this now before this escalates into something most undesirable.¡± ¡°...¡± Everyone was silent, including me, but not out of a culled attitude. I was surprised. I had never seen Umara step up and demand the respect inherent to her name. She didn¡¯t ever flaunt her status, so this was a first for me. And she was protecting me from President Carrion. While she was assuming the authority of her mother, she technically had the right to. It was her birthright as the daughter of a Duchess. She held status within the wonderful world of nobles. And within that world, she could demand certain things and make others take a step back, or outright bend to her will. Only someone like President Carrion couldn¡¯t be culled by her words, but he also couldn¡¯t disregard her. If he pushed any more, then he would be invoking her mother by insulting her authority. And as she said, such a thing would escalate a situation that didn¡¯t need to be. But there was also a slight complication. She was doing it on behalf of a commoner, so if he took a step back, it would be no different from admitting that I held the high ground. His pride wouldn¡¯t allow him to. And sure enough, he didn¡¯t take a step back. We continued to stare eye to eye, equal in height but not equal in presence. Maybe I had won the battle of words, but at a certain point, that didn¡¯t mean anything. Still, it spoke volumes about his own character. I thought, if I were at that level of power, and some kid not even half my age came up to me and started challenging me, I wouldn¡¯t give him the time of day. The fact that he got so offended and enraged by my words only helped me understand that in their mind I was so far beneath them that to even attempt to besmirch their name was unacceptable. And I wasn''t surprised. Dictators didn''t tend to accommodate criticism. But, despite my insistence on escalating this situation thus far, I could tell that it was time for me to take a step back. With Umara having stepped in, I couldn¡¯t only think about myself. So with a smile, I gave the President a wink before turning around. Glancing around, I could see that every eye, both adult and student, was on us. We had attracted quite a bit of attention, though I wasn¡¯t sure how much everyone heard. Still, this would be a story that got passed down for a while. I didn¡¯t know whether I felt good about it or not. I was simply challenging the unexpected tyranny of the Magisterium¡¯s President. Where I came from, such a thing was not just allowed, but expected. To defy corruption is a virtue. After seeing a few familiar faces, I found the Duchess. She stood in the center of the doorway between the two halls, watching us with a neutral face, as if she were unconcerned about anything going on. I wondered. Was she just apathetic to a squabble, even if it involved her own daughter? Or was she testing us? She didn¡¯t hide her intentions to ensure that I would be able to handle life among nobles. It came with the position of Umara¡¯s boyfriend. So perhaps making sure that I wouldn¡¯t simply bend over at the slightest threat from a noble was a part of why she didn¡¯t interfere. Then again, I took this quite a bit further than it should¡¯ve. It was intentional, but that also meant that her opinion of me may not be very high. Oh well. The only thing I could do now was leave. I surely wasn¡¯t welcome. I took measured steps out of the hall toward the exit. My shoes were the only things to make a sound as I did so. Halfway there though, I heard the President¡¯s voice. ¡°I don¡¯t go back on my word. If I see you on Magisterium grounds before 10 days are over, I will expel you on sight.¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t respond. I didn¡¯t even acknowledge him with my gaze. I just kept walking. I felt incredibly isolated as I approached the exit. Before I could leave though, there was another pair of feet that scampered on over to my side. I looked and saw Feiden catch up to me. Then, Vetsmon ran over as well. He was followed by Umara. As for Tana, well, I hadn¡¯t actually seen her in a while. I wasn¡¯t sure where she was. So the four of us walked out the door. We were silent for a while as we walked the stone path through the mansion gates and onto the street. Before going any farther, I stopped and turned to the others. ¡°You guys don¡¯t have to worry about me. I ruined my night, not yours. You can stay.¡± ¡°Stay just to get fucking surrounded by guys again? No thanks.¡± Umara spitefully rejected, causing Vetsmon to chuckle. ¡°Heh, I wasn¡¯t really having fun either. I don¡¯t have many friends besides you guys. I would probably spend the rest of my night talking with my parents.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Feiden chimed in after him. Hearing their excuses, I just smirked. ¡°Well, you guys don¡¯t get the 10 day vacation.¡± ¡°You mean suspension?¡± ¡°Same difference.¡± ¡°You know, I¡¯ve never heard of someone getting suspended from the Magisterium before. I guess you¡¯ll be famous as the first.¡± Vetsmon pat my shoulder with his bear paw, making me flinch. ¡°Yea, I guess.¡± ¡°You also challenged the President. That¡¯s definitely never been done.¡± ¡°I thought you were going to get kicked out on the spot.¡± Umara mumbled, going quiet for a second before suddenly punching my non-injured arm. ¡°Ow. Why?¡± ¡°You scared me. You were reckless. We¡¯re supposed to leave the Magisterium together, and you just went and challenged the authority of the Magisterium¡¯s President in his own home. And it wasn¡¯t even necessary.¡± ¡°Not true.¡± ¡°What? How is that not true? We could¡¯ve just let it be and left. Why did you have to talk back?¡± ¡°You said it yourself. Carrion was speaking as if he were the King. He¡¯s drunk on power, and he needed a slap to the face to bring him down a notch. Doing so is absolutely necessary, and apparently I have to be the one to do it since nobody besides you seemed to have the balls to. Besides, I told you that I don¡¯t stand for that kind of bullshit, no matter who it comes from.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara went silent, remembering my earlier words. I took out my cigar case with a sigh, preparing a stogie. ¡°The President is an old bitter asshole because his son is a little bitch who can¡¯t get a girl, so he holds a grudge against me and twisted the situation to pin all the blame on me. Not to mention how I¡¯m a commoner who dared to speak to a noble like him that way. Unfortunately he made it too easy to call him out not expecting that I would, so he got butthurt when I did. Heh, it was quite satisfying seeing him so pissed off. You should try it sometime.¡± ¡°...I think I¡¯ll pass.¡± Umara smiled a bit, taking a calming breath. She gently linked her arm with mine, resting her head on my shoulder. ¡°I understand why you did all that, and I thank you. But if we want to stay together, you need to avoid getting expelled, even though I never thought such a thing would ever be an issue. Even if just for me, I ask that you try to exercise a bit more restraint from now on, at least in front of people like the President who can take things away from you.¡± ¡°I suppose I can do that.¡± ¡°Thank you. In exchange, I¡¯ll take care of all the dogs who can¡¯t seem to leave me alone.¡± ¡°Hehe, woof.¡± ¡°B-Bad guy!¡± I laughed while hugging her from behind, planting a kiss on her cheek and making her go red. Chapter 63: Tease After walking down a few streets, I took out my cigar case and lit a stogie. The breath of smoke I took in washed over my body, dampening the pain of my arm. After that, Umara paused and looked at her Aerial. ¡°Tana just texted me. She¡¯s wondering where we are.¡± ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want to stay then she can come find us. If she does though just let her be.¡± ¡°She says she¡¯s with Mira. They want to join us.¡± ¡°Oh. Alright then.¡± I shrugged, finding a building to hang around. A few minutes passed like that, and soon, the two girls found us.¡± ¡°Hey guys!¡± ¡°Hi Tana.¡± ¡°Hey Feiden.¡± Mira walked over, cutely taking up a spot beside Feiden. He smiled at her, but noticing my gaze, he got a bit embarrassed. I laughed as he scratched his head with a red face. He was probably still a bit tipsy. ¡°So¡­ what happened?¡± Tana asked, prompting Vetsmon to explain. When he finished, she looked at me incredulously. ¡°Why would you talk back to the President?! That¡¯s suicide!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. Besides, I¡¯ll be back soon enough.¡± ¡°Still! The President is one of the most powerful and respected people in the entire Kingdom, and you brought embarrassment to his mansion. That can¡¯t end well! You¡¯ll become the target of every noble¡¯s ire!¡± ¡°I think I already was.¡± I let out a breath accompanied by a long plume of smoke. At this point, I honestly didn¡¯t care what happened. In my mind, I thought about the worst case scenario. If I got expelled from the Magisterium, while I would be left with a bad record, it wasn¡¯t like I couldn¡¯t go and make money. It also wouldn¡¯t stop me from joining the military where I could follow Umara. And I was pretty sure that the Church was also an avenue from what Maxwell had told me, though I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what they did. So the Magisterium was really just a way to gain experience and time to advance my Authority. It was in no way my lifeline. I could always fall back on something, and that put me in the position where I could shove a middle finger in the President¡¯s face and not regret it. I was quite satisfied with my actions back then. It was fun telling tyrannical authority to go eat a dick. Tana smiled wryly. ¡°Alright, so you¡¯re suspended, and we¡¯ve all left the party. What now?¡± ¡°The party was boring anyway. How about we find a nightclub?¡± ¡°A nightclub? I¡¯ve never been to one.¡± ¡°Me neither.¡± ¡°First time for everything. Come on. I know a good one.¡± ¡°Wait, what about your arm?¡± Umara stopped me with an important reminder before I could lead the way, causing me to chuckle a bit. ¡°Oh, right. Here, I¡¯ll send you all the location. Head over there and I¡¯ll meet up with you guys later. It shouldn¡¯t take me that long to get patched up.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Umara stepped up, and in the moment I just shook my head. ¡°You can stay, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°No, I want to go with you.¡± ¡°...Alright, fine.¡± I shrugged and started walking off with her as the others made their way to the nightclub. Since I didn¡¯t feel like walking the distance, I hailed a carriage and had it take me to the Golden trading post. That¡¯s where we entered the Founder¡¯s Market, heading to the hospital I frequented since going to the Magisterium to cash in on the Puppet Master¡¯s offer was now off the table. Along the way, we also changed into our regular set of clothes. For me it was easy, and apparently Umara had those special rings as well that let her equip clothes with ease. So we didn¡¯t attract tons of unwanted attention with our kingly attire, arriving at the hospital smoothly. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s John! And a girl.¡± ¡°Hey Kayla. How¡¯s the night?¡± ¡°Going well, can¡¯t complain. So what happened? Another run in with friends?¡± ¡°No. Had to deal with an annoying knight. He crushed my arm.¡± I pulled back my sleeve, showing off the massive purple bruise that covered my entire forearm. Her eyes widened. ¡°Wow, he got you good. If you¡¯re here though, that probably means he¡¯s dead in a ditch. Alright, come on back. I¡¯ll grab the healer.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I smiled and grabbed a room with Umara. And within just a minute, the healer came. ¡°Hello John. Broken bone, I hear?¡± ¡°Hopefully not completely broken.¡± I showed him my arm, prompting him to cast a complex spell that lit my arm up like an xray scan. ¡°I see a few fissures going down both forearm bones, but no complete fractures. There¡¯s also a dislocation that I need to manually slip back into place first.¡± ¡°First?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s going to hurt since moving a cracked bone usually isn¡¯t painless.¡± ¡°Alright, just get it over with.¡± I handed him my arm, which he took in both his hands, smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. Ready?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°One-¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. *POP* ¡°AGH!¡± I grunted in shock as he jerked my bone back into place. My arm trembled for a while, the pain a bit overwhelming. ¡°Y-You said three!¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s better if it''s a surprise since you don¡¯t tense up. Alright, I¡¯ll start the healing now. Take this pill.¡± He handed me a large pill that dissolved the moment I put it into my mouth. After that, he cast some more spells that healed my bones, fusing them back together along with repairing a few ligaments. After about 5 minutes, the spell stopped. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re all done. Give it a few days to rest and you¡¯ll heal without issue.¡± ¡°Thanks doc. How much do I owe you?¡± ¡°Give me a coin and we¡¯ll be good.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I nodded and retrieved a gold bullion, flicking it to him. Getting the services of a healer who could fuse bones in a matter of minutes actually cost more, but because I frequented this place so much and treated them nice, I was a valued customer who got discounts occasionally. *Ting!* ¡°Got it. Have a nice night, John.¡± ¡°You too, doc.¡± With that, Umara and I walked out of the hospital. We went straight out of the Founder¡¯s Market, but instead of heading to the nightclub, Umara pulled me somewhere else. ¡°Where are we-¡± ¡°Just come.¡± She didn¡¯t answer me as she linked with my arm and pulled. Eventually, we happened upon the Black Spider Hotel, which she pushed me into. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s John. How unexpected.¡± ¡°You¡¯re as surprised as I am.¡± ¡°Hi Key Master! Excuse us.¡± Umara didn¡¯t give us the opportunity to talk as she pushed me straight into an elevator. ¡°Your room.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I gave her a side eye before inserting my key and punching in the numbers. Before long, we arrived in front of my room, which when opened, was slammed shut as soon as we walked in. And the moment the door closed, Umara jumped on me, wrapping her legs around my waist and planting her lips on mine. We kissed for several seconds before I barely managed to separate and spit some words out. ¡°Damn. What¡¯s got you going?¡± ¡°Just shut up and kiss me.¡± ¡°Mmph.¡± She jumped back on me, the two of us tumbling to the bed. After that I wasn¡¯t allowed to talk. And needless to say, we didn¡¯t end up making it to the nightclub. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°He¡¯s not answering.¡± ¡°They ditched us.¡± ¡°Well, maybe John¡¯s injury was pretty bad.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been two hours.¡± ¡°...I said maybe.¡± Feiden scratched his head with a wry smile. Vetsmon could only grumble, crossing his arms. They had arrived and entered the nightclub. It was a loud and dark place filled with alcohol and fast music. After being seated in a more private booth, they got several bottles of alcohol and started the party. Along with all the other people in the club, they danced, sang along to some popular songs, and drank. The place was new but they quickly blended right in, enjoying themselves. But two hours later, everyone but Vetsmon was half drunk and John and Umara had yet to show. It was obvious what they were doing, but Vetsmon still wasn¡¯t happy. Not only that, but he was beginning to feel a bit out of place. After some moments of silence, in the corner of his eye, he could see Mira and Feiden subtly kissing in the corner. It made him scoff inwardly. It was like they were trying to hide it, but because they were drunk, they did a very poor job. The first few times it happened, Tana had spoken up and interrupted them. But after she had a few more drinks, she didn¡¯t even care. From the side, Vetsmon saw her stealing glances with a flushed face. He watched her, finding it curious how she could stare at something like that so easily. But then, he suddenly saw her look at him. ¡°Uh¡­¡± He whipped his head away far harder than he should have, his ears burning. In his mind, he reminded himself about how irresponsible it would be to engage in a relationship, especially during this phase in his life. They were fighting the Scourge and there was no room for distractions, only training to make sure they could keep their lives. But then, a voice came that seemed to shatter those thoughts as if they were nothing more than delusions. ¡°Hey¡­ Vetsmon?¡± ¡°Y-Yes? Ah!¡± The big man flinched when Tana¡¯s hand curled around his arm, her chin resting on his shoulder as she looked up at him. He saw her slightly messy blonde hair and her deep green eyes, and in that moment, there was nothing he could think of except how beautiful she looked. He hadn¡¯t really thought about that before. His mind was so filled with his training and strengthening that he never paid any heed to the women around him. And because he was from the Church, it never seemed like anybody outside of that circle wanted to engage with him anyway. They held certain standards that needed to be met by anyone wishing to pursue them. But now, in this nightclub, he was captivated by this drunken blonde beauty whose breath reeked of cheap liquor. ¡°I¡­ want to do what they¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°I, uh, I don¡¯t¡­¡± Vetmon¡¯s words couldn¡¯t seem to come out as Tana leaned in. Her lips approached his. He was so nervous in that moment that he froze like a statue, watching her face get closer in slow motion, every one of his senses working in overdrive and his adrenaline surging. He prepared himself for his first kiss, thinking that he would be fine if it was her. No, he wanted it to be her. But then, just as he thought of the future and what it might hold for them, Tana¡¯s eyes widened. And Vetsmon watched as she jumped away from him, leaning over the booth and vomiting. ¡°Bleghh¡­¡± ¡°...¡± He sat there, his heart in shambles as the blonde beauty spilled the contents of her stomach all over the floor. And slowly, he turned his head to find Feiden and Mira continuing to make out. His head fell, slamming into the table dispiritedly. But deep inside, his heart pounded like it never had before, brand new thoughts surfacing like a fire and unable to be quenched. ¡­¡­ ¡­ *Ring* ¡°Hm?¡± My eyes fluttered open as I heard the sounds of a call on my Aerial. I groaned a bit before tapping it. ¡°Hel-¡± ¡°John!¡± ¡°Agh! Why?!¡± I groaned more as Vetmon¡¯s shout shook my ears. He continued. ¡°I-I need to talk to you when you get the chance.¡± ¡°Huh? Why? What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing urgent. I suppose I just need advice. Can we meet for lunch?¡± ¡°...I guess?¡± I answered back confusedly, hearing a relieved sigh on the other end. ¡°Thanks. Bye.¡± *Click* The call ended. For a while I stared at the Aerial, but I was too tired to figure things out so I just fell right back into my pillow. After some time, last night¡¯s memories came back, making me smile. And thinking about Umara, I turned around to see her. When I did though, I felt a jolt go through my body. There she was, sprawled out on my bed, in a nightgown. We had changed at some point during the night since we didn¡¯t want to roll around in bed in a suit or uncomfortable robes. Turns out Umara had brought clothes for another one of these occasions, the naughty girl. But now, after rolling around in her sleep, the loose shirt she wore had slipped. I saw an entire exposed boob, and unlike Vetsmon¡¯s shout, that sight woke me up almost instantly. The size, the firm shape, the perkiness. I don¡¯t know why, but I felt my head spin a bit. ¡°...Holy C¡¯s. Fuck.¡± I suddenly reached over and pulled the sheets over her before jumping out of bed, my movement waking her. ¡°Hm? John?¡± ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°Mm, come here.¡± She beckoned me over, but I just continued walking away. ¡°I¡¯m at half mast, just give me a minute.¡± ¡°What?¡± She responded confusedly as I entered the kitchen where I couldn¡¯t see her. Then, I tapped my Aerial and ordered some room service. After that, I spoke. ¡°Vetmon called and he wants to see me, so I¡¯ll have to go after breakfast.¡± ¡°Oh, alright.¡± She chimed back before yawning, simultaneously shifting in the bed. I could hear the sheets move. And after that, everything went silent for several seconds as if she were frozen. I then heard her jump out of bed. ¡°I-I¡¯m gonna use the bathroom.¡± ¡°Go for it.¡± After I spoke, I heard her scamper through and shut the door behind her. I just waited in the kitchen, channeling my inner zen and waiting for breakfast. Thankfully it wasn¡¯t long, so once I brought it in, I diverted my focus and went to town on the platter. Umara also came out in her normal robes, her face a bit rosy. More noticeable was how she didn¡¯t make much eye contact. After calming down though, I looked straight at her and grinned. ¡°You look gorgeous this fine morning.¡± ¡°Eeuhh, stop it¡­¡± She quickly covered her face with her hands, making me break out in laughter. She was too easy to tease. Chapter 64: Shattered ¡°I need advice.¡± ¡°With what?¡± ¡°...Courting a girl.¡± ¡°...¡± I went silent, staring at Vetsmon across the table. We were in a nice cafe, and honestly, I expected him to have called me here with something a bit more serious in mind. But the topic was as flowery as the cafe around us. The big man needed some relationship advice. It was a bit comical, but I didn¡¯t give him anything more than a smile. ¡°Alright. You have someone in mind? Who is she?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m not sure if I want to say.¡± ¡°Spit it out, you big lug. I can¡¯t really help you otherwise.¡± ¡°Fine. It¡¯s Tana.¡± ¡°...¡± I was stunned into silence once more, staring at him incredulously before covering my mouth. ¡°He¡­ Hahaha¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t laugh!¡± ¡°Hehe¡­I-I¡¯m sorry. Ahem! Alright, I suppose Tana is one of the good ones. But I gotta ask. What changed? Something happen at the nightclub?¡± ¡°N-Nothing happened. I¡¯ve just finally noticed her womanly charm¡­¡± ¡°Charm? I guess that¡¯s a nice way of putting it.¡± I chuckled a bit more. Whatever charm Vetsmon saw, I was apparently oblivious to. But it wasn¡¯t like Tana wasn''t pretty, and she at least had her good points. Any bad points were merely preference issues. All in all, she was a good pick. There were definitely far worse out there. There was only one issue though. ¡°Tana has no idea you like her, huh?¡± ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. And she¡¯s the densest girl I¡¯ve ever met, so you¡¯ve got your work cut out for you buddy. Anything less than slapping her in the face with a very clear confession probably won¡¯t get it through her thick skull, but that might also scare her.¡± ¡°So what do I do?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± I scratched my head while lounging back into my seat. This was indeed a tough nut to crack. After a bit of thinking though, I flicked my finger and pointed at him. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to wear her down. Bit by bit you need to grind through that thick shell until she realizes that you guys like each other.¡± ¡°Is that what you did with Umara?¡± ¡°Haha, hell no. Umara had been a bit flirty with me until one night she just came and confessed. The rest is history.¡± ¡°...Wow. You¡¯re lucky.¡± ¡°Maybe a little. You¡¯re the one who picked Tana though.¡± I just smirked a bit while taking out a cigar. Vetsmon sat there, brooding as I took a few puffs. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so serious. You¡¯re a good guy and Tana is lucky to have you interested in her. Sure you¡¯ll have to work for it, but I have no doubt that once she manages to actually conceive of the concept, she¡¯ll fall right for you.¡± ¡°...Thanks. But how do I, you know, grind her down?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure what the difference is between what I would do and what courting is. You tell me, what usually happens when a man wants to date a girl?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much, but I suppose the man would appeal to her before asking her on a date.¡± ¡°That sounds good, so do that.¡± I told him simply. At the same time, a waitress came and brought us some drinks. I took a sip as he thought about it with a frown, not so much as touching his drink. The sight made me smirk. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t fry your brain trying to think about this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to think about how to go about it.¡± ¡°Well you have time. You¡¯ve got the entire year at the Magisterium to flirt and ask her out. But you need to be pretty straight forward with it. You can¡¯t beat around the bush with Tana. I can also do something though. Maybe I¡¯ll get Umara to talk to her. Plant the seeds, you know?¡± ¡°I would appreciate it.¡± ¡°Sure. Haha, I¡¯ll have helped two of my friends get a girl. How fun.¡± I chuckled while taking a sip of my drink. Then, Vetsmon asked. ¡°What do you do that might be different from normal courting? With Umara, I mean.¡± ¡°Me? Well, since we both like each other, it¡¯s easy to push our relationship forward. And I¡¯d say she¡¯s been pretty responsive.¡± ¡°Yea, she¡¯s all over you whenever you two are together. She even left the party with you last night. It¡¯s obvious that she likes you a lot.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it''s a matter of liking. Look, I have my own standards and I¡¯m going to do what I do regardless of what anybody says. Take last night for example. I put Umara on the spot by making a scene at a noble party. I may have just ruined my own reputation along with her and her mother¡¯s. You would think that if I liked her a lot, I would have just let them trample on me for the sake of keeping the peace and not embarrassing her.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°...I guess.¡± Vetsmon agreed with a frown, still looking a bit confused. I shrugged. ¡°Hey, all I¡¯m saying is that I pursue Umara the way I feel like doing so, and I don¡¯t worry about trying to be perfect. And neither should you. The biggest hurdle is actually doing something, so don¡¯t make the mistake of sitting back and waiting. Have some faith in yourself, you know?¡± ¡°Yea. Alright. I¡¯ll think of something the next time I see her.¡± Vetsmon smiled, looking encouraged by my words. And I smiled with him. After that we continued to talk for a bit longer. ¡°So, what are your plans now that you¡¯re suspended?¡± ¡°Eh, just waiting and¡­¡± ¡°...And?¡± Vetsmon looked at me weird when I went quiet. Frowning, I sat there for a few seconds as my Aura picked up some nefarious intent. Someone was looking at me, and they weren¡¯t friendly. I could barely tell their direction, so when the feeling sharpened, I looked outside the cafe through its glass front. And in the street outside, I could see a man standing there with a bow on his back. He noticed my gaze quickly, and without hesitation, he equipped the bow and knocked an arrow. I suddenly communed with a Springfield rifle as he pulled his string back, feeling it appear in my hands before taking aim. And I fired just as the bowman did. *BOOM* ¡°Ahh!!¡± There were screams when the explosion went off. I saw as my bullet shattered the glass window and sailed straight into the abdomen of the bowman. As for his arrow, I barely managed to shift my body utilizing the time dilating effects of my jacket¡¯s power, preventing it from piercing the center of my chest and instead making contact with the jacket around my shoulder. But the force behind that arrow was shocking, and although it didn¡¯t pierce through, it threw my body back like I was kicked by a horse. ¡°Agh!¡± ¡°John!¡± Vetsmon jumped out of his seat, barely realizing what happened as I landed against some furniture. ¡°I¡¯m fine! Help me up!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± He reached out, grabbing my outstretched arm and pulling me back onto solid ground. I felt a few bruises, especially on my shoulder, but nothing that serious. I immediately looked out the window again, the bowman nowhere to be seen. But there was in fact some blood, so I went and sprinted out. ¡°Vetsmon, go down that alley and find a bowman!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± He answered quickly, his powerful legs launching him like a cannon as he dashed ahead of me. I followed as fast as I could, following a faint trail of blood. And several seconds later, I heard a yell. ¡°Got him! Over here!¡± ¡°Coming!¡± I answered back and followed the sound, taking a few turns before arriving in a secluded alley. Vetsmon had the bowman pinned to the floor. All bowmen were Knights, so they were strong, but apparently this one wasn¡¯t as strong as my squad¡¯s tank. I walked over, nodding to Vetsmon. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Eh, he wasn¡¯t fast enough. And the blood was easy to sniff out anyway.¡± ¡°...Are you a hound?¡± I chuckled a bit while squatting down toward the bowman. ¡°Did someone send you? Or are you looking for the pitiful bounty?¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± ¡°Well, you don¡¯t reek of drugs, so you¡¯re not from the trenches. Clockwork? Actually, they wouldn¡¯t hire a weakling like you to kill me. Whatever.¡± I stood and took out a shotgun, pointing it at his head. ¡°W-Wait! You¡¯re going to kill him?¡± Vetsmon suddenly stopped me, causing my brows to raise. Right, he¡¯s only ever fought the Scourge. Definitely never killed a fellow man. I took out my cigar and blew out a bit of smoke. In the distance, I was starting to hear a commotion. Definitely the city guard. So I made a decision and pulled the trigger. *BOOM* ¡°...¡± Vetsmon was shocked as the man died underneath him, standing with some blood splatter on his white clothes. Leaning down, I took the man¡¯s spatial sack before grabbing Vetsmon¡¯s arm and walking off. ¡°Walk with me, before the guard comes.¡± He was silent as he followed. And after making our way to another street and hailing a carriage, we boarded and set our destination to the Magisterium. As we rolled, I took a puff of my cigar. ¡°Surprised?¡± ¡°...You killed a man in an alleyway.¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s what¡¯s known as a Hunter. They kill people for the bounties on their head, collecting money once the job is done. I happen to have a recently increased bounty on my head, so Hunters will occasionally try to kill me. And believe me, letting them go only causes more trouble down the road.¡± ¡°You have a bounty on your head? Why?¡± He lifted his head and asked. He didn¡¯t look angry, but he did look like I had shattered his view of me. I let out a sigh of smoke. ¡°If you haven¡¯t guessed already, I work in the black markets. I¡¯ve made some enemies there, and since they haven¡¯t been able to kill me the conventional way, they pay a price to get others to do it for them. As you can guess, it hasn¡¯t worked so far.¡± ¡°...How many people have you killed like that?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± I looked him in the eye with that question. I suppose this was a question of morals, and as far as I knew, Vetsmon was a man of principle. It was easy to fight against the Scourge. You could do so blindly because they were such an easy enemy. But killing other humans would test your own principles. I didn¡¯t care because for me, it was a matter of survival. It was simply the world I lived in, and I was already in too deep to avoid it. Not that I wouldn¡¯t make the same decisions again anyway. Still, it also wasn¡¯t like I killed anyone who didn¡¯t try to kill me. Regardless of if they deserved it, they tried to kill me, so I killed them. If I didn¡¯t, they would keep trying to kill me until eventually, they would succeed. I had no illusions that I was invincible, so I did what I needed to do to keep my life. After Vetsmon remained silent for a while, I spoke again. ¡°Vetsmon, what kind of person do you think I am? I mean from your perspective about 5 minutes ago.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re a courageous man who I would entrust my life to.¡± ¡°Yea, well, I¡¯ve been doing this for a long time now, long before I even came to the Magisterium. It¡¯s only now that you¡¯ve seen it. I can tell you now that I¡¯ve never killed anyone who hasn¡¯t tried to kill me first. And for the most part, nobody who has died under the barrel of my gun was a good person. Believe me when I say that I¡¯m not some secret underworld criminal. I¡¯m just a guy trying to make his way in this place, and If you trusted me back then, you can still trust me now.¡± ¡°...¡± He was silent, brooding over my words. Then, he asked. ¡°Does Umara know about this?¡± ¡°Oh, yea. I told her about all this a couple weeks ago.¡± ¡°R-Really? I see.¡± He leaned back, seemingly comforted by the fact that Umara knew about it and was okay with it. Not long after, we arrived at the gates of the Magisterium. ¡°Alright, go clean up your clothes. Try not to be conspicuous. Since I¡¯m suspended I probably won¡¯t see you guys for a while unless we find some time to hang out. Still, remember what you said and do something with Tana. I¡¯ll be checking in with Umara to make sure you aren¡¯t being shy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. And¡­ keep yourself safe.¡± ¡°I will. Oh, and try to keep this little event a secret for me. I don¡¯t need more infamy than I already have.¡± I said that while shutting the door to the carriage, letting Vetsmon go. After that, I set my destination for the Black Spider Hotel. There were 10 days before the next trip, exactly how many days my suspension was, so I buckled in for a nice vacation. Chapter 65: Science The day after my cafe date with Vetsmon, I met up with Umara for an early dinner. After a nice time at a decent restaurant, we went to my room at the hotel. But it wasn¡¯t to passionately make out for two hours. Instead, Umara wanted a comfortable place to focus on her advancement. She was close and just needed a bit more cultivating before jumping to Authority 5. We had the entire evening though. Umara wasn¡¯t going to the Puppet Master''s training since she was focused on her advancement, so after classes she would come find me. And for the first two hours, I let her use my bed for her cultivation. Afterward though, she got distracted and came to talk to me. And our conversation went toward interesting topics. Specifically, how a warlock¡¯s power worked. It was no secret that there was no more dynamic power than the magic of a warlock. It could do seemingly anything, limited only by the complexity of the spell and the imagination of the warlock. However, there were a few things that imposed relatively strict rules and methods by which magic could be employed. Specifically, the system of elements they used and how magic was truly engaged. For warlocks, their spells were classified in two ways. There were the Creation spells and the Manipulation spells. The Manipulation spells were the easiest. With those spells, one could draw on the elements around you and utilize them whichever way you wanted. But in different areas, there were differing amounts of elemental mana. For example, an ocean would have prolific amounts of water mana and little to no fire mana. The opposite was true near a volcano, or maybe even around a wildfire. So sometimes, certain spells couldn¡¯t be used since there simply wasn¡¯t enough of a particular type of mana. That¡¯s where Creation spells came into play. With those, you could generate a specific element and thereby generate something like fire in an ocean or water near a volcano. However, Creation spells used far more mana than normal, and the spells to engage them were several times more complex. Unless necessary, Creation spells were very seldom used. Manipulation spells were always preferred, at least until one became powerful enough for it not to matter. This was easy to understand, however, it was the way spells manipulated the elements that was a bit more difficult to understand. Spells were like a set of instructions for an element to follow, like software driving the hardware of a machine. And the more complex the software, the more precisely and effectively you could control the hardware. But increasing the complexity of a spell wasn¡¯t as simple as adding more instructions. For warlocks, creating a spell wasn¡¯t a matter of drawing the instruction set, but feeling the elements and beckoning it to follow your will. And there were two things that determined how complex you could make any given spell. Your affinity for an element, and your understanding of an element. Interestingly, Warlocks weren¡¯t born with set affinities. Instead, it was their advancement process that would grant affinities. When they first awakened, a warlock would choose which element they first wanted to start building. Umara told me that she first picked Air, hence why she was so good with dampening sound. And for her first three advancements, she built her Mana Core. And the quality of the Mana Core¡¯s development was determined by her understanding of the Air element. If she advanced without a clear understanding, then her affinity wouldn¡¯t rise beyond a certain point. However, having inherited her mother¡¯s talent and receiving her guidance, she wasn¡¯t allowed to advance before she achieved a perfect affinity for the air element. Apparently, this was the only reason she wasn¡¯t well into Authority 5 by now. But the solid foundation was important. She now had a perfect affinity for the air element and now, she was working toward building the fire element. Her next advancement into Authority 5 would lay the foundation for another Mana Core that would grant her a higher affinity for the fire element. The affinity had already grown as much as it could during her time at Authority 4, so she was ready to advance. The way it all worked interested me. An element wasn¡¯t simply what its name was. For example, the water element didn¡¯t only encapsulate water. It encapsulated all kinds of liquids as well as certain concepts like healing, dissolution, corrosion, poison, and more. It was the same with air, which represented things like the wind, convection, polarization, pressure, and breathing. However, there was something I noticed about everything that Umara told me about her understanding of the elements. All she was doing was describing scientific concepts. And in a way, that¡¯s really all she needed to know. If you wanted to muffle sound, you had to know that sound propagates through a medium, most notably air. If you knew nothing about how sound worked, then you wouldn¡¯t be able to muffle it. It was just that warlocks understood these scientific concepts intuitively, whereas I understood it academically. But that led me to an interesting thought. What if I taught Umara about all the scientific concepts pertaining to her elements? If she understood it as it was, then how easily would she be able to figure out how to control things intuitively? While the two might not directly translate into each other, it would still be an incredible advantage to have, especially for her decision making during battles. Not only that, but she would be able to develop special spells that achieved great effects only because she knows about obscure scientific principles. For example, if she knew that combusting different gasses would result in flames of different temperatures, or that simply feeding oxygen to a fire would speed up the combustion process, then she could wreak untold devastation. What about water? If she knew how the human body was composed mostly of water, especially the blood, would she be able to make spells that could manipulate blood? Could she create vacuums of air, depriving her enemies of the ability to breathe? Could she amplify sounds so much that they burst the eardrums of anyone that heard it? Could she use something like sonar to do long distance scans of different landscapes? The possibilities were endless, and since my mind had been strengthened to an amazing degree, I was better equipped to explain this stuff to her. So I brought it up, just to test it out. ¡°Hey Umara, how difficult is it to modify a spell?¡± ¡°Modify? It depends, but generally not too difficult.¡± ¡°Alright, I want you to try something with your sound spell.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded and came to where I was, the two of us sitting down in front of each other. I explained. ¡°Alright, you obviously know that sound travels through the air. But do you know what sound is specifically?¡± ¡°Kind of? It¡¯s hard to explain, but as far as I know, it¡¯s like a wave that spreads through the air.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but that¡¯s not what creates sound. Here, you know how the ground can vibrate?¡± ¡°Yea.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s what sound does. It vibrates through the air, oscillating back and forth really fast. And we hear it because our ears have a bunch of little hairs that vibrate with the sound. Do you understand?¡± ¡°...I suppose. Not really the ear part, but the vibration part, yes.¡± She nodded, thinking intently as I continued. ¡°Alright, well, those vibrations in the air can also go through other things, like water or the ground. Like¡­ Here.¡± I suddenly got up, going to the kitchen and grabbing a utensil and a cup. I filled the cup with water before setting it on the table. Umara came over when I waved. ¡°Alright, you''ve definitely noticed before. But when I tap the edge of the glass, the water ripples.¡± *Ding!* I tapped the glass with the utensil, sending ripples across the water that disappeared in the center. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Those ripples are sound, or more technically pressure waves. Or a mechanical wave? Anyway, the water can conduct sound much better than air can. As for solid things like wood or metal, they conduct sound even better than water. So, here¡¯s what I want you to try.¡± I sat her back down and laid out my idea. ¡°I want you to make a spell that can transfer the sound in the air into the ground.¡± ¡°...Okay. I¡¯ll try.¡± Umara nodded and sat down, closing her eyes for several minutes. After thinking for a while, she started to conjure spells in the air. She even brought out her staff. Her staff was a short wooden stick that held a cluster of crystals at its top. The crystals were meant to act as a stabilizer for her spells. Without it, it was easier for a spell to dissipate. So while it technically wasn¡¯t needed, in the heat of a battle, it acted as an important buffer. I watched as dozens of spell formations appeared in the air, her eyes closed in deep concentration. In fact, I also heard some odd sounds from some of the formations, as if she were testing things out. And then, her breathing suddenly hitched before she smiled. After that, a single formation appeared, writing itself out before activating. After that, it was like I lost my hearing. No sound reached my ears, even when I spoke. Umara opened her eyes, looking at me while speaking. But I couldn¡¯t even hear myself, let alone her. With a thought, my eyes suddenly brightened as I grabbed the cup of water, placing it on the floor. Then, I yelled as loud as I could. And I watched as the water in the cup vibrated just slightly. It was a success! Even Umara jumped and clapped. Then, the spell deactivated, letting us hear normally. ¡°It worked! I figured it out!¡± ¡°Haha, you did!¡± I laughed as she jumped toward me, wrapping me in a hug before jumping off again. ¡°I realized what you meant as I was making the formation. It really is just a vibration through the air! So all I had to do was direct all the sound into the solid ground without letting it escape. So anything within or beyond the sphere of influence can¡¯t be heard.¡± ¡°Yea, I couldn¡¯t even hear my own voice, though I could feel the vibrations in my head.¡± ¡°That was because the vibrations coming from your throat were grounded as soon as they came out of your mouth. I made it so the spell causes any agitated air to direct itself downward straight into solid ground. It was never allowed to make it to your ears.¡± ¡°Very impressive. I have such a smart girlfriend.¡± ¡°Well it¡¯s not like I could have done it without your knowledge.¡± We smiled as she hugged me, the two of us giving each other a long kiss before she separated again. ¡°So what else! This is new so I need to work on it, but what else can tell me about air?¡± ¡°I told you about sound, not air. But other than that, I¡¯m not sure. You¡¯d need to give me something specific. What other air spells do you have?¡± ¡°Oh, I have a book.¡± With a wave of the hand, she brought out a large book as big as her torso, slamming it on the table. It radiated mana with a thick leather cover and black pages. When she opened it, I saw all the dozens of spell formations inside, each of them labeled and described. It was a spell book, perhaps a grimoire. ¡°This is my Grimoire.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°I have tons of spells in here. A lot of them are from my mother. She made me cast certain ones before hitting milestones as a way to gauge my knowledge. Here, I¡¯ll tell you what they do, and you can tell me if there are ways to improve it.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I nodded and listened as she flipped the pages, going between tons of different spells. As she landed on some of them, I started to get an idea of what she needed to know. In particular, there were some basics that she found valuable. For instance, there was an entire periodic table of elements, each element a different atomic configuration. And most elements had a solid, liquid, and gaseous form. I told Umara how the air around us was composed of several different elements that had different properties. I also told her how there were gas compounds like water vapor that could become airborne. The point was that the air wasn¡¯t simply air. It was a gas, and there could be countless different gasses. I told her of the main ones under the assumption that this world¡¯s atmosphere was similar to Earth¡¯s, speaking of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, argon, and others. I even ended up drawing out the entire periodic table of elements. I had been forced to memorize most of it in school, so with my empowered mind, I was able to recreate it with no problem. Like that, I went on a science lesson for close to three hours. The only reason I went on that long was because I got rather excited to share my knowledge and because Umara was so genuinely interested. The entire time, she would occasionally generate new spell formations to test certain things out, often coming back with resounding success. However, as more time passed, she began to go from smiling to frowning. She looked concerned as the night got deeper, so I stopped the lesson and asked. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t know. As I learn more, specifically about air, I¡¯m figuring out that my perfect affinity isn¡¯t actually perfect.¡± ¡°Well that doesn¡¯t sound good. But how do you know it''s not perfect? I thought you could feel whether or not it was perfect.¡± ¡°I could, and back then, I did in fact achieve a perfect affinity. The Mana Core gets created a certain way when perfection is achieved. Not only that, but with a more perfect mana core, one¡¯s mana pool increases. I got mine measure multiple times and it¡¯s been proven that my advancement was in fact perfect. But¡­ I feel like there¡¯s more there.¡± ¡°More than perfect?¡± I asked with confusion. How could you do better than perfection? But I did also agree. If she didn¡¯t know about even some basic concepts, then how could she know all there was about the air element? How could perfection be achieved like that? However, I noticed something else. Most of the things I taught her, while able to be applied to air, were still general scientific principles. I suddenly spoke. ¡°What if it¡¯s not that your air element isn¡¯t perfect, but that your understanding of all the elements is getting better? I¡¯m not only teaching you about air. I¡¯m also teaching you about liquids, solids, and plasma, the other elements.¡± ¡°...Maybe. Air is only one part of a greater whole. To understand how it might relate to the other elements would be beyond perfect, since strictly understanding air by itself, even if perfectly, still isn''t everything. It''s the difference between knowing the pieces and knowing how they connect. Yea, I think that''s it...¡± Umara slowly started to smile, her eyes brightening. ¡°You¡¯re a genius! That¡¯s it! I- Oh no!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Advancement!¡± Umara shouted, and I watched as her body suddenly started to suck in all the surrounding mana. My eyes widened. She was actually advancing! ¡°Crap! Uh, I know where to go!¡± ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡± Umara¡¯s eyes started to blur as she collapsed. It was like she was in a trance, unable to think straight. I caught her before bolting straight out of my room. I ran without hesitation, making my way back down the elevator to the lobby where I saw the Key Master. He looked over with surprise. ¡°An advancement?¡± ¡°I need to get to Maxwell! Can we get a carriage?¡± ¡°Oh, certainly. Head to the market. It¡¯ll be there.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Of course, John.¡± He smiled before I bolted back into the elevator. Then, I dialed in the numbers for the market, the elevator descending. Before long, we arrived and I saw a carriage pulling up to the plaza. I ran over where the driver had opened the door, jumping in. ¡°Polaris headquarters! Quickly!¡± ¡°On it!¡± The driver shut the door and the carriage started moving, barreling down the street. As we rolled, I tapped my Aerial, making a call. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Maxwell!¡± I shouted. ¡°I¡¯m on my way to you! Can you prepare the stuff you had for my advancement?¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Umara. She¡¯s advancing right now!¡± ¡°...¡± He was silent for a bit before sighing. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll prepare it. Does her mother know?¡± ¡°No, not yet.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re making things difficult for me. Whatever. Just get over here.¡± ¡°Almost there.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± With a groan, he ended the call. I then just waited anxiously. Once we arrived, I threw the driver payment before rushing into the headquarters. Since the guards knew me well enough by now, I was able to head straight in. And I saw Maxwell standing at the door, waiting for me. ¡°Get inside and put her in the chair. Hurry.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± I ran inside and saw the chair, setting her down on it. After that, Maxwell stepped in and set up the ring, loading it with Authority 5 White Crystals. Then, he tapped a few buttons before it activated. Once that happened, her body was hit by an overwhelming amount of mana. After that, her eyes began to sparkle as the mana flowed through her body like a river. With that, Maxwell sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not perfect, but you got here fast enough for it to end very well. She just needs time.¡± ¡°Right. Thank God¡­¡± I let out a deep breath, leaning against a bookshelf. I was tired from the running, but more than that, relieved that her advancement would go well. Then, Maxwell suddenly dropped some interesting information. ¡°Warlocks go through things called enlightenments. I¡¯ve seen this before. She¡¯s gone beyond perfection in her element. This isn¡¯t actually an advancement.¡± ¡°Oh. I¡¯ve never heard of that.¡± ¡°Yea. More secrets. Anyway, we need to get in contact with her mother. She¡¯s close to advancing anyway and this will trigger it soon. Can you contact her?¡± ¡°No, I never exchanged information.¡± ¡°Then contact someone who can get it. Like your friends. Maybe their parents can contact her on your behalf.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I nodded and thought for a second before dialing a number. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Feiden? It¡¯s John.¡± ¡°Oh, hi John.¡± ¡°I need your help.¡± I explained the situation to Feiden. And as soon as he understood, he hung up. After that I waited as he called his parents. And it was several minutes later when I got a message from an unknown number. ¡°Hello John, this is Feiden¡¯s father. Use this number to contact Duchess Talerria. I hope the situation is resolved well.¡± ¡°Nice!¡± I smiled and saved the number. And once dialed, I called and heard the voice on the other end before long. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Hello Duchess, this is John Cooper.¡± ¡°John? How did you get my number?¡± ¡°I got it from Feiden¡¯s father. Listen, I¡¯m with your daughter and she¡¯s going through an enlightenment. She¡¯ll probably advance soon so I wanted to let you know.¡± ¡°...Where are you?¡± ¡°Polaris Headquarters in the Black Spider Market.¡± ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± With a hurried voice, she hung up. After that, I took a seat nearby, waiting. Chapter 66: Luna Maxwell sighed from behind his desk. ¡°Boy, you better be careful, getting entangled with the daughter of that warlock. I already heard about the stunt you pulled during that Elite party at the President¡¯s mansion. If you continue to act like that before you have the power to support your recklessness, then you¡¯ll be killed sooner rather than later.¡± ¡°That old man was being a bitter asshole, so he deserved a bit of pushback.¡± ¡°I agree, but believe me when I tell you that I know better than anyone how malicious nobles can be. They are a group founded upon generations of constant supremacy, and in the last two centuries they¡¯ve never been able to be challenged by anyone except the Church. There are extremely few cases where someone is able to do what you do and use a relationship to stick a hand into that circle. Just that is enough to warrant unsavory attention, but if you go out of your way to actively challenge their authority, they¡¯ll gladly take the chance to stick a blade against your neck.¡± ¡°...Yea.¡± I sighed with a nod. I understood that just being Umara¡¯s boyfriend was dangerous, and that testing the tolerance of those snobby nobles was asking to be killed. The wonderful world of nobility was even darker than the black market, mainly because the darkness of the black market was created by them in the first place, even if only through their demand for it. I was under no illusions that those god-like people didn¡¯t have a hand in everything that went on in their kingdom, good and bad. The influence they wielded should never be disregarded. But even knowing all of that, I still didn¡¯t care. I spoke my thoughts. ¡°Right now, they think I¡¯m just an idiot who doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s dealing with. They won¡¯t do anything to me yet.¡± ¡°The parents won¡¯t, but the children will.¡± ¡°Let them try. Ravon is lucky I didn¡¯t shatter the right side of his skull. He¡¯ll think twice before testing me again. And besides, I have more experience fighting people than Scourge beasts. There isn¡¯t a single student at the Magisterium I couldn¡¯t kill.¡± ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s true. But don¡¯t walk down the path of no return. If you keep pushing, they will find an excuse. So if you don¡¯t want to live the rest of your life hiding inside that fancy hotel room of yours, then learn to either bear with the harassment or avoid it.¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t respond. Although I understood that, I didn¡¯t like it at all. Until I had the power to face them on equal grounds or at least survive any underhanded machinations they sent my way, I couldn¡¯t be so brazen. Suddenly, I had a thought. Tapping my Aerial, I activated the rudimentary browser and searched for the Black Spider Repository. From there I searched the bounties before finding my name. And perhaps unsurprisingly, my bounty increased. From a measly 40 to a clean 100 thousand coin, over double the previous amount. There were also a few more details on me and my whereabouts. It seemed some people had decided that my existence was annoying, so they were contributing more to take me out. First it was only those from the Trenches, but now, it seemed that my notoriety was rapidly spreading through the noble circles. There would be more eager hunters, and ones not so easy to deal with. Perhaps that hunter who attacked during my date with Vetsmon had jumped at the opportunity, hoping I was an easy target. And he would only be the first of many. The details under my name said that I was Authority 5 as well, so I would be getting hunted by those at or above that caliber. There was a very real threat to my life, not that there ever hadn¡¯t been. I would need to start taking more precautions, even when around my friends. And I had a feeling that Aura would be my most important lifeline. No different than a radar for hostiles, it would be a crucial source of immediate information. My breath was long as I pondered the future. But soon enough the entire Polaris Headquarters was interrupted by the presence of a rather esteemed but unannounced guest. I could feel her presence before she even arrived. Maxwell was more perceptive than I was, and together, we left the room as we heard a commotion outside. A dozen guards had responded as Duchess Talerria stormed into the compound. And at the helm was someone I had never seen before, yet someone who very obviously held a high status. Or, I should say the highest status. I quickly recognized her from one of the bounties on the Repository. The Head of the Polaris Family, Luna, an Authority 10+ Warlock. She was a woman with bright platinum hair. The evening moon seemed to highlight her gorgeous locks like a spotlight, perhaps the origin of her name. And she wore a gentle set of white and blue robes held up by a thick sash. Her hair was bundled up around the collar of her robes, and together with her button nose, she was shockingly cute for a woman who should be rather old. But her regal was even above that of the Duchess. She stood before her as an equal yet the grace by which she carried herself made it seem like she held dignity well above the other. One looked too high to be touched or challenged, while the other didn¡¯t give a damn. The Duchess also wasn¡¯t in the mood for delays, so she came with a certain level of hostility. Thankfully we had appeared before any of those hostilities could be exchanged. When the Duchess saw me, the direction of her gaze also attracted the Polaris Head, both of their gazes landing on Maxwell and I. The Duchess jumped, her figure bounding over the heads of everyone present and landing before me. That¡¯s when her gaze flickered and shot past me, sensing the fluctuations in the nearby room. So she walked past me too, entering Maxwell¡¯s study with hurried steps. The two, no, three of us followed and entered the room. Maxwell sighed as he did so, and I could clearly sense the Head on my heels. Everyone¡¯s sight landed on Umara in the chair, and an audible sigh could be heard. It seemed that after finally getting a read on her condition, the Duchess was okay. Then, she looked at Maxwell, her first words being spoken. ¡°Thank you for taking care of my daughter, Sir Albarain.¡± ¡°Mm. John didn¡¯t give me much of a choice after he came barging through my door. But rest assured my tools are top quality.¡± ¡°Yes, I noticed.¡± She nodded before turning her gaze to me.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Thank you as well, for your quick thinking, though I¡¯m not sure how I feel about you being with my daughter this late into the night.¡± ¡°I was just helping her train. I didn¡¯t even know anything about enlightenments either. I thought it was an advancement, so I brought her to the only place I could think of.¡± ¡°Well it¡¯s certainly an unpredictable event. I will ask her about it afterward. But for now I have no more worries. Lady Luna, I apologize for my intrusion.¡± The Duchess turned back around, facing Luna in the doorway. She stood there with a smile on her face, undisturbed by the sudden events. ¡°It¡¯s of no consequence. I suppose I should congratulate you instead on your daughter¡¯s enlightenment. At this age, she¡¯s no less than a prodigy to achieve such a feat. Truly a surprise to reward.¡± ¡°Not that I don¡¯t believe in my daughter¡¯s talent, but even I didn¡¯t expect anything like this to happen, not for a long while. Nonetheless, thank you for your hospitality.¡± ¡°Of course. Please enjoy your stay. And¡­ You are John, correct?¡± Luna suddenly turned her focus to me, but it wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t expect some attention so I just responded normally. ¡°Yes. Pleasure to meet you, Lady Luna.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. I imagine your tutelage underneath the esteemed Maxwell Albarain has been more than fruitful.¡± ¡°Yes, it has. I thank you for the opportunity back then to receive his teachings when I was just an upcoming summoner.¡± ¡°Well, Tavera had been merely fulfilling one of my old requests to provide me with a talented but new summoner. I had started to believe that he would just ignore it for another year, but then you came along and impressed him. Who would¡¯ve thought that you¡¯d grown into such notoriety so quickly? Even I have heard of the American bringing just havoc to the Trenches.¡± ¡°Heh, I was only trying to stay alive.¡± I just chuckled as she looked me up and down. Once she seemed satisfied, she nodded to all those present, giving a goodbye before seeing herself out. The Duchess took a nearby seat with a sigh, crossing her legs while watching her daughter. She obviously didn¡¯t plan on going anywhere. And since that was the only seat besides the one behind the desk, I sat against a wall. I didn¡¯t plan on leaving either. Maxwell looked at both of us before shooting me a glare and sitting behind his desk. And so all three of us sat in silence. I did some work on my advancement formation since I was waiting anyway. But after another hour passed, we all felt some changes. Umara groaned while all the nearby Magika started getting sucked into her body. ¡°Dear? Can you hear me?¡± ¡°Agh¡­ Mom?¡± "Expel your Mana! Quickly!¡± The Duchess tried to help her, and Umara seemed to gain enough of her mental faculties back to listen. She started wielding her mana and casting several spells all at once. All of them were air spells, and I started to notice various effects. At first I heard some vibrations, like a low resonance frequency similar to bass. Then I heard nothing at all as the ground started to shake, bookshelves being rattled. It was the spell I had inspired her to create. Even the Duchess was surprised by its effects. However, after some time, even the ground shaking stopped. Yet, the spells that were releasing a constant low frequency were still active. My eyes widened. There was a new spell being cast, and however it worked, it canceled out sounds entirely without releasing any of the energy into something like the ground. Speaking of noise cancellation, I couldn¡¯t help but remember some modern technology. I remembered a term called destructive interference whereby one noise would combine with another and cancel each other out. I didn¡¯t know the specifics, but if that was what Umara was doing, then I would be incredibly impressed. I had mentioned something along those lines but didn¡¯t get into it much when I was teaching her. Most of my knowledge was basic, like how sound wasn¡¯t just a vibration but a wave of pressure traveling through a medium. It had highs and lows, frequencies and amplitudes, even if we couldn¡¯t perceive them. But it wasn¡¯t like I had a PhD in physics or acoustics. I taught her a lot, even things that seemed completely unrelated to sound. I just wanted to get my knowledge out. But it seemed that in her efforts to translate that knowledge into magical insights, she had discovered more than I knew. Warlocks probably understood scientific concepts intimately. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there were warlocks out there who could turn lead into gold because they knew all about the fundamental forces, atomic configurations, fission and fusion. But that didn¡¯t mean they could put it into words, which was why technology in this world was still lacking advancement. It would take summoners to study science and realize that more could be achieved without magic in order to take this world further. And I was sure once they did, they could even surpass Earth, and quicker at that. Magic was too useful. If Earth suddenly gained magic then the already exponential technological growth would increase by another magnitude. We would probably be colonizing planets not long after, maybe even terraforming them given a few decades to get used to the changes. But even disregarding the technology, as proven by Umara, science could help warlocks understand their magic, or their elements, in different ways. It would help them directly, not just in making spells, but by increasing their understanding of the element and making them stronger. For them, knowledge was power. Except, all their knowledge came in the form of feelings instead of hard math. It also meant that my modern knowledge was far more valuable than I thought. If I could spread scientific knowledge to the entire kingdom, then the entire warlock class would jump in strength. That meant that humanity¡¯s combat power as a whole would increase by a significant percentage. Enlightenments, which were considered rare, may become merely uncommon, perhaps even a standard. And as my girlfriend, Umara would benefit the most. She would no doubt hound me for more knowledge later, and I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to oblige her. Even disregarding our relationship, she was a battle partner, someone who I would trust my back to, someone who stood by my side under siege. The more powerful she was, the safer I would be. Not only that, but I was curious to see how far she could take my knowledge. I was also eager to spill my knowledge anyway. After all, the information in my head brought over from a modern Earth was what set me apart from everyone else on this planet. Perhaps it was a bit childish of me, but it made me feel special. Especially when Umara was able to understand it. Whenever she was able to grasp the concepts, I felt like a new bridge was built between us that could close the gap in our relationship. A gap that was no doubt created by my own psyche. In the back of my head, I was always aware that everyone around me was naive to many of the things that I took as common sense. While humans had always understood the world around them through instinct, it was our academia that brought us far beyond the animals which could do the same. This world hadn¡¯t even had an industrial revolution, and at the rate it was going, it would take another couple centuries for it to begin one. Even then, it was advancing more in the magical sector than the science sector. While I understood that magic could do a lot, I was inclined to believe that science could do even more. A magical revolution? Was that even possible for them? Unlocking magical abilities required a powerful caster, so they would always be stuck behind a wall unless the few Authority 12 warlocks were able to enable the rest of their lessers to break past it with some esoteric practices. Even then, it wasn¡¯t like they could just pass their abilities down. There was only one thing I could think of that might trigger a magical revolution similar to an industrial revolution. Enchanting. Take my Aerial as an example, magic could be programmed to do complex tasks just like a computer. Sawn was already creating a magic internet, but I had yet to see any factories full of automated machines. I felt like he was skipping a few steps, but it wasn¡¯t like he could be blamed for nobody else innovating like he was. Or perhaps I was just ignorant and there was much more going on than I was privy to being a mere consumer. Nevertheless, if enchanting was a craft that didn¡¯t rely on the authority of a warlock, but their knowledge and ability to create magical software, then it was possible that I had been brought to this world right as it was beginning something similar to an industrial revolution, but for magic. The only issue was resources. Every enchantment had to be run by a Crystal, which could only be sourced from killing Scourge beasts and purifying their Black Crystals. Their only advantage was how White Crystals seemed to be an infinite source of magical power, at least from the little I¡¯ve seen. It passively recovered its Magika without any input, something that defied all laws of physics. It simply generated energy out of nothing, or at least, nothing that we could perceive. And whatever its source of energy was, it seemed infinite as well. But even with that advantage, Crystal supplies were incredibly limited and paid for in human lives. Even the least powerful ones were expensive, let alone anything above that. So unlike machines that could be built with the seemingly limitless supplies of metals from the ground, enchanted devices would always remain in short supply and would never be allowed to exceed a certain scale, no matter how amazing the field of enchanting became. So even a magical revolution was likely to only affect the noble class whereas the commoners would see little to none of its benefits. Unless¡­ there was a way to create Crystals. Scourge beasts grew them in their bodies. Who was to say that such a process couldn¡¯t be artificially replicated? And if it was, would this world create an infinite source of infinite power sources? If that happened, then the magical revolution might cause seismic shifts far more drastic than the industrial revolution on Earth. Hm, more food for thought. Chapter 67: Enlightenment Umara¡¯s advancement lasted several hours, through which she received tempering on the level of my own. It seemed that whatever tempering she had gone through before with her mother wasn¡¯t an actual tempering. In fact, her tempering was only prompted by her enlightenment. Did Warlocks need to enlighten themselves to receive the tempering? I thought of this question and decided to ask the Duchess since she definitely knew about it. The answer was a surprising affirmative. ¡°To achieve a beyond perfection understanding of one¡¯s element will earn a warlock the right to open themselves to greater power, which we take advantage of through the tempering process. However, an enlightenment can only be achieved after one has cultivated a perfect elemental affinity through advancing their authorities.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± There was the limitation. Enlightenments couldn¡¯t be received back to back. The only reason Umara was able to get enlightened this time was because she already had a perfect affinity for Air, something that had taken her three authorities to cultivate. She wouldn¡¯t be able to do so for Fire, her next element, until after her advancement to Authority 7. But my knowledge would still ensure that she would have perfect advancements and achieve a perfect affinity in the first place. After a bit more discussion with the Duchess, I learned that the reason advancements became more difficult through higher Authorities was because cultivating multiple affinities actually worked against the warlock. According to her, cultivating one element filled the world around them with a fog that was the elemental energy of Mana. At first it was dim, becoming thicker until it became a perfectly precise but ever present nebula. And, although it was precise, it still got in the way of clearly seeing the other elements. It was like putting multiple veils in front of your eyes and being expected to make out the sights in front of you. The more veils, the harder it was, even if the veils became clearer to you in the process. To cultivate the fourth element was the most difficult thing a warlock could do as they would have to see through three veils that all but made their final element imperceptible. In fact, it was said that the barrier to the 10th Authority was harder to surpass than the barrier to the 11th as the 10th Authority required one to glimpse a dim, barely perceptible fog behind the veils that already made it close to impossible to see anything behind them to begin with. At least an authority 11 could see a fog at all if they made it to that level. However, there was one respite that increased the chances of one being able to start cultivating their final element. One thing that made it a tiny bit easier. Enlightenments. To achieve a beyond perfect understanding of an element would also make the veil it created not as blurring. Instead of seeing something that blocked the view of the rest of the world, an enlightenment would change their view into something that was a part of the world, not atop it. They would see the element as it was in nature, not as some magical fog all around them. This made it so that their view wouldn¡¯t be blocked and they would be able to glimpse the new fogs of other elements with greater ease. However, enlightenments weren¡¯t easy. A talented warlock was lucky to be enlightened once, let alone twice or three times. What Umara did with my knowledge made her nothing short of a genius that couldn¡¯t be described by the Elite status she had earned at the Magisterium. Even her own mother hadn¡¯t expected this to happen for a long while, and she knew her best. The two were almost twins. But beyond the first enlightenment, the addition of other elements made a subsequent enlightenment much harder. That was because it required not just the understanding of the second element, but required them to reconcile their knowledge with the first as well. Basically, they had to achieve beyond perfect understandings of both and then figure out how they connected to each other, elevating both to the same level. The difficulty didn¡¯t simply add, it multiplied. But Umara¡¯s chances of doing so as the daughter of the Duchess, who inherited the talent of her mother, was already high enough to begin with. There was little doubt about her reaching Authority 10, and to do so would require an enlightenment or two to begin with. And now, with her having completed the first so early and now getting access to my knowledge, her chances were even higher. Dare I say, if we took this far enough, she would surpass her mother. While I didn¡¯t know about my own chances to reach such a level, Umara¡¯s talent was already apparent, and inheriting talent from parents was already a known and regular phenomenon. It was why the noble class was such a tight knit circle. They were able to pop out generations of powerful warriors with certainty so long as certain practices were maintained. So even if I didn¡¯t reach that level, Umara would be able to rise above me so long as I was able to feed her the knowledge. And with my growing smarts and memory that was being perfected with every advancement, my ability to do so was rapidly solidifying. So long as our relationship continued down a positive path, there was no reason why I wouldn¡¯t empower my partner. I thought of all this as Umara began to finish her advancement. By the time she was doing so, it was early morning. I looked at her drowsily as she began to groan and calm down. My previous advancement and tempering ended with me having an energized mind that forced me back awake. But for her, it seemed that, although she was bursting with power, her mind had been drained of all its energy. Not only that, but she ended up covering her eyes, complaining about oversensitivity. It seemed that whatever enhanced awareness of her element she gained was overloading her, not to mention being empowered with Psyka and Vigor. Her mind must feel like it was running a thousand miles per hour right now. And the Duchess understood her plight. She scooped up her daughter in a princess carry, which was comfortable enough to cause Umara to pass out, and gave me a deep look. ¡°Once again, I thank you, John. To have missed out on her tempering would have been a rather disastrous disadvantage for her future. You have my gratitude.¡± ¡°I¡¯m her boyfriend, so it¡¯s a given. If she is to fight beside me in the future, I want nothing more than to be confident in her strength. Her power is my happiness.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad. Not only that you would fight for her but that you seek to empower her so she can fight for herself. I am more confident in your relationship so long as you continue to display the necessary talent. If you can¡¯t keep up, then your chances to pursue her are automatically reduced to nothing.¡± ¡°...I understand.¡± It stung a little, but I knew that was the reality. My being a commoner was already enough to cause discord, not to mention how I¡¯m also a cold summoner, the weakest Magus there is in this world. If I were also talentless, then there would come a day where I would simply be killed for overstepping, let alone if I were also being rebellious like I recently had been. All the cards were stacked against me, and there was yet another reason for me to focus on getting stronger. I couldn¡¯t let my girlfriend leave me behind. How was I supposed to protect her then? But I was still confident in myself. I was already punching well above my class and I had Maxwell to back me up. The road ahead would be trying, but I was never one to back away from a challenge or risk. Quite the opposite. ¡°So you know, I am already receiving pressure from several noble families whose suitors are demanding I rid Umara of your presence. She has yet to know of this pressure since I wanted her to focus on her advancement, but now that it¡¯s over, she will be forced to deal with this. That¡¯s her responsibility since she pursued you. Just like you must meet the standard, she must also weather the consequences of her actions. Be prepared, because as her boyfriend, you will be dragged into it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it as it comes. And she will have my full support.¡± ¡°Mm. I at least know that you aren¡¯t a coward.¡± She nodded and turned, leaving the study. I felt nice getting a compliment like that, smiling through my exhaustion as she disappeared from view. I heard a groan not long after, hearing Maxwell rise from his desk. ¡°I¡¯m too old for this. Get out of here so I can finally go to sleep.¡± ¡°Sure thing. Thank you, also. You saved my ass.¡± I expressed my heartfelt thanks as he grumbled his way to the door. ¡°I know. But you should be thankful that Duchess Talerria is reasonable and well mannered. She seems very open to your presence. Any normal noble, especially on that level, would have simply forbid you from so much as speaking to their child, let alone fornicate.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t fornicated. But yea, I seemed to have struck gold.¡± ¡°And it¡¯ll be the catalyst for your rise or the harbinger of your downfall. Play your cards well, John, and be diligent. Fail, and your little boat will be overturned by the wrath of the ocean as it feeds you to its behemoths.¡± ¡°Or kill the behemoths.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to kill them to beat them. You just have to refuse to die. So hurry up and get better. I¡¯m giving you until the end of your time at the Magisterium to advance to Authority 5. That is around 7 months from now. After that, you¡¯ll be released into treacherous waters, but by then, you should be capable of at least weathering some storms.¡± He dispensed wisdom while leaving the study. Beyond that, he didn¡¯t say anything else, waving me off so he could get his beauty sleep. I left as well. Still, I wondered about Umara. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. If the Duchess was made aware of my knowledge and understood that it could actually enhance the knowledge of a warlock, would she seek to take it? Would I have to write her a bunch of science textbooks? I would have to be a bit more careful from now on. That, or duck under the wing of Sawn Industries faster than I intended. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°So do you want to tell me what happened?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Umara hummed as she stuffed her face full of food. She was starting to realize why John always ate so much. If his body was enhanced like this, it was no wonder he needed so much fuel. Still, she felt better than she ever had. She could see how John had managed to perform so well just after advancing once. Sure, she couldn¡¯t use Vigor or Psyka, but it still gave her benefits. Small benefits, but for her who had nothing before, it felt like a transformation. After satiating the worst of her hunger, Umara glanced at her mother, who sat at the side of her bed patiently. Neither she nor her mother were stupid. She shouldn¡¯t have been enlightened this fast and the only outlier was John. She had already spoken of his esoteric knowledge before, and now, Umara understood that it was far more valuable than she initially realized. It gave her an entirely new understanding of the world around her and became the catalyst for a beyond perfect understanding of her element. It was revolutionary knowledge that could affect the entire warlock class, and if she wasn¡¯t careful, she would put John in a bad position. And both of them already had a lot on their plate. But she trusted her mother. Trusted her enough not to chain John up and force him to spill all his knowledge. At the same time though, she decided that in this moment, she had the advantage. Duchess Talerria was as shrewd as she was direct. Not just anyone could run the second most economically successful city in the Kingdom without having profound business acumen, even if they had a whole host of advisors to help them. But she struck a balance between the economics and the militarization of resources. As the Commanding power of the Warlock Corps, she naturally knew how to demand certain things of certain people, how to simply supersede the negotiation table without degrading or devaluing the person in front of her. And Umara, as the first born daughter and someone who inherited her mother¡¯s psyche, had learned about all of this extensively. Her own acumen was rarely used since she was biding her time at the Magisterium. But that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t understand how to take advantage of the things she had. So for the first time in a while, she started to scheme ahead. While eating food, of course. ¡°Remember when I spoke to you about John¡¯s weird knowledge?¡± ¡°After your return from your first trip, yes.¡± ¡°Well, he was telling me about some things, seeing if it would help me make some better spells. He had to explain it with some examples and a lot of flailing arms, but he got the point across and before I knew it, I figured out another way to cancel out sound.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°By simply redirecting it into the ground.¡± She raised her hand, knocking on the wood of her bed frame. ¡°Sound is a vibration, and vibrations deliver force onto all tangible objects. When it vibrates the air, we hear sound. When it vibrates something solid like wood, it simply sends the force through the object. Same with a liquid.¡± *Ting!* She tapped a glass cup with her fingernail, causing the water within to vibrate. ¡°The fluctuations of the water are merely visualizations of sound. So, using all this knowledge, I figured out how to simply redirect the vibrations in the air into the ground. There, it would simply dissipate into the world, never to be heard by any living creature beyond or within the field I created. Even John said that he couldn¡¯t hear his own voice, though he still felt the vibrations caused by the yelling in his throat.¡± ¡°...That is certainly interesting.¡± The Duchess leaned back, pondering her words. ¡°Redirecting vibrations. The only issue I can see with it is how the ground doesn¡¯t absorb all of the vibrations. Like when you tapped your bed frame, we still heard sound. The wood obviously just sent out more sound.¡± ¡°But the ground does absorb sound. My knock creating sounds was simply a release of energy caused by the impact which also caused vibrations. The vibrating wood created vibrating air which created sound. But if I force the sound into the rigid object, all that energy will be dispersed into it and anything around it, eliminating sound. Especially the ground, which can absorb limitless sound.¡± ¡°...¡± The Duchess leaned back in thought while Umara began to come to her own understanding. She was beginning to realize how John felt while explaining all of this to her. She believed in his words and didn¡¯t have a hard time accepting it, especially how there were plenty of mysterious things about him anyway. Some knowledge about the world around them wasn¡¯t all that difficult to wrap her head around. But warlocks didn¡¯t understand the world around them in words. They understood it by their feelings. Just sitting there she could feel all the sounds and movements of air around them. She recognized the oscillating waves that collided with her window, meaning there were sounds coming from the outside. Even the breath of her mother caused sound waves to form. Some of the energy she released became movement, or as John called it, kinetic energy, while everything else turned into vibrations that propagated through the air around them. Through her enlightenment, she was able to rectify John¡¯s knowledge with everything she felt. But the only reason she found those feelings in the first place was because of his education. And her mother had gone through an enlightenment for her Air element as well. She knew more than herself. But even then, she still had a hard time understanding what was being said. It went to show how wide the gap was between the science and a warlock¡¯s personal understanding. Umara scratched her head. She didn¡¯t know everything that John did. He obviously had a much deeper understanding of everything himself, so she wouldn¡¯t be able to explain it like he did. She had learned about all different types of energy and those associated with acoustics and gases. But she didn¡¯t quite know why everything was that way. For now, she was simply believing in him blindly, mainly because she had verified it in her own special way as well. ¡°Alright, think of this¡­¡± Umara went back to trying to explain. She even explained the theories behind her noise cancellation, not just redirection. And it was only after some time that her mother started to understand. She could already do all of this with her spells, far more than Umara could, but only now was she finally starting to describe it in regular human terms. And Umara did her best to make her understand not just the knowledge, but how valuable it was. Couldn¡¯t sell something unless the other party knew just how much it was worth. And over time, her mother did in fact come to realize this. After all, it had resulted in her own enlightenment. But it didn¡¯t seem like she was entirely convinced. ¡°I understand what you''re trying to say, dear. But I don¡¯t believe even you entirely know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°No, not entirely. John does, though even he says that what he knows only scratches the surface. But I do know that his knowledge can help the entire warlock class. It¡¯s a new way to comprehend the elements.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± The Duchess only nodded. Umara could tell that she still didn¡¯t understand what she was saying. So she sighed and gave up. For now. John being valuable beyond his own power would mean that they could garner more support, especially from the Duchess. Umara didn¡¯t forget how she had done nothing to back either of them up at the party, and that was intentional. She knew her mother wouldn¡¯t coddle her, and now that she had advanced, she would be facing the pressure of other nobles who didn¡¯t approve of her relationship with John. So she needed to give her a reason to support them. She hoped this would be one of those things. And perhaps she would have to prove the worth of her knowledge using herself. That would take time, so she didn¡¯t press the issue for now. Finishing the last of her food, she rose from her bed and left the room with her mother. The two went straight to a study within their mansion, which Umara had been returned to when she was unconscious. And inside they found Duke Talerria, Umara¡¯s father. ¡°Ikhor.¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, Talexia. And my Authority 5 daughter. How are you feeling?¡± Ikhor stood, revealing his burly figure from behind a mahogany desk holding stacks of papers. Umara gave him a hug when he stepped out from behind it. Her father was an Authority 10 Knight and had muscles like steel. He was also completely riddled with scars, trophies from his years of military service. Rugged yet smart and wise. ¡°I¡¯m feeling great.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I heard that you underwent a proper tempering during your enlightenment. How are your reflexes?¡± ¡°Hm?!¡± Umara jolted when she saw her father flicker, shooting toward her with blinding speed. She was barely able to keep up, raising a hand and instinctually casting a spell. The air in front of her was compressed, meeting his outstretched palm and exploding. His palm stopped in its tracks only two feet in front of her face while the air was kicked up like a hurricane all around them, several books flying out of their bookshelves and dusty corners wisping out of their coves. Ikhor smiled. ¡°Very good. With Psyka, your mind will operate faster. And with Vigor, your body will be able to keep up with your mind. Of course, these things will forever remain a mere supplement to your magic, another tool for survival. Keep up your training.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Umara smiled, shaking her stinging hand. Her father¡¯s palm was an unbreakable wall, so the compressed air which was supposed to stop it had rebounded and hit her own. Still, even she was surprised about her own ability to cast that spell. And there was one detail, or lack of it, that indicated her enlightenment. The lack of a proper spell. When a warlock cast a spell, they wrote the formation into the world and activated it. But she didn¡¯t have to for air spells now after achieving a beyond perfect understanding. In fact, air spells in general were now far more powerful as well as far less costly. There was a reason enlightenments were such a big deal. They boosted a warlock¡¯s combat ability by several times. Umara, despite having just advanced to Authority 5, was now on the level of a late Authority 5 warlock, if not an Authority 6. She was already able to fight above her own level, just like John did. And in time, she would grow into her new power, widening the gap between her and those of her level. When her father pat her on the shoulder and squeezed, she chuckled and fought his vice grip, the two walking out of the study. The Duchess followed them with a smile. They descended the mansion stairs, entering another room where a young girl was studying beside a tutor. Seeing her family, she took the chance and ditched the book in front of her. ¡°Papa!¡± ¡°Look at you. Eager to study eh?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like books. I like training the spear with you!¡± ¡°Well you still have some time before you finally awaken. Training can only do so much before then.¡± ¡°I know. Study hard so that I can enter the Magisterium.¡± She sat herself back down cutely, seeing how she wasn¡¯t going to be training today. Umara went over and ruffled her thick brown hair. Feay Talerria was 14 years old and had thick brown hair like her father. But she inherited the sharp face of her mother like Umara did, giving her a fierce look. Other than that, she had the disposition of her father. And according to the Crest that looked like a mess of vertical lines across the back of her hand, she was already determined to be a future knight, inheriting the talent of her father. She would activate her Crest in two years and then enter the Magisterium. Before then, she had to learn enough to get in the conventional way. Seeing that Crest, Umara remembered John¡¯s 13 star crest. She had been told that he hadn¡¯t even been cultivating his Authorities for a year yet, unlike them who had taken four years to get to their current level. He had been advancing on a monthly basis for 3 Authorities. She wondered about the circumstances around that. He told her that he came to the Capital from a village. But he hadn¡¯t actually lived there. He had lived in that place called Earth. But then why hadn¡¯t he activated his Crest earlier? Why had he taken so long to start cultivating his Authorities? And how did he do it so fast? She got curious. There were too many things she wanted to find out about him. Chapter 68: Charity After the Duchess whisked my girlfriend away, she didn¡¯t return for the next two days. And since I was suspended, I had nothing to do with the Magisterium and didn¡¯t have much to do. So in the meantime, I spent most of my day working on the new advancement formation and searching through my dimension for any cool weapons. I didn¡¯t find any, mainly because higher dimensions were deeper and much more difficult to search unless my Psyka became powerful enough to Project further into it. So it would take time to scour and find new or exotic weapons within. But I couldn¡¯t stay cooped up in my room all day, so since I had free time, I decided to take on some jobs. Of course, when Plex heard that I wanted some work, he sent me straight to the Trenches, the petty bastard. So I had my work cut out for me, but it wasn¡¯t like the money wasn''t good so I didn¡¯t complain that much. My weapons were also better so I had a much easier time. The only thing that could pull me away from those two things was when a friend wanted to hangout. Feiden often talked to me and invited me out, and Vetsmon would usually tag along. Speaking of the big guy, Vetsmon seemed to have come to terms with what I did after a day or two of thought. At the very least, we were able to interact normally. He didn¡¯t seem to have any issues with it, or maybe just not an issue with me doing it. He might not like it but it wasn¡¯t like I could just tell all those after my head to leave me alone. Besides, the big lug was constantly worried about courting Tana. Sure enough, she was denser than lead. Vetsmon had actually managed to plan a date, but she didn¡¯t take it as a date at all from what he told me. I wished him luck in his endeavors. 10 days of no school was nice besides the fact that I didn¡¯t get to practice any scenarios. While I didn¡¯t technically need it, my squad was supposed to be working on our coordination. 10 days worth of scenarios and hunting was a lot to miss out on. The Puppet Master worked around it, I heard. Scenarios like protecting a stationary target from an onslaught seemed to be the favorite right now. He wanted them to know how to protect me, the most fragile person in the squad, so that¡¯s all they worked on. Well, it wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t get practice in the Trenches, so I wasn¡¯t that worried. The day before we were supposed to leave for the next trip was the end of my suspension, so I just waited until then. Besides the occasional scare from an unwelcome hunter, my life for that week and a half was uneventful. Even when Umara came back, our time together was largely spent talking about science. I was right. She wanted to know everything I did. It was good that my memory was becoming better. I could remember the science and math better from all of my highschool and college classes. Those days of slogging through chemistry, physics, and engineering work for my degree was actually being utilized, albeit only conceptually. All the math like calculus was close to worthless for Umara. But since she only needed conceptual knowledge, all those thousands of hours I¡¯d spent looking through articles about obscure scientific topics I found interesting on the internet or in videos came in really handy. Falling down those rabbit holes of intellectual curiosity was too easy, much to the dismay of my sleep schedule back then. So I was armed with a wide array of knowledge about dozens of topics that might help her. The only hard part was remembering specific details, which my strong mind was helping with. Otherwise I''d be screwed. So I didn¡¯t know everything, but I did know plenty to help Umara. Right now, her biggest focus was everything related to the Fire element, or in other words, thermal energy, plasma, and combustion. It was a good thing that I found joy in spilling all this knowledge, yet sometimes it could still be a bit of a chore. Mainly because I had to explain the most basic scientific concepts about the world around us for her to begin understanding the more complex ones, which took hours. At least she knew how to reward me for all the hard work. Those hours late into the night were always fun. ¡­¡­ ¡­ 3 days before leave¡­ As per our discussion from the night before, Umara and I went out shopping. Not to prepare for the upcoming trip, but to buy an essential item. So long as I wore my coat properly, it would protect everything from my neck down to my shins. So the only vulnerable parts of my body were my feet and head. I had tough boots and in general, my feet weren¡¯t much of a concern, though Umara still insisted that I buy another pair. So I bought a jet black pair of combat boots. They were shockingly comfortable, completely immune to the elements, slightly temperature regulated, had some features to enhance grip on all kinds of surfaces, and most importantly, durable. The leather it was made out of was known for its durability without sacrificing flexibility. It was made in such a way that I could maneuver and run all I wanted yet was rigid enough to survive the crushing attacks from an Authority 8 beast, preventing my lower legs from becoming paste. And if I encountered something stronger than that, I would have bigger problems than protecting my feet. Those boots cost me 170 thousand coin, taking another chunk out of my savings. I didn¡¯t actually believe I needed such good boots, but Umara insisted that I get them. And she insisted pretty hard, which had me a bit confused. She didn¡¯t want me to save money on them, going for something rather overkill. And I agreed that I needed to keep myself safe, but her attitude toward it threw me off a bit. Like she was planning something. I threw that to the back of my mind as we arrived at another shop. It was a place that specialized in helmets and hats to protect the head, something I needed right now. But there were a few issues I had with anything that covered my head. For one, it could reduce my field of view. That was significantly detrimental to my ability to shoot and maintain awareness. But apparently, that was only an issue with cheaper helmets. Most helmets beyond a certain price point had features to fix that problem. After all, knights couldn¡¯t get tunnel vision either. With that in mind, we entered the store and immediately saw several items on display. I looked between several shelves, but I didn¡¯t find anything that looked familiar. There were hats similar to bowler hats, even top hats. But the selection of hats in general was rather slim. I could imagine why. Protecting the head was nothing to be half assed with, and fabric or leather hats simply didn¡¯t offer good protection against claws, crushing, or projectiles. Or, it didn¡¯t seem like there were many hats that were built with that in mind. ¡°Welcome, sir and misses. How can I assist you today?¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking for head protection. For a summoner.¡± ¡°A summoner? I see.¡± The clerk seemed a bit surprised but ran with it anyway. I could imagine they didn¡¯t get many summoners in general. ¡°Well, a piece for a summoner immediately narrows down the selection. Come, let me show you.¡± He waved us along, the two of us following to the back of the store where he showed off a single shelf with some mannequin heads wearing various pieces of headgear. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Knights have heads hard enough to wear solid metal helmets. But put a summoner inside the same helmet, and his brain would be turned to soup with a single blow. For warlocks, and summoners, we choose to utilize softer means of protection. We do in fact have rigid headgear with pure impact reduction in mind, but at the higher price range, we offer hybrid pieces that are rigid yet flexible, mitigating impacts like a helmet without delivering it all to the head inside. This piece right here is one of our best.¡± He grabbed a head with a hood on it. It certainly was flexible like a fabric, but I could also tell from the way he moved it that it didn¡¯t simply bend when told to. Seeing that Umara was interested, he described it. ¡°This hood protects everything except the face. We offer pieces that are meant to be paired with this hood, like a mask. As you can imagine, different pieces need to be built in different ways. Anyway, the hood is capable of mitigating the impact of a piercing arrow shot by an Authority 5 knight and preventing all trauma to the head. That might not seem like much, but you have to keep in mind the piercing aspect. If it¡¯s a blunt object, like a rock or a bludgeoning blow from a Scourge beast, then this can mitigate far more, up to Authority 7.¡± ¡°...What do you think of a hood?¡± Umara suddenly asked me, making me ponder. ¡°Besides the fact that it needs a mask, it seems good. Better than a metal can.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have that one air mask? How good is it?¡± ¡°Not sure.¡± I brought out the air mask, showing it to the clerk. ¡°This thing gives the wearer greater stamina and filters air.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve seen similar functions. But this mask isn''t built for much protection. The leather looks basic. Its value is in its enchantments and Crystal.¡± ¡°Alright. Would you be able to upgrade this mask? Keep the filtering and stamina properties but make it stronger?¡± ¡°I could, but if you¡¯re looking to pair it with this hood, then it¡¯ll be a significant change. This only covers half the face, and you surely don¡¯t want to leave the rest of your face exposed. I can already see you¡¯ve had some experience in that regard.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± I chuckled when he pointed out my scars. By now everything had healed over, but they still looked gnarly and were unmistakable. He inspected the mask a bit more before rubbing his chin. ¡°How about this? You buy the hood and I¡¯ll give you a discount on a custom made mask. I¡¯ll strip this one for its materials and reuse them, giving you something similar to our masks but retaining the functions within this one.¡± ¡°That sounds good.¡± ¡°Very well. Come see our selection of masks.¡± He brought us over to another shelf, showing some masks off. The ones that were meant to be worn with the hood were all semi-rigid. If hit with a projectile, it would focus on deflecting it using the curves of the face. So it was more rigid than the hood but not on the level of a metal helmet. I pondered for a while before Umara tapped my shoulder. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Keep looking and come over to the counter when you decide. I¡¯m going to talk to the clerk.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°About your hood. Just some of the details like the materials and fit. Or do you know about all the different types of materials?¡± ¡°...Fine.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± She chuckled and tiptoed, giving me a kiss on the cheek before walking away with the clerk. I looked around a bit more before choosing one particular type of mask. It was one that integrated with the hood well yet didn¡¯t cover anything above the cheeks. It was more flush against the face and protected two thirds of the face instead of just half. I chose it for less intrusiveness, keeping my field of view unobstructed. Besides, the hood would come down to just above my eyebrows anyway, so technically everything but a thin area for my eyes would be covered. There were full face coverings, but those were far more expensive due to the complex enchantments that retained sight through the mask. I didn¡¯t feel like paying that much. So after I chose the mask, I went back to the clerk where Umara seemed to have finished her discussion. I handed it to him. ¡°This one.¡± ¡°Ah, good choice. Your partner also said that this hood would be worn with the coat you¡¯re wearing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Very well. It will be built to accommodate that. On top of all this, the two items will come stored in the form of a neck band for easy deployment. Now, if you don¡¯t mind holding still for a moment¡­¡± He spoke while waving his hand, a measurement spell appearing around my head and neck. Once he got those measurements it disappeared. ¡°Alright, with the mask, I have everything I need.¡± ¡°Okay. So how much is the order?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Umara answered for him, causing my brows to raise. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the price. I¡¯m paying.¡± ¡°...A moment, please.¡± I grabbed my girlfriend and pulled her the the back room where we got some privacy. And I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m paying for this piece of gear. Look, you spent all that money on a suit because of me. And I don¡¯t want you spending any more. So I¡¯m taking care of it.¡± ¡°You know I can¡¯t let you do that. I can already tell this is going to come out to a few hundred thousand coin. So just let me pay.¡± ¡°No!¡± Just as I turned to go back to the clerk, Umara grabbed my arm with a shockingly strong grip. It seemed her tempering brought her rather close to my own level of strength. She spoke in a dead serious tone. ¡°You¡¯re letting me do this, John. I¡¯m not asking.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I should be paying for myself, and I can, so I will.¡± ¡°Then consider this a gift from me, because you¡¯re not taking out a single coin. Think of it as repayment for the enlightenment you gave me.¡± ¡°You would¡¯ve done it yourself anyway. It¡¯s nothing to repay me for.¡± ¡°You¡¯re obviously not realizing how big of a deal an enlightenment is if you¡¯re saying that. But besides that, why are you so reluctant? You¡¯ve already spent close to half of your savings. I just want to help you.¡± She pulled me back toward her, looking me in the eye. I felt myself frowning, my mood darkening. Was I money insecure? No. I could spend money rather easily, mainly because I didn¡¯t spend it on stupid crap. If there was something I needed or wanted with good reason, I got it. But that didn¡¯t apply to others. If there was one thing I didn¡¯t like about my time in this world¡­ It was all the charity I had to receive from everyone. I looked at Umara¡¯s concerned eyes and sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t take any more. I¡¯ve already been given too much. It feels like I¡¯m not doing anything for anyone else despite being taken care of so well. And now I finally have the money to at least take care of myself. So unless I have no choice, I won¡¯t ask anyone for help. There¡¯s no reason I shouldn¡¯t be able to take care of everything myself.¡± ¡°...I didn¡¯t realize you felt that way. So you¡¯re fine if you¡¯re the one that¡¯s going broke, but as soon as anyone else wants to help you, you get defensive.¡± ¡°I-¡± ¡°Look John, allow me to explain what makes an Enlightenment so valuable.¡± She looked me in the eyes, not allowing room to refute. ¡°For one, Enlightenments can¡¯t be paid for. And if they could be, my mother would spend hundreds of millions of coin if it meant I could get one, especially this early in my life. Yes, I would have gotten my enlightenment eventually, but it would have been within the next decade. What you¡¯ve done has brought me incalculable benefits and advantages for the future. So buying a mere hood that might preserve the life of my boyfriend is a worthwhile exchange. To deny me this is an insult to my generosity. Do you understand that?¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t respond, the two of us staring at each other and neither willing to stand down. I understood it, but I didn¡¯t like it. Yet another thing being given to me. A home at the nicest hotel in the city, given for free. A coat that¡¯s saved my life more than once, given for free. The best Summoner Call and an entirely new advancement path capable of bringing me to heights never before seen by summoners, given for free. A job that allowed me to make substantial amounts of money and brought vast connections with people who have opened doors and given me opportunities for betterment, all for free. How much more did I have to take before I could finally start giving back? Or maybe it was just my pride getting in the way. Perhaps both points were valid. I closed my eyes, feeling the conflict within my mind and unwillingness to come to a conclusion. When I opened them, I didn¡¯t see Umara before me. Turning, I could hear her conversation with the clerk as she undoubtedly took care of the bill. How pathetic. I can¡¯t even get my own armor. I sighed and walked out. She wrapped up the sale as I did so, and soon, we left the store. She took my arm as we took to the streets of the Founder¡¯s Market. We headed out and back toward the Hotel. As we crossed the city, I bounced between ideas, rectifying the issue in my mind. And the conclusion I came to was that I needed to get better. If I didn¡¯t want to rely on others and instead help them, then I need to get better than I am now. I need to get to the level of all those who have supported me all this time if I wanted to give them the help I received. Whether it was making a lot more money than I ever have, or being able to utilize power far greater than I could currently imagine. It would take time, but damn if I got lazy while living on someone else¡¯s dime. ¡°Let¡¯s go train.¡± I pulled Umara along, deciding that there was no time to waste. Chapter 69: Nagalev Bastion ¡°Would you like to explain the recent expenditure?¡± Umara heard her mother¡¯s voice over the Aerial. It was a good thing she didn¡¯t decide to stay the night at John¡¯s place. She sat up in her bed, looking out the window and seeing the moon hanging over the city. ¡°It was a gift to John.¡± ¡°A gift that cost 950 thousand coin.¡± ¡°It was a piece of headgear for him. You know he needs it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the issue, dear. I¡¯m giving you the benefit of the doubt because I trust your judgment and know that you don¡¯t make such decisions without careful thought. So give me a good reason for the sudden loss of a million coin. I¡¯d like not to insult you by saying that your rationale has been completely clouded by your love for this boy.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara frowned, thinking about her words before spitting them out. ¡°Mom, if you could purchase an enlightenment, how much would you spend for it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what this is about? You seemed to be trying to sell me on the value of John¡¯s knowledge the other day. You think he actually directly caused your enlightenment?¡± ¡°Yes. He gave me a new way, the correct way, to understand and view the world around me. Or do you believe that my talent is enough to have been enlightened so early in my life?¡± ¡°...¡± Now it was her mother¡¯s turn to be silent. Admit that your daughter is far more talented than yourself, or that John¡¯s knowledge is that valuable. Umara inherited her mother¡¯s talent. It was possible that she was in fact more talented than her mother, but the chances were slim because she had reached every milestone about as quickly as her mother did. The Talerria family line was long and their talent consistent. They were a very combat oriented family, as many were, and there was very little deviation from the normal timeline of a child¡¯s development. That was the reason all noble families were so tight knit. They could go generations and constantly produce talented offspring, offering no room for another talented commoner to insert themselves into their ranks through sheer strength. Umara¡¯s enlightenment was an irregularity, and the only outlier in her life was John and his supposed knowledge. The Duchess sighed. ¡°I admit he may have played some part. But only the future can tell us if that really is the case.¡± ¡°Well, one of those possibilities is correct. Either way, I see no issue with this purchase.¡± ¡°So long as you don¡¯t push your luck. Pull another stunt like this and you¡¯ll hear from your father next. I¡¯ll trust you. Don¡¯t give me a reason not to.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. Thank you, mom.¡± ¡°Mm. One more question. Does he know how much was spent?¡± ¡°No. In fact, he was pissed that I was paying at all and I had to force it. If he knew I spent that much¡­ I¡¯m not actually sure how far he¡¯d go to reject it.¡± ¡°...Fine.¡± *Click* The call ended, leaving Umara smiling. That meant her mother approved. For now, both of them were still in the green. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡­¡­ The day of our leave approached. With my suspension over, I was able to return to Magisterium grounds. I didn¡¯t bother with checking in on classes and simply prepared for the trip. I went shopping with Umara beforehand and bought myself some more essentials. Primarily stuff for the inevitably crappy bed and other niceties that I found to be lacking at the last base. I made sure I had any and all medical supplies for myself. Changes of clothes in case I got bloody, and the new piece of armor we had picked up the day before. As little as I like letting her pay for my own gear, I had to admit that it was gear that I needed. It also looked amazing. The surface was actually made of scales, but the scales were small, making it look like a solid material until you looked closer or bent it around. The inside also had a whole swath of enchanted lines, along with an implanted White Crystal at the base of the skull. As for the mask, it integrated into the hood by wrapping around the bottom half of my face and neck, protecting everything but my eyes. And when it was stowed, it morphed and hung around my collar like a thick chain necklace. The mask retained its effects of filtering air and boosting my stamina. It was also replaced with black leather that, like the hood, matched my coat so it didn¡¯t look out of place. It was also just as durable as well. It was covered in tiny scales similar to the hood and the air that came through went through imperceptible slits in the scales that minimized weak points. It was an amazing piece of work, which made me question just how much Umara actually spent. It shouldn¡¯t have been that much since it was only supposed to protect against blunt Authority 7 attacks, but the quality made me think otherwise. Well, she wouldn¡¯t tell me no matter how much I asked. I decided there wasn¡¯t anything I could do but use it and make sure she wouldn¡¯t regret the purchase. And so, the time to leave for our next trip arrived. I packed a chest and met with all of the fourth year students at the gate. Like last time, there were plenty of carriages to take all of us to the terminal. I boarded one with my squad as the rest of the school waved us away. A quick trip to the terminal and we were on a Rail headed for a place called the Nagalev Bastion. This place, unlike the last, was much closer to what would be considered the front lines. It supposedly faced constant battles and the level of beasts there was generally much higher. It wouldn¡¯t be a surprise to find Authority 7 beasts, maybe even Authority 8. That meant the soldiers stationed there were equally strong. The ride there took an entire day and went through three stops before arriving. And this time, we weren¡¯t the only passengers. The Magisterium was only allowed to take two cabins as the rest were filled with supplies or other soldiers. So we filled the cars with rows of seats. It felt like riding an airplane. But I was okay with being cramped with Umara. Feiden did the same with his girl. It seemed he and Mira were making some good progress. Mira was the daughter of a Marquess like Feiden, so unlike Umara and I, their relationship was completely acceptable and encouraged. If time passed and they loved each other, I would be wishing him a happy life at his wedding sooner rather than later. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. As for Vetsmon and Tana, well, the big guy was trying. I cheered him on from nearby as he tried to put the moves on Tana while they sat together. She looked like she was having fun, but it was difficult to watch knowing that everything was blowing right over her head. He was getting more comfortable though. Knowing that Tana wasn¡¯t really judging him, he was able to gradually come out of his comfort zone. Umara and I didn¡¯t talk much on the trip, just resting and sleeping in the comfort of each other¡¯s arms. And we arrived at the base with rested minds. ¡°Welcome to the Nagalev Bastion.¡± The Puppet Master shouted as soldiers crowded through the terminal around us, speaking through all the chatter. All the 4th year students stood before him as luggage was unpacked. Soon, a Major General, an Authority 8 officer, came to speak with us. It was the same as the last trip. He welcomed us and since it was noon when we arrived, he went on to give us a tour. This base was much bigger than Calatrop base, at least triple the size. It had huge walls and several two story buildings just for housing along with all the main buildings for logistics and commanding. The armory was massive. There was an entire field dedicated to holding a fleet of armored personnel carriers. And when we arrived, we could already hear the sounds of battle. Soldiers along the walls were operating magical cannons while warlocks rained down hell from above. There were also knights securing the gates, occasionally launching their own attacks to soften the front lines of the enemy. There was much more activity here, especially since the population of soldiers was far bigger than Calatrop base. The Major General expressed his appreciation for our help, telling us how there was always work to be done. There were apparently three outposts several miles from this base, outposts that occasionally needed reinforcement. They suffered attacks often, so we would no doubt be going to help. The patrol missions were also frequent, as were extermination missions. Sometimes a patrol would spot groups of beasts, sending out the order for their extermination. All missions were done in at least two groups, and ones that involved scaled conflict would often be assigned a platoon of soldiers. Everything was much more dangerous, but at least for the Elites with squads of Authority 5¡¯s, it was nothing we couldn¡¯t handle within reason. If there was a chance to encounter something beyond our capabilities, we wouldn¡¯t be sent out without sufficient firepower. Once we finished the tour, we were let go to find our housing. And once I found our room, I was thankful to have bought the bedding that I did. Like the Calatrop Base, each room could fit two people. But the room was about half the size and the beds weren¡¯t as large, enough to fit a man plus a bit of room to roll around in. There was at least enough room to fit our chests and store our stuff, but that was about it. I wasn¡¯t even sure if it was bigger than the kitchen in my hotel room. On top of that, in this two story housing complex, all the girls were right above us. It was rather noisy hearing all the footsteps above us, thankfully not enough to be too irritating. Feiden and I decided to group together again, unfortunately leaving Vetsmon to fend for himself. In the end he managed to snag a room all to himself though, the lucky guy. When evening of our first day came, everyone seemed mostly situated. My squad had also taken a look at the walls and I found a few good vantage points for shooting should we come under siege. After that, we simply waited. Everyone knew that being on a military base involved nothing but boredom with short moments of excitement sprinkled in. It was just a game of hurry up and wait. ¡­¡­ The only thing I did on the second day was perch myself up on a tower and take shots at any surrounding beasts, getting a bit more practice with my Springfield. Also, I learned an interesting detail. Turns out, we wouldn¡¯t be at this base for the full month, only three weeks. The end of the year was approaching. Although I didn¡¯t often notice, it was in fact getting much colder outside. We would be released early for Christmas, which, unlike Earth, marked the end of the year and start of a new year. People would go to sleep on Christmas Eve and wake up on Christmas Day, celebrating the birth of Christ and the birth of a new year. It was the most popular holiday in this world. Every city would be celebrating it, especially the Capital. I heard that the midnight countdown was rather bombastic. Well, it was at least nice to know that we would be here for one less week. But that also meant we would get more work. Sure enough, it was on the third day that we got a mission. And not just us. Two Elite squads were being sent out. The first was ours, and the second¡­ Perhaps they were even stronger than us. The five of us arrived at a large briefing room. Inside were several officers as well as the other squad. The squad of five sat at one of the tables behind the officers. We took another nearby. We eyed each other. I saw two people I recognized and three that I didn¡¯t. The two I saw were the Rank 5 and 9 Elites, a Knight and Warlock respectively. And Umara told me about the other three, pressing up beside me with a whisper into my ear. ¡°Those are the Rank 1, 3, 5, 9, and 13 Elites. I¡¯m sure you can pick out the Rank 1.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I nodded subtly, looking toward one particular man. It was like somebody combined Feiden and Vetsmon. Tall, but not hulking, yet very obviously stronger than anyone in this room. He carried a longsword on his back and was dressed in slim and masterfully crafted armor. ¡°He¡¯s Ponteck Gulliard, the son of a Duke, and¡­ one of my suitors.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot of suitors.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of a Duchess. In any other circumstance the list would¡¯ve been tripled and I¡¯d be married by now, likely to the highest bidder.¡± ¡°What, you get auctioned off?¡± ¡°Not technically, but a marriage happens when a party is willing to offer a more beneficial alliance than all the others. It may as well be an auction. Unfortunately, Ponteck comes from a family rather close to mine, as do many of them. And given the fact that we¡¯re almost the same age, he was the most viable suitor and likely one of the most hurt by your appearance.¡± ¡°Fun.¡± I let out a small sigh, continuing to observe Ponteck. Sensing my gaze, he looked over as well, giving me a rather fierce eye. I just smiled and waved as if he were a close friend, causing him to frown and roll his eyes back to the front of the briefing room. Umara squeezed my hand under the table. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. If he tries anything, you know I¡¯ll back you up.¡± ¡°Hm, we¡¯ll just have to wait and see what he tries. Or maybe he¡¯ll be a good boy and just keep his paws to himself.¡± ¡°Like a dog?¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s closer to a bear, but yea.¡± We both chuckled, hanging around a bit more until the commanding officer finally arrived to brief us. ¡°Listen up! One of our Forward Outposts has been hit with a Scourge Tide. Right now it¡¯s still gathering, but they will need assistance soon. Everyone here is a part of the platoon we¡¯re sending out. So gather enough supplies for three days. Now, if you take a look at this map, you¡¯ll see your entry area in relation to the outpost and Tide.¡± The commanding officer went on to give a battle plan. We would be coming in from the eastern side of the outpost whereas the Tide would be coming in from the north. There was a high chance that we would be attacked while trying to enter the outpost, so that was something to be prepared for. ¡°Alright, you leave in an hour! Dismissed!¡± As soon as he gave the word, everyone rushed out of the briefing room. Time was tight. The longer we took, the higher the chance of the outpost taking considerable damage. We had to get there before the bulk of the Tide hit and the outpost was, by vehicle, about 3 hours away. We should be getting there right on time. With my squad, I went to the armory to gather some supplies before grabbing a few of my own belongings from my chest before storing everything in one of the several supply trucks going with us. After that we entered a Hummer just for our squad, waiting a bit before our driver arrived and took us away. A dozen armored vehicles rolled through the gates, speeding off into the distance. After that, we waited. I prepared some of my own weapons while the others prepared some of their armor. I chuckled while looking at my Springfield. There was one variation of this rifle that I found. While the one I first grabbed had standard iron sights, another I discovered had a ladder sight. And when I played with it, I found that it could actually zero to a whopping 2875 yards. I chuckled and showed Umara. ¡°Look at this. This gun is only really accurate to about 300 yards, and yet this sight makes you think you can even aim at something 10 times the distance, let alone hit it. Really makes you wonder what they were thinking when they made it.¡± ¡°Hm. I guess. I wonder about something else though.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°You speak of the people who made those guns like you know them. As far as I know, summons come from other worlds.¡± ¡°...Yea.¡± I went quiet. Surely she wasn¡¯t really thinking that I was from another world, right? That would be preposterous, though true. I quickly thought up an excuse. ¡°You know that I get some memories from these weapons, right? There¡¯s a lot of knowledge that comes with that. After all, how are you supposed to use something so complex when you don¡¯t know what everything on it does?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°...¡± She smiled smugly and left it there, making me feel weird. I looked around, seeing the others watching us as well. Why did it feel like I lost? I suddenly looked back over and put my hand on Umara¡¯s head, tilting her back and planting a fat kiss on her mouth from above. She flushed red when I pulled back, making me smile. ¡°Why?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting cheekier. Gotta keep you on your toes.¡± ¡°Shameless!¡± ¡°Ow.¡± She headbutted my shoulder, hiding her face from the rest of the squad. I just sat there in victory, enjoying the rest of the ride to the battlefront. Chapter 70: Telepathy ¡°You should probably wait to start shooting until we get into the outpost.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I nodded at Vetsmon¡¯s words and relaxed. We were fast approaching the outpost and I could already feel the Scourge Tide in the distance. ¡°Prepare for contact!¡± The driver shouted, Umara rising from my embrace and sticking her head out through the top hatch. Since she was a warlock, she could launch ranged spells, ones that didn¡¯t produce as much noise as I did. We didn¡¯t need to attract more attention than we already would, so for the sake of the entire convoy I refrained. I watched Umara¡¯s robes shift as she waved her arms and cast spells. Recently she had been eager to exercise her magic due to her new enlightenment. She would always come to me with new spells and new ideas, pulling on my knowledge to try and create more devastating magic. We had discussed quite a lot, and although I could only ever inspire her with my knowledge, she was really good at taking it and making something new. Not to mention that she had her mother, who herself contained vast knowledge of all kinds of spells. And she was more equipped than I to help directly, so Umara had more than enough to keep her occupied for months. Now, she could unleash her power without restraint. Sieges were unique in that you didn¡¯t have to worry about friendly fire like during other missions working with your squad. It was really a contest to see who could do the most widespread damage. I could hear the explosions from outside the car, including the whistling from Umara¡¯s own spells as she launched them into the hordes. This went on for several minutes until at one point, I felt the car roll onto a paved road. ¡°Disembark!¡± The driver shouted, prompting us all to rush out. I helped Umara down, letting the others go first before the two of us jumped out together. Our CO spoke to another commander as we all grabbed our gear. After a bit of shouting, he turned back to us. ¡°Platoon 8, listen up! All Warlocks and ranged fighters, follow Captain Osen up the walls! All Knights, follow me to the gates! Move out!¡± ¡°Over here!¡± We were waved over, my squad splitting up as Umara and I followed the Captain up the walls. The battle was ongoing. There was no time to waste as we hurried up the stairs. Those of us from the Magisterium, including two warlocks from the other Elite squad, were kept together and assigned a northeastern position. Our designation was Section 13 of the wall, and there was an officer giving firing commands to all the warlocks in intervals. After all, they couldn¡¯t be expected to cast spells continuously for an entire day. Longevity was important. This was a battle of attrition. ¡°Section 8! Prepare to fire!¡± The officer shouted not long after we arrived. Umara planted her staff and prepared six different spells. I could feel the mana radiate from her body. Since we were up in the walls and there was enough going on, I didn¡¯t particularly need any noise canceling from her. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t hamper her excitement anyway by asking her to do something so mundane. I propped my gun up on the wall after setting up my portable seat in front of a crenel. Up above us was a roof protecting our heads, and it did its job well as dozens of volleys of elemental projectiles sailed toward us from within the hordes. I let out a long breath. The siege here was actually bigger than the one that hit Calatrop base, and the most powerful beasts were not mere Authority 5¡¯s. I could spot what seemed like 100 huge beasts. All of them were at least Authority 5, with some feeling like Authority 6. And there were others in the midst of the horde that moved with erratic steps, traversing the distance to the walls so fast that I could¡¯ve sworn they were flying. ¡°FIRE!¡± I heard the shout, and all of the warlocks beside me let loose their spells. Umara¡¯s spells kicked up the wind while other spells radiated heat. Fireballs and spikes of rock all flew into the hordes before us. And Umara¡¯s spells weren¡¯t meant for attacking, but supporting the spells of others. Fireballs exploded, releasing plumes of fire. And Umara¡¯s bolts of air exploded within those fires, expanding them, spreading them and feeding them fuel. The explosions turned into wildfires as they spread across dozens of beasts, scorching their fur and meat, causing the horde to go rabid in pain. A portion of the oncoming Tide was stunted as the magical fire burned some of the weaker beasts to ashes and melted the hides of the stronger ones. Umara was already Authority 5 herself, and with her enlightenment, she could fight well above her level. And in the crowd of warlocks atop the walls there were some with Authority 6 and 7 strength launching devastating area spells. There were thousands of beasts rushing forward, threatening to topple the walls and overrun this outpost. Each spell didn''t seem like it did much as when one died, another simply came to take its place. But nobody here was going to roll over and become monster food. I assumed that this place had defended itself more than once before against Tides, so I simply buckled in and did what I could. I targeted anything large and strong. While the memories I received from the Springfield were brief, it was more than enough to understand how to wield this weapon properly. I selected one with a ladder sight, adjusting the zero to 100 yards before taking aim. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. After the warlocks fired their spells, I fired my own. *BOOM* The explosion shook the battlefield as the empowered 30-06 sailed toward a large beast about 200 yards away. The round disappeared into its body, causing it to scream and buckle toward one side. *BOOM* I fired again, finishing it off on the floor. And right as I pulled the bolt, I heard a shout. ¡°Holy shit! What was that?! You!¡± ¡°It¡¯s my weapon.¡± I responded to the officer who came pointing at me. I explained to him that I was a ranged summoner and that my weapons were loud, but effective. After he got over his surprise, he just waved and walked away. So I went back to shooting. Unlike the warlocks, I didn¡¯t expend so much energy each time I shot a bullet. I could shoot for hours without rest, even if I didn¡¯t always operate at peak strength. Well, I knew myself best, and I was curious to find where my limits lay. During my last siege battle, it took me almost a day to kill over a dozen Authority 5 beasts. And now, I just killed one without breaking a sweat. Seriously, these guns were too good at this. Pulling a portable chair out and getting comfortable, I zoned in and went to town. *Crack!* ¡°Shit!¡± I suddenly ducked as a piece of shrapnel bounced off the wall next to my head. I then felt a hand smack me. ¡°Put on your hood!¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± I smiled at Umara and tapped the band around my neck. Given a second or two, a hood had bloomed over my head and a mask covered my face. Taking a deep breath rejuvenated my body with energy. Shockingly, this mask was even more effective than the last one. Perhaps it had been upgraded a bit when the crystal and enchantments were moved over. Another plus was how the hood didn¡¯t narrow my field of view. It almost looked like it wasn¡¯t there at all, but I could clearly feel it. I also closed my coat, engaging its fullest protection measures before settling in once more. *BANG* My gloved fingers continuously racked the bolt with every round fired. Stripper clips would appear in my hand whenever I went through all the ammo in the internal magazine, making reloads fast and easy. The magazine could only fit five rounds, so reloads were frequent. But as I fired more, I became more in tune with the weapon. I developed a rhythm, moving fast but not faster than the gun would allow me. I remembered a saying. Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. Rushing something only leads to mistakes, which slows you down even more than if you simply did it properly the first time. Although I treated this weapon a certain way according to the memories I gained, I also noticed how the weapon was rather perfectly made. For one, it wasn¡¯t worn and old. In the case of my Remington-Lee scoped rifle, I had gone through hundreds, potentially thousands of rounds and never oiled nor cleaned it. And when a gun wasn¡¯t being taken care of, it would let you know by jamming up. I¡¯ve personally encountered cases with rifles on Earth where a bolt simply wouldn¡¯t move, a clear case of forgetting to oil it up. But I never encountered any of those imperfections. The guns I used all worked perfectly, giving me the most ideal performance they were meant to give. Every pull of the bolt was smooth, every stripper clip slotted in perfectly, every pull of the trigger was crisp, and every bullet looked fresh off the assembly line. Although all summons were from other worlds, perhaps they weren¡¯t directly pulled from those worlds. They were spirits, so maybe they were simply embodiments of those weapons, mimicking them. My mind drifted as I sat there for a few hours. Umara was there with me, looking down at me sitting comfortably. I could feel her gaze after the third hour passed. It grew stronger with every passing minute, only drifting when she was called to fire more spells. At some point, I had to zone back out and check on her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°...¡± She stared at me without responding, glancing down at my legs. I looked down with her, seeing nothing particularly out of the ordinary. When I looked back up at her, I sat there in thought for several seconds, wondering what the hell she wanted. Until she finally let out a huff and pulled my arm out of the way, taking a seat in my lap. ¡°Oh. You could¡¯ve just said something.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°Eh, so am I. Hopefully we won¡¯t have to be up here for much longer.¡± I mumbled and shifted our bodies, allowing her to use one of my knees as a chair while still being able to shoot. We were like that for another hour. Whenever she was called on, Umara would just extend her arm and fire a few spells from her palm. Since I didn''t move from my little seat, she didn''t have to either. Compared to all the other warlocks, we were rather comfortable Still, as I watched her fire her spells, I got curious. If I was correct, mana circulated through the cardiovascular system in warlocks, meaning that spells were often cast from the body, mostly the palm. However, Umara told me that warlocks with fine control over their Aura could use it as a medium as well. This was primarily how they cast multiple spells around their body, like Umara who cast six at once earlier. It was like Aura was an extension of the body. ¡°Wait.¡± I froze a bit. An extension of the body, huh? Knights, who used Vigor, being able to extend their Vigor beyond their body to attack something at a range. Warlocks, casting spells by extending Mana beyond their body, forming spells in the air, allowing them to form more than one or two at a time. A Summoner like myself, who extended Psyka beyond the body to trace out formations. All of these things were facilitated by Aura. The three magical energies, that were normally contained within the body, could be brought beyond it with Aura. That meant Aura was, almost literally, an extension of body parts. But not physical body parts. The Mind. The Body. The Spirit. Psyka, Vigor, and Mana. Something clicked for me, causing me to look over at Umara. And, somehow, I reached out and felt her. ¡°Hm?!¡± She turned to me confusedly. I could feel surprise, embarrassment, a tinge of excitement, and stress. When she looked at me, I could feel her curiosity as her Aura touched my own, as if they were our hands. She couldn''t control hers, like she was fumbling around in the dark. But with me there, she had something to feel for. Before, using Aura around other people made it feel like I could do everything short of reading their thoughts. I could feel and read their emotions, even predict their future actions within the next few moments, like I was sensing their subconscious. But now, looking at Umara, I could feel her so much deeper. I could feel her mind directly, her emotions feeding into my own Aura, and all of the subconscious thoughts rambling about inside her head. And she could feel me too. She could only read what I gave to her, but she still felt it, like I was inside her brain. We sat there for almost a minute, even disregarding the shout of the officer who commanded us to fire. And, with a thought, I spoke. Not physically, but with my mind. (Can you hear me?) (Yes!) ¡°Yes!¡± She spoke out loud, but I could pick up her voice within her own mind. My eyes widened. Was this telepathy? Chapter 71: Lay Low Umara closed her mouth and utilized her internal monologue. (John? What is this?) (I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just using my Aura.) (You¡¯re reading my thoughts?) (Something like that.) We stared at each other. For me, it wasn¡¯t particularly difficult to do what I was doing. I had simply discovered another way to use Aura, and it came as if completely natural. But Umara looked like she was struggling to control her thoughts and refrain from speaking aloud to communicate. I could clearly feel her nervousness grow as well. She obviously wasn¡¯t used to worrying about controlling her thoughts in case someone read them. I could even feel a bit of resistance from the small amount of Psyka within her, not enough to do anything to me, but enough to let me know that she wasn¡¯t very comfortable with me inside her mind. When I noticed this, I pulled away and retracted my Aura. She took a few deep breaths once I did, composing herself with an apologetic expression. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t trust you¡­¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s fine. I still need to practice too.¡± I smiled at her. Inserting myself into her mind and reading her thoughts was a whole other level of intrusion, or intimacy depending on how you looked at it. I would say it surpassed sex, even marriage, in that regard. After all, no matter what, everyone always had their own thoughts, their own mind that they could seclude themselves into, a place that was theirs and theirs alone. I had suddenly taken that away from her. If she had done that to me, I would be a bit nervous too. Well, it wasn¡¯t like she couldn¡¯t feel it happening. As for whether she could forcefully stop it, I wasn¡¯t sure. We would have to see after practicing some more. ¡°Section 8! Dismissed!¡± ¡°Oh, perfect timing.¡± I grabbed Umara and stood with her, packing my chair. ¡°I need to get one of those.¡± Umara mumbled, her eyes on the chair as it disappeared. I chuckled while putting my gun away, walking with her off the wall. I had a bit of a headache from all the shooting, but it was overshadowed by the discovery of my new ability. It felt like my Aura became more tangible, more like a limb instead of some fleeting feeling. When I reached out to Umara, it was almost like pushing a cloud of my Aura toward her and then connecting to her mind by transmitting electrical signals across that cloud, like lightning. It was definitely odd, but that was simply the way I visualized what was happening. And if I failed to visualize it, the Aura became much more difficult to control. Interestingly enough though, controlling my Aura didn¡¯t take energy, only concentration. While concentrating took energy in its own way, it still meant that I wasn¡¯t expending Psyka to do something you¡¯d think would cost quite a large amount of it. Or maybe I just wasn¡¯t trying hard enough. Either way, basic telepathy seemed both easy and difficult to carry out. Despite it happening rather seamlessly, it was a challenge to actually read Umara¡¯s thoughts, specifically what she was trying to say. Her mind felt like a mess of quiet chitterings, and only when she utilized her internal monologue did I finally hear something I could pick up on, like a voice piercing through a thick veil of static over a radio. It was up to me to get better at tuning in, but it would take practice to figure out how. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but think of the possibilities. What if instead of a voice, we could pass on visuals? Would I be able to directly give her my memories of science? Would she be able to understand it directly? It was another level of communication surpassing anything else in this world and even on Earth. I was eager to use it. Umara and I left, both of us tired from several hours of fighting. Thankfully, everyone¡¯s efforts managed to drive off the Tide. There was no need to worry about it anymore. We went and found some of the rations, eating them while hanging around our platoon¡¯s supply cache. Since we were visitors at this outpost, there weren¡¯t any proper bunks to house us. We would need to set up camp within a dedicated field for the night since we definitely weren¡¯t going back to base today. ¡°Hey.¡± Umara tapped me, drawing my gaze. ¡°That thing you did. How?¡± ¡°I just used my Aura to reach out into your mind. I had been thinking and it occurred to me somehow.¡± I went on to explain what went through my head. How Aura was like an extension of magical powers rather than a separate entity. I told her to think of it like it was a limb, a medium to extend her powers through. She could already use her Aura to cast spells beyond her body, using the space around her instead of her palm which enabled her to cast several at once. I told her to use that feeling. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! But finding a way to use Aura wasn¡¯t so simple. After all, what else was she supposed to do with it besides what she was already doing? Finding an application for it was harder than using it. And I couldn¡¯t really help her with that. I didn¡¯t know how to use mana. It would be up to her for inspiration, and all I could really do was give her ideas about Aura itself. She sighed after a while, realizing nothing would just come to her like it had for me. ¡°I¡¯ll have to work on it. We should also try practicing whatever it is that you did.¡± ¡°Telepathy.¡± ¡°Telepathy?¡± ¡°Yea. That¡¯s what speaking between minds is called, a nonverbal method of sending information directly to another person.¡± ¡°I see. Then we should practice your telepathy. It should be very valuable in combat.¡± ¡°Mm. So long as you¡¯re comfortable with it.¡± She nodded as I glanced in the distance, seeing the rest of our squad walking over. Their armor was covered in blood and grime. It seems they had been busy. ¡°I will admit that I was quite nervous suddenly feeling your Aura within my mind and knowing you could read my thoughts, but there¡¯s no reason I shouldn¡¯t try to work with it. And if I really were against it, then I should learn how to counter it anyway.¡± ¡°I admire your commitment to becoming better. Still, I¡¯ll know when you¡¯re not up for it. I¡¯ll be in your mind, after all.¡± ¡°So long as you don''t disregard my determination.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I smiled at her. Then, the others arrived. I looked at their bloodied selves and chuckled. ¡°Put you to work, huh?¡± ¡°Something like this is normal for us. What¡¯s not normal is how easy you make missions when you¡¯re watching over us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t miss defensive formations.¡± Tana grumbled while stripping her armor, revealing her thin clothing that stuck to her toned body slick with sweat. Feiden and Vetsmon were the same. All three of them looked tired. It was just that their tired looked different from mine or Umara¡¯s tired. Like many others in our platoon, we decided to set up camp on the dedicated field. I pulled out several items for that purpose and finally experienced my first campout in another world. All squads were given a single tent large enough for six people. It wasn¡¯t very luxurious, just large and the fabric thick enough to protect against the elements. Everyone was required to sleep under the same tent for safety reasons. Being separated was just asking to be picked off. Gender separation was also nonexistent. There was no cooking equipment and only a few large wool blankets. Other than some basic necessities and the rations, this was all we had. Though it was technically all we needed, living like this for any longer than a week would be rather horrid. However, Umara brought out something that would make longer-term campouts far more bearable. ¡°I have this Water Tap if anyone needs it.¡± She held up a White Crystal surrounded by a metal encasing engraved with complex spell runes. It was capable of generating water like a hose. How convenient. A warlock capable of water spells alone would be able to sustain an entire team by themselves for weeks so long as they could find a bit of food. The most valuable resource in the world produced with the wave of a hand. Vetsmon thanked Umara and took the crystal, using it to wash his armor. Tana and Feiden used it after him. I made final preparations as the sun started to set, painting the sky a pleasant orange and purple. ¡°John!¡± As I started to relax while admiring the sky, I was called. I came back down to earth and glanced over at the Puppet Master, who was shockingly here. ¡°Do you mind heading up the walls and helping with the remnants?¡± ¡°...¡± I stared at him in silence for several seconds before rising from my seat and walking over. The others watched me go without a word. I ascended the wall, communing with my gun, setting up my chair, and getting settled. At least there wasn¡¯t much more daylight. I wouldn¡¯t have to do this for more than an hour or so. *BOOM* I took my shot, sending echoes across the landscape and startling the entire base. The beast at the end of my sights fell unceremoniously. Then, I felt a presence approaching me. It was the Puppet Master. He leaned against the wall beside me, His arms crossed and his gaze overlooking everything beyond the walls. I took one more shot before letting him speak. ¡°There are a lot of unhappy individuals, and rumors are being spread.¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of Carrion either. He¡¯s been in his position for decades and has quite an impressive ego, not something that can be lightly challenged by a new student who bent the rules to get in. You¡¯re under Albarain¡¯s tutelage so I¡¯m not completely worried, but I know you and think some things are better laid out clearly.¡± *BANG* Another shot, and another beast collapsed. For a 200 yard shot with iron sights, it was pretty good. My gaze remained within the confines of my sights. ¡°You¡¯re walking on thin ice, kid. I had wanted to talk to you earlier but Carrion kept a close eye on me. A lot of people now want you dead, though they still think you''re nothing more than a nuisance who tried to slander their name, a commoner who doesn¡¯t know how deep this shit goes. And I suggest you keep it that way. I know you¡¯re not naive, so use theirs. And so long as you don¡¯t go out of your way to cause trouble, I¡¯ll do what I can to make sure they don¡¯t force your hand.¡± *BOOM* I took one more shot and lifted my rifle, pulling away from the wall and glancing at the Puppet Master. I couldn¡¯t hide the smile. ¡°I appreciate it, Mr. Puppet. Really.¡± ¡°So long as you¡¯re aware. I¡¯ll be damned if I allow you to let this get to your head, but the truth remains that you¡¯re incredibly talented. You¡¯re easily the most powerful summoner who has ever stepped foot into the Magisterium. If you were a noble, you¡¯d have your path paved with gold and marrying someone like Umara would come with but a word. But you¡¯re a commoner, with a head harder than knights yet as intelligent as a summoner should be. So please, don¡¯t waste the gifts you¡¯ve been given. At the very least, wait until you no longer need to.¡± ¡°Mm. I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± ¡°Wise. And so long as you¡¯re underneath my wing, I¡¯ll make sure the rest of the children stay obedient. We just have to get you to the military and the issues of nobility will disappear rather quickly. It¡¯ll be no more than 7 months from now. Can you last 7 months?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you my best.¡± I smirked, thinking about how funny this whole situation was. The Puppet Master grumbled after that. ¡°In all my years I¡¯ve never lost an Elite. I will not have the first die by your hand just because he didn¡¯t realize he was staring down the barrel of death. Nor will I let your talent be squandered, even if simply for the good of humanity.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I doubted I was good enough to affect humanity as a whole. Perhaps Maxwell¡¯s advancement path would change the dynamic of the Summoner class, but I was still merely the trial run for that. But the thought was nice. It was comforting to know that I had the Puppet Master to look out for me, a sail to guide me through the rocky waters, diverting the animosity of loathsome noble children. I owed it to him and Umara to try and lay low. Maybe I would have to swallow my pride, but with his reminder on top of Maxwells, I was becoming more understanding of the fact that these nobles really would end me for even small things. Damn this world and its insane power gaps. What happened to guns being the great equalizer? So much for my ideas of world domination. Chapter 72: Expect the Worst Two days passed at the outpost, the commanders keeping us there just in case there was another follow up attack. And there was, but it was hardly a threat. A few thousand monsters that were wiped out in half a day. After that, the other Magisterium squad was sent out with a dozen other soldiers to go hunt the commanding entity. Once they came back with its head, we were allowed to go back to base. The day after we did so, packing what little supplies we had left and making the drive back. The next couple days after that were uneventful. All the other squads, Elite and regular alike, were sent out on constant missions. Many of them were hunting missions, some of them were reinforcement missions to other outposts. We were allowed to recuperate before getting sent out on regular patrols. Unlike at Calatrop base, each patrol had three vehicles of soldiers. If we were ever ambushed, we would always have a fighting chance unless some freakish enemy suddenly appeared. And during all the downtime we had, I simply worked on what I needed to. Whether that was practicing my shooting, working on my advancement formation, or training my Telepathy. Umara was very receptive to my telepathy, willing to train it with me. And at first she had some issues with it. I could tell that she got anxious with the level of interconnectedness and I decided to break the connection a few times. After all, I was reading her thoughts, and to a certain extent, she couldn¡¯t stop me. Her own Aura wasn¡¯t strong enough to directly counter mine and she didn¡¯t have enough Psyka within her mind to block me out forcefully. She had to learn how to compartmentalize her thoughts, how to hide certain things by simply refusing to acknowledge a thought. There were a lot of mind games to play and, thankfully, I was able to guide her through a lot of it. After all, with my Psyka and Spark, my mind was freakishly amazing. It simply wasn¡¯t the mind of a human anymore. With faster speed of thought and a better memory, the sheer amount of information going through my head at any given time was several times higher than before. And I had discovered a lot about myself over time, especially about how to micromanage my mind. I pulled on these experiences and helped Umara. Because to some extent, learning how to counter mind reading would be valuable. There were all kinds of magic in this world, like the lie detector spell Duchess Talerria used on me. If the day came where someone tried to use one on us, then it would be valuable to know how to prevent it from gaining anything. Because unless it directly extracted memories or information, those spells could attain nothing but the subjective opinion we gave it. It was the difference between reality and someone''s own truth. They weren''t always the same. But it was clear that Umara would need some time to get there, because she definitely wasn¡¯t right now. There were some thoughts that leaked, ones that I was able to pick up on and ones that embarrassed her greatly. Some of it was rather radical, and a lot of it was sexual. I ignored it, pretending that I couldn¡¯t read all her thoughts clearly even though my ability grew by the day. It eased her mind, but there were times that she slipped up and I had to cut the connection to give her space to collect herself. I learned a lot about her over the course of just a few days. To put it lightly, I had no need whatsoever to doubt the integrity of our relationship. If anything, she made it seem like I was going too slow, but both of us knew that we couldn¡¯t move forward so recklessly. I might be able to read some of her thoughts in the moment, but her impressions and subconscious leanings were still a mystery. That would take time to solidify and bring forward, and doing something extreme just because of a fleeting thought could flip those same thoughts very quickly. I had to learn to navigate the intricacies of the mind if I were to try and use my powers of the mind better. Practicing with Umara taught me far more than just how to tune into her thoughts better. It gave me access to the mind of another person, a source of profound insights into the nature of the human psyche. The notion to let Vetsmon and Feiden in on this crossed my mind as well, but for now I decided to keep it private. Not because I didn¡¯t trust them, but simply because keeping this a secret power between Umara and I made our relationship feel more special, which she liked. Once I got much better at it, I could use it in a more practical way with the others. For now, it remained an intimate bond with my girlfriend. Not that it also wasn¡¯t practical. My Aura was honed massively in the short time since I discovered Telepathy. Whereas before I could sense the emotions of others, I could now sense them with far greater detail. It was the difference between sensing anger and knowing who or what it was directed toward. It was a step below directly reading thoughts with a cursory glance. Not only that, but I could sense how the mind connected with the rest of someone¡¯s body. I had tuned into this feeling while watching Vetsmon and Feiden spar one day. I knew where they would move around a second before they actually did. However, because they moved so quickly in the mere span of a single second, I sensed the entire backlog of actions within that second. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. And the only reason it was only a second was because of the amount of movements. Things changed dynamically, and an action Feiden was planning to make two seconds ago could change. If anything, a single second of prediction was the best case and might only apply to the things they wanted to do, and that could change depending on the actions of their opponent. Reliably, it was only about half a second in advance where their movements would almost always fall according to my predictions because changing their actions within that tiny span was incredibly difficult if they were already committed. Not only that, but when I tried to predict the movements of them both, although things became far more complex, I was able to understand them better and increase the accuracy of my predictions. Naturally, this led to me understanding certain things about how knights fought and the differences between their combat styles and techniques. How they held their spears, the way Vetsmon shifted his weight around his shield, the way Feiden directed his momentum between the ground and the tip of his spear, and how their center of gravity shifted constantly. It was a lot to take in and I could only begin to do something so crazy because of the power of my mind. But it was clear that it was still beyond me to some extent. I couldn¡¯t see the flow of battle and wouldn''t be able to predict who won. It would take more observation over months in order to get a grasp, and that was only on those two. For another person, I would have to start from scratch. It was a good thing that my memory was getting better. I couldn¡¯t imagine trying to work with such a fast mind if I just forgot everything the next second. As for how this worked with beasts, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure. I would need time out in the field to get some data. At least for people though, it worked pretty well. What was especially great was how I could sense all the gazes around me, and sense whenever someone directed hostility at me. Whether it was silent judgment or outright hatred, I could sense it all, and it came rather frequently. I could now easily tell who it came from, and it was always a noble, Elite or otherwise. Or maybe one of their goons, of which there were many. But I could tell that they were always too tired to do anything. It was clear that the Puppet Master was working them pretty hard, constantly sending them on missions and keeping them off my back. Couldn¡¯t be mad if you didn¡¯t have the energy to. Every since our conversation that day, I hadn¡¯t had a single altercation. I kept to myself and my squad, simply doing as I was asked and refraining from being social. Still. I couldn¡¯t help but feel that something was brewing in the background. So in order to try and hone in on that feeling, I had to change my thought process and look at things differently. To the rest of the noble class, Umara was an extremely valuable asset to acquire. She was the daughter of Duchess Talerria who herself had access to one of the largest markets in the kingdom. Her city was an economic power in and of itself, and as its leader, she wielded massive amounts of money and influence. Marrying her daughter was like snatching a golden ticket. You would gain access to not just the Duchess, but to her markets and her connections. Unless you had nothing, you would gain immeasurably. Even other Dukes would feel the prosperity. If it were anyone else below that level, they would be elevated to a whole new level. Even a royal child would gain access to a huge sponsor. And here I was, taking Umara for myself. And I wasn¡¯t even in the position to gain much of anything from her. Sure, she had money to spend, but even if I were willing to take advantage of that, the monetary gains couldn¡¯t come close to the financial gains of an entire business being given wings by the deep connections her mother held in the palm of her hand. So Umara was being completely wasted on someone like me. In the eyes of nobles, there was very little reason not to get rid of me. They simply had too much to gain. The only reason they weren¡¯t killing me outright was likely because of optics. It was clear that Umara liked me a lot, so getting on her bad side would only ruin the chances of other suitors. If I had to guess, they were waiting for our little fling to fade out. Once Umara was no longer interested in messing around with her boy toy, they could kill me without consequence. That would take time. How much time, though, was the big question. The Puppet Master stated that as soon as I entered the military, my issues with nobility would dissipate. I could only assume that touching the soldiers of the Kingdom¡¯s military was taboo. So they would have to find other means besides assassinating me, but that would also make it far more difficult for me to die so easily. So then they had 7 months until the time I left the Magisterium. Would they kill me within that time? If Umara never looked like she was losing interest in me, then there would still be consequences for killing me. But that still didn¡¯t outweigh the benefits. Sooner or later she would get over my death and they would have their way. So at what point would they become desperate? And by then, what measures would they take to kill me? Perhaps they would have one of their children do it. Just maybe, that swordsman, Ponteck Gulliard, was my biggest threat. As the strongest Elite, son of a Duke, and one of Umara¡¯s suitors, he had every reason to kill me and enough backing to get away with it. So either I had to be extra wary of his blade, or he would find someone else to kill me and take the fall so he could swoop in later on. There were 7 months left for everyone to get stronger. Maxwell believed I could hit Authority 5 before then. And maybe I would have to, for my own sake. For now, I didn¡¯t believe there was any reason to be concerned about those around me. It was still too early. They wanted Umara, or more specifically wanted me gone, but doing anything right now would cost them more than if they just waited. They probably didn¡¯t believe Umara was actually serious about me. I was nothing more than a commoner leeching off of her wealth, a parasite trying to bite off more than I could chew. I was scum in their eyes, that much was clear. I had a pretty good grasp on how the topmost echelons lived their lives and viewed those underneath them. Duchess Talerria was an exception to that. She was turning out to be very wise and open minded, raising a daughter with good taste and a smart head on her shoulders. But the others weren¡¯t like that. I couldn¡¯t assume the best until they proved it. So every noble was to be treated as if they looked down on everything and everyone below them. I had to expect the worst. But they also weren¡¯t stupid. They had mind boggling power but they knew when and how to use it. If I wanted to keep myself safe, I needed to accumulate as much as I could, lay low for as long as possible, but keep an eye on everyone around me. Through the malice of nobles I would be able to gauge when they were reaching their limit. What I would do when the bell tolled would be decided at that time. Chapter 73: Run ¡°I haven¡¯t asked in a while.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Duchess Talerria, looked at her husband, curious about his sudden question in bed. Tonight, having finished his work early, he was able to have dinner with the family and go to bed at a reasonable hour. She had been reading a book, but his interruption made her shut it. ¡°Umara¡¯s boyfriend. You know more about him than I do. You only said that he¡¯s at least genuine. I intend to meet him soon but until then I¡¯d like to know if there has been any news about him.¡± ¡°Oh. Well, there was one interesting happening a few weeks ago at the ball.¡± The Duchess went on and described the events surrounding John¡¯s suspension. She talked all about John¡¯s altercation with the noble children and then his verbal battle with the President. Ikhor¡¯s eyes widened with every word. ¡°He did what?!¡± ¡°You heard me. It was lucky that he didn¡¯t do anything beyond throwing insults. Umara told me later that he could¡¯ve killed that boy easily if he wanted to.¡± ¡°You believe that? That kid is a knight and as far as I know, rather talented.¡± ¡°I do. I guess I haven¡¯t shown you his record yet, hm?¡± The Duchess raised her Aerial, tapping it a few times before sending a message. Ikhor opened his own to see the Black Spider Repository, specifically the bounty on John¡¯s head. Below it was also an investigation report containing all the information the Duchess was able to find on him. His eyes bulged even more, reading what seemed to be a small biography of the kid. ¡°A kill count in the triple digits? He¡¯s a killer.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic. He was basically forced and none of the people he killed were innocent. Most are from the Trenches. You forget about the human conflicts, distracted by the Scourge. At the very least I can tell you he¡¯s not a bad person.¡± ¡°...You seem to stick up for him. Considering he¡¯s a commoner, the very act of letting him date our daughter is beyond gracious.¡± ¡°I know, which is why I did nothing to protect him from the President¡¯s ire. I let both of them take the pressure. If they can¡¯t handle it, they have no right being together.¡± ¡°Well, it seems he handles himself just fine.¡± Ikhor smirked, scrolling through the bounty a bit more before closing it, having seen everything he needed to. He thought in silence for a while, his wife remaining silent beside him as he formulated his thoughts on the matter. The smirk never left his face. ¡°What a ballsy kid. Not bad. If he can face the President, he¡¯s got enough guts to date our daughter.¡± ¡°You approve?¡± The Duchess¡¯ eyebrows raised in curiosity, causing her husband to scoff. ¡°Talexia, neither of us like the state of the noble class as it is right now. As far as I¡¯m concerned, this kid is a breath of fresh air. I¡¯ll leave my first impressions for when I meet him, but for now he seems like quite the candidate. Although I have my misgivings about that awfully high kill count, I¡¯m not naive. So long as he doesn''t drag our daughter into his business, I have no issues.¡± ¡°Mm. I¡¯ve already taken care of that.¡± ¡°As I figured. Make sure to invite him over for Christmas. Invite his family too.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a family.¡± ¡°No?¡± Ikhor was shocked once again, feeling great sympathy. ¡°How pitiful. My condolences to this poor child. What happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. There are no records of his family ever existing. I¡¯ve never found a record of his own birth either. It¡¯s like he appeared out of thin air. And from Umara¡¯s vague words about how he¡¯ll never see them again, I can only assume they died. Or maybe he came from an Outlander settlement.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit of a stretch. If he did, how would he come so far by himself? And why would he leave his family all alone in the first place to make such a treacherous journey?¡± ¡°I have no idea. Either way, he¡¯s shrouded in mysteries.¡± ¡°Hm. Well, I don¡¯t see any major issue with it. Just invite him when they come back. Since he doesn¡¯t have a family, he can spend the holiday with us.¡± Ikhor waved and shifted into bed, obviously desiring sleep. The Duchess went under the sheets with him, but still asked a question. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s okay? He¡¯s Umara¡¯s boyfriend. Spending the holiday here as if he were family may be more than the relationship warrants. Some might think that we endorse his candidacy.¡± ¡°Have some sympathy, dear. Can we not set aside petty politics for three days? Since when did you become so concerned about the greed and judgments of others?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t accuse me like that.¡± She sighed and relaxed into her pillow. ¡°But you have a point. I¡¯ll have Umara give him the invitation.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Ikhor grunted, closing his eyes and falling into a snooze within mere seconds. The Duchess chuckled, admiring her husband for a while before cuddling against his body and going to sleep with his warmth. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°I wonder what this hunting mission is about.¡± ¡°Who knows. But we only have four days left, so let¡¯s not end this with injuries like last time, okay?¡± Umara tilted back her head and looked up at me. The cramped bed meant she had to lay against my chest, her body between my legs with little room to move. I sat against the wall at the head of the bed, looking down at her serious face with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. This time I¡¯m completely covered. Even if we encountered that gorilla again I would be able to kill it by myself.¡± ¡°I believe it. But it¡¯s not always the strong ones we have to worry about.¡± ¡°I know. Everything is strong against me. But I¡¯ve got too many tools that help keep me safe, including the support of my squad. If I get hurt despite so much being in my favor, then either we¡¯d be screwed regardless or I¡¯m just that much of a dumbass.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll admit that you¡¯re at least kind of smart. Just a little.¡± She turned and pushed herself against me, making me grin. ¡°Just a little?¡± ¡°A teenie, tiny bit.¡± ¡°A numerically infinitesimal amount.¡± ¡°You and your weird words.¡± She smiled before kissing me. We ended up staying like that for a few minutes. But then, both of us heard the door click. ¡°John-¡± *SLAM* Right as Feiden¡¯s voice came through, he slammed the door on himself. Umara and I glanced over. I suppose he wasn¡¯t expecting to see Umara straddling me in his own room. I chuckled and spoke. ¡°Come on in.¡± ¡°...Are you sure?¡± ¡°Just come in!¡± I rolled my eyes as he opened the door again, Umara going back to laying against me. He seemed a bit awkward looking at us. ¡°We report in 10 minutes.¡± ¡°Alright. Hey, you should go get ready.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Umara nodded as I pat her leg, swinging her legs over the bed. After she left and shut the door behind her, Feiden mumbled. ¡°You two get closer every time I see you.¡± ¡°I sure hope so. What about you? How¡¯s Mira?¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°She¡¯s good. We aren¡¯t as close as you are with Umara, but I¡¯m trying.¡± ¡°Eh, don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself. If she¡¯s the one then things will work out. Don¡¯t worry about what-ifs.¡± ¡°Right.¡± He smiled before digging through his chest, putting on some clothes and prepping his gear. I did the same. A hunt could last an entire day and I needed to prepare accordingly. Before long the two of us were walking to the briefing center. We met up with the rest of our squad along the way. And when we arrived, I saw the Puppet Master standing outside the door. He glanced at us. ¡°The rest of you head in. John, stick around for a second.¡± ¡°...¡± The other looked at me before entering the room. Once the door closed behind them, the Puppet Master sighed. ¡°They went over my head. You¡¯re being paired up with another Elite squad, and all of them are nobles. I wanted your squad to go alone with the other soldiers, but the Major General rejected my suggestions and made his specific choices.¡± ¡°They ignored you, which never happens, I¡¯m guessing?¡± ¡°There have been very few instances, but yes, something like this has never happened.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep my head on a swivel then.¡± ¡°Mm. I¡¯ll trust in your rational judgment.¡± I hummed as he left those words, walking into the room. After seating with the rest of my squad, I saw the other Elites we would be fighting with. Three out of their five looked at me with disguised hostility. It was nothing I couldn¡¯t feel with my Aura, so their malice was clear. My face remained neutral throughout the briefing. Our objective was to hunt a Scourge Scout. These Scouts were beasts dedicated to getting a read on targets and handing data back to the Scourge. Their appearance was usually followed by an attack or siege. We needed to kill them, which wouldn¡¯t be easy. They were slippery and usually escorted by powerful beasts. The officer gave us some images of the beasts and what we should expect. The Scout was a lanky bipedal entity with one massive cyclops eye and four tiny eyes around it. It could see things at a distance and could easily detect enemies no matter where it was. Normal stealth didn¡¯t work against it. Its observational abilities were top notch. But it had little to no offensive power. Its scarily long fingers were similar to a monkey¡¯s, allowing it to swing between trees. And when it ran, its short legs combined with the sweeping range of its arms made it surprisingly fast even on flat terrain. It was a creepy son of a bitch, but otherwise didn¡¯t pose much of a threat. Its escorts would always protect it but that was expected. Get rid of them and it was a chicken on a chopping block. However, there were varying levels of these scouts. High level ones, while not holding greater offensive power, were much more sly, intelligent, and had a few tricks up their sleeves. The different levels could be determined by the amount of little eyes around their singular large eye. Each little eye denominated its Authority. The higher the Authority, the stronger the escorts. And apparently, anything with strictly a single eye was to be avoided at all costs. If we saw a scout like that, running for our lives was the goal. *Bang!* Suddenly, the door to the briefing room was thrown open, everyone turning to the officer who came panting. ¡°Sir! We just got a report of the Scout¡¯s location from Patrol 3! If we want to strike, now is the time!¡± ¡°Good. Everyone gear up! Straight to the gates! Go!¡± Everyone jumped from their seats, the briefing coming to a premature close. We all ran out, having already prepared, and boarded two vehicles by the gates. Both of them were APC¡¯s, enough to fit 10 men each. It was also shockingly fast. After the back hatch closed with a click, the APCs sped off through the gates and into the distance. ¡°We arrive in 15 minutes! Be ready for immediate combat!¡± The driver yelled, the truck rocking with the terrain. After settling for a few minutes, I looked across from the side of the interior where my squad sat. The other squad was directly across from us, the two sides entering something of a stare off. I recognized three of them, Elites I had previously worked with. In that squad, there were four knights and a single warlock. I was the only one of two summoners in the Elites, so I couldn¡¯t be surprised when I never saw any. I didn¡¯t recognize two of them though, probably some nobles who came late to the game. Nobody said anything as we drove, but inwardly, I made telepathic contact with Umara. (Hey.) (Hey!) She twitched a bit when she felt my Aura. By now we had gotten far more comfortable with this, so the process was close to seamless. The two of us kept looking forward though. We had decided to make it a habit of pretending as if nothing changed whenever we engaged in telepathy. It took some practice, but both of us had pretty good poker faces. (This other squad. Keep an eye on them. The Puppet Master warned me and the situation is a bit fishy.) (Are they going to give you trouble?) (It¡¯s possible. I can already taste how much they don¡¯t like me. They¡¯re hiding it, but the malice is there.) (I understand. Keep your telepathy active just in case I need to warn you.) (Alright.) I smiled a bit. Umara and I had also been practicing long term telepathy. And I had figured out a rather ingenious way to keep my telepathy active indefinitely. With my Spark, I could allocate brainpower toward maintaining the connection. It was difficult at first, but the Spark was a second mind, so I was able to train it and make the ability run itself. Of course, it took the entire concentration of my Spark since it was controlling my Aura, but it wasn¡¯t a bad trade off. I still had the rest of my mind, which was more than enough. So I handed off the telepathy to my Spark, using the rest of my mind to focus on the task before us. ¡°Scout spotted!¡± The driver suddenly shouted, the APC coming to a screeching halt. The back hatch then flew open. All the knights jumped out first, then the warlocks and myself. We assessed our surroundings. We had arrived at the top of a long hill that sloped down into a valley. The valley was filled with tall rock formations, monoliths that seemed to sprout out of the ground like trees. Each monolith was at least as tall as a four story building and separated by an average of 150 yards. The valley was a beautiful geological formation. The monolithic rocks were covered in huge vines that seemed to grow all kinds of immature fruits, but other than the vines there wasn¡¯t anything else besides grass and the occasional flower. After taking several seconds to admire the valley, I shifted my focus to the other APC that was giving chase. The Scout was making its way down our hill and into the valley among the rock formations. Around it was its escorts, about 25 spiked wolf beasts as fast as they were deadly. The other APC managed to roll down the hill and deploy its knights and warlocks, all of the soldiers rushing toward the scout but being blocked by the wolves. The Scout continued to flee, its uncanny movements throwing it several yards at a time. From the hilltop, I suddenly rushed to a nearby ledge and laid down, taking out my Springfield equipped with a ladder iron sight. I took a deep breath, calming myself even as it continued to run further and further away. It would soon go beyond my effective range, but I didn¡¯t panic. I ticked the ladder up, increasing the zero distance before getting a steady aim. My sight trailed its figure, waiting until it reached my zero distance and estimating its average movement speed. It was lanky and erratic, the furthest thing from an easy shot. The only thing harder than this was picking off a flying bird. But the intuition of a human was a rather amazing thing. We understood the world around us inherently. It was necessary for survival. So despite needing to make several adjustments as the Scout ran across varying levels of terrain, shifting up and down as it ran across the occasional boulder, I still managed to find a sweet spot. And I fired. *BOOM* The rifle exploded, the recoil pushing into my shoulder but my body remaining still as if it never even moved. And I watched as blood flew, the bullet tearing the Scout¡¯s arm off. I smirked as Umara gawked behind me. ¡°Holy shit. That was an amazing shot.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± I chuckled. Umara probably understood my guns better than anyone by now. We had talked about them extensively. So she also knew how hard of a shot that was. If I was correct, the distance to the Scout was about 280 yards when I fired, a bit more than the zero of 250 yards that I set for myself. But it didn¡¯t kill it. The Scout, although injured and bleeding, still continued to run. But at the very least, it wouldn¡¯t get far. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it collapsed from blood loss eventually. Killing it would be easy once they got rid of those wolves, which would only be a matter of time. Vetsmon chuckled from behind. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go and help them. John and Umara, you can relax up here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t have to tell me twice.¡± There was no way I was going to run up and down a hill if I didn¡¯t have to. Before Vetsmon ran down though, I looked to the other squad composed mostly of knights. ¡°Hey, you guys should go with them. There¡¯s no reason there should be any casualties.¡± ¡°...¡± They were silent, a few of them looking at me with frowns. I could clearly feel their growing hatred and annoyance, like I had ruined some plan of theirs. Vetsmon, Feiden, and Tana also looked at them, expecting their cooperation. There was no reason they shouldn¡¯t, and that put even more pressure on them. But then, we all heard a shout. ¡°Board the APC! We¡¯ll drive down there!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I scoffed a bit, all of us running back to the truck. Right. Why should the knights have to run as well? Why don¡¯t we all just drive down together? That¡¯s obviously the smart thing to do. It wasn¡¯t like I was trying to separate myself from a threat to my life or anything. Thanks, driver. I grumbled while boarding, the APC rolling down the hill as soon as the hatch closed. Once we arrived though, I didn¡¯t move from my seat. The knights had no choice but to embark and join the battle. The other squad looked hesitant at first, but unless they wanted to get yelled at, they would have to go. They also wouldn¡¯t attack me in front of everyone, especially my squad. So I watched them leave with even more indignation. Some even waited outside for me and Umara, but we just stayed put. I waved at them as they left. ¡°This is a job for knights. Have fun you all!¡± ¡°...¡± They were silent as they left, leaving our sights. I could hear the sounds of battle beyond, and it was nothing but a slaughter. Without having to worry about the scout, everyone could simply focus on the battle without taking any risks. I had made this mission several levels easier with that single well placed shot. ¡°Well, I guess boring missions are good missions.¡± Umara crossed her arms. I could tell she was eager to let some of her fancy magic loose, but she was staying by my side just in case. I hugged her close, smiling as she automatically snuggled into my chest. Inwardly though, I had the random thought that perhaps I should try and find a guitar. I used to play it on Earth all the time, so for moments like these, it would be good entertainment. Besides, chicks loved the guitar. Maybe this world had one. Otherwise I¡¯d have to get one custom ordered. Though I didn¡¯t exactly know everything about a guitar¡¯s design, I knew enough of the important details like the types of strings it used. In my head I started to ponder, but as the battle continued outside, I had an odd feeling grow into an ominous one. Using my Aura, I felt around but couldn¡¯t sense the presence of anyone nearby. But the threatening feeling within me kept growing until suddenly, it screamed at me. My coat activated, bringing everything to a slow as I grabbed Umara, throwing our bodies out of the APC. *BOOM* It exploded behind us, a wave of Magika washing over our bodies and launching us several more feet. I looked back, seeing a massive hole going from the front of the APC to the seats that we had just been sitting in. It was like a laser had melted a hole through it, destroying the White Crystal powering it in the process of trying to kill us. My mind instantly processed what had happened and started hypothesizing. Was this the doing of those nobles? The other squad was still out there fighting, so did they hire a third party? Did they hire a Hunter? Perhaps a warlock or a knight with an enchanted bow? But the strike was instantaneous. The only thing I could liken it to was a laser. There was no arrow, so if it were a warlock, they had to be incredibly powerful. However, after thinking for a few seconds, I took a glance through the melted hole. And in the distance beyond, on the side of a hill, there was a tall, uncannily gaunt entity staring at us. And it had a single massive eye that covered its entire face, obvious even from a distance. My hair stood on end, a single word running through my mind, something reiterated during our briefing several times. Run. Chapter 74: Confidence Even as I realized that the lives of every person here may be forfeit, I still maintained my telepathic connection with Umara. And it seemed that she was able to feel my panic. (It¡¯s the single eyed Scout!) (Shit.) I could sense Umara¡¯s initial panic turn to dread. At the same time, I suddenly saw a twinkle from the direction of the Scout. I grabbed Umara once more, throwing ourselves behind the cover of the truck. *ZZT* The laser shot right past us, burning a hole where we were not even a second ago. After that, there were several shouts. ¡°That¡¯s an Authority 7! Everyone retreat now! Scatter to the hills!¡± ¡°Fuck!¡± ¡°Run!¡± All the knights started to sprint. The fastest ones were already halfway up the hill before anyone else could even get to the base. At the same time, I tapped my Aerial, pulling up the Puppet Master¡¯s profile. But when I dialed in, the call never went through. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± ¡°John! Umara!¡± ¡°Right here!¡± I yelled in response, subsequently hearing a thud as Feiden, Vetsmon, and Tana all landed near us, taking cover behind the truck. With a thought I grabbed Feiden, pulling him in. ¡°You grab Umara! We need to run to cover! This thing¡¯s attacks land instantly, so you can¡¯t expose yourself for too long! There¡¯s a forest nearby, so head to it!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°Vetsmon! I¡¯m with you! Tana, I have a mission for you!¡± I grabbed her next, bringing her close. ¡°My Aerial isn¡¯t working, and we need to contact the base. Do you remember the way back?¡± ¡°Y-Yes.¡± ¡°Good. I need you to get there as fast as possible. Deliver the message, and get us a rescue team. Can you do that?¡± ¡°...Yes!¡± She looked hesitant, perhaps not wanting to leave us behind. But I had to at least guarantee that, so long as we survived long enough, we would get rescued. Without getting the message over, we might not survive unless we made it back to base ourselves. And I didn¡¯t think we would be able to outrun that Scout so simply. After all, who said the other scout wouldn¡¯t have escorts? If the escorts were on the same level, I couldn¡¯t help but think we were fucked either way. But we had to try. After nodding to Tana, I looked at everyone else. ¡°Attract the attention of anything looking at us. Tana, you focus on getting out first. Use people as bait if you have to. Just get to the base. Ready?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alright. Go!¡± I yelled, and everyone shot out from behind the truck. Feiden, the fastest, grabbed Umara and held her against his body while dashing like a bolt of lightning. Vetsmon grabbed me as well, bounding with obscene strength to ascend the hill. He wasn¡¯t as fast as Feiden, but that was exactly why I had him carry me instead. And as he seemed to fly through the air, every impact with the ground causing me to grunt in pain, I managed to peek over and get a look at what we were dealing with. The other APC, which some people had tried to start and run off with, was rapidly decommissioned with a laser. After that, several beasts emerged and tore it open. These beasts were much bigger than the other wolves. They were clearly of canine origin, but instead of being as large as a wolf, they were as large as a bear. They weren¡¯t as fast due to that, but they seemed impossible to kill with their fur that looked like metal bristles. And their ferocious look was by no means an exaggeration of their abilities as they tore the APC apart like it was plastic. As for the Scout, it was undoubtedly the fastest of the group. It was able to charge up and down the mountain with ease, firing its laser at any escaping soldiers. And what I saw clearly painted the difference between an Authority 5 soldier and an Authority 5 Elite from the Magisterium. The student knights all scattered in different directions, their legs carrying them with uncanny agility. Whenever the Scout tried to fire at them, they were always able to dodge. They didn¡¯t have to even take a glance back. They simply kept running, and because of that, they were the first to evacuate the immediate range of the beasts. The soldiers, while strong, weren¡¯t as amazing as the students. They didn¡¯t match them in strength, agility, or stamina. There were only two soldiers who were able to make decisions fast enough to escape immediate death and keep up, and those two were Authority 6. This hunt wasn¡¯t supposed to surpass a certain level, and it was nearby the base as well. Anything as strong as the Authority 7 Scout wasn¡¯t supposed to appear, especially not this close. Even then, an Authority 7 Warlock was still assigned to our detachment as our leader. However, he alone couldn¡¯t handle all those beasts, let alone save us in the process. He had already ascended the hill, launching out various spells to try and suppress the Scout. But it was clear that the laser was a great threat to him as he always hunkered down whenever he attracted its attention. Soon, everyone who wasn¡¯t killed in the first several seconds was able to ascend the hill. And in the distance, there was a dense forest. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Everyone made a beeline for it, having the same idea as me. More coverage meant that we would be able to prolong our lives. Feiden and Vetsmon didn¡¯t need to be told anything, dashing off as soon as they saw the forest. As for Tana, she was already well ahead of us. Although she couldn¡¯t compare to Feiden¡¯s sheer speed, she had more stamina and could cross a longer distance faster than anyone on the team. It was exactly why she was our scout. She didn¡¯t even bother with the forest, diverging in another direction and disappearing over some hills. A few lasers were fired her way in the process, but she was able to dodge them all. Her Aura definitely wasn¡¯t lacking. Once I lost sight of her, I turned back to the Scout. It continued to try and kill soldiers and students, and it managed to get a few of the soldiers while they ran to the forest. By now, 8 of the initial 12 soldiers had perished, only the best of them surviving. And none of the Elites had died. I felt that we had done pretty good. However, as I looked back and focused on the wolves, I suddenly felt my neck tingle. I yelled. ¡°Dodge!¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Vetsmon and Feiden jumped without hesitation. However, I still saw that beam of light flash right under me. It pierced straight into Vetsmon¡¯s leg, as if his armor didn¡¯t even exist. *ZZT* ¡°AGH!¡± ¡°Shit!¡± We went tumbling through the treeline, but the big man kept his hold on me and jumped right back up despite the injury. ¡°Keep going!¡± He yelled, pushing through with even greater strength as we disappeared into the trees. We lost sight of all the other soldiers and Elites, only the sound of that Authority 7 Warlock doing light battle with anything that came near him. We slowed down considerably having to dodge all the plant life, but after a while of running, we got to a point where I no longer felt threatened. That¡¯s when I announced. ¡°Hey! We¡¯re good! Stop here.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Vetsmon grunted as we came to a stop, putting me down before going to the floor. His breathing was labored and his face scrunched in agony. ¡°Let me see.¡± I jumped around and took a look, seeing how the armor had basically melted to his skin around the entry wound. The hole wasn¡¯t large and didn¡¯t go all the way through, but it was still deep and couldn¡¯t completely seal itself up. Under normal circumstances I would tie off the leg so it would stop bleeding, but the wound had been mostly cauterized by the attack anyway. Plus, Vetsmon was a knight. Certain medical practices simply wouldn¡¯t work on someone like him. Still, I looked inside the wound to assess the damage. And I saw a little bit of white, an indication of the bone. ¡°It grazed the femur, but only slightly. The only real damage is to the muscles. Do you have recovery pills?¡± ¡°Yea.¡± He nodded, waving his hand and taking one out. Mine weren¡¯t potent enough to do much for him. It was good that he came prepared. I did have something though. I took out my foaming device, locking a canister into place before spraying it into the wound. I filled it completely, letting it foam up and seal it. It had some numbing properties and would at least prevent anything undesirable like bleeding, or infection if that was even possible for someone like him. ¡°Alright. That¡¯ll prevent bleeding even while moving. It¡¯ll hurt, but it''s still functional. You can push through it, because I sure as hell can¡¯t carry you.¡± ¡°Hah, yea¡­¡± He let out a shuddering chuckle, beginning to calm down as the wound stabilized. After that, I looked up, scanning the forest around me. *Awwoo!!* The call of a wolf echoed, likely indicating that it had found some unfortunate prey. We had to avoid that if we wanted to live. I let out a long breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it will take for help to come. We need to keep making distance though. Scouts are meant to find people regardless of the terrain. This forest won¡¯t help us that much. Besides, I have a feeling it was particularly interested in us.¡± ¡°I noticed that.¡± Umara suddenly chimed in. ¡°Of all the people it could have targeted out in the open, it had to choose us, who were inside the APC. It shot at us again afterward.¡± ¡°I have a feeling it deliberately targeted the White Crystal inside the APC first since its shot wasn¡¯t actually directly toward us. But the second time, it was definitely going for us. I don¡¯t know why, but we have to assume the worst. We can¡¯t let it find us, or things will become much more difficult.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± Vetsmon grabbed a nearby rock, pushing himself up. I stood with him, looking in the direction opposite from where we came. And we started walking. I focused on my Aura as we did so, keeping track of anything negative that I felt. We likely wouldn¡¯t be able to see our enemy if it started to come close, so I was now acting as a living threat detector. Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t even pass 10 minutes before I suddenly felt my spine shudder, turning around. ¡°Dodge!¡± ¡°Shit!¡± Everyone jumped as my coat suddenly activated, dilating time. With a glance, I saw the Scout about 50 yards away, looking right at me. I used all my strength to move behind cover, but it wasn¡¯t fast enough. I couldn¡¯t move faster than light. And I watched as its eye flashed, a laser suddenly appearing and shooting straight for the center of my chest. It hit my coat, and for a second, I felt utter dread and desperation. But it faded just as quickly when I saw smoke rise from the leather, feeling no pain in my chest. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°JOHN!¡± I heard Umara¡¯s scream as my momentum threw me to the side behind a rock. I almost couldn¡¯t process it for a second, but my coat had in fact eaten that shot like it was a laser pointer on a keychain. ¡°Heh¡­ Hehehehe¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back the laugh, feeling inexplicable. A coat that could block the laser attack from an Authority 7 Scout that could pierce through Vetsmons armor. Maxwell, you son of a bitch. How far into your debt was I? Several thoughts and emotions ran through my mind all at once, but none of it could compare to the overwhelming confidence that had appeared because of this piece of clothing. So with a thought, I jumped out from behind cover and found the Scout. And without a word I sprinted toward it, weaving between the trees, and reaching it in mere seconds. In my hand appeared a grenade. When I was only 10 yards away from it, I pulled the pin, loosening my fingers and letting the trigger fly off with a cling as a large chunk of my Psyka was stripped away. I held it for two seconds before tossing it toward the scout and dipping behind a nearby tree. *BANG* *SCREE* The Scout screamed, not dead, but injured. After that I grabbed a Trench Gun and flew out from behind the tree. I found the Scout, still stumbling from the impact of the grenade but still getting ready to escape. However, with a bit of time dilation, I was able to aim right at its leg and pull the trigger. *BOOM* *SCRE!* *BOOM* After I blew off its long leg I targeted its torso and arms. It stumbled to the floor while trying to defend itself, but my shotgun only blew off chunks of its flesh in the process. Then I saw its eye flash. I reflexively turned my head right before the beam appeared, letting it singe my coat instead of my face. I felt warmth as it lasered me for several seconds in desperation. But once the light disappeared and I appeared unscathed, I went right back to shooting it. I let off 6 rounds in quick succession, the slam fire working its magic as two more of its limbs flew off. It continued to scream all the while, probably calling for help as it had bit off more than it could chew. This thing was an Authority 7, but it was dedicated entirely toward scouting, shooting that laser beam, and running. It had no defensive abilities at all, especially considering how it was a warlock-type beast. *BOOM* *SCREEEE!!* ¡°That¡¯s right, you lanky piece of shit.¡± I walked up to it after it had already been blown to pieces. Blood sprayed everywhere as it unsuccessfully scrambled around. It didn¡¯t even have the energy to shoot. And without hesitation, I took out a shotgun shell and slotted it directly into my empty chamber, closing it before placing the barrel against the top of its chest where its neck sat. *BOOM!* With that shot I separated its head from its body, leaving its giant eye completely untouched. And I grabbed the head by some loose skin, throwing it into my spatial sack before running back. I appeared covered in blood, but didn¡¯t give my squad any time for questions before yelling. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We need to get the hell out of here!¡± Chapter 75: Stark Difference Umara stared, her eyes wide and her mind going blank as John was hit with that laser. She didn¡¯t know what his coat was capable of. It had only ever defended itself against Authority 4 beasts, and even he didn¡¯t know how expensive it was. But there was no way it could defend against an attack that melted through both the armor of an APC and Vetsmon¡¯s personal armor, which was undoubtedly of extremely high quality. How could that soft leather possibly compare? All she saw was the flash, and then, he fell back over some cover, disappearing from her view. She wanted to run over, but Feiden grabbed her before she could, pulling her behind some trees. After that, several seconds went by. And each second, she felt like she was screaming inside of her head, desperately trying to get John to respond. The fact that his Telepathy, which was supposed to be constantly connected to her, was silent made her realize that this time, he really might be dead. The last time, he had almost died due to circumstances that had been entirely preventable. Now, it was like fate had simply decided to take him from her, leaving no room for contest. It was unfair. It was damnable! She felt overwhelming hatred. It was unacceptable for something like this to happen. The Scourge wasn¡¯t allowed to hurt those she cared about, let alone kill them without consequence. It was a cancerous tumor that needed to be excised from this world, yet doing so demanded a price in blood. And she was suddenly willing to pay it. Mana exploded within her body as she pried herself from Feiden''s grasp. The air under her feet then carried her forward, ready to shoot her toward that Scout. The elements around her began to respond to her hatred, priming themselves to explode forth with power backed by her Mana. The very atmosphere bent to her will. It didn¡¯t matter if it would cost her life, she would kill that beast. But then, just as she made her conviction, she saw John dash out from behind his cover. She froze, watching as he ran over to the Scout and pulled out a grenade. She could sense his Psyka fill it to the brim as he pulled the pin and threw it. And she saw as the scout did little to defend itself against the odd weapon it couldn''t recognize. And as if they didn¡¯t exist, her worries faded away. *BANG* The grenade exploded, and John pulled out his Trench Gun. She watched from the side as he dismembered the Scout, watched as it writhed on the floor after he blasted off an arm and a leg, desperately trying to flee. And it let off another laser, making her panic once more. Yet John did nothing to dodge it, simply letting it hit him. And the laser landed on his coat for several seconds, the beast screaming in anger, yet not damaging even a single hair on his body. He was completely immune to its attacks. After that, she simply stood there as he killed it and took its head as a trophy. How simple. It was almost effortless. Its head was removed from its body as if it were never a threat in the first place, like it hadn¡¯t killed 10 other soldiers before it. She didn¡¯t know what to say. Even when he ran back, giving them the order to start running again, she remained silent. Was she shocked? Was she relieved? Was she scared? The emotions within her rampaged. From having lost her boyfriend, her lover, to watching him kill that beast like it was a chicken sent inexplicable waves throughout her mind. The sorrow, the hatred, the happiness. All of it coalesced as she was carried. And when she felt his telepathic connection reappear in her mind, when it spurred the memories of his figure as he killed what should¡¯ve been a lethal threat to their entire convoy, she seemed to realize what she felt. Yet it felt so natural that she almost didn¡¯t acknowledge it, as if there was nothing to acknowledge since it should have always been there. She turned her head, seeing Vetsmon strenuously carry John on his back. It was putting the big man through a lot of pain, but it was still faster than if John ran himself. She watched John, seeing his green eyes through the narrow opening between his hood and mask. He didn¡¯t look back at her. He was too focused. He always seemed to flick a switch whenever they entered combat. There was no room for any romance during that time. He didn¡¯t even have sympathy for the guy carrying him, simply ordering it since that¡¯s what they needed, and since he knew Vetsmon could do it despite the pain. And when she calmed down and thought about it, she decided to save her words for later. It was something that she wouldn¡¯t regret no matter when she said it, but it might still place John into a bit more of a precarious situation. But it didn¡¯t matter to her when she did. All that mattered was that they were together, and that the time would come in the future where she wouldn¡¯t ever have to worry about the thoughts or opinions of others. There would come a time when anyone who dared to challenge their relationship would be put down by her personally. And until that time, anyone who dared to undermine her position by his side, or his by hers, would be met with the full wrath that her status afforded her, the very same status that they were all trying to greedily claim for their own gain. Now, even the tiny amount of doubt within the deep recesses of her mind had been washed out like a dusty corner. And she smiled contentedly, staring at him as if there were no other person in the world. ¡­¡­ ¡­ I tapped my Aerial, calling the Puppet Master. And sure enough, the call went through this time. ¡°John!¡± ¡°Yea, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°We¡¯re on our way! Where are you?¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°I¡¯ll send you my location.¡± I scrolled through the screens in front of me. Normally, without connection to a Node, an Aerial would lose its ability to geolocate since it required the Node as a reference point. But because I regained my lost connection, it worked as if I were in a city. Soon enough, I sent our location to the Puppet Master. After that he hung up, saying he was only 5 minutes out. I sighed in relief. I no longer felt any threat to my life, so my squad had stopped running and started relaxing. Without the Scout, the rest of the beasts probably weren¡¯t so eager to pursue us. Even if they were, they had obviously lost us. I saw Umara casting some air magic, so she had probably dispersed our scent or scattered our trail. Regardless, I felt perfectly safe so I had no issue acting like it. I let Vetsmon relax. That foam came in handy, otherwise he would¡¯ve started bleeding again with all that movement. And although it was painful, he got through it well. The man was tough as nails, as a knight should be. All of his training was paying off. As I took a seat though, I saw Umara walk over to me. She didn¡¯t say a word as she straddled me, wrapping me in a deep hug. For a while I was worried. But my telepathy told me that she wasn¡¯t fearful or stressed. She was calm. After a few minutes she shifted from a hug to a cuddle, allowing me to stroke her hair, which I enjoyed doing. Her pale face underneath her ashy hair looked positively beautiful. I smiled, thinking of nothing but how pretty she was and how much I adored her presence. The only thing that could interrupt us was our rescue. Three APC¡¯s rolled up to the treeline that we had stopped by. Once we saw them underneath the afternoon sky, we all got up and met with them. ¡°Are you guys okay?!¡± Tana came running over first, checking on all of us with a worried expression. I could clearly see how tired she was. To desperately cross such a distance knowing our lives depended on it must¡¯ve put extreme strain on her body. She already looked sickly, her legs shaky and weak. Yet she quickly noticed Vetsmon and his wounds despite that, hurrying over to check on him. ¡°Oh god! What happened?!¡± ¡°The Scout got me, but I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Tana worriedly asked about him, causing me to openly jump and cheer silently nearby. ¡°What the hell are you doing? That excited to see me?¡± ¡°Oh, hi.¡± My mood disappeared as I turned to the Puppet Master, giving him a handshake. ¡°Thanks for coming.¡± ¡°Mm. Good job surviving. Those Cyclops Scouts are extremely deadly, yet they always like to linger around. They rarely show, but when they do it''s usually a bloodbath. Where are the others?¡± ¡°No idea. Everyone who survived the initial assault dispersed into this forest. They could be anywhere, probably being chased by the escorts.¡± ¡°I see. A moment.¡± The Puppet Master suddenly walked off, standing in an open area before taking out a staff. After a few seconds, he raised it and tapped it on the ground, causing a ripple of light to spread out. It highlighted every animal and creature in the forest for miles around, dead or alive. We could all see it, as if we had all been granted x-ray vision. And it revealed some ongoing fights as well as several human corpses. He yelled. ¡°Go assist our men! Move out, now!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± All of the soldiers from the APC¡¯s ran off, several of them being Authority 7, two of them being Authority 8. They disappeared into the distance within moments, assisting those who were still alive. After that, the Puppet Master pointed to one of the corpses before waving. I saw as the Cyclops Scout¡¯s corpse flew over from the distance, landing before him, every dismembered limb included. He stared at it for a few seconds before looking at me. And I took out its intact head, causing him to scoff. ¡°What a fucking monster. Did you kill it by yourself?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How?¡± I silently responded by lifting the collar of my coat. ¡°It couldn¡¯t hurt me.¡± ¡°Tsk, talk about buying a second life.¡± ¡°Well I gotta be able to match those rich nobles somehow.¡± ¡°No shit. Hey, all of you.¡± He suddenly called the rest of my squad, grouping them together. ¡°I¡¯m required to ask. Did John single handedly kill the Scout? If any of you contributed even slightly, I need to know.¡± ¡°Yes, he killed it by himself.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t help.¡± Everyone confirmed the reality, causing him to sigh. ¡°Very well. John, you¡¯re about to accumulate some more notoriety.¡± ¡°Yea? How many points is this worth?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about the points. You¡¯re the first person in Magisterium history to personally kill an Authority 7 while being 3 levels below it. Although this is one of the only enemies of the Scourge that have defenses so slim at such a level to even be capable of dying by your hands, that fact still remains. Not to mention that you¡¯re a mere summoner. However, this will not go through easily.¡± He grumbled, taking the head from my hands. ¡°At least it''s completely intact. Still, you all will be questioned under Truth to confirm what happened here. I¡¯ll be keeping the remains as evidence of your fight with it as well. Vizen! Come heal Vetsmon¡¯s wound!¡± He called, and Vizen brought Vetsmon over to one of the vehicles, inspecting and treating his leg. The Puppet Master turned back to us. ¡°Go rest. You won¡¯t have anymore missions for the rest of your time here. Once we find everyone, we¡¯ll bring you back to base.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± We all walked off, gathering around one of the APC¡¯s. Feiden pat my back. ¡°Congratulations. And thank you.¡± ¡°There''s no reason to thank me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so humble. That thing might¡¯ve been the death of us if you hadn¡¯t handled it. Even I was scared for a bit.¡± He mumbled, causing me to nod. I had been scared too. Faced with something that could so easily kill us, that had so easily killed several soldiers, I was afraid for both myself and my squad. I had ignored that fear as soon as we started running, but it was still there. If anything, the fear fueled my focus and determination. And as soon as I discovered that I could fight that thing, I did so without hesitation. If I didn¡¯t, we would still be on the run, and we couldn¡¯t have done that for too much longer. Vetsmon had been reaching his limits and there were wolves that none of us could kill on the way. The fact that I could kill it was a miracle, one that I had capitalized on perfectly. Still, I didn¡¯t necessarily face it because I hated the Scourge and wanted to kill them. I faced it because the fear of being overwhelmed after running ourselves down to our limits was scarier than the fear of fighting the core of the threat head on when I had the advantage. Not to mention how all of this was only possible because my life had been paid for and secured by Maxwell back when he gave me this coat. He bought me a second life, as the Puppet Master stated. I was grateful, but also painfully aware of my own mortality and how a beast just a few levels above me could so easily kill me. And it would take power far above even that beast¡¯s in order to secure my life against those kinds of surprises. The leather of my coat came from a beast that could easily defend against the attack of an Authority 7. I truly wondered what kind of monstrous creature Maxwell used to make this thing, and how much it cost to make this coat. Millions? Tens of millions? Either way, I owed him far more than I could ever repay. Umara continued to cling to me as we waited for the survivors. In the process of the rescue, several of those beastly wolves were killed and brought back. And after about an hour, the casualties had been counted. All Elites from the Magisterium survived. And of the 13 soldiers who left, only 3 survived. It was unfortunate, but the stark difference was apparent. There was a reason Magisterium students demanded respect even when they left and entered the military. This was the reason why. They surpassed those of a similar level, especially the Elites. Only the Authority 7 and two Authority 6 soldiers had survived. Everyone other soldier, 10 Authority 5¡¯s, had been killed. And most of them had been killed in the initial attack or while running into the forest. Everyone was solemn as all the recoverable corpses were loaded. After that, we drove back to base. I was glad to have Umara there with me to soothe my soul. I knew that things would only get worse as I continued down this path, but so long as I was going to walk it, I was grateful to have her by my side. Chapter 76: Target I woke up to the sound of shallow breathing, as well as some moisture on my chest. My eyes fluttered open to see the Rail car around me, filled with couches and chairs and tables, of which were occupied by sleeping Elites. And laying on my chest was Umara, the drool from her mouth being soaked up by my shirt as her light breath tickled my neck. I smiled and shifted, hugging her body comfortably as I simply relaxed. Over the last few days on base, I had noticed a bit of a change in her demeanor. She looked at me with a bit more¡­ passion. It was also a bit more difficult to get her flustered. Usually my public shows of affection caused her to blush profusely while attempting to hide. It was pretty easy to tease her that way. But now, it was like she didn¡¯t mind. She still got embarrassed, but she no longer hid from it. If anything she seemed to welcome it, starting to reciprocate by kissing me back or walking around with our arms linked. By all means, it was welcome. But I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what spurred the change, and why. I could clearly sense her feelings, but she was more confident now and our practice with telepathy meant that she had learned to conceal her deeper thoughts. The details I could glean were fewer. Not only that, but I had run some tests, both with and without her. For one, when she was sleeping like this, linking to her mind would immediately make her conscious. I had woken her from three naps that way, much to her irritation. I had a feeling that this phenomenon had to do with the lack of dreaming people in this world experienced. After asking her about it, I confirmed that dreaming was an extremely rare occurrence in this world. Whereas I had been dreaming almost every night, Umara had never had a dream before. The only thing close to that was when she was being enlightened, but that experience wasn¡¯t much of a dream. However, I also discovered that, maybe because there was no dreaming, they needed less time to sleep as 6 hours was enough for most people to feel completely refreshed. Regardless, linking to Umara¡¯s mind woke her up by activating her consciousness, whether it was a defense mechanism or not. Secondly, there was a certain range I could use our telepathy within. We had tested it on a field, maintaining the connection while slowly increasing the distance between us. The result was that I could maintain my telepathy with her anywhere within the base. Even when she moved beyond my sight and around buildings to reach the opposite end of the base, I was still able to communicate freely with her. However, disconnecting from that connection and attempting to reconnect proved to be impossibly difficult. The reason for that was due to the interference of other minds. My Aura was visualized as a foggy medium, like a long wispy cloud. I was able to extend this cloud to great distances, but because it wasn¡¯t very solid, it could be distorted by obstacles. This included the minds of others as well as their Auras, at least the Auras of those who were aware of theirs, which was uncommon. Finding Umara in that mess was beyond me right now unless there were no obstructions or interference. As for the maximum distance we could maintain the connection at, we hadn¡¯t yet found out. The only other experiments we carried out were in regard to the type and volume of information that could be sent over telepathy. For one, images couldn¡¯t be sent. Or, perhaps they could, but I wasn¡¯t able to see them yet. As for volume, that proved to be finicky. Telepathy inserted words directly from one mind into another. There was no need to process it like sensory information. However, things could get overwhelming very quickly. I¡¯ve caught glimpses of Umara¡¯s inner thought process before, and the amount of information I received over mere seconds was enough to make me blank. Most minds were like that. Inner thinking, depending on the person, could happen at a speed far greater than anything we could communicate externally. Every thought was associated with the senses while simultaneously being linked to a dozen other thoughts and memories. A brain could process terabytes of information on a whim. And the only reason I was able to process some of her bursts of uninhibited thought was due to my own speed of thought which vastly surpassed hers. Still, a lot of the information was garbled, like files trying to reference others that didn¡¯t exist while forgetting others fractions of a second later. Still, it made me realize that telepathy had great potential. Only, I was reminded of one issue. Plex once told me that I had to carefully pick a path to take my Aura, because once I found an ability for it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to go back and learn another. And I had a sinking feeling that telepathy was an ability that I had inadvertently yet irreversibly picked. I didn¡¯t mean to. It simply came to me and I had been too interested in it to let it be. I had been training and using it every day since then and it was becoming well developed. It was possible that, from now on, this would be the shape my Aura took, and the only ability I would have. So much for invisibility. Part of me felt like I was losing out, but it wasn¡¯t like telepathy was a bad ability. It was a high level form of communication and I knew that I was only scratching the surface of its true potential. After all, I had developed this power on the assumption that Aura was an extension of one¡¯s magical power. And things were working in that direction. So this meant I might be able to exploit it. For example, if my summons were reliant on a direct connection to my mind and Psyka, then by using my Aura as a medium, I could separate them from my body and allow them to function in the hands of another person. Perhaps my telepathic connection would be the thing to allow something like that. After trying I found that I couldn¡¯t, but that didn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t be able to in the future. Extending Psyka and the abilities of my mind beyond my body. That was my power, and I intended to do much more with it than just telepathy. These thoughts all ran through my head as I relaxed with Umara in my embrace. I glanced down at her, letting out a small chuckle. ¡°Not a single thought between those eyes, huh?¡± I combed back some of her hair before stroking her scalp. At some point, I sensed her wake, but she simply kept her eyes closed and enjoyed the sensations. We were like that for another hour until everyone around us started to wake as well. The ride home took about a day, and when we docked in the terminal, it was late in the afternoon. We disembarked and went back to the Magisterium where we were welcomed by students and parents alike. ¡°Elites, gather!¡± The Puppet Master shouted, drawing us all in. He scanned all of us before announcing. ¡°Congratulations, especially to our top two squads, who survived an unexpected ambush by an Authority 7. All your training managed to keep you alive, along with the exemplary actions by John Cooper, who single handedly killed that Cyclops Scout. Let this be an example of how easily a situation can turn dire, as 10 soldiers were lost in that ambush and several of our Elites sustained injuries. You may be better than the average, but in front of your superiors, you are still no more than chickens.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He spoke with solemnity, turning the mood serious. But then, he sighed. ¡°Keep it in mind, but don¡¯t let it cloud your head with fear. Today, your Christmas vacation starts, so all of you are dismissed. Be with your families and appreciate what you have been blessed with. Merry Christmas.¡± ¡°Merry Christmas!¡± We all chimed back, dismissed with those words. This time, the Duchess wasn¡¯t here, nor were my friends from work, so Umara and I took our luggage back to our rooms. That¡¯s when I received a well timed call. It was from Plex. ¡°Hey Plex.¡± ¡°Hello John. Since you¡¯re back early, I come with some news and a request.¡± I sat down, curious about the news. ¡°The Major Auction accompanied by Vatsy¡¯s Christmas Gala is coming up in three days so as to end four days before the new year. This is the biggest auction of the year and there¡¯s plenty of work to be done. I was hoping you would be able to come in and assist us.¡± ¡°Oh. Sure.¡± I accepted readily. I needed to make some money anyway and fill the fat gaps in my bank account once again. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll see you tonight then for the first set of jobs. The day after tomorrow we also have a job from Apocryon, so we¡¯ll all be tackling that together.¡± ¡°Oh. Great.¡± ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s amazing pay though, and this time, you¡¯ll be getting a larger portion. Anyway, I have another piece of news. Patriarch Tavera requests your presence as soon as you can make time. Go talk to him before you come in for work tonight.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I agreed, wondering what the Patriarch wanted from me. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all the news I have for you. Clear your schedule because we¡¯ll be busy until the auction.¡± *Click* He hung up with those words, leaving me pondering. Not long after that, Umara knocked and entered my room. I looked up at her, smiling. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hey. I have a message for you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Yet another piece of news. I took an envelope from Umara¡¯s outstretched hands. Her face was a bit rosy, but I didn¡¯t think into it that much as I looked at it. The envelope was closed with a wax seal, addressed specifically to me, the seal carrying the regalia of the Talerria Dukedom. I broke the wax and pulled out a parchment, unfolding the white paper and reading the fancy cursive writing. ¡°John Cooper. You are hereby invited to the Christmas Family Gathering of the Talerria family, beginning two days before Christmas Eve, and ending the morrow after Christmas Day. You will take up residence at the Talerria Mansion within the City of Joffrun and participate in any gatherings the Talerria Family attends for the duration of your stay. Your transportation will be arranged for the evening before the day of your planned arrival, and you will be accompanied by the First Daughter Umara Talerria. We look forward to your arrival. ¡°Signed: Duchess Talexia Talerria, Duke Ikhor Talerria.¡± ¡°...¡± I stared at the letter for a few seconds after finishing before looking up at Umara standing before me. She gave me a weird smile. ¡°Merry Christmas!¡± ¡°Heh, this is quite the surprise.¡± ¡°No kidding. Rest assured though their intentions are genuine. You¡¯re being invited to spend Christmas with the family, no drama or politics attached.¡± ¡°How nice. Let your mother know that I appreciate it and that I look forward to it.¡± ¡°I will. I¡¯m glad that we¡¯ll be able to spend Christmas together. I initially thought we¡¯d have to celebrate early, or late.¡± She mumbled while taking a seat on my bed beside me, resting her head on my shoulder. I looked at the invitation some more before stowing it back into the envelope. I intended to keep this. Then, I thought about how my schedule would be rather packed from now on. I nudged Umara. ¡°I¡¯ve got some business to take care of over the next few days. We¡¯re preparing for the Black Spider Auction, so for the next three days I¡¯ll be delivering items. The day after is the auction itself. And speaking of, would you care to accompany me to it?¡± ¡°Oh! Yes! I¡¯d love to go.¡± She nodded instantly, making me smile. ¡°Alright. The day after though is when we have to leave. At least it''s in the evening, so we¡¯ll have some time to recover.¡± ¡°Mm. By the way, the knights and I were called in for questioning in regards to you killing the Cyclops Scout. It¡¯ll happen tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure. Let me know how it goes.¡± ¡°I will. And¡­ Oh, wait.¡± She suddenly sat up, remembering something. ¡°There¡¯s a noble gathering the day of the auction. It¡¯s an early Christmas gathering, meant to occur during the evening.¡± ¡°The Auction goes off during the evening.¡± ¡°...Oh well.¡± After thinking for a second, she just shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t really want to go anyway. Let¡¯s just attend the auction.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you want. The auction is also accompanied by Vatsy¡¯s Gala, so there will be a party afterward that will go on into the morning.¡± ¡°That long?¡± ¡°Well, everyone is usually gone or passed out by that time, but yes.¡± ¡°Oh. Sounds fun.¡± She nodded, her eyes sparkling in curiosity. I chuckled, thinking how cute her inquisitive nature was. After discussing all the details of each event, we settled on a schedule that would make things work. However, there was still one variable that might put a spin on things. After hanging out for a few more hours, we separated so I could go make a stop. I entered the Founder¡¯s Market, making my way to the Tavera territory. Soon enough, I had an audience with Patriarch Tavera. ¡°Ah, John. It¡¯s good to see you in good health, though I notice you¡¯ve come back with some trophies.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been an eventful few months.¡± I shook his hand as he noticed my new scars, taking a seat with a smile. ¡°Indeed. I¡¯ve heard many rumors.¡± ¡°They¡¯re probably true.¡± ¡°Haha, well, at least I know you¡¯ve got balls. Which is good, because I have a difficult mission that I¡¯d like for you to take on.¡± The old man leaned forward, laying down a small stack of papers before me. I picked them up, seeing a picture of a man. ¡°This is Henevue Rence. He¡¯s a warlock affiliated with the Clockwork Association, not officially one of theirs, but a valuable asset. I want you to kill him.¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent, my mood suddenly turning complicated. It was a hit, and I was being hired as the hitman. I looked at the man on the paper. He looked rather ordinary, with brown hair and blue eyes, he was a regular middle aged man that wouldn¡¯t be noticed walking down a street. I frowned, looking back up at the Patriarch. ¡°Sir, I have an issue.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve killed a lot of people, primarily in the trenches, but not entirely. If I recall, that number has surpassed three digits. I¡¯ve got a lot of blood on my hands, but as far as I¡¯m concerned, none of it was innocent. Every single one of those people wanted to kill me, and I simply killed them first. So I would never in my right mind seek out an innocent man simply to rid someone, even you, of a financial competitor.¡± ¡°Hm, I see.¡± The Patriarch nodded, gradually baring a smile. ¡°You have a strong set of principles. I respect that a lot more than someone who would do anything should it benefit them. Rest assured, John, this man is the furthest thing from innocent. Please, take a look at the other pages.¡± ¡°...¡± I silently looked back down, seeing the other papers covered in images. ¡°Henevue trades in people. He¡¯s responsible for running a shadow company that provides the Association with a constant supply of slaves and corpses to fuel all of their experimentations. Since it was founded, the Clockwork Association has made significant progress in the field human alterations. Their advancements led to artificial limbs and better medical magic. But in their quest to mimic Crowns, they¡¯ve killed thousands in horrible experiments. ¡°Today, this side of their organization is hidden deeply as they¡¯ve expanded into other businesses. However, they¡¯re making progress, and we¡¯ve decided to put a little roadblock in their way. If you kill Henevue, it¡¯ll hamper their supply of people, halt their progress, all while erasing a bloody human being. I admit, we have something to gain from this which is why I¡¯m handing you the mission at all. But he is not innocent, that much I can assure you. You would be doing humanity a great deed by killing him.¡± ¡°...¡± I went through the papers, reading about all kinds of personal details and seeing plenty of images about his dealings and whereabouts. Apparently he was preparing for the auction, which was why he was in town, making it the best time to kill him. However, he was also Authority 7. This meant that I had to utilize the element of surprise. But, what better person than me to do such a thing? I was still only Authority 4, but warlocks had weak flesh like summoners. The only thing that could protect him was his magic, but if he didn¡¯t have that activated, he would perish all the same. I would still have to be careful, but it was definitely possible for me to pull this off. And since he really was a criminal, a human trafficker at that, then it was no question that he deserved to die. I read for another minute or so before looking up at the Patriarch. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Fantastic. The payout for this job is twofold. This man has a bounty on his head. Just check the Black Spider Repository. That alone is worth 190 thousand coin. And my personal payment will match that, making for 380 thousand coin. And if you happen to loot anything from his corpse, it will be yours.¡± ¡°Wow. That¡¯s very generous.¡± ¡°And yet the benefits to the Tavera Family will outweigh such a cost heavily. This man is smart, calculating, and meticulous. He has been the broker for the Clockwork Association for five decades, a veteran in his field. But my hopes are hinging on the fact that not even he could prepare himself for you. The name American has become a small legend within the market. So go and show them why.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± I stood with a smile, shaking his hand. ¡°I wish you luck, and take all the time you need. Don¡¯t take this target lightly, and perhaps someday, the Founder''s Market will be rid of this rat.¡± Chapter 77: Stalk After my meeting with Patriarch Tavera, I went for a few delivery commissions to kill some time and help out with the large list of Gala deliveries since it was still early in the evening. However, I only completed a few jobs, receiving a total payout of 50 thousand before disappearing and starting my hunt. Henevue Rence operated out of one particular warehouse in the city slums. That was supposed to be his holding area, but he didn¡¯t appear there often. He personally worked out of a nice housing complex within the Founder¡¯s Market where he could easily make contact with the Clockwork Association. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for him to appear within their territory the few times he did appear. Thankfully, this major auction was bringing him out of hiding. The window to kill him would be small, but there was still something I needed to check. Trust but verify. The Tavera Family apparently stood to gain quite a lot from Henevue¡¯s death, though I wasn¡¯t sure how. But I wouldn¡¯t allow myself to be used to kill an innocent man. I would confirm for myself if this man was as heinous as Tavera made him out to be. It took me a while to get to the slums of the city. Even though they were called slums, they were simply less prosperous areas of the capital, still offering a modicum of comfort. Instead of tall stone buildings, people lived in short wood houses and ran small shops. It was far more modest than the flashy colors and materials of the Kingdom¡¯s central areas, even making me feel a little out of place. However, it wasn¡¯t enough to attract too much scrutiny. My coat was still drab enough that, disregarding anyone noticing the pulsing lines across its back, it just seemed a sound investment in clothing. Anyone who recognized me would probably come from the markets themselves, so I didn¡¯t worry about getting spotted. Besides, I could feel every gaze through Aura. At most, there was some mild envy mixed in with brief curiosity. If there was anything out of place, I would know. A few wrong turns and fallible directions later, I finally found a side alley that led into a more desolate place. Under the faint light of the moon, it looked like an actual slum; seemingly abandoned buildings sat derelict and caked in dust; piles of trash forced me to navigate around them; stray animals lay despondent under collapsing overhangs. The actual infrastructure reminded me of a more dilapidated Trenches, but was a definite improvement over the ever-present haze of drugs. The warehouse in question was a larger building, a careful veneer of neglect torn to shreds by the fact it was one of the only structures in the immediate area not half collapsed. After confirming I was at the proper location, I looked around for an overwatch position. I laid eyes on a two story shop. Scaling another building next to it and using my enhanced strength, I leapt onto its roof, inwardly apologizing for the sudden thump that no doubt startled the inhabitants. Summoning my Remington-Lee, I propped up the rifle in a comfortable position and laid down. Close to two hours later, I was starting to think Patriarch Tavera¡¯s intel had been mistaken. But just as I had resolved myself to move to another position, a wagon pulled up to a side door. A few people hopped out of it while another group exited from the building¡¯s side door. They exchanged a few words. One of the second group signaled to someone inside, prompting them to let the wagon through a large door. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t bother closing the door, possibly because they were in a hurry. Once the wagon stopped, they immediately started loading it. My heart rate, only just calming down from the wagon¡¯s initial appearance, spiked again. Two dozen people of all ages were herded from a cellar, all with various bruises and injuries. A few people, presumably Knights, practically threw them in the back of the wagon, sealing the seamless back doors like there had never been a human trafficking operation at all. After that, two drivers drove the wagon away, heading deeper into the city. From a cursory assessment, those two drivers were only Authority 5 and 6. I sensed the strength of a knight from the Authority 5 and mana from the other. If I wanted to, I could kill both. If I wanted to, 24 people could be freed. However, I had yet to find Henevue. Tavera¡¯s evidence had provided more than enough proof to irrevocably link Henevue with the worst of human scum. I was no longer worried about his connection in the slightest. My concern was alerting the man. If I ambushed his shipment midway, he might get worried. And the only way this assassination would work was if he was totally confident. I watched the wagon drive away, my reticle hanging over the unsuspecting backs of the two men, the confidence to kill them beckoning me to pull the trigger. I could do it. I could save those people, sparing them from their fate as human experiments. The tortures they, and many like them, would suffer to provide the knowledge the Association wielded, were known to none. This was the dark part of the black market. The truly dark part, not just the drugs or depravity. And yet, despite the fact I now held the fates of 24 people in my palm, I held back. I leapt off the building with a shuddering breath, assuming a steely expression. I didn¡¯t have a carriage, nor did I care to call and wait for one. Time was of the essence. I ran back to the Founder¡¯s Market, opting for side routes and shortcuts, occasionally glimpsing the carriage I was shadowing; my stamina boosting mask doing little to help the shuddering gasps my breaths eventually turned into. I slowed as I started creeping into Clockwork Association territory. Using my Aura as a guide, I steadily made my way to Henevue¡¯s residence, losing sight of the carriage in the process. Like last time, I found a good vantage point about 150 yards away and two stories higher than my target building. And through my scope, I waited. After an hour, I saw the wagon from before roll out of the Association Headquarters. It had beat me here, and now, it was empty. Those people I saw were now delivered, fated to be test subjects until they died because I chose not to save them. But I forced those regretful feelings down and waited some more. And I laid there, rifle in hand, until the sun came up. I saw dozens of people come and go, mostly warlocks, but none matching the face of my target. Yet I stayed until the sun started to rise higher into the sky. It even started hurting to blink. ¡°Damn you. Come out already.¡± I cursed, and yet no matter how long I waited, Henevue didn¡¯t come out. Perhaps he mediated the earlier exchange while I was on the way. Perhaps I had missed him. But I didn¡¯t want to leave. I needed to kill this man and I wouldn¡¯t leave until I did. So I remained on the rooftop. My vantage point gave me a clear view of where he made his exchanges. Taking out a cigar from my case and a leftover ration from my spatial sack, I took an irregular breath of smoke, calming my nerves and refueling my body. After about 10 minutes of that, I put the trash away while stowing the cigar. I allowed myself to take a short nap. But when the alarm on my Aerial went off an hour and a half later, I forced myself from grogginess, started smoking my cigar under the afternoon sun, and went back to watching. I kept my eyes on that building and the Clockwork headquarters. I checked the face of every single person, my reticle resting softly on each in turn. I ignored the texts I got from Umara, Vetsmon, Feiden, and Plex. Nothing was in my mind except for this mission. And I stalked the area for 7 hours. Every hour, I would bring out the page with Henevue¡¯s face on it, reminding myself, despite the fact the bastard¡¯s visage was ingrained in my mind already. The sun set on the city as I waited. It¡¯d been almost an entire day. My joints creaked, my legs cramped, and my spine shrieked for relief, but I shoved their concerns aside. Henevue was bound to come out eventually, and I would not let my body¡¯s weakness prevent me from delivering righteous justice. And then, right as it started to become dark, my eyes widened. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I saw him. Henevue and two other men, walking into the headquarters. My agitation suddenly rose, compelling me take the shot then and there. But rationality won, purging my mind of everything except grim professionalism. I watched them discussing something while walking. Henevue motioned to the area twice, likely indicating another shipment. He received nods of approval before the two parties separated. He was a long-time broker, so there probably wasn¡¯t much to discuss. The only reason he was out and about was because of the upcoming auction. Yet the man never stopped moving. I had confidence in my shot but wanted to be absolutely sure. One wrong move and I would lose my chance forever. So I watched as Henevue walkedright back into the headquarters and disappeared from my sight. I didn¡¯t panic or regret anything. I simply stayed there, watching the gates as night came. What was a little more waiting? Midnight soon passed, and dawn¡¯s light once again pierced the night. The timing was different, but sure enough, another shipment came. There it was, the same wagon with more people in it rolling down the street. From where I could see, it had a few more streets to go before it arrived at the exchange point. And in that time, Henevue emerged. My heart pounded as I saw him walk out with another man. This man wore a heavily embroidered cloak, obviously high level, possibly even more so than Henevue. But I didn¡¯t worry about him. He wasn¡¯t the target. All I cared about was killing Henevue. The two strolled out into the street to wait for the wagon, utterly assured of their safety in the heart of Clockwork territory. My heart rate increased once more. This was it. Taking a deep breath, I recalled the Remington-Lee for my Springfield. A few ticks on the ladder sight was all I needed for a proper zero. Then, I calmed myself and took aim. 150 yards was a long way, but my senses were sharper and I could clearly see Henevue. No matter what, my aim would be true and even if I didn¡¯t hit his head, I would hit center mass. Very little would throw my shot off; I made sure even the worst deviation would still kill. Just one second of stillness was all I needed. I was patient, even as that wagon only a street away continued to roll another group of people to their doom. Henevue crossed his arms, laughing at a joke his companion told. I didn¡¯t feel resentment at the fact that he was enjoying himself. I didn¡¯t need to. All I could see were the faces of the people loaded into the wagon. My finger was steady as it stroked the trigger, as smooth as all the other times I¡¯ve fired this weapon. And I let freedom ring. *BOOM* The explosion cracked through the surroundings, startling dozens. I watched as Henevue¡¯s head exploded into a long stream of red mist and flesh. The man beside him jumped in shock, wildly flicking his head around as a defensive shield popped into existence. I crawled off the roof I laid on, unsummoning the rifle. I landed in an alleyway, preparing another ambush for the wagon going up the street. I waited for a short time, letting them roll up to me before summoning my Trench Gun and firing. *BOOM BOOM* The warlock of the two drivers had his hasty shield vaporized by the 12-gauge slug, blowing off his head. And the knight could hardly handle one of those shots to the chest, flying off the wagon and too injured to rise again. Barely alive, the knight tried to crawl to his feet, feeble hands struggling to grasp a sword. I simply walked around as he blindly struggled, placing my barrel against his throat and sending him to the afterlife. With that, I walked around and blasted off the wagon¡¯s lock before throwing open the door. Inside, I saw another unfamiliar batch of people. Children and adults, but no elderly this time. They stared at me, terror evident on their faces as I stared back. I spoke. ¡°Get out and run, if you want to live. This is all I can do right now.¡± ¡°...¡± Nobody responded, so I simply took off running. I only had one destination in mind, my feet taking me right back to the city slums. I panted as I slowed down near the warehouse, out of breath but filled with more than enough willpower to compensate. Through my Aura, I felt only one person at Authority 6, a Knight. Still, I walked up to the door with my Trench Gun in hand, placing it against the lock and pulling the trigger. *BOOM* The handle blasted inward, letting me kick open the door as I loaded a shell into the tube of my shotgun. The entire warehouse was alerted as people came rushing down. An Authority 5 warlock turned the bend on the stairs, a fireball already forming in his palms. I pointed my stick at him and squeezed. *BOOM* *SPLAT* He folded over the new hole in his waist, collapsing into a bloody pool. Two Authority 5 Knights rushed at me from a doorway, roaring in battle-rage. I wasn¡¯t taking any chances. *BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM* A few seconds later, I realized I was racking the slide on an empty shotgun. A gory mess of armor was all that remained of the two. The Authority 6 was right behind them. Summoning as much Psyka as I could, I injected all of it into a grenade and lobbed it at the doorway. The knight arrived right as the grenade landed. Unfortunately for him, he didn¡¯t pay it any heed as he stepped forward, focused on me. ¡°You son of a-!¡± *BOOOMM* The grenade exploded underneath him right as I stepped behind a pillar. He somehow wasn¡¯t dead yet, despite collapsing on the floor. His armor had saved him, badly dented, but concussive forces were a bitch. He could hardly breathe from the sudden collapse of his lungs, nor was his face in much better condition. So I walked over to him and hand-delivered another grenade, stuffing it down his armor with a vengeance. His Aura disappeared with another explosion. I couldn¡¯t feel anyone else containing power after that. So my legs guided me to a locked cellar door. With easy steps I went and broke the lock, throwing it open before seeing a stairway. I stepped down, getting hit with the pungent odor of human misery, disregarding it entirely as some lights flickered on. And there I saw it. Rows of cages, all of them containing people of varied ages. They all looked at me, more eyes full of fear. After a few seconds of processing what I saw, I put away the gun and stepped back up the staircase. I went over to the shell of the Authority 6, searching around before finding a barely intact set of keys. When I went back down, I simply went to each cage and unlocked them, throwing them open one by one. There were close to a hundred people, none of whom moved despite the wide open door. Once I unlocked the last one, I stood at the end of the cellar, the open stairway across from me. ¡°I¡¯ve killed your captors. There is nobody here that can threaten you. Go. You are free now.¡± ¡°...¡± I was met with silence. However, there were some people who had more confidence than others, willing to take their chances. Some of the men stepped out, looking at me before looking at the staircase. Before they left though, I suddenly reached out. ¡°Wait.¡± They turned back to me, startled. I took out my bank card and withdrew small gold coins. I walked over with 10 in hand, worth 1000 coin total, and placed it into one man¡¯s hand. And I did the same for the other two before stepping back. ¡°Hopefully that can get you through the next short while. Now go. Everyone else, step up and I¡¯ll give you something.¡± This time, people were more eager as the three men stumbled up the stairs. A crowd started forming around me as I rapidly deposited stacks of gold into their eager hands. One by one they went up the stairs, some in groups, others alone. I could feel the thoughts and emotions of every single person who walked up to me and slipped past me. Anxiety, hope, sorrow, dread, apathy. All of these people were ordinary. Not a single one had mana, vigor, or psyka within them. None could hide a single detail of their minds from me. It was all too vivid, like I was the one experiencing these things in their place. I could feel the pain of their bodies, the hunger, their beaten limbs, and I did nothing to stop myself from soaking it all in. Nobody spoke as each person came and went, all of them simply too scared to disturb the process on the slight chance that I might change my mind, too eager to receive and escape this place. But then I heard a soft voice. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I looked up, seeing a young emaciated woman who looked at me with determination in her eyes. Unlike the others, she carried happiness and hope, even some admiration. Whatever she had gone through, it hadn¡¯t broken her spirits yet. And she was the only one among this group that was both chained and had a Crest on her hand, dozens of markings resembling slash marks, the indication of a knight. There was a bit of Vigor within her. But it had been almost entirely exhausted. She looked like she was on the verge of death as she carried her heavy chains. ¡°...Just call me the American.¡± ¡°American¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t respond. Instead, I took out a recovery pill and lifted it to her mouth. She looked at me and opened, letting me place it in so she could eat it. After that, I took out the keys that had been on the body of that Authority 6, undoing the chains that bound her wrists and ankles. They dropped with a clang, each of them incredibly heavy. She dropped to her knees on the side, recovering as I handed everyone else their money. Once she was feeling better, I handed her the money too. She looked at it for a second before clutching her hand and running out. I walked out behind her, exiting the warehouse. Everyone who had left already was gone, only a few in sight when I emerged, all of them rapidly disappearing behind buildings. I looked up to see the moon hanging bright in the sky. There was no happiness to be felt. Only regret over the fact that I hadn¡¯t been able to save more. That I had sacrificed a batch in order to secure my kill. That there were countless others before that one. And I didn¡¯t feel like receiving anything for it. So I simply walked home. I arrived at the Black Spider Hotel, entering the lobby where I saw the Key Master waiting, as always. His face was filled with concern and understanding. I had a feeling he knew exactly what had just happened. ¡°I recommend rest, John. Allow the night to cleanse your soul.¡± ¡°Mm. Thank you, Key Master, for your hospitality.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He gave a cursory bow, which I returned before heading up. The moment I hit the bed, consciousness was stolen away from me, like a candle in the wind. Chapter 78: Executioner ¡°Eh?¡± My eyes opened to an endless white expanse. There was no indication of direction, of texture, not even of depth. The mildly bright white gave no indications of, well, anything really. But it was not the apparent physical plane that caught my attention. A strange pull on my mind brought me, as a river might a boat, to my thoughts. I remembered all those children and adults from the warehouse, the ones I had saved. But those I couldn¡¯t save surfaced as well. Their faces, permanently etched into my memories, demanded retribution. Unbidden, a torrent of miseries erupted. I imagined hundreds, thousands who had all suffered the same fate. I imagined the atrocities committed in an attempt to discover the limits of the human body. But most prominently, I imagined endless rows of faces twisted into masks of agony, their eyes fearful and angry and confused. It was overwhelming. It was depressing. It¡­ filled me with determination. I could save even more. I just needed information, and there were plenty of people to get it from. Tavera was just one person. There were hundreds of bounties on the Repository, and surely there would be traffickers on that list. If I could do it, then I would. My guns gave me the power to kill even an Authority 7 warlock. Anybody below that level wouldn¡¯t be able to stop me. As I made my decisions, my surroundings shifted. I saw another warehouse, one full of even more trafficked people. They were in an even sorrier state than the ones I saved. I rushed forward, forgetting it was just a dream, eager to put down more scum. I could feel their captors around the building. I just needed to kill them. But, my body wouldn¡¯t listen to me. I simply stood there even as all those captors rushed down to meet the threat. There were Authority 6¡¯s, even an Authority 7 knight. They were strong, not people I could fight against. I watched as they rushed from surrounding passages, almost like rats from the woodworks. They rushed toward me, their hate-filled faces only loosely concealing a primal dread. They were scared. As if I wasn¡¯t there, they ran around and past me. I turned around to follow them, watching as they stacked up into defensive formations, their typically unphasable Authorities showing large cracks. A large metal door was blown off its hinges, merely a pebble to the explosive force of nature behind it. A badly mulched body, hardly recognizable as human flesh, flew with the door, both staggering the hastily formed battle line. A figure loomed in the doorway, bloodstained axe in hand. Silent screams of battle-rage and anger rippled across the battle line as they began advancing upon the figure rushing at them. In a dance of violence, limbs flew, blood gushed, and bodies dropped as the person blew through Knight after Knight, Warlocks and Summoners blown aside by the thrown bodies of their comrades. The bloody axe left craters in finely crafted armors, a strange explosive force magnifying its effect by many times. Their best efforts, an otherwise incredible display of teamwork stemming from years of fighting together, were child¡¯s play to the paragon of violence that silenced them in seconds. And, without fail, the figure¡¯s final blow to every enemy was decapitation, dead or alive. An Executioner. I simply watched as they were all dispatched with impunity. When silence reigned, a simple blow to each lock freed the captives from their cages. I slowly came to an understanding as I watched the person go about their work. I wasn¡¯t needed. This wasn¡¯t my duty. Whoever that executioner was, they were enough. I watched that person stand there. They wore a coat and hood, very similar to my own. All of a sudden, as if struck by some divine inspiration, they reached into their coat and pulled out a cartridge. My eyes widened. I was the only person who could give someone a cartridge. Who was it? It wasn¡¯t the Key Master, that was certain. So who could possibly have ammunition from me? And then, a faint pair of wings bloomed from the person¡¯s back, shrouding them in faint light. Ah, I see. Guardian Angel. I smiled, letting out a long breath as I closed my eyes. And the next time I opened them, I was back in my hotel room. I laid there in my bed while my mind processed everything that happened. This injustice wasn¡¯t the one I was meant to resolve. There was somebody else out there who I could trust to do it for me. My mind was cleansed of torment. The faces of the dead, once debilitating, now inspired me to continue on this path of mine. And in that moment of inspiration, I decided to pull out my advancement formation. I pulled up the first page and raised my hand, releasing my Aura and tracing channels through the air. I watched as my finger traced recursively complex channels into my Aura, almost like there was some other force guiding my hand and I was just along for the ride. The core of the formation sat before me, a faint wisp of active Aura still trailing from my finger to where I had left it off. An entire third of the first formation was done. When considered among the entire advancement formation, only a tenth had been drawn, but the effects were incredible. I had been studying it for a while now and it seemed with this dream, I was able to make a leap. My mind churned as I finished what I could. My ocean of thought started to flow, small eddies and currents growing and merging into a whirlpool in my mind. Its movements were lethargic, considering the fraction of progress made, but the results were stunning. Everything about my thought process became faster, smoother; it felt like the cloudy barriers I once had to shove every thought through had finally been lifted and my mind could finally flow free. It felt amazing, and with this boost I finally wrapped my head around the situation. If it wasn¡¯t my calling, then so be it. I sat up after letting myself calm down. Several notifications from my Aerial jolted me from my afterglow. The most recent one, from the Key Master on behalf of the Black Spider Repository, was interesting. ¡°John Cooper. For successfully claiming the head of Henevue Rence, your Polaris Bank Account has automatically received the bounty reward of 250 thousand coin. In addition, on behalf of the Tavera Family Patriarch, an additional 190 thousand coin has been deposited.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± My face was neutral. Money was always welcome, but I still wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about being paid for this. It seemed that the bounty had also somehow increased in the time I spent hunting him. Oh well. I had used a bit over 100 thousand coin for the freed slaves, and I wasn¡¯t exactly in a position to reject payment. After that, I looked at everything else. Plex sent me a few messages in regard to our job from Apocryon, which was today. We would handle it during sunset, which wasn¡¯t long from now. Other than that, I had several messages from Umara, some of them about the results of their questioning, others wondering where I was. The messages from Vetsmon and Feiden were asking where I was on behalf of Umara. To ease her worries, I gave her a call after texting Vetsmon and Feiden reassurances. She picked up instantly. ¡°John!¡± ¡°Hey. Sorry about the delay. I was a bit busy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay. I was just worried. Were the jobs really that time consuming?¡± ¡°Well¡­ something like that. It got a bit dangerous so I couldn¡¯t really respond.¡± I decided to refrain from telling her about it for now. No need to spoil her mood with Christmas just around the corner. Still, her voice brought a smile to my face. I decided to meet with her and bring myself a bit more ease. ¡°I have some more business tonight, but I¡¯d like to see you today. Do you have time?¡± ¡°Of course. Just give me the location and I¡¯ll be there.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± With a goodbye we hung up. After I found a suitable place for a short date, I got dressed and sent her the location.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. We met up a little while later. She came dressed in some beautiful yet casual clothes fit for the chilled weather. Her head tilted though when she approached. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you okay?¡± ¡°...Yea.¡± I let out a breath, the two of us hugging. ¡°Just realizing how lucky I am to be with someone like you.¡± ¡°O-Oh. Thank you. I-I mean, I feel lucky too.¡± She stammered a bit, making me chuckle. ¡°Come on.¡± Grabbing her hand, I pulled her into the nearby cafe. I only had a couple hours, but that was enough to talk about recent events. Particularly, she informed me about what was going to happen in regard to the Cyclops Scout. The testimonies of my squad all came back completely true, which means there was zero doubt that I had actually killed it single handedly. And since I had broken some kind of record, I was going to be placed within the Magisterium¡¯s Hall of Fame. It was a place only the best Elites could have their image enshrined. The body of that scout would be put on display, evidence of my kill, and my name would accompany it as the first Authority 4 to ever kill an Authority 7. Whenever something like this happened, there would be a big announcement and an award would be given out, though I didn¡¯t know when. I imagined that it would happen after Christmas since everyone was out anyway. Well, at this point I wasn¡¯t sure I cared. I had now killed an Authority 7 warlock, so the Cyclops felt a bit underwhelming. And after what I just went through, I simply wasn¡¯t in the mood to care. So as she spoke, I simply rested my chin on my hand and stared at her, appreciating her presence, and realizing that I really, really liked this girl. Was it enough to say that I had fallen in love? A small smile rested on my face as I watched her talk. Ah, she was so pretty. Perhaps she noticed too, because at some point she stopped talking and started reddening. She fidgeted in her seat, occasionally glancing at me to check if I was still staring. So I could still tease her. Good. After a few minutes of that I finally laughed and diverted my gaze. We went on to talk for a while until I had to leave. I told her that I was going on a dangerous job, so we ended our date with a long kiss. With that, I made my way to the Founder¡¯s Market. ¡­¡­ I looked at Rayla as we trudged through the Trenches. Plex took the lead and Libitus tailed him. We made conversation along the way since we hadn¡¯t seen each other in a while, killing time as we trekked over to Apocryon¡¯s Headquarters. Nothing from my Aura tipped me off but I knew that would change as soon as we arrived. I was especially curious to see Apocryon again. Back then, that madman was able to twist my mind with illusions. I saw and felt him kill me, yet it was nothing more than one of his tricks. I had thought it was just his magic back then, but now I wasn¡¯t so sure. Since I was with a group, even the most foolhardy opportunist could only sulk and glare from alleyways. So we arrived at the headquarters smoothly. And there, I saw Apocryon. He sat atop a particularly large APC modded with all kinds of scrap metal and mounted spikes. It fit the psycho vibe this place gave off. And he felt the exact same as last time. Waves of unrestrained power rippled off his body, nearly tangible in their force, carrying an Aura of unhinged psychosis. His eyes were particularly stinging. My Aura felt like it would be swallowed by his. Dressed in a dirty lab coat, he jumped up as soon as we stepped foot into his territory, entering the plaza in front of the headquarters. ¡°Ah, my favorite deliveryman! And John! You¡¯ve made quite the name for yourself since I last saw you. A far cry from that little kid several months ago!¡± ¡°And I still vividly remember you tearing my chest open with your bare hands.¡± ¡°Heh, a mere trick of the mind. I can see your Aura. I¡¯ve never seen someone progress so far in such a short amount of time, not since I did so myself. Let me see you clearly.¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent. I had kept Plex in front of me to hinder line of sight between us, but now he was asking to meet head on. And I was curious myself. So I stepped forward, standing next to Plex as I stared him down. That¡¯s when I saw it clearly. His Aura. It wasn¡¯t like mine, all foggy and malleable. His was like a storm of needles, capable of piercing through all. And at the center of that storm was an eye. A massive eye that peered straight into my mind. As soon as I looked into it, I felt my surroundings change. The surrounding people faded away, the ground turned black as spikes jutted from the floor all around me. They pierced my feet, my legs, my chest. Skewered me from every possible angle while tearing my body apart with bladed protrusions. But, through the arresting illusions, I was able to get a glimpse. The slightest indication that all of it was fake. The smallest sign that it was all planted into my mind instead. I was able to dissociate from the pain, just slightly, just enough for it to not be overwhelming. He really was a warlock, which made sense since he could concoct potions and medicine. But his Aura¡¯s ability to tamper with the mind was inconceivable. There wasn¡¯t an ounce of mana utilized within any of these illusions. Still, I fought back. My resistance appeared in the form of that foggy cloud that tried to wear away at all the spikes. But it was nowhere near enough. It didn¡¯t so much as leave a scratch. The difference between us was incredible. And yet I was able to see the path forward. Suddenly, I raised my hand, in it a 1911. And I fired straight at him, the bullet bearing my Aura tearing through the illusion, piercing through several spikes between us. But the bullet shattered before it could reach him, Apocryon¡¯s mere thought enough to reduce it to dust. ¡°Amazing.¡± He mumbled and pointed a long finger at me. A needle manifested, soaring toward me. Despite being slower than my bullets, it advanced steadily toward my forehead, even my heightened awareness unable to pull me out of the way in time. It would¡¯ve pierced my head if not for Plex stepping back in front of me. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I collapsed as soon as the illusion fled, buckling as blood poured from my eyes, nose, and mouth. Someone caught me. I was barely able to tell it was Rayla. Without a word, she started mopping up my face. ¡°Focus on me.¡± ¡°...¡± I stared blankly, my mind still recoiling from the sensation of having multiple needles driven through it. What an amazing power. Through the horrible illusions I could see the remarkable skill and profound knowledge behind it. He was capable of killing with his Aura. It was clear that I wouldn¡¯t be going down that path, but my path wasn¡¯t much different. My Aura was an extension of my mind, of my Psyka. And I would use it as such, wielding my mind, my strongest attribute, as a tool to fight others. Previously I had been worried about subterfuge. I wanted Plex¡¯s invisibility because it would keep me safe and allow me to use my guns with complete freedom. But maybe I didn¡¯t need invisibility. Maybe I just needed an illusion of it. Knights, my most threatening foes, would be at the mercy of my powerful mind. Anyone else could be killed by my guns with relative ease. Yes, this was it. I lifted my head with this revelation, barely able to see Apocryon discussing something with Plex. When he sensed my gaze though, I sent out my Aura once more, this time delivering a message to his own. (I figured it out. Thank you.) ¡°...Hahaha!¡± He suddenly laughed, startling and silencing Plex. ¡°To think I¡¯ve been used! Amazing! To think you were talented enough to use me for your own gain! Pray, John Cooper, that you are simply envied and not feared! Or be doomed to the path I have walked! Do you understand me?!¡± (Yes.) I nodded as he almost screamed at me. With every second, my mind gradually recuperated and I was eventually able to climb back to my feet. I watched Apocryon as he made the exchange with Plex, thinking long and hard about what he said. Be envied, not feared. I could imagine why he said that. I was already dealing with such things from nobles. If they envied me, then they would simply hate my presence, perhaps taking some measures to get rid of me. If they truly feared me, then I was as good as dead. They would stoop to any level to remove the threat; my days would be numbered. Had he gone through something like that? Everyone already feared him, and perhaps the only reason he was able to survive was because he pushed his power to the extremes that he did. I had a feeling that he wasn¡¯t always the psycho everyone knew him to be. People were often shaped by their circumstances and environment. Maybe Apocryon was another victim. I took his advice to heart, starting to think that I needed to hide certain powers of mine. Apocryon threw Plex a box, its contents only to be revealed at the auction. A bag of gold, almost like an afterthought, was thrown over Apocryon¡¯s shoulder as he strolled back into his headquarters. Plex caught it, only his hands and a knowing smirk visible before he vanished without a trace. Libitus, Rayla, and I could see the surrounding individuals start to advance on us. The other two started prepping for combat, but I just raised my gun up and fired into the sky. *BANG* A piercing explosion cut out the once enthusiastic would-be ambushers. Everyone froze. By now, my guns had left a permanent mark on the residents of the Trenches. I looked around, donning my hood. ¡°You know who I am. Fuck off.¡± ¡°...¡± Silence prevailed. Some remained frozen, others backed off or ran. I let the tension pervade for a few more seconds, then walked off. The others walked with me, our very surroundings seeming to cringe back from our presence. Just like that, we left the Trenches. Libitus chuckled. ¡±Just try strolling into the Trenches, they said. Easier than I¡¯ve heard!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯ll give you some of my cut as thanks for lending us your infamous name, Mr. American.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just buy me a drink tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± He patted my shoulder as the pain in my mind shifted from stabbing pains to a hammering headache. At least it was better than earlier. I took out a stogie to help, but much of the damage was Aura-based; a smoke could do nothing for mental debilitation. The reason I bled at all was because of a spike in blood pressure, my body reacting negatively to the crap going on mentally. If I had spent any longer within Apocryon¡¯s Aura, then I probably would¡¯ve had an aneurysm. For now, I just needed rest; recovery would come naturally. Of course, we had to stop by our place of business first. Plex had already arrived at the warehouse, but evidently wasn¡¯t expecting us to return so soon. I put my hand out, making him smirk and throw a bag of coin. Inside was 150 thousand coin. ¡°Hazard pay. Now get out of here and prepare for the auction tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I nodded before stashing the coin. When I turned, I saw Rayla looking at me. She smiled and squeezed my shoulder. ¡°Go rest up.¡± I smiled back as she walked past and received her own pay. After wishing goodbye to Libitus as well, I left and headed to the Black Spider Hotel. I also texted Umara, letting her know that I was fine. Of course, she also came over once she heard that I was done. I hung around in the lobby for bit and brought her up when she arrived. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t really have the energy to engage with her. She saw the smeared blood on my face and helped me clean up before both of us went to bed. Thankfully the cigar had at least calmed my mind, allowing me to fall asleep relatively easily for someone who just had some needles driven into his brain. I passed out with tomorrow''s auction in mind. Chapter 79: Auction ¡°Come one! Come all!¡± ¡°From all around the Kingdom! Every color, every Crest, every creed!¡± ¡°Gather on this night and celebrate! The time of the year we¡¯ve all been waiting for!¡± ¡°The night of prosperity! Of generosity! Of salvation! Of love!¡± ¡°Everyone let your hearts out!¡± ¡°And rejoice in the glow of the midnight moon! Vatsy¡¯s Gala has begun!¡± Cheers rose above even the sound of the fireworks going off behind the announcer, a thousand masked faces doused in multicolor light. The massive Black Spider Plaza almost seemed cramped from all the festive cheer. I let out a few laughs as I watched, Umara jumping in excitement beside me. Both of us were masked like those around us. Taking a quick glance over at her, I once again appreciated the way her hairstyle highlighted her image; hanging strands accentuated her face, and a voluminous bun topped her head. I caught myself staring, thinking of earlier when I was once again stunned by how beautiful she looked. I almost started thinking myself inadequate. That red dress, full ruby lips, the pale nape of her neck and the sharp but graceful visage she carried in public. Damn if I didn¡¯t think I was lucky after catching this one. Or did she catch me? I would say that I was a catch. She didn¡¯t even have to go fishing! ¡°This is so cool! So much better than that stupid noble party!¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re not missing out on anything. This is my first time at a Christmas celebration as well.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never celebrated Christmas?¡± ¡°No, I have. I¡¯ve never celebrated it here though.¡± Luminescent streamers and floating lanterns floated lazily about on faint air currents; buildings, trees, and lampposts occupied by the colorful decorations. Various magic kites shaped like animals also flew through the air, eagles, lions, and fish dancing among more fantastical beasts. There was even a rather realistic Scourge kite, no doubt the product of some intrepid mind, satisfyingly misshapen from punches thrown at it. Dozens of servers roamed about with platters full of familiar and exotic drinks, offering refreshments at no cost. This Vasty really had to be astronomically wealthy to hold such a massive celebration for hundreds of influential individuals, let alone not charge a dime for it. And the auction hadn¡¯t even started yet. This was just the pre-game. Spotting some familiar drinks, I grabbed two glasses and handed one to Umara as we walked down the road. There were several bands and orchestras playing at various areas along the sidewalks. Going from one place to another would accompany a change in symphony, most of it excitable, some of it grand. Between those were performers straight out of a circus. Most were warlocks who knew tons of party tricks, throwing up explosions of color and creating fake animals to prowl about the crowd. Umara wasn¡¯t the only one discovering something new. I had never seen such a festive place before. It was like the last Gala was barely even trying compared to this. But this was also a celebration of both Christmas and the new year. I could understand why they would pull out all the stops for this one in particular. And since there was so much to see and all night to do it, I let myself be pulled around by my girlfriend, experiencing everything the night had in store. That by itself took over an hour. From performer to performer, we watched dozens of stunts and tricks, the wide variety greatly expanding my impressions of magic. And from band to band, Umara pulled me in to dance to each one. Fortunately she was a better dancer than me, so besides some intentional goofiness to tease a reaction out of her, I let her lead me along. Not that I couldn¡¯t be a little groovy. Although she received some second hand embarrassment, I laid out some pretty slick moves on the dance floor guaranteed to catch eyes, for better or worse. It was only after I was dragged off three times that we finally started making our way to the auction. As the time approached, a huge crowd made their way inside. There were several doors to enter for varying levels of prestige. As the time grew near, the crowd near the entrance steadily grew bigger, crowding into several general entrances. Smaller groups and individuals peeled off the mass to enter through more exclusive doors. Since I wasn¡¯t interested in waiting and Plex wasn¡¯t here to guide me in, I linked arms with Umara and went toward the VIP doors. The bouncer stared me down, seemingly doubtful someone like me would be approaching the VIP entrance separate from a party, but remained professional and asked for identification. ¡°I was told this would be enough.¡± I reached into my coat and pulled out my golden cigar case. His brows raised as he stepped aside. ¡°Enjoy your night.¡± ¡°You too.¡± I smiled and walked in. Umara nudged me with her elbow as I found the Tavera suite. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Look at you moving around like a bigshot. You¡¯re like a noble in the black market.¡± ¡°A small one, but I would agree with that.¡± I smirked and found a door, opening it to the sounds of chatter. Once inside, I saw Patriarch Tavera, Plex, and his entourage mingling with almost two dozen others sporting Tavera regalia. ¡°John and his lady have arrived. Good to see you.¡± ¡°You too, Patriarch.¡± I shook hands with the man. And when the Patriarch greeted Umara, he simply gave her a nod. I had discussed with Umara beforehand on the protocol for these events, and the consensus was that anybody who didn¡¯t already know who she was didn¡¯t need to know. She already had an alias made up for greetings with strangers. As for those who knew, they would likely be courteous of her identity and do what the Patriarch just did, act like she wasn¡¯t someone of any significance. Here, she was just my girlfriend and had zero notoriety to speak of. Perhaps Umara was right. In the black market, the roles were flipped. I was a small time noble while she was just a commoner. ¡°John! Remember me?¡± ¡°Captain Ignov! It¡¯s been a while.¡± I shook hands with this unexpected friend. Back when I had been called upon to help guard a convoy for Patriarch Tavera, he had been our commanding officer, an Authority 7 knight who protected us from an equally powerful pugilist. He was now stationed at a branch base in the City of Joffrun, which was also where I first met Duchess Talerria. We smiled at each other. ¡°Here on vacation?¡± ¡°Of course. Couldn¡¯t miss the year¡¯s greatest celebration.¡± ¡°I know. I didn¡¯t expect it to be this amazing.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s your first. Well congratulations. It doesn¡¯t get much better than this.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s all downhill from here?¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s one way to look at it.¡± He chuckled before glancing over, seeing Umara standing to my side. ¡°Who¡¯s this? I don¡¯t recall you having a lady last time I saw you.¡± ¡°This is my girlfriend.¡± ¡°Alice Vander. Pleased to meet you, Captain Ignov.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± Ignov bowed as Umara curtsied. ¡°So, where did you two meet?¡± ¡°At the Magisterium. She¡¯s my favorite warlock.¡± ¡°And he¡¯s my favorite summoner.¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Ignov chuckled and waved as Umara and I pushed our noses toward each other. ¡°I¡¯ll stop you there before you two get all cute. Anyway, be sure to pay attention to the auction. Not everything is going to cost a million coin, and there¡¯s a lot of good stuff being put up. It¡¯s by far the largest auction of the year. What you¡¯ll see here may never be seen again.¡± ¡°Mm, I¡¯ll be sure to watch.¡± We shook hands, giving a momentary goodbye. Inside the suite, there was an entire bar with a constant supply of snacks, so Umara and I hung around until Patriarch Tavera called for me. His other guests were just exiting, so we exchanged greetings and sat down near him. ¡°John, I wanted to congratulate you.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For killing Henevue, of course. You haven¡¯t forgotten something so recent, have you?¡± ¡°Oh, that.¡± I gave him a small smile, noticing Umara¡¯s neutral face to the side. She kept a good poker face despite the subject. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it''s anything worth congratulating. It''s only regretful that he couldn''t be killed sooner.¡± ¡°He was slippery, cautious. Nobody was capable of doing anything to him. In the short times that he would ever appear, he would always be guarded heavily. And all other times, he was hidden and impossible to bait. Many attempts have been made before and by people with much higher Authorities, trust me on that. But in just two days, you were able to do what nobody else had done before.¡± The Patriarch leaned forward. ¡°John, I gave you that job hoping it would merely catch your interest and that, in time, you might find an opportunity. I had hoped that your specialty might make things easier, but the pessimism in me didn¡¯t believe it would take any less than a year. And then one evening, I heard a single explosion. Small, hardly noticeable, but a sound no less infamous than the American who produced it. ¡°One shot, heard across the entire market. A man who had mastered his trade over the last five decades had been killed so quickly, so easily it would make the others before you puke. It¡¯s nothing short of a miracle, and one not unnoticed. I heard about the slaves you subsequently helped escape. Already the name American is making rounds around the market, but instead of him being the Terror of the Trenches, he¡¯s the Father of Freedom.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± A humored hum escaped my pressed lips. I didn¡¯t mind the ring to that name. Something about it made my American blood tingle pleasantly. The Patriarch leaned back as he saw me ease up a bit. I responded with a diverted gaze. ¡°I¡¯m not yet that amazing. Freeing those who have been kidnapped and trafficked is a given. They should never have been in that situation to begin with.¡± ¡°And yet they were there anyway, the victims of those inebriated with power. So do you not at least take pride in doing something nobody else had been able to, or even willing to, before?¡± ¡°...Maybe. But it¡¯s not enough. More people should be tackling this issue. If I were able, just based on the things I saw two days ago, not to mention what really happens behind closed doors¡­ I would be driven to dismantle the Clockwork Association and abolish it entirely. Those who run that mafia are disgusting.¡± ¡°Indeed. But you¡¯d have to be on the level of a Duke in order to do so yourself.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s unfortunate that I can¡¯t simply put a bullet in each of their heads. But that doesn¡¯t mean nothing can be done about the trading.¡± ¡°Are you thinking of fighting it?¡± He asked with a curious glint in his eye. But, my response was a shake of the head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°No? Sounds hypocritical, yes?¡± ¡°Yea, it is. But¡­ I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ll need to.¡± I thought back, remembering my recent dream. ¡°...It¡¯s simply not my calling.¡± ¡°Hm, I see. Well, I know that you¡¯re a courageous young man highly unlikely to shy away from any battle. In this era, such people are dwindling.¡± He suddenly reached over, placing his strong hand on my shoulder and looking me in the eye. ¡°You just keep on going. Great things lie ahead so long as you keep that good head on your shoulders.¡± ¡°Thank you, Patriarch.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± His hand moved off my shoulder, lowering to my wrist where he tapped my Aerial with his own. I was surprised as his contact info was transferred. ¡°If you ever feel the need to go and hunt some rats, let me know and I¡¯ll point you the way. I can¡¯t promise that the slave trade will be eradicated, but you¡¯ll at least be suitably rewarded.¡± ¡°Right. Thanks.¡± ¡°Enabling good people should be a given. Now go have fun tonight. There is still darkness in the world, but there¡¯s no reason that should stop you from seeing the light. You are especially deserving, considering your work in helping others do the same. Without you, nearly 150 people would be living very dark lives right now. Remember that.¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent, giving him a small nod before standing with Umara. He smiled at her once before we left. ¡°Take care of this one, little miss. Don¡¯t let him get in his own head.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Patriarch. I¡¯m by his side whether he likes it or not.¡± She smiled and intertwined her fingers with mine, causing him to laugh. After that we left, taking a seat at one of the many tables by the massive window overlooking the auction stage. The main event was about to start. Chapter 80: Katana ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing better.¡± I smiled while watching the auction stage. The auctioneer was almost done giving his opening speech, dropping sly hints about the most valuable items to come. Since Umara was next to me while Patriarch Tavera gave his encouraging words, she had caught the gist of the situation. Of course, since the topic had been brought up, my mind drifted to darker places and it ended up dampening my mood, despite the Patriarch¡¯s reassuring words. I suppose Umara noticed, and so she started to comfort me in her own way. ¡°The man you killed was a slave trader?¡± ¡°Yea.¡± ¡°Sometimes I forget those kinds of people even exist. Most people can¡¯t even conceive of the concept.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the Kingdom¡¯s history with slave trading?¡± I suddenly asked, wondering if it was anything like what I had known on Earth. Umara gazed off into the distance in thought. ¡°Before, it was Magi who enslaved the ordinary. In the early days of the Kingdom, there were several major territories that, although united, generally didn¡¯t consider themselves a single entity. And the ruling Duke of those territories would own quite literally everything underneath him. You could say there were entire kingdoms enslaved to their king.¡± I supposed it was quite like the feudalism of medieval Europe. ¡°Wow. And what stopped that?¡± ¡°Well, for one, the pressure of the Scourge. This was centuries ago, and the Kingdom was forced to grow as they and the Scourge began to recognize each other as foes and do battle. However, what gave the ordinary people true freedom was the Church.¡± ¡°The Church, huh?¡± My brows raised as she nodded. ¡°They led the charge for the abolition of all slavery and slave trading. At first, when the Kingdom first united under threat of the Scourge, they pushed for their most powerful man, the Founding King Abadeiah, to take the throne. And he didn¡¯t like being pressured by the Church, which, while a part of the Kingdom, was a separate governing entity. So he brought together all the Dukes and declared war on the Church in an attempt to fight for complete sovereignty.¡± ¡°And how did that end?¡± ¡°Not very good, because the Church¡¯s Paladins came in and killed him the day after he declared war.¡± ¡°...¡± I was shocked, not thinking the Church had the balls to do something like that, let alone the strength. They made it seem like the Kingdom never really had any power at all. Umara continued. ¡°Anyway, the entire conflict ended in just a few days and the abolition of slavery as a whole was written into law. This included servitude of any kind, because later on when old slavers tried to enslave through debt, it led the entire Kingdom into such a bad economic depression that the Church once again came in and outlawed things like interest on loans and certain banking practices which had led to the problem in the first place.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± ¡°I never really understood the financial side of it, but that was around 170 years ago, and we¡¯re more prosperous now than ever before, so it apparently worked.¡± ¡°Apparently.¡± I reclined in my chair, thinking about the curious history of this Kingdom. It seemed like the Church played a major part in its development. They were more of a behemoth than I realized, even though I never heard much about them in my daily life. Still, it was the dominant, perhaps the only real religion that all of humanity followed in this world. It was no wonder that they wielded vast power rivaling the entire Kingdom. The more interesting point though was how they didn¡¯t actually take the Kingdom for themselves. I was sure that they installed their own people into positions of political power, but the King was still separate from the Church, at least on paper. Like the father of a bunch of unruly children who didn¡¯t know better, they came in and whipped them into shape whenever they got out of hand. From everything I''ve seen, it¡¯s led to vast prosperity across the board, but then again, I didn¡¯t have any experience outside of major cities. Nonetheless, the monuments were massive and the roads were clean. Gold flowed like a river and food was plentiful. Sure, this Kingdom probably didn¡¯t have much of a middle class. There were the rich and the poor, with the poor composing the majority. But that was more so due to the lack of skilled labor, or what I would know as some blue and white collar jobs. There was no industrial revolution, so most people still lived outside the city, probably farming. Or they were in the military fighting. There wasn¡¯t much helping that. People needed food and water, and a lot of it, so most effort was devoted toward that since there wasn¡¯t any machinery to multiply it. Anybody else was either doing manual labor in something like a mine, or they got lucky enough to become a Magus and enter the skilled labor fields under magic, comprising an extremely small middle class. It also didn¡¯t help that the nobility was the most powerful group of Magi, giving them rich control over both the economy and the magic sector. I was able to benefit from the small amount of developed technology there was in the heart of humanity¡¯s only Kingdom. My experience was by no means representative of the majority. Short of starting an industrial revolution, there was little I could do to help any of that. All these thoughts pulled my mind away from the dark topics of human trafficking. I had never properly learned about any of this world¡¯s history and found it rather interesting. Eventually though, the topic shifted to the auction before us. The beginnings of these auctions were always slow, but the items shown were still interesting. Most of them were trinkets good for nothing other than their obscurity or rarity.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. For the first hour, everything was kept under 100 thousand. Each item appeared on a huge screen behind the auctioneer, making sure that everyone could see the item clearly regardless of distance. ¡°The pelt of an Authority 5 Unique Eagle Beast! Hunted near the frontlines, this extraordinary piece of leather still maintains its inherent fire enchantments! Bidding starts at 40 thousand!¡± ¡°The skull of a Colossal Needle Bird! These extraordinary creatures have the longest beaks in the world, and to date, this is the longest one ever hunted! At 12 feet long, it¡¯ll assuredly be a prized part of any hunter¡¯s collection! Bidding starts at 50 thousand!¡± ¡°A mysterious blade from a distant land! Its curved body contains no enchantments and indecipherable text unknown to any historian in the Kingdom! It was found on the border of the Kingdom and the Outlands with a small booklet! Its subpar battle characteristics make it unsuited for fighting, but its curved form is sure to fill a unique hole in any collector¡®s vault! Bidding starts at 50 thousand!¡± ¡°...Wait.¡± I suddenly sat up, seeing the blade on display. Those characters across its body, the curved black blade, the wrapped hilt, and the tassel hanging off it. How could I not recognize one of the most popularized weapons on Earth, the Japanese Katana? My heart pounded in my chest as I raised my voice. ¡°How do I bid?!¡± ¡°You need a card. Attendant!¡± ¡°Right here, sir.¡± After the Patriarch responded and called, a man came rushing over with said card, handing it to me. I immediately tapped it, sending out a bid. ¡°New bid of 100 thousand! Can I get 110? 110 thousand for this refined blade of mysterious origin!¡± ¡°100 thousand going once!¡± ¡°100 thousand going twice!¡± *Clack!* ¡°Sold!¡± Once the count was up, my face brightened. ¡°Nice!¡± ¡°What was that? Do you know what that blade is?¡± Umara asked as I settled back down. I could feel her growing curiosity, how she normally got when she found something interesting to pry into. ¡°Maybe.¡± My leg bounced as I watched the katana get taken off stage, the next item taking its place. A few minutes later, two people entered the suite, carrying the package. I stood and walked over. ¡°Bidding card, please?¡± ¡°Here.¡± I handed the card over, and once checked, they handed it back and gave me a box. ¡°Thank you for your patronage.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I nodded and took the box, walking back over to my little table and laying it out. Umara sat up, observing it curiously as I popped it open. I could feel all the other curious gazes as well. Though they wouldn¡¯t buy it for themselves, that didn''t mean they couldn¡¯t be interested in something novel. Even Plex walked over, standing over my shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°A sword.¡± ¡°No shit. You know what it is?¡± ¡°We¡¯re about to find out.¡± I spoke while popping the box open, seeing the one sided curved blade. And seeing the characters up close, although I wanted to doubt my eyes, I knew what I was seeing. Japanese characters written along the body in red, contrasting against the pitch black blade. It felt like a metal, but not entirely, making me wonder how it was made. But that was inconsequential. The point was that this was a sword that could only have been made by someone from Earth. I wasn¡¯t alone. After staring at the blade for a while, I looked at the tassel and frowned, lifting it with my fingers. On the high end of the tassel was a small colored piece resembling the Japanese flag, a white backdrop with a big red spot in the center which outright confirmed my guess. But then, below that, was a little fox girl charm from what I could only assume was an anime. It was so well made that I questioned its purpose. Whoever this was basically strapped a figurine to their sword. Who¡¯s the weeb that owned this? Show yourself. I rolled my eyes after a few seconds, setting the sword back down. This was a Japanese katana, no question. Whoever owned it or created it was from Earth. I wasn¡¯t the only one, though I started to question the unknown larger purpose for bringing people here from another world. If whoever did this wanted to save this world, then they surely didn¡¯t bring enough people. And if not, then why bring us at all? Or was this some freak interdimensional accident and at least two people just happened to get caught up in it? That was unlikely. Regardless, I had a new goal, which was to try and find the owner of this weapon. It was said to have been discovered on the border of the Kingdom¡¯s territory, near somewhere called the Outlands. I didn¡¯t know what that was, but even Maxwell once told me that the Kingdom was not the last bastion of humanity. There were more out there. We were just cut off from them. Perhaps that¡¯s where this person came from. As for what happened to them, I couldn¡¯t really assume. I just hoped they weren¡¯t dead. The sword didn¡¯t paint that picture, but I didn¡¯t know the circumstances of its discovery. I sighed and looked over, finding a small booklet. When I opened it, I saw nothing but gibberish. It was a combination of Japanese and some other language, perhaps the language of whatever kingdom they had been brought to. However, there wasn¡¯t only text. There were also some pictures. After skipping past some of the anime doodles that made my brow twitch, I found some obscure drawings that didn¡¯t quite look like any enchantments or magic spells, but close enough to make me think it was some different kind of magic. After a while, I just shut it, contemplating and ignoring Plex¡¯s questions. I had many questions of my own, none of which would be answered anytime soon. It wasn¡¯t like I could search for a Japanese person on my own, not to mention that they probably weren¡¯t within the Kingdom anyway. I would have to get to the point where I had enough power to find any nations beyond the Kingdom of Dragon Tongue. I needed to explore the Outlands. But that would only happen years from now at the least. So for now, I just needed to sit tight and train. Still, knowing that there were other Earthlings in this world made me question my own presence here. Something was going on and it was bigger than anything I alone could dip my toes in. I was already in over my head in more than a few other areas. I didn¡¯t need to keep poking beyond my pay grade any more than I had to. After another long stare, I finally closed the box and threw it in my spatial sack, waving the curious Plex away. Once he was gone, Umara leaned over. ¡°So?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from my homeland.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a good thing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not either. Its presence here is a miracle, but what it represents is a lot more important. I thought I had been the only one. Turns out I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Well, from the little you¡¯ve told me, I would assume that it¡¯s at least comforting.¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t respond. I wasn¡¯t that concerned about the fact that someone from my home planet was here. I wouldn¡¯t know them and while we might share a common origin to bond over, it wouldn¡¯t change much about what I would continue to do. I was concerned about what it meant for there to be multiple Earthlings here. I had already been curious about what it meant for Cold Summoners to be able to summon weapons from other worlds. At the very least, there were three worlds in existence and likely many more. I had seen weapons from Vetsmon¡¯s mother, guns from Earth, and then this world itself. I had a faint feeling that it was all connected somehow. The ability to summon extra-dimensional weapons, people being swapped between worlds, and most importantly, the Scourge. The magnitude of each factor could change things for better or worse. That¡¯s why I wasn¡¯t concerned about this unknown kin from Earth. I was concerned about what their, and my own, presence meant. At some point though I stopped thinking about it. This changed nothing but my personal opinion. My goal remained the same. Now though, there was just one new thing added to my ever expanding to-do list. Find a stick, and whack this weeb over the head with it for putting an anime girl on their sword in another world. Chapter 81: Heart While we were talking, the auction had continued, prices increasing exponentially from the seemingly large sum I had just spent. Anything from massive weapons and sets of artisanal enchanted armor to exotic animals and unique materials changed hands for millions of coin. An Authority 10¡¯s steel spear, a shaft as hefty as its head entwined in silver vines, a near-custom piece never to be seen on the open market, was sold for 10 million coin. An Authority 11 Knight¡¯s set of armor, a gleaming amalgamation of shell and steel, sold for nearly 20 times as much. The numbers were as incredible as the items being sold. Captain Ignov¡¯s words seemed to be painting themselves true right before my eyes. Most of these items would never be seen again. They were one of a kind and exorbitantly expensive. Even Umara was stunned. Despite her family¡¯s Dukedom and the incredible wealth it entailed, the sheer amount of coin that moved on a whim was still an entirely different scale. Well, we were both expanding our worldview. The only thing more exclusive than the high-Authority gear was a set of enchanting blueprints; the seller, much like Apocryon did with his enhancement pills sold only a few months ago, gave up production rights to a mass-market water production enchantment. The final price, set by an anonymous buyer after a tense bidding battle, soared to an even 300 million. But even greater things were to come. Tension built up in the audience as the end of the auction approached, the blacked out spot at the bottom of the catalogue generating more and more excitement. By the time the last few items had been auctioned off, murmurs and wild speculation rippled throughout the floor, the audience¡¯s anticipation at a boiling point. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! I now present to you our final item, one unlike any ever seen on this stage before, one of the most powerful things you¡¯ll ever see!¡± *Ba-dum* Something alien caused my Aura to ripple as those words were spoken. *Ba-dum* I felt it before I saw it, my heart pounding in my chest even before it arrived on stage. It was following the rhythm of those beats. Two attendants struggled to heave a heavy metal cart on stage. Whatever was underneath the tarp, its Aura was overwhelming. It projected so much vitality it felt like I was drowning, even from the VIP booth. It just felt alive. Despite my dead-set conviction otherwise, I could tell whatever was inside was certainly not alive anymore; at most, it was a mere remnant of what it once had been. One attendant heaved to stop the cart; the other, with a grand flourish, tore the cloth from what it had covered. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. A heart. The size of a head, the off-white organ sat suspended in a translucent blue fluid. Even when torn out from some creature¡¯s chest, it continued to beat undyingly. Everyone in the suite stood to get a closer look. Anybody who could even faintly sense their Aura could feel a heavy weight upon it. The auctioneer flicked his hands towards the artifact, his motion essentially meaningless because of the incredible attention already on the heart. ¡°Behold before you, a still-beating heart plucked from the chest of the Authority 11 Nemea! As a Paragon, this being already sat at the top of the animal hierarchy, but this one was infamous for its dozens of repulsed capture attempts! Finally brought low by the efforts of our sellers, its nigh-immortal heart has resisted all laws of nature and continued beating, as it has for the past month since it was ripped away! It is the ultimate ingredient for a Crown Potion; Undying Vigor, endless Mana, all at your fingertips to boost you to the heights of the world!¡± ¡°So without further ado, bidding will start at 250 million coin!¡± ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± I muttered, knowing that the starting price would be multiplied many times over. So this was the kind of thing I needed to kill if I wanted a Crown? I could already tell that my goal would be more difficult than I ever imagined before. Unless I somehow became filthy rich with some business venture, then I would have to hunt my own Crown ingredients. And anything that I killed had to be strong enough to provide me with a good Crown, yet not so strong that I couldn¡¯t actually kill it in the first place. It was quite a treacherous balance, made even more difficult by the fact that I had to actually find a fitting beast or animal to hunt. The strong ones wouldn¡¯t throw themselves at me like fodder. However, that suddenly reminded me of something. The Cyclops Scout. Besides its laser, its eye was designed specifically for picking things out and seeing at long distances. Neither darkness, camouflage, nor distance could conceal from it. Nearly all of its power was concentrated on its observational abilities. As a sniper, having an eye like that would be incredibly advantageous. Would I be able to make a Crown out of it? I had taken its head cleanly, so although I didn¡¯t know how Crowns were made, I figured that would be enough. My only concern was whether or not it would be worth it. As I was, it would provide a huge advantage. But I would have to ask Maxwell first in case I was missing something. I made a mental note and slotted it near the top of my priorities. I would ask as soon as I could after Christmas since the Puppet Master was currently holding the corpse for me. It wasn¡¯t like I could do anything with it now anyway. With those thoughts I watched the bidding rise for the undying heart. ¡°600 million!¡± ¡°700 million!¡± ¡°900 million.¡± I heard that last bid from Patriarch Tavera, glancing back at him with a small smile. It was said that the Patriarch was around Authority 9, but I was inclined to believe that was false. Just like how Luna, the head of the Polaris family, was labeled as Authority 10, but easily stood on equal grounds with Duchess Talerria. The details under their names in the Repository were false, no doubt. From the Patriarch I felt subtle power, but I knew he couldn¡¯t possibly be a mere Authority 9. He was probably pushing Authority 11, maybe not as strong as Luna, but not much weaker either. And considering the fact that the Tavera Family had been expanding recently, it led me to believe that they contained deeper power than they let on. And apparently, they were filthy rich. After being contested, the Patriarch threw out another bid. ¡°1 billion.¡± ¡°...1 billion 50 million!¡± ¡°1.15 billion.¡± ¡°...¡± His competitor went silent, and for a while, nobody spoke. The auctioneer gave another small speech about how amazing this heart was, even about the advantages it would give in competition. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. But an entire billion coin was no small amount, not even considering the costs to make the Crown itself. And finally, after it was clear nobody could afford to bid, the auctioneer raised his hammer. ¡°1.15 billion going once!¡± ¡°Going twice!¡± ¡°Sold! The Immortal Heart, 1.15 billion! Congratulations to Patriarch Tavera!¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± The Patriarch hummed from his seat. He wasn¡¯t smiling. In fact, after he watched the heart get taken off stage, a scowl marred his face. ¡°Prepare for war.¡± ¡°With haste.¡± Captain Ignov left, as did most of those under the Tavera family. ¡°Patriarch.¡± ¡°John.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to offer my help, if you want it.¡± ¡°...¡± He looked at me with a straight face, thinking for several seconds before shaking his head. ¡°No, go enjoy your Christmas. I will remember your offer, but right now, the risk outweighs the benefit. Plex, on the other hand, will be accompanying me on your behalf.¡± ¡°Do I have to?¡± ¡°Only if you want some of the leftovers, you slothful cur.¡± ¡°Heh, just what I was waiting to hear.¡± ¡°Hm, John really is better than you.¡± The Patriarch sighed while walking out, Plex following behind with a greedy grin. Plex was more powerful than Rayla, but looked less powerful than the Patriarch. He probably sat somewhere around Authority 9. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure because unlike many others, his Aura was completely indecipherable to me. I couldn¡¯t even sense the man if he didn¡¯t want me to. His invisibility extended to his Aura as well, making him a horrible opponent to have. What was I smoking back then to think I could ever hurt him? It would be a long time before I could even scratch him. At least he hadn¡¯t gotten me killed up until now. In fact, I think Maxwell was the one I should be more wary of. Well, since the Patriarch rejected my help, I decided not to worry about things for now. Still, I at least had to offer. He had done too much for me to not try and repay some of that favor in his time of need. But he was right. I couldn¡¯t do much for him. In the best case scenario I could take out an Authority 7 warlock, but that was it. The enemies they would deal with would be well above that, enough to threaten him personally. The black markets were about to become a warzone. I suppose it was a good thing we were getting away from it since I wouldn¡¯t be participating anyway. Suddenly, the announcer spoke. ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, I hereby conclude the Christmas Auction hosted by the Black Spider Auction House! And in partnership with Herald Vatsy, the entire venue will be open for the final Gala of the year! The night has just begun, so grab a drink, and give a round of applause for your favorite orchestra, Light¡¯s End!¡± I looked down at the stage as the audience cheered, seeing a dozen different musicians appear with their instruments in hand. As they started playing, I smiled at Umara. Most people within the suite were leaving, but that didn¡¯t mean we had to. We got the best view in the house and she looked really excited to see this orchestra. The drinks were free, the snacks were plentiful, the music was invigorating, and the masks deflected all forms of judgment cast our way. With each rise in the pace of the music, I could feel the true spirit of the Gala accelerate. Those who were here to spend money had received their goods, and those who were here for the celebration were finally getting what they wanted. It was Christmas, and this was an all expense paid afterparty. Those who didn¡¯t unhinge were the weird ones. And Umara and I weren¡¯t weird. So with the encouragement of a few drinks, we indulged in this massive annual jamboree, letting almost completely loose and taking over the suite for ourselves. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡°Down the rocks¡­¡± ¡°Over the hills¡­¡± ¡°When I found you on that night¡­¡± ¡°When I fell in love!¡± ¡°There was nothing on my mind¡­¡± ¡°But your kisses on my- shit!¡± *Thud!* Umara slipped off the bar, falling toward a large fort made of couch and seat cushions, but missing them entirely and kissing the floor instead. My head flicked toward her before I suddenly burst out in laughter. ¡°Bahahaha!¡± ¡°Ah! Get over here, boy! Momma wants some kisses!¡± ¡°What¡¯d you say about my momma?!¡± ¡°I said- Ah!¡± She squeaked as I dove over and picked her up, planting her back onto the bar before jumping atop it myself. There were a dozen empty bottles scattered across its surface, but that was nothing a few kicks couldn¡¯t fix. Umara jumped up with me, spreading her arms out as if she were balancing on a tightrope. ¡°We¡¯re gonna fall.¡± ¡°I swore I wasn¡¯t gonna fall!¡± ¡°Why was it all in vain?!¡± ¡°On that night you stole my heart!¡± ¡°And then you gave it all- AH!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Ah!!¡± Umara grabbed a fistful of my pants, dragging me with her as she tumbled once again into the pile of cushions. She came up sputtering with laughter. ¡°Bwahahaha! You screamed like a girl!¡± ¡°Lies! Deception!¡± ¡°You can hit the high notes!¡± ¡°You know who else can hit the high notes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m falling for you~~!¡± ¡°My mom!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Umara couldn¡¯t control herself as she laughed into the pile of cushions. I chuckled beside her, jumping up before pulling her out to dance some more. The two of us flew across the suite, dodging the massive mess that had taken more than a few hours to make. Scattered chairs, empty bottles and cups, and plenty of snacks littered the floor. We were all alone as we made up a brand new dance on the spot. It was only when we got dizzy from all the spinning that we stopped and looked at each other. I gave her a weird grin, my vision half spinning and my mind filled with a warm, fuzzy feeling. ¡°Hey baby. Wanna watch my chest hair move in slow motion?¡± ¡°What the fuck? It moves?¡± ¡°Almost as well as I do. Now hear me out¡­ You look pretty. I look pretty. How about we go home and stare at each other?¡± ¡°Only if I get to carry you!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I was stumped as she ran around, sweeping me off my feet like a princess. And then she started marching out of the suite. I relaxed as she moved through the auction house, crossing my legs as if I were in a chair. All around, there were butlers and attendants cleaning the place and helping drunken visitors out. ¡°Oh yea, this is how I always imagined it. Take me home, baby!¡± ¡°You¡¯re heavy!¡± ¡°Ugh! How insulting! You will not degrade the majesty of- Stairs!¡± ¡°Ack! My ankle!¡± ¡°Shit!¡± I threw my arms out as Umara tripped, the two of us rolling down a flight of stairs. ¡°Oof!¡± ¡°Ow!¡± I grunted as I landed at the bottom, Umara landing on top of me. I looked up, slowly concentrating from the disorientation and seeing a man standing before me, looking down with a neutral face. He was jacked, definitely a bouncer. So I let him know. ¡°Sir, I want to let you know how proud I am of everything you¡¯ve accomplished.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let society degrade you! Don¡¯t let the flame die out!¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ve done my job.¡± I laid back down, closing my eyes as a small tummy ache started to appear. ¡°I can die peacefully now.¡± ¡°John, no!¡± ¡°The Auction House is closing. Please drink this on your way out. It¡¯ll help cleanse your body.¡± ¡°I thank you for this-¡± ¡°Please move.¡± I was pulled up, Umara clinging to me and crawling onto my back as we were handed two small cups from a nearby tray. After drinking it, both of us walked out of the Auction house before recoiling at the light of the sun. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s bright. What time is it?¡± ¡°...3 messages from mom.¡± ¡°I said time.¡± ¡°Our Rail leaves three hours earlier to avoid delays.¡± ¡°Time!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Umara shouted back, making me lift my arm and tap my Aerial with my chin. ¡°It¡¯s 11.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡± ¡°Time for bed.¡± ¡°Mm. My ankle hurts.¡± ¡°We need a healer.¡± I muttered while walking down the street. There were many around us, most passed out or limp beside the road. Trash littered the streets everywhere, but the various attendants¡¯ work had cleared up a vast portion of it already. At some point in time, we found our way back to the elevator, going straight up to my room. Over time, whatever drink I was given started clearing my head. Although it brought me out of my drunken stupor, it left a splitting headache and an undesirable feeling in my stomach. Luckily, I made it back to the room in time before things got bad. I laid Umara on the bed before collapsing next to her. I had just enough lucidity left in me to set an alarm, passing out fast enough to avoid the wave of nausea surging up my throat. Chapter 82: Whenever We Damn Please ¡°Ugh¡­¡± An incessant beeping in my mind pulled me from the sweet depths of rest. The horrible headache blasted away any vestiges of drowsiness I could take refuge in. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t seem like a hangover headache, more a dehydrated-for-an-entire-day type headache. Thankfully, I had no desire to pass out again on the bed, so I was at minimal risk of soiling the bed from a rapidly growing pressure on my bladder. I ran to the bathroom, relieving myself before walking out and downing enough water to make myself want to throw up. I felt a bit better after hacking out what water got caught in my throat but also woke Umara up. She followed in my steps, stumbling through the same process I had. After about half an hour, we sat side-by-side on the kitchen floor against some cupboards, blankly staring off into space, trying to re-order and make sense of the drunken memories of last night. At some point, I spoke. ¡°You dropped me down the stairs.¡± ¡°I-I twisted my ankle.¡± ¡°You sang on stage.¡± ¡°You built a pillow fort for the bartender to sleep in!¡± ¡°Hey, that was cool and I regret nothing. And he couldn¡¯t sleep there because you threw up in it.¡± ¡°Ahh!!¡± She cried out while burying her red face in her knees. ¡°I want to die! Just bury me in my grave!¡± ¡°Hey now, it¡¯s not like they knew who you were, though they will in fact remember it for the rest of their lives, just like I will.¡± ¡°Ahhh!¡± She toppled over, bundling herself under her robes. I laughed and laid on top of her, wrapping her body up. The faint glow of the setting sun illuminated the two of us as we lay there together, at peace until¡­ something¡­ didn¡¯t feel right. It wasn¡¯t just Umara¡¯s hand, which had somehow wedged itself against my ribs. I lifted my wrist and checked the time. ¡°Hey, what time did your mother say the Rail left?¡± ¡°...¡± Umara froze before shifting around. ¡°...30 minutes.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± I cursed and jumped up. ¡°We gotta go!¡± ¡°I need my chest! All my stuff is at the Magisterium!¡± ¡°Ahh!!¡± I sprinted out of the kitchen and threw everything I could think of into my trunk before heaving it up, running over to Umara and lowering my back. ¡°Get on!¡± ¡°Ok!¡± She crawled up. With a twisted ankle she couldn¡¯t run, so I just decided to carry her on my back. Chest in hand, I crammed Umara and myself out the door while she called a carriage. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Key Master!¡± ¡°Have a good trip, John!¡± He waved while we barged out the lobby doors, seeing the carriage roll up. Swinging my trunk in, I lowered Umara to the seat before sliding myself in as well, tipping the driver some coin for speed. We careened through the streets in record time, rolling up to the Magisterium to grab Umara¡¯s things. Thankfully we had the foresight to prepare for the worst, so she had packed most of her things. Within a minute or so we were running back to the carriage to get to the Terminal. Unfortunately it still took a while to get to the outskirts of the city. When we arrived, our Rail was scheduled to depart in 5 minutes. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t Umara¡¯s legs or arms that were broken; she carried her own chest above her head, legs solidly clamped on my waist. I ran as best I could with two chests and a person in hand. The Vigor provided through our awakenings and temperings helped massively in the process. I quickly scanned a hanging sign, locating our Rail terminal. The last few people were being let on. ¡°Hey! Wait for us!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± I sprinted over with Umara on my back, our strange duo catching many eyes. Most importantly, the conductor noticed us, although his face was filled with a strange, inscrutable emotion. I held out our tickets, which he took and snipped. ¡°Welcome. You¡¯re just in time.¡± ¡°Ah, thank God.¡± I let out a relieved breath as we walked on. The conductor latched the door shut after we made it on, passing us by and letting us get to our designated car. Thankfully, our car was nicer with private rooms, letting us destress and settle in quietly. I set Umara down on one of the small bunk beds and took a spot next to her. She grunted while lifting her leg. ¡°Damn, that hurts.¡± ¡°Let me see it.¡± I reached over, lifting her leg and resting it on my lap as she laid down. She was still in her shoes from before, some fancy slippers that went with her dress. I removed them, pulling a sheer sock off as well. She covered her face with her hands, peeking through her fingers with scarlet ears. ¡°I-I think it¡¯ll be fine. You don¡¯t have to really look at it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m checking how bad it is.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°B-But my feet smell! You don¡¯t have to!¡± ¡°I held your hair as you vomited inside my pillow fort.¡± ¡°Eughh¡­¡± She let out a weird embarrassed moan as I ignored her, checking her foot and ankle. Besides, she actually didn¡¯t smell that bad. Because of the magic crap, people in this world had better bodies and didn¡¯t smell nearly as bad, or at least, it took longer to smell like how people did on Earth. Basically, body odor was much lighter and so I didn¡¯t mind it at all. If anything, her unique scent smelled rather nice. It wasn¡¯t so much an odor as it was an aroma and evenly emanated from her whole body, something I¡¯d noticed after spending a lot of time with her. Hell, even my own body odor was better than before. It was still fun to see her so embarrassed as I inspected her ankle. Her ankle was probably twisted. Swollen flesh bulged outward, but she wasn¡¯t reacting negatively ¡ª beyond surprise ¡ª to my probing fingers, so nothing seemed broken. She also had a full, albeit painful, range of motion, so it didn¡¯t seem like any ligaments had been torn. It would heal with time, but given her status, we could get it looked at to expedite the healing process. After a few reassuring pats to her knee, I took out a cigar and offered it to her, grabbing another for myself. Both of us took a few deep drags, feeling waves of rejuvenation ease our sore bodies. For a while I decided to just massage her leg, going from her foot to her calf and avoiding the hurt areas. She gradually relaxed until she let out contented sighs. I could feel her watch me as she lay there, but I kept my eyes down and simply let her do as she wanted. And after doing one leg, I couldn¡¯t ignore the other. With more freedom, I massaged her other foot, ankle, and calf. I was firm yet gentle with it, sometimes caressing, sometimes relieving pressure and stress through her muscles. I worked my way up bit by bit, going with and against her blood flow until I felt all knots disappear and turned her legs into butter. Of course, I didn¡¯t take it much farther than that, otherwise we would be entering dangerous territory. It was unfortunate, but both of us knew that there was a certain line we couldn¡¯t cross. We could generally ignore it, but had been pushing ever closer and closer; it would have to be confronted one day. And it wasn¡¯t like kissing wasn¡¯t enough, but both of us were getting a little greedy. Holding back was difficult but in our best interests, and so we both made do. I felt Umara grab my arm and pull me down beside her. She planted her lips on mine after setting aside her cigar, giving me a slow, passionate kiss. My brain was clouded until she pulled away, peering into each other¡¯s eyes. She muttered with a rosy face. ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°...¡± I almost recoiled at her words. They were far from expected and I was stunned into silence. Was it even okay to say something like that? Our relationship of three months was already under incredible scrutiny. But then again, why did I give a damn? Once I properly processed what she was saying, my mind was overwhelmed with so much love for this girl that I instinctively gave her another kiss before muttering in her ear. ¡°I love you too.¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± She hummed as we continued to kiss, and for a moment, I almost decided to throw away all reservations and cross the line in the heat of the moment. But I knew better. My mind was too clear ¡ª damned Spark ¡ª for love to cloud rational thinking. I not only rationally understood that our current position was actually beneficial for us; I also had the willpower to drive off temptations. If I fell to Umara¡¯s temptations, it would have to be a full dive of my own volition. It didn¡¯t help that she had brought us yet again one step closer to that line. There was nothing more we could do short of getting married that would advance our relationship any further. Despite that, I could tell that she got more heated as we continued in the small bed. Her grinding, the intensity, it all told me that she was seriously pushing. Man, she was really making this difficult for me. Not that I could blame her. The heat of passion was an addictive drug. The only reason I wasn¡¯t succumbing to it was due to the power of my mind that elevated me above the fleshly desires of my brain, to some extent. Not even being piss drunk could completely fog my mind. I found that out last night at the Gala. And so, I was the one who had to exercise some restraint for both of us. Taking control, I rolled and got her off me before forcefully separating. She watched me with clouded eyes for a bit before her red face shifted into worry. ¡°Do you not want to? I-I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to-¡± ¡°No no.¡± I put my hand on her face and stopped her lips with my thumb, smiling. ¡°God knows that there is very, very little keeping me from tearing off your clothes right now. Hell, I¡¯m about to tear through my own, but we both know that we can¡¯t, not right now.¡± ¡°...What if I don¡¯t care?¡± I could feel her squirm underneath me as she bit her lip, her thighs brushing against my rock solid pants. I almost laughed, my remaining sanity barely keeping me in check. ¡°What if it¡¯s for us? For our future?¡± ¡°We can do both.¡± ¡°Can we? You know better than I. What would it really mean for us to have sex right now? I don¡¯t give a damn what anyone else thinks and hate the other nobles a lot more than you do, but if it keeps them in check, then I¡¯m willing to wait. The future could hold a lot more. How much will doing this take away?¡± ¡°...¡± She didn¡¯t respond, going from pondering to frowning. Through the horny, she started to get agitated before the anger surged. ¡°Agh! Dammit! Stupid fucking old assholes! Why should we have to care?! Can they not just keep to themselves?! My life is my own! I¡¯m not some political benefit just so some elderly bitch can use my mother as a money bag!¡± She stood out of bed as she started yelling, her arms flailing and knocking stuff over. I just watched, even as the air was kicked up with magic. She was pissed and I had no intention of stifling anything. I was angry too. Even more so than her. If anything, I was glad she was angry. Unfortunately, our lives weren¡¯t our own to dictate, not yet. We would need do develop more power so that someday, we could tell them all to go fuck themselves. At that time, we could fuck whenever we damn pleased. Suddenly, Umara turned to me. ¡°Do you know why? Why we can¡¯t do this? Do you know how they¡¯ll take away our future?¡± ¡°How?¡± I sat straight and asked. I was genuinely curious, because she did in fact know better than me. She let out a sharp breath. ¡°My virginity. If you took it, then I would become less valuable to any suitors. But that doesn¡¯t help us. It would only mean that they can push the boundaries farther. I become little more than a product at that point, and because of that, they have all the more reason to simply kill you and marry me off. And there¡¯s nothing my mother would be able to do if you¡¯re dead. No matter how long it took, they would get what they want.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± My response was succinct. I didn¡¯t realize that, but it made sense. Virginity was important, especially for women. That was simply how it was in these noble societies. And I knew that, but I didn¡¯t know what getting rid of that would do to us. Now I knew. It would only give them more leverage, more reason to kill me and take Umara. The Duchess could withhold her daughter because she was valuable. But if her value went down, then she couldn¡¯t, especially if I wasn¡¯t there to be a living excuse. In short, having sex would kill me. How fun. I sighed, standing up and hugging my enraged girlfriend. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s readjust our position. We can¡¯t do anything now but that doesn¡¯t mean we have to give them control over us. Let¡¯s think of it like this. We¡¯ll wait to have sex until we¡¯re married. All we have to do is hold ourselves accountable until that day comes. Nobody will be able to say that we didn¡¯t do something because we were afraid of them.¡± ¡°...Okay. I agree.¡± ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s cheer you up. I don¡¯t like seeing you so mad.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my fault.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s not. And I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t do more.¡± I rubbed her back as she started to calm down. ¡°One day we¡¯ll be able to do whatever we want. As long as you¡¯re willing, we¡¯ll work toward that together.¡± ¡°I-I did just say that I love you, right? I thought that was a given.¡± ¡°And I love you too. But I¡¯m not gonna lie and say I don¡¯t have small doubts.¡± ¡°About what?¡± She looked up at me, worry painted across her face. I scratched my head. ¡°I¡¯ve had a couple relationships in the past, and even though I thought they loved me, even after they said it, they still left. I just get worried that as time goes on, things might change.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± She looked down, thinking for a few seconds before raising her head back up. ¡°Then like on the battlefield, I¡¯ll prove to you that you can trust me.¡± ¡°No. I already trust you. I love you. And I¡¯ll keep loving you, so long as I¡¯m not alone in that.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be. In fact¡­¡± She pushed herself up, giving me a quick kiss, red blooming across her cheeks. ¡°W-When we get married, I¡¯ll make you feel stupid for ever having doubts.¡± ¡°Oh my. I can¡¯t wait. Because we¡¯ll get to do some other stuff too once that happens.¡± ¡°Y-y-you¡¯re just doing this for my body?¡± ¡°Well you are the most beautiful girl I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± I grinned and leaned down, kissing her neck and making her hands tighten around my back. ¡°B-Bad¡­ Bad guy!¡± ¡°Come on. I won¡¯t be able to kiss you so much while we¡¯re at your parent¡¯s house. We¡¯ll need to get in enough for a few days.¡± ¡°That''s t-true. S-so stop licking my neck!¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Chapter 83: Talerria Estate As the Rail slowed to a stop, I wiped some faint lipstick off my cheek and gathered my things. During the ride we ended up changing clothes. Neither of us were completely prim and proper since we had gone a day and a half without really cleaning ourselves, but we still looked good enough. It wasn''t like we were going to a party. A man in a tidy suit, quickly recognized by Umara, stood elegantly next to a pillar. ¡°Sir Heemo!¡± ¡°Lady Umara. Mr. Cooper.¡± He bowed, gesturing to the Terminal exit. ¡°Please, follow me. ¡­¡­ ¡°We have arrived.¡± The carriage rolled to a stop, and I hopped out with Umara on my back. The massive Talerria Estate sprawled before us. A terraced, balconied mansion spread itself across an area dozens of times smaller than the surrounding hills and dales comprising the entire plot of land. Somehow simultaneously as shiny as wet polished slate and dull from constant surface weathering, surrounded by lush bushes and multicolored flowers, the single tiled walkway brought us before the three-storied mansion. It was on the outskirts of the City of Joffrun, but the surrounding area was incredibly rich. On the carriage ride over, I hadn¡¯t noticed a single shanty or even trash on the road; even the ¡°wild¡± country off the sides were carefully pruned into their current appearance. It seemed like everyone with money wanted to move near the Duchess¡¯ own residence despite its distance from the city center. Then again, maybe they just wanted to get away from all the noise. Of course, nobody could compare to how rich the Duchess was. The mansion wasn¡¯t even located near the wall, but from the back of the property all the way to the wall itself, there was nothing but fields of green. She had prohibited any construction back there for nothing more than the aesthetic, as if she lived in a rural mansion. With Umara on my back, we walked up to the main door. Sir Heemo, the head butler of the estate, was a mere few steps in front, having sent a duo of servants rushing back to the doors to properly notify the family of our arrival. Not that they hadn¡¯t already expected us. Before we could even get to the door, the rest of the family arrived. Talexia Talerria, Ikhor Talerria, and Feay Talerria. They all stood garbed in casual but proper dress, looking much less disheveled than the two of us, strange looks on their faces as Umara waved at them. ¡°Hi mom!¡± ¡°Dear, is there a reason John is lugging you around like a sack of rocks?¡± ¡°I twisted my ankle.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you get it healed?¡± ¡°We were running late¡­¡± She dodged her mother¡¯s narrowed eyes with a turn of the head, deciding not to mention our incredibly rushed departure. As the Duchess sighed, I heard the scraggly voice of the Duke. ¡°John, you can put my daughter down now.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I hummed before kneeling, allowing Umara to climb off. Her shoe was off, so the fat ankle was clear as day for them to see. Although she didn¡¯t break anything, it was still painful to walk around on, and I didn¡¯t mind carrying her. The Duchess waved. ¡°Come inside. I¡¯ll heal you up.¡± With those words, everyone turned and went through the doors. I was met with a large entryway that led to two huge staircases sloping up to both the second and third floors. The place, although rich, wasn¡¯t overly flashy. I could tell that the Talerria household was more pragmatic than they were worried about impressing people. The only thing that stood apart from the otherwise modest entry hall was the line of larger-than-life paintings, the stern faces of Talerria line heads staring into a void. They were an old family dating back centuries like many other noble households. They had ancestors well over a century old still alive and kicking, as well as many offshoots populated by aunts, uncles, and cousins. The main line, which Umara descended from, was most important and always ran the family as they were also the most powerful. But that didn¡¯t mean the branch families were neglected. They were in charge of the countless other affairs the family had to deal with, be it running businesses or serving under the Duchess¡¯s command as a private army. Offshoots were nurtured with opportunities and financial support, but there were many measures in place to cut off branches that had diverged too heavily to prevent exponential hemorrhaging of resources. All of the pictures I saw while walking through the house were of important people who came before the Duchess, including special individuals who married into the family. When the Duchess passed the mantle to the next heir, she would become another photo on the wall, adding to the long chain. And this estate was passed down through the generations. Currently it was for the Duchess and her family to inhabit, but the rest of the family, who I would be seeing during the Christmas celebrations, wasn¡¯t far away. That would be fun. As I observed the place, taking in the refined architecture and tasteful artistry across the board, Duchess Talerria sat Umara in a room and started the healing process. A warlock such as herself obviously knew how to heal. Although it was, in theory, its own special field, it was all magic in the end, specifically water and fire. How that worked, I had no idea. But put simply, healing was a combination of the two elements. They were difficult spells to learn and utilize so any healer was an incredibly respected professional. Umara would only be able to learn healing later since she was only now beginning to develop her fire affinity. After a few minutes, Umara¡¯s ankle looked much better. The swelling went down entirely and she said it only felt a bit sore. And so, the introductions were made. ¡°John Cooper. I am Ikhor Talerria, Umara¡¯s father. Pleased to finally meet my daughter¡¯s boyfriend.¡± ¡°Pleased to meet you too, sir. And thank you for the hospitality.¡± ¡°Of course. And allow me to introduce you to our second daughter. Feay Talerria.¡± ¡°Pleased to meet you, Feay. I¡¯m John.¡± ¡°Mm. Nice to meet you.¡± The young teen nodded and shook my outstretched hand. I saw the Crest she bore and knew that she would become a knight, but had yet to awaken. She was 14, so she would only have to wait another 2 years. Feay looked at me with a courteous smile, a mature gesture betraying little of her true emotions, truly fit for a noble daughter of a Duke. She didn¡¯t seem to have any real desire to interact with me, but I would hopefully eventually have a chance to win her over. After getting her ankle healed, Umara walked back over, nudging me with her shoulder. ¡°We should get you settled in your room.¡± ¡°The butlers have already arranged his room.¡± The Duchess chimed in behind us. ¡°John, everyone here resides on the third floor, as you will. For now, we should talk about our schedule for the next few days. Come sit.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. She waved everyone over to the nearby couches where we got comfortable. Ikhor pulled out a sheet of paper, a comprehensive to-do list already prepared for us. ¡°Today, we are to attend to our personal affairs. I have a meeting with the Marshal of the 3rd Knights Division. Talexia, you have those plans with Raven.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Umara, your friend Mina is holding her 22nd birthday celebration today. You¡¯re due in three hours at Parencia to attend that with John.¡± ¡°Oh, crap. I forgot about that.¡± Umara¡¯s eyes widened, making me wonder who this friend was. ¡°As for Feay, your own friends are holding an early Christmas celebration. You¡¯ll be staying overnight, so prepare for that and be ready to return tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s prepare. Umara, take John on a tour around the estate until you need to leave. I¡¯ll be heading out soon, as will your mother.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Everyone stood with those plans made. After that, the rest of the family dispersed to go take care of everything. Umara linked arms with me and took me around the first level of the house, pointing out anything I needed to know. ¡°The first floor is where most of the household activities are taken care of. Cooking, dining, attending to guests, training, education, and whatever else goes on. The second floor is for work. We have two offices, two studies connected to the library, and a small atrium containing the household pool along with some rooms that act as the family storage and vaults.¡± ¡°Damn.¡± I muttered as we walked around. The first floor was rather threadbare other than the subdued decor, but the second floor was full of cool stuff. Especially the library and atrium. The library wrapped around the atrium, extending all the way into the heights of the third floor. The bookshelves were practically the walls themselves, crammed full of a veritable fortune in paper, only the occasional window providing some natural light while floating lights illuminated the rest, drifting through the air on multiple levels. As for the atrium, it was indeed a huge pool, but it was also surrounded by a garden. And this wasn¡¯t a generic countryside family garden, but one filled with exotic plants I had never seen before. Inside the pool itself there were some water lilies, but unlike normal water lilies, these ones actively moved around, spinning and drifting among several others, almost like they were all performing a dance. And outside the pool were some plants a little too active for my liking. There were vines with feelers poking out, roses with large bulbs within their petals that glowed like a lamp, coral type plants that shot beams of light out of their hollow bodies like flashlights, and some short trees that sprouted oddly shaped leaves which occasionally dripped a mysterious liquid into the pool below it. There were even some floating plants that drifted in the occasional breeze from one part of the room to the other. It was rather magical, but I still found some of it a bit creepy. Still, I looked forward to actually experiencing it. The atrium was connected to a few other rooms too. Two of them were hot baths while another was a large hall intended for parties such as the one coming up in a couple days. The whole area around the atrium was intended to be a place of socialization, so I would get my chance to take a dip in the pool soon, maybe use the hot baths which were basically giant hot tubs. And then, there was the third floor. This was where the family resided. All their bedrooms and those for special guests were here, including my own. There were also much larger dedicated bath rooms with a variety of features such as a pseudo-shower function, blanketing the entire room in a mist of water. This was just the main hall and its offshoots; the two secondary buildings, although large in their own right, were more than a little boring. One of the side buildings was called the Ancestral Hall. It was a proper place to honor the ancestors of the Talerria family. It held all of their familial records as well as a few dozen heirlooms. As for the second building, it was a residency for most of the butlers and housekeepers. Beyond that, there was the backyard, which was a massive tree filled garden bordering the definition of a forest. And this backyard led out into the vast field behind the estate that extended all the way to the walls, which I could see in the distance over a mile away. Turns out, most of the neighboring houses and estates were taken by members of the Talerria family. It was common for that back field to act as a place for children to meet and play, while the adults had easy access to the homes of other family members. And all of them would be coming to the mansion for Christmas. Apparently there were a lot of them. Lots of cousins, aunts and uncles, and distant relatives who still carried the family name Talerria. With that, my tour was basically complete. Umara showed me everything she thought was interesting, including her own room where we got a bit frisky before continuing. By the time we finished, both parents were long gone while the sister was getting ready to leave. But we also had to prepare, so I found my room and separated from my girlfriend to change. It was a birthday party and the birthday girl was one of Umara¡¯s good childhood friends. While there, attendees would consist of about a dozen of our peers. The adults would have a slim presence. There would also be activities before the birthday celebration. What they were, I didn¡¯t know, but I still went prepared. It was apparently rude to outshine the host, so Umara had both of us dress down a bit, a balance between formal and casual. After we were ready, we boarded one of the many carriages owned by the family, a small one that took us to the city¡¯s Teleporter Nexus. ¡°Would you look at that¡­¡± The room that contained the teleporter was massive, and the entire place was enchanted, brick by brick. The teleporter itself was over 80 feet tall and 200 feet long, constructed with 8 large elliptic rings stacked on top of each other 10 feet apart. Each ring hosted staggeringly complex runic formations that warped and twisted into and under each other, leaving even my enhanced mind tired as I tried to trace. The power source, a massive Authority 11 crystal, sent out waves of incredible magic power, the ¡°veins¡± of the rings pulsing in accordance. I could sense the overwhelming power within; even the air was distorted by the pressure. ¡°Lady Umara, the teleporter is prepared. Please step forward.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± She nodded and pulled me along onto the platform where we stood along its edge. Some operators to the side fiddled with some sliders and pressed a button on a control panel. The rings flashed as I felt a compressing force envelop my body, my mind feeling like it was being pulled in two opposite directions, everything in my sight blurring and shifting. The disorientation filled my senses for but a mere second before I suddenly realized that I was on solid ground again in another place. I stood rooted for a few seconds before zoning in and looking around, my head slightly dizzy, but nothing my strong mind couldn¡¯t work past. Umara seemed used to it as well, at least more than me, so we promptly walked off the platform and left the Teleporter Nexus. We arrived at Parencia, a city on the other side of the entire Kingdom. Upon walking out, there was a carriage already waiting for us, sent by Umara¡¯s friend. We boarded and were taken to her residence. Umara gave me some details as we rode. ¡°Mina Halleve is a year and a half older than I am, but since our families are close, we¡¯ve been friends ever since we were children. She¡¯s an Authority 7 Warlock who inherited some of her parent¡¯s talent.¡± ¡°Who are her parents?¡± ¡°Her father is Grand Duke Charles Hawk, one of the Authority 12 Warlocks of the Kingdom, and her mother is Grand Duchess Millia Hawk, his wife and an Authority 11 Warlock.¡± ¡°Oh. Shit.¡± My eyes widened, not realizing Umara had a friend who may as well be a princess, holding the fourth highest status in the world: just below an actual princess, her parents themselves, and the King. Umara smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t be so intimidated.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. Just surprised.¡± ¡°Our mothers are good friends seeing as they¡¯re similar in power and position, and Duke Hawk is also my mother¡¯s superior in the military. He also oversees a massive farming territory responsible for over half of the Kingdom¡¯s food production. Along with a few mines, he¡¯s an incredibly rich man within an impossibly rich family. Their family line traces back to the founding of the Kingdom and is even tied to one of the past Kings.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± So the guy was a massive deal, a true Elite in this world. He was effectively royalty, his family potentially holding more influence than the King himself. That was something else I thought about. How powerful was the King, exactly? Was he the highest power in the Kingdom? Or was he just a puppet that managed the general affairs of the Kingdom while the Grand Dukes ruled from the sidelines with their iron fists? I was curious, but such things were well above me so I didn¡¯t think about it much. Umara hummed. ¡°Yeah. He almost married my mother, in fact. But despite being one of his suitors, she chose my father instead, allowing Millia to marry him without competition.¡± ¡°And she¡¯s still friends with your mother?¡± ¡°Of course. My mother simply doesn¡¯t care about the plans or thoughts of others. Millia realized that and it¡¯s not like my mother had much of a choice in regard to being Charles¡¯ suitor, so she didn¡¯t resent her. So when my mother found my father and simply dropped from the list, nobody was able to do much and everything was settled. Now, Millia respects the kind of person my mother is and the two became friends.¡± ¡°Hm, I understand that, but I¡¯m not sure about your mother not caring about the plans or thoughts of others. Seems false considering how she treats us.¡± ¡°She does that because she has to. It¡¯s part of the responsibility of being the head of the Talerria family, as well as being pressured by all the other families who have a vested interest in my marriage. It was easy for her since she was already in line for succession, but I''m not in the same position, and you¡¯re also not from a noble family like my father was. It was easy for her to ignore other people. We don¡¯t have the power nor influence to do the same.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± I nodded as if I hadn¡¯t already guessed that. Once again it was reiterated that all the cards were stacked against us. There was no use comparing, and I still had to be thankful to the Duchess for even allowing this to happen. After conversing more about Mina and Umara¡¯s history with her, we arrived at the Hawk Estate. At first glance, although it wasn¡¯t much bigger than the Talerria Estate, it was definitely richer. The two massive statues flanking the main gate, showing the weathering of time, yet still giving off a feeling of vast authority, painted a clear picture of the generations of prosperity, wealth, and unquestionable power needed to construct such an estate. Kings came and went, hundreds of diplomats shifted the political landscape every year, entire armies of soldiers and generals cycled through, falling to the Scourge or time. But this Family remained standing, through all trials and tribulations, affirming its unshakable foundation with every new generation. Not even President Carrion could compare to the depth and majesty of those within this family. And so we pulled up to the front steps of the mansion. I was curious to see what Umara¡¯s friend had in store for us. Chapter 84: Free I put out my hand, Umara placing hers within as she gracefully stepped down from the carriage. We linked arms, the two of us walked up the steps and through the front doors to a butler. ¡°Greetings, Lady Talerria, Sir Cooper. Please, follow me to the guest hall. The lady awaits your presence.¡± Umara thanked the man and let him lead, bringing us to a large set of doors. A room with tall walls of glass and a pleasant humidity greeted us as we stepped through the doors, a sparse garden surrounding a tiled rotunda. At the center of this small greenhouse was a large round table with several guests already chatting. I scanned through all 13 of them, recognizing only one of them. Ponteck Gulliard, the current Rank 1 Elite. He really didn¡¯t like me much, his face darkening significantly after catching sight of my face. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t hatred, merely irritation. But some people didn¡¯t need to hate someone to actively plot their downfall. Everyone else displayed some degree of curiosity, entirely unaware of who I was. First impressions would be important here. ¡°Umara!¡± A voice rang out, a girl in a dress standing and gracefully running over with a bright smile. Umara returned the smile and put her arms out, hugging her friend. ¡°Happy birthday, Mina.¡± ¡°Thanks! I¡¯m glad you could come. And you must be John. Pleasure to finally meet you.¡± ¡°Pleasure¡¯s all mine. Thanks for having us.¡± ¡°Of course. Come sit! Everyone is here, we¡¯re about to get started.¡± I smiled at her as she walked us over to the round table. She presented a generally cheery disposition at first glance, but Umara had told me some details. Having graduated from the Magisterium, Mina was a soldier. Due to her status, she wasn¡¯t required to stay at the frontlines all the time, so she was transferred to Duchess Talerria¡¯s Warlock Corps. The relationship between the two families was a foregone conclusion. But unless she was some intelligence officer doing paperwork behind a desk, she would¡¯ve seen quite a bit of action already. She graduated two years ago, an extra two years to experience the horrors of war, plenty enough to become more than a bit jaded. The Scourge, while in theory easy to fight, offered plenty of trauma in return. I could even see a scar on her collar, as well as a small one on her arm. It looked like even the rich and talented were forced to fight for their lives occasionally. After being ushered over, Umara and I sat down. Then, Mina clapped her hands. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ve got an exciting event planned and it was last minute so I couldn¡¯t be sure, but nothing has changed so we¡¯re moving forward. Last night, a Flicker herd was making its way through one of our nearby fields!¡± ¡°Oh! You don¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± She clapped excitedly, everyone¡¯s eyes brightening except for mine as I glanced around confusedly. ¡°We¡¯re going Flicker hunting! I¡¯ve also got enough bikes for everyone to use, so we¡¯re heading to the site ourselves!¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°Now! Come on!¡± Mina waved, and everyone jumped out of their seats to follow with bright smiles. I stuck with Umara, heading in a line out to the backyard of the estate. There, right in front of the open back gate, were 15 motorcycles. I was stunned for a second while walking over, reaching out toward my own and feeling the sleek metal body. It was equipped with segmented metallic wheels, making me concerned as to how they expected metal wheels to grip any kind of surface. The wheels were also a bit wide, probably for ease of control. Thinner wheels tended to be more difficult to work with, sacrificing traction while turning. Other than that, it was a basic bike geared more toward the streets than any serious outdoor sporting. And, like all vehicles in this world, it was driven by magic instead of motor. I wouldn¡¯t get to hear it purr, so I hoped it would at least be fast. The suspension also seemed pretty solid after I checked it. Spring manufacturing seemed good enough in this world. After checking it out, I looked over and pat Umara. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s Flicker hunting?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon. More importantly, can you ride one of these things? If you can¡¯t, you can come with me.¡± ¡°Heh, it would sooner be the other way around. I¡¯ve ridden bikes like this before; slightly different construction, but I¡¯m sure I can handle it. ¡± ¡°Alright. Just don¡¯t get hurt. We aren¡¯t like the knights who don¡¯t have to worry about crashing.¡± ¡°True.¡± I nodded while throwing my leg over the bike, slotting in a small keycard sitting on the seat and turning. The bike glowed as it powered on, and I proceeded to tamper with some of the buttons and levers. This bike wasn¡¯t a twist handle, but a push lever. Not only that, but when Umara pointed out some of the other controls, I found out that these things had something similar to gears. There were speed levels, basically gears, that allowed the driver to fine tune his control over the acceleration. The bikes were powerful enough to throw you off with a slight press of the thumb, so the lower levels dampened the power throughput while the higher levels unlocked it. There were only three levels, adjusted with a switch. I tampered with it a few times before nodding. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m good. Let¡¯s get this on for good measure.¡± I took off my suit coat, throwing on my protective coat. I even had my hood necklace on just in case. In a sudden burst of inspiration, I went sifting through my dimension. I hadn¡¯t found much in the way of weapons, but that was because they were deeper and more powerful, thus more elusive. But there were some things somewhat unrelated to combat that I had found. Even in my earlier dimensions I had found things like mild protective gear that was pretty useless for me. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. However, there was one nice accessory that I had found that would come in handy right about now. After smiling, I felt an object appear in my hands, lifting them up to eye level. ¡­¡­ ¡°Aviator goggles. With fur lining and a leather body. Groovy.¡± Umara glanced over when John mumbled, seeing him pulling something over his head. Those goggles he spoke of were placed over his eyes, the straps wrapping around his head to hold then securely in place, frayed wool poking out where they met his face. But she couldn¡¯t help the gawk as she ceased her tampering with the bike. ¡°Oh my lord. What are those?¡± ¡°They¡¯re protective goggles. To keep the wind out of my eyes.¡± ¡°Huhu¡­¡± She sputtered with a smile. In the corner of her eye, she could see everyone else looking over with judging expressions. And yet John stood there with a goofy grin on his face, looking oh so confident. Umara laughed, unable to see anyone else but her boyfriend. She cared so little that, despite seeing them, they didn¡¯t enter her mind. ¡°Haha, they¡¯re ugly! Here, I have some you can use.¡± ¡°Nonsense! These goggles are meant to be functional, not stylish. And they represent far more than mere eye coverings! The people who wore these were daredevils, and I don¡¯t plan to shun their legacies with some basic glasses.¡± ¡°Oh, well excuse my insolence then. I just thought that enchanted glasses might work a bit better.¡± ¡°Nein! All you need to worry about is keeping up.¡± He sat down on his bike while smirking. She giggled while settling into her own. Inwardly though, she was eager. She couldn¡¯t be more familiar with these bikes. Mina had been a fan of them and was rich enough to buy and play with them all the time. As her friend, Umara had been a part of that. Even as kids they were pretty good at using them, let alone when they grew up. Most of the kids of high nobility, like those here, had learned to ride these at some point in their life. She was more than confident in her own skills. How could she ever fall behind? It was a funny joke, and she couldn¡¯t wait to drive circles around John. She would show him what she could do. At that moment though, she saw John¡¯s bike spin. With some odd maneuver, his back wheel spun around while his front wheel was rooted in place. Like that, he turned until his back was facing her. Then, he pressed the accelerator and caused the wheel to spin on top of the dirt pathway. It wasn¡¯t a lot, but it kicked up some dust straight into her face, making her cough while waving it away. ¡°Asshole! What are you doing?¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind me darling! I¡¯m just figuring things out.¡± ¡°Yea right! Get back here!¡± ¡°Haha!¡± She pressed down and rolled forward, slowly chasing him around the group in an attempt to get close and grab him. But he just evaded her with some well timed bursts of speed. Right as they started to enter their own little world though, Mina shouted. ¡°Alright! Time to head out!¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Umara stopped and ducked a bit, her face reddening as Mina laughed. After that, everyone rolled out of the gates, John in their midst. The Hawk Estate was located within a city, but in the direction they were going, there was a massive open gate just calling their name. They drove to that gate and were automatically let through. Beyond that, there was nothing but fields of green and farmland as far as the eye could see. ¡°Alright! Everyone follow me! It shouldn¡¯t take more than 20 minutes to get there! Keep an eye on each other, and let¡¯s try not to have any crashes!¡± With those words, Mina drove off ahead of everyone, accelerating onto an untrodden path. All the bikes fell in behind her, gradually accelerating before hitting a comfortable but fast speed. There were four couples who had decided to pair together on their bikes, so there were 11 bikes instead of 15. Umara, who brought up the rear, glanced at all of them before searching for John. And she found him as he slammed down the accelerator, flying past everyone. Her eyes widened as he leaned back and yanked, bringing the front wheel of the bike up in the air. ¡°Hahaha! I still got it!¡± Everyone watched with incredulous faces as he held a back wheelie for several seconds. He then struggled to hold it for longer on the uneven terrain. He laughed like a madman while doing so, the enchantments across the wheels glowing as he sped up and down, drifting around the group, pulling ahead of Mina before falling back behind toward Umara. She watched as he completed a round, pulling up to her side and throwing up a sign with his hand. He called it the shaka, something he did almost like a greeting. And she threw it right back at him with a bright smile, thinking about what it meant. John had a lot of odd mannerisms, sayings, metaphors, and more. She had started to mimic and play along with most of it since it was fun stuff like this. It made her feel closer to him. He was from an entirely different culture where things seemed to be a lot more relaxed yet was founded upon fundamental respect. It was so different from what she knew, but she had come to like it a lot. He saw everyone as his equal, nobody above or below him, unless they tried to kill him. This much was clear by how he treated both nobles and commoners alike. He didn¡¯t hesitate to hold verbal battles with some of the highest nobles in the kingdom while giving other commoners his professional courtesy. It all depended on how they treated him. He could be totally casual with those he was familiar with, no matter their status, while not giving off the image of a hoodlum. And when he cleaned up, dressing nice, he looked no less noble than actual nobles. If anything, he acted more noble than those who were supposed to be. It was why she liked him so much. In a world where everyone calculated every word they spoke to her, where those beneath her tried to kiss her feet, those equal to her tried to use her for their gain, and those above her treated her like she didn¡¯t deserve their time or attention¡­ He was a breath of fresh air who she could be herself with. A person with principles and no rules. They could throw dirt into each other¡¯s faces, play tricks, tease until red-faced, and at the end of the day they would throw each other onto the bed and make out like there was nobody else in the world. It was so natural, so fun, and felt so right that she couldn¡¯t imagine it being any other way. They were just two people, a boy and girl fighting to make it in a difficult world, fighting their own battles to carve out a place for themselves. What was a boyfriend and girlfriend, a lover, a spouse, if not someone to support you and someone to love? If it was any other way, then it simply wasn¡¯t correct. When she was going through the Magisterium, keeping her head low simply to bide her time and get past all of the suitors who pursued her, she felt that, despite not liking what was happening, she was the one in the wrong. Political marriages were normal. Pursuing someone based on their status and wealth was normal. Sure, there were stories of the noble finding forbidden love with a commoner, but those were either in books or ended with the commoner becoming nothing more than a concubine, leading a harsh life Umara¡¯s parents loved each other, but she considered them lucky. Two nobles who fit each other well happened to love each other. She still didn¡¯t believe it was a guarantee to find love in your spouse. So she, like countless others before her, had gradually started to resign herself to what was meant to be. She would be able to pick out a better one with the open mindedness of her mother, but it would be all the same. She had seen it before, heard about it before. She would get married, continue to cultivate her power, and then have kids in order to continue the family line. It was cyclical, as was everything else related to nobles. But then, she found something else. Something, someone, different. She found excitement, felt constant embarrassment, and reddened in shame since all of it gave her butterflies. She found real love in a man who didn¡¯t even know about her status and didn¡¯t care even when he found out. A man who held himself to high standards, someone who was grounded, generally humble despite small bouts of narcissism, and someone who didn¡¯t try to tiptoe around her thoughts or feelings. It was all a matter of respect, and yet he was still able to have all the fun he wanted, second hand embarrassment be damned. Compared to everything she had done with him in the past few months, compared to him as a person, everyone else seemed so dull, so lifeless. Nobles living for nothing other than their business or wealth, everything they did merely being a means to an end. Even now, as Umara watched John speed across the grass fields, circling around the group, wearing those ugly goggles and cackling while doing tricks on his bike, she could sense nothing but fun and excitement. He was here at the birthday party of someone he didn¡¯t know, in front of total strangers, and didn¡¯t give a single damn about the weird looks they gave him or the silent judgments inside their mind. He looked like a kid, and she was one of the few who knew that just a couple days ago, he had been saving adults and children alike from living terrifying lives of slavery. Yet he only regretted that he couldn¡¯t do more, guilty of the decisions that he had to make. And very few would ever know who truly did it, who it was that stood behind the American legend. Even less would see him and know the prestige his name carried. So she just sneered at the faces those nobles made. What did they know? They were just as ignorant as the peasants they abhorred. She couldn¡¯t even take them seriously anymore, let alone fathom loving one as much as she did John. And she was realizing more and more just how free it made her. Almost as free as John looked sailing through the air without his bike. Wait. ¡°John!¡± Chapter 85: Flicker My Spark spun to life as the bike suddenly found itself riding over nothing, dropping down about a foot and catapulting me forward. Despite my increased mental capabilities, instinct took over, and I tucked my head in and somersaulted, bracing myself for the subsequent landing. Moments before my body hit the ground though, a gentle cushion of air curled around my body, lowering me to the floor. Screams rang out shortly after. ¡°Shit!¡± ¡°Watch out!¡± *Crash!* The crevice harvested more victims, most of those in front unable to register my unscheduled short-range flight. I had to hurl myself aside to avoid a tumbling bike and its rider, a death grip on one handle and a look of blank shock on his face. Thankfully, most crashers were Knights hardy enough to take a hit and warlocks with spells to save themselves, so nobody was particularly hurt. Well, I was glad I wasn¡¯t the only one. Just then, Umara slowly rolled to a halt beside me, crossing the crevice at a much lower speed and infinitely more grace. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yea, thanks to you.¡± I took her hand, pulling myself up before glancing at the others. Sure enough, all of them were perfectly fine, at most a little dirt marring pristine white clothes. The bikes seemed fine too, their sturdy construction and greatly reduced number of moving parts resulting in increased durability. My own bike was still active at first glance, so I slung myself on and tested the throttle. It jerked; the back wheel worked perfectly fine, but the front wheel snapped off from the pressure and went rolling off into the distance. I jumped off just as it fell over. ¡°Oops.¡± ¡°Is everyone alright?¡± Mina jogged over. She had been thrown off as well, but there wasn¡¯t a speck of dust on her dress. After everyone nodded in confirmation, she sighed. ¡°Alright, we should continue. Don¡¯t worry about anything that¡¯s broken. Just find a partner to take you. Everything else can be left behind.¡± She spoke while lifting her bike, checking and finding that it was okay. Hearing her, I shrugged and walked over to Umara. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m with you.¡± ¡°Mm. You want to drive?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve had enough fun. I¡¯d rather just cruise with you.¡± I spoke while taking a seat behind her, putting my hands on her waist before pushing them around her belly, wrapping her in a hug from behind. She looked away, her ears burning as she tapped the gear switch. ¡°A-Alright. Let¡¯s go then.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± I smiled as she rolled forward, all the others getting themselves situated and following behind Mina. Four bikes were left behind, but it didn¡¯t seem like Mina cared at all. With so much money, what was a few broken toys? We continued on our way, our target thankfully not far. Within 5 minutes, we crested a hill to meet an untouched field filled with vibrant blue grasses. I looked out, wondering where these Flickers were. I had no idea what they even were, so I was curious, especially since hunting them was supposed to be so much fun. After a few seconds, I noticed some shifting in the field. The blue grass was close to 3 feet tall and hid quite a bit from view. Still, I was able to pick out something splitting the grass as it moved, slithering like a snake. It wasn¡¯t all that fast, until I suddenly saw a small gleam of light in two places. There were several other entities that moved at that moment. There were around 5 at first glance. My brows raised, I saw Mina pull forward on her bike, her scarlet red hair shifting in the breeze as she peered out toward the field. ¡°Whoever catches one gets to keep it!¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°Out of my way!¡± With her word, everyone suddenly rushed down the hill and stormed into the field, moving as fast as they could. Umara was right with them, forcing me to clench her torso as she sped off. ¡°Find the main body, and don¡¯t let it trick you!¡± ¡°Okay?¡± I answered back confusedly, not sure what she meant. Still, I looked out and felt an Aura nearby. It gave off no indication of danger whatsoever, so these Flickers were either non-hostile or weren¡¯t dangerous. That made them much harder to find though. Still, blots of Aura sped their way through the grass, matching the rustling paths the grass made for them. ¡°There!¡± Umara pressed the accelerator as she spotted the closest one, speeding after it. The bike finally flexed its speed, shooting off like a rocket with incredible acceleration. Umara was forced to make some sharp turns, but with the magic of the bike, so long as we didn¡¯t hit a crevice and could hang on, it wouldn¡¯t lose traction. I pressed against her body, shifting my weight with hers as we turned with the Flicker. We managed to draw closer, pulling up nearly directly behind it while splitting off from the others. That¡¯s when I finally saw what it was. It was a wolf, but also not a wolf. The body carried a certain lupine grace, but that¡¯s where the similarities ended. A pair of wings, translucent blue, sprouted from between its shoulder blades. Six legs gave it an unfamiliar gait, and reversed horns similar to that of a goat¡¯s sprouted before its ears. Light blue fur, much closer to white than blue, gave off an impression of coldness. It glanced back at us with predatory eyes and I caught a glimpse of its azure crystal irises. Despite its strange chimera look, it still radiated an aura of beauty. I also felt an amazing power coming from its Aura. As we finally closed in and Umara prepared to cast a spell, its Aura surged with a blinding light. By the time my Aura recovered from the extra-sensory equivalent of a flashbang, a myriad of other creatures had emerged from the main body, which itself was hidden among a few clones. The creatures began running toward the bike, but I still couldn¡¯t feel hostile intent in their Auras. They collided with me, offering no physical impact, but multiple flashbangs went off in my head again. It was disorienting, but thankfully I had the foresight to fortify against another flash. However, it did accomplish its intended effect: distraction. With my senses temporarily washed out, I couldn¡¯t feel past a certain proximity. After a short while, I had gotten used to the feeling. It had happened more than a few dozen times by now, but more importantly, felt like a very familiar attack of a different level altogether. The Flicker¡¯s confusion tactics felt very much like a less hostile version of Apocryon¡¯s Aura. His was so vast that even with all my power I had only scratched it. He had taught me a lot from a single exchange. The man was a genius. But this creature, this Flicker, wasn¡¯t on that level. I pulled out my 1911 and fired. The bullet tore through one of the incoming animals, a shower of illusory shards instead of blood and gore bursting forth. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Illusions vanished in rapid succession as I emptied the rest of my magazine into the oncoming horde, a reload sufficient to clear out the rest. ¡°Amazing!¡± Umara brightened up, driving faster without having to worry about the disorienting powers of the illusions. She turned, following one of the clones of the original creature. ¡°The other bodies can¡¯t go far from its main one! Attack the body and check! If it dies easily, then it¡¯s a fake! Just make sure to keep your attacks light! We can¡¯t hurt it if it¡¯s actually the main body!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± I nodded before sending away the pistol, taking out a Trench Gun. Without even thinking, I swiveled myself and the shotgun toward the body we were following, and pulled the trigger as we came within 30 meters. *BOOM* *Splat!* The pellets turned the creature into a bloody mess, its body instantly collapsing. The shots hadn¡¯t even been empowered. ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡± ¡°Damn. Next then!¡± Umara turned to find the next one. I turned my head to watch the body, the crumpled mess dissolving into blue and white sparkles. These things were tricky, weren''t they? That still didn¡¯t explain the enthusiasm everyone had for hunting them. Sure, they were difficult prey and harmless, making for a skillful yet safe activity, but there was something else to this game. I had a feeling they were valuable: the power of their Aura was nothing to scoff at. Umara did tell me to keep my attacks light; we shouldn¡¯t injure it. I pondered as she found the second body. This time, I didn¡¯t hesitate to simply pump off some mundane buckshot. Its body was immediately riddled with wounds, prompting Umara to turn yet again to find the next body. However, after glancing between the three remaining clones, I patted her shoulder and pointed. ¡°Go after that one!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± She didn¡¯t hesitate to follow my direction. It didn¡¯t matter either way, but she knew my Aura was sharp. I was just trusting my senses. As we pulled up on the one I pointed out, I stuffed a few shells back into the tube and point-shot the creature. *BOOM* Pellets went flying, and, this time, the body didn¡¯t show the slightest sign of blood. Umara¡¯s back stiffened in excitement. ¡°That¡¯s it! Suppress it! We need to capture it!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± I mumbled back. I wasn¡¯t exactly suited for not killing things. However, Apocryon had given me an ace for this situation. Nobody else may have noticed back then, but when I shot at him, the bullet didn¡¯t actually land. If all of those spikes were nothing more than illusory and tricks within my mind, my bullet would¡¯ve landed since it was real. So either the things created by his Aura hadn¡¯t been an illusion and his he could warp reality with but a thought, or I didn¡¯t actually fire a physical bullet. My conclusion was the latter. I had in fact fired a bullet, but in that illusive world, neither the gun nor the bullet fired manifested in reality. What I brought out was the spirit of the gun, and what I fired was the spirit of the bullet. I had attacked his Aura with my own using summons as a channel for my power. Apocryon, as a warlock, used odd spells to create those black spikes that attacked me. They were illusions founded on Aura, but still mixed with magic. I simply did the same thing, except with my summons since I didn¡¯t have magic. The result? I could attack with my Aura using my summoner powers as the medium. It wasn¡¯t even a fraction of Apocryon¡¯s skill, but I had opened that door. So now, against this Aura creature, I decided to do the same thing. *BOOM* I fired my shotgun. A blue light flashed as an illusory shield belatedly manifested around it, the Flicker staggering under the impact. Its Aura fluctuated. I could sense its surprise and panic. It probably wasn¡¯t expecting to encounter someone who could directly affect it. Another set of clones appeared from its body. Two of them ran off in opposite directions while the third snarled, ready to fight. With a quick thought, I pointed to the right. ¡°That one!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Umara jerked the bike, causing it to drift and turn toward the running creature. At the same time, I pointed my trench gun at the clone that turned to fight, firing and scattering the illusion. After that, the clone that ran to the left also dissipated, leaving only the one that I had pointed toward. Umara caught back up to it with ease. Her skill on a bike impressed me. Then again, she had done this before, probably several times throughout her life. The creature continued to run, even flapping its wings to change directions with incredible agility. Umara almost skid out a few times, barely able to keep up. But it couldn¡¯t escape us, especially with suppressive fire. Firing bullets even illusively still utilized as much energy as firing normal shots. I still had to empower it with my Psyka and conjure spirits from my dimension. It was combat as I had always known it, except every shell I fired let out illusions that only I and the target could see and hear. Well, Umara could also see it since she was within proximity. But all the others running around chasing their own targets couldn¡¯t. The Flicker was just fighting a losing fight at this point: our bike¡¯s speed wasn¡¯t tied to our mentality like the Flicker¡¯s evasive maneuvers were. Sure enough, after I let off enough shells, the beast slowed to a halt, unable to continue. Its Aura flickered out of control, barely able to maintain itself as its six legs buckled. We slowed down not far from it. I jumped off then with my gun raised, Umara staying on the bike just in case it wanted to run off again. ¡°So what do we do with this thing? Is there a way to capture it?¡± ¡°Mina has the collar, but I can bind it.¡± She took out her staff, a large complex spell winding its way through the air. The wind was kicked up a bit, the blue grass around us swaying with her magic until the streams of air compressed and wrapped around the creature. I could see her magic coalesce around its body, binding and holding its figure in place. It could no longer flicker and release clones, even when it tried. Although Umara wasn¡¯t launching Aura attacks like I was, Mana could still affect it. It was still a physical being. She walked up to me, the spell continuing to operate after having been cast. She had a huge smile, barely containing her excitement as her focus started to ease. ¡°We did it! You made that battle far easier.¡± ¡°I can see why they would be difficult to hunt. I attacked its Aura, so someone who doesn¡¯t know how to do that would have to expend a lot more energy to whittle it down.¡± ¡°Of course. I mean, look at those guys.¡± She pointed, causing me to turn to all the other bikes flying through the blue field. The others were rapidly throwing spells at sprinting animals or using their insane reflexes to try and slice at it with swords and spears. None of them were having an easy time; some were outright failing since they couldn''t track the main body as well as I could. The key to this game was Aura. Without that, you couldn¡¯t win without overwhelming power. These Flickers didn¡¯t seem amazingly powerful beyond their Aura. This one didn¡¯t fight back with magic or its body. After I disrupted its Aura, it was too weakened to do anything. After chuckling at the hilarious figures of everyone fighting to capture those Flickers, I turned back to my own prey and walked over to it. I didn¡¯t feel any danger from it, only warning. Fear was predominant in its posture, but an alien intelligence was easily visible behind those crystal blue eyes. It observed me as I squatted down in front of it. Umara also silently strengthened her magic, worried that it might try to hurt me. I reached out with my hand, slowly and without malicious intent. If it was a creature of Aura, it could no doubt feel my intentions, especially when I made them obvious. I was still surprised when it didn¡¯t try to stop me, only apprehensive as I touched its shoulder. Its fur was incredibly soft, but the body underneath was rigid. It was definitely as strong as a knight of its level. From its shoulder I moved my hand to the base of its wings. It twitched, wanting to start but heavily restricted by Umara¡¯s strengthened air currents, so I ignored the attempt. Despite seeming more like shards of crystal than anything else, the wings still had a corporeal presence, tensioned like metal threads and unyielding to my poking and prodding. After the wings I felt the horns. They weren¡¯t metallic, but they may as well have been. I couldn¡¯t really test it, but I felt they would be incredibly hard to damage. They were also pitch black, contrasting against its snowy blue fur. I stood with a sigh, admiring it like a piece of art. ¡°What an amazing creature. Are they all like this?¡± ¡°Every Flicker is unique. They¡¯re all hybrids of various animals. Snakes with feathered wings, turtles with the head of an eagle, lions with the tails of a scorpion. No two are the same, however, these also aren¡¯t normal animals. They¡¯re spirits.¡± ¡°Spirits? Like summoned spirits?¡± ¡°I believe that¡¯s the consensus, yes.¡± Umara nodded, walking closer to the creature. ¡°From the legends, Flickers start out as little wisps, aimless spirits that spawn from other dimensions. And once they come to our world, they see all the creatures within it and create their body in their own image. This is why all Flickers are unique. They aren¡¯t born from parents, at least not that we know of, so each one is its own entity and chooses its own form. The body of a Flicker is its personality.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I tilted my head, scanning the creature before me. ¡°I guess this one likes strength. It¡¯s also agile.¡± ¡°Yea, it''s slippery. The only reason we had a chance at capturing this thing was because you took it down. Speaking of, how¡¯d you do that?¡± ¡°Just used my Aura. I¡¯ll tell you about it later.¡± Such a thing would be better explained during a discussion, so I brushed off the topic and continued looking at the creature. Suddenly though, I frowned with a thought. ¡°Do these things ever take on the form of a human?¡± ¡°Actually, no. I¡¯m not sure why they don¡¯t, but I¡¯ve never heard of a humanoid Flicker. Some people say that they¡¯re not intelligent enough to mimic us. Others say that there¡¯s another power that stops them. Perhaps there¡¯s something special about the human form. Regardless, everyone seems to agree that there¡¯s no such thing as a Flicker taking on human characteristics.¡± ¡°Curious.¡± I rubbed my chin in thought. From my perspective, there wasn¡¯t any reason why they shouldn¡¯t be able to take on human form. Beyond some intelligence and whatnot, humans were animals too. We had organic bodies just like every other creature on the planet. Or, at least from the perspective of Earth. I wasn¡¯t so sure that was the case here. Regardless, the form shouldn¡¯t matter. Humans walked on two legs and used two arms to carry out tasks. And if they could mimic the organ design of animals, they could do it for humans. Was there something else there? Maybe there was something special about the human form, just not in the way people thought. Instead of Flickers being unable to mimic humans, perhaps the smart ones did it and something special happened to them. Maybe the reason nobody thought that Flickers mimicked humans was simply because they were never able to detect one that did. It was an interesting hypothesis that couldn¡¯t be answered anytime soon. Nonetheless, the very existence of a creature like this was fascinating. Chapter 86: Slice of Payback The Flicker was a strange sort of spirit, seemingly incorporeal, but very much physical. I still didn¡¯t know what made them so valuable, so I asked Umara. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this thing used for? Do you hunt them for a Crystal or something?¡± ¡°Oh, heavens no. Quite the opposite. Flickers are almost always turned into a Companion Spirit. Because they¡¯re similar to summoner spirits, they can be bonded to a human, turning them into a lifelong companion. The only thing that makes something like that difficult is the age of the Flicker. Younger is better because the bond has longer to mature and you don¡¯t need to overcome as many existing connections. At the very least, there¡¯s no difference in talent among Flickers, so age is the only thing to pay attention to.¡± ¡°How can you tell its age?¡± ¡°They have Crests that grow. The larger, the older. But you need a special magic to display it. Mina should have a device to reveal it. We¡¯ll wait for her.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I bobbed my head, staring at the creature for a bit longer before looking back out. All the others were still trying to capture their Flickers, but some groups had already given up or failed entirely. I could only see four bikes in the distance. At some point, Umara tapped her Aerial and sent a message. After that we waited, and eventually, Mina came driving over. ¡°Hey! You got it?!¡± ¡°Yea!¡± Umara smiled as Mina came to a halt beside us, taking large strides and observing every inch of the six legged wolf. ¡°It looks cool! Oh, let¡¯s see how old it is.¡± With a wave of the hand, she brought out a device. It was a large collar, which she placed around its neck and activated. The collar flashed before some magic projected an image into the air before it. It was the Crest. This creature had a crest composed of a bunch of star formations overlapped on top of each other. In the middle of all these layers was a single circle, and the layers, despite being erratic, had clear levels to them. And after the device did its work, we saw a number pop up below the crest. 1553. I tilted my head, unsure of what that meant. Surely this thing wasn¡¯t over a thousand years old, right? I heard Mina gasp a bit beside us, muttering in surprise. ¡°Under 2000 days old! Amazing! You got a young one, Umara!¡± ¡°Not even 5 years old¡­ This would go for a lot of money.¡± Umara mumbled, kneeling down and dispersing her spell that bound the creature. It seemed the collar acted as a restraint since it still couldn¡¯t escape. Like that, Umara looked into its eyes for a bit before standing back up. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay for me to have this, Mina? It¡¯s your birthday, after all.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be silly. I couldn¡¯t choose my own Companion even if I captured it myself. If my family finds one that fits me then I¡¯ll get it. Otherwise it isn¡¯t happening.¡± ¡°Even if this one might fit you?¡± ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s not worth the trouble. Just take it. Even if you don¡¯t want to use it, you can just sell it. Young ones go for sky high prices these days. You could buy yourself something nice with that.¡± ¡°Hm, alright. Thanks, Mina.¡± ¡°Hey, you caught it on your own. That alone means you earned it.¡± ¡°I only did the easy part.¡± Umara turned and looked back at me, smiling before reaching out and intertwining her fingers with mine. ¡°I had some great help.¡± ¡°Is that right? Heh, you two are chummy everyone you go, huh? I heard you guys were close, but you can¡¯t keep your hands off each other.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Umara hummed and reddened a bit, trying and failing to keep her embarrassment hidden. Mina laughed. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯ve always been cute like that. I know there¡¯s some bad words going around, but I wish you two happiness. John, be sure you treat my friend well. She deserves nothing but the best. I hope you can give that to her.¡± ¡°If I can, I¡¯ll do so for the rest of her life.¡± ¡°Oho.¡± Mina sported a funny grin as I leaned down toward an increasingly red Umara, giving her a kiss on the head and letting her sink into my chest. We both chuckled. ¡°Alright. So long as she¡¯s happy, I don¡¯t wish for anything more. Hopefully these people will be wrapping up soon so we can go back. Until then I¡¯ll go watch them, but you two can head back ahead of us. The head butler back home will be able to help you with the Flicker. To get it there, just use this cage.¡± She waved, a large sled appearing on the floor before us. On top of the sled was a large cage more than big enough for the Flicker. Using magic, Umara was able to guide it in before shutting it and hooking the cage up to our bike. With that, we started making our way back to the estate, Flicker in tow. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡­¡­ ¡­ Umara and I were alone within the Hawk Estate for over an hour. It was only then that Mina finally returned with the rest of her guests. Apparently they managed to capture two more Flickers, though it took collective effort and large dedication. At least it paid off. Not that we minded alone time, but sitting around awkwardly in an unfamiliar estate wasn¡¯t exactly fun. In that time though we were able to have the head butler send the Flicker we caught to the Talerria Estate. Umara also sent a message to her mother notifying her about it. After that we held a little discussion about what to do with it. Umara liked the Flicker, that much I was aware of. And they were rare enough that not even nobility could hold stockpiles of them. While they could be found and hunted with relative certainty so long as a noble wanted it, the problem of age and type was a major factor in why they were still incredibly rare to acquire. Flickers could live longer than humans, and they only gained more power the longer they lived. And they couldn¡¯t be held in confinement otherwise they would die. There were only two places they could properly thrive. The mind of a human, and the wild. How they worked, what they were, and almost everything else about their existence was a mystery. But that was all overshadowed by the fact that they could be made into Companion Spirits. These were creatures that could fight and assist in battle, and one notable trait they all shared was their hatred for the Scourge. Flickers were actually known to be found on battlefields. You could find groups of them out in the wild hunting Scourge beasts. There were even historical records of entire armies of Flickers appearing during some of the biggest Scourge Tides in military history. They were thought to be the antithesis to the Scourge, and because of that, where the Scourge was known as evil, Flickers were regarded as sacred, though not officially. Some people called them fairies. To even see one was a legendary encounter for the ordinary. It was also said that Flickers were common in the Outlands. The only reason they were rare around the Kingdom was because they were hunted so often. Our recent hunt proved that fact. However, there was one place within humanity¡¯s territory that they appeared often. The Church. Apparently, Flickers could be found in abundance within the Church. It was said that to attain a Companion Spirit was normal for the Templars, the Church¡¯s soldiers. I decided to ask Vetsmon about that sometime. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but think that the Church had a lot of things going for them. This was yet another thing on that list. All of this painted a clear image that Flickers were incredibly valuable. While all Flickers had the same talent, their environment dictated how much they could grow. The Flickers that hunted the Scourge regularly were said to be incredibly powerful, while ones residing within the peaceful borders of the Kingdom were weaker. However, this was only a matter of training. And if a Flicker became the Companion Spirit of someone who fought the Scourge, that Flicker would grow alongside its partner. If I or Umara bonded with our captured Flicker, then its future power would be directly dictated by our own. So while it was useless in the hands of the average or ordinary, it was disgustingly powerful in the hands of the strong. It effectively doubled your combat power, depending on how you used it. When thought of like that, it was almost like their very existence on this world was for the express purpose of either fighting the Scourge or helping humans fight the Scourge. So a young Flicker that could be easily bonded to a human was incredibly valuable. Even someone like Mina said they could go for sky high prices, which meant that a single Flicker could move a mountain of gold. No wonder everyone was so excited to go Flicker hunting. Though, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like these nobles really did live in an entirely different world from everyone else. Hunting extremely valuable creatures was simply seen as an exciting activity, not the chance of a lifetime that it was. And that was only to the children who didn¡¯t have a Flicker. Otherwise, it wasn¡¯t even that. I could barely wrap my head around that level of living. Either way, I understood how valuable the Flicker was. In fact, if I were able to make it my companion, then I would have a creature with the strength of a knight to protect me. For my fragile self, it could be another critical layer of protection. But it was the same thing for Umara. Having a creature to occupy targets so she could release spells without contention would do wonders for her combat prowess. Despite that, when we talked about it, she actually brought up the notion of giving it to me. When she said that, I just stared at her for a bit before putting a pin in that conversation. I wasn¡¯t exactly in the mood to fight that battle yet, especially since by that time, everyone else had come back. So from there, the two of us shifted back into birthday part mode. Mina only had a large feast planned, during which many more people showed up. Not everyone was invited for the hunt, only her closer friends. During that feast, we simply engorged ourselves with foods and exotic treats. There was also Mina¡¯s favorite band that came and gave us music. However, unlike the last noble gathering I went to, I wasn¡¯t really allowed to stay out of the way. That was because of Umara. Since she was Mina¡¯s close friend, we were seated at the main table of the dining hall where many of the other guests came and went. It was the center of the function, and I was right there in the middle of it. Despite the rumors, or perhaps because of them, Umara was talked to a lot. And since it was rude to eat while entertaining someone, I wasn¡¯t allowed to do so since I was her partner. And it wasn¡¯t like I was completely detached. I was introduced to a bunch of people whose names I forgot 10 seconds after they gave it to me. And then I had to go along with their small talk, which was painfully boring. They seemed to have that down to a science. A conversation could be dragged on for hours if you let them bounce between dozens of light topics with no substance to speak of. And it seemed to accomplish nothing but prevent other people from coming over. It was nothing but trying to maintain attention, as if sitting before Umara for longer somehow gave them more brownie points. I was sick and tired of it 10 minutes into our conversation with the first pair of individuals who sought our time. And there were at least a dozen afterward. And yet, Umara went with it all without ever showing discontent. She smiled the entire time, showing utmost courtesy and friendliness to everyone that came over. Every conversation she held looked as genuine as they could be, as if she truly cared about every detail of these people¡¯s lives. I was amazed. Despite my commitment to laying low for our sake, I was almost tempted to shatter the veil of fake pleasantries and chase everyone away. That was especially so when men started coming over and introducing themselves to her as if I didn¡¯t exist. I wasn¡¯t jealous or threatened in any way. It was just annoying to be so blatantly undermined like that and be held back by social etiquette. But I wasn¡¯t interested in making a scene. They weren¡¯t outright attacking me, just playing a bunch of irritating social games. So I endured through all the snide remarks and provoking smiles. Even without my Aura, the contempt was palpable. It was like they did it all for no other reason than to piss me off. Anything that would make me slip, cause a scene, and degrade our reputations further. Yet I simply rolled with it, responding politely where necessary and taking small victories when I could. The little things, like refusing to shake someone¡¯s outstretched hand, was where I got my small slice of payback. Everything else was handled by Umara. She was the star of our show anyway. I was just the dunce who followed her. And she knew just what I liked to hear. Unlike me, she could navigate the social bullshit gracefully. The wording, the delivery, the intent and implications. She wielded it all like a damn sword and struck at every opportune moment like a snake. She wasn¡¯t one to be pushed around, and insulting me was an insult to her. So I let her do the work for both of us. And it was like that until the feast finally ended. It went without direct confrontation yet I found myself more drained than if it actually had. Once we boarded our carriage to head to the city teleporter, I let out a long sigh, loosening the collar of my shirt before taking out my cigar case. I lit one and took a few puffs before handing it to Umara so she could do the same. After a few seconds both of us felt its rejuvenating effects, sitting in silence while the carriage rolled. Chapter 87: Bond With the morning sun at her back, Duchess Talerria strode into the dining hall, a cup of tea with a ludicrous amount of sugar already waiting for her. The butler stepped back from the table, giving her a moment to take a sip before delivering his report. ¡°The Flicker that Lady Umarra captured has been processed. Here is a report on its attributes. The Tamer also wants you to know that the bonding ritual can start at any time.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The Duchess took the sheet of paper from her butler, glancing through it. On it was an image of the six-legged winged wolf. She wasn¡¯t particularly impressed by its stature or look; although exotic, she had seen many that were far stranger. What she was interested about was the age and the fact it was a Knight. This Flicker would grow to be a flighty physical combatant, complementing excellently with the explosively powerful but fragile Umara. It was very possible that Umara would be able to use it as a mount in the future. At the very least, it would be capable of escaping with her, providing another lifeline. However, there was another attribute that actually surprised her: right below its type, ¡°Sensitive Aura¡± was written. ¡°How rare¡­¡± She mumbled. A sensitive Aura meant that it was incredibly attuned to danger and had fantastic instincts. That would make it an entire level more capable than a mere Knight. However, that also raised a question: how the hell did she manage to capture it? The Duchess knew her daughter well, both her strengths and limits. After all, she had once been in the same shoes. She couldn¡¯t have done it alone, even considering the Flicker¡¯s inexperience of youth. But Umara also hadn¡¯t talked about what happened on the hunt yet, so she had no idea what had happened. After glancing through the rest of the report, she decided that this was a worthy Flicker. ¡°Where¡¯s Umara?¡± ¡°The Lady is in the Atrium with Sir Cooper. Shall I summon her?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll go see her.¡± The Duchess strode out of the dining hall, approaching the doorway to the Atrium only to find her husband crouched at the door crack, eavesdropping. ¡°What are you-¡± ¡°Shh! Come listen.¡± ¡°...¡± She gave Ikhor a weird look before walking over silently. However, she still cast some magic, hiding their presence while amplifying the sound coming from the atrium. ¡°...Flicker looked like a Knight type. You¡¯re a warlock so it¡¯ll be a good partner for you. Especially if it can use those wings. And if it grows more, you could ride that thing and cast spells from the sky.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Some sounds of disturbed water reached her ears. One or both of them were inside the pool. But she could sense some hesitation from her daughter. And what she said next had her stumped, despite the hesitation it came with. ¡°Hey, you should bond with the Flicker.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Knight, so it would be very valuable protection for you. You wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Vetsmon or Feiden keeping an eye on you. It could distract enemies while you shoot them.¡± ¡°Umara, I¡¯m not taking your Flicker.¡± ¡°Who said it was mine? You¡¯re the one who brought it down. I just drove the bike.¡± ¡°It was a gift to you from Mina. Besides, it¡¯s your parents who are going to be paying for the process of bonding. I can¡¯t have them pay for me, and I doubt I would have the money for something like that.¡± ¡°And if I told you not to worry about that?¡± ¡°I think you know that answer.¡± ¡°...¡± The two went silent for a bit, leaving both of the eavesdropping parents alone with their own thoughts. The Duchess hadn¡¯t quite believed her daughter earlier when she said that John was so adamant about not letting her pay for things. After all, he still caved. What if it was just an act? But hearing him now, she was having second thoughts. It was clear that he had drawn some lines. Anybody else in that situation would be begging for the chance to bond with a Flicker, let alone have someone else pay for it. Who in their right mind would actually reject it when it was being handed to them? Suddenly, after a few moments of silence, John laughed. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t look so concerned. Look, if your mother approves of the Flicker, then just go bond with it.¡± ¡°But you should have it. It would do more for you than me.¡± ¡°Not happening~.¡± ¡°Why not? Why do you always reject my help? This isn¡¯t even that much of a money issue. I could have someone just find me another Flicker. You know the kind of power my family wields. So why?¡± ¡°Because I already have everything I need from you.¡± ¡°...¡± There was some movement through the water in the midst of their silence. Then, John spoke in a hushed tone. ¡°You already know I¡¯m not a big fan of all the charity I get. I don¡¯t even care about the fact that some people expect something out of me later on. I¡¯ve gotten a lot of help and I¡¯m trying to get into the position of helping people instead. But beyond that, I don¡¯t need your help because you are the only thing I really need. All I want from you, is to be by my side, and to keep getting stronger.¡± ¡°So all you want is for me to protect you?¡± ¡°No. I want you to get stronger for your own sake. So that I won¡¯t ever have to worry about my girlfriend being in danger. And I would be very happy if you bonded with that Flicker because it would give me more peace of mind. That¡¯s more valuable to me than another weapon.¡± ¡°...But you captured it.¡± ¡°Then consider it my first Christmas gift to you.¡± ¡°...Ugh! You know, sometimes you piss me off! You and that damn pride of yours! Why can¡¯t you just take my help when I give it?!¡± Duchess Talerria heard her daughter flail around, water getting kicked and splashed, John recoiling from the waves. ¡°Haha, you trying to get wet?¡± ¡°Just watch the hair- Ah!¡± *Splash!* There was a squeal before both of them went underwater. John definitely didn¡¯t watch the hair. After that they both came back up, taking a few large breaths before laughing and play fighting a bit more. At some point though, they went quiet. There was no talking, and little to no movement, but from the tidbits she picked up, the Duchess quickly realized what they were doing. ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Ikhor barely stifled his laughter, causing his wife to roll her eyes. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Umara!¡± She announced, dissipating the spells and walking through the door. After walking around some flora that blocked her view, she saw Umara and John in the water, no longer pressed together. She looked at her daughter''s sopping wet hair and modest swimsuit before turning toward John and his shirtless body. Yet another thing she didn¡¯t believe her daughter about but seemed to be true. Despite not being a knight, he was still sturdily built, barely-hidden well-toned muscles painting quite the comely picture. She couldn¡¯t help but glance at the abs once or twice, thinking that this definitely wasn¡¯t anything like the expected physique of a summoner. She let off a small hum before looking back toward Umara, whose cheeks were a little rosy. ¡°The Flicker has been processed. If you wish to and if you¡¯re able, you can bond with it. It¡¯s available at any time, so make your decision and let me know.¡± ¡°...¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. She was silent, pondering for a few seconds before looking back at John. His brows raised. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. Do you want it?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Actually, I already know you do. Go get it.¡± ¡°...Asshole.¡± ¡°Oof.¡± He clenched his abs as she threw a punch into his gut, making him chuckle a bit as she walked out of the pool. ¡­¡­ I straightened my back after Umara threw her punch, looking at her back and activating my telepathy. (I love you.) (I love you too, stupid.) She responded without a trace of hesitation. I clicked my tongue, smiling while watching her figure. Her swimsuit was a single piece that hugged her body, with a small frilly skirt going from her waist down to her high thighs. There were no bikinis in this world, go figure, and it didn¡¯t reveal much skin aside from her arms and legs. But damn did she look good, especially when she combed her wet hair back, exposing her delicate pale nape. I sat a bit longer in the water before getting out. After cleaning up and heading down, everyone gathered for breakfast. Umara and I arrived after the food had been plated and laid out, the two of us sitting opposite her sister. I gave a nod to her; she returned a hesitant glance. And after everyone had eaten the bulk of their meal, Ikhor suddenly spoke. ¡°We have plans for today with the Raven Family. We¡¯re due at the Races in two hours before transferring to a theater for a show and a party later in the day at their household. In our absence, the housekeepers will prepare for our extended family¡¯s arrival. They¡¯re coming tomorrow for the Christmas Eve celebration.¡± Umara stiffened. ¡°Oh, crap. I need to go shopping.¡± ¡°You can buy gifts tomorrow. For now, we need to finish eating and then perform the bonding ritual.¡± ¡°Right now?¡± ¡°Yes. The sooner the better. We can¡¯t keep this Flicker in captivity for long. Or are you not sure about it?¡± ¡°N-No, I am.¡± ¡°Then prepare yourself. I¡¯ll bring you to the holding area outside once you¡¯re ready. I¡¯ve already called the Tamer who will initiate the ritual, so when he gets here, we¡¯ll begin.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± She nodded, letting out a small breath as I smiled. After a short while to polish off the last bits of breakfast, everyone filed out into the backyard to a side building where the Flicker was being held. The building was used as storage, but now, the gardening tools once prominent were dominated by the massive cage in the center. Inside that cage, the Flicker was shuddering in a corner, movements still severely restricted by the collar as it attempted to raise its head to track our small group. The Tamer, who had just arrived, issued instructions. ¡°Lady Umara, please step into the cage. The formation has already been drawn.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She nodded and stepped through the door, entering the cage with the Flicker. After that, a large formation on the floor of the cage glowed. ¡°The Flicker must choose you. It has already been weakened from its captivity, so you may either subdue it or beckon it to accept you. Because this Flicker is sensitive to Aura, you should engage your own in order to open a certain level of emotional communication with it.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara didn¡¯t respond, simply opening her Aura and reaching out toward the Flicker with it. Then, the collar on the Flicker opened and fell to the ground, releasing the creature. Its figure flickered several times, as if stretching its body. But the cage around it prevented it from going anywhere or doing anything like teleporting. Its body also tried to split and release clones, but that seemed to be suppressed as well. It had no choice but to face Umara, who stood before it with regal bearing. ¡°Forming a bond with a human is built into a Flicker¡¯s very instincts. This formation will bring out its desire. So whichever path you choose, it will either submit or accept.¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t want to have to force you.¡± Umara spoke, her Aura flaring. Ever since we practiced Telepathy, her own Aura had gotten much sharper, only slightly behind my own. She knew it could understand her, whether it be through her words or emotions. Aura was an amazing communication tool, bound by concepts rather than languages. ¡°Come to me.¡± She called, and the Flicker lifted its head toward her. Then, it suddenly snapped to me. My eyebrows raised. Everyone could tell that its focus was on me. It had picked me out specifically. Umara picked up on it too, and she quickly spoke. ¡°Go to one of us. It doesn¡¯t have to be me.¡± ¡°Umara.¡± I called out, shooting her a look. But she didn¡¯t bother reacting. She just let it happen. Sure enough, the Flicker came walking toward me, its head bowed and eyes looking up, as if for approval. Neither of the parents spoke, nor the Tamer. I wasn¡¯t even within the cage, not within the formation that was supposed to be pushing the Flicker toward Umara. It wanted to disregard all of that and come to me instead. I looked down at it with a frown. I could feel its Aura drift toward me. It wanted to make contact. It wanted to bond. It seemed that function was built into its very soul. However, when I sent my own Aura back at it, I merely made contact with its mind. (I¡¯m not going to accept you.) I spoke those words, causing its faint excitement to dwindle significantly. I continued. (I¡¯m not the one you should choose. If you¡¯re worried about strength, then go to her. She has guaranteed talent. She will rise to the top of this world.) (...) It looked back at Umara with a glint in its eye. If a Flicker¡¯s strength really was tied to its owner, then Umara¡¯s talent was its own talent. If she were already guaranteed to rise to the top, then so would it. But when it looked back at me, it didn¡¯t look completely convinced, as if doubting whether her talent was greater than my own. After all, I was the one who subdued it. I just scoffed. (Don¡¯t give me that look. She¡¯s the best you could ever hope to get. You should be so lucky that I subdued you and not some other creature. And if you¡¯re so intent on doing what I want, then walk your ass over to her. From now on, you will be her protection. You will be her strength. Your life will be tied to hers as she fights the Scourge. Our future battles will be difficult, so that¡¯s what I want, and that means I won¡¯t bond with you. So go. If you¡¯re not ready to protect her, then I question whether or not you¡¯re even fit to be a companion at all.) (...) The Flicker looked up at me, slowly raising its body as I finished. It stood tall, no longer so submissive as it had first been when it walked over to me. I smiled as it shot me a sharp look. I had questioned it, doubted it. I hurt its pride. It realized what I wanted from it. I smirked. (That¡¯s right. We don¡¯t need a cute dog to roll over for us. We need a fucking wolf that will rip the Scourge to shreds. So how about you show me whether or not you¡¯re even worthy. Pup.) The wolf bared its teeth, letting out a low growl as spikes of hostility finally came from its Aura. I laughed as it turned and marched toward Umara, as if out of spite. After approaching her, it pressed its head forward. Umara looked at me for a second before reaching out her hand. After she placed her palm on its head, there was a flash of light. The bond was made. The Flicker disappeared after that, causing Umara to close her eyes. It was a few seconds later that she opened them again, smiling. ¡°I did it!¡± ¡°The ritual is done.¡± The Tamer spoke, the formation of the cage fading to darkness. ¡°From now on, you have a Companion Spirit. The bond it has with you is deeper than any other. It will follow your direction, but it is not your slave. How you control it is up to you, because now, you understand it best.¡± ¡°Yes, I can feel it.¡± Umara nodded, and then, the Flicker reappeared, materializing from her side. It seemed rejuvenated, even a size bigger. And it immediately looked toward me, almost smirking. I gave it a smile back. ¡°What¡¯s up, Pup? Wanna fight?¡± It bared its teeth again as Umara walked out of the cage. I walked over as well, facing the wolf head on, bending down, getting close as if I didn¡¯t care whether it lunged at me or not. ¡°Watch yourself, Pup. I¡¯ll put you down just like I did last time. Except if I have to do it again, there will be a lot more blood.¡± *Hrmm* The wolf let out a sound and backed off a bit, making me smile. I reached out and ruffled its head a bit. It felt taken aback, but soon leaned into the motion. ¡°Heh, good Pup.¡± I stood and looked at Umara, who gave me a placid look. I waved to the wolf. ¡°Well there you go. That wasn¡¯t so hard. Now you have a lifelong companion.¡± ¡°Are you sure it isn¡¯t yours?¡± ¡°You have the bond. You tell me.¡± ¡°Tsk. You should¡¯ve just taken it.¡± ¡°At least you know I mean the things I say.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± The Duchess interrupted, stepping between us and looking at her daughter. ¡°I know this was fast, but congratulations. You¡¯ll be much safer now with that by your side. Spend some time and think of a name for it. Becoming close with your companion is important.¡± ¡°Do you have a companion, Mrs. Duchess?¡± I suddenly asked, causing the Duchess to turn to me and stare for a few seconds. She nodded. ¡°I do. We¡¯ve been companions for 22 years. I only received her after I entered the military.¡± ¡°Oh wow. You got her when I was born.¡± ¡°Tsk. You¡¯re making me feel old.¡± The Duchess clicked her tongue with a smile and walked out of the storage building, making me chuckle. After that, we all prepared for our date with the Raven Family. The bonding ritual didn¡¯t take long, so we took our time before boarding a carriage. Like last time, we used the city¡¯s teleporter in order to travel. Apparently, the Raven Family had very close ties with the Talerria Family. They were both Dukedoms and had been allied for a very long time. Though the Talerria Dukedom had publicly risen above the Ravens over time through their acquisition of the City of Joffrun, they owed their initial rise to the Ravens. The Ravens had an even longer history, famous as neutral parties, yet always consistent with their Knightly talent. The Talerria Family was a warlock family. Ikhor being married into it was actually one of the few times they ever hosted a Knight. But the Raven Family was, through and through, a knight family. They even had their own styles of martial arts. In fact, they had created one for every major weapon, like the sword, spear, axe, bow, and even knives. They also had techniques for movement and a variety of other useful skills. It was more appropriate to call them a martial sect. And in fact, they had a famous school of martial arts. It wasn¡¯t as famous as the Magisterium, but that was only because they strictly accepted knights. Their achievements and renown were the highest in their field, despite only being a Dukedom. Yet one question marred all their accomplishments: If they were so great, why hadn¡¯t they produced an Authority 12? That might make it seem like I was expecting too much, but as far as I knew, Grand Dukedoms raised not just consistent, but powerful talent. It might seem absurd for Authority 12¡¯s to be produced consistently, but that¡¯s how humanity managed to survive the Scourge. Or so I was led to believe. Either way, I had expected an Authority 12 at some point considering their peak at martial history. Apparently that wasn¡¯t the case. Not that I would ask about it. To say something like that to them would be incredibly insulting to their entire family line. Just a cursory thought of mine. Besides, I was more curious about these races. Would it be like horse or greyhound racing? I couldn¡¯t wait to find out. Chapter 88: Pride The Talerrias and I stepped out from the spinning rings of the teleporter, entering the city proper. The Whetted City was the home of the Raven Family; they had been on the land for so long it was basically an ancestral home, and they owned nearly everything within its jurisdiction. The Raven Family wasn¡¯t just a martial powerhouse; with nothing else, their earliest attempts at establishing a separate martial school would¡¯ve been run roughshod over by the Magisterium and jealous nobles. Their economy was practically entirely self-sufficient: rich mines supplied rare minerals and metals to feed their rapidly expanding smithies, surrounding fertile lands meant various outrunning villages could supply the urban center with food, and geographical isolation meant any competition would be a hefty, and unsound, investment. All this led to an incredible independence from the Kingdom; with nobody capable of stunting the Raven Family¡¯s growth economically, socially, or otherwise, the Whetted City would make a perfect isolated bastion. And all that wasn¡¯t even mentioning the support the Talerria family gave them as allies. It really seemed like the Raven Family and its city was the perfect place to live. Contrary to stereotype, the city wasn¡¯t all brutalist and practical; we stepped out of the Teleporter Nexus to a marble pagoda dozens of stories tall, gilded trims adding just a touch of brilliant gold. Massive sculptures perched on ledges drew my eye to the murals. Each level had stories etched across its surface. Depictions of sweeping battlefields, furious tangles with ferocious beasts, and portraits of great men and women of the past sprawled across pure white marble. Each piece was inlaid and accented like the trims were, and I couldn¡¯t help but compare it to Roman architecture despite the distinctly Asian pagoda resemblance. From the Nexus we walked into the strangely empty central plaza before the palace, the center of the entire city where only a few dozen people hurried about. Some were simply passing through while others were admiring or paying respects to the five titanic statues in the center. They all stood a little over 100 meters tall, one prominent from the rest. A plaque at its foundation bore the erratic Crest of the Raven Family¡¯s founding ancestor. That ancestor was dressed in primal gear, hoisting a spear up in victory while gazing menacingly off into the horizon, as if warning anybody who might show his family hostility that his deceased spirit might just come back once again to destroy them if they dared to attack. It was clear that, back then, he had fought long and hard to carve out a place in the world for him and his descendants. To his side was his wife who held a bow, almost the perfect picture of Artemis. She stood slightly behind him, one hand on the bow and another cradling her husband¡¯s arm. Surprisingly, the next statue wasn¡¯t anyone in the Raven Family but, as I learned from the plaque underneath, was actually the founding ancestor of the Talerria Family. She cradled a wooden staff, metal entwined around a massive chunk of roughly-hewn crystal shaped like a beast¡¯s heart. Despite the rather stern aura the staff put out, her face was gentle, eyes closed and undisturbed under thick obscuring robes. The final two, who stood behind the two women, were both men and prior Chiefs of the family who preserved the Family and City through catastrophic battles. One drove back the Scourge; the other, rebellious families seeking the easy disposal of a rival. Those two Chiefs, or Generals, flanked the two women and faced the East and West, two Guardians against all that might threaten the Raven Family, a symbol of their perseverance. It was a majestic display that inspired pride in the hearts of all who looked upon it. It seemed these people were artists as well, because I¡¯d never seen more masterfully carved sculptures in my life. Even I found myself feeling a wave of valor rising up into my chest as I stared at those five statues. And all around us, children and their parents would bow their heads in reverence, a silent collective pride rising from around us. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I felt Umara tug my arm from the side, causing me to tear my gaze away and look down at her. ¡°Yea, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Come on then.¡± ¡°Right.¡± She pulled me along, the rest of the family already walking off. From the Plaza we got a carriage which brought us to another area of the city. And it was during the drive that I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Umara nudged me, making me glance at her, her face filling with concern. I glanced at the others inside the carriage before suddenly asking Umara a question, breaking the silence. ¡°What did you think of those statues?¡± ¡°Me? Well I¡¯ve seen them several times before. This isn¡¯t my first visit.¡± ¡°I mean conceptually. What do you think when you see something like that?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She paused for a second, forced to consider her response for a little longer by the expectant gazes of her family, apparently interested despite the spontaneity of the question. ¡°...I suppose I think about how amazing the artists were to create such a thing. Same with the Palace. It¡¯s no wonder that the Raven family is famous for their artistic skill as well. Why? What do you think?¡± Umara masterfully deflected the bulk of attention back to me, raising the question as to why I had asked in the first place. I gazed out the window, avoiding eye contact as I also formulated my words. ¡°Well, I think about the Raven Family itself. When I hear about their sheer dominance, their hold over precious mines, their skill in art and weapons production, their mastery in martiality, and then the legends surrounding all of their historical figures, I can¡¯t help but feel that it must be an incredible privilege to be a part of that family.¡± ¡°...Elaborate.¡± Umara probed further, not completely understanding. I rubbed my chin. ¡°It¡¯s a matter of prestige and pride. Could you tell me that, after gazing upon those statues, you don¡¯t feel any sense of glory? You can practically see the Aura of valor radiating from the stone. It¡¯s a symbol of conquest, of triumph against all odds and a sign that everything those ancestors fought for bore fruit. I mean, just look at them now. Look around and tell me that all this isn¡¯t exalted by their children, their subjects? And if you were a part of that family, how could you not feel endless pride in it? Just think about how good it would feel to have that kind of pride in something, anything.¡± ¡°...¡± A strange silence settled over the cabin as I finished, minds racing to process my statement. The Duchess responded. ¡°I do hope you¡¯re not trying to imply that the Talerria family doesn¡¯t carry the same pride. Our founding ancestor holds a similar position of prestige with them.¡± ¡°And yet you don¡¯t have the same statue in your own city.¡± She went silent for a second, perhaps a bit caught off guard by my blunt rebuttal. I continued before she could take offense to it. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m not questioning your pride or your respect for your ancestors. I¡¯m just saying that there¡¯s a clear difference in how the two families carry themselves. As soon as we stepped out of that teleporter, I could clearly feel that everything around me fell under the jurisdiction and influence of the Raven Family. As far as I¡¯m concerned, this place is its own society independent from the Kingdom itself. They don¡¯t have statues of the King. They have statues of their famous warriors, generals, and Chiefs. When you¡¯re here, it feels like this family would go to war against anyone who dared to threaten them, even if it was the Kingdom. No other city has made me feel that way.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s true.¡± The Duchess nodded slowly, mulling over my words a bit longer. What the Raven Family had done by putting up all of the statues, monuments, and art was distinguish itself from everyone else. So unlike them, every other noble family were mere leaders of a city beneath them. They weren¡¯t a part of the city itself. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! If the Talerria Family were to suddenly be kicked out of the City of Joffrun and get replaced by another noble family, close to nothing would change. Perhaps some economic policies might shift, but otherwise, everything would proceed as normal. But removing the Raven Family from the Whetted City was impossible unless you razed it to the ground, completely erasing every fragment of influence they had. Such a thing would be necessary because their image was quite literally plastered everywhere through their art and culture. The difference was striking. In this light, who really owned their city? Duchess Talerria was the City Lord of Joffrun. But did her city reflect that? Did her city tell its inhabitants that her family was the one who had developed it from the ground up? Did her city know of her family¡¯s sacrifices and battles that had led them to attain the power they held today? No. All they had was a little ancestral hall behind their estate, removed from the people. And who cared about that? Who would really care if they were replaced one day? Other than their own family, who truly cared about the Talerria name? I was almost certain that everybody we passed by on the carriage had at least one or two stories about the Raven Family legends. I knew the Duchess understood all of this as she frowned while pondering. Then, it was Duke Ikhor who spoke. ¡°I suppose then, the only question a family such as ours would need to ask would be whether we feel it''s necessary to do something like the Ravens.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Maybe you don¡¯t. I had just been thinking about it because seeing those statues was rather inspiring. It¡¯s amazing what art like that can do for a city or nation¡¯s pride. And it¡¯s amazing what that kind of pride can do for its people.¡± ¡°Mm, indeed. I¡¯d actually never thought of such things before, at least like that. You¡¯re quite the thinker, eh? Then again, you are a Summoner. I¡¯m not sure you can help it.¡± I just hummed in response, the conversation fading as we arrived at our destination, replaced by ever more enthusiastic cheering. The stadium before us was as grand as all the other monuments in this city, called the Golden Bowl. It looked like it was built from the shattered chunks of marble boulders and then fused together into a single construction by pouring liquid gold between the gaps. However it was made, it looked as rich as it was creatively envisioned. Primarily used as an arena for battles and tournaments, the Golden Bowl was in close proximity to and owned by the Martial League, the Raven Family¡¯s famous martial arts college. Only now, because the school was on break, it had been repurposed as a racetrack. I walked beside Umara as we entered the Bowl, a butler under the Raven Chief meeting us at the entrance. He was sharp, looking more like a guardian than a butler, and carried a huge battleaxe on his back. He greeted us, forming a perfect right angle at his waist. ¡°A pleasure to have you with us, Duchess Talerria. The Chief awaits you in the host¡¯s suite. Allow me to guide you all.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She nodded, the butler snapping to attention and leading us in. We were met with the roars of thousands of people as we rose beyond the confines of the structure¡¯s halls, emerging onto a large set of stairs providing access to the stands. At the topmost tier was the suite, which we headed straight into to meet with the Raven Family Chief. I felt a surge of expectations from within. Based on everything I¡¯d seen, my standards for the leader of this city were sky high. My Aura responded to my curiosity and anticipation, probing outward, opening itself, trying to pick up any shred of the powerful presence that should reside within the suite. And it found the anomaly when we entered. ¡°Ah, Talexia, Ikhor. It¡¯s good to see you again.¡± ¡°Likewise, Ironheart.¡± The Duchess smiled as she went to shake the Chief¡¯s hand. At his side were two individuals, a woman and a man. The woman was a head shorter than the others. She carried a prickly presence, as sharp as her blade, and she didn¡¯t do much to conceal it. It was like she could cut me with her gaze. An atrocious strength abounded within the man. It was like his muscles exerted power upon gravity itself. He seemed heavy, like a Hummer compressed into a man. As for the Chief himself¡­ I felt nothing. He was a black hole, exerting no force upon his surroundings or making me feel any particular way. He seemed powerless, completely ordinary. But it was precisely because my Aura could pick up nothing that I felt a significant level of apprehension. I almost hesitated to approach, my mind instinctively going into overdrive in an attempt to either get a read on the slightest bit of his power or figure out a way to flee, which I knew was impossible. I froze behind the group, Umara turning toward me in concern. I felt her Aura reach out toward mine, opening up the connection for my Telepathy, letting my mind into hers. (What¡¯s wrong?) (...Can¡¯t you feel it? The Chief¡¯s Aura.) (No, I can¡¯t feel anything.) (Exactly¡­) I struggled for a few seconds, scratching my head as if to stimulate my fading senses. It felt like I was getting sucked into his Aura, like I didn¡¯t want to look away; I knew that feeling was unnatural somehow. Umara looked back at the Chief, but feeling my stress, she looked back and took my hand in comfort. I muttered inwardly as I finally turned my gaze. (What a fucking monster. He might be worse than Apocryon.) (Who¡¯s Apocryon?) (The most dangerous individual I¡¯ve ever encountered. He has the most powerful Aura I know of, yet this man feels to be at least on his level, if not higher. I guess the differences would only be in how they wielded it, not necessarily their power. I at least don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m going to die in front of this guy.) I took some subtle deep breaths. It felt like my ears were ringing, and even though my vision was fine, I had a hard time focusing on anything. That Aura seemed to scramble the senses, an incredibly advantageous tool for any knight to have, yet I was sure that was nowhere near the extent of its abilities. (He¡¯s coming.) ¡°Hm?¡± I almost panicked, raising my head in alarm at her words, yet I couldn¡¯t actually seem to see him coming. Until his hand touched my shoulder, all my senses returning to me in full clarity. ¡°Sorry about that. Are you okay now?¡± The man smiled in front of me. He was only a bit taller than me, but his build was much stockier. He wore a nice set of casual clothing, his vest seeming to bind him in and his medium length gray hair flowing freely around his shoulders. Umara had told me that the Raven family, contrary to their namesake, had predominantly white and gray hair. There were several people within the suite who had the same hair as him, obviously from the family. It was almost like their indicator of royal blood. I quickly composed myself, realizing that several people were staring. I must¡¯ve been acting strangely. I could barely remember anything from when my senses were scattered. ¡°Yes. Sorry.¡± ¡°Heh, there¡¯s no reason to apologize for having such a keen Aura. I normally don¡¯t have to reign it in because those who can sense it in the first place are also at such a high level that their senses can withstand it. So I suppose you¡¯re the outlier here.¡± ¡°I guess¡­¡± I gave him a grim smile as he chuckled, returning to his seat. At the front of the suite behind the glass window, there were several rows of seats that people used to view the field down below. His seat was in the middle of those rows, a smooth path carved out before him for his exclusive viewing pleasure. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to control myself. You have my apologies. Please, come relax. The Races are just getting started.¡± He motioned to the whole family, Talexia and Ikhor taking up a seat beside him while Umara, myself, and her sister sat beside them. We had our own row to ourselves. From there I was able to calm myself and look out the window, finally seeing what these races were all about. On the ground at the starting line was a row of slim winged creatures. Their hardened leather almost looked like a carapace at first glance, giving me the impression that it was some insectoid creature. But they were definitely regular animals, only their body structures were incredibly streamlined for quick flight. Their riders looked like a bunch of knights, and their gear was designed to sit flush with the creatures they rode, like a professional sports bike racer. They practically lay across the backs of their Gliders, as Umara eventually informed me. Their heads were positioned directly behind the Glider¡¯s own and their legs fell just on top of the base of their long tail. Curiously, their tails had an interesting flap on them, almost like a sharp rudder. Their pointed snouts were also rather ferocious. ¡°Riders, to your marks.¡± An official stepped atop a stand, raising a small staff into the air. All the riders moved their Gliders just before the starting line. There were only 5 lanes on this track and each lane had a staggered line. Once staged, the official¡¯s staff glowed. ¡°Get set.¡± The Gliders stilled as their riders lowered, their wings unfurling, tensing with explosive strength. The arena filled with a nervous silence, the cheers of the audience reducing to a low rumble. For a few seconds, the hum pervaded, then the official brought his staff down. With a sharp explosion, all the Gliders shot forward with shocking speed, the wind being kicked up all around them, leaving behind a plume of dust. I watched as their bodies shot down the 200 yard long straightaway. Slight gaps began to appear between each one. Then they hit the curve, and the difference in speed became apparent. Their bodies tilted, their heads only a foot or two above the ground, and yet they didn¡¯t touch it with their taloned feet. The tips of their talons only came down between each stroke of their wings, stabilizing them before they shot off with another burst of speed. Each did their best to retain their momentum, but at least along the curve, it took far more agility in order to turn while maintaining such a high speed. Wings flapped as they made their sharp turn before landing on the next straightaway. The first one to hit the straightaway was able to put an even larger gap between them and the others. It was clear that clearing the turns the fastest was the key to victory. First place gradually widened the gap until they completed the lap, shooting across the finish line, the rider rising from the Glider with a cheer. ¡°Winner! Number 49, Gabal!¡± The stadium roared with the excitement, joy, and groans of tens of thousands, their infectious energy bringing a smile to my face. It was bigger than a football stadium, and, with magical engineering, it was as tall as the professional stadiums on Earth. It could easily hold just as many, perhaps even pushing a hundred thousand. Every city needed a great source of entertainment, and it seemed rather clear that this place, despite being owned and utilized by the Martial League, was the venue of choice for the city¡¯s citizens. Whether it was races like these or battles in the arena put on by the knights during tournaments, the stadium turned activities into foci of entertainment. I settled into my chair, my smile widening as the next race went off. Chapter 89: Mischievous The more I watched the Gilder races the more I found myself thinking about my days playing football. The nostalgia was almost painful; I leaned over to Umara. ¡°I used to do something similar to this.¡± ¡°Hm? You mean Glider racing?¡± ¡°Well, not really. I used to play a sport called football. Each team had 11 players and our goal was to get a ball from one end of the field to another. The opposing team had to stop us before getting their own turn and forcing us to stop them.¡± ¡°I see. But, wouldn¡¯t the team with the highest Authority player win by default?¡± ¡°Well, that was the thing. Everyone who played was completely ordinary, so it all came down to skill, team coordination, and the strength of each person¡¯s body.¡± I smiled, thinking back to those times when I would get laid out by someone 60 pounds heavier than me. ¡°The people who played were all a bunch of genetic freaks with strength I could never imagine having. I had to fight tooth and nail to be on the team, but after my first year I had enough strength and speed to keep my place. Then we won two national championships.¡± ¡°National¡­ championships?¡± ¡°Mm. Over 100 teams across the nation fighting for a single champion title. My team won that twice while I played. Those victories were hard fought, and our audiences looked just like this. Tens of thousands of people, support split between two teams, all wondering which team would come out on top. Every play, every run, every throw and they would go crazy, like their lives hinged on their team winning.¡± ¡°And you were one of the players. You must¡¯ve been amazing.¡± ¡°Well, not that amazing. There was still a whole other level above me that I couldn¡¯t hope to reach. I was nothing like those guys, just a bit more athletic than the average Joe and willing to work hard enough to get me where I needed to go.¡± I slumped back into my seat. There was a time when I had hopes of making it to the National Football League, despite the internal recognition that my body probably wasn¡¯t up to the task. But I didn''t even get to find out. I was taken away right after my last year at college ended. That fateful day, when school was finally over. I had my degree, and I was ready to move on to bigger and better things. I managed to get a tryout on one of those national teams, having made enough of a name for myself to get the chance. It was the opportunity of a lifetime. But, on my way there, I was killed instead and sent to this world. I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was a bit robbed. That was the past though. It was quite the disconnect comparing my past world with this current one, where I had to struggle just to survive each day in an unfamiliar hostile environment. It hadn¡¯t even been a year since my transfer and fighting had thoroughly dominated my life. My mind was strong enough to vividly remember my past memories, but it felt like I was looking into the mind of another person. My time here had changed me so much I could hardly imagine going back to or being the person I once was. Umara¡¯s hand slipped into mine as I ran through my thoughts, her fingers subtly intertwining between my own. ¡°Don¡¯t go putting yourself down. I can¡¯t imagine that anything you fought that hard for was a minor accomplishment. Tell me, how did it feel being on that field and fighting for that championship?¡± ¡°Honestly, it was the most stressful thing I¡¯ve ever done in my life. I didn¡¯t think it was actually possible and yet my team and I were able to push that far. It almost felt like it shouldn¡¯t have happened, but we did it anyway.¡± My Spark not only helped me better remember the actual happenings of my memories but the associated feelings as well. However, I had an instinctual feeling that the chill running through my body would¡¯ve been just as vivid even as a mundane person. I wasn¡¯t exaggerating when I said it was the most stressful thing I¡¯ve ever experienced. My participation was the culmination of years of work and dedication. Every play felt like a battle to the death by itself, and there was only a miniscule margin of error. The stakes had never been higher, and there was actually a chance that we could take the title. And I was proud to say, we not just accepted, but seized, that chance, and it paid off. Nothing, not even the things I¡¯d done here in this new world, had yet come close to matching that level of stress. Not even actual battles for my life. Maybe it was because I was fighting for others, not just myself. Or maybe it was my own biased perception. Even Umara seemed surprised. After all, we recently had that battle against the Cyclops Scout. We were running for our lives; how could a mere game be more stressful than that? But even if she didn¡¯t understand, she accepted. It was obvious that, back then, those games had held incredible importance to me. That was all that mattered to her. She squeezed my hand a bit. ¡°You took the victory against all odds. Among all the ordinary people, you were definitely near the top.¡± ¡°Well, looking at the entire populace of hundreds of millions, I would indeed be above almost everyone. Those above me at that time might only be in the thousands.¡± ¡°Yes, so stop insulting my boyfriend. I won¡¯t stand for anyone degrading his abilities or accomplishments, not even himself.¡± ¡°Hm. Well, your boyfriend thanks you.¡± I turned as she leaned against me a bit, planting a kiss on the side of her head. We turned our attention back to the races, placing an order for some drinks with a pair of butlers. It wasn¡¯t even noon and people were already drinking. I decided I wouldn¡¯t be left out. Because of my lighter breakfast, it didn¡¯t take long for me to feel the alcohol in my head. ¡°Here comes the happy juice.¡± I smiled while grabbing my next drink off the butler¡¯s tray, my words causing Umara to break out in a chuckle as she did the same. I took a sip of some kind of margarita. It tasted great, making it quite the dangerous drink. Then, to my side, Umara lifted her arm and exposed her Aerial, reading a new message. Her Aura then reached out to mine as she smiled. I completed the telepathic link and let her speak. (My sister wants me to explore the Bowl with her. Do you mind if I leave?) (Come on, you don¡¯t have to ask me. Go have fun. I¡¯ll probably explore some too in a bit.) (Alright. Keep the link active though. Just in case I want to hear your voice.) She stood with those words, squeezing my hand one more time before strolling over to Feay. She stood happily, the two sisters walking out of the suite and into the stadium. I waited a bit, continuing to watch as I finished the rest of my drink. Once empty, the butler came back and retrieved the empty glass. I lingered for a bit more before preparing to leave, but then, someone came and sat down next to me. I looked over curiously, seeing a girl around my age looking at me with quite a bit of interest. She was only a couple inches shorter than I was, and yet being a knight, she was infinitely stronger. I saw a pair of blades on her back and snow white hair, indicative of her status as a child of the Raven Family. I tilted my head. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hi. You were able to sense the Chief¡¯s Aura?¡± ¡°I suppose. Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m his granddaughter. Shadowbane. Pleasure to meet you.¡± I felt a bit odd as she stretched out her hand, but I just rolled with it. It wasn¡¯t just her sudden approach; the Raven Family also had some rather odd naming conventions. ¡°John Cooper. Likewise.¡± ¡°How old are you, John?¡± ¡°22, almost 23.¡± ¡°Oh, amazing. For you to have such a keen Aura means you¡¯re incredibly talented. Are you a warlock?¡± ¡°Summoner.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She practically cringed in surprise, her blue eyes widening. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that.¡± ¡°Disappointing?¡± I grinned a bit knowingly. Summoners were weak, especially for knights. Considering how highly she thought of my Aura and the fact that I was with the Talerria Family, she no doubt had much higher expectations. But surprisingly, she shook her head. ¡°Not disappointed. Accomplishments with Aura are irrelevant to the type of Magus. Still, it¡¯s rare to see summoners in this city at all, let alone with a noble guest. I do feel a bit of pity though. With your talent, you could¡¯ve gone much farther as a knight or warlock.¡± ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. I quite like the cards I¡¯ve been dealt. My lethality is rather high.¡± ¡°Really? Are your summons special?¡± ¡°I would say so, although it may just be my own narcissism.¡± ¡°Can I see?¡± ¡°I guess.¡± I shrugged. This girl was really curious. With a wave, I summoned my pistol, showing it off in my hands. ¡°It¡¯s called a gun, and it shoots projectiles like a bow. Except far, far faster than mere arrows.¡± ¡°How much faster is far faster?¡± ¡°Well, I suppose that depends on the bow as well as the weapon I choose. But on average I would say around 10 times faster.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very fast.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just based on the bows I know though. I don¡¯t have precise numbers, less to say of Magus-enhanced weaponry, so I can¡¯t say for sure. But I have no doubt that any one of my guns could fire a projectile faster than any bow.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Her eyes flashed as she rubbed her chin. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I have a favor to ask of you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°When we all go back to the estate later today after the theater, I would like to have a small spar with you. You see, I¡¯m a knight specializing in speed. I¡¯ve been training my reactions gradually and can dodge most arrows. I¡¯d like to test it against your weapons.¡± ¡°Hm, maybe. What¡¯s your Authority?¡± ¡°In my 24 years of life I¡¯ve achieved Authority 7.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Oh. Sure then.¡± I easily agreed with that knowledge. I wasn¡¯t even sure a fully empowered shot could pierce her muscles, let alone an unempowered one. I had nothing to worry about. She smiled. ¡°Thanks. Also, I¡¯d like to pick your mind about Aura, the original reason I came here.¡± ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t mind, but stuff about Aura is hard to teach. The best I could give you is a vague idea of what I¡¯ve found.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it. Anyone who can sense the Chief¡¯s Aura at such a young age has valuable experience. And I¡¯ll be sure to prepare a reward, regardless of the depth of knowledge you decide to impart.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I don¡¯t mind helping. Let¡¯s do it during our spar. Just come find me when you¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°I will. Thank you.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± I smiled as she stood, the two of us shaking hands again before she walked off. Not long after, I decided to get up myself to go explore the stadium. I was getting more than a little cooped up with the luxury of the executive suite and wanted to see every inch I could. This was basically the closest I would get to seeing something like the Roman Colosseum in its prime. Not to mention the fact that I was moving into my happy phase of drinking. I wanted to find some like minded individuals and perhaps make these races a bit more fun. In fact, there was one person who would have exactly the information I was looking for. It was all about knowing who to ask. So I stepped up to the bar before leaving, smiling at the bartender. ¡°What can I get you, sir?¡± ¡°Some information on where I can make a bit of coin.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± He looked up at me, not completely surprised. After all, there were undoubtedly plenty of nobles and noble children who liked the thrill of gambling. What better place to do it than at these races? He smiled. ¡°Go find the bar to the west of the finish line, marked Tankard 2. Ask for a race tab. You¡¯ll be able to place your bets with it.¡± ¡°Thank you for the information.¡± I flicked a coin at him, which he caught with a bow. After that I left the suite, making my way down the stadium stairs and into its internal hallways. The ceilings were high and the walls were decorated with more art, including some famous warriors and Glider champions of years past. This was definitely a popular sport. There were dozens of food stands as well, filling the halls with mouth watering aromas. I wandered for a while in the general direction of the bar, taking out a cigar and taking a puff. These cigars helped my body process the alcohol, so not only would it keep me from getting a hangover, but it would keep me from getting drunk and allow me to drink more. If I balanced it right, I could ride a buzz for a long time. I finally found Tankard 2 after inquiring from some stall owners. It was a half enclosed area that resembled a restaurant. In front, there was a large screen above the bar itself showing the races in full detail, as well as some nearby windows that looked out to the ground of the track. I walked up to one of the small two-person tables, seating myself on a tall stool and waiting while watching the screen. Not long after, a waitress came over with a menu. ¡°What¡¯ll it be for drinks, sir?¡± ¡°Eh, get me a margarita mix for now. Also, I¡¯d like a race tab.¡± ¡°Of course sir. Forewarning, our entry level bets are working at 5% commission today.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be right back.¡± I gave her a smile as she turned. I wasn¡¯t planning on spending much at all, so I really didn¡¯t care. Don¡¯t bet what you can¡¯t lose. I was really only doing this to get away from all the bigwigs and find a little excitement. Better than sitting around for hours letting my buzz go to waste. Soon enough, the lady came back with a drink and a card. On the card was a list of races, competitors, and their bet ratios. I could easily pay for my bets with my own bank card, making it really easy to spend money without a thought. ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°Dammit!¡± ¡°What an idiot!¡± Several people around me yelled in anger as the next race finished. I chuckled and looked through some of the lists. I didn¡¯t know about any of these people, only their numbers and the ratios. So I placed a few bets amounting to no more than a few thousand coin. After that I simply sat back and watched the show, occasionally munching on a piece of bread the lady had brought for snacking. Even better, since I was betting, they gave me my drinks for free. It was a common tactic to keep people happy and spending money, not that it would stop me from indulging. Like that, an hour flew by as my buzz grew, making me laugh as more people gathered for the betting and yelled at their losses. At some point though, I heard a voice in my head. (Where are you?) ¡°Hm?¡± I jolted a bit, forgetting that I was maintaining telepathy with Umara. I responded after composing myself. (I¡¯m at Tankard 2, one of the public bars west of the finish line.) (Oh. Well I¡¯m coming over there with Feay. Stay there.) (I¡¯m not going anywhere.) I let out another chuckle and waited. Soon, Umara entered with her sister, the two of them taking up spots around my small table. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hi. Was it too boring in the suite?¡± ¡°Mhm. Instead I find company in a rambunctious bar, and bread. The bread is actually really good. Try it.¡± ¡°Mmph.¡± I lifted a large slice of bread and pushed it into her mouth, making her open and eat the entire thing. After many second of chewing, she snatched my drink, washed it down, and shook her head with squinted eyes. ¡°Blegh. You¡¯ve moved on to the heavy stuff.¡± ¡°Hehe, I forgot you don¡¯t like this drink.¡± ¡°Let me take a puff.¡± She grabbed the cigar out of my mouth next, taking a long breath with her eyes closed. I saw her sister look at her strangely, as if questioning whether she was still her sister. I smiled at the face she made, Umara shoving the cigar back into my mouth when she was done. ¡°Thanks. Alright, I need to go see a friend. Feay, how about you stay with John?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± We both looked at Umara in surprise before looking back toward each other. Well this was awkward. Even Umara could sense that. But she doubled down while disregarding her slight embarrassment. ¡°Come on, you two can hangout for a bit. Neither of you would have fun in the suite anyway, so get along for a bit. I¡¯ll be back in an hour or so when the races start finishing up.¡± ¡°Uh, alright.¡± ¡°Good. Just listen to John, Feay. At least don¡¯t go wandering on your own. Have him escort you around if you want.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Feay just nodded, Umara walking off with a wave. After that, Feay took a seat beside me at the table. Well, it was a good thing I was already right in the middle of my happy phase. Since I was sitting my head wasn¡¯t spinning, but I could still feel the corners of my mouth lift almost uncontrollably. I stared at Feay for a bit as she just stared down at the table in silence. ¡°Pfft.¡± I barely held back some laughter, sticking out my hand and clearing my throat while trying to look as professional as possible. ¡°Ahem. I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve personally met. John Cooper. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°...Feay Talerria.¡± She shook my hand with an odd look. Feay was just a 14-year-old girl, so she had yet to go to the Magisterium or experience any of the battles she would face as a future Knight. She carried the same look as Umara and her mother. Ashy gray hair, generally pale features, and a sharp look. It seemed the Talerria genes were dominant. I suppose the only difference might show itself in her disposition. If she inherited her father¡¯s talent, maybe she also took after his personality. Or maybe she would just be the knight version of her mother. Well, I¡¯d have to break her out of her shell first. Unfortunately, alcohol wasn¡¯t allowed to be my hammer, so I¡¯d have to do this the old fashioned way and actually appeal to her as a fun person. At least I could still rely on ethanol to get me there. After shaking her hand, I suddenly leaned over to her and pointed up at the screen, showing the racers for an upcoming event. ¡°Hey, which one do you think will win?¡± ¡°The people in the back?¡± ¡°Yea. Pick the one you have the best feeling about.¡± I brought out the tab as she tilted her head and pondered. ¡°Maybe¡­ Number 24?¡± ¡°24, huh? Pick a number between 1 and 10.¡± ¡°...7.¡± ¡°7¡­¡± I mumbled while tapping the card, slotting in a 700 coin bet for racer 24. She watched as I barely placed the bet before it closed, the race starting. ¡°Alright, young padawan. The ratio is 1:3. So we¡¯re either going to lose 700 coin, or you¡¯re going to win a bit over 2 thousand.¡± ¡°W-Wait, you¡¯re betting on this?¡± ¡°Hell yea. This one is all on you!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Oh, here they go!¡± We both watched as racer 24 stepped up to the line with 4 others, preparing for a two lap race. Feay¡¯s face tensed with anxiety as she stared intently at the screen. *Bang!* The sound rang, all the racers shooting off the line. They quickly reached and soared around the first turn, our racer keeping pace as they drifted into the next straightaway. Some seconds later they hit the next turn, itching the line and finishing the first lap. But then, as they sped down the straight, our racer started falling behind! ¡°Come on!¡± I cheered as they reached the turn, watching as the gap was widened a bit further. But then, on the last straight, his second wind kicked in and he sped right back up to the front! ¡°He¡¯s doing it!¡± I started punching the air in excitement, tensely watching as they hit the final turn. It was close! Our rider kept right in front, the pointed noses of all the gliders mere inches apart as they sailed in perfect formation just a foot above the ground. And then, against all odds, our rider kept his wind and pulled ahead just a foot. But it was enough. He flew across the finish line, the audience in the stands cheering as I jumped. ¡°He did it! Haha! You won!¡± I shook Feay¡¯s shoulder out of excitement, seeing her staring dazedly at the screen. And then her face glowed in victory, her fist clenching as she turned to me. There was a glint in her eye when she shot me a toothy grin. ¡°I picked the right one!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Now do it again!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± She nodded as we threw our seats together, going through the other lists of racers and picking a few out. She even started debating about what numbers would be lucky or not, most of her arguments coming from personal experiences and biases. I didn¡¯t care either way. All I did was hedge some bets on racers besides hers, seeing which of us was luckier than the other. Even if neither of ours finished first, one still had to beat the other. We treated it like a competition. And so the races continued, the two of us wholly invested like everyone around us. I cackled as Feay started to cheer and curse the racers. She didn¡¯t win any more after the first one, but we bounced back and forth between winning and losing against each other. It was hilarious every time she got bent out of shape. It was also pretty easy to mess with and tease her like Umara, though instead of only getting embarrassed, she liked to fight back. Not only that, but as we both got more comfortable with each other, she started to get bold. As we watched another race, my Aura suddenly felt something mischievous brewing. I leaned back, expanding my peripheral vision and seeing Feay shooting looks over at me. And then, just as the race was about to finish, she lunged. My mind was a bit clouded so my reactions weren¡¯t great. I couldn¡¯t stop her as she grabbed my glass of alcohol. ¡°Huh? Hey!¡± ¡°Mine!¡± ¡°You little punk!¡± I hastily climbed out of my seat when she jumped out of hers, stepping off to the side and downing the entire glass. ¡°Cough! Agh! It actually tastes good, but my stomach¡­¡± ¡°Fuckin hell.¡± I watched her incredulously for a few seconds. That was a half full glass of liquor! The high proof made it tasty but deadly. Shaking my head a bit, I snatched my glass back before reaching out. My knuckle went straight for her head, digging and twisting it into her hair, ruffling it up a bit. ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°What a brat! Do you drink like this with your friends or something? What¡¯s got you so bold?¡± ¡°I just wanted to try! My friends have tried it but I haven¡¯t!¡± ¡°Bunch of delinquents. Alright, sit down and start chowing.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Eat the bread!¡± I pushed her back onto her chair and shoved a slice of bread into her face. ¡°That drink is gonna have your head spinning in a bit, but bread can make sure it won¡¯t hit you like a truck. Eat a few slices, quick.¡± I pushed the tray of bread in front of her before suddenly taking out my Aerial, tapping it a few times and catching her attention. She lowered her head in worry. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting my camera ready. This is gonna be hilarious in about 10 minutes. Because if your sister is any indicator, not to mention your age, you¡¯ll be drooling like a drunkard. No way I¡¯m missing that.¡± I laughed evilly as she sulked and turned back to watch the races. After that, I just watched and waited, neither of us making any more bets. And soon enough, she started leaning. ¡°Uh oh, here it comes.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± I cackled as she tried to straighten herself out on the seat, only to stumble a bit and lose balance. And after the 10 minute mark hit, she was bobbing her head around, probably feeling like her brain was swimming. I couldn¡¯t stop laughing, and she didn¡¯t even have the mind to care. That girl ascended to an entire other plane of existence and I got it all on camera. Even the drool. That shit had me rolling around in my seat. But as hard as it came on, it faded just as fast. After about 15 minutes of drifting through the astral realm, she finally came back down to what seemed like a functional buzz. ¡°John! Place another bet! I think I¡¯ve figured out who¡¯s gonna win.¡± ¡°Oh god. Hey, come back to me. Drink some water.¡± I tapped her cheeks a few times before pushing a drink of water into her hands. She drank it deftly enough, at least until she started laughing her ass off. I kept trying to grab her attention but it was all for naught. It took a few more minutes for her to finally collect herself enough to care about anything. Just as she had finally started to calm herself down a little, I suddenly felt a gaze land on me. It felt familiar. I looked over and saw Umara walking toward us in the distance. Chapter 90: Dont Tell Mom ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the estate later today. We can continue this conversation then.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Also, bring your boyfriend. I¡¯ll need to see him. ¡°I-I will.¡± Umara smiled sheepishly as she said her goodbyes to her friend. The Raven Family was unique in that they were more meritocracy than strict hierarchy. Status could be earned through martial prowess and talented students were afforded their due respect. The superiors of the Family demanded as such. It was different from the Magisterium. There, even someone talented might not be given an ounce of respect if they weren¡¯t a noble. Umara had seen that clearly with John. Despite having the potential to be top-ranked by the end of the year, all while entire Authorities beneath his competition, his popularity was merely infamy. Granted, their relationship didn¡¯t help that. Still, Umara knew very few people who actually respected John. One of those few was amazingly the Puppet Master himself, not to mention the head of the Tavera Mafia. He seemed to draw more attention from the adults. Perhaps that was because, compared to all the students at the Magisterium, he acted like one. All the other noble children may as well be just that: children. That made the Raven Family special. Here, noble titles meant much less. Martial skill was everything, so if a noble child couldn¡¯t rise to the standards or challenges, they would be reduced to a mere commoner in status. Nobody would care about them, especially if they acted out of line. Umara had several friends here due to that. The best of her friends, the girl she just met with, was one she had learned from over the years. During her early years at the Magisterium, in an attempt to teach her daughter about the intricacies of combat, the Duchess would send her over to the Whetted City to spar and fight against the knights. And so she met Shadowbane. Their personalities were similar enough and they found themselves getting along so well when they first met that they immediately became friends. After that, they continued to battle each other despite the age gap. Umara took it as a challenge, and Shadowbane would create challenges for herself in order to get stronger. It was unfortunate that Shadowbane stayed within the Martial League instead of going to the Magisterium. She hoped to one day get into the position to work together again, perhaps in the military, but that was still a ways off. After leaving the suite, another one reserved for other Ravens and knights their age, Umara headed back down to the halls in search of her boyfriend and sister. She didn¡¯t get any messages so she hoped they were able to get along. She was close with her sister, so she wanted to make sure they had a good relationship as well. Besides, Umara didn¡¯t see any reason why Faey shouldn¡¯t be able to have fun with John. He was a good person and definitely knew how to have fun. He wasn¡¯t stuck up and rigid like many noble men. It was one of the many things she loved about him. But she knew that things took time to develop. She at least hoped they were able to have a good talk. So when she finally turned a corner and found the bar, she peered in curiously as she walked over. Only to see John laughing his ass off, and her sister pulling on him with a loopy expression. ¡°The hell?¡± She tilted her head, and sure enough, John quickly noticed her. His expression made him look like a criminal getting caught in the act. And as soon as he spoke something to her sister, she jumped as well, looking over at her with a red face. And then, out of the blue, they started running. ¡°Go, go!¡± ¡°Shit!¡± ¡°Hey, watch your mouth, you delinquent!¡± He reprimanded her even as they ran away, pushing through the crowds of people. Umara stood there completely baffled. She couldn¡¯t possibly imagine why they were acting like this. Unless they did something bad. She had a faint suspicion, but she needed to actually talk to them first. So she gave chase. ¡°Ah! She¡¯s coming!¡± ¡°Get on my back! Hurry!¡± ¡°Okay, okay!¡± John suddenly kneeled, letting Faey jump on his back. That allowed Umara to catch up quite a bit, but then, John took off in a sprint. Umara¡¯s eyes widened. She didn¡¯t know if he had ever taken off so fast, not even during battles. He usually wasn¡¯t in the position to run, so she didn¡¯t see his speed very often. So she was shocked when she actually had to run as fast as she possibly could just to keep them in her sight. ¡°Dammit John! Get back here!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stop! Go, my Glider!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going!¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Feay laughed as John got a second wind, leaving Umara in the dust. And since he still had his cigar in his mouth, steam puffed over his head with every rapid breath he took. Feeling her eye twitch, Umara suddenly took a deep breath, the air element swirling around her body with a gust of wind. The atmosphere bent with her command, and with a step, she soared several yards. John couldn''t run forever, and she had magic to carry her forward. Who said she had to break a sweat to catch them? Sure enough, it didn¡¯t even take a minute for John to start petering out. Umara had to use magic to even keep up with him during that minute, but after he started slowing down, she caught up. Faey squirmed around on his back. ¡°Keep going! She¡¯s coming!¡± ¡°Ugh, if I take another step I¡¯m gonna barf.¡± ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Umara caught up as John heaved for breath. He didn¡¯t look incredibly tired, but since he had been drinking, his stomach caught up to him before his stamina did. Without acknowledging her, he took a seat on a nearby staircase. Faey stayed on his back, simply sitting behind him and using him to prop herself up. Well, at least they seemed to be getting along. Umara smiled a bit before John gathered himself and spoke. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Why did you run like that? Why is she all red?¡± ¡°No reason.¡± He turned his head away. He was still clearly a bit drunk, and Feay seemed woozy. She narrowed her eyes, walking over to her sister and putting her face really close. Feay twisted away, but the rank cloud from her mouth made it plenty obvious. ¡°You let her drink?!¡± ¡°She took mine when I was distracted!¡± ¡°Feay!¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± ¡°Yea right! You listen here..!¡± Umara scolded her sister, telling her all about how she shouldn¡¯t be drinking at her age and how much trouble she would be in if their parents found out. At some point though as Feay started getting down, John stood and waved. ¡°Alright, alright. She gets it. Don¡¯t make a big deal out of it.¡± ¡°But it is a big deal!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Your sister is responsible enough to know what she should and shouldn''t do. No need to badger her for being a little cheeky. So long as she doesn¡¯t do it again, right?¡± He tilted his head back at Feay, getting a hasty nod from her. He then smiled and ruffled her hair, messing it up and earning a few swipes. ¡°See? Just let it be and don¡¯t tell mom. We can head back after sobering her up a bit more.¡± ¡°Ugh, fine.¡± Umara, exasperated, relented with a long breath. Afterward, the three decided to buy some candy and head back up to the stands, taking a random open spot among the crowds of people. There, they watched the rest of the races. As the last few races came about though, Feay suddenly asked. ¡°Hey John, can we place some bets?¡± ¡°You let her gamble too?!¡± ¡°Ahh!! That was gonna be a secret!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± He fumbled around as Umara pounced on him, Feay apologetically panicking to the side. ¡­¡­ ¡­ After the last race, Umara, her sister and I went back to the suite. Feay was quick to sober up so she drew no suspicions. The only tell was her otherwise unexplained closeness with me. The three of us kept recent events a secret between us. Like that, we grouped back up with the parents and moved to our next destination. It was a theater not far from the stadium. There, we were led into an elevated suite with the Raven Chief. Down below us was a huge stage, meant for musical and theatrical performances. I sighed a bit. I wasn¡¯t particularly interested in their theater. On Earth we had movies that could depict battles between stars and demigods. Here, they had jesters and actors with painted stage props. It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t respect the art of the play, just that I didn¡¯t find it very entertaining. But who knew? Maybe they would surprise me. It was just unfortunate that my standards were so inflated. And unlike at the stadium, there wasn¡¯t anywhere else to go. So I was stuck sitting in a chair for the couple hours we would be here. Soon enough, the play started. It turned out to be something close to a musical, with musical pieces being mixed into the play. The tale was a classic hero story, but there was still value in cliches. It told a tale of a man fighting battles against beasts, acquiring allies as he grew strong, and all of them conquering the desolate lands of their enemy before beheading the beastly king. Contrary to my expectations, the props used by the actors were incredibly realistic, backed by enough magic to make the stage look like a door to another world. However, it was the musical pieces that caught my eye. Specifically, one of the ending pieces carried out by three of the heroes as they were approaching the final legs of their journey. During a scene around a campfire, they pulled out instruments and played some songs from their hometowns, a way to bridge the gap in their relationships and grow closer. But I didn¡¯t care about any of that. What I cared about was the instrument one of them used. A guitar. Well, it was similar enough. Six strings of varying thickness and a wide wooden body with a sound hole in the middle. It sounded similar too. It wouldn¡¯t take more than a tune up and I could have it sounding like an acoustic guitar. I got excited, patting Umara. ¡°What? What is it?¡± ¡°That instrument. The one the second man is holding.¡± ¡°A lute?¡± ¡°Yes. I need one of those.¡± ¡°Why? Do you know how to play one?¡± ¡°I do, in fact.¡± I smiled at her, earning a bit of surprise. ¡°Wow. Can you sing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. But I can at least play well.¡± ¡°Well, maybe we can get you one.¡± ¡°Is there a shop?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about here, but there¡¯s definitely one at Joffrun. I¡¯ll ask my mother on the way back.¡± ¡°Groovy.¡± I responded with a wide grin, making Umara chuckle. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Welcome to our humble abode.¡± ¡°...Humble my ass.¡± I mumbled from behind the group as we walked the path to the Raven Estate. It was a castle. Not a mansion, but a castle. And unlike many of the other constructions through the city made of white marble, this castle was constructed of black crystal bricks. It looked like liquid gold was used as the mortar between each brick as well. Regardless of the materials used, it had to be worth an astronomical amount of coin. As impregnable as a fortress and as lavish as the royal palace, this castle covered such a large plot of land that there was actually a field within it. I ended up comparing it to the Golden Bowl in size. I let out a long plume of smoke from my mouth as we entered. Outside the castle were several carriages carrying students of the Martial League as well as noble friends of the Ravens. We were just one of many attending this party. Well, I at least wouldn¡¯t have to worry about dealing with conventional nobles. I had a good impression of the Ravens and knew they wouldn¡¯t stoop to making things difficult for me. ¡°John Cooper!¡± ¡°Son of a bitch¡­¡± I muttered while turning, my placid gaze falling on a young man who entered the gathering hall. Everyone¡¯s attention was caught by his sudden hostility. And sure enough, I felt Umara¡¯s apologetic feelings through our telepathic connection. (I-I¡¯m sorry. Another suitor¡­) (It¡¯s fine.) I sighed inwardly. I couldn¡¯t blame her for being pretty. ¡°Tindereye, what are you doing? I hope you don¡¯t intend to disgrace our allies.¡± The Chief stepped forward, snuffing out the young man¡¯s fiery confrontation. He assumed a rigid posture, lowering his head a bit. ¡°I apologize, Chief. I wish to challenge John Cooper to a duel!¡± ¡°Why would you want to do that?¡± The Chief asked with incredulity, as if he truly couldn¡¯t fathom why the young man would want to fight. The young man, Tindereye, was a bit baffled that the Chief wouldn¡¯t know. Thankfully for him, the Chief¡¯s wife pulled her husband¡¯s arm and whispered into his ear. His eyes widened in understanding. ¡°I see. I understand why you want to duel, but they are guests here for our Christmas celebration. Mr. Cooper, a duel holds traditional value for those here at the Whetted City. I¡¯ll give you the option to accept, but do not feel obligated.¡± The Chief turned to me, everyone¡¯s curious gaze waiting for my answer. I felt my face drop. ¡°Man, I¡¯m already halfway to the moon. You¡¯re really gonna kill my buzz, huh?¡± ¡°I fight for Lady Umara¡¯s hand! Do you dare do the same?!¡± Umara palmed her face beside me, grabbing my arm. ¡°John, you can let me take care of it.¡± ¡°No, no. I can¡¯t let Lady Umara fight my battles. I am a MAN! And I FIGHT for MY WOMAN!¡± ¡°Please stop¡­¡± She covered her face blooming with heat, pushing me to the verge of laughing my ass off. If I was gonna do this, then you bet your ass I was gonna embarrass her while doing so. I took out my golden cigar case, earning a few looks of shock before snuffing my stogie and stowing it away. ¡°Alright, I accept the duel. Chief, what are the rules regarding inflicting injuries?¡± ¡°They are expected. No knight who shuns injury can truly call themselves a knight.¡± ¡°How convenient.¡± I smiled a bit, causing Umara to pull my sleeve. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill someone.¡± ¡°What¡¯s his Authority?¡± ¡°Five.¡± ¡°Oh. Cutting it close.¡± I clicked my tongue as the Chief spoke. ¡°Very well. Seems like we have some more entertainment. To the arena! The duel between John Cooper and Tindereye will start in 15 minutes!¡± ¡°Whoo!¡± Several people broke out in cheering, bloodthirsty for a new fight. This family definitely had a warrior culture. Why else would duels be a tradition? Everyone streamed to the arena, scrambling to get better seats. As for me, I popped the cork on another bottle of alcohol, making my own preparations. Chapter 91: Kill Him Chapter 91: Umara sat nervously on the stands around the arena. Her parents and sister were to her side, as well as the Chief and several other high level spectators. Hundreds had already gathered from out of nowhere. Most of them were students of the Martial League. Tindereye was one such student. She wasn¡¯t worried about the amount of attention directed at John; the Magisterium and his anomalous performance had already run him through that gauntlet. She was worried more about whether John could avoid killing Tindereye. She knew how his weapons worked better than anyone: it was incredibly difficult to reign in their power. All that was setting aside the fact he was drunk. She watched as he took another swig from a bottle of alcohol. She wasn¡¯t sure where he got it from. Maybe he pulled it out of his ass. A drunken man with those weapons was a recipe for disaster. She hoped Tindereye was stronger than he looked, for his own sake. It would be problematic if he killed someone of the Raven Family, after all. ¡°Allow me to establish the stakes of this duel.¡± Tindereye¡¯s voice echoed through the stands. ¡°If you lose, you will stop pursuing Lady Umara!¡± ¡°Huh? Guy, I really hope you don¡¯t actually want to make those the stakes.¡± ¡°Why? Are you afraid of your own weakness? A Summoner isn¡¯t worthy of her hand, so you should face that reality now.¡± ¡°Son, you have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. I¡¯m saying, if you make those the stakes, I¡¯m going to have to kill you. So don¡¯t, for your own sake.¡± Shotgun in hand, John racked the slide and flung a shell skyward, nabbing it out of the air and turning it over a few times. ¡°This is a slug, right? Hey, do you have armor on?¡± ¡°...I do not.¡± Tindereye responded, unsure of what to make of John¡¯s antics. John looked between him and the shell a few times, making Umara¡¯s anxiety spike. She shouted. ¡°No slugs!¡± ¡°...Fine.¡± He shrugged and tossed the shell, littering the rest over the arena floor before slotting in buckshot. She sighed in relief, sitting back and earning her mother¡¯s curiosity. ¡°What are slugs?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a type of projectile his gun shoots. They¡¯re meant for punching through tough armor, so if he uses them while Tindereye doesn¡¯t have armor, he¡¯ll kill him.¡± ¡°He was serious about that?¡± Looks of surprise spread on the faces of those nearby who overheard. Umara massaged her temples. ¡°Please stop underestimating him. His summons are wholly devoted to killing and he regularly fights above his Authority. Now he¡¯s been challenged to a duel by a knight while half-drunk. If Tindereye really threatens his life, then John will kill him.¡± ¡°Hm, well, at least you know he¡¯ll kill for you.¡± ¡°How romantic.¡± Feay nudged Umara with a teasing face, causing her to blush a bit while pushing back. ¡°Umara.¡± A voice interrupted their play fight. Umara turned and found Shadowbane walking over. She waved. ¡°Hi Shadow.¡± ¡°So someone is trying to unseat your man, hm? What happens if he loses?¡± ¡°He won¡¯t. If he does it would be on purpose.¡± ¡°That seems like a convenient excuse. It¡¯s a good thing I trust you.¡± Shadowbane sat down in front of Umara, resting her back on Umara¡¯s legs. ¡°Let¡¯s just watch. I¡¯ll step in if you want me to.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Umara smiled at her friend¡¯s courtesy. By now, John and Tindereye finished their preparations. Almost 300 people had gathered in the stands, and more were still streaming in. Umara looked around and suddenly understood why this was getting so popular. It wasn¡¯t every day that a summoner appeared in their city, let alone one that could fight. They were all curious. Not only that, but Tindereye was somewhat famous himself. There were rankings for each of the years at the Martial League, much like in the Magisterium Elites, and Tindereye was regularly on top. He was also a direct descendant of the Chief, giving him the same familial status as Shadowbane. He had both a name and the power to back it up. It was the reason he was one of Umara¡¯s suitors. If he married her, it would strengthen the alliance between the families. And Umara wasn¡¯t particularly opposed to his character by principle. It was precisely because of the alliance between their families that he actually treated her very well. While he may be a bit impassioned as evidenced by his eagerness to duel John, he was still a good person. It was just unfortunate for him that the two never saw much of each other given their geographical separation. Regardless, there were several good reasons to watch this fight, and people didn¡¯t want to miss it. Umara watched as John pulled out a pistol, holding the Trench Gun in his spare hand. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°As am I.¡± The two finished their preparations, and the Chief raised his arm. ¡°Fighters ready. Fight!¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª John had taken a rather strange stance just before the match started. He wielded a pair of rather strange rods, one short, one long, that looked much like batons. Tindereye was sure this would be a rather easy victory, despite all the grandstanding John had done before; his stance was so utterly unconventional it couldn¡¯t even be called amateurish in the realm of baton-fighting. One small thing worried him though: John looked a lot more resolute and self-assured in this strange stance than a rank amateur would. However, he cast those worries aside, focusing on the upcoming fight and preparing to end it in a single slash. But he was very soon dissuaded from the idea this would be a quick and easy battle. A loud noise rang out the moment the Chief dropped his arm, startling both the audience and Tindereye. He didn¡¯t allow himself to be distracted by such a trick, however, and remained observant of John¡¯s approach until a burning heat crawled up his gut. Tindereye glanced down. His shirt was speckled with blood, a hole about the size of his finger staring back at him. ¡°Agh! That hurt¡­¡± He grunted right as the shock dissipated, paint shooting scross his tough skin. He lifted his shirt, seeing as John only fired once. And he saw a huge welt on his abs, more specks of blood coming out as the flattened bullet fell off. It was naught more than a flesh wound, but it took merely an instant. Not only that, the weapon it came from was much smaller than the other one in John¡¯s hand. ¡°Come on, bub. Let¡¯s see how far you can get.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Tindereye leapt out of the way just as he heard the voice, throwing off the first of John¡¯s loud bangs. Two more landed before he had a chance to shift his momentum, but once he did, it threw off a few of the following shots. A momentary pause rang out and Tindereye thought John had run out of charges for whatever it was, but another bullet planted itself solidly in his gut again. The bullets had been filled with just a little Psyka ¡ª Tindereye could feel remnants where the projectiles had hit him. He could, similarly, feel they weren¡¯t imbued with the most they could take. John was testing him! While he was processing this and preparing for a counterattack, a silence reigned across the arena. The audience was completely stupefied, the contrast between Tindereye¡¯s battered body and John¡¯s confident stance contrary to all expectations. John looked at his pistol for a second before tossing it aside, letting it vanish and raising his shotgun. And then, to the shock of all the spectators, he walked toward the knight, longer tube pointed straight at the smoldering TIndereye. Gritting his teeth, Tindereye considered his options. John was not only testing him, but so utterly confident in his abilities that he, a frail summoner, would approach someone perfectly capable of ending his miserable existence in a second. He lunged. ¡°Agh!¡± *BANG* An even louder explosion rang out. TIndereye staggered, nearly blown backward even with all his compressed momentum flinging him forward. Everyone watched with morbid shock as blood poured from the right side of his chest, shirt torn to tatters, holes dotting his skin. There wasn¡¯t much penetration, but it carried shocking pain. And John didn¡¯t stop. More explosions, accompanied by piercing pain, littered Tindereye¡¯s body. By the time the resounding noise subsided, his limbs and chest were covered in blood. But a knight was nothing if not resilient. Realizing that John¡¯s attacks were no more than superficial, he gnashed his teeth and charged through it. John had made one critical mistake: he let himself into a Knight¡¯s range. With a burst in strength, Tindereye bound across the gap separating them, emerging from the grayish haze with sword in hand. John snapped to attention, his woozy demeanor gone. As soon as Tindereye landed, John let off his last shell, aiming right for his leg. ¡°Ahh!!¡± Tindereye let out a scream, his shin blooming with blood and bits of flesh. He buckled for a moment but swiftly caught himself, using his other leg as a springboard to finish his attack. The last uncontrolled lunge from Tindereye sealed his fate. Too late to change direction midair, he flew past John¡¯s dodge to the side. A thinner tube replaced the one in John¡¯s hand, a finger-sized hole blossoming through Tindereye¡¯s arm. Once he finished his roll and popped back up to his feet, John chambered another round and shot again, putting a hole in Tindereye¡¯s thigh. ¡°Ahh!!!¡± Tindereye yelled in indignation, continuing to try and charge John. He was faster, stronger, and more durable. But John was able to consistently put distance between them, finally taking advantage of his superior range, shooting while dodging and running. Tindereye couldn¡¯t get close without a new hole appearing on his body. And once he ran out of ammo for his Springfield, he switched to the pistol and loaded a fresh magazine, the fresh mag dump of empowered rounds more accurate and effective than his first probing attack. Tindereye felt his consciousness fade. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Hoo¡­¡± He let out a long breath when Tindereye finally collapsed, heaving for breath while blood drenched his clothes and pooled on the floor underneath him. His eyes were sharp. Umara knew he had flipped a switch as soon as Tindereye had actually challenged him. Despite Tindereye being on the floor though, John brought out the shotgun again and loaded it with shells, keeping a close eye on him. ¡°Stay down. I wouldn¡¯t want to blow off your leg.¡± His voice was quite clear, no doubt Aura enhanced, piercing through the low murmur from the stands. Umara, biting her thumb, suddenly heard her mother from the side. ¡°Well, I guess it makes sense.¡± ¡°Hm? What does?¡± ¡°Well, he has more experience fighting people than Scourge beasts. It¡¯s no wonder he handled that fight so well.¡± ¡°I suppose... But all the knights here regularly fight each other too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s also more than possible that nobody has any idea how to fight him. If you keep your distance, he¡¯ll shoot you. If you get close, he¡¯ll shoot you with another weapon. The only way to win is to catch him by surprise or survive long enough to kill him up close. Tindereye was incapable of either.¡± Talexia had gotten a relatively good grasp on how John¡¯s fighting style worked. That¡¯s when Shadowbane stood and stepped down the stands, confusing Umara. ¡°Alright, fight¡¯s over. John¡¯s the winner.¡± She announced as she jumped and landed in the arena, walking over to John. However, when her voice reverberated in the ears of the fallen, it caused bubbling rage. Let alone when he heard all the murmurs of surprise from the stands. A knight, losing to a summoner? It was incomprehensible. What knight could be so weak as to fall before the most useless Magus in the world? The pain he felt told him that his loss wasn¡¯t unjustified. He couldn¡¯t so much as flex his thigh, let alone walk properly. The bits of metal still sitting inside his flesh reminded him with a constant searing pain that his life was no longer in his hands. But Tindereye¡¯s indignation wouldn¡¯t allow him to stop. He raised his head, eyes full of spirit, and reached out with his hand. How could a summoner resist his grasp? He would fall with a mere flex of the fingers. His hand brushed by John¡¯s leg, intending to grab it, though hardly having the time to. Complex purple lines on John¡¯s coat flared to life, his Aura surging out with panic and unbridled killing intent. His head and shotgun snapped downward in unison, finger on the trigger and already squeezing. He was going to end Tindereye¡¯s life. He was practically screaming it to the world. ¡°Don¡¯t do it!¡± The Chief yelled, realizing what was happening, his body flickering faster than anyone could follow. Shadowbane was only slightly slower, her body flying so fast across the ground that dust kicked up in a thin line behind her. *BOOM* Everything happened all at once, everyone holding their breaths as the shot was fired directly at Tindereye¡¯s face. But luckily for him, John¡¯s body was ordinary. Even with the powers of his coat and mind, his body couldn¡¯t completely keep up with his thoughts, much less the Chief¡¯s Invigorated body. The Chief¡¯s hand rested in front of TIndereye¡¯s face, buckshot pellets flattened across his palm. And Shadowbane¡¯s sword was skewered through Tindereye¡¯s wrist, pushing it away from John¡¯s leg. The four were interlocked for a moment before John caught himself, muttering with a scoff. ¡°Fuck. Way to kill my buzz. Sorry for making you move, Chief.¡± ¡°No need to apologize. One of our students didn¡¯t know when he was in over his head. I don¡¯t blame you for reacting the way you did. Even half drunk, you¡¯ve got better instincts than most.¡± ¡°Thank you, Chief.¡± His face was filled with a goofy grin, conveniently explained away by the remnants of alcohol in his bloodstream. However, Umara sensed there was something more behind it than just inebriation. Shadowbane turned to address John. ¡°My turn now. Let¡¯s do it later though.¡± ¡°I¡¯m down. Just let me know when.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She nodded, pulling her sword out of Tindereye¡¯s arm and causing him to yelp. After that, some healers came and took him away. The Chief looked around as chatter rose in the stands again. ¡°I announce the result of this duel as John Cooper¡¯s complete victory! A talented Cold Summoner has appeared within the Magisterium! May his future be prosperous, and may the Scourge quake at the sound of his weapon! Invictus!¡± ¡°Invictus!¡± Everyone cheered with the Chief, John looking around in confusion. After that, everyone cleared the arena, retreating to the dining hall for the initial celebration. ¡­¡­ ¡­ After the fight, Umara took away my bottle of alcohol and stuffed a cigar in my mouth. I was being forced to sober up. Thankfully there was nobody else who wanted to duel me. If anything, I became a bit respected. There were many students from the Martial League who came to converse with me, wondering how a cold summoner, the weakest type of Magus, was able to defeat a knight like Tindereye. With some explanations about my weapons, they were able to understand a bit more. Besides, they had all seen it in action. Some had even retrieved some of the pellets and bullets as souvenirs, passing them around. However, shock was further amplified when they learned I was still an Authority 4, an entire level below Tindereye. Most weren¡¯t sure what to say, while many doubted my words. I didn¡¯t bother trying to convince them though. I could only shrug and let them believe whatever they wanted to. After an hour or so the time for conversation passed and I was allowed some reprieve. A big feast was also prepared during that time, so everyone took their place at a grand table seating over 100. That wasn¡¯t to mention the side tables holding everyone else surrounding it. Just the waiters numbered 5 dozen, all of them rushing around to cater to their guests. Platters of meat slabs were constantly replaced as they were devoured. Wine flowed like a river, the volume consumed placing everyone solidly into ¡°alcoholic¡± territory. I didn¡¯t partake, but it was still fun to watch. A large chunk of the night was spent eating and drinking. It was toward the end when the Chief suddenly spoke up with a small announcement. ¡°Duchess and Duke Talerria. I have some gifts I¡¯d like you to accept. But first, I can¡¯t help but mention something I overheard. Mr. Cooper. I heard that you wanted a lute.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± I looked up, caught off guard by the mention of my name. Looking around, I just nodded, making the Chief smile. ¡°The six string lute you had been eyeing during the theater performance was a Bassan, and while we don¡¯t have a Bassan specifically, we have one rather similar. For your victory during the duel, I¡¯d like to reward you with one.¡± ¡°I-¡± (Accept it! Don¡¯t deny his generosity.) I heard Umara hastily command within my mind, preventing me from denying the gift, as I had just been about to do. As I was silent, a butler brought out the instrument. It was carried in what was essentially a guitar case, and when he presented it, I saw the instrument within. It was very similar to a guitar, with six strings and a body that could be comfortably held within one¡¯s arms. So while the shape wasn¡¯t the same, a bit slimmer than a normal acoustic, it still looked to have the same function with the sound hole and frets. However, it was incredibly nice. The wood was an odd deep blue bordering on black, and the strings were made of slightly golden metal. There were also some enchantments across its back. The craftsmanship was extraordinary. I couldn¡¯t help but reach out, too excited to use it. I grabbed it out of the held case, taking it in my arms and plucking a few strings, letting their somewhat unfamiliar notes play across my ears. *Thrum* After a bit of tuning, I ran my thumb across all six, hearing that familiar blissful sound, smiling contentedly. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. Thank you, Chief.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad it meets your standard. Now, allow me to present the Talerria family with their gifts.¡± With his word, more butlers appeared with items in hand. I looked up, interested to see what they would get. Chapter 92: Revelation The first to receive a gift was Umara. A butler came up and presented a small box, a ring sitting inside. It was a plain silver band with a stripe of White Crystal going around its center. ¡°That ring stores charges of the Blink spell, capable of instantly transporting you 20 feet in any direction at will. There are 3 charges and one charge is naturally accumulated every 12 hours. Use it wisely and it¡¯ll save your life in disadvantageous situations.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, Chief. I will use it so.¡± She smiled and slipped the ring on, prompting the next gift. This time, one long box was presented to Faey. She opened it with barely-restrained excitement, and found a sword inside. ¡°A longsword crafted by our family¡¯s best Whitesmith with a concealed Authority 9 Crystal in the base of the blade. Your father wanted us to make you a sword that would last you through your years as a knight. For potentially the rest of your life, this may be your personal weapon. As you grow, it will as well. It stows into a ring. Use it well.¡± ¡°Ooh!¡± Faey¡¯s eyes sparkled as she stroked the longsword. It was a mastercraft with a long silver blade and a black and gold hilt. The several enchantment runes along the flat of the blade were the only implication of the embedded White Crystal. This was a massive gift for a future Knight like Faey. She was so enamored with it, running her hands repeatedly along the flat and hilt of the blade, that Duchess Talexia had to remind her to give thanks. ¡°Thank you, Chief!¡± ¡°Haha, of course. Now, I open the floor to all those who wish to make their exchanges. Please, take the rest of this evening to enjoy yourselves and your gifts. And Merry Christmas.¡± ¡°Merry Christmas!¡± Everyone cheered before moving to socialize. Hundreds of gifts were exchanged between friends and family all around us. ¡°Umara.¡± At that time, Umara and I turned to find Shadowbane approaching us. In her hands was a medium-length wooden box. ¡°Here.¡± She held it out, letting Umara take it and open the lid. Sitting on the fine felt was a subtle dagger, its surface covered in so many runes very little of the original sheen remained. An undeniably deadly weapon. ¡°You¡¯ll be facing some dangerous enemies through the rest of your year, and especially when you enter the military. I won¡¯t be able to see you, so I want you to have this now. It was just recently finished.¡± ¡°Oh my. Thank you.¡± Umara held up the dagger, the intricately crafted hilt and dangerously sharp blade catching flashes of light. ¡°It¡¯s not meant to be used for anything except for a last resort defensive measure. It¡¯s a Bonding Weapon, and it has various magical functions capable of killing up to an Authority 9 beast. But only once. If its power is used, it needs to be replenished by someone like your mother. Its Crystal can only sustain the more basic functions, not the high-end killing power. So like the ring, use it wisely.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± My eyes widened along with Umara¡¯s. Being able to kill an Authority 9 beast was no small matter. For someone like us, that was some serious firepower to be wielding, even if only once. Not to mention how the killing charge could be replenished. That alone made it several times more valuable than if it were only consumable. Umara looked up at her friend with a gentle smile. ¡°Thank you again, Shadowbane. Unfortunately my gift to you is still being made. I¡¯ll be able to deliver it to you not long after Christmas. Sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You know I don¡¯t expect gifts from you.¡± ¡°Sometimes I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re complimenting me or insulting me.¡± Umara muttered, thinking, "You could learn how to reword things, no?¡± With a smirk, Shadowbane turned to me and nodded. ¡°Shall we go?¡± ¡°Oh, right. Sure.¡± ¡°Wait, what¡¯s going on?¡± Umara asked, confused as to how we were talking as if we already knew each other. I shrugged. ¡°Shadowbane wants me to spar with her. I told her I¡¯d help her out.¡± ¡°Oh. Can I watch?¡± ¡°Fine with me.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Both of us nodded, prompting Umara to follow as we left the dining room. From there we entered the empty arena, disregarding the blood splattered across the floor. ¡°You saw my duel with Tindereye, so you should have an idea as to how fast my bullets are.¡± ¡°Those projectiles? Yes, I do. Though they weren¡¯t as fast as I expected. I¡¯ve seen bows that can shoot arrows not much slower.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never seen a bow like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no matter. It¡¯s still faster than anything I¡¯ve ever gone up against. This will be a valuable experience.¡± She walked until she stood 20 yards away, squaring off with me. I let out a breath of smoke, adjusting the cigar in my mouth before pulling out a loaded Springfield. I casually pointed my barrel at her, throwing out some preemptive advice. ¡°These things only shoot straight. No twists or turns. So try to predict the path of the shot based on my aim.¡± ¡°Alright.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. She nodded and drew her sword. It was slightly curved, a bit over 2 feet long, and probably meant to complement her high-speed fighting style. She took her stance, her eyes sharpening. It wasn¡¯t like I was trying to hurt her, so I steadied my gun and aimed at her leg, firing only after I knew she understood where I was shooting. I saw the bullet kick up a plume of dust behind her. It had sailed right past her thigh, attesting to her incredible agility. Her movement, despite having anticipated the shot, was still unbelievably fast. It was uncanny seeing a human moving with such speed. She kicked off, approaching me from an oblique angle. I shifted my aim to compensate, adjusting for a few seconds so my bullet would hit her abdomen, and pulled the trigger. This time, she was unable to dodge, the bullet hitting just off center. She was barely able to move in time, let alone dodge it completely. She clicked her tongue, pulling the flattened bullet off her steel abs. Since it wasn¡¯t empowered, it didn¡¯t deal any damage to her. ¡°Tsk. That¡¯s difficult. Fast and small. I can barely catch a glimpse with my eye.¡± ¡°The fact that you can at this range says enough about your speed. It¡¯s insane. There¡¯s something I want you to keep in mind though. Just on the off chance you have to dodge something as fast or even faster than these bullets.¡± I explained while stowing the Springfield, bringing out two 1911¡¯s. ¡°Don¡¯t react to the sound. Sound travels at a certain speed. That speed is surpassed by my bullets. That means the bullets will hit you before you even hear the sound.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. Keep that in mind for the future. Also, you have to take into account your own body and how fast it processes things like your sight and hearing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about reaction speed?¡± ¡°Something like that. When sound hits your ear, your ear sends the sound to the brain, and your brain has to make sense of the sound. That all takes time. It¡¯s only mere fractions of a second, but with speeds like this, that amount of time is crucial. This bullet will hit you not only before the sound reaches you, but before your brain could even process the sound itself once it hits your ears.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re saying that senses can be a weakness. And the best way to surpass that weakness would be to use something like Aura, which has none of those weaknesses.¡± She looked at me with a glint in her eye, making me smile a bit. ¡°You catch on quick. Yes, Aura will tell you far more about the world around you, about the people around you, and at far faster speeds than your body. It¡¯s an amazing thing every time I think about it. It¡¯s also the only reason I¡¯m alive today; it was able to give me life saving information when I needed it most. I can sense most threats before I see them, and react to attacks before they¡¯re even let off.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve gotten a glimpse of such things as well. But the complexities of Aura continue to confound me. It doesn¡¯t make sense when all the instructors and the Martial League explain it to me. All the techniques they teach to wield Aura feel worthless.¡± ¡°Well it¡¯s a good thing I don¡¯t have any techniques to teach you. All I have are my most important impressions about what Aura is. Take Umara for example.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Umara perked up when I pointed at her. ¡°Her magic. She can cast spells in the air. How is that made possible?¡± ¡°Her Aura. She casts spells with her Aura instead of her body.¡± ¡°Exactly. Now knights. They can launch attacks with Vigor beyond their body. That takes Aura as well. They are basically doing the same thing as warlocks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°So are you following the pattern? What is Aura in regard to those examples?¡± ¡°...¡± Shadowbane stood still, staring off into space in thought. I waited for her, letting her figure it out. Eventually, she cocked her head. ¡°It¡¯s a way to extend Vigor and Mana beyond the body.¡± ¡°You¡¯re halfway there. Rather than it being some random tool, what is Aura itself?¡± ¡°Well, that question can¡¯t be answered. Nobody knows what Aura comes from. The best guess is the soul.¡± ¡°Okay, you¡¯ve missed my point. I¡¯ll just spell it out.¡± I chuckled a bit and took out my cigar. ¡°Aura is an extension of the body. Not metaphorically, not figuratively, and not theoretically. You can treat it quite literally as the body itself. It acts no different from an arm or a leg. Now normally, Vigor, Mana, and Psyka can only travel through the body. But if you use Aura, extending the range of your body with another limb¡­¡± ¡°You can use that magic beyond yourself!¡± Shadowbane shivered in revelation, suddenly looking to her side and swinging her sword with all her might. Light bloomed across the entire length of the blade, a massive razor of light erupting along its path. It tore a trench into the ground before impacting the wall of the arena, shattering the surface, leaving cracks and one huge slash mark about 12 feet long. ¡°Haha¡­ Amazing¡­¡± She looked down at her blade, laughing in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s so simple that I don¡¯t know how I was ever so stupid to not realize it. It¡¯s not about coating my blade with it. It¡¯s not even about those stupid techniques. Why don¡¯t they teach this? Why don¡¯t they tell us something so basic?¡± ¡°Hell if I know. This is just what I¡¯ve learned on my own. I¡¯ve never actually been taught anything.¡± ¡°That only makes you greater. Your talent is unlike anything I¡¯ve ever seen. And although you¡¯ve already done so much for me, I still have a question.¡± ¡°Go for it.¡± I tapped my cigar before putting it back in my mouth. ¡°You sensed the Chief¡¯s Aura. How did you do that?¡± ¡°Well, its no different from how you launched that blade just now. Just instead of using your vigor, use your mind. It¡¯s easy to use my Aura as an extension of my mind since I¡¯m a summoner. But you should be able to do it all the same. Think of Aura how you would your eyes or ears. Open its senses to the Aura of others, and take what you find into your mind. Others who don¡¯t actively control their Aura will emanate their thoughts and feelings, or perhaps the power of their own Aura if they have developed it.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Her eyes sparkled as she focused. I could feel her Aura bloom, all of it focused on me. And it felt similar to what Umara would do when she reached out to me desiring a telepathic connection. I could sense her, her curiosity and excitement. I didn¡¯t reach out to her. I simply let her feel around. It would take more time for her to tune in to her surroundings and the psyche of others like I had, but now she had at least opened the door. However, I did provide some¡­ stimulation. I suddenly raised my gun and fired straight at her chest. And without so much as a thought, her body twisted, the bullet soaring past fractions of an inch away from skin. ¡°...Woah.¡± Even she was shocked by her maneuver. Her head snapped back toward me, a smile plastered across her face. ¡°I could sense it! I knew exactly when you were going to shoot!¡± ¡°Bring your Aura to a high enough level and it¡¯ll feel like precognition. I can predict the movements of knights and read their intentions to some extent. It helps a lot when fighting them. Not only that, but I can sense danger before it even comes. I don¡¯t have to see or hear an enemy. I can just use my Aura.¡± ¡°I can see that. It¡¯s a whole other world. I was blind compared to back then. You¡¯ve opened up my eyes.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad I was able to help.¡± ¡°...¡± Shadowbane stared at me intently for a short while before turning to Umara. Umara tilted her head at her friend. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You lucked out with this one, sister.¡± ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± Umara turned flustered as I laughed. ¡°Haha, yea she did! Come here, darling.¡± I ran over, bounding to her side and scooping her up before planting a juicy kiss on her mouth. She was too shocked to resist. After a moment of surprise, Shadowbane shook her head to the side. ¡°I didn¡¯t need to see that. Anyway, I¡¯d like to prepare a gift for you, John. As thanks for helping me so much.¡± ¡°I appreciate it, but I don¡¯t need a gift. I¡¯m just glad I could help.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t possibly not understand how valuable what you¡¯ve done for me is. I have a feeling you do this often?¡± ¡°He does!¡± Umara shouted in agreement. ¡°He¡¯s got too much pride and can¡¯t accept help or generosity unless its shoved down his throat! I had to force him to accept the guitar from the Chief!¡± ¡°You were going to reject that?¡± ¡°He was! See John?! You¡¯re the stubborn punk here.¡± Umara stabbed my chest with her finger in accusation, causing me to shoot her a look with a raised brow. ¡°Keep talking like that and I¡¯ll shove my tongue down your throat.¡± ¡°Y-Y-You bad guy! Shadow, help me!¡± ¡°Do not bring me into this.¡± Shadowbane dodged Umara¡¯s beet-red, pleading face, quickly making her way out. And I gave chase just as the silly girl tried to fly away, barely managing to snatch her and pull her in for a loving embrace. Chapter 93: New Year Graceful strums of acoustic strings came together in a nostalgic memory, John humming an accompanying tune. Umara sat beside him on a loveseat, leaning against him with her head on his shoulder, eyes closed as she let herself drift with the music. But she wasn¡¯t the only audience member. Beside the doorway the Duchess stood silently, unknown to the two occupants. One was too focused on playing while the other was too enraptured by the music to pull herself out of her own little world. The Duchess couldn''t blame her. At first she had intended to enter and disturb them with some small business, but after hearing a few notes, she stood by and took in the music. It was calming, slightly somber, and well crafted. Either John was a talented musician or he knew some songs and how to play them perfectly. She was inclined to believe the latter. It didn¡¯t detract an ounce from his talent. Not everyone could play an instrument at all, let alone that well. Few got the chance at all. Instruments were expensive, to say nothing of custom or high quality ones. The one John received was especially so. The Whetted City was known for both its martial arts as well as the creative arts, be they music, painting, sculpting, smithing, or theater. There was no better place to acquire an instrument ¡ª and that dark blue lute was from the Raven Family¡¯s stash. The number of instruments on that level could be counted on two hands. It was assuredly very expensive. It had been given away since John had bested Tindereye in a fair duel, while half drunk. That was the official reason, anyway. Far more likely were the prohibitively exorbitant maintenance costs burning a guitar-sized hole in their treasury. Since the Chief was going to give gifts to the Talerria daughters, why not also give one to John to both reward him for the duel and apologize for the disturbance? Well, that and the golden cigar case. The Duchess had seen it before and back then it had given her a shock, as it had the Chief. Every noble worth their salt knew about those things and they weren¡¯t given to just anyone. The Chief was probably trying to make an impression on John since he was also Umara¡¯s boyfriend. Regardless, he killed several birds with one stone, getting rid of an expensive paperweight in the process. And now, John had a lute. The Duchess was already enjoying his music, so she didn¡¯t feel like it was a bad gift. ¡°I was wondering where that sound was coming from.¡± Ikhor appeared in the hallway, walking over curiously. The music continued as he peeked in, seeing John and his daughter together as he played. The Duchess had already cast a mute spell, so the clicking of his tongue couldn¡¯t be heard by anyone but them. ¡°Tsk, look at those two. Our little girl is growing up, eh?¡± ¡°You seem to approve of him.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t? Look beyond the status and tell me exactly what¡¯s wrong with him?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± She peeked through the cracked door, seeing him playing like there was nothing else in the world except for him and his girlfriend. Her eyes narrowed a bit. ¡°There isn¡¯t much, he¡¯s almost perfect. But like you had been concerned about before, I find his exceedingly high kill count concerning.¡± ¡°And back then you had been the one to tell me that it wasn¡¯t anything to worry about. That it was all self defense.¡± ¡°Yes, but that doesn¡¯t mean such a thing is normal. You don¡¯t kill so many people and come out of it so innocent. Maybe I¡¯m wrong, but I can¡¯t deny the possibility that he may have some¡­ psychopathic tendencies.¡± ¡°...So what would that mean for their relationship?¡± Ikhor asked, his curiosity piqued. The Duchess only shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m at least not worried about him. I¡¯m worried about Umara. Yet another reason I wanted her to stay away from his business. She¡¯s barely been exposed to the harsh realities of war against the Scourge. She¡¯s only see a few people die to those monsters, a far easier reality to bear than seeing one man die at the hands of another. Or a hundred men dying at the hands of one. And then knowing that one is supposed to be your boyfriend.¡± ¡°Yes. The Kingdom has been without internal conflict for centuries. Most people believe that humans can only die at the hands of the Scourge because they are our sole visible enemy. Only within the dark sectors of the Kingdom can one find the unseen realities. And John is deep within that darkness. The only question is, how difficult would it be to pull him out?¡± ¡°That depends on him. For now he has the Magisterium to distract him. And he seems to be intent on joining the military. Where he goes from there, well, it¡¯s difficult to say. For now, we should focus on making sure nothing irreversible happens.¡± The Duchess glanced back at John, staring at him for a few seconds before a pair of eyes suddenly flicked up to gaze into her own. He gave her a quick smile before going back to playing, causing her to sigh. ¡°Well, at least he¡¯s not untalented. How unfortunate that he couldn¡¯t simply be a noble. Or even a knight. Such amazing potential squandered on a common summoner.¡± ¡°You say that, and yet he¡¯s proven that he¡¯s above average even among warlocks and knights.¡± ¡°Summoners have a limit below warlocks and knights. All of them do. Even the greatest summoners to ever walk through history have never been able to surpass the Great Barrier. And the only one to ever come close wrought his own ruin before he could even try. The chances of John being any different are so low they aren¡¯t even worth mentioning.¡± ¡°...¡± Ikhor didn¡¯t respond, unable to refute. Those were simply the cold hard truths. He couldn¡¯t help but feel pity for John. For what he was, he was already extraordinary, but that didn¡¯t change reality ¡ª nor the biases others already had against summoners. All the cards were stacked against him. The noose around his neck only tightened day after day. At some point, he would be forced to face the coming storm head on, and he could only pray that he had prepared enough beforehand to at least survive it. However, what Ikhor hated most about the situation had nothing to do with John. It was merely the inability to completely extricate themselves from the influence of the noble class. Umara wasn¡¯t the only one beholden to their interests. Their power was the only reason she had a list of suitors at all, and was the only reason her marriage was a concern. Someone like Shadowbane had none of those issues despite being in an almost identical situation ¡ª the Raven Family had enough independence to completely disregard the opinions of all the other nobles, even the Grand Duchies. The Talerrias were more independent than most, but not to nearly the same degree. Ikhor hated that, and he knew his wife did too. But they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Not yet, anyway. Rash decisions couldn¡¯t be made right now, and certainly not for the uncertain variable named John. But the glimpse of freedom it gave them was one of the reasons he was taking a liking to John. Disregarding everything else about him, it was the slap in the face his mere presence gave the other nobles that he adored. At the very least, he didn¡¯t feel so bad about prolonging the time he was able to do so. Especially if it made his daughter happy. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s let them have their time. I feel weird watching when he already knows we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Umara needs to prepare for the party tonight.¡± ¡°She can do that later. In fact, you should be following her example and giving your big hubby some love. I¡¯m feeling a bit¡­ romantic.¡± Ikhor moved in and wrapped his arm around his wife¡¯s waist, giving her tempting looks, like an alcoholic and a bottle of fine wine. Talexia glanced at her husband with a concealed grin, moving her mouth and whispering softly into his ear. ¡°Then, you should come find me in an hour. Once I¡¯m done arranging the servants, I¡¯ll have a little time. But only if you¡¯re done with correspondence.¡± ¡°Hohoho! You drive a hard bargain, my dear. But I¡¯m nothing if not generous. Consider it a deal.¡± He gave her a wide grin before planting a hand on her butt with a loud Smack. The corner of her lips lifted a bit as they parted. ¡­¡­ ¡­ It was Christmas Eve, and the entire Talerria Family arrived in the main estate for a grand celebration. On Earth, I had thought my family was pretty large. Several aunts and uncles, many more cousins, and some grand relatives. A few dozen was a good estimate. At the very least, houses were packed for holidays. But not like this. I looked around, seeing dozens walking every direction around the mansion and hearing even more entering through the front doors. It was already hectic and the first guests had only arrived around an hour ago. Umara wasn¡¯t even with me. She was taking care of some last minute shopping and it wasn¡¯t like I hadn¡¯t a thing to do, being an outsider. I could only grab a drink and observe from the side, trying my best to blend in with the sparse walls. I was adorned in my second best suit, themed red for the Christmas occasion. This was actually something I had also convinced Umara to do. They didn¡¯t have the classic Christmas colors like on Earth, so I decided to bring them here and have her join me. Wherever she was, she¡¯d also be in red. Everyone else was wearing normal suits. The Talerria ¡®Family¡¯ was composed of several branch families tied to the main one. This included the Duchess¡¯ two sisters and brother, along with their families, and some other detached cousins descended from previous Family Heads and their siblings. Regardless, there were a lot of people. Not too many children were around; mostly adults, including some young adults around my age, roamed the entrance hall. Because the Family Head, AKA the Duchess, had inherited the great power of her parents, her siblings weren¡¯t as talented and thus didn¡¯t have as hard of a time having more children. But that didn¡¯t mean they were having five or six. It simply meant they were more successful earlier; not many would be Umara¡¯s age, having breached 25 or even 30 years. This also meant the main line almost always aged slower, subsequent generations appearing at far greater intervals than their cousins. It was also why there were rules imposed upon the branches to effectively disown the ones that were too detached from the main line. Otherwise, there would be hundreds of branches by the time only a few Heads had cycled through. That was another thing I noticed. There were two old people I sensed with some extreme power. They were subtle about their entrance, but I could guess who they were. Prior Heads of the Family. The Ancestors. The position of Family Head wasn¡¯t passed down by generation. Those who reached that level of power were able to live for significantly longer and didn¡¯t need to be replaced so often. That wasn¡¯t to mention how it wasn¡¯t always guaranteed to find a suitable heir each generation. Quite often, a few generations passed before someone inherited the title. This also meant Umara wouldn¡¯t be the next Head unless she showed power and talent just as great as her mother, and was yet another reason why her marriage was a big deal. She was quite literally the perfect candidate as the daughter of the current Head. Her fate had basically been sealed the moment Talexia rose to her position. Or, would have been, if not for me. Which was why other nobles were so pissed. I was screwing them out of far more benefits than I realized. ¡°Haaah¡­ Little poor me.¡± I let out a hefty sigh, prying myself off the wall I was leaning against and heading upstairs. After a doorway or two I found myself on a balcony overlooking the city. Christmas Eve was the most festive time of the year and every hour, people were counting down to midnight when the new year would start. It was already dark out, so I could see all the bright lights illuminating the streets between the city¡¯s buildings. The central palace in the city center was a mile or so away from the Talerria Mansion, but because one of the central streets led from the front of the mansion directly to the palace, I could see the entirety of it with an unobstructed view. There were so many decorations hung over the street that it was a bit blinding. It certainly painted a spectacular picture, showing off the city¡¯s prosperity and joyous atmosphere. For a moment though, I suddenly thought of the Taveras and how they must be doing. They had gone to war as soon as that auction was over, and I had no doubt that it continued on even into Christmas. It would only end when Patriarch Tavera completed a crown with the Authority 11 heart. Whoever used it would receive a massive boost in power and cement their position for decades, if not a century, to come. Back then, I had the fleeting thought that perhaps the Patriarch wasn¡¯t only Authority 9 as his bounty had claimed. After all, you couldn¡¯t use a Crown that was too potent for you. If he were merely Authority 9 and tried to use a Crown made from that Authority 11 Heart, he might explode. So either he was far stronger than the public knew, or there was someone within the Mafia who the Patriarch was placing his hopes in. The Patriarch was getting old, so he wouldn¡¯t necessarily be the one to use the Crown. Someone who would live for far longer would be the most optimal choice. Despite being relatively close to the man, I still knew next to nothing about their internal operations. They kept their cards close, so I¡¯m sure I was in for a surprise when all of this concluded. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. As I thought of those things while gazing off into the distance, I suddenly sensed Umara walking back into the mansion. We immediately found each other¡¯s gazes, even through the walls, our telepathic connection never having been disrupted even while she shopped, and smiled. Our new range record had hit a mile. Umara had been shopping by the palace, about a mile away, and while the connection got a little foggy, we never experienced any disconnections. I imagined that a mile and a half was our furthest possible range. Quite useful in a world where radio didn¡¯t exist. Maybe I¡¯d try to explain that to Sawn and see if he could replicate the tech. She waved before disappearing into the house, so I turned around and started making my way over to her. When I found her, she was greeting all of the family that she knew. I let her be and watched from the side, catching the occasional thought from within her mind. It was pretty clear which of the family she liked and didn¡¯t like. It was mostly cordial, with few being close to her and others not so much. I only made note of the adults she liked. Because none of the family needed to do things together like preparing the food, everyone was free to do whatever they wanted until the dinner or until some activities were started. Christmas in this world involved a few traditions, one of them being gift exchanges. I thought it was a bit unfortunate though. For me on Earth, making dinner was one of the fun parts of Christmas. A dozen people crammed into a small kitchen, all scrambling to finish cooking in time or to keep something from lighting itself on fire, had a certain charm to it. Perhaps an argument here or there about whether it¡¯d be better to add more milk or butter to soem mash potatoes, or how much seasoning should go on the beef. That wasn¡¯t even to mention the simultaneous management of rambunctious children, yelling at them to take their activities outside and preventing them from climbing up on the roof in the process. Here, there were neither of those things. There were few children at all, and those who were there were properly behaved under parental pressure to look better in front of the Duchess. It was boring. Perhaps it was a bit friendlier since everyone was family, maybe a bit more comfortable, but it still felt like any other noble party. Umara slipped by my side. ¡°So? What do you think?¡± ¡°Eh. It¡¯s quite tame.¡± ¡°Well obviously. It¡¯s not Vatsy¡¯s Gala.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not comparing it to that. You know, I never thought I could miss screaming children and the smell of burning food.¡± ¡°Burning food?¡± ¡°The occasional mishap when cooking Christmas dinner. One time, my family cooked a huge pot of special sauce. It took an entire night to marinate about three gallons of the stuff. And then, when we went to go serve it, my uncle dropped the pot and spilled it all over the kitchen floor. ¡°Oh my god.¡± Umara turned to me, her face horrified at the thought. I chuckled and shrugged. ¡°We barely managed to save a tenth of it, and it took two hours to clean. We ended up eating dinner much later that year.¡± ¡°Sounds like a tiring Christmas.¡± ¡°It was. Our house smelled like the sauce for a week after that too. But it¡¯s those kinds of memories that stick with you. Not how perfectly everyone is conducting themselves during what¡¯s supposed to be a fun holiday.¡± I glanced around with those words, Umara following my gaze to look with me. Bright smiles, professional handshakes, the occasional chuckle and a bunch of business talk. The adults were networking, while the young adults were hiding in corners with the few friends they had made while they were younger. As for the 5 or so children I had spotted, they were following their parents, neutral expressions on their faces. I¡¯m sure this was normal for all of them, but it had yet to feel like a holiday for me. I couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed when comparing this with my memories from Earth. Or maybe I was feeling homesick. My family back on Earth should be celebrating Christmas right now too. This was the first time I had ever missed it. It sucked. My mood rapidly fell, even though I had been telling myself to stay positive for Christmas. I guess Umara sensed it too, because she was quick to come in close, looking up at me while taking my hand. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing. Just remembering.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m sorry you can¡¯t be with your family. If I could give you anything, it would be that.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­ But hey, it could be worse. At least I¡¯ve got a pretty girl to keep me company.¡± ¡°Hm, well, you¡¯re not so bad yourself.¡± Umara smiled and leaned in coquettishly, wrapping an arm around my neck. Right when we were about to kiss though, we heard a deep voice. ¡°John.¡± ¡°Eep!¡± Umara jumped when she recognized her father, quickly backing away from my face in embarrassment. Ikhor looked at us with a neutral expression for a bit before turning to me. ¡°If you two wish, the young ones are gathering in the Atrium to swim. I opened it for them since it¡¯s better than walking around bored with their parents. Otherwise, the mansion is open to you. Please enjoy yourself.¡± ¡°Understood. Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°Midnight will be the final countdown. Everyone will be gathering on the balcony for that.¡± He walked off with those words, leaving us to our devices. I smiled, thinking that maybe I was on Ikhor¡¯s good side. He seemed to be more lenient with us than the mother, which was the opposite of what I was used to. I could sense his goodwill when he told me to enjoy myself. And, perhaps a slight bit of pity. I turned to Umara and motioned with my head. ¡°To the pool?¡± ¡°I suppose that would be more enjoyable. I haven¡¯t had a night swim in a while.¡± Hand in hand, the two of us headed to our rooms to change before going to the Atrium. We arrived to a slightly livelier recreation of the entrance hall. Most of the young adults and children had gathered here, split into various small groups depending on how well they knew each other. It was, however, much friendlier than the scene we just left, familiarity and youthful energy combining to break down more than a few social conduct rules. That, or the parents just ditched them here, getting their alone time with each other without having to occupy the little ones. Umara and I didn¡¯t catch too much attention when we entered. I took a seat with my guitar case while some cousins walked up to her to talk. I was naturally introduced in the process. I stood and shook some hands, meeting some guys and girls around our age. Two of them were even Magisterium students, and both knew me by name from the Elite leaderboard. It was hard to tell what they thought of me. Here and now, they didn¡¯t express any animosity, but it was hard to tell what they really thought behind closed doors. They seemed neutral, however, probably because of the irrelevance of Umara¡¯s marriage to them and their distance from the Elites. After some cursory greetings, we went to the side of the pool. She dipped a toe in. ¡°Oh, its cold.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°What are- ah!¡± She squeaked when I wrapped her in a bear hug, every gaze instantly snapping to us. ¡°Don¡¯t you da-!¡± ¡°Haha!¡± I let out a playful laugh as I sent both our bodies into the water, a wave surging from the point of impact. After a few seconds underneath, we both rose back up with deep gasps, brushing hair out of our faces. She splashed some water at me. ¡°That¡¯s the second time!¡± ¡°Hey now, your hair looks just as good.¡± ¡°Not the point! I like to acclimate to cold water! Where¡¯s the heat anyway?¡± ¡°The butler just turned it on.¡± Faey suddenly appeared in the water beside us, startling Umara a bit. ¡°I told them to.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± ¡°Hi Faey!¡± ¡°Hi John!¡± Faey and I smiled and waved at each other. That¡¯s when I had a spontaneous thought, grabbing Faey¡¯s arm and pulling her over to a side of the pool. ¡°Hey, you wanna do something cool?¡± ¡°Sure?¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯m going to sink under the water, and you¡¯re going to get behind me and put your feet on my shoulders. And then when I jump back up, you¡¯re gonna jump off. Comprendo?¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I smiled as she went behind me, holding both her wrists as Umara watched inquisitively. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Taking a deep breath, I sunk down under the water, waiting there as Faey¡¯s feet found my shoulders, getting comfortable. Then, I bobbed up and down a couple times before launching her up with all my strength. She soared over the water, letting out a scream. ¡°Ahh!!!¡± I laughed as she went under, taking a few seconds to come back up with a bright face. She brushed her ashy gray hair back with a smile. ¡°That was cool!¡± ¡°Woah!¡± Some of the other kids nearby were mesmerized, like they had never seen anything like this before. I motioned toward one, who looked to be an 8 year old boy. ¡°Do you want to try? Come on.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± He was a bit hesitant, but there was an underlying excitement as he swam over. I went under and let him get a foothold before launching him through the air. ¡°Whooaaa!¡± He resurfaced, clumsily smearing aside wet hair coating his face. ¡°That was far!¡± ¡°I want to try!¡± A few more kids came over, encouraged by the bravery of one of their friends. I smiled and threw them forward, one by one. It wasn¡¯t particularly tiring and there weren¡¯t too many, so I spent the next few minutes letting the kids take turns getting thrown across the pool. It was only when I got tired of doing the same thing over and over again that I finally stopped, taking a rest. I swam over to the side of the pool where Umara was lounging and watching, pulling up in front of her. I only rose to her chest when I stood. After sweeping my hair back, I reached my arm around her and felt up her spine, making her smile as she spread her legs a bit, allowing me to get in closer. She softly greeted me. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hey. You know, we haven¡¯t kissed today.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ve been busy.¡± ¡°You have. But that actually works out, because I have an idea. Tell me, what do all the adults do at the end of the new year¡¯s countdown?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean. There¡¯s nothing particularly special that happens, other than the fireworks.¡± ¡°Then let me tell you about one of the traditions we have where I come from.¡± My hand moved a bit lower. There was nobody behind her to see it, so I decided it couldn¡¯t hurt to get a bit bolder. ¡°At the end of the New Year countdown, everyone who¡¯s in a relationship is supposed to kiss. One kiss, right at the start of the new year. It¡¯s a sign of good luck. Or to some, it¡¯s a kind of promise that they make to the one they want to spend that year with.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Everyone does this?¡± ¡°All the couples, yes. Millions of people across the nation, all kissing at once right when midnight comes. Apparently nobody does it here, but I wouldn¡¯t mind taking part in this tradition with you, if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°O-Of course.¡± ¡°Hm, that¡¯s good. Then, we¡¯ll need to make sure we don¡¯t kiss before then.¡± I smiled before moving in and planting a kiss on her collar. I could feel the wave of chills she got on her arms. ¡°Y-You just said no kissing!¡± ¡°Not technically a kiss. I need your lips for that.¡± ¡®Well stop anyway! T-There¡¯s kids here!¡± She whispered harshly, embarrassed by the gazes on us. I didn¡¯t even have to turn to know how many were looking. But it was fun teasing her, so I just laughed. Thankfully for her it wasn¡¯t bright in the atrium; only the moon, the stars, and the creepy floating plant things that cast light across the water, hiding her blush well. After that I jumped out of the water, grabbing my lute and gliding my fingers across the strings. ¡°Anyway, here¡¯s Wonderwall.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Is everyone here?¡± The Duchess asked softly while looking around. Small groups had gathered around chairs and couches set outside by the butlers, families and close relatives grouping together to celebrate the New Year together. The atmosphere was quite joyous as midnight came. The children were excited to be up so late while the parents had loosened up with alcohol. And off in one corner was their own music, played by none other than John. He sat on one of the couches, painting quite the humorous picture. Faey was in his lap. The Duchess couldn¡¯t imagine how the two had gotten so close so fast. But neither she nor the four other girls squeezed onto the same couch as John posed any obstacle to his playing. They all carried looks of contentment on their faces, gazing at the moon or relaxing with closed eyes as they let the music fill their ears. And Umara, the one person she expected to be in his embrace, was in a chair to the side. It was like he had ditched her for these other girls. It was quite perplexing to Talexia, but she couldn¡¯t possibly think of anything to do about it. John¡¯s charisma seemed quite magnetic. At least it wasn¡¯t totally uncalled for. He had been playing with all of the kids for a couple hours. They all seemed to love him and his games. Even those just watching enjoyed his antics. It was no wonder they were drawn to him. That was before taking into account his music. He wasn¡¯t really a singer, but that didn¡¯t diminish his music. It was entertaining for everyone within earshot. Well, it would all be ending soon. Midnight was almost here and everyone would be leaving not long after that. ¡°Only a few minutes left.¡± Talexia looked down at her Aerial and mumbled. The city sprawled in front of them was fast climbing toward a climax. John was glancing at his Aerial too. She could sense a slight tinge of anticipation from the little his Aura gave away. She wondered what it was. Umara had also released a larger twitch of anticipation a few seconds after John, so she assumed the two were up to something. ¡°One minute!¡± There was a shout, and everyone looked out toward the city. In the sky appeared a huge timer cast by a magic projection. It ticked down second by second, a dull roar from the city growing louder with it. Adults filled their drinks for the final toast of the year while kids crowded to the front of the balcony to get a better view of the city beyond. John rose from his seat, placing aside his lute as everyone moved to the edge of the balcony for a closer look. Umara glanced over from behind everyone, seeing John arrive at her side. She muttered while learning against his chest. ¡°A new year. I can¡¯t imagine what it has in store.¡± ¡°Neither can I. The last several months have felt like a decade to me. And a lot more is about to happen.¡± ¡°Well¡­ what better way to face it than together.¡± ¡°How corny.¡± ¡°I was trying to be romantic.¡± She blushed a bit before glancing back at the timer. Everyone shouted as the final seconds ticked down. The entire city was chanting in unison. Umara glanced up, seeing John staring out with a neutral face, unable to guess what he could possibly be thinking about. ¡°...I love you.¡± She mumbled, causing him to look down with a small smile. ¡°I love you, too.¡± ¡°3!¡± ¡°2!¡± ¡°1!¡± ¡°Happy New Year!¡± Fireworks were launched into the sky, filling it with color as the entire city roared at the top of its lungs. Off in a corner of the balcony. Umara lifted her head and grabbed Jihn¡¯s suit, pulling him down, receiving a long, deep kiss. Her mind was filled with happiness. Her first kiss of the year with the one she wanted to spend the rest of the year- no, the rest of her life with. To her, it felt like this moment was the start of a new beginning. Up until she met John, her life had been normal. And then he came along and completely upended the place, sitrring and rearraging until it was unrecognizable. It felt like she was a part of something bigger now; her future now felt entirely uncertain. But she didn¡¯t give a damn so long as she was with him. If they had to take on the world, then so be it. No matter what, as soon as they went back to the capital, things would be different. She already felt like an entirely new person. This was just an expression of her change. And she had no regrets. She couldn¡¯t possibly imagine life anymore without him. In fact, she was almost scared of even thinking about what it would be like if he were to disappear. Just the thought made her emotional, her eyes tearing up a bit until they finally separated. They looked into each other¡¯s eyes, their ears filled with nothing but the explosions in the sky, their faces reflecting the colorful displays. John let out a long breath. ¡°...How did I ever find someone as perfect as you?¡± ¡°...¡± Umara froze speechlessly, a tear falling out of the sheer intensity of emotions filling her mind. It was such a genuine question that its corniness couldn¡¯t even register. John¡¯s head tilted a bit, likely confused as to why she was crying. But there were so many love chemicals filling her brain that she wasn¡¯t able to speak, simply pressing her forehead against his chest and hugging him. He returned it while looking up, watching the fireworks and thinking of the future. Chapter 94: Facade Christmas passed merrily. The day was spent in the company of Umara¡¯s immediate family, as tradition dictated. It was a time of ease, comfort, and appreciation, so all families throughout the city spent their time together. There was nowhere to go, no parties to put on or attend, and only a few gifts to exchange. Since I got along with the family, I didn¡¯t feel out of place and contentedly enjoyed hanging out with them. I was enjoying myself when, in the evening, I received a succinct message from the Puppet Master that slightly dampened my mood. ¡°The Magisterium, specifically the President, has decided what to do regarding your kill. As for your request regarding the corpse, such matters are best spoken about in person. Come see me when you return. Until then, enjoy your Christmas.¡± That was it, and the message left me with a small feeling of unease. I wasn¡¯t particularly concerned with what they did to my record or placement, but anything regarding President Carrion didn¡¯t sit well with me. Still, I had messaged the Puppet Master earlier when I had my thoughts about using the Cyclops eye as the ingredient for a Crown. I didn¡¯t tell him the specifics, but let him know that I might have some business with it and asked him to hold it for me until I could grab it. This was the first message I received since then. If anything went sideways, it probably wouldn¡¯t have been his fault; I trusted him. I simply did as he said and enjoyed Christmas day, the first day of the new year. It was the day after that I was set to return. Business didn¡¯t stop with the new year and both the Duchess and Duke had matters to attend to. Umara was to stay behind and handle whatever her parents needed her to do; it was probably in the realm of organizing received gifts and bonding more with her Flicker. There was just under a week left before the Magisterium¡¯s second semester would start. The Elites were slotted to head back out to the front lines nearly immediately afterward. And so the day came for me to return. ¡°You promise you¡¯re going to visit?¡± Faey, her voice tinged with hopefulness, asked. I smiled and gave her a hug. ¡°Of course. You just keep yourself out of trouble. Or just make sure you don¡¯t get caught.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± The Duchess cleared her throat in warning, causing me to snicker. I winked at Faey and ruffled her hair, making her laugh. ¡°Alright, I need to get going. Mr. and Mrs. Talerria, thank you for your hospitality. I quite enjoyed myself.¡± ¡°Of course. Be safe on your way back.¡± ¡°I will.¡± I shook their hands before heading to the carriage, Umara following to bid each other a quiet goodbye. Once she closed the door, I was off to the Rail Terminal where I was sent back to the Capital. ¡­¡­ Umara turned after shutting the door and watching the carriage roll off. She saw her parents staring at her, making her tilt her head. It felt like she was being put on the spot. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite the grownup now, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean.¡± Umara was confused by her mother¡¯s scrutinizing comment, prompting her father to translate. ¡°Ahem, your mother and I happened to overhear yours and John¡¯s proclamations of love to each other on New Year¡¯s night.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°It was quite the surprise. We didn¡¯t want to say anything until he left, but we had never known you to be so bold.¡± Ikhor chuckled a bit as Umara¡¯s face turned beet red. But instead of showing her embarrassment, she huffed and turned away. ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m not ashamed of anything. It¡¯s the truth and nobody can say otherwise.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not questioning that, dear. We just didn¡¯t think that you two had gotten so far. It¡¯s only been how many months?¡± ¡°Almost four.¡± ¡°And you two already look like you want to marry each other.¡± The Duchess commented with sharp eyes, making Umara go silent, neither denying nor confirming. She sighed at that. ¡°Daughter, don¡¯t make this difficult for me. Not any more than it already is.¡± ¡°It never had to be difficult in the first place. You think Shadowbane would have to deal with any of this?¡± *Woosh* A small gust kicked up right as Umara said that, making her heart pound erratically for a moment as a thick sound barrier was created, blocking out all sight and sound beyond their group. Not even Faey was able to see or hear what the Duchess said next. ¡°Believe me, Umara. I¡¯m trying. I know we aren¡¯t the Raven Family. And I¡¯m sorry any of this was ever a problem. But it is because we can¡¯t control our own interests and power without the approval of the rest of the nobles that this is an issue. And we cannot extricate ourselves from their influence anytime soon. So unless you me to doom the entire Talerria line right now just because you don¡¯t want to keep your pants tied, I suggest you work with me until we can find a way that works for everyone.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara was silent, her head dropping with indignation. She wasn¡¯t mad at her mother. It was her hatred for the noble class that was only increasing. Talexia could only sigh. ¡°I feel like if I don¡¯t continue to expose you to the harsh realities, you¡¯ll run off and do something that will make all of our conflicts explode. I know you can¡¯t see a way out, and I can¡¯t give one to you right now. But you need to trust that I¡¯ll find one eventually.¡± ¡°...I just hate feeling like I¡¯m just a tool.¡± Frustrated tears rolled down Umara¡¯s cheeks. She felt like she was going to explode, yet was constantly being crushed and confined with no way to fight back. Talexia walked forward and hugged her, stroking her hair. ¡°I know. Again, I¡¯m sorry. I wish I could have spared you from that. I thought that I could do so by finding you someone suitable, a good man to marry since you would have to anyway. But I didn¡¯t expect for you to find yourself one, and for him to be so outstanding that he would piss off the entirety of high noble society and risk his life for his girl. Sometimes I think that you¡¯re the lucky one, not him.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Umara smiled just a bit, the two separating and looking into each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°Regardless of all that, plans change, and we adapt. What I need from you is to play the game with me and bide your time. If you really want this, then you¡¯ll do that. I have a feeling John understands that as well. He¡¯s rash, blunt, and frighteningly casual with people he shouldn¡¯t be, but he¡¯s also smart. That¡¯s probably the only reason he¡¯s still alive. So for his sake and ours, can you restrain yourself and play along?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± ¡°Good. Thank you.¡± Talexia nodded and dispelled the barrier, sound and sight returning. Faey was confused but followed as they all walked back into the mansion. That¡¯s when Umara muttered. ¡°Fake it ¡®till you make it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what John said. I suddenly feel like it¡¯s quite the accurate phrase.¡± ¡°I agree. Be prepared to do so. There are a lot of people asking questions and pressuring us to answer them. For the next few days we¡¯ll be under some intense scrutiny.¡± ¡°Is that why you¡¯ve sent John away? I thought we were going to face these things together?¡± ¡°Well, that was before he almost killed a suitor for trying to dismantle your relationship. I¡¯ve decided that it would be better if he wasn¡¯t put into that kind of position again. I fear he would overestimate his enemies and accidentally kill someone in the process.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Umara smiled, pride evident across her face. It seemed she finally had her mother on her side. Now, all she had to do was, as she said, play the game and bide her time. So long as that worked, she wouldn¡¯t step outside the lines. It eased her greatly to know she wouldn¡¯t be going against the Duchess. The most pertinent issue now was the Talerria family¡¯s overreliance on noble society. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem had they just been another good little noble family, sequestered in their own fiefdom far from the capital. As they currently were, that was almost exactly where they stood, but Umara¡¯s current predicament certainly increased tensions. And, if Umara read into her mother¡¯s words correctly, there was soon to be a lot more conflict in their attempt to extricate themselves from noble society. Their bid for freedom would not pass without some extreme consequences, and that made Umara wonder what her mother could possibly have in store. She would need some extreme measures to compensate for this extreme circumstance. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Whatever it was, she didn¡¯t know even half of it. Fear now joined caution in keeping her in line. If she weren¡¯t careful, she would be the spark that ignited a firestorm larger than even her family could handle. ¡­¡­ ¡­ My first stop after arriving in the capital a day later was the Hotel. There, I unpacked and situated myself before sending a few messages and leaving to take care of my most important order of business. I soon arrived at the Polaris Headquarters, finding my way to Maxwell¡¯s study. He greeted me with an even gaze. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Good day to you too. I have questions.¡± ¡°I may have answers.¡± He looked down at his desk, papers covered in scribbles before him. I took a seat and asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard, but I recently killed a Cyclops Scout.¡± ¡°Yes, I had been notified that you did something rather impressive. What of it?¡± ¡°I was wondering about its viability as a Crown. Would I be able to use it, and would it be beneficial for me?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He looked up at me and back down in surprisingly deep thought. ¡°Considering the nature of your weapons and their reliance on your sight, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad decision. A Scout has an advancement path almost entirely dedicated to observation. Authority 7 is when they finally attain some form of offensive capability, but even that only stems from an extreme level of observational ability that far surpasses even those well above its Authority. It¡¯s one of the most extreme examples of a specialized Scourge beast. So yes, if you wanted to, you could use its corpse to create a Crown for yourself. You wouldn¡¯t attain the same observational abilities, but it would still increase your own several fold.¡± ¡°Really? If you truly think it¡¯s a good pick, then I¡¯ll go through with it. I already want to.¡± ¡°Each body has a limit as to the amount of Crowns it can hold. And this Crown would fill a slot well. It¡¯s quite the suitable pick considering your style. It would magnify a strength of yours.¡± His evaluation was straightforward, and he didn¡¯t even know the future of what my summons held. Sight being a significant factor was an understatement. It was the foundation of ranged combat if nothing else, not to mention all the other benefits that greater observational abilities provided. I was fully prepared to move forward with this if he signed off. And since he did, there was nothing more to say. ¡°...Alright then. I suppose I just need to retrieve the corpse?¡± ¡°Yes. Bring it here, let me inspect it, and then we can find an alchemist to discuss the process of turning it into a Crown. It wasn¡¯t dismantled, correct?¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t, not even for its Crystal. I gave it to the Puppet Master for safekeeping.¡± ¡°Very well. Go get it from him. Perhaps we can have the Crown ready before you go back out for your next trip.¡± ¡°Sweet.¡± I got excited, standing and making my way out. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to him.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± He just nodded as I strode out of the study. From there, I made my way straight to the Magisterium. I had already messaged the Puppet Master, and he was just waiting there. So with a quick ride, I made it to the gates where I sought him out. I found him in the training grounds, specifically that little shed he was always in. He was waiting outside. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Yes. Where¡¯s the corpse?¡± ¡°Come inside first. We need to talk.¡± He waved me in with a less than jovial mood, amplifying the ominous feeling I had felt back when he initially messaged me. We entered the shed where he took a seat, inviting me to do the same. Once seated, he sighed and sat straight. ¡°First, let me tell you about the decision made by the President regarding your record. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°It will be recognized. You are now the first Authority 4 to ever kill an Authority 7 in Magisterium history. This record will stand for centuries to come, enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Even if there are those younger than you who eventually do the same, your record as the first will forever stand. It¡¯s an honor granted to extremely few.¡± ¡°I see.¡± My eyes widened a bit. I didn¡¯t really think much of it, but this was still a big deal. My name would forever sit on display within the Magisterium. Future generations would know that it was I who set that record, something never done before in recorded history. I felt some pride in it, but refocused as he continued. ¡°However, there will not be a ceremony, as there were for other records. The record will be quietly enshrined inside the Hall, not to be celebrated or congratulated.¡± ¡°Hm, well, I don¡¯t care about that much. I expected something petty like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. But¡­¡± He went quiet, giving me a sinking feeling. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°...Forgive me, John. I didn¡¯t realize until you sent me that message. By then, it was already too late. It seems that they ripped the opportunity away before we even realized it was there. That¡¯s the difficulty of having smart enemies.¡± ¡°Puppet Master, where¡¯s the corpse?¡± I asked directly. It was almost obvious why I had asked about it in my message to him. I wanted to make a Crown out of it. But if he could see that, why couldn¡¯t they? I just didn¡¯t think they would stoop to that level. It hadn¡¯t crossed my mind. My kill should be mine to do with as I pleased, especially one of such a magnitude. But more than that, I had entrusted it to the Puppet Master. If I had at least kept the head with me, even just as a trophy, I would¡¯ve been able to do whatever I wanted regardless of what they said. But I didn¡¯t. The Puppet Master stared at my shoes, unable to quite meet my eyes. A look of almost defeat crossed his eyes for a split second before he continued. ¡°Currently, it is in the possession of the President. Where it could be precisely is a mystery. Regardless, it is set to be enshrined inside a case within the Hall later in the week. The corpse will be there alongside your record as evidence and a trophy.¡± ¡°I want it back.¡± ¡°...Carrion gave me a message to deliver¡­ in case you said that. An excerpt from Magisterium Regulatory Policy.¡± The Puppet Master handed me a folded sheet of paper, which I took and read. ¡°Article 3, Section 1: Hunted beasts and their corpses become property according to Kingdom law. The property rights belong to the hunter by default, unless otherwise dictated by any employing entity the hunter may be affiliated with. ¡°Section 2: As the employing entity, the Magisterium reserves all rights to beast or animal corpses hunted by any and all students and staff under its name and purview. This includes all pieces and parts of the corpse such as the Black Crystal, and all monetary gains from selling the corpse, processed or otherwise, are, by rights, considered Magisterium revenue.¡± ¡°Article 2, Section 1 of the Ignoble Hunter Rights Bill: Only beasts or animals at or above Authority 9 are allowed to be claimed by non-noble persons regardless of any affiliations and/or contracts which may dictate otherwise. This includes all parts of the beast or animal, such as the Black Crystal. ¡°Section 2: If the property has been processed or dismantled before the Ignoble Hunter has claimed it, and the Ignoble Hunter and the employing or contracting entity cannot come to an agreement on distribution of property parts and pieces, the property must be sold and the employing or contracting entity is allowed to withhold coin equal to the processing costs, with a limit of 70% the selling price.¡± ¡­ I sat there in silence. For some time I wasn¡¯t sure what to think. According to law, I had no rights to the corpse. The only way I would ever have the rights was if it were an Authority 9 at minimum. However, there was some fine text hidden within these laws. The Ignoble Hunter Rights Bill. Key words: Ignoble Hunter. Would a noble child have to give up their kill to the Magisterium? No, they wouldn¡¯t. The Bill was only for the Ignobles. The commoners. The peasants. I could practically taste the mockery in the name of the Bill. In fact, the very paper I held oozed contempt. The President, having studied my weapons, or at least having read the reports about them, knew that my sight was an important factor in their use. And it wasn¡¯t far-fetched to think that I may want the corpse for a Crown. It was well-suited for me, after all. Regardless of my plans for it, he seized it. And his only explanation were some snippets of law. He was prepared for this. He knew I would come for the corpse. Even if I didn¡¯t, either he wasted a small bit of time printing this message, or he would taste the satisfaction of withholding an important opportunity for my growth. And he did. This could have been an incredible boost in my auxiliary power. The advantages in battle I would have gained from this Crown would no doubt be a potentially critical factor in preserving my life and the lives of my team. And now, with a single piece of paper, all hope of that was lost. There was silence for a long while as I processed what this meant and how I should react. I truly wasn¡¯t sure. Should I rage against this? Should I just laugh and declare war? I set down the paper and stood from my seat, walking out of the shed without a word. My feet took me to the administrative offices of the Magisterium. I pushed open a door smoothly, the only sounds in the main hall the even tapping of my heels and the soft click of the door behind me. I walked past various doors, plaques by their frames denoting the positions of their occupants. Most sat empty. Two flights of stairs later, I walked down a lushly carpeted hall, my footsteps muffled by the thick fabric. The plaques on the wall all seemed to point me to one spot: President Carrion¡¯s office. The desk right in front was empty, the secretary that would¡¯ve stopped me gone on vacation. I nearly threw the door open. Carrion stared back at me, a smile creeping onto his face. ¡°Oh, John. You¡¯ve returned.¡± A towering window silhouetted him against the Magic Tower in the distance, his outline practically glowing in what seemed a cruel mockery of my suppressed anger. I walked up casually enough, unknown strength keeping me from just leaping at him, and stood squarely before his desk with a placid face. ¡°I want the corpse of the Cyclops Scout I killed.¡± ¡°Given your mood, you visited the Puppet Master first, who should¡¯ve given you my response. I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s much more to say o-¡± ¡°Fuck the laws.¡± I cursed plainly, without a single change in attitude. ¡°You don¡¯t care about them. Your prideful ass thinks you¡¯re some kind of king. Skip the bullshit. One of your students wants the trophy of his kill. You¡¯d think a reward is in order for the first record of its kind.¡± ¡°I thought we were skipping the bullshit.¡± Carrion shot back, rising from his seat and meeting me at eye level. His Aura fanned out as he did, a sense of dread permeating my pores. But I felt so detached from my own self that I didn¡¯t even react to it. My emotions didn¡¯t feel like mine anymore. ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t give a damn about the laws. Except when they give me every right to tell you to fuck off. You¡¯re not getting that corpse. And you¡¯re not getting a Crown out of it.¡± He smiled and eyed me, a certain facet of his genial facade revealing a much darker interior. ¡°I¡¯m going to lock that corpse away, Crystal and all, right inside the Hall of Fame. I¡¯m going to pin it up nice and pretty behind a single pane of unbreakable glass. Everyone will be able to see it and know you were the one who killed it. They¡¯ll sing your praises for the next few months. You¡¯ll become an idol for the younger generations. And yet, you¡¯ll always know that the corpse behind that glass could''ve bestowed you greater power. It will forever be a reminder of what could have been. ¡°So please, indulge in your hatred and rage. I want to see your frustration and indignation. It¡¯s the least you can do for attempting to undermine me in my own mansion. Even though something like this is a small matter I shouldn¡¯t mind, even though you¡¯re a bug not worth paying attention to, I¡¯ve decided to do so as I was bored. What better way to entertain myself than to see a worm like you squirm around when he was denied the little scraps of food he caught.¡± A harsh laugh came from his throat as he walked an arc in front of me. My vision turned spotty, my mind went white. I couldn¡¯t comprehend the sheer intensity of my emotions. This kind of depraved malice¡­ I didn¡¯t understand it. My rationality screamed at me exactly what I needed to know, but even with the power of Psyka, it didn¡¯t get through. I didn¡¯t know how to react to it. Even my Aura boiled over, slashing against Carrion¡¯s with wanton rage in an attempt to gain a foothold. But against the Authority 11, any cracks were as ephemeral as the light. I was powerless. That¡¯s just how it was in this world. I couldn¡¯t do a damn thing about it. Having had his fill of fun, Carrion sat back down behind his desk again, a frown filling his face. ¡°Alright, now get out of my sight, you insect.¡± *BAM* He flicked his hand, a wave of vigor throwing my body across the office. I rolled limply when I hit the floor, only stopping when I crashed into the door. It felt like my entire body had been battered by a sledge hammer, blood leaking from my nose and mouth. With nothing more than a thought I suffered debilitating injuries. That was the physical manifestation of such a difference in power. I pulled myself off the floor with any scraps of energy left in my body, too exhausted to even offer one last sign of defiance by slamming the door. I needed to retreat and regroup. Sticking it out here would achieve nothing. Once I had stumbled my way out, I caught sight of the Puppet Master just outside the building, my head pounding from my thoroughly battered Aura, my body throbbing from new injuries. It was a good thing he was there too. I didn¡¯t have the strength to walk myself back to the dorms. I crumpled into a heap on the pavement, a few quivers of pain wracking through my body. The last thing I saw before darkness took my vision was the Puppet Master looming over me, mouth open with unheard words. Chapter 95: Hunt When I woke from my slumber, I was met with the cold white ceiling of a hospital room. After my vision cleared up a bit more, I sat up slowly and scanned the room, recognizing the Magisterium¡¯s own medical ward. It took another minute for the throbbing in my head to settle down enough for me to process everything. The memories came racing back, my Psyka overwhelmed just trying to categorize everything. Dreams served me well in formation advancement; they served better in helping me understand my memories. By the time I had made sense of everything, the situation had been laid out and analyzed in a far more objective manner than previously. I had gotten too caught up in the extreme circumstance and lost myself back then. Now I could look back at what happened with a clear head. And I didn¡¯t like it one bit. I had been denied a vital boost in power. I was to be mocked with my own trophy. Carrion shed his mask and toyed with me as a cat might a mouse. We were now assuredly mortal enemies. It was almost odd how that worked. I didn¡¯t think I could ever have a mortal enemy like that. But by now I was pretty sure both of us wanted each other dead. The only thing stopping either of us were our statuses, and Carrion¡¯s own biases. I wasn¡¯t worth the trouble to kill. Not yet anyway. If nothing else, he made that fact clear. I suppose it was actually a good gauge. I at least knew that there wouldn¡¯t be any serious attempts on my life yet. My powerful detractors still thought I was just an annoying bug. And so I was denied my Crown, but that meant nothing changed. I could keep moving forward as I had been. I tapped my Aerial and made a call. ¡°Yes?¡± Maxwell¡¯s enthusiastic voice sounded in my mind. ¡°Yea, hi. So funny story¡­¡± I gave him a quick rundown of what happened, causing him to go silent for a few moments. ¡°...Unfortunately, I can¡¯t do anything about this. I¡¯m not what I once was. If anything, you got off lucky. The only thing holding Carrion back was fear for his reputation and complete arrogance. The situation could¡¯ve gone much worse. You should be glad Carrion thought so little of you.¡± I hummed at his succinct appraisal. ¡°So now it¡¯s just a costly lesson, and a mistake you won¡¯t make again in the future. You¡¯ve lost another layer of insurance, but at least you weren¡¯t making any significant bets on it. In the end, this changes nothing.¡± ¡°I know. Back to training it is then.¡± ¡°Indeed. There will be opportunities again in the future. And at least now you know the things nobles will do, even if only to be petty. You lost an opportunity for growth. He merely said a few words to those under him. The power nobles wield is far greater than your own, so, for your own sake, stop provoking them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Pray that it¡¯s enough.¡± He hung up with that response, making me click my tongue as I put my wrist down. I immediately lifted it back up and noticed the time: well into the next day. A few notifications from Umara popped up, all during my vacation from consciousness. My rampant Aura back then really took its toll. My emotions had reached such an extreme that I almost completely detached from them, as odd as that sounded. And as a result, my Aura had sharpened significantly. Perhaps in an attempt to express my rage, my Aura had clawed against Carrion¡¯s. But it was completely stifled in its attempts. Carrion was simply too powerful. The best metaphor would be a scalpel trying to cut through a foot of solid steel armor. There simply wasn¡¯t anything I could do, no matter how much experience sharpened my blade. This was maybe also a good thing. Our fight, if you could even call it one, was one of Aura. No physical traces other than my blood were left behind; should Carrion claim I tried assaulting him, he would have to fabricate evidence in his support, and would still be laughed out of court at the mere idea of a student 7 Authorities below him coming even close to hurting him. It had also served as a sort of tempering. That was the first time my Aura had been so unrestrained and yet utterly confined. It was a valuable experience, using my ability in such an extreme way. At least I hadn¡¯t come out with nothing. I sighed while dialing Umara. ¡°Hey John.¡± ¡°Hello, my sweet. How are you doing?¡± I asked with a bright smile. It felt good to hear her voice. She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Boring, maybe a bit irritating, but fine. How about you? I tried to call you yesterday. Are you alright?¡± ¡°Of course. I was just occupied for a while.¡± ¡°Good. How about matters with the corpse? Is a Crown viable?¡± She asked expectantly. I had naturally told her about my plans when I thought of them. I just never expected things to go this way. But I didn¡¯t want her to worry. She was dealing with things on her end so I wouldn¡¯t burden her with yet another issue until she was free. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. The stuff regarding crowns is pretty complicated, and I¡¯m still waiting to get news on what the Magisterium is doing. I¡¯ll know later when people start coming back from vacation.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll try and finish things over here. I want to be back sometime within the next few days. That way we can have some quiet time to ourselves before things pick back up.¡± ¡°Sounds lovely.¡± I offered a pleasant agreement. We went on to talk for a while. There were no doctors to disturb me so we had a nice conversation before hanging up for the night. I proceeded to leave the hospital, checking out with a clerk before going to the hotel. ¡°Hello John.¡± I was greeted by an ever so familiar face, him and his pristine white gloves that handed out the occasional key. ¡°Hey, Key Master. How¡¯s the night?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been rather busy with the war going on in the Market. Thankfully the initial explosive confrontations are over, be it because tensions are lower or the warlocks are dead. Now all we have to deal with is the constant skirmishes throughout the city.¡± ¡°I see. Do you think Tavera Family¡¯s coming out ahead?¡± ¡°Hard to say. They¡¯re being attacked from every possible angle, stretched as thin as they can be without breaking. But the fact that they haven¡¯t been defeated speaks volumes as to the power they¡¯ve accumulated over the years.¡± ¡°Seems so.¡± I nodded in thought. The fact that the Tavera Family could take on the combined forces of every other competitor in the market and force a stalemate meant they were well above any of their enemies individually. This was contrary to public belief that they were at most equal to the others, a balanced triad of mafias in the Founder¡¯s Market. Patriarch Tavera was well prepared, and that Immortal Heart was the trigger for all of this. These plans were no doubt months in the making, if not years. The Tavera Family would either rise to heights never before seen, or be eradicated from the face of the market entirely. In such a war, there was little I could do myself. ¡°How long do you think this war will last?¡± ¡°That depends on the Tavera Family and how fast they can concoct the Crown out of the Heart. It could be anywhere from a month to half a year. They at least have the power to repel their enemies, but not forever.¡± ¡°Right. Well, I¡¯ll be gone for most of it. Maybe when I come back from my next trip, it¡¯ll all be over.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°There¡¯s a chance. But this is also a time of opportunity for someone like you. If you would like to take a look.¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent as the Key Master slid a small stack of papers over to me, a solemn look crossing my face in the process. He noticed, a placating smile supporting his next words. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is merely one of the bounties on the Repository. I felt it would be a fine chance for you to make some extra money while ridding the market of yet another parasite. It¡¯ll be far easier than your last kill, because this person is a summoner, like you.¡± ¡°Hm. That¡¯s rare.¡± I took a breath while grabbing the paper, reading some details about a woman. She was the head of some company that specialized in smuggling operations. They moved not just people but hard drugs. Her company alone was responsible for nearly 30% of the entire market¡¯s drug throughput. The Key Master spoke as I read. ¡°Killing this woman won¡¯t stop the smuggling. It¡¯ll just stifle it for a short period of time. But what this will do is create a power vacuum that many unsavory individuals will be fighting to fill. The war with the Tavera Family is already kicking up a storm. This will make it worse, and in the process, take a small amount of pressure off of them. That¡¯s not the reason I¡¯m offering this to you, of course. But it is a natural consequence.¡± ¡°Chaos will put a halt to any operation. It¡¯ll destabilize everything and present more opportunities to continue dismantling the structure.¡± ¡°Exactly. But being a woman as rich as she is, she naturally has a significant amount of protection. She¡¯s been able to use her summoner smarts to avoid any and all calamities that would have befallen her. So it¡¯s obvious to say that she¡¯s cautious, perhaps paranoid. But I¡¯m willing to bet nothing can prepare her for you.¡± ¡°And given her completely ordinary body, I don¡¯t have to worry about sheer power. Any of my attacks can kill her. But she no doubt has protection against that, like armor or some magical stuff.¡± I muttered, seeing the few pictures of her with various pieces of gear on. She really did look paranoid. She probably didn¡¯t do anything beyond the walls of her own home if she didn¡¯t have to, and when she did, she only went out with the best magical protective measures. How was I supposed to pierce that? It was safe to say that nothing I had could pierce defenses bought with money like hers. And the Key Master confirmed my guess. ¡°Indeed, she has a long list of protective items from the clothes she wears to some amulets. However, one thing has to be noted about the amulets. They are magical defensive systems that react to anything it can detect. But even the best of those aren¡¯t invulnerable.¡± ¡°...Do they react specifically to magic?¡± ¡°Any magic that comes within a certain proximity of her is automatically defended against. And anything that would physically harm her is likewise defended against with a shield. But¡­ nothing is instantaneous.¡± ¡°A projectile fast enough might be able to pierce the veil.¡± I perked up in understanding, causing the Key Master to give me a small grin. ¡°Are you willing to take that bet? You must know the consequences of failure. You already have a rather massive target on your back.¡± ¡°Exactly. The target is already there. They¡¯re gonna hate me anyway. May as well make them bleed for it. Besides, I recently got a whiff of a new toy to play with.¡± I took the papers and started walking out of the hotel. Any details about her that I needed to know were on it. The Key Master waved. ¡°Enjoy your hunt, John.¡± ¡°Always, Key Master.¡± ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t immediately go try and find my new target. I needed to study the information I was given, and also take care of one piece of business. I hadn¡¯t been idle in my training while on vacation. I still cultivated my Authority every night and scouted my dimension for interesting things. Most of the time it felt like I was sending a drone out into an empty void. But recently, I had picked up on a new lead. There were two guides that I used for searching the dimension. The first was my Psyka that I could use for brute forcing wide area searches using pulses of power. The second was a more recently discovered method, and that was using my Aura to feel around for spirits. It was with my Aura that I was able to point myself in the direction of a new spirit. It didn¡¯t feel like anything significantly more powerful. It carried a signature similar to the Springfield. But it felt different, which meant it was modified. I decided to check it out before moving forward. I had a feeling it would be useful. So I lounged in my hotel room for a while, sending out my Psyka drone over to find the new gun. It took a while, but after going deeper into the endless darkness, I was able to find it. It was definitely a Springfield, but two new attachments were immediately familiar. First was the scope. Second was the barrel extension, one I recognized rather quickly. I didn¡¯t hesitate to go up to it and commune with it, and the first thing I received was an influx of memories. ,,, ¡°Major, what¡¯s this thingy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something made by Maxim, or whatever the company name is. It¡¯s called a silencer. Don¡¯t take it off or fuck with it. There¡¯s only 20 of these here and I barely got the letter allowing me to access them.¡± ¡°What does it do?¡± I asked while lifting the rifle, examining the smooth barrel and strange cylinder on its tip. There were some ridges along the center portion of its body, but otherwise it merely looked like a long, skinny canister. It didn¡¯t look particularly special, but I had never seen anything like it. At the very least, the rifle already had a telescopic sight. They were definitely more useful than ladder sights for targets at a distance. At leas tin my own experience. The Major issued a few more out to my buddies before addressing us. ¡°It¡¯s a silencer, so it silences the gun. Reports show that it reduces sound at the muzzle by a third. It does nothing to prevent the crack down range, but it almost entirely eliminates muzzle flash, so I¡¯m fitting you guys with them. We¡¯ll be doing plenty of night operations soon and these will hopefully be of great help.¡± ¡°Where does the bayonet go?¡± ¡°Nowhere. These can¡¯t fit them with the silencer there. But we won¡¯t be fixing bayonets anytime soon, so get used to it.¡± After passing out all 20 rifles fitted with scopes and silencers, the major ordered us off. That night, we were back out in the field, flanking hostile operations establishing new trench lines under the cover of night. In the darkness, a muzzle flash easily exposed your position. Combined with the sound, it was almost impossible to keep your position hidden. But with these, it almost became easy. ¡­ A bullet sang through the night, planting itself solidly into the forehead of a man barely visible in the dust and dying light. A few moments of silence reigned, then the camp burst into life. Alarms wailed for alerted ears and lanterns flashed to life in the darkness. Some of those lanterns were put out almost as quickly as they turned on. But one wasn¡¯t, and it revealed a few men inside a small pit a bit farther away. I shifted my sights onto a highlighted silhouette, the light a consequence of negligence or a futile attempt at gathering more information. The supersonic whiplash of the bullet sounded right after I fired, right as the man¡¯s figure crumpled out of sight. I had yet to be accurately located, but suppressive fire started plinking my way. I was still green; they hadn¡¯t a damned clue where I was. Besides, I wasn¡¯t the only one. Another shot rang out from my left and the gunner slumped back before his loader even had another belt of ammo in his hands. A third shot left the MG nest filled with naught but bodies. My partner next to me snickered. ¡°Come on, keep going. Can¡¯t let them beat you.¡± ¡°Keep your trap shut and find me a target.¡± ¡°One o¡¯clock, there¡¯s a runner.¡± I fired again, cutting him off mid-stride. I let out a low whistle after that shot, impressed that I even hit a moving target that distance. A spotlight suddenly flared, briefly washing out my vision and turning night into day. I remained perfectly still, letting what may well be a beam of light with deathly powers itself illuminate my motionless body, not even twitching as a bug meandered across my arm. It swept past us and back. The thumping in my chest grew louder. The beam slowed down near me, almost touching my leg, when- A report rang out again in the night. The almost musical sound of shattering glass reached my ears, and, more importantly, the light at my feet vanished. Another shot, another kill. Bullets continued to rain down on the outpost as enemies scrambled to find their killers. But they couldn¡¯t. There was no muzzle flash, only the cracking sounds of each bullet as it took another life. There were too many soldiers to possibly kill even a majority of them with our small fire team. The enemy had also started sending squads up the hill we were on to hunt us down. While we could sometimes cut them down, and distance was definitely our friend, there were so many other targets we needed to focus on. It didn¡¯t matter if they were picked off while ascending, they needed to find us. They couldn¡¯t have snipers pelting them all night. However, right as I decided it was time to leave, my spotter spoke. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s a general! He¡¯s got a gold bar!¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°In that car approaching from the northwest.¡± I slung my sights in on the location, and sure enough, I found the general riding shotgun. There was a golden badge on his right shoulder, one with two golden bars stacked on top of each other. I didn¡¯t know what rank it specifically was, but it was a general, and that made him a high value target. Knowing that, I disregarded everything else and took a deep breath. I could only see and feel. Everything else felt dulled to the point of non-existence. My entire world was the cold steel of the trigger on my finger, the wood on my cheek, and the rapidly changing figure of the general. The flag nearby had already been marked by my spotter as being just under 500 yards away. It was a long shot and the car was moving, but I had hit longer. The car came to a momentary stop, and I found my opportunity. I had concerns about the driver blocking my shot as they turned at such an angle, but I didn¡¯t have time to worry about that. I took my shot right as I felt sure. Then I watched intently for a second until the bullet landed, tearing through the head of the driver and piercing through the general¡¯s neck just beyond it. One shot, two kills. ¡°Holy shit. Major ain¡¯t gonna believe that shit.¡± The engine of the car revved, the reaper taking control for a moment as it swerved to the side. My spotter laughed in disbelief before jumping up. ¡°Let¡¯s get the hell out of here.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I tore my eye away from the scope, running uphill and away from the chaotic enemy camp. ¡­ ¡°Well damn.¡± My eyes opened, Springfield in hand before I realized it. I looked down and examined the new rifle. Optic mounted on top and the Maxim silencer on the end of the barrel. Not only had I attained this modified rifle, but now I had memories of someone taking an accurate shot at around 500 yards. The longest shot I had taken so far wasn¡¯t much farther than 300 yards. Any farther was luck¡¯s territory. But that shot wasn¡¯t luck. That was cold, hard skill demonstrated by a sharpshooter. And now, I had those memories and experiences. I smiled and thought of the possibilities while rising from my bed. I had my target, and night was falling. It was time to hunt. Chapter 96: Complacent I perched atop a roof, the fifth story blending in well with similarly tall buildings nearby and giving me clear lines of sight to a large plaza filled with a red haze. Target: Sarah Trot. 47 years old. Summoner, Authority 8. She only made herself visible in two areas: the red light district in the Founder¡¯s Market, and another city outside the capital. The war had brought her back in town, the chaos providing enough opportunity to warrant her personal attention over the last few days. According to some eyewitness reports, probably the ones that confirmed her location to begin with, years of living as a higher authority and under defensive measures made her a bit more complacent than during her initial rise to power. She was no longer as paranoid; assassins and bounty hunters looking for her head either met grisly fates at the hands of her bodyguards or couldn¡¯t even scratch her countless layers of defense she always wore. All that concerned me was her recent resurgence in regular, predictable activity. Now would be as good a time as any to make a move. The plaza itself was around 300 yards away. It was nearly impossible to miss; a rather demonic red glow spilled through the surrounding streets and into the air, almost like a literal pit of fire and brimstone. That plaza was where Sarah had appeared 6 times in the past week. She always worked in the dark, so I just needed to stalk the place at night. However, picking her out among the crowds would be a difficult task. If I had the Crown from the Cyclops Scout, identification would probably be pitifully easy. I let out a sigh; remembering such an emotionally charged and unstable moment wouldn¡¯t help me with waiting. I adjusted a few crates in front of me and set my rifle upon them. The new scope was a welcome addition. I could now see a bunch of bare tits in riveting clarity even from so far away. But I didn¡¯t stare. I had a job to do and a girlfriend with even better tits. I could stare all I wanted when I finished, but the only thing I would be staring at now was heads. And so I sat there for three hours. It was incredibly boring; the only movement I made was switching eyes on occasion to reduce fatigue and pulling back a little to get a better view of things. That¡¯s when I spotted something, or someone, interesting. Rayla was strolling down one of the streets, occasionally throwing a glance to a particularly dark alleyway or suspicious building. I got curious and followed her with my reticle, watching as she entered one of the red buildings. She came out not long later, walking just as casually as she had been before. ¡°Probably a delivery. Those were fun.¡± I smirked and reminisced. Before getting sent to the trenches, I had the pleasure of making some deliveries to the brothels. Out of the dozen or so deliveries I ever had to those establishments, 7 resulted in the owner offering some services in exchange for payment. I never accepted, of course. Coin was more important for me at the moment. Even so, I wasn¡¯t about to risk getting some kind of magical disease from a whore. Did magical diseases exist? I would assume they¡¯d be on a whole other level from regular diseases. Maybe they only infected people with magic. Still, I had never heard of them before. Or maybe they were just classified as poisons or parasites instead. I returned to my reticle and followed Rayla as she walked off, sliding gracefully out of a few drunks¡¯ attempts to hit on her. I sighed once she disappeared from my line of sight, going back to watching. My Spark was probably the most useful to me right now. With it, I could focus on the task at hand while also having my own thoughts. I could simply assign it to track and match faces to the picture of Sarah I had in my mind. The rest of my mind was generally free to wander, so I was able to keep myself occupied with some daydreaming. It was only unfortunate that I didn¡¯t have music. Playing music with my guitar right now would be stupid, and even if I had a way to play back the music of this world, it wasn¡¯t particularly to my taste. I had the faint hope that I would get some kind of device in one of my future Authorities. At this point, I would welcome a gramophone, if only for the novelty. It wasn¡¯t only weapons that I found int he dimensions, after all. But there wasn¡¯t much in the way of radios in WW1, so my options were limited. And even then, my kind of music wasn¡¯t relevant then. I¡¯d have to wait, as I needed to for countless other things. Another sigh escaped as I moved my reticle to check a doorway. There were a few doorways that Sarah came out of the few times she emerged. The one I focused on was one of them. It creaked open. Cautious eyes scanned the alleyway before the burly body it belonged to slid out, scouting the area and motioning behind him. My eyes narrowed as a woman creeped out, escorted by another four men. Bingo. I centered my reticle on her, calming myself and bringing my full mental capabilities to bear. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Although she was dressed in a large coat that protected all her vitals and a hat that could no doubt take a punch, parts of her neck were still exposed. I could easily make out her face and identify her. Swords were easy to react to. Magic was similar in that regard. Her defensive amulets could detect all forms of energetic attacks and react to block them, even if she couldn¡¯t. And if she was able to sense it, then no matter what it was, it was useless. She would just activate her defenses personally, surrounding herself with an impenetrable bubble. My reticle rested on her neck as she moved, my coat subconsciously activating and dilating my perception of time. My Spark fed information to me, ingrained human heuristic processes boosted with Psyka and fed with information from my Aura giving me incredibly accurate calculations for my shot. Everything was accounted for: my zero point, distance, wind speed, humidity, even margins of error. Not a single variable my Aura could detect was left unaccounted for. I tracked her movement, concentrating intently, anticipating her direction and even the sway of her body. I was so focused, in fact, that I almost felt like I could feel her intentions, even at such a distance. It was like reading another¡¯s Aura, but at a distance far greater than I had ever done before. She confusedly jerked her head around, eyes darting around, unknowing as to the exact nature of the brief contact our Auras made. And she found me, our eyes locking right as I pulled the trigger. It sailed through the air, a supersonic shockwave following behind until it was replaced with thin wisps of blood. A gout of brilliant red erupted from her neck, almost obscuring the clean separation between her spine and head as she tumbled forward like a puppet with cut strings. I took a deep breath, calming my nerves as time rushed back to normal speed, a strain making itself known in my temple from my brief but extensive expenditure of Psyka. One shot, one kill. It was so simple it almost felt like cheating. The bullet hadn¡¯t even been enhanced with Psyka. A regular bullet from a regular gun on my end, and a dead crime boss on the other. She was as ordinary as I was and literally didn¡¯t warrant more than that. In this world full of superhuman freaks, it really was hard to be a summoner. Warlocks could create impenetrable bubbles, and Knights, by default, were built like literal tanks, not to mention the effects of Vigor extension. Summoners were but fleshy punching bags before them. That was why I didn¡¯t feel like I was cheating. In exchange for this awesome power, I was horribly vulnerable. It wasn¡¯t long ago that I had been smacked across a room with no more than a halfhearted wave of a hand, suffering serious injuries in the process. There were two extremes, and unfortunately, I sat about as far on one end as one could get. I gave myself an opportunity for one more sigh then slunk off the roof I was on. By now, if my little legend hadn¡¯t already spread, it was about to make another set of rounds to remind people about my infamy, and exactly what it meant. A single explosion meant that someone had died at my hand. There was nobody else who could mimic what I did. It was a signature at this point. As I climbed off the building, I could see people murmuring and looking around, looking for me in curiosity. One or two even seemed to recognize me. Their gazes on my body were rather intense, though not hostile. Thankfully I was far enough from my target not to be found. Now I just needed to hide away for a while and let the chaos fester. In a day or two, nobody associated with Sarah Trot would give two hoots about taking revenge on me. They would be too busy scrabbling for the power she wielded. That alone would ensure my safety, at least in the short term. In the long term, the target on my back only got a little bigger. But I didn¡¯t care much. I would be leaving again soon for another school ¡°field trip¡±. And even if I were here, so long as I was in the Magisterium or the Hotel, I was safe. A bigger concern was the war going on with the Tavera Family at the center. The Patriarch was basically one of my patrons. I wished I could do more to help him, but the war was out of my league. Anybody I could reasonably kill would have a negligible impact on the outcome, and I would be putting my life in grave danger for trivial gains. It wasn¡¯t worth it, especially not to me. I was indebted to a lot of people and wanted to help, but I wouldn¡¯t go and kill myself like that. Couldn¡¯t pay anybody back if I was dead. My life wasn¡¯t even worth enough to compensate for my debts. So I could only sit on the sidelines and watch. I scurried away with those thoughts, retreating to the hotel where I found the Key Master. I walked in with a smile. ¡°Hello, Key Master! How¡¯s the night treating you?¡± ¡°Ah, John. Long time no see. The night is well, and its darkness is rid of one more slippery rat.¡± ¡°Damn. It¡¯s like you were there with me.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± He smirked ever so slightly, giving me a weird feeling. ¡°It¡¯s impressive how efficient you are with such matters, John. I was just listening for that familiar sound. Every time it rings, I can almost feel the gratitude of the entire market. Yet it is accompanied by the frightened and enraged screams of the damned. Your name is carried as far as your bullets soar, but fame and infamy walk hand in hand. Sometimes I worry for your life.¡± ¡°Aww, you worry about me? I appreciate the concern my man, I do.¡± I stuck out my fist for a bump, yet my man didn¡¯t know what it meant so he lifted his half clenched fist with a confused tilt of the head. I smiled and bumped his knuckles before leaning on the desk. ¡°If I ever need a safe harbor, I¡¯ll just come running over here. I have a feeling nobody would dare trespass on grounds such as these.¡± ¡°Nobody but the Almighty.¡± ¡°Then I have nothing to worry about. Hopefully I¡¯ll be able to get to a point where I won¡¯t need it, but until then, I can only thank you for your hospitality.¡± ¡°Of course, John. But don¡¯t think you don¡¯t deserve at least some of the things you receive. Not even I can know how many lives you¡¯ve saved by killing the person you just did. Just by removing evil you allow good to flourish. It¡¯s dirty work sometimes, but what you¡¯re doing makes you deserving of some good yourself.¡± ¡°...¡± He let out a small laugh. ¡°I still remember what you said not long after we first met. You called yourself a leech back then. Do you still feel like one?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± ¡°Hm, you certainly have a lot of pride. I would say it¡¯s a bad thing, but that drive to help people is saving a lot of lives.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been told that before. My girlfriend seems to think the same thing.¡± ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a pattern worth recognizing.¡± ¡°If I agreed with the foundation of the accusation, I would agree.¡± ¡°Haha, how stubborn. I do enjoy these talks John.¡± ¡°As do I.¡± I smiled as he stuck out his hand, shaking it. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re tired. Do be sure to rest well. May we talk again soon. ¡± ¡°I will. Have a good night, Key Master.¡± ¡°Always.¡± With that goodbye, I retreated to my room for the night. It wasn¡¯t long until sunrise, but since I was still in vacation mode, I decided I could sleep in as much as I wanted. Chapter 97: Cosmic Scale A few days passed, but the turbulence in the market only grew by the hour. My name was making ripples in the market and Libitus even sent me a message that all my coworkers had been talking about it. My bounty even rose to 170 thousand coin, a numerical reflection of my infamy. Thankfully, everyone in the market was distracted. With me hiding out in my room all the time, they didn¡¯t have the time or patience to try and kill me. That wasn¡¯t even accounting for the proven difficulty of taking my head. It was January and vacation ended on the 20th. Umara was doing her best but wouldn¡¯t be back for a while, so I had nothing to do and a lot of time to do it. My primary focus was training. Over the course of a week, I devoted close to 30 hours to tracing paths through my ever-developing advancement formation. My motivation couldn¡¯t be higher, but Psyka was only half the equation now. Aura was now one of my most important tools, only below summoning, the base of it all. After my little spat with President Carrion, one of the pieces of information my Spark had processed was the incredible compression my Aura was under. It had tried to uncontrollably rampage with all its power back then, expending a massive amount of my energy in a very short period of time. I had basically been unconsciously trying to kill Carrion with it. But it had been confined to just beyond my body, despite the level of power exerted. Carrion¡¯s Aura had been so incredibly dense owing to his Authority that mine, relatively powerful, had been thoroughly suppressed. While it seemed wholly negative at first, I had actually come away with a few positive takeaways. The result was the experience itself. With just a bit of analysis, I could mimic that feeling and confine my Aura to my body instead of letting it diffuse freely. It was quite uncomfortable at first, as it had been when Carrion did it. Back then, I felt like I had been blind. Perhaps my spotty vision and blank head had been, in part, caused by the suppression rather than my rampant emotions. And that blindness was crucial to concealing my Aura. Contrary to the physical eye, blindness in my mystical eye meant invisibility to the Aura of others as well. Of course, that was a rather oversimplified way of putting it. Plex was testament to just how much more was beyond me, but, without a doubt, this new ability of mine was invaluable. The only other benefit that could come close in value was how refined my Aura became. Specifically in its form. Another aspect of my Aura that had changed was its weight. Having been squeezed into a little box, it now spread significantly less even when I wasn¡¯t actively trying to hide it. It was sharper, more consolidated, denser. By default, it still took the form of a cloud or mist, but with a noticeable increase in power. I didn¡¯t know exactly how much. It had doubled at least, perhaps even more. Aura was less quantifiable than even Psyka, already incredibly vague on exact quantities. I didn¡¯t even know it could be made more powerful this way. Any power differentials I had experience with, I simply chalked up to the gap in Authorities. I had only been honing my technique over what I had; it was like trying to increase a factory¡¯s productivity without even realizing entire portions of the production process could be cut out. Apocryon showed me what it meant to have control over Aura. Carrion showed me what it meant to have a powerful Aura. They were two sides of the same coin, and both were benefiting me greatly. In fact, this increased power of mine was the main reason why I could train for much longer. Aura was almost like the energy of my consciousness, but with a denser power, I was not only able to go for longer, but I was also able to exercise much finer control of my Psyka. Psyka was about complexity, Vigor about intensity, and Mana about feeling. Those were vague descriptions, but there was no doubt that advancing one¡¯s self as a summoner required them to make massive jumps in the complexity of their power. And to make complex things, one needed precise control. Perhaps this was the main barrier to summoners that blocked many from advancing their power. At some point, the advancement formations would become so complex that their ability to control Psyka simply couldn¡¯t keep up. Practice could help, but Aura was definitely the leading factor in one''s ability to get better. I was sure it was like that for knights and warlocks too. Perhaps to them, it was obvious. But summoners didn¡¯t have an obvious way to integrate their Aura and Psyka. It didn¡¯t help that they were considered useless. It was like a Knight trying to get stronger without knowing that he could project Vigor with a swipe of the finger. Summoners were still blindly searching through darkness for the right path. What cruel irony, to see the smartest ones fumbling about to find their way. Well, at least Maxwell and I were doing things differently now. ¡­ After Umara returned, we had around two weeks together with no interruptions or work. The first night when she came back was quite passionate. We hadn¡¯t been apart for so long since we started dating. We both had distractions and work so it wasn¡¯t all that bad, but when we finally reunited, we indulged in each other to more than make up for lost time. From then on, productivity naturally decreased. We still trained every day, as was standard routine. But generally, we spent our time either in each other¡¯s company at the hotel or going on dates to fun little places around the capital. However, we also spent quite a bit of time discussing things. The topic was almost always scientific. Umara wanted to learn everything she could from my knowledge. It helped with her understanding of the world, as was science¡¯s purpose. But we hadn¡¯t really gone deep into the nature of the universe and its most fundamental principles. These things weren¡¯t concepts that you could discuss once or twice. There were countless rules and principles based upon a fundamental foundation that Umara almost entirely lacked. She wasn¡¯t to blame, of course. But it meant that she had less of a quantifiable understanding of the world around her than even children did on Earth. And so I had to start with her from the very beginning, which involved me diving into some deep topics that could¡¯ve exposed my otherworldly nature. The things I knew came from a very different place and they were explained as such. I constantly had to reiterate to her that magic had no hand in anything I talked about. It was difficult for her to detach such an intrinsic part of her life from her understanding, and that was only to grasp some basic scientific concepts. I couldn¡¯t even fathom having to explain something like electrical engineering to her. Not that it made it unfun. She genuinely had endless curiosity, and I was eager to tell her everything I knew. It made our discussions interesting, and it was especially exciting for both of us when certain things clicked for her. Umara was definitely smart, and I was glad that she was able to adapt her mindset enough to soak the knowledge up. Those two things would no doubt aid her in the future as she realized her talent. Our two weeks together were spent like that. Nothing but fun dates, romance, and intellectual discussions. And so the last day of our vacation arrived. ¡­¡­ ¡°You say the air around us can become liquid?¡± ¡°Yes. The atmosphere around us is composed of a bunch of different elements. And there are how many states of matter?¡± ¡°Four. Solid, liquid, gas, and plasma.¡± ¡°Right. And most elements can go between all those states, even if it''s difficult to make them. With extreme temperatures, like extreme cold, you can even make air into a liquid. Why does a gas become a liquid?¡± ¡°Because the energy of the atoms is reduced enough for it to condensate. Cool it below its melting point and it will become a solid.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s all you need to really know, but there are some special cases. The melting and boiling points for elements are obviously different. It¡¯s why the air is naturally air while water is naturally water. The planet rests at a constant range of temperatures. If the whole world became significantly hotter, water would evaporate and most life would die. Similarly, if temperatures dropped significantly, water would freeze and throw us into an ice age. But because air remains a gas at this temperature, we¡¯re allowed to exist. However, there are a few elements that are nearly impossible to turn into solids.¡± ¡°What gases are those?¡± ¡°Helium, for one. Hydrogen too. Not sure about nitrogen, but oxygen can technically become a solid.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Umarra looked down, reading through the periodic table of elements I had drawn up for her. That high school studying was starting to pay off. That paper was only one of many pages that I had left doodles on. I mainly drew things out for her so she could visualize what I was talking about. It was how many people learned, because sometimes worded descriptions weren¡¯t enough. She had a whole booklet of these pages by now. That was because, as it turns out, not only did Psyka and Aura make you smarter, but it also made you something of an artist. The ability to draw the images in one¡¯s head didn¡¯t come easily to most, certainly not me. I was no artist, that¡¯s for sure. But after trying my hand at it, I found that I was far better than I had been previously. That was the main reason she had so many pages. I got excited and doodled every chance I could to exercise my new artistic skill. The only thing that reduced my image quality was control over my own hand, but with practice and enough time, that would be rectified. Umara sighed, leaning back and processing the knowledge I gave her. ¡°You¡¯re really turning my worldview upside down.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose I understand that. Everything I¡¯m telling you is normal for me. It¡¯s no different from how you see magic. You simply understand it without thinking. That¡¯s what science is for me.¡± ¡°Right. You didn¡¯t have magic where you were from.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. So when I encountered magic, my worldview was flipped, just like yours is now. Even then, what I¡¯m teaching you is only the tip of the iceberg. There¡¯s so much more out there. I get chills just thinking about it, but you won¡¯t understand any of it unless I lay the groundwork for you.¡± ¡°...Like what? Give me a hint.¡± ¡°Well, alright. Let¡¯s see¡­¡± I compiled my thoughts before speaking. ¡°The sun in the sky.¡± ¡°Yea? You told me it''s a big ball of fire really far away.¡± ¡°It is. But that fire isn¡¯t actually fire. You see, when atoms get crushed together hard enough, they fuse into one being. That fusion releases a ton of energy, and you know how many atoms are in a small space. That many atoms all fusing together constantly in such a small space would release a huge amount of energy.¡± ¡°Yea, it would.¡± ¡°Alright. Well, imagine an entire world, like the one we¡¯re on. And imagine if it were all made up of atoms that were all fusing together constantly. It would be a ball of fire that releases an ungodly amount of energy.¡± ¡°...Yea.¡± ¡°And now, imagine a million worlds worth of atoms, all fusing together and releasing energy.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara went silent, attempting to comprehend what I was telling her. Once she nodded slightly, I continued. ¡°That¡¯s the sun that you see in the sky. A massive ball capable of containing a million worlds, and one that does nothing but explode and release light and heat. That heat is what warms this world. It¡¯s the sole reason we exist. That¡¯s what a star is. And that¡¯s just one. Come here.¡± I suddenly grabbed Umara¡¯s hand, pulling her to the huge wall of glass that gave us a beautiful view of the city. But I didn¡¯t care about the city, I pointed up at the sky. With no light pollution, one could see the stars in the night sky, so bright and clear. ¡°You see all those little dots of light? Those are stars and galaxies. And what we see is only a fraction of what exist. Imagine every inch of darkness in that sky containing billions, no, trillions of stars. Many of them are far more massive than the sun we see, thousands if not millions of times bigger. There are literally countless stars. And there are countless worlds, countless moons around those worlds just like our own. All of them are so far away that even given millions of years of flight, we could never reach it. The closest star is no less than trillions of miles away. It¡¯s a scale that humans literally cannot comprehend.¡± I let out a breath, staring up at the sky, almost entirely forgetting about Umara in my small moment of existential enamor. But I had thought about these things no small amount of times before, so I was able to pull myself away and look down at my girlfriend. She was still staring, silently grasping the enormity of the universe. Even in numbers it was difficult to comprehend the cosmic perspective, but after two weeks of scientific discussion, she was beginning to understand, just enough to abstractly realize its scale. She was like that for almost a minute before she looked down, spaced out. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to understand. You kind of lost me with the big numbers, but I feel like I get just how enormous stars are.¡± ¡°Heh, that¡¯s good enough. With more time you¡¯ll start to understand more.¡± ¡°...I have a question though. How did you, or your people, figure this stuff out? Like the stuff that happens inside of a star to produce the light? It¡¯s so far away and nobody could ever step foot on it. How did they figure it out?¡± She asked curiously, finally zoning in and looking at me. I rubbed my chin with a smile. ¡°Well you see, it was one of the greatest minds to ever live who paved the way for truly understanding how a star works. Many people tried to propose different theories on how it worked. Some thought it was a massive ball of liquid like lava that was just slowly releasing heat. But one man, named Albert Einstein, came out with perhaps the most important, or at least the most iconic, mathematical model to exist in science.¡± I grabbed a sheet of paper and wrote out the mass-energy equivalence. E=mc2 Short and simple, but those five characters were monumental in the history of science. ¡°Energy equals mass multiplied by the speed of light squared. This laid the groundwork for understanding that the sun has so much material that its own gravity crushes the atoms in its core to the point of fusion. The very same force that pulls us to the ground when we jump also causes the sun¡¯s core to explode with nigh-limitless power. This forms a cycle known as the proton-proton chain, also called the p-p chain.¡± ¡°...Heh, pp chain.¡± She chuckled a bit, as did I after having intentionally dropped that pun. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re as mature as I am. Anyway, you don¡¯t have to see something personally in order to find out how it works. It took a long time, but we advanced science so much that we could explain things that we couldn¡¯t even see. And we verify its truth with math, which is basically a language in and of itself. ¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± She went silent again, taking a few seconds before muttering. ¡°I guess I really am the lucky one. I have you to give me knowledge that nobody else in the Kingdom knows.¡± ¡°Well, it helps you, so I¡¯ll continue to give you knowledge so long as you want it. I want nothing more than for you to grow your own strength. Since my knowledge does that, then I won¡¯t spare the effort to teach you.¡± ¡°...Thank you, John.¡± Her response was more heartfelt than I expected, surprising me a little. ¡°Seriously. Not even my mother can understand the things you¡¯re doing for me. I don¡¯t know if you can either. What you¡¯re giving me is priceless. And I know you¡¯re not even doing it because of our relationship.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± ¡°Well, you enlightened Shadowbane to Aura despite having come in contact with her for all of two hours. You do it because you¡¯re a good person. Better than anyone else I know. So my thanks comes to you not as your girlfriend, but simply as Umara. I want you to know that my appreciation for you and what you¡¯re doing for me is completely unfiltered.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± I looked at her, taking a mental step back and reevaluating her. Not as my girlfriend, but simply as a person, as Umara Talerria. I turned and faced her, almost erasing my love for her and viewing her in a completely platonic manner. And I nodded. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯m glad this is able to assist you so much.¡± ¡°...Wow. Your demeanor just flipped on its head.¡± Umara recoiled a bit, looking at me weirdly for a few seconds before leaning in and nudging me with her shoulder. ¡°Alright, back to boyfriend-girlfriend mode.¡± ¡°Roger Roger.¡± I smiled, my love for her crashing back through my mind in full force. We both instinctively leaned in and kissed, looking into each other¡¯s eyes before she mumbled. ¡°I love you. Thank you for everything you¡¯re giving me. I wish I could give you something just as valuable in return.¡± ¡°Well since you see it that way, I guess you¡¯re in my debt. I¡¯ll have to cash in on that in the future.¡± ¡°Yea? What do you want? How much should I prepare to give to you?¡± She asked temptingly, causing me to grin as my hands snaked around her waist. ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to start with your hand.¡± ¡°Okay. And then?¡± ¡°Then your body.¡± ¡°Hm, I¡¯m not sure if I should be excited or nervous. Anything else?¡± ¡°And then¡­ your life.¡± I spoke while leaning down and kissing her neck. ¡°I¡¯ll need help raising the kids, after all.¡± ¡°H-h-how many?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Stronger Authorities make it more difficult, so I think we¡¯ll just have to keep going, and going, and going, until one of us gives first.¡° I smiled while kissing her neck repeatedly, causing her to shiver. Hearing my last words, her deep red face tried its best to give me a confident smirk. ¡°I think I¡¯ll win that.¡± ¡°Oh? Heh, honey please.¡± I laughed a bit, giving her cheek a quick squeeze before we dove into another hug. Chapter 98: Warmth ¡­ ¡°¡­ you¡¯ve seen the new rankings?¡­¡± ¡°Go to the Hall of Fame¡­ new display¡­¡± ¡°Authority 7 Cyclops¡­¡± ¡°Cooper¡­¡± ¡°A common- I think he heard us!¡± ¡°¡­ placed straight into fourth year¡­¡± ¡°¡­ freaking cold summoner!¡­¡± ¡°¡­ got suspended¡­ the President¡­¡± ¡°¡­ with the Talerrias!?¡­¡± ¡°A bounty?¡­¡± ¡°Shit. They¡¯re everywhere.¡± Eyes instantly snapped to him when he walked out into the hallway, a hushed whisper permeating through the crowd. The Magisterium campus had come back to life after winter break, students bundled in thick clothes clustering in groups across the open campus. But only one thing seemed to be on their minds: John. He clicked his tongue and went on his way, arriving at a doorway where Umara was waiting. The two linked up, glancing around them. ¡°You sure are popular now.¡± ¡°I know. If I kissed you now, it would really catch some attention.¡± ¡°L-Let¡¯s control ourselves, please.¡± Her face flushed scarlet, not all from the cold, as she took his arm. It was a bit embarrassing to walk around with so many eyes on them. They were basically broadcasting their relationship. She normally didn¡¯t mind the attention on John much; no matter what she did he would somehow attract more. She just preferred subtlety, especially right now. They were having enough issues as it was, and this definitely wouldn¡¯t help. Not that they could do much about it other than hide away in their rooms. But necessity called, and they needed to go to plenty of places. The first being the Ranking Stele. They made their way to the leaderboard, having yet to confirm John¡¯s new ranking. Killing an Authority 7 had been achieved before, but it had been so long ago nobody knew how many points it would bestow. The last time he checked his rank, he had been Rank 11 with around 500 points to his name. That had increased with each trip, rising into the thousands. Now¡­ He looked up near the top. Rank 1: Ponteck Gulliard - 3060 points Rank 2: Feiden Desmus - 2800 points Rank 3: John Cooper - 2780 points Rank 4: Vetsmon Verga - 2550 points Rank 6: Umara Talerria - 2420 points Rank 12: Tana Choron - 1660 points The couple saw their new ranks and smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve officially surpassed me.¡± ¡°It was a special circumstance. It means little.¡± John had a small smile, but when Umara saw it, she didn¡¯t sense any amount of happiness. That¡¯s when she suddenly remembered something, though it made her confused. ¡°By the way, about that Crown you were going to make with the corpse. Did you decide against it?¡± ¡°No, not really. Having the Scout¡¯s observation would be a huge indirect buff.¡± ¡°¡­ what¡¯s a buff?¡± ¡°A benefit. Anyways, you know how important sight is for acquiring targets at a range.¡± ¡°Yes, I do. So why are they saying the corpse is in the Hall of Fame?¡± ¡°...Well, let¡¯s go see it first.¡± John mumbled with a low voice, Umara walking with him to the Hall. It was a grand building spanning the entire west side of the Magisterium. It was quite literally a hall, walkable from end to end, the eternally-preserved spoils of war from the Magisterium¡¯s founding to current day sprawled across its length. On the side of the hall most relevant to recent events, an entire building¡¯s worth of space was occupied by a large crystal prism. ¡°John!¡± There was a shout as they walked near. John and Umara saw the rest of their squad, Vetsmon, Feiden, and Tana. They smiled and approached, giving greetings. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you guys. Have a good vacation?¡± ¡°Of course. Did you?¡± ¡°I enjoyed myself. We both did.¡± I wrapped my arm around Umara¡¯s shoulder, squeezing her as she play-fought back. ¡°Alright, alright. Let me see this case.¡± She moved away, everyone¡¯s eyes drawn to the glass case. A polished bronze plaque made itself known. John¡¯s name was pressed in bold black lettering on top with smaller letters detailing exactly what was done and when. Inside the case was a series of stands and wires that pieced together the mangled corpse of the Cyclops Scout. While much had been mulched by John¡¯s anger-fueled Trench Gun, enough of the body remained intact to make it seem whole. It was still as tall and lanky as when it was alive. As a rather bitter capstone, the intact head with its huge single eye glared at all passersby. Vetsmon sighed. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you actually killed that thing. It gives me the creeps, even in how it looks now.¡± ¡°Like I said to Umara, it was a unique circumstance.¡± ¡°An Authority 7 is an Authority 7. You saw how many it killed. And it may have killed us too if not for you.¡± John halfheartedly agreed in response, staring at the corpse with an intensely neutral face. Umara leaned over and tapped him softly. ¡°So? What about the Crown?¡± ¡°...Well, the material for it is right there.¡± He waved to the glass case, causing her to look at it again. The corpse, in its entirety, was locked in the glass case. Even the Black Crystal, which Umara could faintly sense, was solidly encased in the flesh of its head, untouched since initial mulching and transportation. The others had been listening and picked up what they were talking about, coming to a unanimous agreement that the Scout Crown would be incredibly useful. But one problem remained. John was on one side, the eye on another, and a wall of crystal between the two. Umara felt her heart sinking. ¡°Are you going to retrieve the corpse?¡± ¡°I was. But Carrion told me, according to Magisterium and Kingdom law, I had no rights to the corpse. So I will not be retrieving it.¡± ¡°Fuck the laws.¡± The curse practically lept from her lips, an ineffectual expression of rage against rancid inequality. ¡°Are they seriously going to take this away from you? They would stoop that low?!¡± ¡°According to Carrion, it¡¯s a great way for him to get back at me for what happened at his mansion.¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s not right! You made the kill so you should have the right to do whatever you want with it!¡± ¡°Not according to the laws. Carrion has every right to do what he did and pin the corpse up in here.¡± *Dink* John raised his knuckle and tapped the glass. ¡°Hm, seems strong.¡± *Woosh* Some wind was kicked up right as he said that. He looked at Umara. She had rage painted all over her face. Even the mana around her couldn¡¯t help but react to her emotions. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. But she didn¡¯t explode. Not yet. She just looked at John, almost like he was the one she was mad at. ¡°When did you talk to Carrion?¡± ¡°The day I got back.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me for three weeks?¡± ¡°You had your own business to deal with.¡± ¡°And after that?¡± ¡°...I wanted us to enjoy our time. I had long accepted this by then. I didn¡¯t need to make you this mad during that time.¡± ¡°...Fuck!¡± She stomped, a pressure wave exploding from her foot and kicking up the air in the surroundings. All eyes fell on them, silence reigning through the hall. But Umara didn¡¯t care. All she did was turn back to the case. Then, a large spell appeared before her, wind gathering before forming a long, dangerously sharp blade. The air was tangible as it was compressed, almost enough to condense it into a liquid. And then, it was launched forth. *SCREE* A slicing scream was let out as the air blade and the glass collided. But even after that, there was only the slightest scuff mark left behind. John scoffed. ¡°He really pulled out all the stops. It can¡¯t even be stolen. That glass is probably worth more than the corpse inside it.¡± ¡°He¡¯s mocking you¡­¡± ¡°Yes, he is.¡± John confirmed Umara¡¯s statement with a simple nod. ¡°He¡¯s mocking me with my own achievement. He knows how valuable it would be to me and so he hangs it over my head. And there¡¯s nothing anyone can do to change this.¡± ¡°Yes there is. I can do something.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not going to.¡± He looked down at Umara, his expression neutral. But she could feel how dead serious he was. ¡°Just leave it, Umara. It¡¯s nothing more than a missed opportunity. There will be plenty more in the future, and now I¡¯ve learned my lesson, so this won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°We both know that¡¯s not the point.¡± ¡°Yes, we do. But there¡¯s nothing I can do about it that won¡¯t just make things worse. So I¡¯m going to swallow my pride and let him have this win. Can you do that with me, please?¡± ¡°...¡± Umara was silent, the rage filling her mind, yet held back by the rationale and John¡¯s request. She wanted to be unreasonable and try to exercise her authority to fight against this. But disregarding how ineffective that would be, doing as John was doing was the smart choice, and she knew it. Her fists trembled as she held herself back, her voice trembling in response. ¡°Fine¡­¡± ¡°Thank you, my love.¡± He hugged her to his chest, looking over her head at the corpse in front of them. The others beside them had realized what was happening, even if it took a minute for it to settle in. Feiden suddenly frowned and took out his spear, filling it with Vigor and stabbing forward, all of it concentrated on a single point. *TING* It met the glass and stopped, nothing but the tiniest pinprick left behind on the glass. His hands trembled in response, all the pressure from the strike reverberating right back through his palms. ¡°...Sorry. I can¡¯t break it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s just go.¡± John turned and started walking with Umara, leaving the Hall. The others followed behind him, while many watched from the sides. They needed to be at training soon anyway. ¡­¡­ After walking for a while we arrived at the training grounds where we found all the other Elites and the Puppet Master. I made eye contact with him, the two of us nodding to each other before we got started. ¡°Today¡¯s scenario is a collective one. You all will be responsible for defending a small base. The wave of beasts will be constant and will last for two hours. In order to successfully defend yourselves, you will need to give everything you¡¯ve got and work together. This means knights will need to form defensive lines and warlocks will need to coordinate spells. I will not tell you how to do any of that, so good luck figuring it out yourselves.¡± He waved with that last word, teleportation magic enveloping us before sending us to the center of a military base. There were almost 40 Elites now, and all of us arrived in a massive group. Once we hit solid ground, there was a shout. ¡°All warlocks, get up the walls! Knights, follow me!¡± It was Ponteck Gulliard, and he immediately took charge. Nobody could argue with him, not to mention how stupid doing so would be when time was of the essence. Monsters were already besieging the walls. I rushed up the stairs with the warlocks. This would be a good chance for Umara and I to let off some steam. The knights below us formed a defensive line in front of the gates. They knew their own rotations best, and we could hear their shouts as they organized themselves into groups. The warlocks were similar, dividing themselves into sections along the wall where they took turns firing off spells. Normally this would all be good for a war of attrition. Many hours of defense required not just constant killing, but also enough rest. But it was clear that we wouldn¡¯t be getting much rest. The monsters we saw were big and plentiful. It would take everything we had in order to defend for two hours, that much was certain. Taking out a chair, I equipped my new modified rifle and started shooting. I knew my own pace so I ignored everything else and simply did what I was good at. ¡­¡­ **Time skip magic** ¡­¡­ ¡°Alright, good job. You¡¯re done for the day. In two days we leave for the Blooded Hold, so finish your preparations and recover. Dismissed.¡± The Puppet Master waved us all off, though half the Elites were sprawled on the floor in exhaustion. Even I was taking a knee, my breathing heavy and my head splitting with an ache. My eyes were focused downward on the snow beneath my feet, each one of my breaths letting out a long fog from the cold. It was only several minutes later when everyone started to rise and disperse. Vetsmon grumbled, several minor injuries across his body, his armor radiating some steam from the heat of his skin. ¡°That guy is trying to kill us.¡± ¡°We¡¯re getting better though¡­¡± Feiden mumbled after him, causing me to nod in agreement. It was hard work, but everytime I drained my Psyka and stressed myself, I would have long dreams that assisted in my cultivation. Over a month had passed, putting us at the end of February. Tomorrow was the first day of March and we would be leaving for the Blooded Hold the next day. For around 40 days the Puppet Master pushed all the Elites to our limits. That was especially so for our group, who he seemed to have high expectations for. Tana couldn¡¯t even walk since she was so tired, having bounded around the battlefield for 3 hours without rest. Umara was sprawled on the floor too, her mind in another universe after having her Mana drained so thoroughly. I was hardly better than them, but that was because I was improving just as fast, if not faster than them. Over 40 days, I had made strides in my progress. The original estimate for completion of my Authority 5 formation was 7 months, of which two had already passed. But I was starting to think that I was a bit ahead of schedule. I was now done with my first layer of the three layer formation. It happened so fast that I was starting to think dreaming was too strong of an ability. Then again, the others were improving at record speeds as well. Feiden was even faster than before, Vetsmon was around 20% stronger, and Tana had much more stamina. As for Umara, she had the greatest progress. I was helping her study science every night, and she was coming to a deep understanding of it all. She could already use some rudimentary fire magic despite not even properly creating whatever core she needed to gain her affinity. She understood it far better than I did, and all I knew was that my teaching was bringing her forward significantly. She was already an Authority 5, so she was on her way to becoming an Authority 6. Once she did that, she would gain a perfect affinity for that level and start using proper fire magic. The others were Authority 5 as well, making their way to Authority 6. I was pretty sure that Feiden was the furthest along, being close to the cusp. I was the only one still stuck at Authority 4, so I needed to catch up, which I seemed to be on my way to doing. After finally getting up, I bid goodbye to my squad, Umara and I walking off together. We were all tired, and tomorrow we were planning to have a dinner together, plus Feiden¡¯s girlfriend. Since that was the case, we decided to just retire right after training. Umara and I didn¡¯t stay at the Magisterium much anymore. The hotel was far nicer, so we always ended up staying there. After taking a carriage and greeting the Key Master at the desk, we took the elevator to my room. There, I entered my room and stripped my clothes. Umara was letting me have the shower first since I sweat from all the running. She could use magic, so her physical exertion was a level lower than mine. Once my sweating garments came off, I opened the walk in closet and took a look. A quarter of the closet was filled with my few sets of clothing, while the rest had gradually been taken by Umara. Dresses, stacks of casual wear, plus all her delicates organized neatly in a drawer. I smirked a bit. We were living together. I didn¡¯t have any problem with it. Umara¡¯s family had a property within the capital, but since she had the dorm, she was never expected to use that place. And now that I was here and we liked the hotel room a lot more, she phased herself in. We hadn¡¯t talked about it properly, but there really wasn¡¯t a need to. It happened naturally, and we were okay with it. There was nothing more to say about the matter. I washed myself up before letting her have the bath. She enjoyed stewing in a hot tub while I liked succinct and generally cool or cold showers. Plus, sitting in a hot bath was basically just marinating in your own filth. I didn¡¯t get it, but she liked it and came out smelling nice, so I didn¡¯t care much other than when I occasionally poked fun at her. I took my place on the couch, laying there before passing out for a bit, as I usually did. Unlike Vigor or Mana, draining Psyka directly made one tired. I could barely even think straight after such a strenuous day, so I at least needed a nap if I wanted to be functional for the rest of the evening. It was an hour later when I woke up, the alarm of my Aerial spurring my consciousness, and the scent of some cooking ingredients tickling my nose. I sighed and got up, walking over to the kitchen where Umara was chopping some ingredients. ¡°I¡¯m just getting it prepared.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± I smiled and wrapped her in a hug from behind, watching her cut. Having been raised as the daughter of a dutchess, touching any kitchenware other than gold-plated dining utensils was out of the question. Ordinary society here was like olden society back on Earth. Women were taught how to cook. Such a thing was normal for most of the population, nobles being the exception. Umara had never learned an ounce of cooking, while I had learned enough to cook some tasty meals back on Earth. After some observation, she asked to learn some from me and after a day or so of teaching her, we established some ground rules. The main one was that, until she at least learned how to use a knife properly, she didn¡¯t get to cook at all. I had to teach her how to prepare ingredients, so anytime we cooked, that was what she usually did. And she was a fast learner. Before long she was able to do most of the work while I needed to do the more important parts that required some experience, like the actual cooking part. She tended to overcook out of fear that something would still be raw, and for the sake of time and ingredients, she just let me take over that part, especially when we were tired. I watched her knife work, dicing what was basically blue garlic. Some vegetables were far different in this world, and garlic was apparently one of those. It still took the form of cloves but it was blue instead of white, making me apprehensive at first about using it. Once she was done dicing that, she moved on to slicing some chicken before preparing some spices, doing anything within arms reach so as to not interrupt our hug. But once she was finished with everything, she set her knife down and relaxed back into my embrace. The two of us silently stood there, tired and aching, finding some comfort and ease in the warmth of our bodies. The night was cold, sprinkles of snow falling outside the window, cooling the room. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± Umara mumbled. I could tell she just wanted to go to sleep. But we needed our fuel to recover. That was one thing I learned from sports. You can¡¯t skip the refueling process, even if it was a chore. I pat her waist. ¡°I know. Go wait at the table. I¡¯ll finish up.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She let out a breath as I gave her a quick kiss. Once she separated, I grabbed the ingredients and finished making dinner. After plating everything and sitting down, our eating was spent in silence. On normal days we would have some kind of discussion, usually when she asked some questions about a scientific topic she didn¡¯t understand. Ever since my lecture about the stars, she had been constantly asking more about it. But tonight, we found our enjoyment in silent communication, sitting right next to each other, the only sound being our forks tapping against our plates. And when that was done, we both went straight to the cold bed, piling two large blankets over our bodies and cuddling together. I could make the room whatever temperature I wanted, but leaving it cold, oddly enough, made it more comfortable when you found warmth in another person. Chapter 99: Debt After another day passed, Umara and I had one last proper dinner with our squad before getting ready to leave for the Blooded Hold. The dinner was cheery and was essentially a triple date. Feiden and his girlfriend were getting along well. They weren¡¯t quite as open with their relationship as Umara and I were, but that was normal. I was far bolder than typical, one of the reasons Umara was always so embarrassed. As for Vetsmon and Tana¡­ Well, they hadn¡¯t gotten far, but progress there was definitely progress. I could only applaud Vetsmon for his efforts. He and Tana were a lot more chummy, definitely much closer than they had been a month or so ago. But Tana was still oblivious. I was worried about Vetsmon getting too deep in the friend zone, but there was only so much I could do to interfere. Making him panic and then rush it could ruin everything before it even started. I didn¡¯t want either of us to overthink, so I left the guy to work his magic. He was at least trying, which meant, sooner or later, the make or break moment would arrive. I just had to sit back and wait and offer what little help I could. ¡­ The Magisterium¡¯s fourth year class was set to leave for their next expedition. There was no grand departure ceremony this time. The underclassmen who idolized the Elites and the students¡¯ families came to the platform for a final send-off, but the platform felt more like a typical train departure. As we boarded the Rail with our luggage, I suddenly thought of something while looking out to the families. The Puppet Master had said that none of his Elites had ever died under his care. That was an amazing track record to have. His training obviously worked well. But that didn¡¯t apply to those in the fourth year who weren¡¯t Elites. There had been a few deaths in the normal student body. Still, it wasn¡¯t impossible. Murphy¡¯s Law would screw over anyone not up to standards and ensure those who did would meet something beyond. It must be scary for all these parents to send their children to the frontlines. They weren¡¯t even soldiers yet, and they were already risking their lives. That was the unfortunate reality of this world. War on Earth seemed a lot better in comparison to this. Modern battles had a lot less collateral damage, casualties in general were heavily reduced, and the fighting was dictated by the people at the top. Parents could direct their rage at actual people in charge and had a chance to at least revolt and try to effect some change. But in this world? The Scourge was an existential threat. The common people who fed the war machine couldn¡¯t even revolt; the very people who fought off the strongest of the Scourge were also the ones who ruled with an iron fist. The ordinary man could only swallow their discontent. Only by the grace of those at the top who still held a sense of justice were the ordinary able to live relatively good lives. It was just another difference between this world and the one I called home. I turned and boarded the Rail when Umara tugged my sleeve. It was a three day trip to the base. We would be making a stop midway as well in a city. It was one with a name I actually recognized. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± ¡°All students, gather!¡± An instructor called us onto the platform, ¡°This is the City of Haelsverg. You all have 3 hours to wander and do as you wish before we continue our journey. Don¡¯t cause trouble and don¡¯t be late to return. This Rail works on the military¡¯s schedule and it won¡¯t wait for a stray student to board. Unless you want to be stranded here, keep an eye on the clock. That¡¯s all. Dismissed!¡± With that, the students dispersed through the terminal to enter the city proper. My squad and I followed, laying eyes on the modest city. There were a lot of farms around here, so this place acted as a transportation hub. This terminal was especially important for transporting food to other cities like the capital. ¡°What should we do?¡± Vetsmon asked while looking around. The city was smaller and not as rich, so options were limited. There really wasn¡¯t much around. I looked around and nodded my head toward a main road. ¡°Let¡¯s wander. If we see something we like then we¡¯ll go from there.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The rest of my squad nodded, all of us taking a walk. It was good to loosen up the muscles anyway. Feiden¡¯s girlfriend joined us along the way, so the 6 of us went around the small city and took in some of the sights. We stuck out like a sore thumb. Gazes fell on us and flicked away just as quickly, our rich-kid-from-the-city look painfully obvious to the small-time merchants and farmers out in the streets. Anybody we came across was quick to get out of our way. I felt like I was being treated like a mob boss. There were a few shops that caught our eye, so we just went where we felt like and bought some things ¡ª some jewelry stores, clothing shops, armories, smithies, tea shops, the works. We checked out anything interesting. Nothing really caught my eye, but my main focus was elsewhere. We wandered through the quiet market for another two hours. And just as my hope started to wane, we came across a small side plaza, vendors neatly lined up against the squat mud brick buildings. And there, standing behind a counter talking to another man, was my old friend. My eyes brightened. ¡°Chief!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The old guy turned around, his eyes widening in panic as his gaze fell on my coat, but immediately narrowing when he saw my face. ¡°John?¡± ¡°Yea! It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°I-It has! I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± He seemed a bit baffled as I went up and shook his hand, patting his shoulder with a broad smile. ¡°I happened to be passing by. How are you? How¡¯s the village?¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing just fine, as always. What about you? Things seem to be going well in the capital.¡± ¡°Well, I got into the Magisterium. And it¡¯s been tough, but I¡¯d say things are working out quite well. I¡¯m an Authority 4 now.¡± ¡°O-Oh my. Congratulations, John. I¡¯m very glad you were able to make your way.¡± He looked shocked at my news, his eyes bulging a bit as he forced out a smile. I could see him glancing at my squad behind me. They were rather confused, and the Chief was quite overwhelmed, so I decided it was right time to make introductions. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Chief, these are my friends from the Magisterium. We¡¯re in a squad together. Guys, this is the Chief from Yumir village. He helped me get to the Capital when I was stranded and had absolutely nothing to my name. I owe quite a lot to him.¡± ¡°The- there¡¯s no need to exaggerate so much. It¡¯s a- a pleasure to meet you all.¡± The Chief stammered out a greeting, shakily bowing before exchanging handshakes with everyone in turn. He seemed a bit more comfortable after that, almost as if he had confirmed that the squad and I were real. ¡°John, you said this is your squad? Are you all going to the frontlines?¡± ¡°Yes, we are. I was placed in the fourth year, and I managed to get into the Elites after that.¡± ¡°E-Elites? You all¡­¡± He looked around at everyone with quite the reaction. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was just surprised or scared. That¡¯s when Umara spoke with a small smile. ¡°John here managed to fight his way up to Elite Rank 3. He¡¯s the best summoner to ever walk through the Magisterium.¡± ¡°Summoner?¡± ¡°He also managed to kill an Authority 7 Scourge beast. He¡¯s in the Hall of Fame now.¡± ¡°S-Seven?¡± With every sentence spoken, the Chief¡¯s terrified surprise became more evident. I elbowed Umara who seemed to enjoy exasperating the problem. ¡°Alright, no need to butter me up so much.¡± ¡°Huhu, alright. Still, I¡¯d like to make a proper introduction. Hello again, Chief.¡± Umara smiled and curtsied toward the Chief. ¡°My name is Umara Talerria, daughter of Duchess Talerria, Rank 6 of the Elites, and John¡¯s girlfriend. Pleasure to meet one of my boyfriend¡¯s patrons.¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± The Chief wasn¡¯t sure how to react to all that sudden information, bowing a bit with a blank yet panicking expression. I clicked my tongue at Umara¡¯s antics. But then, I saw Vetsmon step up with a goofy grin. ¡°I¡¯ll also introduce myself again! I¡¯m Vetsmon Verga, son of Ignatius Verga, the family head of the 4th Paladin Peerage of the Church. Also the Rank 4 Elite.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Feiden Desmus, Son of Marquess Adran Desmus, Rank 2 Elite.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Tana Choron! Daughter of Count Falan Choron, Rank 12 Elite.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not actually a part of their squad, but I¡¯m Mira, Daughter of Marquess Revanon, Rank 11 Elite.¡± ¡°...¡± The Chief and I were silent as everyone introduced themselves. The little plaza had gone silent. I felt dozens of stares on me and my friends, a scattered mix of fear and awe. The sons and daughters of some very powerful people were here. I suppose the Chief hadn¡¯t expected such an intense greeting, because he was now completely flabbergasted. If not for him trying to show these noble children a respectful smile, he¡¯d probably look horrified. ¡°Y-Yes¡­ It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you all¡­¡± He forced the words out, his face almost red with strain. I clicked my tongue, shooting the others a look before patting his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about these posers, Chief. Come on, let¡¯s go get a drink.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s a poser? I want a drink too.¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let Tana have a drink¡­¡± Everyone quipped as they followed the Chief and I, heading to a bar where we ordered some alcohol. I sat on the edge of the table with the Chief, a bit of separation between us and the others. Once he got some breathing room, he patted down his sweat with a long breath. ¡°Goodness, John. You¡¯ve made some powerful friends. It hasn¡¯t even been a year.¡± ¡°A lot has happened.¡± ¡°Nonsense. You¡¯re dating the daughter of a Duchess. Are you secretly a noble?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± I chuckled and took a sip, the Chief stealing glances. I found the difference between an ordinary village Chief and us Magi rather amazing. I was ordinary just like him not even a year ago, but now I had risen to live a life likely unfathomable to him. I came from his perspective, so I could understand both sides. I guess that¡¯s why I was feeling quite close to him. I could relate to him in a way the others couldn¡¯t. Even then, I couldn¡¯t imagine what he must be feeling, being in front of so many high nobles like this. Back when I had first met him and showed him my Crest, he had bowed in respect, and that was merely because I was a Magus. Now, he was in front of these people who sat even above Magi, wielding both incredible power and Kingdom-wide influence. He had been raised in this world; such an encounter completely contrary to common sense was beyond anything he could ever dream of. Well, it would be one hell of a story to tell, that¡¯s for sure. After a bit more conversation with the man, I asked him a question. ¡°Chief, do you have a spatial sack?¡± ¡°O-Of course not. Those are quite the legendary items. Even my entire village couldn¡¯t save enough money to buy one.¡± ¡°Well, I promised I¡¯d pay you back. I want you to take this as my thanks for your help back then. A proper thanks, too. Not the measly thousand coin I had given to you. Umara.¡± I turned, catching my girlfriend¡¯s attention and tapping into my telepathic connection with her. We had made it a habit to simply keep it active. (Can you create a barrier around the two of us? If you can block sight and sound that would be nice.) (Alright?) (I¡¯m just going to give him some money. It¡¯s for his safety, just in case.) (Oh, sure.) She nodded and cast some magic, covering me and the Chief in a dome of condensed vapor. Nobody could see or hear anything from without, so I took out the item I had prepared in case I was actually able to find him. ¡°Here Chief. This is a spatial sack. It can hold about a chest¡¯s worth of items. I made sure it was subtle and could be used by ordinary people.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± His eyes bulged when he saw the band I placed on the table in front of him. It was a Polaris-brand spatial sack carved from a special kind of wood, powered by an embedded White Crystal. There was no indication of any magic though. It looked like a completely ordinary wooden band, like something an ordinary carpenter would carve for fun. Because the Chief was completely ordinary, utilizing its storage features was the limit of what he could do. He didn¡¯t have a Crest that it could bind to, so it would be up to him to keep it safe. So long as he did so, it would remain a very valuable item. But that wasn¡¯t even the good part. ¡°Inside that band is 80 thousand coin. Alongside what the band itself cost, it¡¯s a bit over a tenth of my savings. I felt that was a good amount to give you.¡± ¡°80 what? I-I¡¯m sorry John, I couldn¡¯t possibly take so much money from you.¡± ¡°Chief, you went out of your way to help me when I had nothing. I don¡¯t care that you only spent a few coin to get me into the capital. You were the one who brought me there and opened the door to all the other opportunities I got. You secured my future. Without you, things would look quite bleak for me. Now, I want to secure your future.¡± I grabbed his hand, slipping the band over it and onto his forearm. It shrunk to his size before activating. His eyes went blank for a second, likely seeing everything inside. He couldn¡¯t stop the magic even if he wanted to. He was soon aware that there was in fact 80 thousand coin inside, broken up primarily into silver denominations. It wasn¡¯t like I could give him 80 gold bullion and expect him to actually use that. That meant the band was loaded with a pile of silver coin. Only 10 of those coins were gold bullion. After seeing more money than his entire village made in years, he tried to take the band off. ¡°John, I can¡¯t-¡± ¡°Alright, stop. I think I said this last time, but I¡¯m not taking no for an answer. It¡¯s about time I paid you back, so take the band and use it wisely. It should be enough for you to live comfortably, or to get yourself to that point. Besides, I¡¯m going to be making more money as I increase my power. Don¡¯t stress yourself out and accept this.¡± ¡°...¡± He went silent as I stared him down, seriousness in my eyes. It was almost like I was threatening him to accept it. But this was what he deserved. I didn¡¯t believe in simply paying back what I owed. I believed in paying back that debt proportionally. What he had given me back then wasn¡¯t even something that could be repaid in money, but it would have to do for now. I lifted my Aerial, seeing the time and realizing we had to leave soon. I stood. ¡°Alright, our Rail leaves shortly. That money and band is yours to do with however you wish. The only thing I can ask is that you¡¯re smart with its use. This dome around us is meant to prevent anyone from knowing you have this kind of money. But once you step out of here, it¡¯ll be up to you to keep it safe and hidden. I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to see you again, so until then, I wish you and your village good health.¡± Right as I said that, the dome dispersed. I stepped out of my seat, joining the others donning coats and bags. The Chief stopped me right as I was about the leave. ¡°John.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°...May the Lord bless you. I know you¡¯re fighting the Scourge. Please, keep yourself safe. The world is a better place with a good man like you in it. I wish upon you happiness wherever you go.¡± ¡°...Thank you, Chief.¡± I went and shook the man¡¯s hand one last time before leaving with my squad. As we walked back to the Rail, Vetsmon elbowed me. ¡°Did you give him a fortune or something?¡± ¡°No. It was just a gift for his help.¡± ¡°Knowing you, it was probably a hundred thousand coin. I also saw the spatial sack.¡± Umara chimed in, shooting me a glare. ¡°You can give away all the money you like yet can¡¯t accept something like a stupid lute without being forced to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m indebted to him, not the Raven Family Chief.¡± ¡°That¡¯s besides the point and you know it. I can¡¯t believe that I actually wish for you to be more selfish sometimes.¡± ¡°Why should I be selfish?¡± ¡°For your own sake, stupid!¡± ¡°Ack...¡± I jumped a bit as she kicked my leg, a small smile on my face. The others made similar comments as we walked back to the terminal. The platform bustled with activity, students about everywhere in final preparation for our resumed journey to the frontlines. I sighed, rather content after handing off my gift. It was the first time I was able to properly pay back a debt. Chapter 100 - Royal Even from a distance underground, we could hear the sounds of battle. Our supervisor, a lieutenant, called out and shook us from our stupor. We braked hard into the station, the terminal already filled with wounded for loading. ¡°Disembark and move to munitions! They¡¯ll have instructions for you there!¡± ¡°Hurry up! We¡¯ve got casualties that need loading!¡± Flashes of red and white briefly silhouetted defenders scrambling atop tall stone walls. Explosions rang free from all sides, an occasional Scourge beast being flung high into the sky. The Blooded Hold was far larger than any base we¡¯d ever been to before. I couldn¡¯t even make out distinct people on the other wall; it was just a mass of colored uniforms launching fireballs and arrows. I already had my coat on, so I slipped my gloves over my hands after picking up a prepared pack from supply with the others. Protocol was pretty standard. The warlocks were to go up the walls with ranged knights while the remainder were to meet up in the courtyard to coordinate a counter-assault. As per usual, summoners were left to do whatever. When we exited the terminal, I was able to pick up several powerful Auras within the base. One of them matched President Carrion, an Authority 11. There were a few Authority 10s below him and many more Authority 9s. As for the Authority 8s and 7s, they were everywhere. There were as many as there were tents in the Hold. Those at our level still outnumbered the others by far. There were thousands upon thousands of soldiers here. The base itself covered dozens of acres, and it was the main wall in front that held the beasts back. The terminal was in the middle of the base not far from headquarters. However, the sheer size of the base made the distance rather great. That¡¯s why several trucks were waiting. ¡°All those from the Magisterium, board the trucks and we¡¯ll take you to the wall! Hurry up!¡± We were waved on, my squad sticking together as we piled into one of the transport trucks. It wasn¡¯t long before we were dumped out to fight. I went up the wall with Umara, running down its length until we found some room in one of the sections. We didn¡¯t ask questions. We just set up and fell into the cadence of the commanding officer nearby. ¡°Fire!¡± A hundred mages launched their spells, the darkness flaring with fire, plumes of steam briefly flashing into existence before wind cut them apart, Scourge beasts falling to pieces or vaporizing under the devastating assault. The tide briefly opened, the ground visible for moments between the collapsed bodies of Scourge beasts, before being swallowed up again by another fresh wave of hostiles. Any warlock at the level to fight here had more than one affinity. There was no earth magic being used since the knights were forming offensive lines to meet the Scourge at their best; any agitation with the ground, while effective at disrupting Scourge lines, would prove equally effective at tripping up the advancing knights. My gun, for once, barely stuck out with the sheer amount of screaming beasts and fiery explosions. That I was using my suppressed Springfield definitely helped in that regard. The moon was bright enough to see a decent distance by, so I stuck to picking off larger targets, whittling down HVTs while the warlocks cleared out riff-raff with area-of-effect spells. I tapped into my telepathic connection with Umara for a sudden question. (Hey, it takes a warlock three advancements to develop a perfect affinity. Can they develop two different affinities back to back? Or do they need to completely advance their affinity before moving on to another?) (¡­ Give me a moment.) A gust of wind, uniquely tinted with Umara¡¯s Aura, sliced through a group of advancing beasts. (¡­ Okay. They can technically take whatever path they want. They can advance their water affinity twice before suddenly switching to fire for a couple of advancements. But no matter what, after an advancement, a decision is made that dictates the purpose of the next level.) (I see.) I nodded while firing another shot. It seemed warlocks didn¡¯t need to focus entirely on one affinity at a time. But then that inspired another question. (Why is it normal to focus on one at a time?) (Because then there¡¯s more time for an enlightenment. Not only that, but since the chances of becoming an Authority 12 are so low, if you wait to develop the entire affinity for too long, you may never be able to complete it because the difficulty gets too high. Then you won¡¯t have any good affinities, just a bunch of average ones. It¡¯s no different from setting yourself up for failure on multiple levels.) (That makes sense.) If you were like Umara and completed your air affinity early, you would have potentially decades to work on being enlightened. But if you refused to take the last step in favor of developing other affinities, all that time would be wasted. By the time you finally took the last step, the chances of you ever being enlightened in your life would be slim. It was better to simply develop each affinity one at a time. That way, even if you never made it to Authority 12 and gained all four affinities, you would be a master in the ones you had. It was rather simple logic. The only downside was that you wouldn¡¯t have the spell versatility the other affinities gave you for periods of time. Even that wasn¡¯t really a negative. The strength a perfected affinity gave you far outstripped the versatility of more. Quality over quantity, as some would say. I mulled over these thoughts as I chambered another round, a four legged beast crumpling off in the distance. I was perched on a chair, as was Umara. She¡¯d learned her lesson and brought one too so we could preserve our stamina during long battles like this one. After some time though, I felt something poking at me from beyond the darkness of the battlefield. I dragged my reticle across the back of the horde, but even the moon didn¡¯t provide enough light for me to see that far away. I didn¡¯t feel anything concrete even after reaching out further with my Aura, but I knew for a fact. There was something, someone, out there. (We¡¯re being watched.) (What? By who?) Umara lifted her head. I could tell that she was concerned about the people around us, thinking that some nobles were trying to cause trouble. I shook my head. (Nobody on the wall. Something is out there beyond the battlefield. I can¡¯t see them, but there are definitely a pair of eyes on us.)This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. (That doesn¡¯t sound good. Another scout?) (It doesn¡¯t feel like one. It¡¯s not hostile, just curious. I don¡¯t know why one would be so close either.) I brought the scope back up, looking around to see if I could make anything out in the distance. But it was futile. The feeling was too faint and visibility too low. However, at some point, the feeling rapidly grew. No, it was getting closer. My eyes widened. ¡­¡­ ¡°We were a half day too early. It seems they made a stop.¡± A humanoid spoke from atop a hill, another one already there turning to face it. The two of them could see the waves of monsters besieging the wall, watching indifferently as the humans fought them off. The other humanoid waved. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. There¡¯s plenty of fodder left, and they''re here now. Who was it that you said to keep an eye on?¡± ¡°A few, but two in particular.¡± The former approached the latter, a crystal orb filled with mist condensing into two profiles. One was labeled Ponteck Gulliard, the strongest Elite of the Magisterium. There were some descriptors labeling his outstanding achievements and abilities, as well as his noble title. But there was another one beside it. John. ¡°The son of Gulliard is powerful, but not beyond expectations considering his noble lineage. The great outlier in recent times is this John Cooper. So far, we¡¯ve collected little to no information on him. No noble title, no family, no background. The only achievement he holds is being the Rank 3 Elite, and that wouldn¡¯t be anything of note if not for the fact that he is a Cold Summoner.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The second figure took a look at the information below John¡¯s portrait. His keen Aura and abnormally powerful weapons were of particular interest, but no additional details could be provided, not even on their functionality. Nonetheless, he was an outlier, one that it took interest in. ¡°Where is this John now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s on the wall. It seems his summons are ranged weapons. We¡¯re collecting information on him as we speak, but the conclusion right now is that he¡¯s someone to keep an eye on.¡± ¡°He¡¯s said to have a keen Aura¡­ We can settle this now. ¡± A bow flashed into existence in the figure¡¯s hands, a hefty arrow being nocked as he scanned the walls. At some point, he recognized an oddity. A man sitting behind the wall, wielding a weapon that occasionally let out explosions. They weren¡¯t of any sort he¡¯d ever seen before. Through the distance and ambient noise, it couldn¡¯t be heard well. But it was noticeable enough. He smiled. ¡°Found him.¡± He raised the bow, pulling the string back before locking in place, a momentary tableaux of brutal grace. A slight twitch was all it took to perfect his aim. He watched as John stopped firing, eyes tracking each suspicious movement of his head. There was a lull in John¡¯s movement. Fingers twitched. The arrow flew true. His eyes followed. John¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How interesting.¡± He smiled. ¡­¡­ A blur of gunmetal gray flew past my head, a gust of wind brushing past moments later. My eyes followed a second later; fast, but not fast enough. It had implanted itself solidly in the wall behind me, the arrowhead¡¯s only proof being a cross-shaped hole surrounding a metal shaft. To travel such a distance and still impart enough force to burrow itself into a reinforced wall required an incredibly powerful knight behind it. Umara also froze, staring at the arrow with cold sweat forming on her forehead. ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°...¡± This portion of the wall had fallen silent, surrounding soldiers sensing the wisps of leftover Vigor flowing from the point of impact. The commanding officer realized the section had stopped firing and turned to chastise them when he too noticed the rod impaled in the wall. ¡°What is that? An arrow?¡± ¡°Something out there fired it¡­¡± I mumbled in response as he walked over and yanked it out, a shower of debris accompanying it. Umara spat out her words. ¡°That¡¯s a Royal¡­ Why the fuck did a Royal try to kill you?¡± (I don¡¯t think he was trying to kill me.) I responded to her telepathically. (There was no hostility. Merely observation, until I sensed the arrow. It feels more like a test than an assassination attempt.) (That¡¯s even worse¡­ Let¡¯s get off the wall.) She stood and stowed her items, grabbing my hand and leading me down the wall. (We need to find the Puppet Master and tell him about this.) (Does this mean something?) (You do know what Royals are, right?) Umara asked as we searched around, causing me to nod. (Yes. They¡¯re intelligent humanoids unlike the rest of the Scourge.) (Then it should be obvious that catching the interest of a Royal is really bad news. I don¡¯t think you know this part, but the intelligent part of the Scourge doesn¡¯t just sit back and throw fodder at us all the time. They use the Scouts to collect information, then take out targets with potential. There¡¯s been many reports of student deaths from Royals.) (So they want to kill me before I can get stronger.) (Well, they certainly know about your strength now. It¡¯s safe to say that everything you do beyond the walls of this base from now on is going to be extremely dangerous. A strong Scout is the least of our worries.) I could feel Umara¡¯s solemnity through our connection. It seemed that the Scourge had its own special task force in charge of espionage and sabotage. This was a side of them that the public didn¡¯t know about or conveniently chose to ignore. If I was now on a list, I had to be extra careful. If they really wanted to kill me, then there wasn¡¯t much I could do to protect myself. After a bit more thought, I stopped Umara from walking before taking out my Aerial, dialing the Puppet Master. ¡°Yes, John?¡± ¡°I have some bad news.¡± I told him about what happened, causing him to go silent for a moment. ¡°...I swear, you can¡¯t go a day without pissing someone off.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I needed to tiptoe around the Scourge¡¯s feelings.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about me! Here I am trying to keep you alive while you continue to attract the worst possible enemies to have! Now I need to second guess every little mission I send you on lest everyone gets killed just because you were with them! You know, I¡¯m starting to think I should just kick you off the Elites so that you don¡¯t get put on every damn hit list known to mankind!¡± My face went blank as the Puppet Master ranted through the Aerial, as if it were my fault. Well, I couldn¡¯t completely blame him. I let him get everything off his chest, a process that took a whopping 15 minutes. He was usually succinct, but apparently today he decided to take exception to my plights and talk my ear off. It was quite impressive, really. Once he was finally done, he took a few deep breaths before giving me some clear instructions. ¡°Just sit your ass down on the sidelines while I figure this out. And don¡¯t go blabbing about this either if you want to keep your life.¡± ¡°Yes sir, Puppet Master, sir.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me.¡± He grumbled and hung up, causing me to chuckle. ¡°So?¡± Umara asked, earning a shrug. ¡°The Puppet Master just rewarded us with unpaid vacation. We get to do whatever the hell we want until he finds a suitable mission for us. Which may take a while.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s keeping you away from danger. Good.¡± ¡°How strong are the Royals anyway?¡± I hadn¡¯t a clue how strong they were besides judging bounties and looking at information available on the Black Spider Repository. Anything on there would be worth killing, and thus higher Authority, but I didn¡¯t have exact numbers; bounties were so high on Royals both because of the lack of information about them and their high kill counts. What I did know was that they were humanoid Scourge entities with intelligence on par with humans. That made them especially dangerous, because they could plan ahead just as well as humans could and, more importantly, control the masses of beasts below them. There weren¡¯t as many of them as there were humans, so humanity still stayed ahead. But on the battlefield, numbers meant less, so their lethality was amplified. Even more worrying was their odd powers: while some were generally in line with the three Magi classification, others diverged and were more like Scourge beasts. I wouldn¡¯t know what to expect when facing one until they attacked. Umara shrugged. ¡°They still go by the same Authority system as us. They can be of any level, but, chances are, the one that tried to shoot you wasn¡¯t absurdly high level since you¡¯re not dead. Still, they¡¯re not things you want to mess with.¡± ¡°I get that. Let¡¯s just relax. Lord knows when we¡¯re going back out. I¡¯d prefer to train until then.¡± I grabbed Umara¡¯s hand and walked off. The battle was still ongoing but we had done enough; some relaxation and food would be just rewards. Chapter 101: Easy Maxwell was expecting me to be an Authority 5 in five months, the end of the school year. The three-layer advancement formation was difficult to even start. Like any puzzle, I had to look for patterns, accumulate information, before realizing how things fit together. But once I finished preparations, it was just a matter of time before the first layer was completed. The second layer essentially restarted the process with a whole new set of patterns and the added difficulty of needing to couple and anchor the formations to the first layer. It would be more difficult, but the experience gained from constructing the first layer made me pretty good at recognizing patterns; I was pretty confident in the speed of my progress. After analyzing over the break, I was making good progress with the second layer. Some pieces I had connected and laid aside; others I had attached to the first layer as foundations. In the process, I realized I could still utilize the first part of the advancement formation to help me with cultivation. The advancement to the 5th Authority was all about preparing my mind to accept a second Spark. I needed to make my mind stronger and faster to properly fit the second Spark. It was like upgrading a computer. My hardware had to get better to accommodate another component. Advancement formations were sets of instructions for how to move magical energies. Some steps were obscured until the entire formation was complete, but they still existed. Most couldn¡¯t take them early; they were obscured, after all. But since I was a damn genius, I was able to make them out and take some of the steps early. This acted as a sort of positive feedback loop. My initial efforts kickstarted the ocean of stars in my mind. They now moved along a current that, despite being slow, was significantly beneficial. And each speedup in my thought process from that moving current meant I could comprehend the next steps faster, which would thereby result in even faster thinking. After rinsing and repeating that cycle a few times, my progress exponentially accelerated. So I utilized my newfound free time, courtesy of the Puppet Master, to buckle down and train. The siege petered out by the next day, and the Puppet Master hadn¡¯t yet received missions to send my squad out on yet. We were all just stuck indoors while everyone else got sent out. I used that time to train almost relentlessly. Or, in all honesty, it was more like studying than anything. ¡°You know, you¡¯re pretty relaxed about all of this.¡± Umara sidled up to me on my bunk. Getting targeted by Royals was no different from being targeted by the entire Scourge. It wasn¡¯t something to take lightly, as the Puppet Master¡¯s rant had made quite clear. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve got to focus on my advancement. But I¡¯m well aware of just how large the target on my back is getting. In fact, it¡¯s getting quite suffocating. There are enemies I need to face that are at a level I can¡¯t handle, and my ability to hide is rapidly decreasing.¡± I needed time to grow, and there were just so many things that cut into that time. The balancing act was delicate. I couldn¡¯t seem to do anything that wouldn¡¯t end with a blade in my face. I could only redouble my efforts in the time I had. My Aura was sensitive to danger, but it also reinforced my own sense of urgency. Every gaze that landed on me, every hostile thought, every threat, was yet another level of stress that stuck with me throughout the entire day. My Aura reminded me relentlessly that I needed to get better. It amplified my subconscious worries and incessantly reminded me of my inadequacies. Refusing to train was nearly impossible now. My subconscious screamed at me, my mind wouldn¡¯t let me, reality dictated against my wishes. My only source of comfort in these trials was Umara, and even then I couldn¡¯t tell her everything. Her normalcy was my rock. After that day, the Puppet Master didn¡¯t send us on any missions. We sat within the base and trained for two entire weeks. After a while, I felt like he was being paranoid with how safe he was trying to keep us. But at some point, he finally came to us with a mission. ¡­¡­ We were called to the briefing room and arrived early, eager to see what he had in store for us. ¡°You¡¯re here. Good. Are you sharp?¡± The Puppet Master asked me as I took a seat at a table with my squad. ¡°Yea. It¡¯s been nothing but training these last two weeks.¡± ¡°At least you¡¯re not lazy. I guess that¡¯s the only reason you¡¯re not dead. Anyway, I¡¯ve got a special task for you and your squad.¡± He lifted his hand and pat the board he was standing beside. On it was a map, as well as a few images of some Scouts. ¡°From some patrols and scouting operations, we¡¯ve received reports on Scout activity along this ridge. I have a feeling it has to do with you and the interest the Royals have taken. They¡¯ve been trying to find both you and Ponteck. But it doesn¡¯t seem like they¡¯re planning anything big. They aren¡¯t willing to invest too much to kill you yet. Headquarters wants to use your specialty to run a counter-operation against them. You¡¯re good at killing Scouts, and that¡¯s what you¡¯re going to do. ¡°You¡¯ll be working with a squad of soldiers. There are 3 of them and they¡¯re going to take you out there and bring you back. One of them is an Authority 8 knight, so you¡¯ll be protected if anything goes sideways. The other two are warlocks, Authority 6¡¯s, there to provide some extra firepower if you need it. Still, if all goes as planned, you¡¯ll be the only one killing anything.¡± ¡°Are there any Royals over there? Plus, these Scouts are quite literally designed to pick things out. How am I supposed to kill them without fighting everything nearby?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t seen the Royals recently, though it isn¡¯t guaranteed that they will be absent, so that¡¯s why you have the Authority 8. As for how you go about keeping yourself hidden, that¡¯s entirely up to you. Killing even just one Scout is still considered a mission success, so do what you need to do to stay alive. You¡¯ll get more of these missions depending on how well you perform, so do as much as you can, but don¡¯t be foolhardy. You¡¯ll get plenty of other chances, so just do what you¡¯re good at, and make this worth it.¡± ¡°Hm, alright.¡± I nodded at him. He was giving me autonomy, which spoke to how much he trusted my abilities. Well, it seemed I had earned that trust among several people. I seemed to be getting sent on these kinds of missions more and more. First Tavera, then the Key Master, now the Puppet Master and the military. Well, I couldn''t be surprised. I happened to be pretty good at what I did. ¡°You leave in an hour from the western gate. The target location isn¡¯t very far away. Backup will be on standby. Any questions?¡± It was a pretty straightforward mission, but I still had one concern. ¡°The soldiers. Will they defer to my decisions?¡± ¡°Yes. But they¡¯re ranked higher, so don¡¯t expect them to bend over backwards. I¡¯ve already discussed all of this with them and the Commander agreed to trust me and let you be the centerpiece of this operation. If it fails, don¡¯t expect to get called up for it again.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t. So long as the situation is reasonable.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll trust you¡¯ll make it so. I¡¯ve heard what you¡¯ve done over in the markets. You seem to have a knack for this. Anything else?¡± Heads shook around the room. ¡°Good. Go forth and prove me right.¡± With my concern rectified, the briefing ended, and we were dismissed to prepare for the mission. ¡­ I wasn¡¯t surprised the Puppet Master had heard of my exploits in the market. It meant that my name was getting out there, or at least my infamy. Big names, like my targets, going down the way they did, would no doubt cause a ruckus. I didn¡¯t feel much pride in the task itself considering it was almost too easy for me, but that didn¡¯t mean others could see that. I made a note to myself to prepare for more of these missions in the future. The others were just there for support, but we all still had to prepare for a worst-case scenario. To do anything less would be stupid. We trickled our way to the western gate over the next hour, each of us grabbing whatever specialty-specific gear we needed from Acquisitions. I was the first to arrive, needing nothing other than my summons and some rations. Waiting for me was a group of three soldiers and two trucks. The Authority 8 approached me. ¡°I¡¯m First Commander Karlson. Just call me Commander Karlson. You¡¯re John?¡± ¡°I am. I look forward to working with you guys.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± We shook hands, my impression of this man rapidly growing positive. He was an officer, but wasn¡¯t immediately an asshole, even to a cadet. From my experience in this world, people tended that way when facing anyone of lesser stature. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°We¡¯ll be in charge of transportation and protection. We¡¯ve been ordered to leave any offensive combat to you. A simple in and out is what they said.¡± ¡°If all goes well, it¡¯ll be just that. They might not even know we were ever there.¡± ¡°Well, that makes me curious. Let¡¯s go. You all will be with me. The warlocks will take the backup Hummer.¡± With his word we boarded the hummers. We were gone within minutes. By now, evening was arriving. The sun would set not long from now. Dusk would give me enough light to see by, but also some darkness for concealment. From the western gate we rolled across the relatively flat terrain around the base. The dead Scourge that once covered the immediate area had been vaporized, buried, or removed by the numerous garrisoned warlocks. A few hills here and there were the only other outstanding features. There weren¡¯t even forests. After about half an hour, trees started encroaching on clear landscapes. We eventually entered a forested ridge, forced to slow down to better navigate it. Thankfully we didn¡¯t have to go in deep. Just 10 minutes of driving through the ridge was enough to put us on top of a ledge overlooking the land below. ¡°We¡¯re approaching the target area. We¡¯ll disembark here. John, tell us where we need to go to best support you.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± I nodded, leaving the hummer and stepping out onto the rocky ledge. I walked to the edge of an outcrop, squatted down, and summoned my modified Springfield. Through my scope I could clearly see what looked to be a small camp. There was a small river flowing through the area, and the Scourge beasts had set up a rudimentary camp around it. There were some winged beasts, likely their transportation, and several Scouts. From a cursory count, I could see 6. It was possible that more were out there, just not home yet. And around the scouts were some escorts, at least 40 of them. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be too bad. There are six of them. Best case scenario, I kill between three and five from the shadows before bailing. Worst case, I kill one or two before bailing.¡± ¡°You can guarantee at least one kill?¡± ¡°Certainly. That¡¯s the easy part. The challenge will be killing more before exposing my position.¡± ¡°Hm, that¡¯s the least of our worries. There are Scourge beasts not far from here. The issue with launching these attacks is the possibility of getting surrounded before withdrawing. At that point, I myself might even be overwhelmed, to say nothing of your squad. But we were told that you can kill them from a distance.¡± ¡°I can. Though not this far. Let¡¯s see.¡± I lifted my head, scanning the surrounding area before pointing at a closer cliff. ¡°Bring me there.¡± ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll separate us into two groups. The others will hang by the other hummer, and I will accompany you to the outcrop. I was told you have a partner?¡± ¡°Yes. Umara will join us. The rest of you, mind waiting for us?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Vetsmon answered from the side. Commander Karlson nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s move out. No reason for us to be still out past chow.¡± With those words, we all jumped on the hummers. Umara and I joined the Commander in his, while everyone else was in the other. When we drove, they hung back a couple hundred meters from the outcropping, while we pulled up right behind it. That was another benefit of these magic vehicles. They were completely silent aside from the tires rolling on the dirt. That made these stealth missions a lot easier. We jumped out and approached the outcropping. I laid down and crawled toward the edge of the rocky ledge. Springfield in hand, I scoped in. I reckoned they were about 350 meters from our position. The Scouts were gathered in a group, chewing on the carcasses of some wildlife. I smiled. Most of them were stationary. That made this a lot easier. In a low tone, serious face on, I motioned to Karlson and explained the plan. ¡°The most I can kill in sequence is five, and that¡¯s if all my shots are perfect. I¡¯m not betting on more than three realistically. After the first shot, they¡¯ll be alerted, so however many I get in five shots is probably going to be my limit.¡± ¡°Understood. If they find us though, we need to pull out quickly. They¡¯ll give chase as soon as they spot us and after that, we¡¯ll have all the Scourge beasts within 5 miles homing in on our location.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be prepared to bail. Just let me get off my five shots.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He nodded, and with that, I nudged Umara who lay right beside me. ¡°Ready? All I need is silence.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Keep in mind though. My bullets will still make sound when they reach the Scouts. All this barrier is doing is keeping them from listening for our direction, to some extent.¡± ¡°Remind me to ask you about how that works again later.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Umara¡¯s sound barrier materialized around us. I felt like I had gone deaf. Every sound from outside was completely gone. I couldn¡¯t even hear my own breathing. I took some deep breaths, steadying my aim as I found my first victim. There were six, and in my head I planned my sequence of attack. Target priority in mind, I twitched my reticle onto the first head. I could only feel the trigger click, the recoil hitting only moments after, the suppressor and Umara¡¯s air working in tandem to completely nullify any report. Down range, one Scout dropped dead, its head sporting a brand new hole. The others were still reacting as I found the next target looking curiously at the corpse of its buddy. Although still careful, I took less time to squeeze off the next round, hitting center mass and dropping it to the ground. A quick look told me the Scout was heavily wounded, not dead, but would soon be. A silent scream tore through the air, the other Scouts finally getting past the shock to move. I ignored it, taking aim at the slowest just as it started moving. The beasts all around started scrambling moments later. .30-06 bullets were supersonic and thus broke the sound barrier, creating a shockwave that exploded in the ears of anything it passed. They had to pass the creature first before the shockwave was felt, but nonetheless, all of them were seeing their buddies drop to the floor before hearing an explosion. It was obvious that they were under attack. But they didn¡¯t know where the attacks were coming from. Some of them were already looking our way, probably inferring the direction from the way their buddies had fallen. It was impressively sharp for what was bound to be an instinctual reaction, but they still weren¡¯t sure where exactly they were being shot from. They couldn''t see anything, for one, and vision was what Scouts relied on. They could gather all the information they wanted, but their eyes took precedence above all, and thus far they could find nothing. That uncertainty was exactly what I needed. Having started striding off in multiple directions, the Scouts made themselves too difficult to assuredly hit, so I held off for a little while. However, they couldn¡¯t keep running, and one stopped and turned to communicate. I fired at it, my body having steadied completely, my reticle resting right on top of its neck. I watched as the bullet tore through its chest like the last. All the beasts around it turned, watching in morbid astonishment as its body crumpled in on itself. Three bullets, two more to go. The other three Scouts were now looking in our direction, doing everything they could to find us. I could sense their gazes through my Aura. They weren¡¯t locked on to us yet, but even the slightest movements would give our position away. I ignored it and found another still Scout, firing. (Shit.) I cursed in my mind as the bullet landed off center. Instead of shooting through its chest, I tore off its arm at the shoulder instead. That Scout fell to the floor, and its erratic movements made it too difficult to shoot accurately So I instantly racked the bolt before settling in for my last shot. That missed shot caused me to panic a bit, so I got a nice spike of adrenaline that helped me hyper fixate on my next target. One of the two remaining Scouts looked back at their screaming friend. The other one, however, was looking at me. I could feel its gaze. That shot had given me away. But that was alright. It was focused on me, our Auras meeting. It was enraged and was already sending beasts to me. Several of the escort beasts started running in our direction. But its focus was its downfall. I could almost feel our eyes meet through my scope in an eerie sort of connection. That¡¯s when I realized that my intent could be easily read. It was also when I figured out how to utilize the Aura technique I had theorized about. Instead of making myself invisible, I could just create the illusion of me being invisible. That also applied to my intent. If I focused on nothing but killing the Scout, it would realize that and try to evade. It would be able to sense what I wanted to do. It was almost like mind-reading. But if I masked the intent coming from my mind, then it wouldn¡¯t be able to read anything. And that¡¯s exactly what I did. I created a veil around my mind, dividing it from the rest of my Aura that the Scout could see. It was as simple as making a barrier of power. I could practically see the confusion on the Scout''s face as it seemed to lose me. A final trigger pull was muffled in the bubble. The scout¡¯s head fell as my bullet severed its neck. That was four kills and one casualty. I spoke to Umara through my telepathy. (That¡¯s it. Release the barrier.) (Got it.) She responded, sounds of the world returning to my ears. I spoke. ¡°That¡¯s all. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± ¡°Hah, with pleasure.¡± The First Commander seemed oddly happy as we backed out and boarded the hummer. Like that, we drove away, the rest of our squad falling in as we went. Before long, we had left the ridge and no Scourge beasts were in sight. In and out, not undetected, but without contest. The Commander laughed. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve never seen anything quite like that before. No wonder he wanted you to do this mission. That was damn near the easiest mission I¡¯ve ever done! Just like that, four Scouts are dead, and not a single man was killed in the process. Nothing more than a bit of magic power for vehicles and your energy was spent.¡± ¡°Well, it certainly went well. I missed one, but they just kept standing still. They were almost asking to be shot.¡± ¡°How you did that from so far away is beyond me. Only the best archers I know of can pull off stunts like that. Which means that you, John, have earned yourself some more missions.¡± ¡°Hooray for me.¡± I gave a sarcastic cheer, making him chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t be so down. These are the best ones to have. They¡¯re fun, relatively safe, and don¡¯t come very often. It may be another week before you get called again. So until then, you¡¯re living the life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Not only that, but your name is going to get passed around. Some might say otherwise, but I¡¯m a firm believer in recognition being a most valuable resource. You¡¯re still in the Magisterium, but if you want a good post once you enter the military, then you¡¯ll need to have some connections. Make yourself desirable, and you¡¯ll get desirable positions.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Thanks.¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re quite amazing, and not just for a summoner. Would hate for that talent to go to waste.¡± I smiled. It seemed my initial assessment was right. After that, I lounged back with Umara as we drove back to base. He was right. This was rather fun. Chapter 102: Welts Once we returned to base, the Lieutenant went and handled the debrief. I was dismissed and told to just go relax, so I didn¡¯t argue. ¡°Man, we just sat there and did nothing. It may well just have been you three.¡± Vetsmon grumbled a bit. He prepared everything just to sit in the car for an hour. I smiled. ¡°Hey, you know how much I need you guys. I couldn¡¯t even do something like that without Umara, let alone any other mission.¡± ¡°Eh, still. I¡¯ve been finding myself itching lately.¡± ¡°I keep telling you to come duel me.¡± Feiden spoke out, making Vetsmon click his tongue. ¡°That¡¯s different. I keep losing to you.¡± ¡°You need to get faster. You can¡¯t do that unless you push yourself.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re just too fast. Not even Ponteck is that fast, so I¡¯m pretty sure I could handle him better than you. I feel like I¡¯m just standing still in our duels.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Feiden hummed, feeling a bit flattered while Vetsmon sighed. It was tough for the big guy to even react to Feiden¡¯s speed, let alone fight on par. I had seen some of their duels and could clearly tell that Feiden was in another league all to his own. He wasn¡¯t quite as fast as Shadowbane. She was the real freak of nature. But Feiden was also several years younger, yet he wasn¡¯t that much slower. If he kept it up, he might genuinely surpass her. It was vexing to think something could react and move so fast it could dodge my bullets after they were fired. Feiden was the second person I had met who was getting to that point, and the other was only Authority 7. Seriously, how was I supposed to fight at a higher level? I sighed as we walked, the Puppet Master appearing in our view. ¡°So? How was it?¡± ¡°A resounding success. Four Scouts dead, and not so much as a scratch.¡± ¡°Good. Hell, even better than I thought. Since that¡¯s the case, look forward to another one soon. There are plenty of higher value targets in the vicinity that the general wants rid of. You¡¯ll have your place in those hunts.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± At this point, I¡¯d done enough VIP hunts, be they in the Black Market or here, that it was rather ordinary to me. My only concern was encountering a Royal, but I trusted the Puppet Master¡¯s judgment. He wouldn¡¯t send me on something he knew wasn¡¯t safe. I still needed to be prepared. We went back to Requisitions to return our gear and relax. It was much like the Lieutenant had said; we were out for no more than three hours and were handily back before dinner. That left us plenty of time to do whatever we wanted. I looked at Feiden as we unpacked in our room. ¡°Hey, how¡¯s your Aura?¡± ¡°Mine? Not as good as yours. I¡¯ve never seen an Aura so powerful that it can dodge arrows without even knowing they¡¯re there.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been thinking. I met one of Umara¡¯s friends from the Raven Family not long ago in the Whetted City.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ve always wanted to go there. The Martial League sounds much better than the Magisterium, but my parents insisted. Anyway, what¡¯s this about a friend?¡± He tossed his armor to the side and took a seat on the bed. I did the same and entered discussion mode. ¡°She reminded me a lot of you. She specializes in speed, and is freakishly fast. A lot faster than you. Anyway, I helped her with her Aura while I was there. I thought I could do the same with you and Vetsmon, maybe give you a few pointers that might rectify some things. It worked with her, I don¡¯t see a reason it shouldn¡¯t work with you.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll certainly take whatever you can give. Information on Aura is hard to come by, not even considering the cost. I¡¯ll even pay you for lessons.¡± ¡°No no, that¡¯s not why I¡¯m doing this. Just let me help you out. This stuff with the Royals has me antsy, so I just want to make sure all of you are as prepared as you can be.¡± ¡°You? Antsy? I don¡¯t see it.¡± Feiden¡¯s brows raised, a bit of a smile on his face. ¡°You¡¯re the spitting image of confidence. I didn¡¯t see you nervous even when you were dying.¡± ¡°That was an extreme situation. Besides, I¡¯m more concerned about you guys. I need to make sure the people around me aren¡¯t getting hurt just because I¡¯m catching eyes.¡± ¡°Well, it should be the other way around. We¡¯re responsible for protecting you. You¡¯re the most talented summoner I¡¯ve ever heard of, let alone seen, but you¡¯re still a summoner. It¡¯s up to us knights and warlocks to take the damage for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m certainly not arguing, but that still puts you in danger, and how can you face the threats trying to kill me if you¡¯re still lacking in certain areas? Would you be able to stop or dodge an arrow you couldn¡¯t see?¡± I stared him down with a small smile, his scrutinizing gaze reluctantly giving way. ¡°Fair point. Then how do you suppose I train my Aura?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll explain it to you how I did with Umara and her friend. After that we can train it physically. Knights learn with their body, so that¡¯s how I¡¯ll teach you. By the way, Umara¡¯s friend was able to dodge my bullets.¡± I waved a 1911 around as I said that, making his eyes bulge. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Seriously. It baffled me too, but that was until I saw the Raven Chief move so fast it looked like he was teleporting. Still, I think that¡¯s a goal you should shoot for. Who knows, maybe with me there to motivate you, you¡¯ll grow even faster than she did.¡± ¡°...Maybe.¡± He rubbed his chin, his face neutral, yet his Aura radiating determination. It seemed I had sparked his competitive spirit or given him some inspiration. At that moment, there was a tap on the door, Vetsmon walking in. ¡°What are you guys up to?¡± ¡°Just talking. Come sit. I¡¯ll explain what I was just telling Feiden.¡± Patting the bed, I invited Vetsmon over before going back over everything, elaborating on some things in the process. Once they both understood what I was offering, we made plans to put it into motion the next day. It was well into the evening now, so we were tired, especially me. I may have only fired 5 shots, but the use of my coat had taken its toll. So we went to sleep with our plans, waking up the next day eager and ready for training. ¡­ ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m training their Aura.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d certainly trust you more than anyone else. You made mine sharper than ever and even managed to inspire Shadowbane. She¡¯d been stuck at that threshold for over a year, and a few lines from you shattered it like an illusion.¡± Umara nodded as she watched Feiden and Vetsmon prepare their gear on the training grounds. I fiddled with my Springfield as she spoke, shrugging. ¡°She was going to cross it anyway. I just offered a different perspective that managed to help her. Honestly, it¡¯s such a simple concept that I don¡¯t understand why they don¡¯t teach it in schools everywhere.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Information on Aura is extremely valuable since it can be such a strong tool. There are in fact techniques for it, but those are Kingdom secrets given only to the most trusted warriors in the military. Even I wouldn¡¯t be getting one until well into my career. You can imagine how little information there is on developing it open to the public.¡± ¡°It¡¯s stupid.¡± I scoffed. ¡°You¡¯d think against a threat capable of wiping out humanity, they would do anything they could to promote strength. But here they are, protecting their interests over the wellbeing of humanity. Besides, if I¡¯ve figured out some secret knowledge on my own, the rest can¡¯t possibly be that special. Their techniques are probably nothing more than rudimentary formations, especially in front of the real monsters I¡¯ve seen wielding Aura.¡± I thought of Apocryon, my inspiration for several Auric improvements. President Carrion, an Authority 11, had a strong Aura surpassing any other. However, Apocryon¡¯s was so sharp and destructive that he could kill with it. Carrion¡¯s was unhoned. It would at best provide some extrasensory suppression. And then there was the Raven Chief, a black hole of perception, capable of eluding my mind to such a degree that my own senses turned against me. Someone like Carrion couldn''t possibly compare; I had no doubts the Kingdom was lacking in the field of Aura. After all, where else could Carrion have possibly learned how to strengthen his Aura like that? Maybe he had other techniques that I simply wasn¡¯t aware of, but I also understood enough to know that an Aura¡¯s capabilities were reflected in its nature. I would have seen hidden techniques had he any, my inability to sense the Chief¡¯s Aura being a prime example. But I didn¡¯t, which meant he was either better than both the Chief and Apocryon, or he was far inferior. I was inclined to believe the latter, which only made him more pathetic in my eyes. All his years of living and he couldn¡¯t make a single technique of his own, whereas I was already using Telepathy. Perhaps I could save Vetsmon and Feiden from that fate. The only way I could be sure was if I started now. Umara sighed. ¡°Putting that aside, why the sudden motivation? You weren¡¯t thinking of training them before.¡± ¡°Well, as you had said, the Royal stuff is something to be concerned about. I¡¯ve been feeling a little on edge lately. I just want to make sure I do what I can to make sure they¡¯re prepared for whatever might happen.¡± ¡°On edge? Is this coming from you or your Aura?¡± ¡°Is there a difference?¡± ¡°...¡± She went silent at that. At this point, the lines between my own intuition and senses and my Aura were blurred to the point of nigh nonexistence. As it got better, the lines blurred more, transforming into what I could only describe as one unified form of perception. It was nice to have in battle since it kept me safe, but outside, it resulted in heightened paranoia and anxiety. It felt like I was always being watched, like there was someone after my life no matter how secure I should be. At first it was easy to ignore, but I was starting to feel worn out. That was why I was training so hard in my free time. Only by training would the omnipresent stress subside. Only by training could I distract myself from the feeling I was digging my own grave. And now, I was worrying about the people around me. Umara and I had already worked together for a while now, but the other knights of my squad were people I couldn¡¯t completely be sure of yet. I explained some of these things to Umara. Shortly after, Tana showed up, having seen my message. I walked over, putting my conversation with my girlfriend to the side and focusing on the knights. ¡°Alright, listen closely. I¡¯m going to be helping you with Aura by explaining it in simple terms. Then, we¡¯re going to put yours to the test with some live training. It might take a while, but at least it won''t be physically demanding.¡± After waving everyone over, I started explaining my interpretation of Aura. They were all silent as I spoke. My theories on what Aura was, its purpose, and how it should be used were rather basic so it wouldn¡¯t teach them anything specific. But because they were so simple, they could easily understand it. Like with Umara, they would hopefully realize how to hone their Aura, even if they couldn¡¯t find a way to use it beyond its most basic extrasensory abilities. That would be enough for our situation. I knew that Tana had a pretty good Aura. She made that clear when I had first met her. However, that was also when I had no idea what the concept even was; mine had long since surpassed hers. Still, besides Umara, she probably had the best Aura out of the group. It took about half an hour to get through my explanations; I gave them some more time to digest and ask me questions. They were talented, so they could all already sense their Aura and harness it to some extent. That made it much easier for them to understand what I was saying, but unlike Shadowbane, they weren¡¯t yet at a threshold for enlightenment, or whatever Shadowbane had gone through. At the very least they were a good while off. After an hour or so, each of them had grasped what I was saying to some extent. That¡¯s when we moved on to applied training. I took out my pistol as the three lined up in a line, their backs facing me. My smile caused Umara to speak. ¡°What? You enjoy the thought of shooting your friends?¡± ¡°Of course not. Still, this situation is quite humorous.¡± ¡°Do you want me to silence the gun?¡± ¡°No need. It won¡¯t matter.¡± I raised my arm with those words. The yelp that resulted almost matched the volume of the gun. ¡°Ow! Why me first?!¡± Tana yelled and whipped around as the bullet smacked into her leg. It probably stung. ¡°Flip back around. If you don¡¯t want to get shot, then learn to sense it. All you have to do is raise your hand if you think I¡¯m going to shoot you. If you¡¯re right, then you won¡¯t get shot. Otherwise I¡¯ll just make it hurt more.¡± Another shot went off, my bullet landing square on Vetsmon¡¯s back. He cracked his neck. ¡°Like a massage.¡± ¡°Focus on your Aura, dammit.¡± I aimed my gun at Tana again while smirking at Vetsmon. I left it there for some time, giving her an opportunity to sense my intention. Of course, I wasn¡¯t simply pointing my gun. I was engaging my own Aura, using it to subtly poke her with an invisible hand. I obviously wasn¡¯t trying to kill them, so my intentions weren¡¯t so intense, but there was still a rather pressing itch to pull the trigger. After counting to 10 and not seeing her hand, I shot. ¡°Ack! Again!?¡± ¡°Blame yourself. Next.¡± I moved my gun back to Vetsmon. After 10 seconds, I shot, eliciting a grunt of displeasure. It was Tana¡¯s turn after that. She earned another shot to the back. I took turns shooting randomly, occasionally taking a suggestion from Umara as to who to torment next. Two more shots went into Tana¡¯s back before I suddenly pointed my gun at Feiden¡¯s back. His hand shot up. ¡°Heh, I knew you were sharp.¡± I smirked then shot Tana. ¡°Ahh!! Stop shooting me!¡± ¡°Sorry, habit.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve said that five times!¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a habit.¡± I smiled while aiming at Feiden again. This time, I made my Aura more indiscernible. Sure enough, his hand didn¡¯t go up. He was sensitive, but not enough. 10 seconds. ¡°Ouch.¡± He flinched a bit. I had put a bit of Psyka in the bullet; it could actually hurt him now. As a bonus, I had caught him off guard. ¡°Come on, focus. I can and will do this all night until all of you are able to sense it. So if you don¡¯t want to be covered in welts¡­¡± A bang, then brass hitting the floor. ¡°...then start using that Aura.¡± I smirked as Vetsmon remained silent in the face of my shot. A bit of Psyka and suddenly he couldn¡¯t just shrug it off anymore. True to my word, I stood and shot my friends for another several hours. They weren¡¯t even allowed to eat; Umara occasionally brought some water for us when she took a break. It was only when night fell that Vetsmon finally raised his hand. My brows went up, then I shot Tana. ¡°...¡± They were all silent, but I could sense Vetsmon¡¯s joy. As for Tana, she had stopped complaining. I had said that her Aura was the sharpest of the three. But that¡¯s also why I made it more difficult for her. Feiden never raised his hand again after I shrunk my Aura, so his back was riddled with red welts. As for Tana, I didn¡¯t even start her off easy, so she never raised her hand once. Thankfully none of them were immature enough to fake it and raise their hand without sensing it. They took training seriously, understanding the gravity of having their lives on the line. Even after darkness long overtook the sky, we still continued. Umara helped me by silencing the sound of my gun, ensuring that we wouldn''t get yelled at for making too much noise. But we stayed up, even as the moon glowed and midnight came. Hour after hour, I would shoot one of their backs every 10 to 20 seconds. My Aura constantly adjusted between shots, prodding at their own and giving them an idea of what it should feel like. I treated it like shocking awake a new limb. I didn¡¯t change anything for Tana. I decided that we wouldn¡¯t go anywhere until she raised her hand. It was a good thing that all of us had the stamina. My body wasn¡¯t as good as theirs, but I had a strong mind that could push through mental fatigue. And before we knew it, morning came. The sun rose, none of us acknowledging it. I continued shooting, occasionally glancing at that unfamiliar star in the distance poking its head over the horizon. Umara laid on my lap, sustaining her silencing spell. It was only when the base became active again that she released it, falling asleep in the process. As for me, as morning passed and we approached noon, even I started to feel the allure of sleep. However, that¡¯s when I noticed something. Yet another bullet landed on Tana¡¯s back. However, this time, I noticed a fluctuation in her emotions. There was excitement. For a second, she was about to raise her hand, but she refrained. A rush of adrenaline hit me. For a moment, mental clarity returned, letting me hone my Aura to the level it had always been at for her. Just to make sure, I shot the others once each before moving back to Tana. After about 10 seconds, I didn¡¯t see her hand. But I did sense how taut her body became. ¡°It¡¯s worth a shot,¡± I thought. I pulled the trigger. In the instant before I shot, I saw her body twist. I continued with my shot anyway, and sure enough, she had dodged the bullet before I even shot. The bullet sailed past, burying itself in the dirt. I smiled and stood, walking over to her and planting my hand on her shoulder. ¡°Ow.¡± ¡°Good job. We¡¯re done. Get some sleep.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded before tilting to the side and falling to the floor. The other two did the same, all of them passing out under the afternoon sun. I sighed and walked back to Umara, picking her up and taking her to her room before going to sleep myself. Chapter 103: Something ¡°Congratulations. Your Auras are sharper than ever. Now you just need to learn how to do that Vigor blade thing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been working on that for years.¡± Feiden mumbled, picking at the plate of food in front of him. We had gathered in the cafeteria after an entire day of sleep. Any injuries they suffered during our training had completely healed, making me far less sympathetic to their complaints. If I could eat bullets like that, I wouldn¡¯t mind getting shot every day. Well, not that what I had in mind for them was much different. None of us had the time to repeat last time¡¯s training session, but I could still throw a bullet in their direction every so often throughout the day. I hadn¡¯t started yet, but as soon as they were done eating, they would be in for a nasty surprise. Besides, I had to train too. I glanced between Feiden and Vetsmon. ¡°You two should keep dueling. Find each other¡¯s weaknesses and exploit them. Get down and dirty if you have to. Just do what you need to do to get better. Maybe even Tana can join in.¡± ¡°You say that like I couldn¡¯t hold my own against them.¡± Tana quipped from the side, for which I gave her some side-eye. ¡°Can you?¡± ¡°Probably!¡± ¡°Well, your Aura is certainly better, but that only helps with survival at your current level.¡± ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been wondering about that myself. How come you¡¯re so good? You make it seem so damn easy. Where¡¯d you even learn?¡± ¡°Experience.¡± I answered while taking a bite out of some bread. ¡°Umara knows this, and Vetsmon does too, so I find it easy to tell you that my job is dangerous. I don¡¯t work much anymore, but when I did, I was fighting for my life every damn day. In that kind of situation, you either get better or die. I suggest you treat this situation the same.¡± ¡°Your job as a delivery man, you mean? How is that dangerous?¡± ¡°Powerful people want me to move valuable cargo. Plenty of people want it but don¡¯t want to pay for it. I¡¯m the only one standing in their way, so they take it out on me. The more I deliver and defend myself, the worse the people become. I¡¯ve had to dip my toes into some pretty deep waters back at the capitol and made some pretty big waves. I don¡¯t regret it, but it certainly doesn¡¯t make my life any easier.¡± ¡°...Which means...¡± Tana narrowed her eyes, her brain chugging along to a conclusion she couldn¡¯t seem to find. I sighed. ¡°I work in the black market, you dingus.¡± ¡°...I knew that.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Anyway, I¡¯ve got plenty of experience and am more than qualified to tell you that you still have a lot to work on. All of you do. The enemies we have to worry about are no longer just animals. They¡¯re smart, and if you aren¡¯t capable of sensing the danger before it comes, then we won¡¯t even have time to be sorry. So please, heed my warnings and focus on training. I¡¯ll do what I can for myself, but I¡¯m not the only person I have to worry about anymore. I¡¯ve got a squad to watch over and I¡¯m certainly not going to lose anybody just because I was negligent.¡± ¡°Come on, you don¡¯t think we¡¯re incapable of pushing ourselves, do you?¡± Vetsmon smiled before his tone became serious. ¡°Besides, how can we leave watching over the squad to one person? We¡¯re all responsible for each other and ourselves. At the very least, I¡¯ll be damned if I¡¯m complacent. No matter what enemies we¡¯re facing, it¡¯s our job to make sure we can at least survive. You¡¯re not the only one who needs to step up. We also need to watch over you. If I can¡¯t protect my summoner then I wouldn¡¯t be much of a knight now, would I?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I shrugged with a smile, causing him to chuckle and tap his fist against my shoulder. It kind of hurt. ¡°Don¡¯t worry John. We¡¯ve all been furiously training since we were kids. That hasn¡¯t stopped after we entered the Magisterium. These fourth-year trips are what everybody works towards. We¡¯ve had the Puppet Master¡¯s training and the tutelage of our parents and teachers. There¡¯s a reason no Elite has ever died, and trust me when I say that you¡¯re not the first the Royals have tried to kill.¡± Feiden gave his spiel, to which I pondered for a second before refuting. ¡°Would I be the first summoner?¡± ¡°...Maybe. I¡¯ve never heard of one quite like you before, and it¡¯s extremely rare for one to be in the Elites anyway. I think that one other summoner who was on it with you just recently dropped to the bottom of the list¡­¡± ¡°The point is that we¡¯re capable and you shouldn¡¯t worry so much.¡± Umara suddenly chimed in, striking down my refute. ¡°You need to worry more about yourself since you¡¯re the one being targeted.¡± ¡°Believe me, I wish I could just relax since I¡¯m doing pretty well right now. But it never feels like enough.¡± I let out a long breath, the suffocating stress my Aura never let me ignore washing over me in a moment of distraction. But then I shook my head and zoned in. ¡°Nevermind. Just focus on training and we¡¯ll be good. Speaking of, I have an advancement formation to work on.¡± With that, I brought out the second layer of my advancement formation. All that talk of training made me eager to do so. I felt restless when I wasn¡¯t making progress, so I decided I didn¡¯t need any more food and needed more studying. ¡­¡­ ¡­ Four more days passed, filled with nothing but constant training. I practically had my face buried in that formation layer while the others worked on their own. Vetsmon and Feiden were in constant battle, duking it out on the sparring grounds every chance they had. It seemed they had taken me seriously and were more than driven enough to follow through with my suggestions. It proved to be a great burden off my back. I was still worried, but their effort meant that I wasn¡¯t more so. Umara did the same, working through the booklet I had written with my knowledge of natural sciences. My only moments of relaxation were when I shot at the knights. It was especially fun during their spars, where I could simultaneously test my aim on Feiden to see if I could actually hit the jittery bastard. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. With every new understanding, I was able to unveil another step in the process and push the ocean of my mind to move with stronger currents. This accumulated more Psyka and made it much easier to move through the spirit dimension. With each day, I could tell that I was getting closer to something. It was one particular spirit, and it was powerful, that much I could tell. I could detect where it was with surprising accuracy, but still lacked the raw strength to project deeper inside. It was still good to know that there was something in there waiting for me that would undoubtedly help me. Perhaps it was another modified weapon, or even something special. At least my dreams were helping massively. I felt like I was making leaps in comprehension nightly. My dreams were far more vivid than even a mere few weeks ago, making for a much more powerful tool. My gains were starting to compound, and for once, I felt like I could blaze a trail and exceed Maxwell¡¯s predictions. It was rather stressful since I was compelled to work even harder, but my excitement far outstripped any pressure. ¡­ The Puppet Master called us at midnight four days later with another mission. We were called to an impromptu meeting in a building beside Headquarters. We groggily filed in, worn out from training, finding some unfamiliar faces already waiting for us. A few officers and some higher-ranking soldiers were standing around some tables, already geared up. Once we arrived, the commanding officer, Commander Karlson who I recognized from the last mission, started. ¡°We¡¯ve just received intelligence on another encampment. It has a small but formidable force consisting of two Authority 7 Scouts and their escorts. There¡¯s also a small force of other beasts and the possibility of Royals.¡± ¡°Our strike force will be covert but equivalent. We¡¯ll strike with surprise and take out their observational capabilities to start. Our Warlock will proceed with a bombardment while our knight forces pincer them. Entry points and the lay of the land are marked on this map¡­¡± I started listening attentively once I realized that this was not just an informal briefing, but a full mission rundown. We were moving with a significant force. In fact, in this operation, I would just be the trigger. I was just to sit on my vantage point and kill as many HVTs as I could before being exposed. It was a four-pronged attack utilizing two layers of surprise attacks. Even if there were Royals, they would pose little to no threat. We would be able to eradicate the camp without issue. But that was only if we could approach undetected. I was only confident because they¡¯d definitely run operations like this one before, and were still alive to tell the tale. I would even have some guards. They were treating me rather nicely. ¡°Make sure we all keep an eye on the clock. As soon as we arrive at the first checkpoint, we¡¯ll split and move into setup positions. After 10 minutes, we all move from secondary positions into primary positions for the battle. 5 minutes later, John will start, killing what he can, before the Warlocks launch the bombardment. John, how many shots should we expect before moving in?¡± I perked up when my name was mentioned, the attention in the room instantly focusing on me. ¡°They¡¯ll be alerted on the first shot by an explosive sound. Is it better to begin the bombardment sooner or later?¡± ¡°Sooner.¡± ¡°Then three shots. They¡¯ll be alerted but won¡¯t yet have reacted.¡± ¡°Three shots, potentially three kills. Alright, everyone here knows that those three explosions will be the signal. You won¡¯t miss them, believe me. John¡¯s priority targets will be the Authority 7 scouts. He will be afforded a minute or so to acquire them and kill one. He¡¯s done so before, so I have no doubt he¡¯ll be able to do it again. Be patient and stay hidden until it¡¯s time. You all have an hour to prepare. Dismissed.¡± Everyone rose with those words, including my squad. On the way out, I met the Puppet Master, who pulled me to the side. ¡°I know there are some scouts there, but I don¡¯t suggest trying anything. For one, you won¡¯t be able to get anything unless you steal it. It¡¯s military property. Second, you shouldn¡¯t do anything to jeopardize the mission. Aim for the head, and kill them. Worry about preserving the lives of those you¡¯re working with.¡± ¡°I know, Puppet Master. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m more concerned about preserving my own life in the first place. I wasn¡¯t able to sleep much.¡± ¡°Yes, I apologize for the late wake-up call. But sometimes these special missions demand that of valuable soldiers.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not why I didn¡¯t get sleep, but thanks anyway.¡± I smiled before walking off with my squad. ¡°Wish us luck.¡± ¡­¡­ Before long, everyone was gathered within a few trucks. It didn¡¯t take long to speed out of the base under the cover of darkness. My leg kept twitching as I sat next to Umara. I couldn¡¯t help but keep clenching my jaw from adrenaline. I wasn¡¯t feeling good. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. This mission is either going to go well or not so well. Fuck, I need to work. How long until we get there?¡± ¡°2 hours. Why?¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t respond, thinking before suddenly closing my eyes. ¡°Tell me when we¡¯re at the first checkpoint.¡± With those words, I suddenly dove into my 4th dimension and started Projecting. I poured my energy into my little Psyka drone, pushing it deeper into the dimension with reckless abandon. My Aura was overactive. I wasn¡¯t sure if I felt horrible about this mission or if I was just that paranoid. There was no solid indication yet that I was going to be in danger, but the feeling in the back of my head had grown to the point that I couldn¡¯t think of anything else. I needed to get somewhere, to get something. Right now, my instincts were telling me to dive into my dimension in search of that weapon, so that¡¯s what I did. There was a lot of nothing, but I had made a lot of progress and the weapon wasn¡¯t that far anymore. I just didn¡¯t think a mission like this would happen now of all times, so I had thought I could put it off for later. I was still tired from the previous day¡¯s training, and even now I didn¡¯t have my full Psyka reserves. But all this stress had me thinking that I no longer had a choice. I pushed forward, feeding the drone¡¯s ever-growing need for Psyka. I didn¡¯t care much about saving what I had, much less passive recovery. I devoted the whole power of my mind and Spark to that drone, seeking out the best path and making the best use of my Psyka. Everything else faded away. I could barely even feel the rough terrain underneath rattling the vehicle. In a way, it was almost like I fell asleep. The Projection Dimension felt much like a dream, only not restful but tiring. And because of that, time flew by a lot faster than I liked. ¡­ ¡°Hm?¡± I zoned back in when I felt a tapping on my shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Shit¡­¡± I cursed and surveyed the dimension. It felt close, whatever weapon it was. I had used over half of my reserves in the process, but it would only take a little more to communicate with the spirit. Unfortunately, it was time to work. There were five other vehicles. One stayed behind with us while the others split off to their setup positions. We did the same, moving toward the vantage point. That took about 5 minutes, which I used to push the drone just a bit further. We disembarked and moved to the vantage point on foot. In addition to my normal squad, two Authority 7 Knights and an Authority 6 Warlock accompanied us. We were all silent as we stealthily made our way to our primary position. It was a subtle spot with a small outcropping that was elevated above the camp. The only issue was that it was also almost 400 meters away from the camp. I didn¡¯t even speak to the others before crawling over and setting my Springfield, looking through the scope to see a bunch of little beasts walking around the camp. It was too late to change positions; I could only make do. ¡°And it''s in the dark. They¡¯re thinking too highly of me.¡± I mumbled while looking around, straining my sight as much as I could to identify the beasts. There were plenty of escorts roaming around, some reminiscent of tigers and bears, others more alien in shape. Dozens of scouts were also scattered around, fleshy bulbs that indicated eyes shut tight from sleep. But there were supposed to be two Cyclops Scouts, which I needed to focus on. Those were the most dangerous enemies. I felt antsy just laying there, but I directed the energy to focus on the beasts and found one. It was late at night, so most of the beasts were sleeping. The only Cyclops Scout I found was lying against the large belly of a bear escort. It had one large fleshy bump on its face, conveniently illuminated by the faint moonlight. I marked the location in my mind and looked around a bit more with no success. Returning my scope to my initial target, I let out a long sigh. ¡°Umara.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± When I called, Umara deployed her sound barrier, the surroundings going completely silent. I blocked out everything else myself. Only the Scout, my gun, and the cool night air registered. It was a shame I couldn¡¯t find the second scout, but I only needed to kill one to successfully do my job. There was nothing else to say or do. I lifted my Aerial and stared at the clock, watching as the seconds ticked closer to T-0. Time to begin. Everyone was in position and waiting on my mark. I had guards to watch my back and everyone else would take care of the camp. I just had to fire three times and I would be done. So why did I keep feeling like something was going to happen? Chapter 104: Zombie Paranoia ate away at my heart. I had acquired my target. I had several people watching my back. There shouldn¡¯t be anything that would threaten me, let alone something I couldn¡¯t even pinpoint. Hell, it didn¡¯t really feel like a threat. It wasn¡¯t even my Aura that was going off, just good old intuition telling me I would attract unwanted attention if I pulled the trigger. It was like I was being looked for. Somehow, an unknown enemy that didn¡¯t exactly know where I was held me in check. If I were actually being watched, my Aura would¡¯ve felt it. Even if there wasn¡¯t a threat to my life now, that didn¡¯t mean there soon wouldn¡¯t be. Everything was crashing together, even when nothing had really happened yet. The spirit in my dimension was practically screaming at me to push a little more and grab it. Through my scope I continued to look around the camp. There were only two structures, both of them tents, that I assumed the Royals were residing in. Both of them emanated powerful Auras, neither of which I could handle. The briefing touched on the presence of Royals, but didn¡¯t have a number. I wasn¡¯t exactly sure, but two tents for two Royals seemed right. I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about them; I¡¯d leave them to the knights lying in ambush. All I needed to do was take out the Cyclops. Despite my importance to the battle overall, I wasn¡¯t to play all that large of a role. It was completely out of scale with the immense foreboding cloud hanging over my mind. I couldn¡¯t afford to think through my thoughts now. The clock continued to tick, and everyone was waiting for my go-ahead. I shook my head, casting away the distractions. My jacket flared to life. Time slowed. My reticle, zeroed from my estimations, rested square on the Cyclop¡¯s eye. I pulled. The rifle shuddered in my hands. On the other end, I could see the head of the Cyclops Scout¡­ Intact. I had missed. The bullet buried itself in the fur of the escort right behind the Scout. I couldn¡¯t see where it actually landed, but all I knew was that the Scout was alive and well. Both reacted fiercely, starting in alarm and looking around. My heart pounded as I chambered another round, instinctively readjusting for the minor deviation in angle. The world slowed down even more, my hyperawareness taking full control along my instincts, as if I was making this shot with my life on the line. With another pull of the trigger, a flower of blood bloomed from the side of its head. Still slightly off, but at least I hit my mark. I sighed, unable to hear my own breath, before looking back out toward the camp. I saw two figures emerge from the tents, both humanoid, and look around calmly. I didn¡¯t like how they were so casual, and I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to give away my position by shooting them. That would be useless anyway. So I found another random target, a scampering furry escort, and shot it. The target on the other end didn¡¯t go down, continuing to run like nothing even happened, but that was fine. Three explosions marked the start of the battle. For a brief moment, uncomfortably magnified by my coat, nothing happened. Then, night turned to day as four streams of superheated plasma coalesced from the ether, curling into densely packed spheres of fire. They flung themselves with uncharacteristic force into the camp, sending a blazing inferno thousands of feet into the air. Umara did away with the sound barrier, thankfully after the shockwave had passed, leaving only the rampaging winds to buffet our ears. I shook my head. ¡°Fucking ridiculous. You could set a city on fire with the wave of a hand. If it weren¡¯t for the distance, I¡¯d be terrified. ¡± ¡°I know. Hard to believe that I can reach that level.¡± Umara muttered, watching the blaze, enamored. I was a bit quicker than her to get over it though. This time, my Aura spiked with a faint sense of danger, confirming my worst fears. ¡°We¡¯re not done. Get ready for battle.¡± ¡°What? Are we going down there?¡± ¡°No. Something¡¯s coming.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Umara cursed as we both picked ourselves off from the vantage point, running back to our unit. The Captain nodded at me. ¡°Good job. We¡¯ll wait here since there¡¯s no possible way for you to provide any support like this.¡± ¡°Great¡­¡± I responded a bit harsher than I intended, sitting myself down by the truck. I looked into my dimension while scratching the back of my head. I didn¡¯t use much Psyka earlier, but also didn¡¯t have much left. I took a deep breath and dove back in, Projecting for the weapon that so desperately called to me. A minute or so passed. The feeling gnawing at my mind grew. Part of me just wanted to take the truck and start running, anything to get away from the constant paranoia. It only fueled me to push my Projection further. Then something changed. ¡°Hm?¡± The Captain snapped up in confusion. That something had a direction. I could practically see it through the wall of the truck, my Aura locking onto an entity, a nefarious smile plastered across its face. ¡°Found you.¡± ¡°Move!¡± I yelled, grabbing Umara as I dove out of the truck. A beam tore through it a moment later, the two glowing metal halves sagging for a second before the White Crystal blew up, scattering our squad. ¡°Agh!¡± ¡°It¡¯s an attack! Form up!¡± The Captain shouted as Umara and I tumbled across the floor. I immediately jumped to my feet, steering my gaze to a strange creature. It had no eyes, only a massive mouth and several flaps on its head that I couldn¡¯t fathom the purpose of. Beside that thing was a humanoid, just one, that walked toward us while twirling a longsword. A Royal, an intelligent humanoid born of the Scourge. At first glance, it seemed to be an Authority 7. However, numbers didn¡¯t tell everything; it felt a lot more menacing than the two knights with us. My breathing slowed as I watched the mount scamper off. Shockingly, it was the Royal that had let off that laser. Time slowed as I felt another buildup of power in the Royal. I dove at Umara, forcing myself between her and the beam, a slight warmth emanating from my back where my coat was hit. I looked down at her. ¡°Prepare your Christmas gifts, sweetheart. Shit¡¯s hitting the fan.¡± ¡°Right. What should we do?¡± ¡°Regroup and get ready to run. Come on!¡± I pulled her up when it was safe, sprinting in the opposite direction of the Royal until we found some trees. We slid behind them, finding the rest of our squad waiting for us. ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Good. We need to stay far away from that thing. Let the others handle it. In the meantime, we¡¯re going to run to the other checkpoint the First Commander used.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Give me a second.¡± I spoke while equipping my Springfield, aiming from the tree¡¯s side to find the that fleshy creature the Royal came with lingering to the side. It was watching us, and it fell under my reticle because of that. With an explosion, the thing¡¯s head received another gaping hole. One shot, one kill. It was too easy. But what I saw when looking back wasn¡¯t pretty. The Captain, his other Authority 7 knight, plus the Authority 6 warlocks, were all entangled with the Royal. Well, the knights were anyway. The warlocks were on the floor, body mulched into a fleshy mass beyond comprehension. ¡°Fuck, it hasn¡¯t even been a minute!¡± It was a chilling sight. These people were supposed to be protecting me, yet they were being killed off so easily. As for the two knights doing battle, the Captain seemed to be the only one capable of meeting it head on. The other one was drifting around, barely redirecting the occasional kill strike the Royal threw at him. Yet despite being entangled with two enemies, that Royal still found time to lock eyes with me. Bold golden eyes bored into my soul. ¡°There¡¯s nowhere to run to! Just be good and stay still while I end these amateurs.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Its voice echoed into everyone¡¯s ears. The Captain responded with a roar, heavily increasing the intensity of his attacks. His partner did the same. Their battle became so fierce that my eyes couldn¡¯t actually keep up. Each strike of the blade let out sounds that rivaled the explosions of my guns. Sparks would occasionally fly that reminded me just how much power was behind every one of their blows. That thing was right. We couldn¡¯t run. Their battle would end well before we could even get close to the other checkpoint. And it was too fast for any of us to outrun. I knew first hand what one of these battles entailed, and that was only between two humans. This Royal could fight well above its level, its suicidal vigor allowing for much riskier moves. ¡°John!¡± ¡°...Hang on.¡± I ignored Umara, watching the fight. The Royal already had several wounds across its body, bleeding profusely. But the knights had suffered for it too, similar gashes littered across their armor and arms, breathing heavily from the exertion. And my Aura was still screaming at me to do something. That something, however, wasn¡¯t running. I turned and sat against the tree, facing Vetsmon. ¡°Carry us and run.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He nodded, scooping me up while Feiden took Umara. We immediately started running, the Royal¡¯s laughter mocking us from behind. I yelled. ¡°Tana! Stick around and expect a battle. Stay hidden until you¡¯re needed.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°John, are we really going to get to the checkpoint?¡± ¡°No.¡± I shook my head at Vetsmon¡¯s question. ¡°Like I said, expect a battle. Now run a bit softer. I need to concentrate.¡± I focused back on my dimension with those words, following that screaming instinct to find the weapon. The desire to see what was happening behind me tugged at my mind, but nothing would matter unless I could find that weapon. At least Vetsmon tried his best to run softly, minimizing distractions. I used what I had left of my reserves to charge forward, feeling the spirit get closer until I could practically touch it. My heart pounded, feeling the power of the battle in the distance as well as the spirit¡¯s beckon. ¡°I¡¯m coming for you, filthy summoner!¡± I heard the scream of the Royal, ignoring it as I blew past some new weapons. Then, I found it. A large metal platform with a short stock and wooden grip, two long barrels shooting out of the front, and a thick pan magazine sitting on top of the receiver. The Lewis Automatic Machine Gun, invented by Issac Lewis in America, widely adopted in the United Kingdom, and used extensively in WW1 and WW2. This particular one in front of me was a variant, one upgraded by America after they adopted the weapon. Chambered in 30-06, the rifle wasn¡¯t equipped with the barrel shroud of the earlier models, had a thicker pan magazine capable of holding 97 rounds, and had a skeleton stock and bipod. After staring at it for a second, I immediately made contact. I realized that this variant had some strong memories to give. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have the luxury of time to appreciate the tale of the original owner. Instead, I received a rudimentary understanding on how to operate the gun, nothing more than small details like operating the bolt and reloading the pan magazine. Everything else had to be pushed away. Sure enough, not long after I got the weapon, I felt the Royal barreling toward us. The only thing that gave me solace was the fact that my Aura no longer screamed that I was going to die. I shouted. ¡°Stop running!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Get ready to fight!¡± I yelled, punching Vetsmon¡¯s armored chest and prompting him to reluctantly come to a halt. I knew they could all feel the Royal coming. It didn¡¯t seem feasible to actually fight it, but we didn¡¯t have much of a choice. Once I was set down, I hoisted the gun, pounding down the pan magazine and racking the bolt. ¡°Treat this thing like the beast it is. We¡¯re killing it, so act like it! Vetsmon, Feiden, to the front! Umara, prepare your spells!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± They yelled their affirmatives, taking up their positions with me at the back. That¡¯s when it appeared. The Royal, haggard and seriously wounded. It was missing an entire arm, blood still pouring from the wound, while a knife was skewered through its leg. There were gaping wounds across its body, including one large stab wound through its gut. How it was still standing was beyond me, but clearly it couldn¡¯t completely outclass the two knights. Despite all that though, I still felt like this thing could kill me with a flick of the hand if I got anywhere near it. Vetsmon and Feiden were the only ones who could hope to go toe to toe with it. ¡°Time to use that Aura¡­¡± ¡°You actually decided to face me? At least you¡¯re not an idiot.¡± The Royal cackled, blood coating its chin as it walked forward. I responded. ¡°You apparently think awfully highly of me if you¡¯re willing to go this far.¡± ¡°No, my boss thinks highly of you. But she wants you dead, and she gets what she wants. So unless you want your friends to die, I suggest you just give yourself up. I¡¯ll get an extra treat if you¡¯re alive.¡± ¡°Fuck, so you¡¯re really nothing more than a dog. Eat shit!¡± With a clenched jaw, I raised the Lewis Gun, grabbing the barrel and taking aim. I jammed down the trigger. The light machine gun spewed out rounds rate far surpassing anything I had previously fired. I empowered every round with as much juice as I could give, each bullet smacking into the Royal with prejudice. Vetsmon and Feiden stood back, stunned, as the Royal was actually suppressed. Bullet holes riddled its body, its remaining energy not enough to completely block them out. ¡°AGH! What the fuck is that?! Stop doing that!¡± After just a few seconds, dozens of holes riddled its body. The Royal screamed in irritation before bolting off to the side. My coat lit up as I followed, continuing to pelt it with rounds. It tried to get closer, but doing so only made things worse. Earlier, I wasn¡¯t landing every shot, but the closer it got the more I hit. It was too weak to take me head on, but only I knew that this couldn¡¯t continue forever. So when it retreated a bit, I stopped. ¡°Vetsmon, Feiden, pin it down!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± (Umara, hold fire. I¡¯ll need you to stall for time in a bit, and they¡¯re too close for you to not accidentally hit someone.) Umara met my telepathy with her assent. The two charged forward with my call. Vetsmon hoisted his shield and charged it, while Feiden circled around for a better position. ¡°Shit! You think you can fight me?! I¡¯ll fucking gut you!¡± It screamed while meeting the two knights head on, swinging down its sword at Vetsmon. The blade rang, a spray of sparks bursting out from where the sword dug into Vetsmon¡¯s shield. Even with his sturdy legs, he buckled a little before driving the sword back. He rose back up while driving his sword forward, forcing the Royal to dodge while unlodging its sword. That¡¯s when Feiden came in, swinging at its legs. It twisted in midair, dodging the thrust and backing away. It took a moment to recalibrate, then went after Feiden with a vengeance, snaking its sword toward him. Like he had seen it coming all along, Feiden deftly batted away the tip of the sword while swiping out with his spear. ¡°Ah! Son of a bitch!¡± Feiden sliced across its remaining arm, leaving a long but shallow wound before backing away. Vetsmon dove back in, but by now, the Royal had been suitably enraged. ¡°Fuck off, metal pile of shit!¡± It raised its leg, kicking Vetsmon¡¯s shield at just the right angle to launch him several yards backwards. Then it refocused its efforts on Feiden, a storm of killing strikes forcing him onto the back foot. He was trying to keep it at a distance to use his spear effectively, but failing due to its sheer strength. That¡¯s when a figure dove in from behind, Tana deftly shooting her blade forward. The Royal noticed, but couldn¡¯t quite react before Tana¡¯s sword stabbed straight into its back. ¡°AHH!¡± Its scream of pain rent my ears, but it didn¡¯t even flinch, using Tana¡¯s momentum against her to lunge and grab her neck, longsword all but forgotten. She didn¡¯t panic even as I did and brought out a knife to drive into its arm. ¡°Shit! Fuck!¡± It cursed and had no choice but to let go, delivering a fierce kick into Tana¡¯s gut that launched her several yards away. Feiden tried for another attack, sticking his spear into its shoulder, but was met with heavy resistance when he tried to pull back. He tried to abandon it, but was met with a quick kick at his chest. It caved his armor in, sending him as far as Tana, blood pouring from his mouth. I contacted Umara with my telepathic connection. (Now! Keep it busy!) (Got it!) She responded, blades of air already making their way towards it. The Royal was bombarded, slashes appearing across its remaining limbs. The occasional blast of pressurized air also knocked it around, nowhere near enough to kill it, but plenty enough to distract and unbalance him. ¡°Stop it! STOP IT! Warlocks are nuisances! I should¡¯ve killed you first!¡± It screamed, planting its feet and charging at Umara. I panicked again, but with a light kick, a gust of wind lifted her up as she kited the Royal. Unfortunately, the terrain was rough. She also couldn¡¯t move fast or far, and she surely wasn¡¯t as agile as the Royal, so it closed the distance quickly. I slammed the bolt back into place, another round ready to fire. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± I pulled the trigger when Umara launched herself out of the line of fire, pelting the Royal once more. Umara joined in by launching the most devastating attacks she could, most consisting of pressurized air that blew holes or left gaping wounds behind. There was hardly a part of this Royal that wasn¡¯t wounded. I could almost see its organs. But it was so incredibly resilient that it continued to try and get one of us. By now, Vetsmon had recovered and was prepared to dive in again. ¡°Vetsmon, go! He¡¯s still trying for Umara!¡± ¡°Hah!¡± He let out a cry, launching himself on my word right as I let up on the gun. Umara, who was trying to outmaneuver the Royal between trees, was about to get caught when Vetsmon came flying in. He tackled the Royal to the floor, taking out a long knife and driving it into its body repeatedly. Umara ran away as that happened while I hefted up the gun to get closer. Vetsmon continued to attack it, but it retaliated quickly. It drove its hand up, letting the knife stab it before grabbing Vetsmon¡¯s fist around the grip. ¡°I¡¯ve got you now.¡± It smiled before opening its wide mouth and biting down. Vetsmon blocked with his other arm, but the Royal¡¯s teeth shredded through the armor and clamped down around his bones. ¡°AHH!!¡± He yelled, blood spraying from the wound as he tried to back away. But the Royal had him solidly in his grasp. And yet it let go, tearing away Vetsmon¡¯s flesh before headbutting him, denting the helmet. Then, as he was dazed, it raised its leg for another kick. One so devastating that it warped his abdomen and sent him flying off into a nearby boulder that cracked under the impact. ¡°Vetsmon!¡± ¡°Tana, stop!¡± I called out as I saw Tana diving in, her blade snaking in to stab the Royal¡¯s chest all the way through. It was a solid blow, but the Royal didn¡¯t care and swiped down with its arm. Tana abandoned her weapon to block, raising her arms. But, preoccupied with that, she didn¡¯t notice the knee being driven into her stomach. That alone raised her into the air, the Royal moving so fast that it was able to back away and deliver a follow up kick before she could even touch the floor. I raised my gun, about to take advantage of the opening with nobody around until I saw Feiden diving in with his spear. ¡°Fuck! Feiden!¡± ¡°Finish him!¡± Feiden yelled as he drove his spear into the other side of the Royal¡¯s chest. This time, it seemed to put the Royal on its last legs. And yet, it still managed to grab Feiden¡¯s leg and start whipping him around. Like a ragdoll, the Royal slammed Feiden into trees and the ground repeatedly, only stopping when some precise blast of pressurized air disrupted it. Feiden was thrown, landing a distance away. That¡¯s when Umara appeared, a massive spell circle in front of her and gathering power. Before I could even say anything, the spell completed and launched an impossibly dense projectile of air, one that shot toward the Royal at the speed of sound. WIth a loud crunch and a splat, the Royal collapsed to the ground, an entire leg missing. It almost seemed harmless with only two limbs, despite the bloody fight it had been putting up earlier. But against all odds, it rose back up on its remaining foot, turning its blood soaked face toward me. It spoke with a blood curdling, guttural voice. Its golden eyes pierced straight into mine. ¡°One last mission.¡± ¡°Try me, you dog.¡± I met it head on, pulling the trigger. Its body twitched as dozens of bullets shredded what remained of its torso, many of them shooting straight through. Yet it still threw its body toward me like some kind of zombie. ¡°Ahhhh!!!¡± I yelled even as the gun continued to fire, punching a massive hole in its chest that left behind nothing but a mess of gore. Its bounds were slowed to a crawl, and by the time it was in front of me, it could do nothing more than twitch. It took me a second to realize I was pulling the trigger to an empty magazine, a mechanical click ringing out in the suddenly silent forest. My rapid breathing let out some fog as I dropped the gun. My Psyka was utterly spent. Still, I looked down on the Royal, seeing its golden eyes that continued to stare up at me. It wasn¡¯t quite dead yet. I smiled a bit, placing my boot on its neck and bending down to speak. ¡°You know, I could¡¯ve killed you earlier if I had aimed for the head. But I hear that Royals can be made into some good Crowns, and you seem to have just what I¡¯m looking for. Congratulations, you scum. I¡¯m going to brew you into a nice little treat. You can die knowing that you utterly failed.¡± ¡°Graahhh!!!¡± The Royal let out one final cry before I summoned my shotgun and placed it on its neck. Its head and body were a lot easier to fit into my spatial sack separately. Slightly tinged with insanity, I chuckled to a forest returning with sound. ¡°Time to make up for my mistakes.¡± Chapter 105: Stowaways ¡°How nice of you to come rescue us.¡± ¡°You have quite the knack for getting into shit situations.¡± The Puppet Master cursed while looking us over, seeing the countless injuries covering our knights. I clicked my tongue. ¡°Not my fault. How¡¯d everything go?¡± ¡°As well as can be expected. If not for the mulched guard squad, possibly missing Royal, definitely missing Royal, and abandoned student squad. We at least got one of the bastards. You wouldn¡¯t happen to know what happened to whatever took out your guards, would you?¡± ¡°...¡± I looked at the man with a neutral face, lips shut, yet conveying my meaning perfectly. He let out a long sigh. ¡°Nevermind. But if you¡¯re doing this, then you need to leave. I¡¯ll slot you on a Rail soon. All of you will take it and go home. And I mean your actual homes. Don¡¯t come back to the Magisterium until you¡¯re recovered, or until the Magisterium no longer has any interest in the events that transpired this day. And don¡¯t tell the military a damn thing.¡± ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. But thank you for the vacation.¡± I smiled, letting out puffs of smoke as I chuckled. Man, it was good to have friends like this. After a bit of relocation and some discussion, the squad and I had decided to keep the dead Royal a secret. Nobody would be able to gather any evidence and while our injuries were suspect, it wasn¡¯t like they could blame us. We had run into a stray escort beast, after all. Those were rather strong, but through hard work and the power of teamwork, we were able to triumph over it while sustaining injuries in the process. What a nice story. All around us, the rest of the unit was preparing to return to base. Bodies were strapped in and critical wounds were tended to. The Puppet Master, being courteous, put us in a separate transport and sent us off with the initial group. It wasn¡¯t long before we rolled through the gates. He called for his assistant healer Vizen. ¡°I need you to tend to these kids. Get them operational.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± He went between the knights and tended to their injuries. It was nothing they wouldn¡¯t recover from. Apparently, even shredded flesh and shattered bones could be wholly repaired if it was a knight that sustained it. That made me scoff. Their resilience was freakish, as evidenced by the Royal that just refused to die. Once that was all taken care of, we were ordered to pack our things. The Rails came and went from the base daily, so it wouldn¡¯t be long before the next departure. The sun was beginning to rise and morning was our departure time. Once all was said and done, the Puppet Master came to us in our dorm. ¡°John, I¡¯d like you to explain to me what happened. I gave them your alibi, but that still left some unanswered questions.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I nodded and sat back on my bed with Umara against my chest, the others sitting nearby. ¡°It was pretty simple. We were found by a Royal not long after I let off my third shot. Alongside the Royal though was some odd creature with a huge mouth and a bunch of flaps of skin on its face. No eyes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a Songbeast. It¡¯s like a scout, but uses sound instead of sight. They¡¯re a bit tougher than Scouts but still specialized.¡± ¡°Sure. Anyway, that thing was there when the Royal attacked us, no doubt how we were found. My squad and I ran away while the three warlocks were immediately decapitated. After that, the two knights pinned it down and heavily injured it, taking an arm in the process before ultimately dying to it. The Royal was tasked with killing me, so it gave chase and went on a suicidal rampage that we were barely able to fend off. We sustained some injuries in the process, but it didn¡¯t take long for it to eventually die under our constant barrage.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± He considered the story. Not much was new other than the specific details, especially about the Royal. ¡°The Royal said that his boss was interested in me and wanted me dead. It was obviously willing to die in pursuit of that mission. Another thing, it was a bit like the Cyclops Scout in that it was able to shoot lasers from its eyes. ¡°In fact, here, take a look.¡± I suddenly brought out the still intact head of the Royal, a strange amber liquid dripping from its stump. The Puppet Master scrutinized it, gazing into the lifeless golden eyes. He nodded. ¡°Very well. Take the body and never show it again. I know you want a Crown, and this particular variant does in fact have good eyes. Use it well. What about the rest of it?¡± ¡°I have what¡¯s left of its torso and limbs. Everything else is scattered across the battlefield.¡± ¡°Right. And the rest of you. You understand that you¡¯re essentially accomplices to a crime, correct?¡± ¡°Is it really a crime?¡± Tana asked plainly, cradled against Vetsmon¡¯s shoulder. I cheered him on silently as the Puppet Master nodded. ¡°It technically is, because John isn¡¯t a noble. But so long as none of you say anything about it, he¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll take care of the debriefs. The only good thing about death is the fact that nobody can question the story.¡± ¡°Dead men tell no tales.¡± I muttered a phrase, making him hum. ¡°Grim, yet accurate. The Rail leaves in an hour. Be there. The tournaments are in another month, so after this, you¡¯ll only have one more trip to the bases. Also, John, you¡¯re about to top the rankings. Congratulations on becoming number 1.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Seriously.¡± He confirmed, a little smile spreading across his face. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d gathered that many points, but then again, I did kill another Scout. This time, there were even plenty of uninterested witnesses. That I was second place already also certainly helped. I had been around 400 points behind Ponteck before the trip. An Authority 7 Scout was more than enough to push me over that by itself. Of course, Ponteck had been killing things too, but nothing as strong as what I faced. There was little he could do to keep his lead. I shrugged. ¡°So long as the President doesn¡¯t breath down my neck about things, I don¡¯t care what happens.¡± ¡°Then I suggest you disappear for a while.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that. I have a feeling that I¡¯ll have some business to take care of. Though I need some damned rest anyway.¡± I let out a long sigh, smoke accompanying my breath. Umara had already pointed out the dark bags underneath my eyes. An entire week of constantly being on edge and working my ass off had taken its toll. But now, I could finally relax a bit. The Puppet Master nodded. ¡°Sure. Just stay safe.¡± ¡°I will. Thank you, sir. I appreciate what you¡¯re doing for me. Really.¡± ¡°Hm. You say that then make my job harder. So long as you make it worth it though, I won¡¯t complain.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already complained a lot¡­¡± ¡°Keep testing me and it won¡¯t stop.¡± ¡°Haha, alright, alright.¡± I relented as he scoffed, taking his leave. Not long later, all of us were packed aboard the Rail like stowaways, headed back home for a well-deserved vacation. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Thank you guys as well. I don¡¯t like hoarding this corpse for myself, so if you all need anything, just let me know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Totally honest, I was about to buy you a corpse to make up for what the President did to you. At least now you got something even better.¡± Vetsmon smiled, lounging across from Umara and I alongside Tana. The two seemed to have gotten close since the battle. I still remember Tana running after her beloved all panicked. I felt happy for the big lug. I waved my hand at his words though. ¡°Those are two different things. I couldn¡¯t have brought that thing down without all of you. I mean, we quite literally gave it our all. It went well, but without any one of you, that battle wouldn¡¯t have ended nicely.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. And yet when we take into account all the things you¡¯ve helped us with, something like that seems inconsequential. Stop arguing and just take the damn beast. I¡¯m too tired to explain my generosity.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Feiden nodded in agreement, still half asleep even though he had slept for over a day straight. It wouldn¡¯t be long before we rolled to a stop at the much grander Capitol Rail Platform. The sun had already risen quite a lot despite us departing in the dead of night, and it looked to be about noon by the time we would exit the station. The ride had generally been quiet; everyone had been busy recovering. While Umara and I weren¡¯t physically wounded during the fight, we had exhausted even our plentiful Mana and Psyka reserves. I was especially drained. I had fallen asleep not even 10 minutes after the Rail departed the base. And like Feiden, I had slept for a full day, only waking up to eat or drink something. Yet all of that stress, training, and the sleep was more than worth it. In one night¡¯s rest, I managed to complete the entirety of my advancement formation¡¯s second layer, even connecting it with the first and forming the beginnings of the third. I was on my way to advancing to the 5th Authority. If I kept up at this pace, I would get there well before the end of the school year, which I was more than happy with. My overall power had already grown significantly by finishing the second layer, and the new gun was just a nice bonus. The Lewis Gun was the first automatic weapon I¡¯d attained, quite appropriately a light machine gun. It wasn¡¯t the best in its class, but it was a damn welcome addition to my arsenal. It also told me that I was reaching the limits of what the 4th dimension was capable of offering to me. I had looked around a bit more and there wasn¡¯t much more in the way of advanced weaponry. Though there were some other outstanding pieces. For one, I found some weapons of non-American origin. The one that stuck out the most was the Wechselapparat, also known as the flamethrower. Although not the first of its design, this flamethrower was an updated version that made its way through the trenches in WW1 in the hands of the Germans. The only issue with it was the fact that it needed to be operated by a two man team since the nozzle was attached to a long hose. Perhaps at some point I would try to have some pyrotechnic fun with Umara, but I slotted that away for now. I didn''t know if she was actually capable of operating it. There was a semi-automatic shotgun by Browning, along with some other machine guns that needed a crew to effectively operate. There were also some mortars, but I couldn¡¯t really think of when I could possibly use that. Perhaps during another siege. The most valuable weapon was still the Lewis Gun, the semi-auto shotgun being a close second, so for now, I didn¡¯t bother searching any more. My energy was better devoted toward simply advancing my formation. ¡°Haah¡­ How are you feeling?¡± I stroked Umara¡¯s arm, her head turning up on my chest a bit. ¡°I¡¯m alright. It¡¯s just¡­ Those five soldiers who had been guarding us. Our lives were paid for with their own. It just doesn¡¯t sit right with me.¡± ¡°An unfortunate consequence of this war. The only thing we can do about it is get better.¡± ¡°But do you not feel any pity? Those five had families that they¡¯re never going to see again because we were being hunted by some suicidal Royal.¡± ¡°I was being hunted, not all of you. So yes, their deaths are my fault, and I do feel bad about it. But I don¡¯t feel like I have the luxury of feeling any kind of pity. Like I said, we can make up for that by getting better. No need to waste energy dwelling on it.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara was silent, perhaps contemplating my answer. It didn¡¯t seem to be one she liked. I looked down at her. ¡°Is there another answer I¡¯m missing?¡± ¡°...No, not necessarily. I just can¡¯t help but think about how devastating the news will be for their families. Not to mention how it feels like we¡¯re running away.¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing what we need to so this matter doesn¡¯t get more complex than it needs to be. It would be trouble otherwise. I mean, the only other alternative to this whole situation would be us dying with those knights. By all means that should¡¯ve happened, but we capitalized on the lives of those that died for us. What would it have meant if we wasted their sacrifice?¡± ¡°...I still feel like shit.¡± She pinched her nose, and it became clear that she was no longer looking for answers. I hugged her as all the others contemplated our conversation in silence. The mood turned down a bit, but thankfully the ride was almost over. The cabin fever wasn¡¯t helping the situation. The Rail soon docked at the Terminal, letting us depart with our luggage. Before we all separated, we gathered together one last time. I spoke. ¡°I need to take care of this corpse, so I¡¯ll be heading straight to my mentor. Whatever I do after that is up to him.¡± ¡°Well, I need to get home so I can finish healing my arm. That means I¡¯m going to the Church.¡± Vetsmon spoke next, making me nod. ¡°Say hi to your parents for me.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be going to my manor. I¡¯ve learned a lot this trip so my father will want to hear about it.¡± Feiden was next, to which Tana chimed. ¡°Same. I need to report to my parents. I¡¯ll be gone for at least a couple days.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be calling my mother, but unless she says otherwise, I¡¯m staying here.¡± Umara looked up at me. It seemed we would both be sticking together. I let out a breath of smoke before concluding. ¡°So everyone except us is leaving. Well, take all the time you want. There¡¯s no rush to return, that¡¯s for sure. I¡¯d like to hangout though, so we should find a day to gather again.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯ll return after getting to my Peerage. It shouldn¡¯t be long.¡± ¡°Sure. Stay in contact and relax. We won¡¯t have anything too exciting, and you three need to focus on getting back in shape. Don¡¯t go training or anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to feast and then sleep for another day.¡± Feiden punctuated his announcement with a yawn, making me laugh a bit. After that, we said our goodbyes and separated. I walked with Umara to the hotel where we unpacked, and she stayed there while I went straight to Maxwell. It was time to see if I could finally get a Crown. Chapter 106: Anderson ¡°Hello, hello!¡± ¡°What? What do you want?¡± ¡°Nice to see you too.¡± I pushed open Maxwell¡¯s gilded doors, receiving an enthused greeting and an even more enthused glare. If he wasn¡¯t always like this I might actually think he didn¡¯t want me here. I stood in front of his desk and smiled. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Do you have a house or anything? I only ever find you here.¡± ¡°I do, but I can¡¯t bring you there or you¡¯ll start bothering me there too.¡± ¡°Man, you didn¡¯t even sugarcoat it. Whatever. Check this out.¡± With a grin, I brought out the head of the Royal. Maxwell narrowed his eyes. ¡°A Royal?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It could shoot lasers out of its eyes like the Cyclops Scout. What do you think about making it into a Crown?¡± ¡°...Well, it¡¯s even more suitable than the Scout. But how did you get this?¡± ¡°A simple story¡­¡± I gave him a quick explanation of my most recent expedition. He seemed rather unbothered by the fact I had even acquired such a unique material. ¡°You¡¯ve stumbled yourself into another very lucky situation, haven¡¯t you? I hadn¡¯t expected you to be back so soon¡­ Very well, you have a suitable medium, and the sooner it gets processed, the better. Looks like I need to make a visit.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°An old friend with the Church. Hold on to the material and come back here tomorrow morning. We¡¯ll leave then.¡± ¡°Cool. And that reminds me, I have a friend heading to his Peerage tomorrow. His name is Vetsmon Verga.¡± ¡°A Verga? That¡¯s a valuable friend to have. Their knights are exemplary. The wife of their current Head was a student of mine as well. Nevertheless, if it¡¯s a Peerage, then we¡¯re going to the same place. You¡¯ll get to see him.¡± ¡°Groovy. I¡¯ll head back for now then.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± We talked for a bit longer, then he rushed me out of the study. As I made my way back to my room, I notified Vetsmon that I would be heading to the Peerage as well, wherever that was. We talked for a bit, and I found out that the Church controlled its own massive city that rivaled the Capitol. That¡¯s where all the Peerages were located, and from a cursory description, it seemed to be an incredibly rich place. I learned that Vetsmon would be using the Capitol¡¯s teleporter to head there. After a call to the mentor, I learned that Maxwell and I were planning on doing the same. Perhaps we would run into each other, but Maxwell had made it clear that he wanted me to stick with him for the duration of business. He said that his presence within the Church was sensitive, and he didn¡¯t need to make his arrival a big deal. I would need to keep my head down so long as he was there. I couldn¡¯t go see Vetsmon immediately, but I would later once we finished all our business. After hanging up those calls, my walk lapsed back into silence until I got back to my room. I told Umara the recent news. ¡°You¡¯re going to the Peerage?¡± ¡°Yeah. Maxwell apparently has a friend there that can help me with my Crown. Vetsmon is going too.¡± ¡°I see. Well, I was talking to Tana and she said that she¡¯ll be visiting the Vergas at the Peerage after she¡¯s done with her parents.¡± ¡°Oh? Then maybe you should come with me. We can all meet up.¡± ¡°Will that be fine?¡± She asked while taking a seat beside me, bringing over a package full of treats. I grabbed one and chomped down while nodding. ¡°I don¡¯t see a reason why not. Worst case, you just stay with Vetsmon until I¡¯m done. I¡¯m not sure how long business will take, but it can¡¯t be that long.¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do it then.¡± She smiled and threw a cookie into her mouth. I watched her for a second, the two of us just staring at each other. ¡°You¡¯re so pretty.¡± ¡°So are you.¡± ¡°I am quite the looker aren¡¯t I? By the way, I have a question.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± She scooted as I thought back to our recent battle. ¡°During the fight with the Royal, you never brought out your Flicker Companion. I haven¡¯t seen the pup in a while at all. Was there a reason?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Umara waved, the six legged wolf jumping out of her body and appearing in front of the couch. My eyes widened. The snowy blue wolf with horns and wings was now twice as big as it was before, clearly stronger. ¡°Turns out, there''s a period of time that the companion needs to spend assimilating with you. Bringing it out minimally is best for a while until that assimilation period has passed. As for how long it takes, it entirely depends on the age of the Flicker and the difference in power between it and the host. I¡¯m quite a bit stronger than him, so it¡¯s taking a while to fully assimilate. It¡¯ll be less than a month until we¡¯re both on the same page, but that also meant I couldn¡¯t take him out.¡± ¡°Was it just because he was weak?¡± ¡°Yes, and the fact that he¡¯s even more vulnerable than normal while assimilating. There was a high risk of death if he had engaged the Royal, and his speed wouldn¡¯t have helped me much, so I just decided that he was better off staying put.¡± ¡°Makes sense. Come here.¡± I waved to the wolf, the creature trotting over before nudging my hand with its snout, tongue flopping out and tail wagging. I messed with it for a bit while conversing. ¡°Have you played with him at all?¡± ¡°Not really. He¡¯s not a pet. Although the way you interact with him has me questioning that.¡± She muttered as I pushed the beastly canine to the floor, rubbing his belly. I chuckled. ¡°Well, do what you need to do. If it makes no difference, might as well bring him out more. I can''t imagine isolation inside a cold dark mind is very nurturing. ¡°Excuse you, but I think my mind is plenty substantive, thank you very much.¡± ¡°Come on, look how deprived he is. I can almost see his ribs.¡± I poked his chest, having to reach through a thick layer of fur just to hit skin. Even then, it seemed there was a huge layer of muscle coating his entire body. Umara rolled her eyes. ¡°Uh-huh. Unfortunately, the pup needs to stay inside. Assimilation is fastest that way.¡± ¡°Well then I guess the pup needs to hurry up, doesn¡¯t he? Yes he does!¡± ¡°Haarrr!¡± The Flicker let out a small howl in response, making Umara laugh. ¡°Anyway, if you¡¯re coming with me, then get ready to leave tomorrow morning. Prepare for a multi-day trip.¡± ¡°It should be fun. I¡¯ve only been to the Holy See once as a child. I¡¯ve yet to see it again.¡± ¡°The Holy See, huh¡­¡± I pondered, thinking how the Vatican on Earth was located within a tiny city-state by the same name. I was curious to see what it was like. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°So this is where you brought me. It looks nice.¡± Umara looked around as we entered the Polaris Headquarters hand in hand. We made our way straight to Maxwell¡¯s study, throwing open the doors to find the man himself preparing some materials. ¡°Maxwell!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early for your voice. And why did you bring your girlfriend?¡± ¡°She wants to see the Holy See.¡± ¡°I¡¯d also like to thank you for what you did for me during my Enlightenment. Umara stepped forward and curtsied formally. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I may not have been conscious, but I hope I wasn¡¯t too much trouble.¡± ¡°Mm, don¡¯t worry. Nothing more than a rudimentary procedure. Your mother and I already discussed it. Now, delivery man, carry those cases. We¡¯re heading to the Teleporter Nexus.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t even use my name.¡± I clicked my tongue while grabbing a stack of cases. They were kind of heavy. ¡°Why can¡¯t we put these into a spatial sack?¡± ¡°Unless you want to degrade the integrity of your own, I suggest carrying them. They¡¯re special materials to be used for your Crown.¡± ¡°I see. How much besides the corpse do we need?¡± ¡°A significant amount. Your body will be altered on several levels. I will not simply glue the head on, despite how much it might improve your looks. We will attempt to give you the greatest benefit afforded by the corpse while focusing on sensory aspects. Regardless, you should be prepared for an extensive, invasive, and possibly dangerous operation.¡± ¡°Alright. So it¡¯s genetic. I can see how that would be dangerous.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what that means¡­¡± Maxwell frowned at the term he was unfamiliar with. I sighed. ¡°Nevermind. Where¡¯s the carriage?¡± ¡°Will be arriving in a moment.¡± ¡°Then why am I carrying this¡­¡± I rolled my eyes and set everything down until there was a place to put it. Eventually, the carriage came and took us and our luggage to the teleporter platforms. I didn¡¯t see Vetsmon there, and the batch of transports we were assigned to were idling. Before we knew it, we had teleported and arrived in the Holy See. My feet planted themselves onto another platform, identical yet different from the one we arrived from, the rest of my body taking a half second to reorient to my new surroundings. As we walked out of the transporter building, through the gaps the tower of boxes afforded me, I noticed the incredibly intricate black stone patterns on the walls. We exited into a massive plaza, and¡­ The Church sure as hell knew how to make a view. Eight massive towers circled the plaza, each stretching around 600 meters into the sky. Despite their distance, I could still vaguely tell just how monumental each tower was. There wasn¡¯t any accurate way to gauge how much land they covered, despite my heavily enhanced thinking processes, so I reverted to measurements I knew well. ¡°That¡¯s gotta be at least 100 football fields of area in total¡­ Ridiculous¡­¡± ¡°Come on.¡± Maxwell waved, walking straight toward one of the towers. Each of the 8 towers had their own unique styles ranging from brutalist architecture to sleek and minimalist to golden and rich and artistic. Despite some base similarities, all of them were distinctive in manner. In the center of this circular formation of towers was a statue with a height I had never seen before, even on Earth. Easily triple the height of the towers was a statue of Jesus, a simple sword raised and pointed off into the horizon. It had a vibe very much at odds with the Christ of Earth. I had to crane my neck just to see the top because of its incredible height; it would easily top even the tallest skyscraper if placed on Earth. Its strangely inspiring presence reminded me somewhat of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. The base of the statue almost looked like a small mountain, covering the massive area needed to support such a structure. As we walked closer, I could appreciate the scale more; 100 football fields wasn¡¯t anywhere near a big enough estimation. The city itself sprawled endlessly around the towers and beyond, hundreds of densely packed buildings visible even from behind my towering stack of packages. Wide paved streets ran tidy grids through the city but still managed to seem crowded, hundreds of vehicles and thousands of people packing them to the brim. This place rivaled the Capital in size, and outstripped it in infrastructure quality. It was like industrial America, and a conservative estimate put a few million in this city alone. Umara and I walked behind Maxwell, marveling at the sights as we crossed the massive plaza, known as the Walk of Saints, around the statue toward one of the towers. ¡°So, which tower are we going to?¡± ¡°The 7th Peerage of the Franks. They are warlocks specializing in Alchemical practices, especially Crowns. I have a friend there that will help concoct your Crown and perform the procedure.¡± ¡°This guy must be pretty old if he¡¯s your friend.¡± ¡°Yes. He should be approaching a century. So you better pray he still has the steady hand he did back then.¡± ¡°Tsk, now we¡¯re just playing with my life.¡± There were so many people going in and out of the tower through a massive translucent black archway that we wouldn¡¯t possibly stick out. Maxwell said his presence within the city was sensitive, necessitating subtlety, but that didn¡¯t seem to be required right now. Once we entered the building, greeted by a grand hall, Maxwell turned around and faced us. ¡°I apologize, Lady Umara, but this is where John and I must proceed alone. I wouldn¡¯t want to involve you in any potentially complicated matters, if only out of respect for your mother.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll wait here.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked, letting her nod with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll just call Vetsmon. It¡¯s not like I can get lost when we¡¯ve got such a convenient landmark.¡± She glanced at the huge statue, causing me to bob my head in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s true. If you need anything though, just let me know.¡± ¡°Sure. Just keep yourself safe.¡± ¡°After I meet with who I need to and resolve any potential conflicts, you will be free to join John as you wish. For now though, it¡¯s best if there are no misunderstandings that might associate yourself with me.¡± Maxwell explained the general situation, easing Umara¡¯s worry. After that, we said our goodbyes and ascended the tower while Umara lingered around the Walk of Saints. She was a big girl and could take care of herself; I wasn¡¯t worried. Like the Black Spider Hotel, there were tons of elevators in the tower that could bring you to any floor. There were even mini-teleporters that we used on the higher floors. Wherever we were going, it wasn¡¯t open to the general public. Sure enough, after ascending what had to be a hundred floors, Maxwell had to utilize some kind of token to allow himself higher. It didn¡¯t take long after that before we reached our destination. The floor we entered had floors, walls, and a ceiling of pure white marble that felt more like sterile tile than actual marble. From the entry hall, we moved into an offshoot where we found a single pair of doors. ¡°He should be in here. I wouldn¡¯t know him to be anywhere else.¡± Maxwell walked up and kicked the door, making them sound like a gong that shook the hall. A yell came in response. ¡°Who the hell is it?! Is courtesy a forgotten fucking art?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, you wrinkly old ass!¡± ¡°...¡± There was a terrifying silence while I processed the fact that Maxwell could actually be aggressive. Suddenly, the doors flew open, revealing a short old man with a slight hunch. His most outstanding feature had nothing to do with his person, but rather what he wore. Several incredibly high quality and intricately adorned robes covered him, making him seem like he was wearing an entire suit of armor. He looked like a greedy king, even more so than Maxwell, which was saying something. His eyes were wide when he saw Maxwell. ¡°...Albarain?¡± ¡°Terrace Gold. You don¡¯t seem to be enjoying retirement. I don¡¯t see two dozen women wrapped around your crotch.¡± ¡°Fuck, you just made this reunion a lot easier on me. Can I expect to be questioned by a fucking Paladin after this?¡± ¡°Not if you have any common sense. At least tell me you haven¡¯t been pissing away the last years of your life.¡± Maxwell barged into the room, looking around to see tall shelves filled with books and stacks of paper. There were a dozen different tables as well, all filled with what I could only assume were alchemical tools and supplies. Most sat dormant, but some bubbled with life, small flames ignited under glass baubles and clear tubes twisting and turning around containers. He scoffed, stepping away from the door and presenting an opportunity for me to slip in. I decided I should blend in with the background for a bit. ¡°Of course I haven¡¯t. You think any of the kids these days are smart enough to replace me? I swear, it¡¯s like the only thing their parents are good for is teaching them how to wipe their own ass. Otherwise, I need to fill their tiny heads with everything imaginable. God forbid they figure some things out on their own.¡± ¡°You were cut out for a lot of things Terrace. Teaching wasn¡¯t one of them.¡± ¡°That just means I¡¯m still the best at my craft.¡± ¡°Humility obviously hasn¡¯t grown on you either.¡± ¡°Heh, you¡¯re one to talk. Now what do you want? I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯d come here unannounced if it weren¡¯t a big deal. Not after almost 30 years of silence.¡± ¡°...¡± Maxwell was silent, observing the room a bit more before turning to his friend and nodding toward me. ¡°The kid. I need you to concoct a Crown for him.¡± ¡°And who the hell is he that you¡¯d come out of hiding just to get him some lousy Crown?¡± ¡°My name is John Cooper sir. Pleasure to meet you.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s a kiss ass. What else is new with young ones these days?¡± ¡°...¡± My smile twitched, my approach to the interactions threatening to flip on its head. The only thing that held me in check was the fact that this man actually had to do something for me. I didn¡¯t need him turning me into a blob in the process just because I pissed him off. Maxwell rolled his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s my successor. That¡¯s all you need to know. And all I need for you to do is make him a crown and perform the procedure.¡± ¡°Successor¡­¡± Terrace faced me, his sharp eyes scrutinizing my body. I could feel his Aura wash over me in the process. It wasn¡¯t threatening in the slightest, but it was incredibly precise. It felt like there were a thousand eyes observing me, even capable of seeing through me like I was under an x-ray. Then, he cast a spell that enveloped me with runic formations, Mana scanning through every inch of my body before disappearing. ¡°Well, he certainly has fantastic integrity. Honestly, it¡¯s one of the best I¡¯ve seen, despite being just an Authority 4 summoner. A strong Crown won¡¯t be an issue. What¡¯s the basis for it?¡± ¡°A Royal descended from the Scouting lineage. John, show him the head.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I raised my hand, the head of the Royal appearing. He waved and it flew out of my hand. He scanned it like he did me and shrugged. ¡°Decent, so long as he wants a sensory type Crown.¡± ¡°He does. Vision is his most important tool. Think of him like an archer.¡± ¡°Perfect. Vision is rather important¡­¡± ¡°I have the rest of the necessary materials as well.¡± ¡°I saw that, but don¡¯t bother. Crown technology has advanced significantly since three decades ago, my pickled friend. I¡¯ll take some of yours, but you probably don''t have the rest. Don¡¯t worry, I can get them.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. You used your badge to get up here, so someone will-¡± ¡°Someone already has.¡± I snapped around to lay eyes on the new voice entering the room. The man I laid eyes on, in a word, was massive. He was even bigger than Vetsmon, standing over 7 feet tall, and was built like a wall. At least, that¡¯s from what I could see from under the large black coat he wore. Despite the wide grin he wore on his face, he felt dangerous. A grizzled face marred by scars spoke to volumes of experience. He was by far the most dangerous man I¡¯d ever met, and yet, I couldn¡¯t actually detect anything from his Aura. He felt like he didn¡¯t exist and still managed to have all too powerful of a presence. Maxwell cleared his throat. ¡°Anderson¡­¡± ¡°Heretic. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever see you again, least of all here. And to think you have a successor now. A little heretic. Of all the things, that¡¯s not something I¡¯d ever believe unless you showed me.¡± ¡°My protege has nothing to do with my past, and you know that.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t change what you¡¯re teaching him, Albarain. You know that.¡± ¡°And none of it will change the fact that you will not get in my way!¡± Maxwell roared in a way I had never seen him doing. The rest of the room seemed equally stunned, falling into silence for a few moments. Yet Anderson never stopped smiling. ¡°...You¡¯re right, Maxwell, I won¡¯t get in your way. You know that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been 30 years Anderson. I don¡¯t know, and I needed to make sure. There are few I can trust.¡± ¡°Oh ye of little faith. How could I possibly change so much that I wouldn¡¯t at least pay homage to the greatest summoner to ever live?! You know me well enough, don''t play dumb.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Maxwell harrumphed as Anderson walked over and patted his shoulder. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve even saved you the trouble of erasing your entry into the upper levels. And here, use this for now.¡± ¡°Your badge? Why are you interfering? You¡¯ve never been one to help.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not helping you. I¡¯m helping your successor. The poor kid needs at least one advantage if you¡¯re going to turn him into a heretic. Letting him slide through here undiscovered can be considered a small favor. Besides, I¡¯m curious to see why you of all people chose him.¡± ¡°Because if anyone is capable of breaching the Great Barrier, it¡¯s him. If I could ask for anything Anderson, it would be as you said, to let him remain undiscovered. You better hope he¡¯s allowed to grow.¡± ¡°High praise. For now, I¡¯ll wait and see.¡± After staring into what felt like my soul, Anderson turned around and walked out, the door clicking closed softly behind him. Chapter 107: Creaking Vessel With Anderson¡¯s exit, Maxwell let out a long breath of air he had been holding. ¡°He¡¯s always a treat to talk to.¡± ¡°...I know the name, but who is that?¡± ¡°Only the strongest Knight in the Church, if not the world. It¡¯s surprising you¡¯ve heard of God¡¯s Assassin at all.¡± Terrace responded with a side eye, making me shrug. ¡°He¡¯s got a bounty on him. I guess that¡¯s nothing more than a joke then.¡± ¡°Obviously. Now, back to business. Hand me the rest of the corpse and I¡¯ll perform some tests today. By nightfall, I¡¯ll have a recipe ready. Concoction will be performed tomorrow, and the day after will be when we operate. Kid, I need you to be here for those tests, so stick around.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Then put the corpse over there and sit in that chair¡­¡± I followed along with Terrace¡¯s directions while Maxwell took a seat beside us. The tests I underwent were a lot less dramatic than I had imagined; I really only had to offer my arm. Some blood was drawn and some hairs were plucked; the strangest test was a few drops of some acidic stuff on my tongue. Whatever was going on, Terrace was performing similar tests on the corpse, and constantly logging information. I took the brief respite to go over recent events. Maxwell was apparently known as the Heretic. He had told me his identity was sensitive, but I hadn¡¯t expected it to be so serious. Apparently the story went much deeper than I imagined since one of the strongest knights in the world personally appeared to talk with him. He even showed some modicum of respect for Maxwell, as he was supposedly the greatest summoner to ever live. That only raised more questions. What the hell did Maxwell do? He was called a heretic, but he wasn¡¯t treated like one. Had he been, he wouldn¡¯t be alive standing here, much less me. It seemed he still had at least one or two friends here, powerful ones at that. After not seeing him for almost 30 years, Terrace didn¡¯t hesitate to help him make this Crown despite his identity. I truly couldn¡¯t imagine what he could¡¯ve done. It wasn¡¯t so antithetical to the Church that he was genuinely treated like one, yet his title still existed. From my observations, he was a strongly principled man; he would not have committed some grave sin against the Church. My only suspicion was his Summoner Call. That seemed to be under more scrutiny than the man himself; I wondered what about it could possibly be heretical. Regardless of my musings, we were in the clear for now. The conflicts had passed, and with Anderson¡¯s badge, we probably wouldn¡¯t be disturbed for the rest of the trip. For the rest of that day, I just went along with Terrace¡¯s tests before getting let go at the end of the day. ¡°Finally. I¡¯m starving.¡± I stretched while leaving the elevator with Maxwell, stepping out into the ground floor of the Franks Tower. ¡°You won¡¯t be needed tomorrow for the concoction. Just be prepared for the operation afterward.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be ready. Just how dangerous is this operation going to be anyway? Am I actually going to be at risk of death?¡± ¡°Probably not. As Terrace said, the methodologies have grown significantly. My information is outdated, but at the very least you have much less to worry about, especially if he¡¯s the one making it.¡± ¡°Alright. Just let me know when I¡¯m needed. Until then, I¡¯ll be with Vetsmon and Umara.¡± Maxwell nodded, causing a brief lull in the interaction. I stared at him for a few seconds before putting my hand out. ¡°Thank you, Maxwell. I appreciate all of this. And don¡¯t worry about that stuff with Anderson. In my book, you¡¯re a good man no matter what anyone else says.¡± ¡°...¡± He looked down before giving my hand a clasp, then separating and turning away. ¡°I will be taking up residence in an inn. Relax and stay rested. After the operation, you¡¯ll be bed-ridden for some time.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I nodded as he started walking away, watching his back for a bit before lifting my Aerial and sending a few messages. Vetsmon and Umara responded. They were both within the Verga Tower across from the Franks Tower. I started making my way over, anticipatory for the day of the operation. ¡­¡­ ¡°Haahh¡­¡± Maxwell let out a long, rough breath as he leaned into the plush couch in the center of the hotel suite. His head ached like a sore muscle, his mind too powerful for his current self to handle. As the most powerful summoner to ever live, he had a mind that operated at a level most couldn¡¯t imagine. John was only just beginning to catch a glimpse of that power. But after the events of so many years ago, that powerful mind became a curse. His body could no longer bear it, threatening to shut down entirely should he not heavily restrain his mind¡¯s power. It was like a powerful engine forcefully throttled to mere fractions of its capabilities, bound by a brittle and rusted frame too fragile to handle its full extent. They called him Heretic. It had been so long since he¡¯d been debased as such he¡¯d almost forgotten it. Unlike back then, though, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to care about such baseless mockery. They said that people feared what they couldn¡¯t understand. Well, how could anybody possibly understand the creations of the most powerful summoner?Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. There was a time when he never had to worry about that. A time when he stood alongside the greatest in the world, respected and treated as their equals. He was a pioneer of the likes the world had never seen. Given more time, his name would have echoed across the world as a revolutionary who uplifted the whole of the summoner class. His achievements would have brought change to humanity as a whole and sparked the beginnings of a new era. Back then, he could see how bright the future could be. And yet, one day was enough to bring it all crumbling down. It was a day of great renown, one that continued to be celebrated even now. But where others found joy and hope, he found isolation and sorrow. The day he lost everything that made him the greatest summoner, was branded a heretic, and was exiled from society. In fact, it was the very thing that made him great that also wrought his downfall. The Call of the Fallen Angel. His greatest creation, and the source of his ruin. Its namesake was by no means insignificant. There was a time not long after that day that he had sat within his rich home, blind and aimless, almost catatonic. His crippled vessel couldn¡¯t sustain his previous level of thought, and the adjustment to that limitation had taken him no short amount of time. But even more difficult than that was finding a new purpose after he had lost everything. Years were spent in isolation as he was ridiculed and hunted by those who wanted to end the heresy at its source. He had to abandon his home, which still sat barren and decrepit to this day, and find refuge under the wing of a friend. For a long time, he had been inanimate. But with time and age, he realized that he couldn¡¯t just lie back and wait to die. The Scourge would forever be a threat to humanity, and so long as the summoner class was weak, nothing about that would change. As the greatest, he had an obligation to do something about that. And so he utilized what remained of his mind to carve a new path. The Call of the Fallen Angel was much more than just a way to contact spirits. It was a demanding path of advancement that far surpassed all of the other summoner advancement paths. However, that was also inseparable from the Call and utilized Aura extensively. Maxwell hadn¡¯t been raised in the call. He was its creator and had to pioneer the path once he was already halfway down another mediocre path all previous summoners used. But this permanently crippled his advancement and doomed him to never breach the Great Barrier. Even as an Authority 11, he was only ever able to glimpse the Barrier from a distance, never even touch it. But that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t guide someone else to it. And besides his massive royalty deal with Sawn Industries to fund his research and instruction, there was one other thing he didn¡¯t lose on that fateful day: His knowledge. His mind couldn¡¯t operate at the level it used to, but that only meant that he would have to take more time. And having lost everything, he was rich with time. Thus, he embarked on a 20 year long journey where he plotted out the entire advancement path for the Call of the Fallen Angel. Or, at least most of it. Authority 10 was the limit, because that was the first time someone was met with the Great Barrier. Whoever came after him would need to breach that barrier instead of just ignoring it and rising to Authority 11 anyway, and that was a path he had never walked, and thus couldn¡¯t tread. But everything up to that point was as well documented as he could make it. He couldn¡¯t personally experience the cultivation path ¡ª the best way a Magus detected flaws in their methodologies was through personal experience ¡ª but his extensive work and knowledge on the nature of advancement and Authorities lent great aid to ensure accuracy. The achievement of doing such a thing while effectively blind couldn¡¯t be understated. He knew that only he could possibly perform such a feat. Narcissist was a word many used to describe him, but he always liked to correct that in exchange for ¡°self-aware¡±. At the very least, his many theories had been proved right throughout his life. With the Call of the Fallen Angel, he was afforded the chance to do so once more. The only issue was finding someone who could prove him right. Someone who would take his place, a successor that would change the fate of the summoner class. It was a task he left to Luna to do something about. He couldn¡¯t be bothered with finding someone personally. There had been a few candidates sent to his door, some of those few even having adequate potential. But they all had critical flaws, be it their attitude, lack of motivation, age, low-quality summons, or inability to commit to something they believed to be unfounded. Almost two years went by, and as his standards rose, less people came. Until one young man came knocking on his door. Maxwell didn¡¯t think the 22 year old would fare well. He was too old and laid back, narcissistic to boot, and had no clue about anything. This became one of the very few times he had been proven wrong, and even rarer to be glad about it. Who could¡¯ve possibly predicted John Cooper¡¯s incredible progression over just half a year? It was not just completely unheard of, even in other Magi classes with deeply developed advancement paths, but completely unbelievable. He had sent him out time and time again, anticipating the day he would hit a wall and come back groveling, but time and time again, John came back having made leaps and bounds of progress. There was no end in sight to his potential. Dare he say John was just as good as he was. So he made his investments. He couldn¡¯t let such a talented young man die, especially not after he pledged to go along with his training. He made sure he had protection, something to rely on in battle, yet not a crutch he could abuse and stunt his progress with. The coat was an easy purchase; forcing John into the Trenches was his way of making him work for it. Now though, it was finally time to give him something greater. Something that would continue to serve him even after the coat outlived its utility. He knew this sensory Crown would boost John¡¯s auxiliary powers significantly. The only issue was that it required him to reestablish contact with those that had once exiled him. Once again, he would have to go back out and fight. After having hidden himself away from the world for so long, and despite his power, Maxwell still felt a little hesitant. This time, however, instead of fighting for himself, he was fighting for his protege. There was a reason encountering Anderson was so stressful. Nobody could tell that man what to do. If he got in John¡¯s way, Maxwell didn¡¯t know if he could even offer more than token resistance, and that caused him to lose control of himself for a moment. It was a good thing he still held some level of respect. He knew better than anyone what transpired that day. He was there and had seen it all. It seemed that his sacrifice that day had earned him something useful. It only took three decades to realize it. ¡°...At least he¡¯ll get the Crown. I need to find some more ingredients as well¡­¡± Maxwell muttered, pondering over the concoction of the Crown. He couldn¡¯t possibly allow this Crown to be so barebones. Forcing John to bring him the base material was merely a test of his ability. He had earned himself a Crown, so it was up to Maxwell to make sure it was up to his standards. Money was no object; the corpse itself was countless times easier to acquire than John¡¯s coat, let alone higher quality materials. Terrance would draw out the full potential of everything Maxwell gave him; all he had to do was find the materials. The Royal would be the foundation; its roots in the Scout bloodline actually made it prime material for sensory augmentations, despite the relatively low Authority. But John had an immense capacity for Crowns; to not fill it to the brim with the best possible enhancements would be selling him short. There was much to discuss with Terrace, but for now, he needed rest. Just a brief moment of letting his mind out of control had given him a splitting headache, and even that had still only been a fraction of his real power. His creaking vessel needed some time to rest and recuperate. But that was alright. He had a purpose, and so long as he fulfilled it, nothing was off limits. That¡¯s how he had lived his entire life. Just because his purpose now had a name didn¡¯t mean anything had changed. He closed his eyes and drifted off into a land of blankness. What time he had left would need to be taken full advantage of. Chapter 108: Secrets I took one of the elevators up the Verga Tower, heading to the 60th floor. Once I arrived, both Vetsmon and Umara were waiting. Behind them was an open floor with tall wall to wall glass panes giving a view of the city all around us, and massive columns scattered throughout the lobby to support the other half of the building above us. I smiled. ¡°Hey man. Thanks for helping us out.¡± ¡°Please, I¡¯m just glad you finally get to see my home! Welcome!¡± ¡°One hell of a home¡­¡± We clasped hands and hugged for a moment before I separated and turned to Umara. ¡°Everything settled?¡± ¡°Of course. Vetsmon prepared us a room up above. How was your business?¡± ¡°It went well. Tomorrow my mentor¡¯s friend will concoct the Crown, and the day after I¡¯ll be getting the operation.¡± ¡°So soon?¡± Vetsmon blurted in surprise. When I nodded, he thought for a second. ¡°Crowns can take weeks, even months to make depending on their complexity and power. So either your Crown is being made by the best Alchemist around, or it¡¯s weak. Are you sure the man your mentor recruited is good?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. He¡¯s reliable. I apologize if I can¡¯t give any details right now, but no matter what, it¡¯s going to be a good Crown.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sure. Come, my parents are waiting for you. I told them you were coming.¡± I let Vetsmon lead as he took us up several more floors, occasionally flashing a badge at a sentinel or magical engraving. I pieced out the Verga Paladin Peerage in the few brief glances I caught of its front. At the end of a white-walled hall were a large pair of doors, various armored statues flanking a path of red felt carpet leading up to it. Two sentinels bowed at our trio and heaved to open the also incredibly thick doors, a huge lounge sprawling out behind it. It was a living room the size of an entire property. As we entered, a couple stood up and made their way over to us from the pair of grandest seats situated in the middle ¡ª Vetsmon¡¯s parents. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Verga, a pleasure to see you again.¡± ¡°The pleasure is ours, John.¡± Once close enough, his father swallowed my hand in a thick and weathered hand of his own. His mother, still as tall as I was, leaned in to hug me. After we embraced for a second, she leaned back, a playful grin spreading on her face. ¡°We continue to hear so much about you, even beyond our son. You can¡¯t seem to keep your head low, hmm?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, my exceptionalism makes that difficult.¡± ¡°Haha, well, I at least find great joy in hearing about such an amazing summoner. You¡¯re bringing some long overdue pride to our name. So long as you can, keep doing what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°Of course, Madam. I¡¯ll make sure Vetsmon relays all of the spicy details.¡± We both laughed for a moment before the father waved. ¡°Please, let us sit. We wanted a small bit of your time to¡­ catch up. And to welcome you to the Holy See. I understand it¡¯s your first time here.¡± We all walked over to a closer cluster of couches, Vetsmon sitting between myself and his parents, and Umara sitting by my side. ¡°I¡¯ve only seen one city that can compare to the grandeur of this one.¡± ¡°Let me guess. The Whetted City?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± ¡°If I may ask, what do you think when you compare the two?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I thought about the main differences between these cities. There were few, but one difference made this place a level greater than the Whetted City. ¡°Both of them have amazing architecture and art. I had this discussion with Umara, but this kind of culture and wondrous capital instill a great sense of pride into all who view it. It distinguishes itself by its achievement. But this place doesn¡¯t just have the culture and statues. It also has the religious devotion that even an isolated community can¡¯t compare to. It unifies the population and further encourages virtue.¡± ¡°Mm, I couldn¡¯t have said it better myself. This city rivals the Kingdom¡¯s capital in every way. In fact, many often debate about whether or not humanity is a people of the Kingdom or a people of the Church. Many say that it¡¯s a conflict between the two, but I would argue that there¡¯s nothing to fight about. The people are of the Church, that much is certain. And nobles are not of the people. That¡¯s where the only conflict lies.¡± ¡°I would agree.¡± I had a small smile while relaxing back into the couch. ¡°I have my own personal hatred for the nobility, but regardless, it¡¯s clear to everyone that those of such status live in a world separate from the rest of the population. It¡¯s a product of natural course, but the disconnect will inevitably breed hostility between the classes.¡± ¡°Why do you say it¡¯s natural? Although today¡¯s nobility is corrupt, there have been times when it was not so. They lead the people. In fact, we do the same here at the Holy See. 8 Towers that act as the fingers of God to protect the world from evil. But that does not make us separate from the rest of the population. We are one cohesive whole.¡± ¡°What you¡¯re saying isn¡¯t wrong, but I¡¯m of the mind that the very nature of this world both necessitates and inevitably leads to the disconnect between all forms of nobility and the people. Just rule may be the reality, but it is a fleeting one, bound to devolve into oppression over time. That disconnect, unfortunately, means the people will never have any form of independence.¡± I habitually took out a cigar as I spoke, lighting it and letting a lazy curl of smoke drift into the air. ¡°You needn¡¯t look any further for the answer to why than magic itself. Magic creates the Magus, and the Magus, forced by the hostility of nature, must rise to power and fight back. Disregarding everything else, this fact means that the Magus wields power that the ordinary will never be capable of fighting against. And so he becomes king by default. No matter if he is a benevolent king or a tyrant, he will always be king. And how can a king be of the people? It¡¯s the very antithesis to what a king is.¡± ¡°What you speak of is true, but only the Magi ensure humanity¡¯s continued existence in the struggle against the Scourge. Does not their critical role warrant them some authority?¡± ¡°Yes, the Magi are essential. But it¡¯s exactly that which makes the Scourge similarly so. Hate them all you want, only their overwhelming presence occupies the ultra-powerful and holds corrupt Magi in check. Without the Scourge, those powerful Magi have nothing to do with themselves. And so, as humans naturally seek conflict, they turn on each other. I can already see it. The war, the tyrants, the absolute control the Magi would have over the ordinary. It would be a nation ruled by the hands of a select few¡­¡± I drifted off, just imagining the bleak dystopian society in a world where power only enhanced the capabilities of tyrants. Because here, absolute power truly was absolute. On Earth, it was always a facade that a single well placed bullet would rip through with impunity. Human nature was a fickle thing. Conflict was written into our DNA. Humanity couldn¡¯t go 10 seconds without something to fight against, and if they did, they would certainly fabricate something. It was why things could never be too good. It was why a utopia was just that: an ideal, forever unachievable, eternally hoped-for society. So in a way, in this world, the Scourge could be considered a good thing. They were the enemy to fight against, something to unite humanity. And while internal conflicts certainly still happened, nobody could afford to escalate too far; the existential threat on humanity¡¯s doorstep made sure of that. It kept everyone in check, because even the tyrants understood that they couldn¡¯t rule over everything if everyone was dead. I looked at Vetsmon¡¯s father, of whom I still didn¡¯t know the name, with focused eyes. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Just as the pride of your city¡¯s architecture and religion unites your people, so do your enemies. You have distinction because there are those who stand against you, or beyond you. But take that away, and the only thing you are capable of distinguishing yourself against is your fellow man. Remove the one thing that prevents you from taking over the world, and realize that someone else has another idea of how the world should be taken over. What then, other than war?¡± ¡°...¡± Nobody responded for a moment, all pondering my words. It was a scary future, and so much as thinking about it invited dangerous ideas. If one hoped to defeat the Scourge, then one had no choice but to think of the aftermath. You needed to think about a world ruled exclusively by humanity and what that would entail. And so, this world would enter an era of unceasing warfare. The Scourge was hated for its unyielding drive to end humanity, but should humanity be incapable of coming to a consensus, the resulting world would be just as bad, if not worse. It was a fatalistic Catch-22. To think of defeating the Scourge was to flirt with human warfare; to disregard the possibility was to live under existential threat forever. Which world would truly be better? ¡°To ask all of humanity to govern itself under a single set of rules is an impossible task, just as it is preventing an unchecked noble class from becoming tyrannical.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s a lot to think about, isn¡¯t it?¡± I heard a chuckle come from Vetsmon¡¯s father, making me snap out of my reflection and return a smile. ¡°Yes, it is. Thankfully, I still have a long way ahead of me to mull over it.¡± ¡°Indeed. By the way, I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve properly introduced ourselves. Last time, we got sidetracked.¡± He stood, putting out his hand. ¡°My name is Ignatius Verga, Lord of the Verga Peerage. This is my wife.¡± ¡°Willow Verga. It is a pleasure to befriend a wise young man such as yourself.¡± ¡°John Cooper, and the pleasure is mine.¡± I shook both of their hands, finally having a formal introduction. We sat back down with smiles, Ignatius speaking first. ¡°I¡¯d like to thank you for being an essential member of my son¡¯s squad. It is clear that you have been an integral part in his survival and prosperity in recent months.¡± ¡°Of course, sir. And I couldn¡¯t ask for a better knight to protect me. I¡¯m frequently made painfully aware of my own mortality, but with Vetsmon there, I find confidence knowing I can entrust my back to someone.¡± I reached over and patted the man¡¯s shoulder, making him smirk. Ignatius shifted his gaze to Umara. ¡°And I hope the young lady is doing alright, given the recent pressure?¡± ¡°Of course, Lord Verga. I¡¯m very lucky to have multiple people who support me. I at least know that I can find true friendship in those I entrust my back to.¡± ¡°And I take pride in the fact that my son is proving to be a reliable man and fighter. I know you all only have one more trip to the frontlines, and that your paths may diverge afterward. But I sincerely hope that all of you are able to create some everlasting bonds. I would argue that there are few things as important as friends you can trust.¡± ¡°I would agree.¡± I nodded with a smile, Ignatius standing with his wife. ¡°Now, it¡¯s getting late. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all had a long day, so allow Vetsmon to show you to your room.¡± ¡°Thank you for the hospitality.¡± ¡°Of course. Enjoy your stay, and if there¡¯s anything you need, please let us know.¡± With that, the discussion ended, all of us retiring for the night. Vetsmon showed Umara and I our rooms. The two of us were left to ourselves on the 70th floor of the Tower with an incredible glass wall view of the nightime city. There were some attendants to take care of us, basically room service, and so we were able to arrange ourselves some dinner. After all that was said and done, I stood in front of the glass wall, taking in the view. This wouldn¡¯t be the first time, and certainly wouldn¡¯t be the last time, I had seen expansive cityscapes wrapped in night, but I still felt like I could stare all night. That¡¯s when I suddenly had a thought. ¡°Umara, I have a question.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°How would anybody know if we had sex?¡± ¡°H-huh? W-wow, that¡¯s sudden.¡± Pinkish-hued emotions surged from our mental link for a second before she managed to collect herself. She went silent for a few seconds before offering a response. ¡°You said you come from another place without magic, so I can assume you don¡¯t understand what happens when a virginity is taken.¡± ¡°Anything special?¡± ¡°Yes. Sex between Magi rarely results in children, but there¡¯s a special phenomenon that helps overcome that, and it¡¯s why keeping your virginity until marriage is so important. It¡¯s called the Inception, and it''s established the first time a couple has sex when at least one virgin is involved. It tends to be the woman who maintains her virginity in noble society, but it¡¯s even better when both parties are virgins.¡± ¡°So this process helps have children?¡± ¡°It vastly increases the small chances until the first born comes, yes. After that it diminishes.¡± ¡°I see. Now, how do you know when the Inception occurs?¡± I asked with a bit of nerve. Rayla was my first partner in this world but not my first in my life. Neither of us were virgins, but I just wanted to be sure I didn¡¯t miss anything; would virginity be magically reset when I came to this world? Umara, slightly flushed, considered my question a bit longer. ¡°...I¡¯ve only heard about it, but it¡¯s said that it¡¯s like your bodies fuse for a bit. That and there¡¯s a lot of heat.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± I rubbed my chin. That definitely didn¡¯t happen with Rayla. Sure there was heat, but that was body heat and alcohol. I assumed what Umara was talking about was different. That said, at the time, I had only been Authority 2. I didn¡¯t even know if that whole sex system had been effective at the time. Since then, I had come a long way, and I would certainly be advancing even more before Umara and I got married. I wasn¡¯t even sure how Psyka could affect my fertility. I could understand if it was Vigor, even Mana. But not the power of the mind. The bit Umara and I gained through our Temperings could probably be discounted, though I made a mental note to ask her later. Well, it would be something to figure out when the time came to cross that bridge. However, I decided that since we were on the topic, it would be a good time to bring something else up. After some silence, I turned to her. ¡°Given that information, there¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± She tilted her head at me, inquisitive face unable to hide the small spike in anxiety clear in her Aura. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not a virgin.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I lost it a long time ago, well before I arrived in the Kingdom. I told you that I had relationships before, and a couple of those involved sex. If you really want to know the details, I lost my virginity when I was 15.¡± ¡°That young?!¡± She blurted out in astonishment, making me nod. ¡°Yea. Let¡¯s just say the culture there is pretty different from here. It¡¯s not so uncommon for kids that age to be having sex, though looking back on it, I wish I hadn¡¯t just based on principle.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s insane. Even ordinary people don¡¯t usually get married until at least their 20s.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ I thought it would be younger. Unfortunately, that¡¯s only part of my history. I¡¯d like you to know this now, but I did have sex with one person one time not long after I arrived in the Kingdom. You know on our first trip, that girl who had come to see me off?¡± ¡°...You didn¡¯t.¡± Her face fell, anxiety getting replaced with a slight tinge of aggression. I diverted my gaze a bit. ¡°Yea, we did. I was Authority 2 at the time and it was during my first Gala. Well, we had been working together for a month or so and we had gotten really drunk. Or, at least I did.¡± ¡°You work with her?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t work much anymore, but yes. But you can rest assured. I didn¡¯t feel anything like an Inception, and even afterward, once she learned that you and I were together after we came back from the first trip, she basically never talked to me again.¡± I let out a sigh as Umara processed the news. It was one thing if I had a distant history. It was another if one of my partners was recent, and someone she had met. But thinking back to that whole fiasco had me a bit depressed. Beyond all else, Rayla was a good friend. I didn¡¯t like how things ended, and the Magisterium occupying all my time certainly didn¡¯t help. I could feel Umara¡¯s steely gaze on me as my mind drifted, snapping out of it when I heard her taught voice. ¡°What, are you thinking about her?¡± ¡°Mhm. All I can say is that the situation then had been¡­ complicated. I don¡¯t like how things went, but it¡¯s done now. We haven¡¯t talked in months.¡± ¡°...Ugh!¡± Umara stood and stomped off to the kitchen, making my brows raise as she grabbed a bottle of alcohol. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Shut up! How complicated was it? Why do you look so depressed?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a widow. She lost her husband to the Scourge.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara froze, bottle in hand, as I continued. ¡°He was converted as well, came back as a monster and had to be put down. To say she was traumatized is an understatement. And I guess at the time I was¡­ pitying.¡± ¡°...Fuck.¡± She set the bottle down, standing there with her head lowered. Then I heard a sniffle, watching as she wiped away a tear. My head tilted a bit. She was crying. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°She never deserved that. Nobody does. And just thinking about how it¡¯s possible scares me.¡± ¡°Yea, me too. But someone has to fight and take that risk. Even when they don¡¯t want to.¡± I walked over to Umara, putting my hands around her face and lifting it. ¡°Umara, I¡¯m sorry. This changes nothing, and we both know that. I love you, and there¡¯s nobody else I want to spend the rest of my life with. But I didn¡¯t want to keep those secrets from you. It wouldn¡¯t be fair. Now, you know almost everything about me.¡± ¡°...Almost?¡± She glanced into my eyes with a glint, making me chuckle. ¡°Yes, almost. For one, I¡¯ve got a lot of blood on my hands from my time in the black market. I haven¡¯t told you just how much, but we¡¯ll come back to that later. As for the other details¡­ well, that¡¯ll be left for when we get married. But who knows, perhaps you¡¯ll figure it out before then.¡± ¡°Okay, now you¡¯ve made me curious. Just tell me.¡± ¡°Sorry, my dear, but I need to retain at least some of my mystery. I can¡¯t have you getting bored of me, after all.¡± I pat her cheek before giving her a quick kiss on the forehead. After that I went to bed, shelving the topic, and drifted off into warm sheets. Chapter 109: Catalyst When I woke up, something was blocking my vision. It took me a second to not panic before I realized Umara was wrapped around me, sound asleep. Her arm lay across my face, soft breaths and a little bit of drool tickling my neck. I was being used as a body pillow. It was a good thing I slept like a log. But it made me smile as I shifted a little, turning toward her. I was glad to see her all over me. I couldn¡¯t really gauge how Umara had been feeling after our conversation last night, which is why I gave her some space to think. She even came to bed a bit later than normal; we didn¡¯t even have a chance to cuddle. Despite a few small worries that persisted, things seemed alright now, so I pushed those to the back of my mind. It was rather difficult to think of anything else when I knew my Crown would be ready today, and the operation tomorrow. Part of me wanted it to happen now and be over with it, but another part didn¡¯t feel ready. What would the process even be like? From what I¡¯d learned from Maxwell, it would be similar to a surgery in procedure, but I didn¡¯t even know if they¡¯d use anesthesia. Hell, maybe I was misinterpreting everything; maybe it would just be a potion I¡¯d have to down. Whatever it was, I knew it would be dangerous and still felt anxious, even if the chance of me dying was incredibly low. I decided I could take a break from training, so after getting out of bed, I ordered some breakfast. When the room was filled with the aroma of breakfast meats and pancake-equivalents, Umara stumbled from our room, half-awake. ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°Good morning.¡± Our greetings were succinct. Neither of us were very cheery when it was bright and early, so our mornings were usually spent in silence for the first hour or so while we cast off what remained of our grogginess. We both ate and cleaned up before I got a call from Vetsmon. ¡°He wants to take us on a tour of the city. The school as well. I guess the Holy See has something like the Magsiterium.¡± ¡°Mm, they do. It¡¯s called the Ark.¡± ¡°So why didn¡¯t Vetsmon go there?¡± ¡°Not sure. Maybe it''s a relational thing. A way to forge ties between the Church and Kingdom.¡± She muttered while stuffing some bread into her mouth, making me hum. ¡°Well, since we have nothing to do, we can go.¡± I smiled a bit before heading to the room and dressing myself. However, that¡¯s when I got another message from Maxwell, my face falling a bit. ¡°Shit.¡± ¡°What?¡± Umara asked from around the corner. ¡°I¡¯m getting called out. Maxwell needs to see me.¡± ¡°Oh. Well, do what you need to do. You¡¯re here on business, after all.¡± ¡°Sorry about this. We¡¯ll have more time after the operation.¡± I pulled down my collar before walking up to her, looking down into her eyes. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yea, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Hm. Well, just let me know if there¡¯s anything on your mind. I thrust a lot onto you and want to make sure you don¡¯t have any lingering concerns. I did that so you could trust me ¡ª full transparency.¡± I suddenly looked down at my Aerial after I said that, seeing another message. ¡°Tsk, he¡¯s being impatient. Alright, I need to go. Have fun with Vetsmon.¡± I kissed her forehead before leaving the room, heading for the place Maxwell wanted me to meet him. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Where¡¯s John?¡± ¡°He¡¯s got business. It¡¯s just us for now.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Vetsmon nodded as Umara walked to his side, the two leaving the Walk of Saints. From there they took a carriage to explore the city. Vetsmon showed off some of his favorite places including military training grounds where he would practice the sword as a child. Being the son of a Tower Lord, he naturally had an equally impressive upbringing. Umara didn¡¯t really have her mind on any of it though. Other than the fact that it was based around a religion, the Holy See wasn¡¯t much more impressive than the Whetted City. Nothing could quite compare to the wealth of the Church, not even the Capital, but it wasn¡¯t like its majesty was so awe-inspiring it dwarfed that of the rest. Instead, her mind swirled with thoughts of John and the news he had broken to her. It was difficult to think about much else, especially with a clearer head. All the little details about what it meant for him to do that with someone else kept tugging at her mind, nevermind the other complications. Well, he wasn¡¯t an innocent boy, that much was certain. The only issue was how okay she was with it. He was at least right in that it didn¡¯t change anything. Umara already knew that even if she didn¡¯t like it, that changed nothing about how much she loved him. And she was pretty certain that he felt the same. It was also fortunate that he never saw much of that girl anymore, saving her some anxiety. But it was still a bit shocking. It was a blight on the perfect image she had of the two, even if she previously harbored some suspicions. There was a lot about John that she didn¡¯t know, so she was naturally curious. The only solace was that he was open about the fact that he had some secrets, and he wasn¡¯t hesitant to reveal them over time. This just happened to be one she didn¡¯t quite like. As such, she was actually rather happy that John had to go for a while; she could ask Vetsmon for a second opinion. As the big man talked, she suddenly tapped his arm. ¡°Vetsmon.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I have some to ask about. Or, perhaps get your opinion on. John and I had talked last night and he gave me some news.¡± ¡°Alright. What about?¡± ¡°Turns out, he¡¯s quite far from being a virgin.¡± ¡°O-Oh¡­¡± Vetsmon¡¯s eyes widened, though not out of surprise. It was more so the embarrassing topic that caught him off guard. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. But it only took a few seconds for the information to sink in, and he realized where Umara was coming from. ¡°So I assume you didn¡¯t find that very settling.¡± ¡°No. He gave me the details and I know I can¡¯t really blame him. The place he came from is far different from the Kingdom. He told me he first had sex when he was 15.¡± ¡°That young?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s how I reacted.¡± She smirked a bit. It was nice to see someone else with her sensibilities. John was just so strange sometimes¡­ ¡°Anyway, apparently he had a complicated relationship with a friend from his work several months ago. He hasn¡¯t talked to her in a long time, so I at least don¡¯t have anything to worry about. But¡­ It¡¯s still vexing. I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Well, I can understand. You won¡¯t be his first¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Vetsmon drifted off in thought, Umara lowering her head in silence. That was the crux of the issue. She wouldn¡¯t be his first. If the only times were when he was young, then she wouldn¡¯t care so much. He was just a kid and kids made bad decisions all the time. It was difficult to blame any of them at that stage in their life. So it didn¡¯t really matter either way. But that wasn¡¯t the case with Rayla. Although she understood the complicated circumstances, that didn¡¯t mean she felt any better about it. It was difficult to think about how your partner had been so intimate with someone else, and to know that you weren¡¯t as special as you initially thought. Umara sighed, combing back her ashy gray hair. ¡°Am I just overthinking things? I don¡¯t want to be mad about it, but it¡¯s hard not to be.¡± ¡°...I would say that you¡¯re not in the wrong. It¡¯s okay to be mad, but I wouldn¡¯t direct that towards him. As you said, he comes from a place very different from here. Although he¡¯s not the person he was when he was young, that doesn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t carry certain ideals over. Besides, he¡¯s crazy about you. I can¡¯t possibly fathom the idea of him being unfaithful to you. And that¡¯s despite him getting a whole lot of attention from other girls.¡± ¡°Attention? How?¡± ¡°Hah, you guys don¡¯t see it, but I constantly have girls come talk to me in order to ask about John. It¡¯s honestly getting annoying. Feiden is dealing with the same thing. I heard his girlfriend had to start chasing them off.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Umara¡¯s smiled a bit, making Vetsmon chuckle. ¡°You two are always in your own little world. But at least you know that there¡¯s no possible way John has anyone else in his eyes but you. So I don¡¯t think it matters all that much that he¡¯s not a virgin. And why should you let those other girls make you mad? It only hurts you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°The only thing you have to worry about then is the Inception.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I may not have to, but we¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°What sparked the conversation anyway?¡± Vetsmon glanced over at her, watching her shrug. ¡°He wanted to know how anybody would know if we, as he sometimes calls it, did the dance with no pants.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± ¡°Anyway, he didn¡¯t even know that Inception was a thing since he came from a place with no magic, and thankfully, has never experienced it. That gives me hope, but neither of us can be completely sure until the day.¡± ¡°You¡¯re waiting until marriage?¡± ¡°Mm. But only because we have to.¡± ¡°Hm, I can¡¯t imagine what you guys would be doing without all the nobility to hold you back.¡± Vetsmon smiled at her, causing her to smirk as they continued walking. She punched his sturdy arm. ¡°Thanks big guy.¡± ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°Yea. I think I just needed someone to talk to. Besides, I¡¯m going to have bigger things to worry about soon enough. John¡¯s operation is tomorrow.¡± ¡°Maybe he told you about that now because of that.¡± ¡°...Really?¡± She looked at him with raised brows. Vetsmon just shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Just a thought.¡± ¡°...Alright.¡± Umara shook her head, deciding to clear her mind of the subject and move on. ¡­¡­ ¡­ The day of the operation came. Umara and I met with Maxwell at the bottom of the Franks Tower, taking the elevator up to the top where we met with Terrace. The day before, I had done nothing other than drink some odd potions Maxwell gave me. Their effects varied greatly from making my skin tingle to making my entire body boil with heat. Some of it was incredibly uncomfortable, while some of them made me feel great. Then all I had to do was wait. He didn¡¯t want me doing anything, not even eat. I could at most drink tons of water, and along with the potions, it all served to cleanse my body. As a result I was positively starving, but the feeling of anticipation far outstripped it as we arrived at a special wing of the tower. It was a large medical facility, white stone hallways leading to different subsections teeming with medical personnel and patients, labeled with terms I was familiar with: Emergency, Quarantine, Hospice, and where I was headed, Surgery. I was about to become one of those many patients. Maxwell took us to a large room, the entire place relatively clean, but not nearly sterile enough for my liking. I know I wouldn¡¯t be going under the knife, but it wasn¡¯t comforting to think that the people operating on me couldn¡¯t practice basic sanitation. But then again, they all used magic, so what the hell did I know. The room we entered had a bed in the middle and some odd devices on a table next to it. Several contraptions also hung around the table, for purposes I couldn¡¯t possibly guess. Finally, there was a separate tray to the side, on top of which were several large vials and syringes. It felt menacing. I took a deep breath as Terrace motioned to the bed. ¡°Take off your shirt and lie on the bed. Once my assistant gets back, we¡¯ll begin.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I nodded and stripped off my coat and shirt, sending them into my spatial sack before climbing onto the hard bed. There was no noticeable cushion, but I was too anxious to worry about that. I looked around at the vials and syringes again. I never had a phobia, but needles and the like still had me antsy. Especially when they were so damn big. I turned my head, watching Terrace make some final preparations. ¡°Is there going to be any numbing?¡± ¡°Partially. I¡¯ll explain the process so you understand what¡¯s going on.¡± He lifted a vial and scanned it with a magic spell before nodding. ¡°Crowns are no mere medicine or potion. They are deep modifications to the human body, requiring extensive and invasive procedures to impart. They are dangerous, painful, and can take quite some time to apply. What we are going to do today is inject a liquified solution of White Crystal into your blood, using that as the catalyst to apply the Crown. Once your body is sufficiently saturated, the Crown itself will be applied via an ocular injection.¡± ¡°A fucking what?¡± ¡°An ocular injection. You wanted to enhance your eyes. Well, we need to get straight into the eyeball.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m gonna lose my eyes.¡± I felt my neck go limp. Terrace smirked at my discomfort. ¡°Yes, in a way, you will lose your eyes. Most of your eyes will be destroyed in the process before getting regenerated in their new form. This is the part we will numb you for, because the process is notoriously agonizing.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just knock me out? I¡¯m not sure I want to be awake for any of this.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t. A side effect of injecting you with liquified White Crystal is the effect it has on your Psyka. Let¡¯s just say that it makes it impossible for summoners to fall unconscious. Your mind will become incredibly overactive, so much so that the only thing that would sedate you is an overdose. And from past experience, sedating you first only worsens the experience when you inevitably wake up. It¡¯s enough to send the body into shock, potentially killing you.¡± ¡°Fuck¡­¡± I cursed with a long sigh. ¡°Am I even going to survive this?¡± ¡°Of course. Just because it''s painful doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s going to kill you. Don¡¯t worry so much though. We can¡¯t sedate you, but we can paralyze you. It¡¯ll keep you from making this more difficult for me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not comforting.¡± ¡°Then take comfort in the fact that you won¡¯t have a choice, and that you¡¯re in my hands. There¡¯s nobody better than me.¡± ¡°...Umara, I¡¯m ready to write my will.¡± ¡°Little brat.¡± Terrace clicked his tongue. At the same time, I established a telepathic connection with Umara. She looked at me worriedly from the side. (Are you okay?) (I¡¯ll be fine. Probably.) (Well, just keep in mind why you¡¯re doing this. You¡¯re going to get through it. There¡¯s a lot of people who have sacrificed for you to be here. Don¡¯t let them down.) (Don¡¯t worry. Momma ain¡¯t raise no bitch.) I smiled before suddenly hearing the doors swing open. I looked up to find the assistant, another man who looked to be a bit younger than Terrace. ¡°Ah, Barron. You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Yes sir. This is John? Pleasure to meet you. You¡¯re in good hands.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I shook the man¡¯s hand with a smile. Then, he prepared some gloves. Terrace grabbed a vial, flicking it with his fingernail and drawing the fluid inside into the first syringe. ¡°Very well. Time to begin. We¡¯ll start by injecting the White Crystal. Just relax. This is the easy part.¡± He said that while filling a syringe. Then, he placed it up against my arm. I took a few long breaths. And so it began. Chapter 110: Operation Terrace depressed the plunger on the White Crystal solution. Something incredibly viscous flooded into me, feeling like what I imagined coagulating blood would feel like. I could just barely see him retract the needle and receive another from Barron, which he jabbed into my thigh. In total, he injected me four times, once on each limb. He also gave me a tincture of some sort that numbed my entire tongue, like I wasn¡¯t drinking liquified crystal but some oral anesthetic. My throat and stomach felt similarly. It was like they became completely foreign to my body. At first, that was the only uncomfortable part about it. But then, the White Crystal started to kick in. It started to feel like lead as it dispersed throughout my blood, muscles, and organs. It only took a few minutes to fully circulate everywhere, and once complete, my heart started to beat faster in an attempt to move my heavy blood. My entire body started to throb a bit. It was no worse than a sore day after a hard gym session. But then he brought out more vials, preparing more injections. Looks like the process wouldn¡¯t be so easy. Sure enough, he went through four rounds of injections, filling my body to the brim with that liquified White Crystal. By the time it was done, it felt like the stuff had seeped straight through my muscles and into my bones. The throbbing turned into a heavy ache, which then turned into an intense pain shooting through my body with every heartbeat. Despite that, I could hardly move a muscle. Even my fingers felt leaden, as if someone had cut them open and poured in molten iron. Even my internal organs were heavy. I almost vomited several times from the feeling, yet couldn¡¯t from some mysterious weight pressing down on my chest. However, even that wasn¡¯t the worst of it. The four rounds of injections took about 40 minutes, each one spaced apart. The spacing alone was agonizing; it was just long enough to get used to the pain before another four injections. Then again, I was still sure I¡¯d been through worse. Football practices were no less brutal, maybe more so. But in the back of my head, I still wondered about when I would feel that mental overdrive he talked about. It was about an hour in when I started to feel something strange. (How¡­ are¡­ you¡­ doing?) Umara asked, causing me to turn to her. My head moved lethargically. Her voice seemed like it was being replayed in slow motion, yet sped up so much that I couldn¡¯t keep up with it. It was like my mind couldn¡¯t decide whether to process the information or not. The lights all around me started to get brighter as well. That¡¯s when I could see Terrace¡¯s assistant Barron glancing over at me periodically. ¡°His pupils have dilated. The mental effects are kicking in.¡± ¡°Good. Give it another 15 minutes before paralyzing him. And adjust the dosage. He¡¯s got a bit of Vigor in him.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I could hear them conversing, I could consciously register the words, but no matter how hard my brain churned I couldn¡¯t process what they actually meant. Within my mind, my Spark rampaged, slowly ramping up in speed until it felt like a pulsar instead of a star; a typhoon instead of a stream. None of my mental preparations could¡¯ve prepared me for this; any token resistance I could put up would be washed away in the storm. Every sensation was amplified by magnitudes ¡ª not out of sensitivity, but redundancy. My mind registered everything several times at the slow-yet-fast speed before the next set of thoughts and feelings overrode it. I was dizzy and out of control. Time moved ten times faster, yet every moment just wouldn¡¯t end. It felt like forever before that feeling subsided. At some point, my thoughts became far more lucid, shifting from mental chaos to hyperfocus. My breathing sped up as I dialed in, looking around at Maxwell, Umara, and Terrace like I was just waking up to find them in my room. ¡°Maxwell? What¡­ is this?¡± ¡°Your mind has adapted to the effects. It¡¯s being overwhelmed with Psyka, but now it''s beginning to harness the power. The Crystals used were Authority 7. They¡¯re incredibly potent, but difficult for us to acquire. What you¡¯re experiencing can be likened to how you¡¯ll feel when you advance to a higher level.¡± ¡°Yea, that¡¯s great and all. But it¡¯s also more painful.¡± Tremors wracked my body, filled with strength I couldn''t contain. The hyperfocus only made the bone and organ pain worse, ¡°helping¡± me experience every agony in excruciating detail. It would be better if it all just blurred together. Maxwell patted my shoulder. ¡°Just bear with it. The paralytic solution is being administered. Once it is, distract yourself. Use your Spark to fill your mind with thoughts other than the pain. In fact, maybe you can use this opportunity for training.¡± He suddenly brought out the third layer of the advancement formation, holding it up in front of my face. My eye twitched. ¡°I can¡¯t catch a damn break!¡± ¡°Come now. This will be good for your training.¡± ¡°And I thought you were being sympathetic!¡± ¡°That¡¯s your girlfriend¡¯s job, not mine.¡± ¡°Prepare for paralysis.¡± Barron announced as he poked my arm with another syringe. I felt parts of my body stop responding as the paralytic agent spread from the injection site, losing any feeling of control through my body. Thankfully, my nerves were also slightly dulled, a slight respite from the somehow intensified pain signals surging to my brain. I just focused on the advancement formation as I lost control. It was only when my neck and head went limp that I prepared myself. It was time for the worst part. Barron spoke after moving my face around. I couldn¡¯t even move my eyes. ¡°Saturation has reached the threshold, and his body is paralyzed. Moving to phase 2.¡± ¡°Prepare the Crown. We¡¯ll go top down, starting with the sensory enhancement before moving on to the spine.¡± ¡°Understood. Here¡¯s the ocular injection.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Mm. Work on the ears while I do this.¡± Terrace took the syringe and grabbed my head, shifting me around until I was lined up. ¡°Alright kid, here comes the hard part. All of that White Crystal is going to circulate through the sites that we inject the Crown in. Its power will be consumed there, so imagine all of the pain of your body being focused in one area. It won¡¯t be fun, but I can assure you that this is worth it. Now, try to dissociate or something. Anything you need to do to bear with it.¡± He said that before pulling open my eyelids and bringing up the syringe. Inwardly, I was shitting myself, but the paralysis rendered me unable to even move my eyes in protest as Terrace performed the ocular injection. After that, I wasn¡¯t exactly able to think straight. The feeling of getting a renovation in your eyeball was difficult to describe, but it was safe to say that I felt like killing myself. They may as well have gouged out my eyeballs and installed new ones. Of course, attaching the ocular nerve to a new eyeball required technology that they were far from developing. I wasn¡¯t even sure if there was magic that could do it, but then again, maybe this was precisely the magic that could do such a thing. And so my senses liquified, almost literally, as the agony of my body was concentrated up in my head. All of the sensory discomfort was amplified by the world¡¯s nastiest migraine. It was a good thing I was paralyzed, because otherwise I would have been trying to kill someone, probably Terrace. Umara tried speaking to me at some point too, but I couldn¡¯t hear her after Barron did the operation on my ears. Then they pried open my stiff mouth and made a mess in there as well. It felt like they were tearing me apart. They practically were tearing me apart. And yet, through it all, I couldn¡¯t help but remember how there was one woman who pioneered all of this shit, the one who had to destroy her own body in the pursuit of something greater, developing a key advantage to be used against the Scourge. Oh, how madness and genius coincide. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of deep respect. Because I felt like I was the one going mad now. I couldn¡¯t estimate how long the procedure went on for. But it was a damn good thing that assigning my Spark to effectively spam my brain with other unrelated thoughts actually helped in distracting me from the pain. Rather counterintuitively, after my sensory organs were liquefied, the nerves all around them were either fried or killed so the pain actually subsided to bearable if still agonizing levels. In a way, it was almost like I had already passed out. I was unable to see, hear, taste, or even smell; touch was the only thing grounding me, and it made for quite the sensory deprivation experience. I was in that darkness for an eternity, feeling more than like I had been thrown into a dark hell. The pain was never ending, and even with my Spark, I was slowly starting to think it would just be an eternity of pain. I couldn¡¯t even seek refuge in Umara¡¯s mind. My Spark was working overtime feeding me junk, leaving me unable to connect with Umara, much less think about something like the advancement formation. But at some point, I felt them wrap up my face. Then, I was turned over on my stomach. That¡¯s when I felt syringes get stuck around my spine. The first ones were numbing agents, but they didn¡¯t actually stop me from feeling the next needles push aside my flesh and enter my spine. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t have to bear the pain, just the creepy sensation of separating flesh. Whatever was in the needles, it actually ended up serving me well. I started to lose my sense of touch throughout my entire body, dulling almost all of the pain except for what was around my head. I didn¡¯t know that this was part of the procedure, even though he said they would move on to the spine. Seems like Maxwell prepared something else, the cheeky old man. Either way, I officially got the true sensory deprivation experience. No sight, hearing, taste, smell, or touch. The only thing I had was my Aura, which was the only indication that I was still alive and functional. At first it was interesting. Once some of the pain faded, I was able to concentrate on other things. I got to appreciate the experience. But after a while passed, it went from interesting to scary. I was suspended in a void and I started to see things. I realized my mind was creating something to see, an attempt to fill the gaps. But they were only hallucinations¡­ right? Eventually, the foggy images started to focus and I realized that it was actually my Aura. I could see everyone around me. I could see Terrace talking with Maxwell, Barron preparing more materials to heal me, and Umara fidgeting anxiously in the corner. In fact, it became so focused I could actually project out. That¡¯s when I noticed something in Maxwell change, and even if he didn¡¯t turn his head, he turned his sight to me. He reached out with his Aura before I realized what was happening. ¡­¡­ Maxwell felt John¡¯s Aura reaching out for his mind. Sending information to another¡¯s mind was nothing more than a rudimentary exercise for him, but that didn¡¯t make it any less impressive for John to be proficient at it. He was improving handily. (You¡¯ll be okay. The Crowns have been installed. Now you just need to heal everything back up. It¡¯s been about 11 hours since the start of the operation. It may take another day for you to heal, and Barron will be periodically injecting you with more White Crystal until everything is over. (...) There was no response from him, which wasn¡¯t unexpected. He just looked down, observing his body. There were marks all over his back, arms, and legs. It wasn¡¯t enough to get just a sensory upgrade. Maxwell wanted him to have more. And he knew just the thing for him. Of course, adding more was only possible because John had a freakish capacity for Crowns, according to Terrace. A person¡¯s capacity to get modified by Crowns was, put simply, determined by the stability of a person¡¯s body. There were several measurements to determine stability and a whole science behind it that Maxwell had never quite bothered to learn. All he knew was that, oddly enough, people who required more sleep tended to have more stability. This could be figured out using some magical scans that Terrace had performed earlier, as well as several other measurements. Age was also another factor. The prime of a person¡¯s life was also the most stable time of their life. Unfortunately, not many could obtain a crown while young. Only the children of rich parents would do such a thing, and even then many might wait to receive prime material or let their children get stronger before deciding on something so permanent. Regardless, John could take plenty, so they pushed to his furthest extent. This wasn¡¯t to say they filled his capacity; he would expand that capacity as he got stronger. But for now, they had given him a rather extreme procedure. Maxwell was curious as well. He wondered what it was like to lose every one of your senses. He couldn¡¯t imagine what John was experiencing. Perhaps that¡¯s why his Aura was becoming more prominent. But then, after speaking to him through Aura and letting enough time pass, he suddenly felt a wave expand from John¡¯s body. It was almost like he saw John¡¯s ghost rise from his body before walking over to Umara. She also lifted her head, as if she could see it too. (Go ahead and head back to the room, my sweet. You need sleep.) His voice traveled into all their minds. Barron and Terrace turned to him as well, their eyes widening. Terrace chuckled in disbelief. ¡°An illusion. That¡¯s amazing. John, can you hear me?¡± ¡°...¡± John didn¡¯t respond. Instead, the illusory body teleported in front of Terrace. (I can¡¯t hear you, but I can see your lips flapping. Thanks for the most painful experience of my life. Next time, figure out how to numb the pain. You¡¯d think if this technology were so advanced, you¡¯d be able to do something as little as that. Umara, remind me to teach you some things about the human body after this.) (Okay.) Umara responded, surprising Maxwell. She spoke again. (How are you feeling?) (Like shit. But I¡¯ll be fine. You should go rest.) (I¡¯m staying right here. We¡¯ll leave this room together. And if you need someone to talk to, you have me.) (Then have someone get you a blanket at least. I don¡¯t want you to be uncomfortable.) (Says the man who just went through the most painful experience of his life. Don¡¯t worry about me.) She smiled as the illusory figure turned to her. Then, it disappeared as the telepathic connection was established with her once again. She spoke into it. (I love you, John) (Love you too. I want to talk more, but this is all really tiring.) (It¡¯s okay. Please, just focus on recovering.) (I will.) With that, the connection was cut, everything going quiet. Terrace scoffed. ¡°You¡¯ve got quite the protege, Maxwell.¡± ¡°Yes, he seems to be adept at utilizing Aura. It seems the loss of his senses has only aided that as well. I¡¯ll consult him later. For now, help him recover.¡± Maxwell said that while waving a chair into existence by the wall. A moment later, a cush couch also appeared nearby. ¡°Lady Umara, feel free to use this.¡± ¡°You guys are turning my operating room into a living room?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did you have another patient to bring in here instead of attending to my protege?¡± ¡°...Nevermind. Barron, take the first shift to watch him. I¡¯ll get some shut eye and finish him up later.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Barron nodded as Terrace walked out. As for Maxwell and Umara, they both got comfortable in their seats. Like that, the main phase of the operation concluded. Chapter 111: Recovery At some point, my Aura projection faded into darkness with my consciousness. The pain had eventually subsided and I was so exhausted I didn¡¯t really have a choice. I didn¡¯t know how long I slept, but when I finally woke up, I realized I had my senses back. Yet I couldn¡¯t quite use the one I was most eager to test since my entire face was wrapped up. Even my body felt as tender as my face, every touch with the bed and sheer sheets they laid over me overstimulating my nerves. Not only that, but when I tried moving my limbs, they didn¡¯t feel like my own body parts. Mere twitches of the fingers came with such mechanical ease, clarity, and precision they felt completely alien. And my movements didn¡¯t go unnoticed. I heard a voice not long after. ¡°John? He¡¯s awake!¡± ¡°Seems so. Time to finish this up then.¡± I heard Terrace¡¯s voice before feeling a hand grab my own. It was Umara¡¯s. ¡°Can you hear me John?¡± I nodded slowly in response to her question, feeling the muscles in my neck move with unerring responses to my subconscious desires. At the same time I could tell just how unbelievably sensitive my hearing was. Every tremor in the room sounded like it was right next to me, every breath, even their very heartbeats. Their voices rang in my ears like they were yelling, yet it didn¡¯t feel like too much to handle. Like that, I felt the wrap around my head get taken off. It wasn¡¯t long before I was able to see again. And what appeared in my vision was quite the¡­ sight. Umara was the first person I saw, and yet I almost thought I was looking at a whole different person. The image of her was so clear that I thought I could see the cells that composed her skin. And the colors all around me were so vivid. The color depth that I was experiencing had to have exponentially increased. In fact, I soon realized that I was seeing more than just colors. Dare I say, I could actually just barely see the Magika in the atmosphere, something that could only be sensed by my Aura before. It felt like a whole new world had opened up to me, as if I had been looking through an unfocused lens all this time and suddenly got upgraded to the best. My field of view was widened, the range of light I could see expanded, the resolution multiplied, and even magical power became somewhat visible. Once my nose was uncovered, A whole host of smells slammed into me like I had gotten the nose of a dog, though the amplification was quite subdued compared to my vision or hearing. My mouth was already uncovered, and I didn¡¯t immediately taste or sense anything different. All my teeth were there and my tongue still functioned as normal. Or, at least I thought it did. But then I felt something odd and stuck my tongue out. I could swear it wrapped under my chin, Umara recoiling from the sight in front of me. ¡°...Why the hell did you make my tongue so long?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the first thing you say when you wake up? Every sense of yours has been enhanced. You should be thanking me.¡± Maxwell scoffed from the side, my tongue slithering around before getting pulled back into my mouth. I suddenly smiled at Umara. ¡°You¡¯re going to enjoy that later.¡± ¡°O-Okay?¡± ¡°Tsk, kids.¡± Terrace clicked his tongue, walking up to me and handing me a mirror. ¡°Here. Your eyes are different. You should know what they look like.¡± ¡°Oh. Wow.¡± My brows raised when I saw myself. My eyes used to be hazel, but now, they were a bold golden color. Not only that, but they seemed to be a bit larger as well. The pupil and iris filled a much larger area, so the eyeball wasn¡¯t necessarily bigger. There was just less visible sclera. If my memory served me right, these eyes were identical to the Royal¡¯s, at least in appearance. Functionally, I could dilate and contract my pupil if I really focused. I could kind of feel the muscles in the eye, and by manipulating that feeling, I could focus in on something. I looked off toward a wall of the room, focusing my eye and watching as my vision effectively zoomed in. I focused on a seam of the stone wall, able to see even the tiniest details of its surface and variations in the coloration. I even noticed that we were in a different room. And that was just from a casual glance. I suddenly wanted to go outside and see for myself the extent of this enhancement. But when I tried to get up, I found that my body was far more sensitive than I initially thought. Controlling my own limbs felt difficult, and the slightest change in touch made me so uncomfortable that it was painful. Terrace put his hand on my shoulder. ¡°Relax. Your body needs time to adjust. I want you in bed for at least the next day. After that you can start moving around. At that time you¡¯ll need assistance until you can function on your own, so if necessary, I can give you a doctor.¡± ¡°Maybe. We¡¯ll see how I feel.¡± ¡°Mm. You did well, getting through that. You seem to be fine, but take a week to wind down. It can be a traumatic experience, especially what you went through.¡± ¡°Yeah, especially when there¡¯s no numbing agent.¡± ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Terrace looked apologetic. ¡°Some people outright refuse to get the operation done due to expectations of pain. Unfortunately, there¡¯s nothing I could¡¯ve given you to dull that beyond what the paralytic solution gave. So I felt like it was better if I didn¡¯t tell you at all.¡± ¡°...Whatever.¡± I let out a breath and looked away. If I was being honest, that pissed me off. Fighting through all that pain while paralyzed was something I never wanted to experience again. Thankfully, I would never have to as this was the only modification to sensory organs I would ever get for the rest of my life. But I felt so mentally drained, and it wasn¡¯t from the operation. That level of pain seemed to age me a few decades, and he was right in that it would take time to get over it. Maybe my attitude was just bad because of it all, but I didn¡¯t really feel like I could look at him. And refusing to thank him would temporarily be my way of expressing my anger. I raised my hand to my face, touching it and feeling all the odd sensations. It would take time to get used to this. ¡°Well, with that, the operation is complete. You¡¯re free now, but since you¡¯ll be staying here, I¡¯ll have someone bring you food. Just make sure not to bite your tongue. Seriously. I¡¯ve done tongue enhancements before and all of them bit theirs. One girl even bit off the end of hers. So just take it slow.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Hm.¡± I nodded as Terrace left. That¡¯s when Maxwell spoke in explanation. ¡°The enhancements you got are obvious, but I should notify you about the one I added. The injections we did across your spine and limbs consisted of the spinal fluid of a Shrike. These beasts are known for their agility and are incredibly difficult to catch because of it. Anyway, that has given you greater agility and fine movements, especially in your hands where I thought you could use it most. You will find that your dexterity has become a magnitude better, and thus your capacities to utilize the time dilation effects of your coat are much more thorough. The Crown was effectively time dilation but for your body instead of your mind. However, you will need to figure out how to use it. It may be a while before you can even sense the ability.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I lifted the hand that wasn¡¯t holding Umara¡¯s, waving around my fingers. They still felt foreign, but I was already adapting. ¡°Thank you, sir. This honestly is a great enhancement. I appreciate you helping me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you earned it. Your next Crown won¡¯t come for a long time, because now, the only ones that will afford you any significant enhancements are the ones with great strength and vitality. Those will be valuable since they will increase your odds of survival, but even that is limited. You will want to become as powerful as possible and go through as many temperings as you can, because your level of Vigor will determine how strong of a Crown you can receive of that nature. Another type of Crown will be one that enhances your mental faculties, but those that will be able to meet your future standards are extremely rare and even more difficult to acquire. So from now on, just focus on your summoning.¡± ¡°I will. Thanks.¡± My nod was accompanied by a smile. My strength had been advancing rapidly, and if I was being honest, the operation actually helped me a bit with advancing. I was filled with so much Psyka from the White Crystal that a huge chunk of my cultivation had been done for me. Now, I just needed to comprehend the rest of the formation and I would become an Authority 5. I didn¡¯t think that would take very long. At that moment, an attendant walked into the room with some food. This room was one of the normal ones within the medical wing of the building, the bed being far softer and comforting than the operating table. There were also some nice facilities, including an incredibly opulent chair that I guessed was Maxwell¡¯s. I took the tray of food, finding some small but tender chunks of meat in a broth and some other bite sized treats. My two guests let me take some bites in silence, and that was when I finally got to appreciate the enhanced taste. I savored each bite by wrapping my tongue around everything that entered my mouth. Talk about an unnecessary enhancement, though I wasn¡¯t complaining; neither would Umara. At some point, Maxwell stood. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you alone for now. Tomorrow I¡¯ll head back to the Capital. Just focus on recovering.¡± ¡°Mm. Thank you.¡± ¡°You keep thanking me.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m thankful for what you¡¯re doing for me.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± He hummed while retrieving the chair, leaving the room. Umara watched his back as the door closed before looking at me. ¡°He¡¯s not a very expressive man, is he?¡± ¡°Eh, he¡¯s just got his own way of doing things.¡± ¡°Right. So, how are you doing?¡± She scooted to my side, leaning against my shoulder all cutely. I smiled. ¡°I¡¯m alright. I think I¡¯m distracted enough by the new sensations to not focus too much on the lingering terror.¡± I felt the vivid memories resurface for a moment. Honestly, the ocular injection itself wasn¡¯t a fraction as bad as what came after. ¡°I¡¯ve been through a lot of pain in my life, both things I¡¯ve forced myself through as well as things that were inflicted onto me. But that was something else entirely. And being paralyzed like that only made it worse. It''s hard to describe, but I sincerely hope I never go through something like that again.¡± ¡°Mm. I hope so as well. If I¡¯m honest, I got a bit scared watching you go through all that. Your face was bleeding a lot. I could only imagine how agonizing it all must¡¯ve been. I just hope you find it worth the pain.¡± ¡°Time will tell.¡± I let out a long breath. I didn¡¯t want to act like temporary pain would suddenly make a permanent benefit less valuable, but that temporary pain was horrendous enough for the thought to cross my mind. Perhaps it was a good thing that I wasn¡¯t told about it, and that I was paralyzed. As Terrace said, it wasn¡¯t really my choice at that point. It made me feel a tiny bit better. Only a tiny bit though. After some silence, Umara muttered. ¡°I¡¯d like to apologize.¡± ¡°For?¡± ¡°I was a bit mad at you for what you said earlier, about your history. I have to admit that I really didn¡¯t like it. But I spoke with Vetsmon and he helped me realize that something like that has no bearing on us. So I apologize for ever thinking that it did.¡± ¡°...Well, I suppose I¡¯ll accept that apology.¡± I smiled a bit and licked my spoon clean. ¡°I¡¯ve never been so in love and so heavily invested in anyone else that I¡¯d talked about marrying them like with you. I¡¯m going to trust you intrinsically, and love you unconditionally. And so long as I¡¯m able to continue doing that, then I will be marrying you in the future. You got that?¡± ¡°Y-Yes.¡± She nodded, her Aura giving away her feelings of joy and erratic heartbeat. That felt good to see, and is also when I noticed how unbelievably sharp my Aura was. But that was an analysis for another time. I chuckled a bit. ¡°Good. Now, I¡¯d pin you down and test out this new tongue of mine, but I¡¯m kind of immobile right now and want to eat my food.¡± ¡°I can help with that.¡± ¡°But I want to eat my food.¡± ¡°Hm, the food isn¡¯t going anywhere.¡± She suddenly grabbed my tray and set it aside, straddling me from the front. ¡°If I understand this situation correctly, I can do whatever I want to you, and there¡¯s nothing you can do right now to stop me?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°Hmm, then I think I¡¯m going to enjoy you for a little while.¡± She leaned in, but at that moment, we heard a noise. *Knock Knock* ¡°...Dammit.¡± She cursed before letting out a long sigh, making me smile. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I forgot that I asked Vetsmon to come. Tana is here too.¡± ¡°How long was I out?¡± ¡°From the start of the operation, about three days have passed.¡± She responded while walking to the door and opening it, letting Vetsmon and Tana. Surprisingly, Feiden was with them. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hey guys.¡± ¡°How¡¯s the bossman doing?¡± ¡°Getting better.¡± Feiden and I clasped hands before giving a quick hug. I recoiled a bit from it, not to mention the weakness pervading my body. ¡°Careful guys. He¡¯s sensitive.¡± Umara chuckled while handing me back my tray of food. I ate the rest of what was left while watching the others. Vetsmon¡¯s brows raised. ¡°Your eyes. They¡¯re golden now.¡± ¡°Mm. Just like the Royal.¡± ¡°How much better are they?¡± ¡°Just from the couple hours I¡¯ve been awake, they¡¯re already a few magnitudes better. I¡¯m basically a Scout now.¡± ¡°Hm, I can¡¯t imagine what you¡¯re going to be able to do now. I¡¯m a bit excited for the next time we deploy to the frontlines.¡± Vetsmon rubbed his chin in thought, Feiden tilting his head. ¡°We have the tournament first.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, forgot about that.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the deal with that anyway?¡± I asked, prompting an explanation. ¡°The tournament is just that. The entire school competes in a few different categories. There¡¯s the Warlock, Knight, and Summoner divisions to determine the best in each one. Then there¡¯s the Champion Tournament where everyone regardless of type shoots for the crowned title.¡± ¡°It already started a day ago, but the Elites are exempt from the preliminaries, going straight to the semi-finals for the division tournaments. We¡¯ll need to be back in a week in order to compete. The Champion Tournament happens after all of those conclude.¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯re going to compete?¡± Vetsmon asked me, causing me to shake my head with a baffled look on my face. ¡°Are you kidding? Hell no. I¡¯m not trying to accidentally kill someone.¡± ¡°I guess. It would be pretty cool though. You¡¯d probably be able to take the Crowned Title if you didn¡¯t hold back.¡± ¡°I just need to get through the rest of this year. I don¡¯t care about some school game. Besides, I¡¯d rather train. I¡¯m really close to Authority 5.¡± ¡°Already?¡± Umara asked in surprise. ¡°Yeah. That operation packed me full of Psyka, and I had a dream while I was sleeping, though I can¡¯t really remember it. Give me a week or so and I¡¯ll advance.¡± ¡°You should focus on recovery.¡± ¡°I know. I factored that in.¡± ¡°Just making sure.¡± We nudged each other before Feiden asked. ¡°When are you going to recover?¡± ¡°Mentally, not for a while. Physically, I should be good to move around normally in a day. Until then I can¡¯t really move though, so unfortunately I can¡¯t go anywhere with you guys.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll just have some fun here.¡± ¡°A medical room isn¡¯t very fun.¡± ¡°No reason we can¡¯t make it work.¡± He smiled before grabbing a seat, the others following suit. I smiled and relaxed. It was nice having good friends. Chapter 112: Kill Someone I was only bedridden for another day before I could walk around the hospital. A few more passed before they released me. With another night of sleep, the tenderness pervading my body subsided to a faint ache, then disappeared. From there, I just had to get used to my new senses and the almost foreign movements of my body. Maxwell¡¯s additional Crown enhanced my bodily acuity. He said they used spinal fluid, so I assumed that it modified the neural pathways across my spine and limbs. I was more sensitive, reactive, and had a lot more control over my body. I didn¡¯t suddenly become an Olympic gymnast or anything like that, but the entirety of my motor function had been brought up a level. My senses were the most obvious improvement though. The first time I stepped outside, a whole new world opened up to me. My eyesight was unlike anything I could have imagined. The color range available to me seemed to have tripled at the least. I almost didn¡¯t recognize some things because of how detailed and vivid they were. Not only that, but it turned out that merely seeing the texture on a wall was the most minimal ability of my new eyes. Looking out at the Saints¡¯ Walk, I focused on the towering statue of Jesus and zoomed in on his head. And not just zoom in like a camera, but like a telescope. After some fine focusing, I could even see the minute cracks and weathered textures on the sculpted hair. And that head was sitting close to a mile from the ground, which meant I could easily see even the small details of something more than a mile away. It was difficult to test out anything beyond that due to where I was. I¡¯d need to go to the top of the Verga tower in order to get a line of sight to something farther. But regardless, the fact that I could see something a mile away as if it were 5 feet from my face was astounding. I could hardly believe it was possible, and perhaps biologically it wasn¡¯t. I knew eagles had good eyesight, and maybe if I had something like the massive eye on a Scout, the lenses might be large enough to act like a telescope. But two regular eyes shouldn¡¯t be able to see that far. The physics of optical focusing simply didn¡¯t allow it. But of course, magic didn¡¯t give a damn about what physics said. So not only was the biological eye itself probably a few times better than a human¡¯s, but the magic built into it multiplied that strength by a dozen times over. That was the reason liquified White Crystal was utilized to such an extent. This organ was by no means completely organic. And it was difficult to think that those Scouts still had better eyes. My eyes only touched upon a portion of their power. It was no wonder they were so weak. They traded all of their survivability for observational prowess the likes nobody could imagine. Then again, it was a Royal I got the material from. I wasn¡¯t quite sure what the difference would be. Since I was able to walk around and operate normally, my squad and I spent the day touring the town. Vetsmon insisted that he cart us around, taking us to his favorite restaurants, entertainment venues, and the school in which he was raised. The Ark was the Holy See¡¯s version of the Magisterium. Or perhaps it was the other way around. It would raise children from the young age of 5 until their Crest was activated when they were 16. Once that happened, they would move into the grades of higher magical learning. The difference from the Magisterium was in how long each taught for. Each year of students in the Ark would be with each other for 15 years until they turned 20. Every single child who had a Crest within the entirety of the Holy See would enter and be taught by the Ark. Vetsmon made it a point to mention that nobody was allowed to fail out, and there was no other school for Magi to go within the Holy See. Because of this, every major and minor family had a massive investment in the school: their own children. It was on a whole other level of involvement compared to the Magisterium, as well as perhaps the most significant and important institution in the city, solely responsible for shaping the future of the Church. And because of this, it was naturally far larger than the expansive Magisterium grounds. Each of the Eight Towers were 600 meters tall. And not only was the Ark even taller, but it was effectively the size of all eight towers combined into one. It had three primary sections. There was one central tower and two sub-towers connected to the central tower¡¯s sides, making it look like a rocket with two boosters. It was the one place where the entirety of the Magi youth went, which meant there were a lot of children of all ages in that one place. It needed a lot of facilities for both them and the teaching staff, as well as maintenance and whoever else might need to work there. Their building may as well have been a city unto itself, and it was what Vetsmon brought us into. There were thousands of children and parents within the plaza surrounding the entrance to the building. The only requirement to come to this place was to be a Magus, so no matter if they were five cities away, any child with a Crest could enroll in the Ark, and it was apparently completely free. No parent would have to pay for their child to live, eat, and learn there. There were even ways for them to make money if they were really that strapped for cash, allowing some method of self sustainment. It seemed like a paradise, but of course, there were downsides to any institution. The most prevalent issue was the division between the noble children and the commoners. The Church had its own noble class and they were addressed as such even if they didn¡¯t operate in the same way as Kingdom nobles. And because they were the ones who funded and operated the Ark, their children were prideful and ruled the place as they saw fit, even if the school advocated for equal treatment. And that led to the second issue. Staying with the same people for 15 years could become quite a drag, especially if they didn¡¯t get along. That brewed no shortage of discontent in the long run and commoners always suffered the brunt of that, so many quit. Just because you couldn¡¯t fail out didn¡¯t mean you couldn¡¯t quit. It wasn¡¯t the perfect system, that much was for certain. But there were certainly worse systems out there. Compared to those, or no education at all, these kids had it pretty damn good. The interior of the Ark wasn¡¯t much different from any one of the Towers, besides being filled with children and teens. It was at the higher levels that the young adults were found, those being the same age as us from the Magisterium. School was in session as we walked through, and Vetsmon brought us to the training grounds. Apparently, he had stayed within the Ark until two years after his Crest was activated, getting taught the ways of the knight before getting sent off to the Magisterium. That meant he had many friends here, and that''s who we were going to see, as well as a teacher he was close with. We soon arrived, entering through a normally sized pair of doors, greeted by the wide open indoor field on the other side. The walls were made of massive glass panes, letting in natural light, and there were a bunch of students doing various drills across the field. We stood to the side for a moment, a question spilling from my mouth as I watched. ¡°Vetsmon, why did your dad send you to the Magisterium halfway through?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t want me to remain within the bubble of the Holy See.¡± He answered back with a shrug. ¡°You only ever see the same several dozen people for so many years, and he wanted me to go out and meet more and get exposed to the reality of the Kingdom. Only after I had learned what he wanted me to, though. Once I had a foundation, he sent me to the Magisterium to finish up my time. Becoming an Elite was also an expectation.¡± ¡°Hm, I guess that makes sense. Do you think it was worth it?¡± ¡°Of course. Last year wasn¡¯t nearly as exciting, but it was still fun. And I wouldn¡¯t trade anything for you guys.¡± ¡°Heh, you¡¯re gonna make me blush.¡± I laughed, making the big guy scratch the back of his head. At that point, I started feeling a bunch of gazes fall on us. All of them, to be precise. It seemed they all recognized Vetsmon. Noticing, the instructor finally diverted his attention. ¡°Vetsmon! Either get the hell over here and introduce us to your friends, or leave! I¡¯m on a schedule!¡± ¡°Hello, Sir Klein!¡± Vetsmon waved and walked over, the four of us following to arrive in the center of the field. A few other students also jumped out, running over to Vetsmon. ¡°Hey! Vetsmon! What are you doing here?!¡± ¡°Hey guys. Just visiting.¡± ¡°Well, at least you came to say hi!¡± Six guys and two girls came over, all of them surrounding Vetsmon and exchanging reunion greetings. At the same time, more gazes fell on us, curiosity and judgment prevailing in their thoughts. When Vetsmon finally peeled away from everyone, he introduced us. ¡°Sir Klein, this is my squad from the Magisterium. John, Umara, Feiden, and Tana. We¡¯re all Elites, and John here is Rank 1.¡± ¡°Oh? The strongest in the Magisterium?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Vetsmon nodded and everyone looked toward me, my brows raising. ¡°It¡¯s not official yet.¡± ¡°Yes it is. The stele was updated yesterday.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t help, darling.¡± I poked Umara, who laughed while batting away my hands. So much for dodging attention. ¡°And he¡¯s a summoner!¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to fight someone, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll protect you.¡± Feiden stepped in front of me as I said that. I chuckled and hugged him from behind, looking over his shoulder at Vetsmon. Sure enough, every eye fell on me. Many were competitive, but most were doubtful. It should be impossible for a summoner to top the leaderboards of an institution like the Magisterium. One of Vetsmon¡¯s friends spoke with such doubts. ¡°Hey Vetsmon, are you saying this guy could kill you?¡± ¡°Heh, probably.¡± ¡°Stop lying, you big hunk of muscle.¡± I looked at him with narrowed eyes, causing his arms to go up in surrender. ¡°I¡¯m not! Especially with that new gun of yours. You still haven¡¯t told me what the hell that was.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a machine gun, and even with that I couldn¡¯t kill you so long as you weren¡¯t stupid.¡± ¡°What about your grenades?¡± ¡°...Maybe.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Vetsmon smirked at me, as if I was the one losing the argument. I just rolled my eyes as Sir Klein stepped in. ¡°Alright, Vetsmon, how about you help us with training today? Let¡¯s see how you¡¯ve grown during your time away. Your squad can participate too.¡± ¡°If they¡¯re fine with it.¡± ¡°So long as I get Feiden.¡± I raised my hand from behind Feiden. That''s when Umara jabbed me with her finger, my body jolting. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re supposed to be recovering.¡± ¡°I want to use my eyes though.¡± ¡°...Fine. But if you feel anything off, you stop.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. I smiled as Sir Klein organized the training event, Umara¡¯s brows raising as she watched me continue to hug Feiden. ¡°Is he your new girlfriend now or something?¡± ¡°Maybe. Feiden, don¡¯t tell your girlfriend about us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean.¡± ¡°Exactly. Good job.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Umara laughed at Feiden¡¯s flustered face. Right then, Sir Klein got the event organized. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve pulled together a squad of five. I won¡¯t have you all fight each other, but instead compete. Your objective will be to fell the same monster. First team to do so wins. Now, both teams come to the center. Everyone else gets to watch.¡± Sir Klein dispersed the other students to the side as we assembled. We all had our armor, so we donned them before the surroundings suddenly changed. The field of grass flowed to life as a breeze swept over everyone, two thunderous quakes shaking the ground as the monsters appeared, one on each end of the field. It was a huge gorilla, one that we were a bit familiar with. It stood over 10 feet tall and was covered in thick bristly brown fur. It seemed this place had a simulator similar to the Magisterium¡¯s. It didn¡¯t surprise me too much. If one could do it, so could the other. ¡°Everyone ready?¡± I looked around. The other team had five people in it, three warlocks and two knights. It was a well balanced team and no doubt consisted of the Ark¡¯s finest. I let out a long breath, the Lewis Gun appearing in my arms and immediately drawing attention. The other spectators had all gathered on the side as well, watching intently. Once everyone was ready, Sir Klein started the challenge. ¡°Go!¡± My squad bolted off at the word, as did the other one. I, on the other hand, remained where I was in the center of the field. I watched as my three knights ran forward and lunged at the gorilla. Vetsmon took it head on, ramming into it with his shield while Tana moved behind it. Feiden also wrapped around it and started laying into it with his spear. Each strike gouged a hole in its body, but it was so big that it almost seemed not to matter. The gorilla roared with rage as it fought back, using its mass to its advantage as it attacked Vetsmon. Unfortunately, the big guy was no weakling. When the gorilla swung its arm like a bat, he raised his shield and tanked the hit head on. His feet sunk into the ground as a low sound rumbled through the air from the impact. I racked the bolt, hearing the metallic thwack of the bullet chambering. The gorilla swung again, and Feiden struck his spear into its hide once more. I reached out with my Aura, contacting the minds of my entire squad and giving a command. They all jumped out of the way when I did so. (Going hot.) I slammed down the trigger and sent out a volley of empowered shots toward the gorilla, pelting its body and sending metal streaking through its muscles. It roared and covered its face, unable to do anything but defend or risk getting put down prematurely. With every shot, more blood spurted from its body. It tried jumping to the side in an attempt to dodge, but I found it all too easy to track it. Wielding the gun was especially easy. The Crown was already impressing me. And then, when the gorilla was on its last legs, I ran out of ammo, giving another command. (Finish it please.) ¡°I got it!¡± Tana swooped in at that moment. However, she was too late, and I watched as the gorilla launched itself toward me. The distance wasn¡¯t much, no longer than 70 yards, and it crossed it with a single bound, intending to reach out and crush me. I saw Tana right behind it, her sword slicing out and severing its achilles tendons. Then, Feiden appeared in front of me, diving forward and tackling the beast to the ground. Vetsmon was last to arrive, sailing through the air, landing right next to the gorilla¡¯s head on the floor and beheading it with a single swipe of the blade. I looked down at its severed head, its lifeless eyes seeming to stare straight into my own. ¡°You got faster, Feiden.¡± ¡°I was inspired by our fight not long ago.¡± He got up and smiled, blood smeared all over him. He lifted up his bloodied arms toward me. ¡°Want another hug?¡± ¡°Give me a kiss instead.¡± ¡°... Nevermind.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Umara started laughing her ass off as Feiden backed off. That¡¯s when I turned around to see the other team still fighting the gorilla. They were slowly whittling it down, a multitude of wounds stacking up and blood spilling like a fountain. Until finally, a few minutes later, it fell to one last strike across the neck. Sir Klein clicked his tongue. ¡°You¡¯ve got a damn good squad, Vetsmon. That thing sat at the height of Authority 6.¡± ¡°Yes sir I do.¡± ¡°And I can see why your summoner sits at the top of the Elites. That¡¯s some shocking damage, kid. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°John Cooper.¡± I gave my name, Sir Klein nodding. ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you, John. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what¡¯s your Authority?¡± ¡°On the verge of Authority 5. I¡¯m about to advance.¡± ¡°Authority 4¡­ That¡¯s some freak talent. Vetsmon! Keep this one safe! If I find out that anything happened to him, I¡¯ll have your head!¡± ¡°Of course, sir!¡± Vetsmon responded with a shout, making me smirk a bit. None of us had broken a sweat with that beast. We dealt with far more during the Puppet Master¡¯s training. Besides, we were all getting stronger. Vetsmon and Feiden were both about to advance to Authority 6, Tana only a bit behind them. And I would be advancing soon myself, not to mention the recent boost from the Crown operation. It felt good to exert myself a little, and to help Vetsmon show off. Sir Klein shouted. ¡°Alright, everyone else, line the hell up! Obviously some more training is in order! Start running!¡± We watched as all the other students started doing more drills, our group shifting to the side. After that, we talked some more with Sir Klein. It was mostly Vetsmon catching up with a former teacher, but he did formally introduce us as well. After all that, Vetsmon brought us out to tour some of the other facilities. It was later in the day when we finally left the Ark and went back to the Verga Tower for dinner in a restaurant on one of the upper floors. I also got a message from Maxwell saying that he had left for the Capital and to meet him when I was ready to advance. And that concluded our stay at the Holy See. The Magisterium¡¯s fourth year students were already back and everyone was preparing for the tournament. The others couldn¡¯t be absent since they wanted to compete, so we decided to all head back together the next day. Like that, we took the teleporter and arrived back in the Capital the next morning. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Well would you look at that?¡± I let out a low whistle as Umara and I read the updated leaderboard. She had already told me that it changed, but seeing was believing. ¡­ Rank 1: John Cooper - 3620 Rank 2: Ponteck Gulliard - 3370 Rank 3: Feiden Desmus - 3090 Rank 4: Vetsmon Verga - 2880 Rank 5: Umara Talerria - 2710 Rank 9: Tana Choron - 1980 ¡­ ¡°Seems we¡¯re all in the top 10 now.¡± I nodded at Umara¡¯s observation. Tana had the lowest point count in the squad, but even she was now within the top 10. I was quite proud of her, especially when I remembered the time that the Puppet Master wanted to replace her. Back then, he had pinned the blame on her especially hard. She had definitely been the weakest link, her performance not up to the level of the other two knights and therefore unable to keep up. But she stepped up, and we hadn¡¯t run into any more problems like that. If I had to say who was the hardest worker in the squad, it would be her. Her role had initially been the Scout, someone who monitored the general situation and attempted to guide the flow of battle by applying force to the various scales of battle, tipping it in our favor. It required extreme stamina and wise decision making, knowing when to press harder and when to back off and support. I could often see how she operated from my vantage points, and it was assuredly stressful, more so than the other roles including mine. It was probably why her Aura was better than the others. During the Puppet Master¡¯s scenarios especially, she was constantly pushed to her limit and was always the most beaten and tired by the end of the battle. And that hard work was paying off. If given more time, she would continue to rise higher. But that didn''t mean she wasn¡¯t one of the best Elites in this generation, no less than Feiden or Vetsmon. I nodded again with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m really proud of Tana. She¡¯s come far.¡± ¡°Mm, she has. I initially thought that she was biting off more than she could chew when she was first put into our group. But she no doubt earned her spot on the Magisterium¡¯s best squad.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it like, knowing that we¡¯re the best?¡± ¡°It¡¯s weird. It doesn¡¯t feel like it¡¯s anything worth being proud of.¡± She tilted her head, my voice coming out in agreement. ¡°Yea, I get that. There¡¯s too much ahead of us to get excited over something so small. But hey, it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t have fun with the small stuff.¡± I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her in, making her smile. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°So, you ready for the tournament?¡± ¡°As much as I can be. I¡¯m trying not to be cocky, but there¡¯s no reason I shouldn¡¯t win in the Warlock Division. I¡¯m more anxious over Vetsmon and Feiden¡¯s battles than my own.¡± ¡°Yea, that¡¯s going to be a hell of a fight. When will the semis start?¡± ¡°A week. That¡¯s when the Elites will start taking part in their divisions. A week after that the champions for each division will be decided before moving on to the Champion Tournament. There, the top 3 of each division will compete against each other, warlocks vs knights primarily. And the one who comes out on top will be crowned Grand Champion.¡± ¡°How nice.¡± I pondered a bit, wondering how Feiden or Vetsmon, perhaps even Umara, might fare against the now Rank 2 Ponteck Gulliard. I hadn¡¯t seen the man fight much at all, but he was ranked high for a reason. He definitely wasn¡¯t any less skilled than the other two considering some of the things I¡¯d heard about him. They would be fighting well before the Champion Tournament, so like Umara, I was quite excited to see how they would perform. At that moment, I turned and saw Vetsmon and Feiden walking over. ¡°Hey guys.¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Rank 1.¡± ¡°Tsk, let¡¯s just walk over.¡± I smacked their shoulders before all of us started heading to the training grounds. There, we met with Tana and the rest of the Elites, all of us waiting to hear from the Puppet Master. Once he emerged from his shed, he announced. ¡°For the duration of the Tournament, we will halt all Scourge scenarios. You all will be offered opponents to battle should you want them. We have humanoid simulations and you can specify the type of enemy you want for training purposes. Knights, you can fight against other knights or walocks. Warlocks have the same options. Just tell me what you want and I¡¯ll send you to a private area to battle against your opponent. Their skill may not be so elaborate ¨C nothing can quite mimic human decision making and unpredictability ¨C but it¡¯ll be close enough, especially if you battle against an opponent significantly stronger than yourself. So, line up and let me know what you want to do.¡± He waved us over, everyone getting in a long line to specify the enemies we wanted to face. Hearing all that, I rubbed my chin. ¡°I might just sit this one out.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to train?¡± Umara asked inquisitively. I had just gotten new senses, so I should be training to adapt to them more. ¡°I do, but right now I think focusing on advancing is more important. Besides, I¡¯m not competing, so there¡¯s no point. Cultivating is the way right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Well, I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m done here. Go ahead and relax in the hotel.¡± ¡°Mm. Have fun.¡± I gave Umara a kiss before walking off. Right as I did so though, I heard my name. ¡°John!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Come here.¡± The Puppet Master waved me over, so I cut to the front of the line where he brought me to the side. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I see your new eyes. First and foremost, congratulations. Was it worth it?¡± ¡°Completely. And thanks for your help. This has benefitted me massively.¡± ¡°Mm, good. Unfortunately, you¡¯re going to be putting them to use sooner rather than later. I have a verbal message from Carrion.¡± ¡°...¡± I stood there silently, just letting him spit it out. ¡°He said that you will be participating in the tournament whether you like it or not. He didn¡¯t bother to print out the rules for you to read, but wanted you to know that this is an order from him and disobeying it can result in varying consequences not limited to expulsion. And he said that if you really had an issue, that you could go see him in his office again where he would explain it to you in a more clear and concise manner. But for all that is holy, I ask that you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°...Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t.¡± I smirked a bit, even chuckling, and earning a strange look from the Puppet Master. ¡°What? Have you finally gone insane?¡± ¡°No, I just find it funny. What reason could he possibly have for forcing me into this tournament? Does he want to kill me or something?¡± ¡°Well, injuries are common. So there¡¯s that, or perhaps he wants you to kill someone instead. Then he can throw you in jail.¡± ¡°Hm, I guess that¡¯s true. Fine then. I¡¯ll play his game.¡± ¡°Your name is already signed up. You¡¯ll be competing in a week for the division title, which you should attain with no issue. The summoners here are so weak that they belong to a level of their own. So you only need to worry about the Champion Tournament where you fight the knights and warlocks.¡± ¡°Or I could just forfeit.¡± I smiled, causing him to sigh. ¡°You could, John. You must participate, but technically you can forfeit. There¡¯s nothing in the rules that say you can¡¯t. But I¡¯d like you to think about this. We both know how strong you are. You¡¯re an anomaly, a summoner that the Magisterium has never seen. You¡¯ve already left your name behind on the annals of history, and in my opinion, there¡¯s no reason why you shouldn¡¯t continue to do so. So, I want you to consider seriously competing.¡± ¡°...¡± I went silent, genuinely following his advice and considering it. He continued. ¡°John, there are a lot of things stacked against you. You¡¯ve got a lot of attention, especially now that you¡¯re Rank 1, and becoming the Grand Champion won¡¯t help that. But I don¡¯t believe it¡¯ll bring you many, if any, negative consequences that, frankly, don¡¯t already exist. You¡¯ve fought through a lot and I believe that you deserve nothing less than to become the first summoner to ever become Grand Champion at the Magisterium. And since you¡¯ll be entering the military, these things will actually help you land a good spot. Regardless, you understand what I¡¯m saying. Play his game, like you said. But try and beat him at it since you have to play anyway.¡± ¡°...Alright, fine.¡± I nodded, sufficiently convinced. ¡°I¡¯ll win it.¡± ¡°Mm. But don¡¯t get too cocky. Ponteck is undoubtedly going to bring you a dangerous challenge, to speak nothing of your squad. I don¡¯t believe he actually has it out for you, believe it or not. But he¡¯ll probably kill you if it means winning, especially if they¡¯re telling him to try and do so.¡± ¡°The only thing I¡¯m worried about is accidentally killing someone, not dying myself.¡± ¡°Sure. So, do you want to train today? I can give you a simulation pretty close to Ponteck.¡± ¡°No, I need to cultivate. I¡¯m about to become Authority 5.¡± ¡°Tsk, what monstrous talent. Fine then. Come back whenever you¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± We shook hands before separating. Finally, I retreated back to my lair where I began the final steps toward Authority 5. Chapter 113: 5th Star The third layer of my advancement formation was almost complete. It seemed pitifully easy compared to how much I had struggled previously; the improvement to my ability to grow and study was truly amazing. Half a year ago when I first received the formation, it had been so complex that I barely felt capable of even starting it. Now, I looked at it like it was no more complex than a cube. Everything simply clicked into place. There were four more days in the week, the end of which would mark my first battles in the summoner division. I wasn¡¯t particularly concerned about how those would go. Like the Puppet Master said, I was the anomaly here. Every other summoner was painfully weak and would fall easily before me. But I still wanted to be efficient with my time. I was confident that by the end of the week, I would be an Authority 5, but it would still take a bit of time to stabilize myself and find more weapons. I would be using the week of division battles to adapt to my body more and gather an arsenal. The weaponry I had briefly glimpsed previously would be crucial in the upcoming battles against knights and warlocks. I didn¡¯t think it would be particularly difficult to find those weapons ¡ª there was usually a batch waiting for me with every new dimension. I would need some practice with them though, time to familiarize myself with their operation and usage; imparted knowledge would only take me so far. I buckled down and focused on comprehending the rest of the advancement formation first. It was easy to pick up the little details with my improved Psyka capabilities, but the sheer volume of information I had to process was what held me back this time. I was tracing out the formation in the air with my Aura and Psyka repeatedly, fine tuning it until it was perfect. Once I finished a section, I would move onto the next, integrating completed chunks with the ever-growing sphere of my formation. Despite my incredibly thorough processes, it took me six hours to crunch through the formation. Well past midnight, inside of my room, I sat on a chair near the bed. Umara had curled herself up onto the sheets, reading her own book, her gaze occasionally drawn to me as I worked. I lounged back into the chair, having propped my feet up on a table, continuing to fine-tune a few more connections in the formation. After I reached a satisfactory point, I stood up and wiped out all the vague chunks of formation in front of me. Then, I formed the first layer. Then the second, which sat on top of the first and interconnected with it via 144 runic lines. Then the third came, sitting on top of the second and linked in 312 separate places. Like that, the entire advancement formation was assembled, flashing once I finished drawing the last thread of Aura. The bed creaked under Umara as she sat back up. ¡°You completed it?¡± ¡°Mm. This is it.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s unbelievably complex. I can¡¯t imagine what they¡¯ll look like later.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t either. But I just have to work on it bit by bit. I at least know it¡¯s possible to get better and do it.¡± ¡°So what now?¡± ¡°Now¡­¡± I looked at the formation, the visualization entirely unnecessary as it was present within my mind. ¡°All I need to do is cultivate this. I¡¯ll sleep on it, and depending on how that goes, tomorrow I should be able to reach the threshold. Then I¡¯ll be going to Maxwell for the advancement.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± She nodded as I crawled onto the bed, inviting me over and settling with me under the sheets. My mind was a bit drowsy, but not completely drained. It went to show how much more power I was infused with during the operation. After that, I went to sleep with her, my night filled with vivid imaginations. ¡­¡­ The next day passed by in a blur. I didn¡¯t bother going to the Magisterium with Umara, simply training during the day before heading to Maxwell¡¯s study at nightfall. My dream last night was valuable, like they always were. And although I had finished the formation, that dream had further solidified my understanding. Not only that, but the Fifth Star within my mind was almost spilling over its threshold. There was already enough Psyka within my body, so now, I just had to cultivate a bit, reach the threshold, and trigger the advancement. And it would be happening tonight. I arrived at Maxwell¡¯s study, and it seemed he was already prepared for me. He even had that tempering chair ready and everything. ¡°You¡¯re ready?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m pumped.¡± ¡°Sit in the chair.¡± He waved, explaining as I took a seat. ¡°Although you can only ever temper yourself when you develop another Spark, your mind still opens itself when a new dimension is opened. Thus, every advancement can have what could be considered a mini-tempering. Since your body was recently infused with power that pushed you to your limits, I want to harness some of that and temper you a bit more. Of course, you need to trigger the advancement first. So start doing that. I¡¯ll wait.¡± ¡°Cool.¡± I nodded and got comfortable. Triggering the advancement was as simple as gathering enough power, a far cry from the processing and visualization I had to perform over the last few days. Cultivating the advancement formation drew power into my mind and flooded it through the paths and channels of the advancement formation. Now that I knew all of the formation, and since I had already cultivated many of the steps early, I was primed for advancement. It didn¡¯t even take an hour for the circulation to reach a peak. The stars within my mind that represented chunks of knowledge were all spinning in a whirlpool of space. It was an ocean and it spun around my Spark, increasing the speed of my mind accordingly It wasn¡¯t blazing fast, but I already knew what speed it was trying to reach. Advancing would bring it up to that significantly faster than my current level. So I continued to circulate the formation. There was so much power inside of me that it felt almost trivial. And thus, after only three hours, I reached the threshold. I felt the Psyka within my mind reaching a tipping point. I had the option to stop here if I wanted to wait for a more opportune moment, but this was exactly the moment. I stood on the edge of the precipice, and I stepped forward. I felt the tempering device activate at the same time, Maxwell¡¯s probing Aura feeling the exact moment my Star overflowed with power. Right as the Psyka gathered in front of the Fifth Star, I felt a power bear down on my body, forcing even more Psyka into me. I muttered as the barrier started to break down. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t stop.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Keep going. I¡¯m almost there.¡± ¡°Please be quiet.¡± Maxwell scoffed, making me laugh as the barrier shattered. Just then, the whirlpool of my mind exploded in speed, a central current around my Spark creating a ring that looked like a blazing river. I could feel my speed of thought increase by what seemed like magnitudes. Even better, the increased speed-of-thought made it that much easier to process the information I received from the newly opened dimension. I felt the power of the spirits inside, of a whole other level than the ones from before, of much greater variety in weapons, armor, and tools. I outright ignored the feelings created by the tempering and the advancement of my mind. After what I went through during the Crown operation, this was nothing. I just concentrated on finding some new weapons. I projected a drone into the new dimension, finding some weapons that made me break out into a large smile. Cartridge technology didn¡¯t change much after WW1, so most if not all rifles from America utilized the .30-06 caliber. Even into modern times, it was still a reliable and often-used bullet. However, all cartridges had to be delivered, and the technology to do that changed drastically as countries around the world prepared for war and utilized the knowledge of experience given to them by WW1. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Thus, the world was finally introduced to the first iterations of automatic infantry rifles, more commonly called the assault rifle. The first successful fielded assault rifle was developed by Germany and was called the STG 44. It was one of the weapons I found within the dimension and was chambered in 7.92x33mm, a bullet that fell between small and large caliber developed specifically for the assault rifle. The introduction of the intermediate cartridge rifle. Automatic rifles weren¡¯t new at this time, but nothing quite like the assault rifle had ever made its mark until Germany fielded their own. It was only later after the war when the rest of the western and European countries saw how effective it was that they created their own and made them standard issue. Even the term assault rifle came directly from the STG 44; Sturmgewehr, translated into English, was the weapon category¡¯s namesake. The rifle that I found within the dimension was the most basic variant without anything more than iron sights, and thus didn¡¯t really come with memories. I could only sense a basic level of information carried by the spirit which detailed the gun itself and its operation. I¡¯d have to delve deeper for the variants to get special memories. Which was kind of unfortunate. I wanted to see if I could get memories from a German soldier. Those kinds of perspectives would be enlightening. Another thing I noted was that I was no longer seeing weapons that were strictly made and fielded by America. I had already seen a German flamethrower and the partially European Lewis Gun, so it was apparent that I would have access to a much larger variety; this excited me to no end. There was nothing quite like German engineering during WW2, after all. Besides the assault rifle, I found some other weapons like submachine guns, namely the MP 40, which was also German. But I also found a cult classic. The Tommy Gun! Once I had my bearings, that was the first weapon I summoned. Within the chair, the Tommy Gun appeared in my hands. Unfortunately, this variant was one of the early models and thus didn¡¯t have the classic drum magazine. Granted, those were extremely prone to jamming, but I figured that these spirits would theoretically operate perfectly so I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about that. It would make the weapon even more effective, and most importantly, fun. Remember kids. The first rule of gun safety is to have fun. Maxwell watched me from the side. ¡°Is that one of your new spirits?¡± ¡°Yeah. This thing is a hell of a gun. I¡¯ll finally be able to complete the gangster look.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Nevermind.¡± ¡°Hm. Come over here. Let me give you the next formation.¡± Maxwell waved as I stood from the seat, the Tommy Gun going back into the dimension as he pulled out an odd crystal object. ¡°The advancement formation to Authority 6 consists of 3 clusters, each cluster containing 4 formations that interconnect. Each cluster must also connect in a certain order and via specific connections from specific formations. The connections in total exceed 5 thousand, so you¡¯ve got your work cut out for you.¡± ¡°...Fuckin¡¯ hell. What is that thing anyway?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your advancement formation.¡± He held up the crystal ball. After focusing on it with my super vision, I was able to see tons of tiny runic lines and symbols within. ¡°At a certain point, these things become too complex to simply write on paper. I could fill a booklet with the diagrams necessary to outline the formations, let alone the connections between them. So we summoners utilize these special White Crystal Orbs to contain the information, making it easier to handle. There are projecting devices you can put these Orbs onto which will create an image out of the data. Or you can just stream your Psyka into it and directly handle the information with your mind. It¡¯s your choice. Here.¡± He placed a device below the Orb, a cradle that supported the crystal ball and shone a light through it. Then, in the air appeared what was basically a hologram. It showed me the three clusters as well as each formation within those clusters. It also showed the connections between each cluster and formation. You could zoom in on specific parts, and it seemed there were diagrams and explanations for each formation and connection to assist in comprehension. Regardless though, there was so much complexity and information that my shoulders ended up dropping in defeat. ¡°I¡¯m never gonna advance again.¡± ¡°This path is much more difficult than the standard, yes. But you¡¯re already more powerful than Authority 8 summoners. Either way, you¡¯re already on this path and can¡¯t turn back, so I suggest you prepare yourself for much worse in the future. Depending on how long it may take you to complete the first formation within the first cluster, I¡¯m estimating at least a year for you to complete this. Perhaps exactly a year, depending on how smart you really are.¡± ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not stupid. But this is insane. I mean, how small does this shit get?¡± I squinted, my vision zooming in on one of the formations, specifically a dense chunk of lines and runic symbols. This was the kind of stuff you¡¯d see on a circuit diagram, and not for a simple one either. I¡¯ve seen many before, and this was as complex as the schematic for a CPU. Sure, there were only 12 formations as compared to the previous 3, but each one was also several times denser. It seriously seemed impossible for me to ever comprehend this. Maxwell spoke in what seemed like comfort. ¡°The future will be worse than this, but your next advancement formation actually won¡¯t be that bad, maybe a tiny bit worse than this one. They¡¯re generally equal in complexity. That¡¯s because this needs to lay the foundation for the next one. You¡¯ll start discovering exactly what these advancements are doing to your mind and why as you comprehend this formation. I¡¯m going to be giving you all my notes on these as well, not just so you can perhaps correct any possible errors, but also so you can begin to understand the direction yourself. This will be crucial for your future.¡± ¡°Mm. Thanks, I guess. At least now though I get to be a wizard with a crystal ball.¡± I took the Orb and projection device, stashing it away. It was at least a lot more convenient than giant sheets of paper. With that, business was finished. ¡°Contact me if you find any issues with the formation. Also, you¡¯re getting to the point where Marriage is becoming a viable option. I suggest you consult me before doing so.¡± ¡°I mean, Umara and I are doing pretty good, but I think a bit more time would be nice.¡± ¡°I meant regarding your summons, you brat. Go on now.¡± I laughed as he waved me out. However, I had one more concern. ¡°Hang on. I have an inquiry.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°President Carrion is forcing me to participate in the tournament. I discussed it with the Puppet Master and he says that I should give it an honest try. What do you think?¡± ¡°...That¡¯s a difficult situation.¡± He frowned. ¡°John, those nobles are getting to the point where you¡¯re more of an eye sore than they¡¯re willing to put up with. They should begin to make attempts on your life, especially now that you¡¯re going to be leaving the Magisterium soon. They want Umara, and they want you gone. So, an event like the tournament where accidents can happen would be a good place to kill you.¡± ¡°Yeah, I figured.¡± ¡°And you won¡¯t be able to kill them in defense. If a noble were to kill another student, even if they were another noble, nothing much would happen. There might be bad blood, perhaps some compensation and short jail time, but it would end there. You, on the other hand, would be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible by law and put away for only god knows how long. You could kiss your future goodbye, because you¡¯d also probably be killed in jail. ¡°It would be a great achievement to become the first summoner to ever become the Grand Champion, but you lie in a precarious situation. You need to balance the risk and reward. The safest avenue would be to simply forfeit during the division battles. The most dangerous would be to shoot for the top. It¡¯s up to you, but know that one mistake can be the end of you, especially with how lethal you are.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I nodded. I understood more than he did how I would be riding a fine line during those battles. One misplaced shot could kill a warlock, and then I¡¯d be screwed. Thinking of that, I chuckled. ¡°Heh, it¡¯s a good thing I got that Crown. It¡¯ll maximize my margin of error.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose that makes it perfectly timed. You¡¯re lucky, so use that. Make your decision, and understand the consequences. If it were up to me, I simply wouldn¡¯t participate. Well, at least now I wouldn¡¯t. Back then, I suppose I was quite reckless like you are.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not reckless. I¡¯m just spontaneous.¡± ¡°Call it whatever you want, just don¡¯t get killed for it. That¡¯s all I have to say.¡± ¡°Sure. Thanks. I¡¯ll at least be careful.¡± I waved with that, leaving the study and heading back to the Hotel. ¡­ When I arrived at my room, I smelled a nice aroma mixed with a healthy dose of smoke. My brows raised as I turned the corner, looking into the kitchen where Umara was handling a pan with tall flames lashing out of it. She looked back at me, flustered. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! I don¡¯t know what happened! The fire just got worse when I put water on it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s called a grease fire, dear. Did you turn the heat off?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Alright, let me see.¡± I walked over and saw that she was attempting to fry something. Whatever it was planned to be, it wasn¡¯t anymore, so I took the pan and grabbed a cap. Once I quickly clamped down the cap, the flame was smothered and gradually went out. She looked over, brows raised. ¡°Huh, that was easy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve taught you this before. What does a flame need to grow?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ fuel, heat, and¡­¡± ¡°Oxygen.¡± ¡°Yes, that.¡± ¡°If a fire doesn¡¯t have one of these things, then it goes out. What I just did was block the flow of air to the fire, smothering it and making it go out. You could do the same with a blanket or a towel.¡± I uncapped the pan as I said that, letting all the smoke flow out. It was intensely pungent with my new sense of smell. Umara nodded. ¡°I see. So a fire can be put out simply by cutting off oxygen.¡± ¡°Most of the time it can, but not always. This one could, and you also could¡¯ve put it out yourself simply by making a vacuum around the pan. That would get rid of all the air and the fire would¡¯ve simply disappeared. Because a flame is what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a gas undergoing combustion. So wait, can vacuums combat all flames then?¡± ¡°Theoretically, most flames that you normally encounter, yes.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She went silent in thought as I started cleaning up. Once I had cleared most of the filth from the splattering grease, she looked back over. ¡°Congratulations by the way!¡± ¡°Haha, thank you. I¡¯m finally closer to your guys¡¯ level.¡± ¡°How big was the advancement?¡± ¡°My mind is about¡­ 5 times as fast compared to before? It¡¯s difficult to put a number on it. As for my Psyka capacity, I¡¯m not entirely sure since I¡¯m running low after breaking through to the new dimension. But I¡¯ll know tomorrow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Any new weapons?¡± ¡°Loads. This tournament is going to be fun.¡± I smiled and grabbed any salvageable food that was left. Thankfully this fire had only started after she was almost done with dinner. Umara sighed while helping set the table. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you were forced into the tournament. Then again, you seem like you¡¯re going to have some fun with it.¡± ¡°Oh but I am. I got some exotic weapons that my enemies will particularly enjoy.¡± ¡°Yeah? Like what?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see. I want it to be a surprise.¡± I chuckled a bit as we sat down to eat. Combined with the crystal ball, I would have weapons that would really make me seem like a wizard. Maybe people would start questioning if I was actually a warlock. For now though, I decided that I wouldn¡¯t bother trying to start the next formation. It was time to focus on other things that would actually help me, like training and searching for more weapons. Which is what was on my mind when it came time to go to sleep. Well, that and how Umara and I smothered each other with our tongues for about an hour before going to sleep. Chapter 114: Reflect The next day after my advancement, I followed the others to training. When we arrived at the grounds, quite a few of the other Elites were there. I let the rest of my group go on ahead while I went over to speak with the Puppet Master. Ponteck Gulliard was the largest threat. He would almost assuredly trounce most of his division; I would need to train the most to counter him. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be the only one. Although I had plenty of experience in the trenches, none of my enemies there had been very competent, especially not on the level of those at the Magisterium. One could argue that age and experience did more for those in the black market, but sheer power didn¡¯t care much about experience, and that was the most pressing problem here in the Magisterium. Warlocks had a plethora of spells that could easily turn me to paste. Whether it was suppressing me with an unceasing barrage of water or trying to cook me alive with fire, they were just as capable of killing me as knights were. It was just that knights were harder to kill in response, making them a bit more dangerous. Even then, depending on how it was looked at, the sheer variety of attacks a warlock could throw at me made a case that they might be more dangerous than knights. The situation I was in dictated that I couldn¡¯t kill anyone, so options that might¡¯ve worked in the black market were limited; all of my weapons were solely designed and devoted to killing people as efficiently as possible. I would be going into a match completely at odds with my nature. Which is why my new Crown would be playing such a large role. The only reason I couldn''t easily incapacitate someone was due to my own imprecision. Shooting someone¡¯s leg or arm would easily give me the win. The issue was, I had to be able to hit them with a small enough margin of error so as to not risk killing them as well. While a normal bullet might kill in a minute if I nicked an artery, I never had a chance to exactly examine the degree of damage a Psyka enhanced bullet might deal; all I knew was the sheer trauma caused by a hit easily downed even Scourge beasts. My aim was good, but I wasn¡¯t perfect. It was easy to hit unsuspecting targets, even easier with stationary ones, even at great distance. I¡¯d had my fair share of experience with hitting moving targets in the Trenches, so that experience would be coming into play. But that was also without regard to the health and safety of the other party, because why the hell would I bother? Now, I needed to combine my ability to adapt my aim as well as the precision that came with distance shooting. I had a feeling that time dilation would be a major factor, and that just made me appreciate my Advancement even more. After waking in the morning and feeling my replenished Psyka reserves, I found that it had actually been multiplied by an entire 5 times. That was a massive boost in strength, especially in combination with the hard-to-quantify increased density of Psyka. Still, my increased speed of thought as well as my larger reserves meant that I would be able to utilize my coat¡¯s abilities to a greater degree. It really was the perfect tool to have. I couldn¡¯t imagine the trouble I¡¯d have to go through without it. And perhaps Maxwell knew that all too well, which was precisely why he gave it to me. Of course, my weapons, coat, and Crown weren¡¯t the only tools at my disposal. Aura was probably my greatest lifeline at this point. Not even my coat could beat it, although the number of times they had saved my life were probably tied. Nonetheless, my Aura and the abilities it afforded me would form the basis of my style of combat. It would be my sole decision maker in combat scenarios. But not only could it give me the demo version of precognition, it would also allow me to play some tricks on my enemies. I hadn¡¯t used the ability since there weren¡¯t many situations where it would be effective, but the ability to disrupt the minds of others was both valuable and something I was very much capable of. I had already done it with Apocryon. There was no reason I couldn¡¯t do it with everyone else. Now, I would finally get to put its efficacy to the test. Of course, some practice was in order. For that I would need to employ actual people instead of the Puppet Master¡¯s puppets, like my friends. But for everything else, the training grounds would be sufficient, especially since the Puppet Master apparently had a puppet that could fight similarly to Ponteck. I was sure something like that was valuable, but I couldn¡¯t bet everything on its accuracy. I had my training plan. I would train to mesh my shooting skills together in the scenarios the Puppet Master prepared me, and pull aside my friends to hone my Aura. It would benefit them too anyway, so it was a win win. And so the first day of training began. Once at the training grounds, I decided to have the Puppet Master give me some warlock opponents. His puppets weren¡¯t limited to beastly behaviors and appearances. They could take on the form of humans and he could have them operate with decently intelligent behavior. More importantly, they could utilize a large variety of spells, giving me valuable experience against all sorts of opponents. Without delay, I was sent into my own training area. Apparently, it was modeled exactly like the tournament arena: a large stone platform about 100 square meters large. They were actually giving us a pretty massive area to work with, which allowed me to keep my distance rather well. There weren¡¯t very many rules or restrictions on armor. This naturally meant that nobles could buy their way to victory with some super expensive armor, though there were some upper limits that ensured the tournament was still a tournament. As for tools or external weapons, those couldn¡¯t be used so freely. Surprisingly, my coat could be used without issue. That was a headache preemptively taken care of. Besides that, things like Umara¡¯s disposable weapons and tools couldn¡¯t really be used. It was all up to the discretion of the judge. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t use any of those. The only external items I had were my medicinal things. So I entered the arena how I would every other battle, facing off against a faceless puppet with some robes and a staff. I could still get injured here, but it naturally wouldn¡¯t be trying to kill me. The puppet and I were placed on opposite sides of the arena, 100 meters away from each other. And once the battle started, I immediately equipped one of the new weapons in my arsenal, a rather famous weapon that I had actually fired once before on Earth. The M1 Garand. It fired the same .30-06 cartridge as the Springfield, but was semi-automatic instead of bolt action. That made it significantly more suitable for anything that required more than one round in a short amount of time. It also carried 8 rounds and could be loaded with a single clip insertion instead of having to fumble around with multiple stripper clips. Once the rifle appeared in my hands, I lifted it and took aim through the iron sights. Of course, in that period of time, the warlock before me erected a shield. I immediately fired when I saw that, not bothering to further correct my aim. The gun cracked, kicking back into my shoulder. Sure enough, the shield ate my bullet, though flickered in the process before the warlock doubled down on it. Seeing that, I continued to fire, dumping a few more rounds into the shield while getting a feel for the new gun. Unfortunately, not even all eight moderately empowered bullets could break the shield. Once I heard the dick-hardening ping of the empty clip, I started reloading. With my enhanced reflexes and speed of thought, it was shockingly easy to slot in a new clip with precision and throw the bolt forward. It took all of 1.5 seconds, and that was without any actual experience doing so. ¡°Oh yeah, this Crown is going to pay for itself.¡± I smiled and took aim again. But in the time I was reloading, the warlock had cast some spells. Three large fireballs trembled around it, growing a bit larger before flying toward me. I dove to the side, my hood appearing over my head. Two of the fireballs flew past me and exploded, but the third one exploded right next to me. Though I was a good bit away by then, the flames washed over my body. Everything was nullified by the coat except the force of expanding air, which pushed me a bit further than I had been expecting. I tumbled a bit, turning my fall into a somersault before rising to one knee and taking aim. Once centered, I fired more. Three fully empowered rounds flew out in short succession, and with the third round, the warlock¡¯s barrier shattered. It messed up the next spell they were casting, and in that time frame, I activated my coat and focused on my aim. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. I raised the sight a bit and found the warlock''s shoulder. It was around 90 meters away and I was using iron sights. Normally, I would have found it a pretty difficult shot. But this time, my eyes finally demonstrated their uncanny value. My sight zoomed in through the iron sights, my target painted like it was right in front of me. The iron sights may as well have been a 20x magnification scope the way I was using them. I was easily able to twitch my barrel in line, pulling the trigger before the warlock could recover. An explosion ripped forth from the end of my barrel, and I watched as the bullet tore through the warlock''s shoulder and ripped half its arm off. The staff, still tightly gripped by muscles that hadn¡¯t quite gotten the severe trauma message, dropped with the limp limb, the warlock clutching its shoulder as soon as it registered the loss of its limb. I lowered my sights, the puppet freezing and disintegrated in front of my eyes. ¡°Pretty good. The match would be called as soon as you made a shot like that. You¡¯d also piss off anyone related to that warlock for destroying his arm.¡± The Puppet Master appeared, standing a few meters away from me. I stood back up as my hood retracted. ¡°What else am I supposed to do? Warlocks are weak, unlike knights. Even the weakest weapon in my arsenal will tear them a new asshole.¡± ¡°I know. I wanted you to give this competition an honest shot, but I didn¡¯t say it would be pretty. At the very least, all the participants will be offered free healing, and limbs can be reattached. You¡¯ll become a bit more infamous, but it¡¯ll be a necessary evil and I¡¯ll do my best to dampen the backlash. So long as you don¡¯t kill anyone. Then it¡¯s out of my hands.¡± ¡°Yeah. So as long as the wounds can be healed, I should be fine?¡± ¡°Yes. And we¡¯ll have some of the best healing warlocks available for it. Injuries are common and families don¡¯t want their children to die in some game like this, so it¡¯s a given there will be adequate treatment. If you can continue to do what you just did and keep it to the limbs, then you¡¯ll make things much easier on us and yourself.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ll certainly be working for it.¡± I sighed a bit. A shot like that would be enough to incapacitate them, to say nothing of the pain. Of course, if they insisted on continuing despite that, then I would just give them another one. There was always another limb to convince them with. It would require great precision on my part. Thankfully, it seemed I was more than capable of it. ¡°Legs are easier to hit anyways.¡± ¡°Whatever you need to do. However, that warlock right there was only an Authority 5. I¡¯ll give you an Authority 6 now, then an Authority 7. I want you to have to fight for your well being in the event you actually have to. I¡¯ve trained some competent warlocks, that much I can assure you of.¡± ¡°Give them to me. I want to see how my experience from the Trenches compares.¡± ¡°Tsk, still can¡¯t believe you fought in that place¡­¡± He muttered while vanishing, another puppet appearing on the other side of the arena. A level above, and given how the Puppet Master wanted me to fight for my wins, none of them would be stupid. Sure enough, once the battle started, it immediately put up a thick barrier a magnitude sturdier than the previous one. I lifted my Garand and started firing, using fully empowered shots without inhibition in order to start whittling it down. That was all I could do. Bullets were particularly effective against warlock barriers due to their size and penetrability. I¡¯ve battled some warlocks where my bullet pierced their barriers without actually breaking it, meaning that the magic wasn¡¯t without its obvious weaknesses. After all, they were primarily meant to defend against other spells, or at the smallest, melee weapons. No matter what, they were not designed to handle the unfamiliar type of damage my bullets inflicted, which gave me a great advantage. Still, so long as it had any reasonable amount of mana behind it, a barrier would eat bullets like candy. Nothing would get through and they would just sit there like a bunker and launch spells like a turret. What I had to be careful about was not challenging the warlock during the time they were casting spells. I watched as some air warped, my Psyka picking up mana formations in the atmosphere and my new eyes seeing air blades hurtling toward me. They were fast and sharp, so right as my hood formed over my head, I utilized my speed of thought and control over my body to deftly dodge between two blades. My body tilted backward as I stepped forward, both blades sliding past my limbs and slicing into the stone underneath, leaving gouges where they disappeared. New spells were already being prepared by the time I had regained my footing. When I saw those formations, part of me wanted to just wait and dodge again. But that was a deadly cycle to fall into. I wasn¡¯t a knight and definitely not faster than those spells. If I allowed a warlock to launch spells without contest, then the only ending was defeat or death. I needed to challenge them, no matter how token the resistance was, and I needed to do so consistently. Damaging a warlock¡¯s barrier drained their mana, so even if the battle became one of attrition, I could still do something. So instead of getting ready to dodge the next wave, I decided to run forward. I sprinted as fast as my legs would carry me in a straight line toward the warlock. After another couple seconds, I had managed to cover 20 yards and got ready for the next set of air spells. Six blades of air appeared and flew toward me, all of them closing in from the front. In response, I shifted my momentum laterally and waited for the right time. Right when the blades were going to collide with me, I threw my body to the side and let them all fly past me. I rolled once and popped back up to my feet, continuing my sprint and covering another 50 yards before the next spells were coming. But I stopped at that distance, a grenade appeared in my hand, pin already pulled. This was the Mk. 2 hand grenade, a basic fragmentation grenade, and positively loaded with Psyka. Right when the spells were launched at me, I tossed the grenade, the chunk of metal and explosives rolling to its feet as I dodged another set of blades. It was surprisingly easier to do at close range. I missed the explosion as I was rolling, but popped back to my feet with my rifle shouldered, catching sight of the warlock through my iron sights. And surprisingly, he was missing a few chunks of flesh from around its body, particularly the abdomen and legs. The warlock collapsed before freezing and disappearing. The Puppet Master appeared again. ¡°A bit overkill, though effective. Use something like that early on when the barrier has enough to resist it. Then you¡¯ll deplete a large chunk of mana while weakening it for a short period of time. If you¡¯re fast enough, you can break it with your gun and shoot the person behind it.¡± ¡°Good to know. Are wounds like that too much?¡± ¡°Depends. There were a few chunks of metal inside its body, and considering the damage to the organs, it would be more difficult than normal to keep them alive. Those metal chunks do incredible damage on the way in.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s what they¡¯re built for. I¡¯ll keep it in mind. Though I¡¯m starting to think you need to increase your medical personnel.¡± ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. Focus on damage control first though. I just want to make sure you make any mistakes like this here first rather than in the arena.¡± ¡°Right.¡± I nodded, the next enemy being prepared as the Puppet Master left. It was another Authority 6, but this time, it used both air and fire spells. The two elements were used in tandem, proving particularly difficult to dodge. I found myself having to close a surprising amount of distance as the Warlock deftly darted out of my way with air at its feet. No longer was range necessarily to my advantage. Of course, that was only to use my grenades. Warlock barriers only had a certain amount of mana loaded into them, depending on how much the Warlock had loaded beforehand. But it would never be a majority of their mana. This was yet another advantage I could use. Not only were barriers susceptible to penetrative power, but they also had limited fuel. This meant that an explosive amount of power hitting the barrier at a small point was the perfect recipe for breaking them down. Grenades were naturally good at that job. Of course, I might kill the warlock in the process if I went overboard. But that¡¯s what this training was for. I needed to find the sweet spot and gauge their power properly so I knew how powerful of a grenade I could use, and when. Of course, grenades were only one tool among many. I had plenty of time and energy, so I tried everything I could think of. With each battle, another weapon was brought out. Sometimes I used grenades, other times I brought out my Lewis Gun. The Lewis Gun was currently the best machine gun in my arsenal that could be held and fired. I had found others, but those needed to be mounted and were stationary. They weren¡¯t very fitting for my current situation. Of course, I had also tried to look for some other particularly famous machine guns, but the one I had my eye on couldn''t yet be found. At some point I would get my hands on Hitler¡¯s Buzzsaw, but that time wasn¡¯t now, so I needed to make do. The Lewis Gun I found had good handling anyway and I could fire it in bursts to maintain accuracy. I found it good for suppressing the warlock and forcing them to continue channeling mana into the barrier or risk it breaking. I wasn¡¯t the only one who could get caught in a deadly loop. Barriers were nice but they apparently weren¡¯t very versatile. The warlocks could move around while using them, but that only took more mana and concentration. And it wasn¡¯t like I couldn''t simply adjust my aim, so running like a rat only helped me. There were plenty of ways that I could suppress and beat a warlock, especially if I got the drop on them. But situations were dynamic and the Puppet Master didn¡¯t like letting me have my way. So I was frequently put into sticky situations and my acrobatic skills were put to the test. That training went on for hours. I took some breaks to process things and reflect, holding several discussions with the Puppet Master as well. He was controlling the puppet directly so he knew best how to correct things, given that unique perspective. His insight had unquestionable value. I was taking everything I could get. Going into this tournament unprepared would be no different from sending myself to jail. Of course, there was one thing that actually made battles much easier than they otherwise would be. As proven time and time again, my coat was way too powerful to be damaged by anything at or below Authority 7, unless it was a knight trying to crush me with a blunt weapon. That was why I found knights to be so much more of a threat than warlocks: when it came down to it, only knights were really capable of hurting me. Everything else could be tanked by my coat relatively easily. Of course, there were always exceptions. Earth magic happened to be one thing I needed to pay particular attention to. But besides that, I could rest easy knowing that basically everything thrown my way by a warlock couldn¡¯t actually hurt me that badly. It afforded me great leeway. And so, the first day of training ended. We decided to train more with warlocks the next day as well. So in the meantime, I just needed to rest and reflect. Chapter 115: Completely Alien The next day of training came, and I was back to facing warlocks. The night before, I had discussed some things with Umara, getting her insight on how warlocks operated. She provided me with some weaknesses as well as the thought process behind her decision making. Warlocks were just as fragile as summoners. The only reason they weren¡¯t seen as that weak though was because, unlike summoners, their magic could actually protect them. But that also meant they had a singular point of failure: their barriers. As she had told me before, barriers were only loaded with so much mana at any given time, a quantity that changed when damaged or according to the warlock¡¯s wishes. My bullets and grenades could outright bypass some of those defenses with penetrative power and rapidly shatter the integrity of the spell. Barriers, as described by Umara, were one large active spell formation. So disrupting the spell meant disrupting the barrier. However, good warlocks could also shift the power distribution, allowing for variable strength in different areas of the barrier. Warlocks from the Magisterium were taught spherical barriers that provided omnidirectional protection. But they were also taught how to shift the power concentration, so I could count on definitely facing that. This worked against me in two ways. Not only would my bullets be less effective, but I also couldn¡¯t adapt to it. If I placed a grenade behind them while shooting from the front and they failed to perceive the threat of the grenade, it would just kill them. I had plenty of ways to kill a warlock. Keeping them alive while crippling their ability to fight back was something else entirely and magnitudes more difficult. Right now, I was the icon of the industrial war machine, and it was spitting out some of the deadliest tools of wrath that Earth¡¯s history had ever seen. And I was being forced to rein it in and direct all of that explosive power into measured, non-lethal attacks. That was like trying to train a bunch of hungry rapid wolves to capture a rabbit instead of just tearing it in half, chewing it up, and shitting it out. But it could be done, in part by not using the rabid wolves, but bloodhounds instead. I needed to use the precise tools instead of explosive ones, and I needed to understand how my enemy thought in order to corner them. But that meant battles would take time, and such time was putting my cardio to the test. Once I was back on the training grounds, the Puppet Master threw some Authority 7 warlocks at me. These warlocks weren¡¯t operating like true Authority 7¡¯s. He just wanted to make the barriers tougher to break and the spells more varied, giving me more of a challenge. But after just a few hours of fighting, I was stumped. A warlock at that level could tank all my shots while also using spells to simply run away when I closed the distance. Not only that, but their spells were fast and powerful. I couldn¡¯t even do anything to them. Of course, the Puppet Master understood that. Sometimes I thought he was having me do a cardio workout instead of actual combat training. Either way, I realized where my limits lay and what to do when a warlock was really good at one particular thing. The staffs they used helped them buffer spells, which meant that the good warlocks were able to cast multiple spells at once and in quick succession. If you let them, they would throw a constant barrage at you with no rest, all while being mobile. Of course, the downside to this was the fact that the barrier was neglected, making them a weaker target. Against that, I could only stress myself to find a shot while constantly dodging and moving. During a battle against one opponent, I had only half a second to take a shot and that was while taking a pressurized ball of water to the leg. That left a nice bruise, even through my coat. So I continued to wrack my brain for solutions. I didn¡¯t want to be helpless and resigned to constantly dodging, but that seemed to be all I could do. Or at least, until I thought of something. After that, it all seemed so obvious. Barriers were spell formations, and my bullets could affect that spell formation. The fact that I could pierce through barriers was evidence of that. If my Psyka were unable to affect Mana, then my empowerments would do nothing to help me break barriers in the first place. So why the hell wouldn''t it do that to every other spell formation? Although launched spells were just clusters of an element, they still relied on formations to keep them together and guide them with a specific purpose, so Psyka could still affect it. With that logic in mind, I put it to the test. Standing across from the warlock, I panted in exhaustion. I had already run a lot in the past few hours and I was getting sick of it. But now, my veins pulsed in excitement as the warlock created its barrier. I stood there and brought out another new gun. Called the Remington A-5, it was the first semi-automatic shotgun ever created and a weapon that John Moses Browning considered to be one of his greatest achievements, and for good reason. This model was chambered in 12-gauge, like most shotguns, and it handled like most shotguns with a tube fed system. But that semi-automatic system was way too attractive to continue to use the Trench Gun ¨C despite the satisfaction of slamfire ¨C so when I discovered it, I communed with the responsible spirit immediately. I watched as four fireballs hurled toward me, raising the shotgun and firing as soon as they crossed the 50 meter mark. The stock slammed back into my shoulder. A brass casing spun off to the side. All the buckshot that flew out the front was empowered and aimed right for the fireball. And I watched as the fireball was blown up, all of its power being disrupted and detonated mid-flight. The rest scattered as the spell formation holding it together was destroyed. I smiled even as I shot the other three, all of them being snuffed out like the first. The warlock across from me stood there, frozen for a few seconds until the Puppet Master appeared. I smiled at him without a word, causing him to scoff. ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s ever been a cold summoner capable of doing what you just did, so I didn¡¯t know it was possible. I guess it should''ve been obvious though. It¡¯s a good thing you found out about it.¡± ¡°Fuck yeah.¡± ¡°Hm, well, I¡¯m suddenly far less worried about how you¡¯ll handle warlocks. Still, I¡¯ll make sure you can handle different varieties.¡± ¡°Fuck yeah.¡± I responded with an even wider smile. He was right. This just made things a lot easier. After that, I got to do a little skeet shooting as spells were constantly flung at me. They came in batches and each one was a different type from a different element. From fire, to water, to air, all kinds of spells were hurled at me in just as many varied forms. The only thing limiting me was my reload time. There were no such things as speed loaders for shotguns at the time so I had to make do with handloading shells. However, that was exactly what my Crown helped with. I resorted to practicing loading two shells at a time. Without needing to grab them from a belt, I could simply have them appear in my hand perfectly oriented for insertion. Then all I needed to do was shove them in repeatedly. It might¡¯ve seemed unnecessarily complicated, but I still couldn¡¯t simply will the shells into the tube. That seemed to be a feature I was incapable of, at least until I figured out why and how to bypass it.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Regardless, the A-5 could hold four shells in the tube and one in the chamber. So long as I left one in the chamber, I could just load four with two swipes of the hand and continue shooting. That meant I had four shots before needing to reload. Of course, more than four magical projectiles could be thrown at me, so the strategy became shooting the ones I couldn''t easily dodge and going from there. Threat assessment was key. Like that, the rest of the day was spent practicing my quickdraw, reloading, and quick aim. I used both shotguns and rifles to shoot spells, but naturally shotguns were far more reliable. It was like shooting birds, and birdshot was in fact better suited for the spells. One issue was now resolved. Now, it was time to move on to the rest. When the third day of training came around, I had the Puppet Master give me knightly opponents. Unlike warlocks, knights were straightforward to fight, but also more difficult. I didn¡¯t have to worry about accidentally killing them. They were built to take hits, and the only way I could beat one was to dish out more hits than one could handle. That took sheer power and brute force, not so much precision. And even if I went overboard and gave a knight grievous wounds, they were tough enough to stay alive and the doctors had more than enough leeway to heal them. Ever since that tooth and nail struggle with the Royal, I knew that knights could fight even when half dead. For them, I needed to bring forth the full might of the industrial war machine. And the Puppet Master was good at drawing that out. It was exhausting, to say the least. I could now easily go toe to toe with Authority 6 knights but doing so took a lot out of me. Not to mention that they were usually fast and strong, just like Ponteck Gulliard. It seemed like everything always came back to Gulliard. I asked the Puppet Master to give me opponents as fast as Feiden and as strong as Vetsmon, which seemed to be where Ponteck lay. Though he couldn¡¯t quite match the extreme attributes of both, he wasn¡¯t far from it. The man really was a powerhouse deserving of his spot on the board. My main issue with fighting him would be maintaining distance, given his speed. Of course, with some suppressing fire and my Aura, I could deter him from getting too close too fast. But I couldn¡¯t stop him, even if I was hitting my shots. It would be his victory if he got close. After that, it would take everything I had in order to keep myself alive, from the power of my coat to the fullest use of Aura. Dodging was nearly impossible with that guy. He was too fast and it wasn¡¯t like I was trained in martial arts. Five seconds trying to keep my life felt like an eternity and, oftentimes, I couldn¡¯t make it any longer than that. I would reach my limits and no amount of precognition or time dilation could save me from my comparatively lethargic body. So my goal was to keep as much distance between us for as long as I could while trying to put him down before he could reach me. It was difficult, but not impossible. My recent advancement meant that my bullets were more than capable of wounding him. Armor was a factor that could mitigate that significantly, but I also had a way to circumvent that. Four hours of constant battle with the dummy left me at the edge of exhaustion, but I called the training session to an end a bit early in order to work on something else. I finally met up with my squad, the five of us on a field for our own special training. ¡°Hey guys.¡± ¡°John. How¡¯s training going?¡± ¡°Eh, it¡¯s going. This is turning out to be harder than expected.¡± I shrugged while clasping hands with Vetsmon and Feiden. ¡°Ponteck is fast and strong, so if he gets close, I¡¯m screwed.¡± ¡°Mm. How difficult is it to bring him down before then?¡± ¡°Difficult enough. Which is why I want to do this training. I need my Aura to be sharper and I want to test out something new. Something that might help me keep my life against someone like him. Come here.¡± I grabbed Feiden and pulled him over to the open field. Then, I stood about 15 meters away, the two of us squaring off. ¡°I want you to catch me. All you have to do is lay a hand on my body and you win. Utilize whatever means you can, whether that¡¯s Aura or your full speed. I don¡¯t want any handicaps.¡± ¡°Hm, alright.¡± ¡°Umara, start us off.¡± Feiden took up a stance as Umara raised her hand from the side. ¡°Ready¡­ Go!¡± Feiden flew forward as soon as she spoke. It was clear that he didn¡¯t bother holding back to see what would happen, which is exactly what I wanted. Because right when he did, I let my Aura bloom, expanding out through the area like a thick fog. Like during my operation, I was able to see everything around me with great clarity, almost as clear as my eyes were, though with far more insight. I could see Feiden, the heat running through his muscles with every neural impulse, and his plans on attempting to catch me. Of course, his own Aura attempted to blur his intentions, but my own had advanced so much that it didn¡¯t really matter. Like that, I infused my Psyka into the fog of my Aura, the power of the mind entering Feiden¡¯s body and affecting his psyche. Then, I started visualizing things that didn¡¯t exist. I stood completely still, yet imagined that I was moving to dodge. I almost convinced myself that I was actually moving even when I was sure I was standing dead still. And sure enough, I watched as Feiden veered to the side and dove at nothing. Halfway through though, when he realized something was wrong, he recovered and slid to a halt, turning back to me, seeing me in the same place as I was when we started. I looked at him and then started running. ¡­¡­ Two Johns split off from the same location. It was difficult for Umara to tell which was the real one. Though she wasn¡¯t quite worried about that. She was still shocked that this was happening at all. It seemed John had learned how to utilize illusions, a power she had only heard about before. Illusions couldn¡¯t easily be mimicked by magic. That was because it required one to not just project realistic images, but trick the mind. With Psyka and Aura, it was much easier, yet few summoners ever learned to do so simply because they didn¡¯t need to. They couldn¡¯t fight, and so they didn¡¯t develop many combat-related techniques. This was the first time she was ever seeing something like this. A fog permeated throughout the area for a great distance, even enveloping them who stood on the sidelines. That fog was only from John¡¯s Aura, and so it didn¡¯t actually disrupt their vision. They could still see both of them clearly. But the effect that his Aura had on their minds created illusions of things that weren¡¯t real. They obscured John¡¯s body while creating other images of him that weren¡¯t real. Even they were tricked, because they had thought Feiden caught John the first time he dove forward. And after that, Feiden gave chase to multiple Johns, none of the ones he caught being the real ones. When he would catch one, it would disappear, as if his mind finally registered that it wasn¡¯t actually there. It would do so for the others too. But then, the real John would release another illusion that Feiden had to try and differentiate against once more. None of them could seem to do it. They had faint feelings, but it was too confusing and there was only one Feiden. He could only choose to chase one. And even if he made the right choice, John would just kill the other illusion and create another, forcing Feiden to make another decision that was likely wrong. So, in practice, he could never be right. The only way to fight against it was Aura, but none of them had an Aura as developed as John¡¯s. Not only that, but their minds weren¡¯t very resistant to Psyka, which made his illusions all the more effective. Suddenly, the power of the mind seemed so incredibly powerful. All of them knew that summoners were weak. John was merely an exception. But when they saw this, they felt like summoners had unfathomable potential. Everyone was vulnerable against the type of magic they didn¡¯t wield. Knights were vulnerable to mana, warlocks were vulnerable to vigor. But now, their friend had shown them just how vulnerable to Psyka they were. Because of that, Feiden was unable to catch John for an entire 10 minutes. No matter what he did, he was always outmaneuvered. John didn¡¯t even have to stress himself physically, not nearly as much as he usually would in this situation. Finally, once he seemed to have enough of teasing Feiden, the fog receded and they all laid eyes on the real John. The moment the influence was gone, the illusions felt painfully obvious, and they doubted they could¡¯ve ever mistaken them for the real John ¡°Well, that was certainly fun. Too bad I can¡¯t use this against the puppets.¡± He chuckled a bit and sat down. He was obviously tired since this wasn¡¯t his first workout. Feiden scratched his head in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what the hell just happened.¡± ¡°Illusions my friend. If you want to avoid them, then you need to train your Aura more. All of you do. Tomorrow I want to train like this more. Next time, I¡¯ll also use my guns and see how that affects things. Still, just imagine not knowing where you got shot from.¡± ¡°That¡¯s kind of scary.¡± Tana shivered a bit, making John chuckle. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m tired. Maybe I can just sleep here¡­¡± ¡°No no, let¡¯s get back to the hotel. Come on big guy.¡± Umara walked over and hoisted John up, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. After saying goodbyes, the two walked off, leaving the knights to ponder to themselves. Feiden sighed. ¡°If Ponteck doesn¡¯t have a good Aura, he¡¯s screwed.¡± ¡°No kidding. John is already hard to catch. That just makes it impossible. Still, it¡¯s amazing how powerful he is.¡± Vetsmon rubbed his chin in thought. The level of Aura he displayed was unreal. It made him question himself, thinking that Aura couldn¡¯t possibly be so difficult to train if John was already doing so well. He hadn¡¯t even been training it for a year! All of them had been training since the young age of 16, like everyone else. They had years under their belt while John had less than one, yet he was already an Authority 5 and had a far better Aura. The growth was freakish. Completely alien, almost. Chapter 116: Forfeit After a night of rest, I was back at training. There were only a few more days before the first battles started. No matter how sure I was in my ability to take out a knight, in the event something didn¡¯t work out, I would need to have some insurance. That wasn¡¯t even accounting for Ponteck. Worryingly, I didn¡¯t know exactly how developed Ponteck¡¯s Aura was, but I couldn¡¯t bank on it being worse than mine. Thankfully, it would at most be even, if not a little better. Any more developed and he would be able to project Vigor, which would complicate matters far more. I at least had assurance from the Puppet Master that he most likely hadn¡¯t reached that level yet. So for the rest of my training days, I simply focused on fighting knights and utilizing my Illusory Aura. I no longer pushed myself as hard against the knight puppets, preserving more energy for training my Aura. The additional time I managed to put in let me eventually play the game of tag with both Vetsmon and Feiden at once. However, that seemed to be the limit. I could make two illusions of myself indistinguishable from reality, but any more than that and the once subtle differences in Aura between a clone and the original became painfully obvious. Not only that, the act itself of maintaining the facade took quite a lot of concentration. I had to devote my entire Spark to maintaining one, and my mind to the other; I didn¡¯t have another Spark yet to control a third. That was fine though, because I only really needed one for the tournament. Two was just good insurance in case I was in a really sticky situation. However, utilizing two illusions also made them both less real. The more mind power I could devote to one, the better. I also used my guns in tandem, which worked shockingly well. Nobody would know where the shot would come from until it was made. And since I had really good control over my Intent and how much it leaked, it was impossible to tell which one was real even while I attacked. This was all to say that I was very prepared, and I still had more time to refine all my techniques. My illusions would only get better, to say nothing of my Aura overall. And so, the last few days of training passed. I didn¡¯t bother going to the arena because nobody I knew was fighting. But that changed at the beginning of the next week. All of us received our letters the day before telling us when and where to meet for our matches. And so we went, all of us with our own battles to fight. Funnily enough, because nobody cared about the summoners, we had our own arena in one of the training fields. It usually wasn¡¯t a popular arena. However, this time, it was much more crowded. I had a feeling that was because of me. After entering the field I made my way over to a check-in. From there I just waited in the staging area, watching some of the battles before me. Sure enough, as was expected by literally all of humanity, there were no cold summoners fighting. Only hot summoners even had a chance since they actually summoned beasts and the like, so they didn¡¯t have to do any fighting themselves, or risk much of anything. Perhaps that was why it was also on the field instead of the arena. I didn¡¯t have any clue what these summons looked like, but I relaxed as I watched the beasts fight. Most of them seemed like normal animals. None of them were exotic like Flickers or vicious like Scourge beasts. Then again, they were all foreign in some way. If cold summons came from other worlds, then these animals probably did too. That meant it wouldn¡¯t look anything like normal animals from this world. Still, nothing particularly caught my eye. The main issue with summoners wasn¡¯t actually their summons, but their advancement formations. Each advancement was mediocre at best and made them all pitifully weak for their level. It simply wasn¡¯t on the level of Maxwell¡¯s, which was designed to push a summoner to Authority 12 like the advancement paths for knights and warlocks. So these battles were really only cage fights. When one side''s beasts lost, that was game. The goal wasn¡¯t actually to harm the other summoner. Things would be far too easy for me. Though, I didn¡¯t expect what happened a bit before my turn came. A young man approached me with an entourage trailing behind, hesitantly walking over until he stood before me. I kept my relaxed posture as he spoke. ¡°John Cooper? My name is Max Tenne. A pleasure to meet the most powerful summoner in the Magisterium.¡± ¡°Hello, Max.¡± I shook his hand. This Max was naturally a summoner as well, so his Psyka made his thoughts a bit more difficult to read. But it wasn¡¯t enough to really stifle my own Aura, so I could tell that he came here with a certain level of determination. This obviously wasn¡¯t just a spur of the moment meeting. Sure enough, he sat down next to me. ¡°I¡¯d like to extend a proposition to you. You see, we summoners within the Magisterium tend to stick together, being an oppressed minority. We have something like a club that focuses on our intellectual standing, which also provides many opportunities through our connections with a variety of businesses within the Capitol. First, I¡¯d like to extend an invitation. We¡¯re called the Psykic Conference. I¡¯d like to make you a member.¡± ¡°You do understand that I¡¯ll be leaving when the year is over, right?¡± My brows raised. I wasn¡¯t being rude. It was just that I had no more than a couple months left here. If I had started from the first or even third year, they might be worth checking out, and I might be worth something to them. Max smiled. ¡°Yes, I do understand that. However, I still extend the invitation because the Conference can provide you with many valuable connections. We¡¯re all aware that a summoner¡¯s place is really only behind a desk as the thinker of many businesses. I also know that you¡¯re an exception who¡¯s exceptional at combat, so that might not be for you. But the battlefield is dangerous, so I¡¯d like to offer this to you. Take it as an olive branch.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Hm, that¡¯s generous. Well, I appreciate the offer. I might drop by later and take a look. But if I may ask, why now all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Well, this tournament is the main reason. I didn¡¯t actually come here just to extend an invitation. Allow me to lay forth my second proposition.¡± Max glanced out toward the arena before looking back into my eyes. ¡°We at the conference have decided to forfeit all matches against you. This means you¡¯ll have no issue simply climbing to the top and taking the title of Summoner Champion.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? Why?¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± He looked down with an aura of self-disappointment. ¡°Sir Cooper, we have no illusions about our power. You are currently the Rank 1 Elite, even over Ponteck Gulliard, someone who was supposed to be the most powerful person of our generation. The only other summoner within the Elites is currently at the very bottom, and he doesn¡¯t even worry about combat anymore as he recently started working with a company. So it¡¯s not hard to realize that you would easily kill all of us if you wanted to, let alone win the summoner tournament. So, instead of competing against you, we want to support you. With our forfeitures, you won¡¯t be bored with these battles and can focus on training for what really matters. I¡¯d even tell you not to show up at all, but the judges are sticklers and you¡¯ll have to at least show your face in the arena.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I nodded, looking out to where the last battle was finishing. I was next. ¡°Well Max, I have three battles today and some friends to watch later. If you all really are doing this for me, then I¡¯ll take it with thanks.¡± ¡°Of course. Please, go ahead. Rodern here is your opponent for your first match. After that, you¡¯ll have an hour to yourself.¡± He motioned over to one of those within his entourage, Rodern nodding at me when I saw him. Sure enough, I was soon called. We both walked up onto the arena. Then¡­ ¡°I forfeit this match.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± The judge looked between us before sighing. ¡°Very well. Match forfeit. John Cooper is the winner. Your next match is in an hour.¡± ¡°How convenient.¡± I smiled a bit, walking back to the seats where Max was standing. He smiled back at me as we shook hands. ¡°You know, I¡¯d like to fight at least one of you. I¡¯ve never fought a summoner before.¡± ¡°If you¡¯d like, then we can figure something out for the championship battle. Nonetheless, all of us summoners have been fans of your achievements this year. The pride you¡¯ve brought to the summoner class can¡¯t be understated. So we want nothing more than to help you succeed in the upcoming tournament. If this eases your burden even a little and helps increase the chances of your victory, then it¡¯ll be worth it.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you worry about my victory. I¡¯ll be taking first place.¡± ¡°Your confidence is quite inspiring. Then I look forward to witnessing the first summoner to be Crowned Champion.¡± Our hands separated, and with that, we said our goodbyes. I left the arena, and since I had plenty of time, went over to the actual arena to find my squad. All of them had battles today. There were tons of people in the stands watching. It wasn¡¯t just students that were able to watch, but outsiders as well. The stadium was huge and handily accommodated everyone. Thankfully, there was a reserved spot specifically for the Elites. I found the Puppet Master and Tana there. I went to her first. ¡°Hi John!¡± ¡°Hey, Tana.¡± We shared a quick hug before focusing back down below. Right now, Feiden was on stage about to start his battle while Vetsmon was in staging. Umara was also in staging. ¡°How was your battle? I can¡¯t imagine those summoners made you break a sweat.¡± ¡°No. In fact, they forfeited against me.¡± ¡°Ah, no wonder you were so quick.¡± She nodded, looking back down. The battle between Feiden and his opponent started, but just as soon, it ended. Feiden dashed across the arena and simply overpowered his opponent. He didn¡¯t even have to try. His opponent wasn¡¯t even an Elite. It took all of 10 seconds for the battle to end, and he walked right back into staging. Then, Vetsmon went up, but that ended just like Feiden¡¯s. Nobody could match Vetsmon¡¯s strength. As for Umara, although warlock battles were different, she couldn''t possibly lose either. It took about a minute for her opponent to finally buckle. Unlike knights who could just overpower and put their enemy in checkmate with a blade to the neck, warlocks had to break through each other¡¯s barriers to eventually decide a winner. It took longer and required more energy, even if the enemy was weaker than you. But it was uneventful. Umara knew plenty of powerful spells and her precision was unmatched. She and Tana had the best Auras on the team as well, so that only widened the gap. She didn¡¯t really have to try. Like that, all three of them came back to staging. That¡¯s when I went over to the Puppet Master. He scrutinized me. ¡°You arrived quickly. Were they that weak?¡± ¡°They were, but that¡¯s not why. How come you never told me about the Psykic Conference?¡± ¡°Because they aren¡¯t worth your time. You already know Sawn of Sawn Industries. That¡¯s about the best possible opportunity any summoner could ever pray for. So besides that, they have nothing else for you.¡± ¡°Hm, I guess.¡± ¡°Why? Did they approach you?¡± ¡°They did. And they said they would forfeit all matches against me, letting me just take the championship.¡± ¡°Hm, how generous of them not to waste your time.¡± He nodded, making me smile a bit. ¡°You don¡¯t speak very highly of them.¡± ¡°Of course not. Ever since you arrived I can¡¯t seem to think highly of any summoner. It almost feels like they¡¯re making excuses. I mean, they¡¯re the smartest, and yet the weakest. How does that work?¡± ¡°Yeah, I asked the same thing. But you know better than I do about all that crap. I just do what Maxwell tells me to.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ll continue to do that. Another reason I didn¡¯t want you to go to that stupid conference was because, in all honesty, I want you to continue fighting. It¡¯s dangerous for you and I know that, but even among the knights and warlocks, you¡¯re incredibly lethal. I¡¯m pretty sure you were born to be a Scourge Hunter, and if you do things right, along with a little help, you¡¯ll do great things for humanity. So I can¡¯t let you get distracted by all that other crap like being a thinker behind a desk. That would be a terrible waste of your talent.¡± ¡°Hm, I appreciate the praise, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be that great. I¡¯ll do what I can but I don¡¯t know if affecting all of humanity is in the cards. At least not in the realm of combat.¡± I shrugged. If I really put my mind to it, I could bring about an industrial revolution. That would surely affect all of humanity, and I wouldn¡¯t actually have to do too much. But affecting all of humanity in regard to fighting the Scourge? I would have to be an Authority 12 for that. I wasn¡¯t sure if I had it in me. But the Puppet Master just scoffed. ¡°Please. Sometimes I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re narcissistic or not. Just pick one please, because you seem to choose to be humble at all the wrong times.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m just being realistic.¡± ¡°Well stop. Humility doesn¡¯t suit you. Now go play with your friends.¡± He waved me off, and just at that moment, Umara, Vetsmon, and Feiden entered the suite. I clicked my tongue and just walked off, going to greet them and watch some more matches before the time came for my next battle. If it could even be called that. Chapter 117: Breaking Point As Max had promised, every opponent I faced in the arena forfeited their battles. I just had to show up for them to do so. Because of that, my days went by easily. There was a week of division battles and I didn¡¯t have anything to do for any of them. My energy wasn¡¯t spent and thus I was able to spend my free time training. None of my training deviated from what I had already been doing, even in the Auric department. It didn¡¯t take much energy on the part of my knights who were responsible for catching me, so they were able to continue training with me despite their battles, to say nothing of the benefits to their Aura that they wanted. Like that, a few days passed and the final rounds came around. That¡¯s when the battles finally got interesting, and so my focus was on my squad who were fighting for their lives. ¡­¡­ The arena was no longer divided into two, but completely dominated by just one so as to better draw attention to the match. I sat within the suite, Vetsmon, Feiden, and Tana beside me looking down through the glass. On stage we could see Umara standing across from her opponent. She had two battles left, and those who had made it this far were all Elites. Umara was currently the top warlock in the Elites. I had no doubt that she would win, but that didn¡¯t mean it wouldn¡¯t be hard-fought. I was curious to see how she would handle it. Our scientific discussions had yielded fruit over time. Umara was enlightened in the air element, which meant that any and all spells or techniques that utilized that element came extremely easy to her. That made it easy for her to create new ones or modify existing ones. And she utilized the knowledge I gave her to do so. Our discussions, while often running off tangents, largely focused on concepts she could use. I taught her all about how the various states of matter interacted with each other, the properties of whatever elements I could recall information for, as well as special concepts she could take advantage of. There were so many topics we had gone over that the booklet she kept with her of all my scribbles and written text was at least 6 inches thick. I was thinking that I¡¯d need to get her one of those Orbs to stuff information into. However, no matter how much I helped, it was up to her to apply it. I couldn¡¯t make the spells for her, even though I wanted to. So all this time she had been solely devoted to doing just that. This would be the place where its value finally saw the light of day. I looked down from my seat, my eyes zooming in until I could see the individual strands of her ashy gray hair. The ability, despite the few weeks I had to get used to it, still held an element of unfamiliarity to it, and so brought a smile to my face. ¡°Three, two, one, match start!¡± The countdown for the start of the match blared through a magical speaker in the suite, silencing conversations and drawing everyone¡¯s attention to the pair of contestants in the arena. Once the referee¡¯s hand went down, I zoomed out and saw Umara¡¯s opponent conjure a barrier. Umara did the same thing, and both simultaneously started forming spells. Right now, Umara was best with the air element. She had been training her fire element but hadn¡¯t quite been able to advance to Authority 6 yet. Meanwhile, her opponent¡¯s fire affinity had been perfectly developed. Spell circles appeared in the air as they held their staves. Each element had its own unique markers within the spell formations, but I was still studying those with Umara¡¯s help, so I couldn¡¯t quite differentiate them just based on that. Soon enough, fire bloomed forth from the opponent¡¯s spell circles. As for Umara, she conjured an invisible dome around her. I could just barely see some of the dense vapors around her with the help of my magical sight. Six fireballs accelerated at Umara and her dome of air. She simply stood there, watching them as they crashed toward her with explosive momentum. Flames swallowed her dome of air when they made contact, washing over it entirely and holding for a few seconds before dissipating into smoky embers and floating off with the wind. Umara was left behind, unscathed and unamused. She suddenly smiled a bit, nodding to her opponent. ¡°Come on, I¡¯m testing a new spell. Keep going.¡± ¡°...¡± Her voice echoed, her opponent baffled by her audacity, the audience reflecting his shock. I looked at him as he started to grit his teeth. ¡°Fine then. Here.¡± He raised his staff, another spell circle flashing into existence This one was far larger, reflecting the efforts and time he put into it. Umara simply watched as he spent almost a minute adding formations and pouring mana into it. When it finally activated, a massive amount of fire started to congeal, being crushed down by mana into a massive lance of blue flame. It was clear that this singular spell was his best ¡ª his face was dripping with sweat, and his brows furrowed in concentration. Umara tilted her head and tapped the butt of her own staff on the floor, a spell circle flashing beneath her feet, connecting to the dome around its edges. I couldn¡¯t possibly discern what she had cast. Her opponent smiled, teeth gritted together in concentration. His tensed hands suddenly relaxed, and the spear of fire streaked toward Umara. The silence throughout the arena was suffocating. The tip spun, leaving behind a spiral of flame as it flew. For a second I was honestly worried a bit. Umara was probably using vacuums to her advantage against the fire, something we had discussed when she started a grease fire in my kitchen. But flame was still a gas, consisting of matter with mass. A lance like the one hurling toward her would easily punch through a vacuum barrier. Of course, I¡¯d like to believe that she¡¯d never make such a stupid mistake as to not factor that into her defense, but I couldn¡¯t be entirely sure ¡ª not out of doubt for her own intellect, but uncertainty in my instruction. Still, I could only watch as the lance collided with her barrier. And to my great surprise, I had no reason to ever doubt her. When the lance made contact with her barrier, the barrier¡¯s movement was finally exposed. The lance¡¯s tip was sliced away by powerful winds, being carried away along the length of the dome as it spun like a hurricane. Of course, the lance contained so much fire that the barrier was soon engulfed. The winds of the barrier carried all that flame like a star, turning Umara into a ball of fire. But all that flame was redirected, being snuffed out while simultaneously being blown away from her. After about 10 seconds, the last of the flame disappeared, expunged with the smoke by a rather theatrical blast of air. Umara appeared behind, completely unphased. She was smiling. ¡°Hm, it works really well.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± I chuckled a bit from the suite. I could tell how excited she was even while holding it back in a public place. After that, she flicked her finger, sending a bolt of air toward her enemy. It crashed into his barrier, shattering it before launching him a few feet away. Like that, the battle was finished. Vetsmon laughed from the side. ¡°Like she¡¯s toying with a child. Since when was she so powerful? What¡¯d you do to her, John?¡± ¡°Making out with your girlfriend makes you stronger. You should get to it lest you get left behind.¡± ¡°H-How preposterous.¡± ¡°Since when?¡± Feiden eyed me as Vetsmon turned away flustered. I just rolled my eyes with a laugh. When Umara arrived back at the suite, we all got up to congratulate her. She gave me a kiss before suddenly explaining what happened. ¡°I used that vacuum stuff you told me about.¡± ¡°I saw that. Effective, right?¡± ¡°Mm. Vulnerable to heavy attacks like that lance though. So I changed the barrier to redirect all the flame with pressurized wind while using the vacuum to insulate against heated convection currents.¡± ¡°How ingenious. Any issues?¡± ¡°A bit. It got kind of hot inside. All of that radiation still got to me so I had to duck under my robe a bit. Besides that though, it worked wonderfully.¡± ¡°Your Pure Barrier didn¡¯t block the heat?¡± I asked curiously. Umara had told me about the different kinds of warlock barriers, and the Pure Barrier was supposed to be the ultimate fallback. Mana had different elements, but warlocks still had access to the pure mana within their bodies. It was what they cultivated, and the process of gaining elemental affinities was merely the process by which they understood the different parts of mana so as to better utilize it. Pure Barriers were barriers of Pure Mana. They were generally difficult to create, but here, at the Magisterium, they were the standard ¡ª the best protective measure for the best of the Warlocks. They protected against any and all forms of magic. The only downside was that it took more energy across the board to defend against anything. Doing what Umara did and utilizing the properties of air to defend against fire was efficient and specialized. Using Pure Mana, however, was like using all four affinities to defend against fire. It didn¡¯t have any weaknesses or loopholes, but it was far less efficient. Regardless of all that though, Umara said that the radiant heat of the fire had gotten to her. Which, if she had been using a Pure Barrier, shouldn¡¯t have happened. Of course, then, the answer to why that happened should¡¯ve been obvious. She scratched her head. ¡°I put the barrier down.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I just wanted to see how well it would work. If I don¡¯t have to waste a huge chunk of energy to create it, then I don¡¯t want to. But now I know that I still need at least a weak barrier to protect against the radiation. What would block the radiation, by the way?¡± ¡°The best thing is a solid material. But for fire, all you need is something that light doesn¡¯t travel through, even if it¡¯s a liquid.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. She nodded as we went to sit down. Just then though, Feiden stood. ¡°I have my battle coming up.¡± ¡°Oh. We¡¯ll be watching then. Who is it against?¡± ¡°Me.¡± Tana suddenly stood, my brows rising. I then smiled. ¡°Hell yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already going to lose.¡± ¡°Well, with that attitude, you are!¡± I stood, Tana looking at me with a less than enthusiastic face. I grabbed her shoulder, pulling her to the side a bit. ¡°Hey, why so down? You haven¡¯t even fought yet.¡± ¡°The outcome is obvious. I was thinking about forfeiting so Feiden doesn¡¯t waste his energy.¡± ¡°What? Fuck that. If you want to be all realistic, then fine, let¡¯s be fucking realistic.¡± I looked her dead in the eyes. ¡°You¡¯re gonna go out there and do as much damage as possible. You might not have Feiden¡¯s speed, but you¡¯ve got much more stamina than he does. That means you¡¯re going to be able to wear him out and whittle him down. You¡¯re going to push him to his fucking breaking point. He better be drenched in blood and sweat by the time you¡¯re done with him. And even if you come out with a loss, then at least you can look at his sorry ass getting carried off the arena and know that you earned your fucking spot.¡± ¡°...What if it affects his other battles?¡± ¡°Who the fuck cares?! If he¡¯s that weak, then obviously he couldn¡¯t handle you! The most important attribute of a knight isn¡¯t their speed, but their tenacity. So go put his to the fucking test! Go!¡± I pushed her toward the door, her determination rising with every step as she left and didn¡¯t turn back. Feiden walked over, my hand grabbing his shirt. ¡°You better make her work for that shit.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°Good. Fight hard.¡± I smacked his shoulder, letting him leave. When I walked back over and sat between Umara and Vetsmon, I smiled. ¡°This is gonna be a great fight.¡± ¡°Tsk, I thought you were dead serious for a second there. Did you rile them up just for the show?¡± ¡°Hey, two birds with one stone. Tana stops acting like a pussy and we get to watch a great battle.¡± I shrugged at Umara, making her smirk as Vetsmon hummed. ¡°That¡¯s my future girlfriend, you know.¡± ¡°And that right there, my friend, was called tough love. I don¡¯t know what the fuck she was thinking talking about forfeiting, but I don¡¯t have no bitches in my squad! Besides, if she were really a quitter, then she would¡¯ve been kicked off the squad already. She just needed some motivation.¡± ¡°Kicked off?¡± He asked with a bit of surprise, making me nod. ¡°Of course. The Puppet Master wanted to kick her off at the beginning of the year when I almost died. But I told him to let her stay and get better. And sure enough, she trained her ass off and earned her spot. So she¡¯s got the strength and talent. She just needs to get out of her own head.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± He nodded a bit, looking back out to the arena. I suddenly looked over at Umara. ¡°So you know how making out makes you stronger? We should train.¡± ¡°...This is a public area, dear.¡± ¡°That¡¯s never stopped you before.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s never stopped you before.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Just a peck.¡± ¡°Ack!¡± She curled her neck as I plastered myself all over her face and collar. When I pulled back, she was bright red, and I was satisfied. I smiled while looking down, seeing Feiden and Tana stepping up to the arena. My smile had practically become perpetual at this point. They were both dressed in their normal armor, facing off against each other with the entire arena as their playground ¡ª Feiden with his spear, Tana with her sword. I watched both of them intently, wondering how they would handle this fight. I knew both of them would give it their all, especially Tana. But I wasn¡¯t sure how much experience either of them had fighting people. I could only assume Feiden had more based on his background. Well, I would know soon enough. ¡°Match start!¡± The hand went down, and the two lingered for a second before darting off like arrows at each other. The first strike came, Tana slashing out and being parried by Feiden¡¯s spear. He then moved in with his momentum, his spear snaking toward her. She dodged with lithe agility, retracting her sword before kicking off his body and creating distance. They had a moment of reprieve before continuing. Tana knew her strengths pretty well. Her stamina was her best asset and provided the most value to our squad. However, because she didn¡¯t excel in strength or speed, her combat power was relatively low. That meant that any enemies she faced, she would have to chip away at. This required her to kite her opponent, diving in and out without getting hurt in the process. This naturally required a great level of agility as well. That was one of her strong suits. Unfortunately, Feiden used a spear which was basically built to keep an enemy at a distance, close enough to attack, far enough to make counterattacks a mistake. Tana only used a sword so she was at a range disadvantage. But she knew how to handle herself. During all our battles she was always on the outskirts, observing and planning before striking. She could read the flow of battle and the people within it. She knew how to find opportunities and exploit weaknesses. That went for her own squad as well. Tana watched everyone, and she knew her own team well. That meant that she could read Feiden like a book, as she could Vetsmon and Umara. Perhaps even me. So she knew how to handle Feiden. That was shown clearly as Feiden received knicks in his armor from her blade, while she remained entirely unscathed. Minute by minute passed. Compared to all the other battles before, this one seemed to drag on as five minutes of hit-and-run attacks passed. They were fighting, but there weren¡¯t many exchanges and no wounds. Five minutes turned into 15. Tana continued to bounce around, diving in with greater frequency as Feiden was forced to fend off all of her surprise attacks. Although she didn¡¯t seem to be capable of doing anything to him, Feiden was also incapable of going on the offensive. She would just slip away, and the flow of battle would be dominated by her once again. Of course, Feiden tried to make some bigger moves every so often, expending energy and utilizing his speed in an attempt to pin Tana down and deliver a decisive blow. But she always snaked away from them, always able to evade and retreat. And every bit of extra energy that Feiden spent was another advantage for Tana. And finally, the first to land a solid strike was Tana. As she dove in, Feiden was caught off guard as she burst out with her full strength and thrust her sword into the gap between his armor plate around the leg. A long slice was left behind, blood splattering across her sword and the ground. But Feiden was a quick thinker, using his elbow to deliver a blow to her overextended body, knocking her to the floor and bringing down his spear. Before the blade could reach her, Tana rolled out of the way, jumping to her feet like a startled cat and scurrying away. Tana sucked in a long breath, the two at an impasse for a moment before Tana dove right back in. She couldn¡¯t let up. She couldn''t afford to let Feiden gather himself. She would need to press every advantage she got. She continued diving back in, the battle moving in her favor as the wounds continued to appear. Feiden couldn¡¯t utilize his energy whenever he wanted. He needed to wait for an opportunity that Tana rarely presented. It would only happen when she finally got tired, so until then, he had to be patient. Of course, that meant he was on the defensive the whole time. Even when she overextended to deliver a wound, Feiden was unable to do much. She was too agile, and with her Aura, she could read him better than he could read her. It made it all the more difficult. As 15 minutes turned into 30, the audience started to grow bored. With Tana whittling Feiden down, it almost seemed like the winner was decided. Feiden wasn¡¯t landing any hits and was only accumulating wounds. Eventually he would fall. But over time, Tana started to get tired. They were both losing Vigor with every exchange. Vigor was no different than Psyka or Mana. Every magical thing a knight did cost Vigor, just like how every spell a warlock cast consumed Mana and every summon a summoner brought out consumed Psyka. Tana was definitely consuming more than Feiden was. He was just stalling, she was trying to inch her way toward an impossible goal. From the suite, I could see Tana reaching her limit. Maybe not her physical limit, but her mental limit. Although she was encouraged by my little speech, that didn¡¯t mean she liked the situation. I could tell that comparing herself to the rest of her squad was a sore spot for her. Maybe she had carried that all the way from the beginning of the year when the Puppet Master had blamed her for my near-death. And she knew that she couldn¡¯t win against Feiden. He was smart like her, so although he might not have her stamina, that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t win. The perfect course of action was to do exactly what he was doing, which was to let Tana wear herself out and strike when she couldn¡¯t avoid him. That time was coming, and they both knew it. That kind of helplessness was no doubt suffocating. And from the suite I could see the exact moment that Tana finally gave up. I stood. ¡°Let¡¯s go down there.¡± I didn¡¯t wait for a response, running out of the room and heading down the stadium stairs. As I did so I could hear the audience starting to cheer as Tana started battling Feiden head on. That was a recipe for disaster, but she didn¡¯t care. Instead of diving in and out, Tana dove in, wounded Feiden more, but stayed. She started to try and fight him on equal grounds, pushing forward with all her might. She might not be as strong nor as fast, but with her Aura, she was able to predict Feiden¡¯s behavior and adjust accordingly. It allowed her to compensate, and for a minute, Feiden was actually suppressed and beat down. Whether it was elbowing or kicking, utilizing her spare knife, or deflecting his spear with her sword, Tana used all avenues available to her in order to get in close and stay in close. She didn¡¯t do anything that would let Feiden create distance. However, right as we got down the stadium and arrived at the side of the arena, Tana¡¯s advantages went up in smoke. I watched almost in slow motion as Feiden let out a breath and lifted an arm, deflecting one of Tana¡¯s kicks and diving in, driving a fist straight into her gut. I saw his eyes through the thin gap of his helmet. RIght now, he was treating Tana like a serious opponent, which is exactly what he should be doing. But that meant that when Tana was thrown away, he was able to ready his spear. After that, it was over. He thrust his blade forward, Tana noticeably panicking as the spear sliced through her armor and opened up a large wound on her leg. She tried to jump away, but Feiden didn¡¯t allow her to. He jumped in and continued delivering blows with his spear that she was forced to either evade or block with her sword. It was overwhelming. His training became evident as each move he made flowed together in a way that Tana simply couldn¡¯t fight back against. Her armor was almost stripped entirely off as Feiden¡¯s spear ripped it apart. She was avoiding his blows by an inch at most, pushing her Aura¡¯s predictive ability to its max, yet was still suffering wounds. Blood had already dyed the white arena floor red, mostly from Feiden. Most had already dried by now, the minute quantities not holding enough fluid to stay that way for long. However, it now received a fresh dose as Feiden¡¯s wounds opened back up and Tana¡¯s own started to bleed profusely. Vigor had a nasty effect on the body that didn¡¯t allow wounds to heal in any way, constantly degrading them. I had experienced that personally: the scar above my ear would never truly heal. We watched from the side as Tana continued to get overwhelmed. Of course, Feiden wasn¡¯t much better off. His energy was leaving his body far faster than Tana¡¯s ever did. It meant that Tana could do nothing but sustain injuries. It only took a minute after that for her to fall. With a knee to the chest, Tana was thrown a distance away, tumbling across the arena floor. She couldn¡¯t even recover, coughing up some blood. I saw tears run down her cheeks. She was more frustrated than in pain, that much was obvious. At that moment, I heard Vetsmon yell. ¡°Get up and fight! Come on! Stand up!¡± His voice roared even over the audience. I recoiled from the sound, his demands ringing in my sensitive ears. Still, I watched as Tana pulled herself to her feet. I couldn¡¯t know what was going on in her mind, though knew she was definitely in a lot of pain. I had been in that situation a few times and knew what it felt like, even if I didn¡¯t know about the conflict within herself. She had wanted to quit before, just letting Feiden roll on through so she wouldn¡¯t waste his energy. Now, she was feeling exactly why she had wanted to do that. But as I had convinced her, it was a matter of principle. She¡¯d feel even worse if she had done that. At least now, she knew that she was earning her spot, even if it wasn¡¯t at the top. Feiden took a breather as Tana stood. And once she was steady, he dove back in. It was already over, and this was the nail in the coffin. Feiden only had to fly over and make one last exchange with her before kicking her sword away with his foot and placing his spear against her neck. She stood there, defeated and in pain, before falling to her knees. The judge stepped forward. ¡°Match over! The winner is Feiden Desmus!¡± The match was called. And as soon as it was, Feiden dropped to his knees, blood dripping down his armor in exhaustion. All of us jumped up onto the arena and ran over. Vetsmon went straight for Tana, as he should, and wrapped her up in an embrace while she cried. As for Feiden, I walked over and slapped his helmet. ¡°Good shit dude! Other than your reflexes. You couldn''t catch her for shit.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ yeah¡­ fuck¡­¡± He cursed while coughing. It was clear that, just as I had predicted, Tana would push him to his breaking point. His breath blasted heavily against my leg. He couldn''t even hold himself on his knees, falling to the ground a few moments later. Thankfully, there were always medical personnel on standby. A group ran up and took both of them away. We followed, the Puppet Master appearing along the way. He pulled up to my side and asked. ¡°I thought she was going to forfeit.¡± ¡°I convinced her otherwise.¡° ¡°Well, that¡¯s quite unfortunate for Feiden. His next battle is supposed to be against Vetsmon in 3 hours. They would fight to face Ponteck.¡± ¡°Well, Feiden met his match. It¡¯s nothing Tana is obligated to worry about. Seems like Vetsmon is going to be fighting for the championship.¡± ¡°Mm, I suppose.¡± He shrugged. Something like this was normal in these tournaments anyway. Tana forfeiting would be abnormal. After that, we got to the medical room and watched everyone get treated. Vetsmon had one more battle, but that wasn¡¯t going to be anything eventful. So with that, we moved on to the final phase of the Division tournament. Chapter 118: Complacent Both Tana and Feiden eventually passed out in the medical room. Both of them were treated and allowed to sleep and recuperate. Knights recovered best while sleeping, as did all humans. But the effects for them were heavily exaggerated. With some potent recovery drugs in their system, their wounds healed at an almost visible rate. When I zoomed in with my eyes, I could actually see their flesh churn within the wounds, blood clotting and scabbing, and patches of flesh spontaneously growing. It was almost disturbing, seeing the sped up healing process completely open to air. It was a freakish healing ability that I couldn''t help but envy every time I saw it. Like how warlocks and summoners could regenerate their energy within a day, so too could knights. But unlike the other Magi, their wounds also healed with their Vigor. They would be battle-ready in less than 24 hours. I rolled my eyes when the doctor told us that. Afterward, Vetsmon headed out for his final battle. We went to watch it even though it was relatively uneventful. The opponent was the second knight on Ponteck¡¯s squad, someone going by the name Usurn. He couldn¡¯t really handle Vetsmon¡¯s overwhelming strength or defense; his attacks were rebuffed gracefully and his parries were smashed aside. Not to mention that, although Vetsmon was slow compared to Feiden, he was still fast. He¡¯d been training against Feiden a lot, so at the very least he could handle those who were faster than him. That battle ended sooner rather than later. Umara stepped up a few matches after that to finish her last match. She got another hour of rest before heading up. Her opponent was a lesser ranked warlock who was also on Ponteck¡¯s squad. That girl had a perfect affinity for the water element and a partial affinity for the fire element. Apparently she was working to become a healer. And although she was good, she couldn¡¯t really compare to Umara. Unlike me who had only just found out before, all warlocks knew that the formations behind their elemental spells could be disrupted. So no matter if it was a pressurized ball of water or a huge river, Umara was able to either destroy the spell before it reached her or counter it with her versatile air magic. Over the weeks before the tournament, we had been discussing ways for her to counteract each of the elements with her air magic. The fire element was most discussed due to their compatible properties, which was why Umara could so easily beat a fire warlock. But we had also discussed the water and earth elements. The earth element was both difficult and simple to handle. If Umara could suppress and corner an earth warlock, then she could win pretty easily. They would be forced on the defensive. On the other hand, if they knew how to utilize their strengths enough to counter her, then she would have a much harder time. As for the water element, that was a bit easier. Pressurized gasses could be used to disrupt spells, and strong winds could handle area spells. Of course, water warlocks had the mass advantage. But Umara also had mobility. If you can¡¯t beat it, avoid it. That¡¯s the stance she took with her battle and before long, she had cornered her opponent. After that it was only a matter of time before she came out with the win. And when the last blow was delivered, she was declared the winner. With that, we were done for the day. Well, Feiden technically had his battle against Vetsmon. But since he wasn¡¯t even conscious, it was a loss by default, and Vetsmon moved on for his final battle. And of course, all of my opponents forfeited, allowing me to do the same. When all was said and done it was later in the day. Umara and I stayed in the medical room with Vetsmon and were there when Tana and Feiden woke up. Feiden was first, and we greeted him as soon as he sat up in his bed. ¡°Hey dude. How¡¯re you feeling?¡± ¡°Sore. Everywhere. How¡¯s Tana?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Mm. Good. Honestly, I didn¡¯t even know she could do all that.¡± He let out a strained breath, recalling the battle¡¯s events. I chuckled. ¡°Hell yeah, she made you work for that win. All she needs is to get out of her own way. She¡¯s talented as hell, she¡¯s going to be just fine.¡± ¡°Agreed. If she wins her battle tomorrow, she¡¯ll be getting fourth place. That¡¯s an amazing placement.¡± ¡°Mm. And speak of the devil.¡± I suddenly looked over, sensing Tana wake. She groaned softly as her eyes fluttered open. Vetsmon sat on her bedside, brushing a few blonde strands of hair out of her face. ¡°Ugh¡­ Vetsmon?¡± ¡°Hey. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I¡­ tired, I guess¡­¡± She groaned while pushing herself to sit up, but it proved to be a mistake. She flopped back down onto the bed, wheezing from exertion. She was obviously healing from more than Feiden. ¡°Damn. It¡¯s like I don¡¯t even work out.¡± ¡°Just relax. We¡¯re in the medical ward. Your last battle is tomorrow so you have plenty of time.¡± ¡°Right¡­ I don¡¯t know if I even care anymore though.¡± She let out a long breath before slumping to the side, leaning against Vetsmon¡¯s body. My eyes widened, as did Vetsmon¡¯s. I started flailing my arms right after and caught Vetsmon¡¯s attention. He gave me a strange look as I pointed at Tana and then ran over to Feiden¡¯s bedside, scooting in close before wrapping my arm around his shoulder. Feiden tried scooting away, but Vetsmon got the hint and did as I demonstrated. His arm lifted and went around Tana, and she adjusted naturally, laying against his chest. I leaped up and started bouncing and flailing around in silent excitement. Was I mistaken and Tana wasn¡¯t nearly as dense as I thought she was? Did Vetsmon manage to finally woo her?! I continued dancing around, shaking Umara a bit, until Tana¡¯s head lifted. That¡¯s when I suddenly stopped and smiled at her. ¡°Hey, sleepy head. That was a hell of a show you put on.¡± ¡°It hurts like hell. My body felt like it was going to explode.¡± ¡°But it was fucking worth it! I mean, look at what you did to my boy here!¡± I shook Feiden, eliciting a grunt from him and getting a small smile from Tana. ¡°He actually had to be carried off! That arena had his blood painted all over it! And who did that?¡± ¡°...I did.¡± ¡°Sorry, who did that?!¡± ¡°I did that.¡± ¡°Fuck yeah you did that! And to think you wanted to forfeit. Like I said earlier, I ain¡¯t got no bitches on my squad! Us five right here are the baddest motherfuckers in the Magisterium! Who can compete with this?!¡± I motioned around, everyone smiling a bit in pride. And it was true. Ponteck wasn¡¯t even the top Elite anymore. Myself, Umara, Vetsmon, and Feiden all occupied 4 of the top 5 ranks, while Tana had recently crossed into the top 10. We were simply better. Our relationships were also fantastic. Two couples and Feiden who had a girlfriend resulted in just about the best group relationship one could ask for. The best strength, the best chemistry, and plenty of talent left to unearth. Nobody could compare. I slung my arm around Feiden and leaned back into the headrest, my piece having been said. Umara chimed in at that moment. ¡°Now we just need to worry about Ponteck.¡± ¡°Vetsmon will win.¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t have your confidence.¡± The big man chucked from across the room, making me roll my eyes. ¡°Like I said to Tana, you won¡¯t win with that attitude. You need to go in expecting to win. It won¡¯t be easy, but you will.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t expect something so unlikely though. Ponteck is¡­ better. He¡¯s strong, fast, and his technique sits at a higher level than mine. I hear he¡¯s close to achieving Projection.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the Vigor blade release thing?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Well, he doesn¡¯t have it yet, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°It does. His Aura is assuredly better than mine, not to mention everything else. My chances of actually winning are slim to none, no matter what I do.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being too pessimistic, friend.¡± ¡°I¡¯m being realistic, friend.¡± Our voices fell into a few moments of silence. Vetsmon and I stared at each other, our visions clearly conflicting. I was realistic too, and I knew that Vetsmon had a really low chance of beating Ponteck. I had fought against a Ponteck clone more times than I¡¯d like to remember, and he was definitely a level higher than Vetsmon. The fact that he was close to what Shadowbane had only just accomplished meant he was incredibly talented, more than any other knight I¡¯d met, and definitely more so than Vetsmon if the rumors were true. Granted, he was also on his way to Authority 7, but the point remained. He was significantly better than most of his peers. What that meant for his Aura as well meant that Vetsmon likely wouldn¡¯t have a chance. However, like with Tana, I didn¡¯t believe going in with such a pessimistic attitude was any good. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. It was only counterproductive. You could take your opponent seriously while still having confidence. Just because you acknowledged them didn¡¯t mean you couldn¡¯t win. And telling yourself that you would win was a good way to keep you psyched for the battle. Putting yourself down only hurt you. Mentality affected performance. That was something I discovered during my time on Earth playing football. I had only learned that lesson when we won our first championship, something that should¡¯ve been impossible, yet we had accomplished anyway. This was a competition just like that. It was better to fight knowing you would give everything, fighting to snatch that trophy, rather than believing otherwise and holding back. Which led me to my only rebuttal. I shrugged. ¡°Fine then. Just forfeit.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You heard me. You¡¯re about to face another knight that only you and Feiden can stand shoulder to shoulder with. You¡¯re about to fight for the championship. So if you don¡¯t believe you¡¯re going to win, then why fight? If the result is already set in stone, then don¡¯t bother.¡± ¡°I can still fight, even if I¡¯m not expecting to win. I can test myself. There are still several benefits to be had from the battle.¡± ¡°What a sorry excuse. A sorry purpose, actually. Why don''t you just come out and say you¡¯re a pussy?¡± ¡°...¡± He went silent, frowning while leaning forward. I almost wanted to chuckle, but I maintained my poker face for the sake of seriousness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t understand. In what fucking universe am I the pussy?¡± ¡°The one where you¡¯re scared shitless by the thought of losing honestly to Ponteck. I can see it in you; there was a point in my life when I would make up the same bullshit. You¡¯re scared, because if you entered that arena expecting to win, giving everything you had to do so, and still lost, you¡¯d be devastated. It would be humiliating, because all of your friends and family, both here and back at the Holy See, would see it and realize you weren¡¯t the best. So you make up some sorry fucking excuse to somehow preemptively spare yourself from that.¡± ¡°Please, I don¡¯t fear anybody, especially not some Ponteck. But that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t acknowledge that he¡¯s better, and that in a fight, I might not win.¡± ¡°Again with the excuses.¡± ¡°How fucking so?!¡± ¡°Because who¡¯s fault is it that you¡¯re not better?!¡± I finally sat up as well, waving to him. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of training Ponteck has, but you were trained at the Holy See! Your father is the head of the Verga Family! A background doesn¡¯t get much better than that, my friend! So whose fault is it?! Why aren¡¯t you capable of beating him?!¡± ¡°...¡± He was silent, but I could practically see his gaze turn red. A singular, overwhelming emotion flared up within him. And then, he stood up, taking jerky but powerful steps toward me. I stood up as well, taking a few steps forward before we were chest to chest. Or something like that. He was just so much taller. And then, his hand shot out. I felt it coming well in advance but I just stood there anyway, letting his hand go around my collar. It didn¡¯t clamp down, but my powerlessness was obvious. ¡°I could kill you in a squeeze, friend.¡± ¡°At least now you¡¯re confident in something. But is it worth being so confident in something so damn easy?¡± ¡°Does it matter to you, who would be too dead to care?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You''re a fucking liar.¡± ¡°No, I just want my friend to be fucking better. I suddenly have a feeling that you haven''t been trying nearly as hard as I thought you have. Maybe you¡¯ve just been pretending. Honestly, I don¡¯t care. So long as you man the fuck up and start giving a damn. Because when I see fuckers like you pissing away all your talent with a shit attitude, I get a little pissed off myself! So go ahead and just try to fucking kill me! You don¡¯t have the fucking balls!¡± ¡°...¡± He was silent as I smiled in his face. Then again, my teeth were gritted. He started clamping down on my collar pretty hard. I heard it first, then felt it. The coat gave. My collarbone crumpled inward. His brow went up, and his hand loosened as the snap sounded, letting me go and stepping backward. His Aura flared with confusion, then anxiety, as he backed away. I suddenly felt what had made him let go: a sharp lance of wind had sliced his hand open. Feiden appeared beside me, still limping, and Umara caught me from behind, her staff held at the ready. I took a knee, my arm hanging limply beside me and in excruciating pain. Thankfully, my pain tolerance was well adapted due to recent events. That¡¯s when the door flew open, and the Puppet Master walked in and shot a look at Vetsmon. ¡°You, get the hell out. I¡¯ll find you later for a talk.¡± ¡°...¡± Vetsmon didn¡¯t even get a chance to respond before he was summarily thrown through the doorway with a gust of wind. Then, Vizen, the Puppet Master¡¯s standby medic, walked in. ¡°Heal his bone. Hopefully this won¡¯t affect you for the upcoming battles.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with worse.¡± ¡°Come sit.¡± Vizen brought me over to a chair, which I sat in while he held my arm. A large spell was cast that started to affect the bone. ¡°This may hurt.¡± ¡°Try me.¡± I grimaced as the bone crackled back into place. I slammed my fist against the wall, but generally bore with it as everything returned to its place. Once everything stopped moving, I let out a breath of relief. The spell would continue for a few more minutes, but the worst of it was over. I turned to Umara and smiled. ¡°Thanks for saving me, dear.¡± ¡°Mm. I just didn¡¯t expect that he¡¯d actually hurt you.¡± ¡°Guess he forgot just how weak I was.¡± ¡°Well, a knight who harms his own squad has no right to be on it.¡± The Puppet Master suddenly spoke. ¡°I was standing outside, wondering what was going on with all the shouting. It seemed like you guys were arguing. Like she said though, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d actually hurt you. Seems he can¡¯t control his temper, like some sort of massive child. So it seems like he needs to be punished like a child.¡± ¡°Well, if I may.¡± ¡°You may not. The very man who¡¯s supposed to protect you has harmed you. To not even speak of punishment, he doesn¡¯t deserve to be on your squad after that.¡± He spoke with an unarguable conviction. I just sighed. ¡°Second chances, Puppet Master. We want him to learn from this, which he can¡¯t do if he¡¯s kicked. We still have another trip left. I¡¯ll need my shield. Also, don¡¯t tell his father.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? I was going to make the call as soon as I left. Behavior like this is an embarrassment to his Family. If you want him to learn, then we should allow his family to re-teach him just what it means to be a Verga Knight.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Umara chimed, my head turning toward her. I could tell how pissed she was, so her next words weren¡¯t surprising. ¡°You¡¯re the one person we need to protect and he just threatened to kill you before almost snapping your neck like a twig. I didn¡¯t think he could throw a tantrum like that, and it was clear that it was an accident. But his actions and words are a stain on the honor of the Verga family, like the Puppet Master said. He doesn¡¯t deserve anything less than the punishment he would receive from his family.¡± ¡°But even if I agree with you, there¡¯s still the issue of the next excursion. Who¡¯s going to be our shield?¡± ¡°...¡± Umara went silent. It was the end of the year and we only had one more trip left. But if it followed the trend set by previous trips, this would be the most dangerous one. We couldn¡¯t just pull a knight from somewhere else; all the other squads were already set in stone. Anybody else who was free was probably at the bottom of the Elite Rankings. They would be more of a hindrance than a help. If Vetsmon left, we¡¯d be screwed for the next trip. I¡¯d just prefer not to go at that point. I shrugged. ¡°Listen, we can save it for later. For now, we need the guy. Let him serve his purpose for the last month and then grill him all you like.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re being awfully lenient to a man who just threatened your life.¡± The Puppet Master looked at me with scrutinizing eyes, making me smile. ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m just such a generous and kind person.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but you at least have a point. I couldn¡¯t send you out without him, and you need to go on the last trip¡­ I suppose he needs to stay. But I can guarantee that as soon as the trip is done, you won¡¯t see him again for a very long time. His parents will still be notified.¡± ¡°So long as I get my shield.¡± I shrugged. The Puppet Master and Umara had good points, but I wouldn¡¯t put my life at risk just because they wanted to teach him a lesson. At that moment, Vizen¡¯s spell finished. I shifted my arm around a bit, feeling piercing pains. But otherwise, it was operational. ¡°Your arm will take some time to heal the small stuff and properly seal the bone. Otherwise, it¡¯ll work as intended so long as you don¡¯t put it under heavy strain.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°To take care of it, I hope. Well, I¡¯ll just heal you again if necessary.¡± He smiled before going over to Feiden and Tana, checking their conditions and ushering Feiden back to bed. Once all that was done, the two instructors prepared to leave, and the Puppet Master turned around at the door for a last word. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Vetsmon. I can already tell you he won¡¯t be winning tomorrow. We¡¯ll see if I allow him to even compete. Regardless, you need to focus on yourself, John. After tomorrow, you¡¯ll be battling the best warlocks and knights the Magisterium has to offer. Heal up and prepare.¡± ¡°Already on it.¡± I spoke while taking out a cigar, lighting it and letting out some puffs of smoke. After that, given it was already evening, Umara and I left, Feiden and Tana were released from the medical ward, and everyone went back to their residences. We went back to the hotel where we ordered dinner. We ate in a strange silence before retiring for the final hours of the night. Umara finally broke the silence as we finished washing up. ¡°You know, you didn¡¯t have to push so far. I know you were trying to get him motivated, but it devolved to a point it didn¡¯t need to.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m thinking I did a pretty good job. I managed to get Vetsmon of all people riled up. Didn¡¯t think it was possible.¡± ¡°But was that necessary? Or did you do it just to do it? Because now your friend may not like you anymore. Losing a friend like that doesn¡¯t seem like the right thing to do just because he didn¡¯t want to be as optimistic as you.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t about being optimistic.¡± I let out a breath of smoke, lounging back onto my couch. ¡°It¡¯s a mindset issue. I made my point when talking to him, and it still stands. He¡¯s scared of losing. And more importantly, he¡¯s scared of shooting for an unlikely goal. And because he¡¯s scared, he doesn¡¯t try. Now I know that he probably hasn¡¯t been giving his full effort at all this year. The guy is so talented that everything just comes to him, which makes him complacent, as most talented people become at some point.¡± ¡°...I get that. But why did you have to do it like that? It would¡¯ve been better to do it literally any other way. At least a way that doesn¡¯t try to end your friendship and leave you hurt.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It just happened that way and I rolled with it. I don¡¯t particularly care though. If he hadn¡¯t hurt me it wouldn¡¯t have been such a big deal. And it was an accident anyway, so I don¡¯t really care. I mean, the healing magic is so good. What¡¯s one broken bone?¡± I shrugged. With this world¡¯s healing, there was little I had to worry about so long as it didn¡¯t instantly kill me. So who cared about a little broken collarbone? In mere minutes it was already put back together. Umara sighed. ¡°I still think it could¡¯ve been handled better. Besides, I don¡¯t think it was that big of an issue.¡± ¡°It was, though.¡± ¡°How? He was doing just fine and getting stronger every day. We all are. And that would¡¯ve continued without you fracturing our squad like this. So what was the point?¡± ¡°The point is complacency.¡± I looked her dead in the eye. ¡°If he gets complacent, then he¡¯s probably going to die. Umara, I¡¯ve gotten much stronger since I¡¯ve started down this road and yet every time I go out to battle like we have been, I feel like I might die. Take our battle with the Royal. If I hadn¡¯t pulled out that machine gun, we might¡¯ve been fucked. And the only reason I was able to do so was because I had trained my ass off for weeks. Every single day it felt like my head was going to explode out of anxiety and paranoia. So I kept training, and I was just barely able to get that weapon during the battle. So if I hadn¡¯t trained that hard, what would that have meant for us?¡± ¡°...¡± She went silent. The answer was pretty clear. We may have died if I was any slower. That was too close for comfort, and something I didn''t want to ever happen again. I sighed. ¡°I just don¡¯t want any of us to die, now or in the future, but I can only help myself. And here I am, feeling all of this urgency, while the talented Vetsmon just sits back on his ass and waits for his strength to come to him. One part of me gets pissed seeing that, while the other part gets scared because if he keeps that up, somewhere down the line he¡¯s going to pay the price for it. I don¡¯t want that for my friend, so yeah, I¡¯m going to press the issue. Maybe it¡¯ll be the wake up call he needs.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara didn¡¯t respond, lingering for a moment before walking over and sitting beside me. ¡°Is this that tough love you spoke of before?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Hm. So, how do I know if I¡¯m getting complacent? I come from the same talent and background. Maybe I¡¯m not giving my full effort either.¡± ¡°Just know that where you¡¯re at isn¡¯t enough. You should be shooting for higher goals, things much greater than the Magisterium. Do that and I think you¡¯ll be fine. And if I see you getting lazy, you know I¡¯ll call you out on it.¡± ¡°Mm, good. And I¡¯ll try to help you as much as I can. I know you¡¯ve got more than enough pushing you. I¡¯ll try to ease the burden.¡± ¡°I appreciate it, my sweet.¡± I gave her a peck on the nose before we both headed to bed for the night. Chapter 119: Writ ¡°Good evening, Sir Altruit. Please, come in.¡± ¡°Thank you for having me.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ignatius Verga smiled as the Puppet Master entered the residence, a rich but modestly sized abode on the outskirts of the capitol. They both entered a guest room where Willow Verga was waiting on a couch. She was dressed nicely but casually given the late hour. After they all sat down, the Puppet Master spoke. ¡°I¡¯d like to provide a report of something that recently happened regarding your son Vetsmon.¡± ¡°I see. I was wondering what might have prompted the urgent meeting. Is he alright?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s perfectly healthy. It¡¯s his team that¡¯s not. While in the medical ward today, he and John had an argument.¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s surprising. John is Vetsmon¡¯s best friend. What could they possibly have argued about?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll let you see for yourself.¡± The Puppet Master suddenly waved, a holographic projection of the medical room appearing on the small table between them. ¡°- can still fight, even if I¡¯m not expecting to win. I can test myself. There are still several benefits to be had from the battle.¡± ¡°What a sorry excuse. A sorry purpose, actually. Why don''t you just come out and say you¡¯re a pussy?¡± ¡°...¡± The conversation ran through from the Puppet Master¡¯s earliest recollection, the figures of Vetsmon and John in the room, as well the others, shifting about as the tension gradually rose. Ignatius and Willow were both laser focused, realizing what they were seeing. Still, they found it curious, wondering how John could so easily insult their son when they were supposed to be friends. ¡°...In what fucking universe¡­¡± ¡°...You¡¯re scared shitless¡­ It would be humiliating¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t fear anybody¡­ acknowledge that he¡¯s better¡­¡± ¡°Who¡¯s fault is it?!¡± ¡°I could kill you with a squeeze of the hand, friend.¡± The images showed Vetsmon grabbing John. How hard, they didn¡¯t know. But that didn¡¯t matter. Ignatius stood with fury on his face. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The Puppet Master was silent, letting the projection continue. ¡°At least you¡¯re confident¡­¡± ¡°Does it matter¡­?¡± ¡°Yea.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a fucking liar.¡± ¡°...I just want my friend to be better¡­ just try to fucking kill me!¡± The couple twitched when the bone snapped like a brittle cracker, a violent departure from even the loud and angry voices. The video ended after the Puppet Master entered. Silence reigned for several moments before Ignatius looked over. ¡°Where¡¯s my son?¡± ¡°Still at the Magisterium. But what happens now is something I need to discuss with you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s anything to say. I didn¡¯t think I could ever be so disappointed in my son like this, but he¡¯s proven me wrong. It seems like he¡¯s in dire need of education and training, and it shocks me to realize that he¡¯s grown to be so immature. Thankfully, John was able to draw it out of him. I should thank that man.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the thing. I¡¯m here to request that you delay whatever education and training you might have in store. This request comes from myself as well as John.¡± The Puppet Master went on to explain the situation, how they still had another excursion and John wanted Vetsmon on his squad for it, else it may be too dangerous. ¡°I want him to be punished as much as you, but there¡¯s still some time left. John says he needs his shield. Of course, the decision is up to you. Just know that Vetsmon¡¯s presence is still worth something to his squad. After that, he¡¯s all yours.¡± ¡°...¡± Ignatius was silent, looking to his wife for input. She sat there with a frown on her face before letting out a sigh. ¡°I suppose there¡¯s no reason not to have mercy for another month or so. After all, his re-education will last years, no less than three. What do you think, dear?¡± ¡°Hm, well, I¡¯d prefer something more like a decade. But if he hasn¡¯t shaped up after three, we¡¯ve done something wrong. Very well. He¡¯ll have his last month. But he¡¯s not to compete any further in the tournament. Instead, I want you to put him through hell until the day he leaves for his excursion. I¡¯ll compile a Writ for him, and if it isn¡¯t followed for its duration, I will be taking legal action against both him and the Magisterium.¡± ¡°Understood. I can deliver it when you¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll send my Guard. They¡¯ll be responsible for overseeing and enforcing what they can.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± The Puppet Master nodded. It seemed Ignatius would be taking this deed seriously. There was no room for negotiation on Vetsmon¡¯s part. At that moment, Willow spoke. ¡°That girl Vetsmon was cuddling. That was Tana, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, it was.¡± ¡°Hm, I saw her battle. She fought valiantly. I quite like her. And she deserves a better man than what my son currently is. Perhaps if she doesn''t move on, he¡¯ll be allowed to try her hand once more. Until then, he can only blame himself for what we¡¯re about to do. To think he would dare¡­¡± She stood with a huff, walking out of the room. With that, Ignatius and the Puppet Master stood, shaking hands. ¡°I appreciate this report, Benedict. It has been most enlightening.¡± ¡°Of course. Please, have a good evening.¡± ¡°After that, I¡¯m not sure I can.¡± The Puppet Master saw himself out with that, leaving Ignatius in the room. And as soon as he was gone, Ignatius grit his teeth and turned, throwing a kick at the nearby table. The moment the wood contacted his leg, it splintered, then disintegrated, a wave of Vigor washing over its constituent particles and wiping it from existence. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The only trace it ever existed was a minuscule chip in the opposing wall where a larger dust particle had impacted. ¡­¡­ ¡­ As the next day was the day of the finals, the stadium was packed with people. Unfortunately, I had to be up at the butt crack of dawn for my own battles. Since nobody cared about the summoner battles, they started first and would be out of the way by the time everyone was actually here so they could enjoy the good stuff. At least we got the entire arena this time. But of course, nothing eventful would be happening. At least, not entirely. The battle for fourth and fifth place happened first between two summoners I didn¡¯t know. After that, I was up. Umara was on the sidelines, along with the five other people who actually cared enough to show. Those were mainly the parents of some of the summoners. And surprisingly Maxwell, who came to me before my battle started. ¡°I heard you were hurt. If it will affect your performance, drop out now. You were already treading a fine line before. Now, it¡¯ll only be more difficult.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I was healed anyway. It¡¯s just a bit sore now.¡± I moved my arm around, feeling some brief pains, nothing out of the ordinary. One of the few benefits of being a completely ordinary human was that magic had a far greater effect on you, for better or worse. It meant that I could be hurt much more easily, but could also be healed with the same level of ease. Right now, whatever pain I felt in my collar was just some lingering issues that would heal over the next couple days. It was nothing that would prevent me from doing anything. It would just be an annoyance. Maxwell let out a breath. ¡°Fine. Just keep in mind that playing it safe should be your first priority.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you do, but I¡¯ll trust your judgment for now. Will this child be forfeiting?¡± ¡°No. I want to test these weapons against a normal summoner. He¡¯s going to humor me.¡± ¡°Mm. Just don¡¯t kill him.¡± Maxwell waved with those words, walking off as my battle started. I walked up to the arena, seeing Max across from me with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long I can last against the Magisterium¡¯s greatest summoner.¡± ¡°Well, unfortunately I don¡¯t have the leeway to play games.¡± I took out an STG with those words, my hands finding their way and gripping it with novel familiarity. Without suspense, the judge put his hand down. The instant that happened, Max summoned several beats. It seemed he was going all out from the get-go. After all, nobody else knew about my injury besides the squad and the Puppet Master. He had no reason to hold back. But that¡¯s exactly why I went with the STG. Taking aim, my iron sights snapped to a burly bear beast that came charging forward. And I pulled the trigger, letting 3 rounds fly forth and bury themselves into the head of the bear. They were fully empowered since I expected some toughness from a bear such as that. However, the reality was cruel. Those three rounds were enough to punch straight through the bear¡¯s head and cause it to vanish. It seemed the spirit didn¡¯t like being hurt and retreated automatically. My brows raised. It was almost too easy. After that, my iron sights shifted to all the remaining beasts in sequence. There were three wolves besides the bear as well as five eagles of some sort. With quick shots, I killed all the wolves before shifting to the birds. Those were slightly more difficult simply because it took a bit more time to aim. That and it hurt like hell to actually wield the rifle properly. Every shot made my bone feel like it was being fractured all over again. But that was easy enough to ignore. If not for me taking this battle casually, I might not have even paid it notice. Like that, all the summons were unceremoniously slaughtered, each one of them vanishing back into their dimension one after the other. Once I was done, I still had a bit less than half my magazine left. I used at most 20 rounds to kill those beasts. And Max seemed winded too. He had poured all his energy upfront into those summons. That was how they usually did things, and it was why Maxwell¡¯s Call was superior. I didn¡¯t have to pay upfront for all the energy I would use. I could just give it as I needed it. With that, Max raised his hands in defeat. ¡°My loss. You didn¡¯t even try.¡± ¡°Hm, so that¡¯s the state of summoners, huh? To think the smartest ones couldn¡¯t find their way.¡± ¡°Well, you seem to be doing something right. What¡¯s your secret?¡± ¡°Above your paygrade, unfortunately. And not mine to give away.¡± ¡°Hm, I figured as much.¡± He shrugged as the judge called the match. ¡°The winner is John Cooper!¡± ¡°Good luck, John. We hold high hopes for you. And if you ever need help, just come find us at the Tower. We may not be the strongest but we have resources.¡± ¡°Mm. Thanks for the offer.¡± I nodded to him as we left the arena. He looked almost unsteady as he walked off, clearly having exhausted most of his reserves. I walked back to Umara, who smiled. ¡°Finally realizing what kind of anomaly you are?¡± ¡°It was enlightening, yes. And quite disappointing. I knew they were weak, but not that weak.¡± ¡°Yeah. Part of me gets excited because you seem to be paving the way for a new generation of summoners. The other part of me gets scared since you¡¯ll get so much attention.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll just need to stay ahead of the curve now, won¡¯t I?¡± I smiled at her before giving her a peck on the forehead. After that, we walked off the arena with linked arms. Maxwell had disappeared at some point. I doubt he cared much about a battle he knew the outcome of, so it seemed he didn¡¯t bother watching. Not that I minded. I wouldn¡¯t have bothered either if not for the fact that I was the participant. So, because of that, I now had the rest of the day off. The stadium was almost entirely empty aside from all the workers getting it ready for the real events. However, after a bit of walking around, Umara and I heard an announcement wash over the entire Magisterium. ¡°Vetsmon Verga. Approach the gates and receive a Writ from the Tower Master Ignatius Verga. Failure to comply will result in forceful retrieval.¡± ¡°... What the hell?¡± We both looked at each other before breaking out into a run. We headed right for the gates of the Magisterium, and that¡¯s where we saw an entire escort of armed knights. No, they weren¡¯t knights. They were Templars, soldiers of the Holy See bearing the crest of the Verga Paladin Peerage. There were at least two dozen of them composed of knights, warlocks, and even summoners. I could see a few flying beasts, probably for observation, the only thing a summoner would be good at. Otherwise, the knights were decked in thick white armor while the warlocks had flowing white robes. They were orderly, professional, and radiated the power of Authority 11s. They were seriously pissed at Vetsmon. And they were showing it. The Puppet Master had naturally spoken with Vetsmon¡¯s father Ignatius, and he was reacting quite fiercely. I sighed, seeing Vetsmon approaching. Once he stepped foot outside the gates, a Templar approached in front of him, grabbed his shoulder, and pushed him down. His knee slammed into the cobblestones, digging through the ground and leaving a hole. I heard a deep grunt escape his lips in the process. That had to have hurt. After that, another Templar came up with an Orb in hand, projecting out its information and allowing him to see the Writ. ¡°Vetsmon Verga, by the decree of the Verga Tower Master, you shall have your power stripped and suppressed henceforth until the day of your departure for the Magisterium¡¯s final fourth year excursion to the front lines. During this time, you will be subject to nigh ceaseless battle for half of the day, every day, until the day of your departure. At the end of every day¡¯s battle, you will be required to write a letter to a recipient of your choice detailing any of the values, traits, and ideals of a proper knight. All responsibilities and extenuating activities will cease for the duration of the stipulated time period. Finally, upon completion of the final excursion to the front lines and return to the Capitol, you will report directly to the Tower Master at the entrance of the Verga Tower, with all of your valuables and belongings packed, dressed in full combat attire, and at a time to be specified in the future. Failure to carry out any of the listed duties will be met with disciplinary and legal repercussions exercised by the authority of the Tower Master.¡± The Templar read through the Writ from start to finish, uncaring that everyone in the vicinity heard its contents¡­ or perhaps intentionally broadcasting his voice. It didn¡¯t specify why the Writ was being delivered, but it was clear that it needed to be followed. The involved parties were already crystal clear on why this was happening. The Templar pinning Vetsmon to the floor took out a set of interconnected chains. He clamped the largest onto Vetsmon¡¯s neck, and the rest of the chains came alive, snapping to ensnare each of his limbs. Once the magic was activated, Vetsmon let out a low roar. I watched as his power was sucked out of him forcefully, and he was reduced to an ordinary man. With that, the Templar released his hold, letting Vetsmon collapse to the ground in weakness. The Writ was tossed in front of him, and just like that, the Templars packed up and left. By now, there was a whole crowd watching, one even bigger than that in the stadium. The commotion had drawn much of the spectators making their way over. Just like that, Vetsmon was out of the game. He sure as hell wouldn¡¯t be competing, that was for sure. Ponteck won by default. I could already hear some teachers giving out commands, herding all the students and getting ready for the final bit of the tournament. As for Vetsmon, he was just left there. Umara and I watched from the side, seeing one of the Templars staying behind. He seemed to be the one who would keep an eye on Vetsmon. After walking up to him, the Templar tapped him in the gut with his foot, sending him flying a few feet. ¡°Get up. You¡¯ve got a battle to do and not a lot of daylight left to do it. Head to the training grounds. The Puppet Master already has your stage set.¡± ¡°...¡± Vetsmon struggled as he pulled himself up to his feet and started trudging off. He didn¡¯t look at us as he passed, and I didn¡¯t say anything either. Everything that needed to be done was done. At least he would be there for the excursion. As for how much I could count on him, given what he would be put through on account of the Writ, I could only hope he would be fine physically and mentally. Chapter 120: Double Down Since the last summoner battle was long over and Ponteck now won by default, the final warlock battle would be the one and only battle taking place today. It was delayed by another few hours so people could gather. Once the stadium was full, Umara was up to bat. I massaged her shoulders while we stood on the sidelines. There were tens of thousands of eyes on us, including some very powerful ones, the Duchess among them. I didn¡¯t care. It was a well known fact that we were together. If anything, acting all chummy with my girlfriend allowed me to rub it into their faces. I leaned my chin over her shoulder, speaking in a low tone. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Perfect, actually. Although, my focus isn¡¯t really on the battle.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it on?¡± ¡°The battles after this one. Mainly what I¡¯m gonna do when it¡¯s my turn to face you.¡± ¡°Will that happen?¡± ¡°Perhaps. If President Carrion has his way though, he might just put me up against Ponteck instead since I¡¯d probably forfeit against you. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll even get the chance. Not that I think it¡¯d go well.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I nodded slightly. I didn¡¯t want to face Umara ¡ª I¡¯d have to shoot her to beat her. She knew that, so she¡¯d just forfeit the match for me. However, Carrion knew that too, and he¡¯d be damned if he let me get a free pass early on in the inter division matches. I spoke into her ear. ¡°Remind me to talk to you about how to handle something like my guns.¡± ¡°We already have a lot to go over.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ll have to make another booklet.¡± ¡°Hehe, the first one is already bulging at the seams. I was thinking about getting it properly bound too. I might make it into another Grimoire.¡± ¡°How about an Orb instead?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like Orbs. I like handling a tangible book better. Helps me think.¡± ¡°Works with me.¡± ¡°Umara Talerria and Grace Jetsee, to your positions!¡± Umara reached up to pat my cheek. ¡°Wish me luck.¡± ¡°My girlfriend doesn¡¯t need luck.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t hurt.¡± I gave her a juicy kiss instead, laughing as she squirmed away from my grasp and jogged over to her start. After taking another moment to watch her prepare, I took a seat on a nearby platform with Tana and Feiden. Both of them had already fully recovered physically. Damn Knights and their Vigor. They¡¯d probably be feeling a lot better if Vetsmon hadn¡¯t done what he did. He was probably getting his teeth kicked in on the training grounds right now ¡ª and in all honesty, I wasn¡¯t completely sympathetic. The broken bone wasn¡¯t much of a concern; as I had told the others, the healing went well, and I had dealt with plenty worse; any pain would be a temporary annoyance at most. What I was still concerned about was Vetsmon¡¯s drive. Battling like they did was the norm in this world; from my perspective as an Earthling, any form of combat demanded my full attention and efforts, to say nothing of my inherent Summoner fragility. I had to pull all stops to keep myself alive; I didn¡¯t have a buffer. Vetsmon, who was incredibly talented, tough, and strong, was probably a bit lazy. He didn¡¯t feel the urgency I did. He didn¡¯t feel the same fear. He didn¡¯t have to stand in the face of those who could kill him with a pinky and hold his own against them. If anything, he was rapidly becoming someone who would dominate all others under his knightly power. ¡­Honestly, I was glad this was happening. He was finally feeling the level of powerlessness I had all this time. He was getting a small taste of what I had to deal with every day and understanding what it meant for him to threaten me like he did. Later, he would be going through even more. I wondered how they would go about teaching him, how they would make him appreciate the talent he had and respect the danger of those he fought against. I couldn¡¯t imagine the monster he¡¯d become if he were to train as I had. Hopefully they¡¯d be able to pull that out of him, for his own sake. These thoughts were pulled from my mind as Umara¡¯s battle started. ¡­ Grace Jetsee had a perfect water affinity and a working air affinity. This meant her magic was incredibly versatile, both able to attack with speed and defend with mass. However, she only conjured her barrier before standing there. Umara lifted a finger and drew it across her body, sending a thick blade of wind crashing into Grace¡¯s barrier. It splintered into a million little fragments, a smaller fraction composed of rapidly-vaporizing shards of barrier. But Grace didn¡¯t hurl back a counterattack with Mana, but words. ¡°So is that boy your pet or something?¡± Umara froze in the middle of casting another wind blade. ¡°Really? You¡¯re doing this shit now?¡± Umara let out a huff in frustration. It was ridiculous Grace would take a free hit just to insult her. However, she caught herself after a few seconds. Her response was shockingly non aristocratic; she was talking more and more like her boyfriend by the day.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Umara cleared her throat before deciding to humor the girl. There was no harm in a little banter; she knew she would win regardless. Grace frowned. ¡°You two seemed to have already devolved into licking each other like dogs. Is that what you keep him around for?¡± ¡°Sweetie, there¡¯s no need to be so bitter just because you can¡¯t get a man. Besides, you say that like ¡®keeping him around¡¯ is at all convenient. You¡¯re not the first to degrade me to my face, and you won¡¯t be the last I have to deal with.¡± ¡°Please. Even if I were concerned about such things at this age, I surely wouldn¡¯t pick someone so below me. Not only is he a commoner, but also a cold summoner. How could you possibly do worse?¡± ¡°Well, he likes to tell me I¡¯m the lucky one. And he¡¯s probably right. I didn¡¯t know it at the time, but I got the strongest summoner in Magisterium history.¡± Umara¡¯s smile widened as Grace pursed her lips. The conversation probably wasn¡¯t going the direction she wanted. John definitely wasn¡¯t inadequate. Right now, he was at the top of the Elite Rankings. It was no secret that he was an anomaly. Strong even for an Elite, and as a summoner too. Even a summoner who could match up to the average knight or warlock would be exemplary, let alone one who stood above them all. Grace took a moment to parse a reply and shook her head in mock regret. ¡°Whatever. Everyone knows that he couldn''t have possibly reached Rank 1 honestly. He¡¯ll be exposed within the week. Perhaps that will slap some sense into you. Even then though, it might be too late. Nobody will want to marry such a deluded woman.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s my boyfriend¡¯s job to prove me right. It¡¯s my job to stand by his side. You just sit your pitiful ass down in those stands, bitch. That¡¯s the only place you have the strength to reside.¡± Umara raised her hand, her smile gone, and snapped her fingers. The sound that came from it produced a shockwave that collided with an invisible wall around the arena. But, unlike the audience, Grace wasn¡¯t spared. Her eyes widened briefly, cognizant of the doom fast approaching yet unable to do anything about it, before she covered her ears and collapsed in a heap, though none of her screams could be heard as some blood seeped from between her hands. Umara flicked another pressurized lance of air that Grace, in an impressive, if futile, display of defiance, hastily erected a barrier to block. This time, upon collision, it was the barrier that turned into shards to be blown away moments later, and Grace was thrown into the arena wall. The judge raised his arm. ¡°The Champion of the Warlocks is Umara Talerria!¡± ¡°Woo!¡± The crowd started cheering as Umara walked down. She and John approached each other. ¡°Well done. That was a new spell.¡± ¡°Mm. I wanted to save it for the battle against Ponteck, but it doesn''t matter that much. I¡¯ve got more.¡± ¡°Haha, someone get on your nerves?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Heh, well, now we get to rest. Maybe we should head back to the hotel. We can lick each other like dogs.¡± ¡°Eww.¡± She squirmed again as he kissed her neck, the two pushing and pulling each other as they made their way off. ¡­.. ¡­ The day passed. After Umara¡¯s battle, Ponteck was declared winner by default and information was given for the next battles. The top three of each division would be fighting for the title of strongest student at the Magisterium, the Crowned Champion. Of course, since summoners almost never decided to compete for that title, there were usually only 6 competitors. But I would be joining those 6 this year, making it a 7-way struggle. Who I would be fighting was fairly obvious. According to Umara, the normal way they conducted the battles was by having the first, second, and third place individuals fight their equivalent enemy. That meant Ponteck would be fighting Umara, and under normal circumstances, the winner of that match would be declared the Crowned Champion. However, my participation messed things up. The entire tournament would be decided by who fought who first. Umara and I didn¡¯t really have anything else to do the next day, so we just waited for the schedule. Vetsmon was naturally busy. We didn¡¯t even get to see him. As for Feiden and Tana, Feiden was busy trying to see if he could battle Grace Jetsee, the second place warlock, since Vetsmon dropped out. As for Tana, she was sitting and relaxing. Although she would be fighting the third place Warlock if Feiden¡¯s inquiry went through, she had already taken fourth place. So we had nothing to do. Neither I nor Umara could prepare any more than we had, so we just went to bed in anticipation. We woke up just in time the next day for the schedule announcement. The announcer gave a small speech out in the plaza just beyond the gates of the Magisterium. There, thousands of people were gathered to hear the news, including Umara and I. He spoke. ¡°On the next day, the standard protocol for the Championship battles will be maintained! The first, second, and third place knights will battle the first, second, and third place warlocks respectively! However, John Cooper, the sole summoner taking part in the Championship, will be battling one knight and warlock respective to each of the third, second, and first places! As well, due to concerns of prejudiced forfeitures in his favor, only selected knights and warlocks will be allowed to battle him, potentially beyond the top three in each division. ¡°The first battle will commence 3 hours after dawn, and the final battle will end no later than evening! The arena will open 2 hours before the first battle!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be fucking kidding me.¡± I blurted out, drawing some attention. I was being forced to fight everyone! Of course, that wouldn¡¯t be so bad if they weren¡¯t replacing my friends with their own hand-picked goons. But that wasn¡¯t the worst part; I was sure I could handle most sent my way. It was the fact that this would all be happening in one day! They wouldn¡¯t be giving me any rest! Because apparently that would make things oh so easy for me. They had to bend the rules every which way to make sure I couldn¡¯t win. For a moment I stood there in thought. Then, just as Umara was about to talk, I sighed. ¡°You know what? Fuck it. I¡¯m gonna win anyway. I don¡¯t care about their bullshit.¡± ¡°...Are you sure?¡± Umara quickly followed as I started making my way out of the crowd. I shrugged. ¡°What else am I supposed to do? Quit?¡± ¡°This is obviously unfair, and everyone knows it. At the very least, you don¡¯t need to go all the way, especially if things get dangerous. The only thing I care about is that you¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°You see, part of me gets that, and appreciates it.¡± ¡°But the other part?¡± ¡°That part says fuck that. They¡¯re being unfair, and that¡¯s exactly why I need to double down.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara was silent as we walked toward the training grounds. I needed some time at the range if I wanted to be sharp for these battles. Finally, she responded as we arrived. ¡°Fine then. I¡¯m with you no matter what you do. So long as you live, we¡¯ll figure it out.¡± ¡°Oh my. Never had a girl tell me that before. That¡¯s quite the level of trust.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s my job to be by your side, even when things get risky and worrying.¡± ¡°...¡± I stopped and turned around, looking her in the eye. Things were risky and worrying. I could sense a bit of her fear. There was now a much greater chance that I would either get hurt or accidentally kill someone. Even Maxwell had been telling me to play it safe and drop out. But here I was, doubling down instead. And Umara was sticking it out on this ship with me, treading dangerous waters by my side. She was choosing to believe in me, through thick and thin. Should she continue to do so, then my appreciation would know no bounds. I smiled at her. ¡°It¡¯s my job to prove you right. Don¡¯t worry, my dear, I¡¯m staking my life on this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I don''t want you to do.¡± ¡°Anything less isn¡¯t enough. Now come on. You should learn how to handle my bullets. Now¡¯s a good time for you to practice.¡± I brought her to the training grounds where the Puppet Master was waiting. From there, we were sent into our own private area where I got some target practice in. My final day of battle was just over the horizon. Chapter 121: Cooked The finalized schedule came out after a day of training. The warlocks and knights would be going first, in traditional Magisterium Tournament manner, each knight facing their respective warlock by placement in the first three spots. Feiden¡¯s petition passed through as well, so he would be facing Grace. Tana would move up a position in the matching and face the third place warlock. If they won their battles, they technically would have the opportunity to face Umara, but they all knew how that would go; they would just forfeit if it came to that point. After they were done, I would be facing six people in total, and none of them would be my friends. Six handpicked individuals would be my opponents, and no doubt all of them would be hellbent on either thrashing or killing me. Thankfully, none of them could match my friends. After all, they weren¡¯t on the leaderboard. Ponteck was still my biggest concern, especially now since I would be fighting him last after several other battles that would no doubt wear me down. Well, that was exactly why I was doubling down. Nothing less than my full effort would be required if I wanted a chance to win. There was too much stacked against me to hold back. However, I had just one card to rely on. Umara still had to battle Ponteck, and I could count on her to wear him down for me. Hell, if she could win then I¡¯d forfeit and let her have the champion title. But, from her own words, she didn¡¯t believe she could. I hadn¡¯t thought much about what the clash between Umara and Ponteck would look like, but I wasn¡¯t optimistic. Ponteck was freakishly talented. My training sessions with a mimicry had made that clear. And I couldn¡¯t even hate him, unlike most of my other adversaries. He was a pretty decent person from what I¡¯d been told, and I couldn¡¯t rely on anecdotal evidence to disprove it; I had never actually interacted with the man. But saying that he was obsessed with the art of the blade was a good way to describe him. It seemed the Gulliard family in which he was raised had been rising in prestige recently, and Ponteck was supposed to be some prodigy that would bring them up another level. How true it all was I didn¡¯t know. But nevertheless, he was skilled, and Umara hadn¡¯t been enlightened for long. She still had a lot of learning to do regarding some of the more advanced spell formations while integrating what scientific knowledge I could provide her. That took time. Technically she was a full step ahead of Ponteck in regard to power. She was enlightened and he had yet to be. But unlike knights, who received an immediate boost in power, warlocks didn¡¯t. So in practice they should be pretty even. I would be rooting for her, and I knew she would do her best. But whether she would come out on top was something I couldn¡¯t say for certain. I just didn¡¯t know enough about Ponteck. Either way, I was in for some ball-busting work. And I would have quite the audience. For one, Plex left me a message saying that he would be watching, which meant the others from Divine Distribution would too. I even got a message from Patriarch Tavera telling me he would be attending. I didn¡¯t realize he had the time, but the situation in the black market must have been in his favor if he could leisurely spend the day watching me. Included alongside them were Vetsmon¡¯s parents and Umara¡¯s friend Shadowbane. Her parents would also be there. It seemed I would need to put on a performance. With all these thoughts and expectations swirling about in my head, the morning of the battles came. ¡­¡­ ¡­ Ladies and gentlemen! I give you all the debut battle for the day, 3rd place knight Tana Choron against 3rd place warlock Alfred Hollock!¡± The stadium burst out into cheers, tens of thousands of people filling the stands to the brim and thousands more within the building watching. There were even projectors above the stadium displaying the battles high in the sky for the denizens of the city outside to watch. These were the most impressive battles the Magisterium could present. All cities needed communal entertainment, and these great demonstrations of power by the students served well to both excite the masses as well as display the might of the Kingdom¡¯s future. All eyes in the Capitol were on the event. It was almost like a holiday. Tana moved into the arena for her battle, her face calm as she faced her opponent. She had made it through Feiden, given it her all and left him so battered he couldn¡¯t even show up for his next battle. She was proud of herself, and in hindsight, substantially grateful to John for pushing her to fight. And she could now face her opponent with confidence. Because, no matter what, even if she lost, she would be the 6th strongest individual within the Magisterium, with the proof to match. 7th if she counted Vetsmon, which she did. Still, she was in the top 10 and that was worth all the pain she faced. She glanced at her parents in the stands before her battle started. Once the referee¡¯s hand dropped, she dashed forward and started her all-out assault. Alfred was proficient in fire, so she couldn¡¯t kite him. Her only chance was an unrelenting head-on attack. Scorching hot air blasted over her head, singeing a few hairs as she ducked down low. Her Aura had accurately reacted in time to inform her of the threat, letting her get close enough to strike out with her sword. Turns out, she had been too worried. Alfred had some mobility, afforded to him by a partial air affinity. But it wasn¡¯t enough to escape her. Even as the arena was flooded with flames over the course of their battle, she could simply use her VIgor to tough out the damage and readjust. She may not have had the power to beat him with brute force. But with her Aura, she was able to harass him without rest, constantly cracking his barrier and forcing him to spend energy to repair it instead of casting spells or recovering. After five minutes of the futile game of cat and mouse, Tana, wreathed in flames, stood up from her landing stance, and Alfred lay crumpled outside the arena from one of her kicks. ¡°The winner is Tana Choron!¡± The audience exploded as the smoke and flames dissipated. Tana had scorch marks all over her armor and skin, third degree burns scattered across exposed skin, and her hair was a charred and tattered mess. But all that would heal within the day. Such power was the envy of summoners and warlocks alike. The field was cleared, and the next contestants came onto the field. Feiden Desmus versus Grace Jetsee. Feiden was fast, but Grace couldn¡¯t actually display her full power against Umara. Not many in the audience knew what she was capable of. They only knew that she had a perfect water affinity and a working air affinity. Against that, Feiden could work rather well. Nobody could use mobility against Feiden. That was his thing. Instead, as soon as the battle started, Grace could only try to suppress him with water while using air to keep the distance. At first, Feiden couldn¡¯t go anywhere. Everywhere he went, he found unsteady footing as the earth underneath him turned swampy, and constant currents battered him to and fro. All that weight couldn¡¯t be shrugged off or dodged easily, so he was forced into a more passive stance. But it was clear that once she tried doing any significant damage, she would fail to contain him. Shifting away from suppression would open a window of opportunity, and Feiden knew well to take advantage of it. That was her first and only mistake. The instant she let up, trying to end the battle early, and Feiden sensed her intentions with his Aura, he dove in and closed the distance before she could even react. One barrier splintered into innumerable shards before a second one was hastily erected in its place. That too was pierced and turned to glitter as yet another glimmered to life. This one, however, was the end of it; Grace¡¯s surprisingly fast reactions couldn¡¯t keep up with Feiden¡¯s speed, and she was beaten senseless and forced to surrender. Of course, Feiden was dead tired by the end, but not a speck of blood was on him or his armor. He made the fight look easy as he stood tall, concealing labored breaths underneath his mask. ¡­ In a large suite containing several high nobles, Talexia Talerria sat with the Raven Chief Ironheart alongside their spouses and children. Ironheart smiled at Talexia. ¡°I hear your daughter has had a particularly excellent performance in the tournament. Is she enlightened?¡± ¡°She is, somewhat recently.¡± ¡°Amazing. I¡¯ve only heard of rumors and tales about prodigies who enlighten at such an age. I never thought I¡¯d know one myself. She was only an advancement past her perfect affinity. I think she will win this battle.¡± ¡°I would normally agree, but she hasn¡¯t had much time to fulfill her newfound potential. I still have much to teach her, which will only happen when she enters the military.¡± ¡°Understandable. I congratulate you. You¡¯ve raised an amazing girl.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Talexia nodded, but wasn¡¯t necessarily smiling. She often forgot, but it wasn¡¯t supposedly Umara¡¯s own talent that let her enlighten at such an age. She continued to insist that John was the reason, and Talexia was starting to believe that more and more as she had time to think. She was learning spells and techniques by herself, many of which were quite advanced ¡ª but nothing appropriate for her current level. She had seen the spells personally and knew that she wouldn¡¯t learn such things until she was well within the military, even if enlightened. It wasn¡¯t anything she hadn¡¯t seen before, but it was clear that John was feeding her some advanced information. It seemed his knowledge was as good as she said. That, or he had gotten the spell formations from elsewhere. She couldn''t be sure; his background meant that he could get his hands on things inaccessible to most. Regardless, she was focused on how this battle with Ponteck would go. There was a lot going on politically and this would be the first time she would see her daughter go all out. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Soon enough, she could see Umara. Unshockingly, she was with John. It seemed he was still busy telling her something. Interestingly, she just shook her head when her name was called and walked up the arena without looking back at him. They didn¡¯t even kiss. It seemed they had a disagreement. About what, she couldn¡¯t guess. Before long, the battle started. A gust of wind cradled Umara¡¯s body, darting her beyond Ponteck¡¯s reach as he drew his longsword and lunged forward. His speed was almost as blinding as Feiden¡¯s, perhaps just barely slower. To Umara¡¯s comparatively lethargic gusts, there was no practical difference. But he wouldn¡¯t be able to beat her with just speed. Umara was smart and had prepared for this battle with John¡¯s help. She also had some cards up her own sleeve. She lifted her hand alongside her staff. From her open palm came a burst of flame. And from the staff came a raging tornado. With a wave the tornado was sent forth, Ponteck slowing his pursuit in wariness. Then, everyone¡¯s eyes widened as the flame above Umara¡¯s palm shot forward in a stream and fed into the tornado, creating a cyclone of flame. And it continued to grow even as it pursued Ponteck. Talerria leaned forward, curious, sensing the mana being used, noticing how it was being almost entirely driven by the air magic. Umara maintained her control of the superheated whirlwind as it grew from a tall tornado to a low and flat hurricane. Ponteck tried to dodge, but it grew so fast and with such intensity that he could do nothing but be enveloped. He no doubt thought his Vigor would be enough to carry him through it. But he failed to account for Umara¡¯s creativity and paid for it when a barrage of air blades tore through the swirling flames. Some were attacks, wearing Ponteck down and exposing the white-hot flames enveloping his defensive stance. Others only sped up the fire, making it burn hotter and brighter. However, Umara¡¯s inexperience proved her downfall. Her crude efforts at combining the two spells, coupled with an incomplete affinity for the fire element, had her try to grow the scale too fast. Her stream of fire Mana flickered as she lost concentration while trying to compensate for an overeager blast of air, and whatever was in the conflagration rapidly disappeared as it oxidized. The firenado scattered into various embers as her spells suffered a catastrophic collapse, their effects dissipating as fast as they grew. The smoke puffed aside, revealing Ponteck darting straight for Umara, almost completely unscathed within his scorched armor. She was already dodging by that time though, relying on the rapidity of her sudden bursts of wind to avoid his momentum and keep distance. In fact, her proficiency made it seem like she was baiting him, keeping close enough to ensure consistent effort from Ponteck but far enough to not get hit. Volleys of pressurized air bombs and invisible blades laced Ponteck¡¯s body as Umara resorted back to what she was good at, leaving cuts and angry purple bruises scattered across his flesh. He had emerged from the vortex with nearly no injuries, but not because of his raw strength. He had instead expended Vigor to keep himself whole, and the intensity of the flames no doubt consumed prodigious amounts of it in his attempts to keep himself from incineration. Now, he didn¡¯t have so much. Of course, Umara was also running through her Mana, even if at a better than equal rate. Now he was receiving wounds that bled out energy every second. His Vigor would decrease even faster as the injuries tried to heal. Some blood soaked his pants and shirt as the minutes passed. His armor was dented and any gaps in it received air blades whenever possible. Ponteck was still throwing his weight though, and occasional dashes and bursts of energy kept Umara on her toes and spending more Mana than she would like. Some particularly close calls made the audience gasp in anticipation and anxiety. But she could keep her distance. That was a warlock¡¯s specialty, and with an enlightened air affinity, Umara was perfectly suited for mobility. But Umara¡¯s one-sided peppering couldn¡¯t continue forever. Ponteck would win in the Magika race; he still had his sword to rely on, while Umara needed Mana for all her attacks. 15 minutes in, both contestants growing more and more tired by the second, Umara decided to try for a decisive move. She clenched her teeth, and suddenly, her barrier dissolved into particles of Mana. She stopped dead in her tracks, prompting Ponteck to halt dead in his tracks and drop into a defensive stance, wary of a firestorm or volley of attacks, his Aura screaming danger. However, the next spell formation she cast didn¡¯t release a blade of wind or a tongue of fire. Instead, the surrounding air suddenly expanded. Ponteck¡¯s eyes widened, recognizing the new threat but unable to comprehend what was quite going on. Talexia and several other high-profile spectators followed, more understanding of the principles of the spell, but surprised by its caster. A vacuum domain, Umara as its epicenter, enveloped the two contestants. Ponteck¡¯s body suddenly glowed as his Vigor expenditure became visible. But that only lasted for several seconds before his wounds exploded, blood shooting out of them like a river. The vacuum exerted a siphoning force across Ponteck¡¯s entire body. Every fluid in his body was trying to escape through any opening possible. In any other circumstance, he¡¯d be able to fend such things off merely with the strength of his body. But not only was the attack completely novel and unexpected, he was almost entirely drained of energy. It took most of what he had just to keep his eyes from popping out of their sockets. However, that seemed to kick in his fight or flight response, and suddenly, his blade glowed. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened further as he let out a slash, a blade of Vigor projecting from the blade and flying toward Umara with blinding speed. She shuddered before an explosion of wind threw her body to the side, the vacuum collapsing and sending a shockwave through the arena. It took even more energy to protect herself from the resulting pressure of her own design, and that seemed to be the last straw. Ponteck took the opportunity, his body emaciated, and dashed over to her. Before she could even raise her trembling hand, his sword was placed against her chest. Everything froze, and the judge announced, ¡°The winner of this battle is Ponteck Gulliard!¡± The crowd exploded with cheers, yet the people who really knew what happened were silent. The Raven Chief glanced at Talexia. ¡°You sure you haven¡¯t started teaching her?¡± ¡°...¡± She didn¡¯t respond, but her frown made the answer clear. John ran up the arena, Ponteck backing off a step before outright collapsing. Of course, Umara wasn¡¯t much better. She couldn¡¯t even hold herself up as her eyes fogged over. John picked her up as the audience watched. Umara hadn¡¯t won, but she had given John a much higher chance of winning. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? I¡¯ve seen your opponents. They¡¯re being outfitted with some strong gear.¡± ¡°We both know the answer to that.¡± John pulled back the bolt on his assault rifle with a click, checking the bullet for the umpteenth time before letting it slide back forward. Maxwell watched him, silent. He didn¡¯t sense any anger from John¡¯s emotions. In fact, he didn¡¯t sense much at all. It was almost like his mind was blank, or simply so focused on the upcoming task that he didn¡¯t have space for anything else, not even his own emotions. Of course, John wasn¡¯t mad about the battle. In fact, he enjoyed the show. He had never known his girlfriend was capable of such things and she surprised even him with how she utilized his ideas. But now was the time for business. Umara had lost, so everything hinged on him now. He would be walking into a lion''s den. He could already feel the killer gazes on him while outside. There were people who wanted him dead, and it was good that tens of thousands of people were there, as well as some strong allies. Some of those in the crowd hardly concealed their murderous intent, and would be acting on it if not for the witnesses. No, they had to send somebody else. Like a conveniently handpicked knight or warlock who would do their best to follow their orders and kill him. This tournament was now nothing more than a killing floor, the arena their cage. And John was walking right into it. Many eyes were on the arena, powerful ones with vested interests among them. Maxwell knew that better than John himself ¡ª he himself was one. But the numerous eyes were the only reason he wasn¡¯t grabbing the kid and dragging him out of the city. ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen! I present to you the final battles of the day! Please welcome John Cooper, a cold summoner who will be contending against the best of the warlocks and knights the Magisterium has to offer! Sir Cooper sits at the top of the Elite rankings alongside the rest of his Elite squad, but that only tells of his prowess with the Scourge! Will he be able to prove himself capable of matching up against the best of his peers?! We shall see as he faces his first opponent, the 8th place knight Ravon Ditten!¡± The judge continued with Ravon¡¯s introduction as he walked up the arena in a thick suit of armor. Maxwell pulled John aside for a last bit of advice before he stepped on the field proper. ¡°Stay safe.¡± ¡°Just get my girlfriend awake. I wouldn¡¯t want her to miss such a spectacular show.¡± ¡°Tsk, there¡¯s that arrogance.¡± Maxwell sighed and walked off as John arrived in the arena. He faced Ravon as an item appeared in his hand, his coat closed up and boots tied in preparation His fingerless gloves shifted as he stood there without an obvious weapon, his neutral face staring at Ravon. His opponent spoke. ¡°I¡¯m really glad I get to see you like this. I was beginning to think I¡¯d never get the chance to tear out your disgusting tongue.¡± ¡°...And I¡¯m regretting not bringing some olive oil.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ravon looked at John like he was stupid. At the same time, John lifted the item in his hand. He pulled the gas mask over his head. Its shape and glass eye sockets, along with the metal canister sitting in front of his mouth, gave him an almost inhuman look. A muffled voice came out, one barely distinguishable if not for a knight¡¯s improved senses. ¡°Your cooked flesh would taste better deep fried than pan seared.¡± ¡°Battle start!¡± The judge¡¯s hand went down, Ravon taking a second to assess what John said before shaking his head and running forward. John placed his hands in front of him, and a pair of large cylindrical containers appeared on his back, connected by a hose to some metal amalgamation he held. Ravon could swear he saw John smirking underneath the mask. ¡°Have a taste of German engineering.¡± He pulled the trigger. A long line of sticky flames quickly enveloped the running Ravon, much like Umara¡¯s firestorm. But unlike the Mana-fuelled fire, this burned on tar and gas at nearly 2000 degrees. Ravon, with no means to extinguish it, was left at the tender mercies of the Psyka-enhanced inferno. And the mixture within those tanks didn¡¯t include any mercy. As expected, the man halted in his tracks and started flailing about. At first he was silent, his Vigor still holding, letting him try to bat out the flames. But eventually, some cries started to leak out. John didn¡¯t bother to keep a steady stream on him, but occasionally added some bursts to sustain the sticky napalm. He even walked closer, circling, dousing him with more fuel that streamed into the gaps in his armor. The heavy armor, thought to be protection against the weapons John had previously demonstrated, turned into an oven that cooked him alive. Black smoke rose from his body as cries turned to screams and echoed through the arena. The audience, once enthusiastic to witness a unique fight, fell silent. John finally dropped the hose after letting loose for two minutes, letting the hose and backpack return to their dimension. There was an inhuman chuckle from underneath the mask. ¡°What¡¯s this?! Come on, little boy! Come rip my tongue out! Or is the melting skin keeping you occupied? Maybe it¡¯s the warm metal against your flesh? I can certainly smell it. Could use some seasoning.¡± Ravon continued to scream as John stepped right to the edge of the puddle of fire pooling underneath his body. After another agonizing few seconds, what remaining fuel had been expended and the flames went out. Of course. Ravon¡¯s whimpers didn¡¯t stop with them; the red hot metal armor continued to cook his skin long after the flames died out Finally, once the body at his feet fell quiet, John, comparatively gently, tapped his boot on the charred chestplate. ¡°I think I won this battle. You go back and tell them that they¡¯ll have to do better than sending some pathetic sack of shit to come face me. Otherwise, all of you will need some skin grafts by the time I¡¯m through. Honestly, it must suck being so tough right now. Fucking knights.¡± ¡°...¡± The arena was left in complete silence as John turned and started walking away. The judge, deadpan, raised his arm. ¡°The winner of this battle is John Cooper. The next battle will be in 10 minutes.¡± ¡°Tsk, only 10 minutes? Not even enough for a nap!¡± His laughter echoed throughout a silent stadium. ¡°...That was quite¡­ surprising.¡± Maxwell muttered as John passed by him. ¡°Well I¡¯ve got more where that came from. You¡¯re in for quite the show.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± He still didn¡¯t feel much from John¡¯s emotions, except for a hint of psychotic joy. There was definitely something wrong in the head with him ¡ª he could cook a man alive and have fun doing it. Even Maxwell was a bit put off by those desperate screams. Even now Ravon was being sent back to the medical rooms. Even for a knight, having your skin melted and scorched like that wouldn¡¯t end with some simple recovery. There would be extensive scarring that could take years to properly reshape into anything resembling his previous looks. To say nothing of the experience of being burned alive. John was right. It must suck being so resilient. That much Maxwell could agree with. Chapter 122: Dominance ¡°Is there anything else I should be prepared for? Any more surprises like that¡­ fire magic?¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t magic. And yes, I suppose I should discuss something with you. Later though.¡± The Puppet Master had come to see me in my exclusive staging room. Umara was still in the medical room recovering, unfortunately unable to come and see my match. I, meanwhile, was still perfectly fine, having not actually expended much Psyka while burning Ravon. Cooking my enemies with fire wasn¡¯t of particular concern; I proved it would work and knights could just tough out the flames. I was more worried about the effects of my other weapons. World War One and Two was a time of extensive weapons engineering in all sectors. Plenty of weapon types diverged from the standard ¡°launch rock very fast¡± type of weapon I was most familiar with; I wasn¡¯t sure if they would accidentally kill a knight or not, to say nothing of a warlock¡¯s fragility. Those weapons could come later, when I was in a pinch. I would rely on conventional firearms for now. The Puppet Master sighed. ¡±Ravon¡¯s armor wasn¡¯t suited to handle what you threw at him given the existing record on your arsenal. You got lucky this time, but now that they know, they won¡¯t make the same mistake. Every knight and warlock will be prepared for your fire.¡± ¡°Obviously. I was thinking about saving it for later but I was curious how effective it¡¯d be. Turns out, it¡¯s just as good as everything else in my arsenal.¡± ¡°Yes, it was quite shockingly effective. The attack is entirely physical so Magika-oriented defenses are nearly useless. The synergy is almost too good. Ravon crumbled despite being on the tougher end of Authority 6. Whatever dimension, whatever world, that continues to feed you those weapons, was obviously extremely good at making them. I can¡¯t imagine the kind of place it was.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a real headscratcher.¡± My lips contorted into a half grimace, half smirk. If only I could show him how much worse it could get. The wars themselves, although horrifying in terms of sheer scale, paled in comparison to the mere concepts behind the weapons they necessitated. The arms of this world were optimized for the Scourgebeast; they could be used against man in a pinch, but were primarily designed around eliminating the ever-present existential threat. Nobody even considered creating weaponry to facilitate killing another person with the greatest efficiency. In this world, battles between humans were one-on-one, the scarcity of the Magus limiting the number of combatants who fought. Now, I, with the technological prowess of my home and the Psyka of another world, could focus their great destructive power against the barrier of magic. And when that barrier collapsed, the recipient would taste a hint of the horror dispensed upon every other earthling in history who had to face them. I had to admit. I was having some fun. It was even more satisfying to be kicking the asses of the goons they were sending to try and kill me. It was all legitimate self defense ¡ª there was no remorse to be felt. I was letting them off generously with just some wounds. There were still four more ahead of me before Ponteck though, three warlocks and one more knight. I could have all the fun I wanted, but I still needed to be efficient. I had to incapacitate all of them while preserving enough energy to win the final battle. It had to be done, but it would be difficult. I looked over to Maxwell. ¡°Would you happen to have anything that can give me Psyka if I need it?¡± ¡°I would. It comes with backlash, however.¡± ¡°Anything permanent?¡± ¡°...No.¡± ¡°Then I don¡¯t care. I may be coming to you later.¡± ¡°I never agreed.¡± He offered his refusal to my back. It was time for the next battle. The warlock whom I walked to was geared in thick robes and a hood. I didn¡¯t know their name and didn¡¯t care to listen to it as it was announced. They would be gone before long anyway. I equipped my hood and pulled up my gloves, getting comfortable before the judge¡¯s hand went down. The Browning A5, four shells in the tube, appeared in my hands. I chambered a shell and slipped another in before shouldering it in preparation for the spell formations popping up before the warlock. A barrage of fireballs flew toward me. I simply emptied the tube into the oncoming spells, balls of flame dispersing as their integral formation was torn to shreds. The opposing mage froze, wand paused in the midst of another formation. In that time, I dropped the shotgun and swapped to my StG, letting off a burst at the warlock. The bullets were minimally empowered when they collided with the barrier and didn¡¯t even make it ripple. I continuously poured Psyka into them until I noticed reactions. The last few rounds in the magazine were charged full of Psyka, three of them outright shattering the barrier and catching the warlock off guard. That¡¯s when I took out the M1 Garand, lining up a quick shot that when through his shin, shattering his tibia. ¡°Ahh!!¡± His scream rang in the silence between gunshots. That shot was fully empowered as well, so although the robes had some defensive measures, they folded like paper before the projectile. Right after that, the barrier came back up, but its formation was unsteady and its surface disturbed. I emptied another magazine into it for good measure before putting a few more holes into the warlock¡¯s legs. When he couldn¡¯t stand, I lowered my gun and turned to the judge. The judge glanced between me and my opponent, not immediately calling the battle even though it was pretty obvious I had won. It didn¡¯t matter though. I just stood there as the warlock continued to suffer, his blood pooling under his shattered legs. Still, it took almost 2 minutes for the judge to call it. ¡°The winner is John Cooper. Next battle will be in 5 minutes.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± I stared at the judge for a second, the man turning away from me. I rolled my eyes. This was just what he was being told to do. So I simply stayed on the arena, watching the warlock get carried off and the next step on. Two warlocks back to back. Seemed they were doing their best to put me in a difficult position. My eyes narrowed as the Judge¡¯s hand moved, my coat activating when it was only halfway down. Time slowed, and as soon as the battle officially started, I brought out my M1 Garand with the fastest speed I could muster. It appeared as my arms raised, settling into an aiming position before the judge¡¯s hand even retracted. And it wasn¡¯t even a second and a half before I had her in my sights. I saw the spell formation for her barrier glimmer around her. It wasn¡¯t formed yet, and I was a full step ahead. I fired, an unempowered bullet tearing straight through her shin just like the last warlock. She buckled involuntarily, the pain barely registering in her mind before I fired again, another bullet going through her arm and tearing a chunk of flesh off it as she collapsed to the floor. Her gripped staff released, falling to the ground and all spell formations flickering out of existence. Like that, my time dilation ceased, everything around me speeding up, her screams entering my ears. I walked over, glancing at the judge who didn¡¯t want to call the battle. It had barely been 7 seconds, and she was already finished. So I simply approached her, silence reigning as she grunted and glared up at me. I looked down at her, and then suddenly saw a few spell formations flicker around her hands. To that, I brought my leg back and sent a swift kick across her jaw, knocking her dizzy, the spells flickering away. Then, I reached down and grabbed the back of her throat, my arm flexing as I lifted her up off the floor. She hung above the ground as I faced her toward the judge. And then a knife appeared in my hand. Guns weren¡¯t all there was in those dimensions, so I brought out a trench knife in my other hand, putting the blade against her jugular. ¡°Call the match, dumbass. I¡¯m sure her parents don¡¯t like seeing her like this, and it¡¯ll be your fault that she continues to suffer.¡± ¡°...¡± Everyone watched as the girl continued to choke and sob, blood streaming down her arm and leg, her face swelling up from my kick. It was obvious who won, and now it was obvious that the judge was hesitant to declare the obvious. Finally, he raised his arm. ¡°The winner is John Cooper. Next battle is in 30 minutes. ¡°Finally.¡± I dropped the girl and turned, healers running up on stage as I walked off.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Maxwell muttered when I entered the staging room. ¡°...You know why they¡¯re stalling?¡± ¡°Yeah, because they want to give my enemies more time to try and wear me down. I can¡¯t just point a gun at them and expect to deliver the same message of dominance as if I were holding a knife.¡± ¡°Mm. That, and they want Ponteck to have more time to rest. The Puppet Master told me his status. He lost a significant amount of blood and they¡¯re feeding him a bunch of medicine. He¡¯ll recover a noticeable amount within the next few hours, but at the very least, he shouldn¡¯t be 100%. You just need to preserve your energy and use the opportunity your girlfriend gave you.¡± ¡°I will. How is she anyway?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine. She just ran through every ounce of mana she had. Given an hour she¡¯ll be lucid enough to watch.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Focus on recovering. That means clearing your mind.¡± ¡°Like meditation?¡± ¡°Yes. Just relax. Sleeping if you¡¯re able would be good as well.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I nodded, and right then, Maxwell spawned an entire couch. My brows raised. ¡°For me?¡± ¡°No, for my dog.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not your dog.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ Nevermind. Just sit.¡± He waved me off, making me chuckle as I plopped down on the couch. It was plush, it cradled my butt, and it smelled nice. I kicked my feet up and heard a scoff. ¡°Boots off my couch.¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± I rolled my eyes and slipped the boots off. Couldn¡¯t he just get it cleaned with some magic? This couch probably had a self-cleaning function anyway. After that, I got comfy and closed my eyes. With the control over my thoughts the Spark gave me, it was fairly easy to blank out and doze off. However, I didn¡¯t have long. After 20 minutes of a power nap, I felt a sharp poking in my mind. ¡°Get up. Next battle is here.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I yawned and climbed off the couch, slipping my boots back on and heading out the door. My yawns were incessant as I stepped onto the arena. The next opponent was a knight, a girl a head shorter than me. This girl was the top knight before Ponteck arrived. Her name was Kevala and she wore armor that was particularly intricate. She wielded a spear, but interestingly, also had a whip coiled around her waist. I noticed the bladed tassel on the end. Worse than all that though was how threatening she felt. I was quick to sober up when I felt her snake-like gaze on me. And perhaps another detail I was curious about was how I couldn¡¯t remember her name from the Elite leaderboard. I remembered them all, courtesy of my enhanced memory, and she wasn''t there. Which meant she wasn¡¯t good enough to be on it, or the more likely explanation, she didn¡¯t care to compete for a position. Perhaps she just never went on the expeditions, training on her own in whatever way her family insisted. Regardless, she caused my neck to tingle, and not in the sexy way Umara did. I tilted my head. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you around before. Too good for the Magisterium excursions?¡± ¡°Something like that. I wouldn''t be here if it weren¡¯t a special request¡­ and I was curious.¡± ¡°Man, they must want to kill me pretty bad if they¡¯re bringing you out. Just forewarning you though, I¡¯m not into the whipping or bondage stuff like that.¡± ¡°...Like what?¡± ¡°You know. Spanky spanky?¡± I made some whipping motions and sound effects, getting confused silence in response. The judge''s hand slammed down. ¡°Battle start!¡± ¡°I had a girl convince me to try it without realizing that she wanted to tie me to the bed. It took spanking her ass red to finally get her to-¡± ¡°S-Shut up!¡± She charged at me, making me laugh a bit as my hood wrapped over my head. This time, I didn¡¯t bring out a flamethrower. It would be useless. I could sense the mana around her armor. It probably wouldn¡¯t even make her sweat. So I took out a Lewis Gun and started unloading. The pan atop the gun chugged along with mechanical clicking to match the blasts coming out the front. Kevala faced a storm of lead. However, some of the bullets actually ricocheted off her armor, while most didn¡¯t do any noticeable damage. They were moderately empowered so it was surprising. I started kiting as she continued forward. She wasn¡¯t incredibly fast, unlike Feiden, so it was pretty easy to keep my distance with the pressure of my machine gun. However, eventually the pan went dry, and she took the opportunity to charge forward. An StG appeared in my hands the next moment, fully empowered shots emptying into her chest. This time, I saw sparks fly as they managed to pierce the metal. However, the effects seemed minimal. They probably couldn¡¯t break much further past her skin. She completely disregarded them and stabbed out with her spear. My Aura screamed at me. I made a split second decision and spread. A clone appeared, taking my place as I ducked out of the way. We both barely dodged before sprinting off in different directions. She looked between us for a few seconds, not able to decide. And then, she shot toward the wrong me. I kept my face neutral even though I wanted to laugh. My clone continued to run as I took out my M1 Garand. My eyes zoomed in through the iron sights, finding a gap between the helmet and collar piece of Kevala¡¯s armor. And I stuffed my gun so full of Psyka that she actually turned around toward me. I fired before she could respond. The gun slammed back with more force than usual and blood bloomed from her collar as it pierced through the leather underneath her armor and into her flesh. She staggered for a second before suddenly dropping the spear and grabbing her whip. I watched as it flicked about with her arm, emptying my clip but not hitting any more significant shots. She finally stopped having me wait and beat the whip toward me like a bullet. I created another clone, sidestepping a bit and letting the tip crack past me. It snapped right where my body was, the bladed tassels letting off a sound no less explosive than my bullets. There was even a shockwave. I would get turned to paste if I let that hit me. Although I still presented a facade of calmness, my mind worked overtime to come up with alternative strategies. My Psyka would only go down the longer this continued. But she still couldn¡¯t pressure me much. It turned into an almost comical bout of target practice, her shots whipping naught but air or the occasional clone. It went on for a minute or so. I thought I could sustain my current situation since she couldn¡¯t seem to hit me. I thought wrong. She shot forward and slashed her whip horizontally, the whip¡¯s length striking my shoulder and beginning to wrap around me. Time dilation and my Crown¡¯s agility saved me, letting me duck under the path of the strike and have it slide off me just before it could wrap me up completely. In my moment of distraction, however, Kelava closed the distance. I generated another clone, but luck was not on my side today and she came after me. The clone disappeared as I devoted the entirety of Aura and Spark to dodging and analyzing her patterns. This was a worst case scenario. She slipped out a pair of knives from her sleeves and tried to slash at me. Occasionally, one of my clones would distract her long enough to get me some breathing room, but it was clear that I wasn¡¯t getting away. Even pulling out a machine gun didn¡¯t deter her; she still came at me like nothing could hurt her. Gradually, her threat started to grow. I had to do something now before I got overwhelmed. I donned another gas mask, different from the one I used with the flamethrower, and dropped a grenade loaded with Psyka a little behind me just as she lunged. She managed an incredible Vigor-aided feat of agility, twisting out of the way of the grenade and jumping to the side as it exploded. The shockwave washed over me, but I landed unharmed as the coat absorbed the majority of the energy. It shocked Kevala too. She landed several meters away and righted herself. We looked at each other. I pulled out another canister. I sighed, tightening up my coat a bit. ¡°Let¡¯s see how this works. At the very least, you''ll be sorry you ever fought me.¡± I pulled a tab and threw the canister between the two of us. She naturally backed away as yellow vapor started spewing from the canister. I tossed a few more in her direction, saturating the entire area with one of the most feared chemical weapons in Earth¡¯s history. ¡°Mustard Gas is quite the fitting name, isn¡¯t it? Although I don¡¯t think you guys have mustard here.¡± ¡°What is¡­¡± Kevala rushed around, but was eventually enveloped. I also continued to shoot her in order to keep her away, and I suppose she decided to test her luck inside the gas cloud to try and get to me. That turned out to be her biggest mistake. I backed away to a corner of the arena where the gas hadn¡¯t spread, staying as far away from it as I could. Between bursts of fire I could hear whimpers and muffled cries sounded from the gas cloud. The gas was contained by the invisible protective barrier around the arena, so she had nowhere to go to escape it. Unless she wanted to lose of course. I watched her faintly through the gas as she scrambled around, even bringing out some water and dousing herself with it, all while trying to protect herself from my barrage. Of course, nothing worked. I stopped shooting and after a few screams, my brows raised. Seemed the gas was incredibly effective. From what I knew, mustard gas didn''t work immediately. It took a while for the effects to kick in and really cause some damage. It also seeped into everything it touched, adding to the fear factor. I knew that my Psyka made my summons better. They made my shots sharper so they could pierce and destroy barriers and knights, and it also made flames more effective, otherwise my flamethrower would have been useless against Ravon. Now, it seemed it was making this gas more effective as well. Maybe not more potent, but definitely faster acting. It burned Kevala''s skin and whatever got into her lungs was no doubt wreaking havoc as well. I realized it was even worse than I expected when she threw herself off the arena, ripping off her helmet and armor. After that I saw her bare arms, completely red with yellow blisters already forming. She looked like she was choking on her own throat before vomiting and coughing, streams of tears going down her twisted, agonized face. At the very least she was still breathing, for now. I suddenly looked at the judge, getting a bit worried at how well the stuff was working. I also wanted to get the hell away from the vapor that gradually started to settle in my direction. ¡°Hey! Call the match! She ran off the arena!¡± ¡°... The winner is John Cooper.¡± ¡°Good. Puppet Master!¡± I called and ran off the arena, escaping the gas as the Puppet Master appeared by my side. ¡°What did you do now?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll probably be fine. It¡¯s a poison that causes blisters and irritation.¡± ¡°Do you have an antidote?¡± ¡°Of course not. You guys can treat poisons, right? Besides, she¡¯s a knight. It won¡¯t be as horrible as it would with a normal person. Also, if you can, I would try to contain all that gas in the arena. If you disperse it, some spectators might get affected. It likes to linger.¡± ¡°My god. What the hell did you leave me with¡­ ¡± He sighed as I walked off. It was no longer my issue so long as Kevala wasn¡¯t weaker than she looked. I walked back to my private room as the Puppet Master started to gather warlocks to contain the gas. Maxwell looked me dead in the eye. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± ¡°A poison gas. Not as deadly as it is extremely painful and terrifying.¡± ¡°I saw you staying away from it. I¡¯ve never seen someone so afraid of their own weapon.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve also never seen a weapon like that. You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s capable of. I do. I''d say it''s a war crime in a can, but hey, nothing''s a war crime the first time. Either way, I respect the weapons I use. I know that all of them could kill me even easier than they do anything else. That¡¯s not fear.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± He nodded as I sat down. After some silence, I smiled. ¡°Looks like it was quite effective. I just can¡¯t use that one against Ponteck now. I would end up hurting myself. A mask might protect my lungs, but not my skin.¡± ¡°Do you have another card like that to play?¡± ¡°No, nothing so exotic. I¡¯m preserving my energy, like you said. Now, I only need to face one more warlock before fighting Ponteck.¡± ¡°If you let that battle drag, you may be screwed.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ll start by going all out. A blitzkrieg, as we call it where I¡¯m from. Maybe the shock and awe will give me the edge I need.¡± I rubbed my chin while laying down to take another nap. ¡°Wake me when it¡¯s time.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I heard a hum before closing my eyes, falling into a state of half-sleep. It was almost time for the finale. Chapter 123: Noose Umara¡¯s eyes fluttered open, her head, body, and chest throbbing from the exertion of her mana core. Talexia was right beside her bed when she looked over, sitting there and observing her. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°...Like shit.¡± ¡°You really are speaking more and more like your boyfriend.¡± The Duchess just rolled her eyes. This wasn¡¯t really the time to bother with her language. Umara sat up a bit, taking a second to rub her eyes before asking. ¡°How¡¯s John?¡± ¡°He¡¯s fought four of his battles. He¡¯s about to face one more warlock before he fights Ponteck.¡± ¡°How is he handling it?¡± ¡°Almost too well, if I¡¯m being honest. Here, take a look.¡± The Duchess brought up an Orb, projecting a video of the recent battles. Three things caught Umara¡¯s attention. John¡¯s flamethrower and the gas were the first two. He looks more like a warlock than a summoner¡­ Umara knew the sticky flames John spread operated differently from her own flames and was very curious about the poison gas. Recalling when he told her about such things a few days ago, she never imagined this was what they would look like in action. They probably had something to do with the so-called chemistry he talked about occasionally. The third thing¡­ was the brutality. The Orb also recorded sound. Before the first round began, Umara had predicted Ravon would throw some insults at John but was still disappointed when he lived up to her expectations. She would soon forget about all that, however, when Ravon¡¯s screams started echoing through the room. Burning him alive¡­ Umara shuddered. She couldn¡¯t imagine what he could be dealing with right now. Just the scarring would make him unrecognizable. Slightly better was the gas. At the very least, Kevala wasn¡¯t burning, although her blind flailing and desperate rolling did little to assuage Umara of the incredible pain she must have been in. And then there was the way John treated that girl. Kicking her across the face was bad enough, let alone picking her up by the throat, and all after giving her those wounds. But she understood why it had to be done. The judge was corrupt, stalling the battles. They knew John couldn¡¯t kill his opponents, so they wanted to try and force him into a corner by letting them have more time to try something, like the girl almost did. Thankfully, John could establish dominance pretty quickly, not to mention how parents would complain if their children were being hurt while the judge was stalling their treatment by not calling the battle. Carrion couldn¡¯t do whatever he liked before all those other nobles. So watching all the battles didn¡¯t take long, John making them quick. Talexia turned off the Orb after the replay was finished. Umara stared at a wall, then commented, choosing to ignore the thoughts of his opponents¡¯ horrific pain and make a logical conclusion. ¡°He¡¯s doing well, but running through energy. He¡¯ll need to get through the next battle fast.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what everybody is saying. And that¡¯s exactly why President Carrion is sending out an earth warlock. They¡¯ll wear him down.¡± ¡°Earth, huh?¡± Umara pondered for a second before letting out a long breath. ¡°They still don¡¯t know how his weapons work.¡± ¡°What makes you say that?¡± ¡°A bunch of dirt can¡¯t stop the things he can throw out. You¡¯ll see. I need to get out there.¡± ¡°You need to rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll rest when my boyfriend walks off the arena safe and sound.¡± Umara ignored her mother and crawled off the bed, making Talexia sigh and cast a spell. Umara suddenly felt incredibly light, making it much easier to walk out of the medical ward. They circled around to the staging area, heading to John¡¯s room and hearing an authoritative voice reading something from that direction. When they rounded the corner, they saw John standing in the doorway with a less than pleased expression, facing a short man with a large mustache. ¡°...decree of President Carrion, you will need to submit your coat and hood for inspection. The rules state that-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit what the rules say. You¡¯re not taking my coat.¡± ¡°... Then your only option is to forfeit the remaining battles or equip different and approved gear.¡± ¡°Different and approved. How long is the approval process for new gear?¡± ¡°Approval requires at least a day of processing and testing.¡± ¡°Fucking bullshit.¡± He scoffed before taking off his coat and hood, tossing them to Maxwell behind him. ¡°Since you guys want to play these games, then fine. I¡¯ll compete without gear. Unless you want to inspect my dick as well to make sure it¡¯s not some concealed weapon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a disgusting man.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve thought of that before you fucked on over here and interrupted my nap, you short pile of hairy shit. Now fuck off before I rip off the rat off your face and shove it up your ass.¡± He slammed the door, leaving the official too stunned to properly respond. Even Talexia was stunned by the language, looking down at Umara who scratched her head. ¡°He can get a bit irritated when he wakes up before he has to. I¡¯ve learned not to wake him up unless absolutely necessary.¡± ¡°Has he yelled at you like that before?¡± ¡°No, not like that. I¡¯ve been kicked once though.¡± ¡°Kicked?¡± ¡°H-He was asleep. Again, I just don¡¯t try to wake him up anymore. Sleep is important for him and his internal clock is actually really good. That, and he sets alarms for everything.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± The Duchess nodded as Umara knocked, sidestepping the fuming official to gently push open the door. John snapped around, but his face softened when he saw it was them. ¡°Hey. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. How¡¯s your energy?¡± ¡°Around 75%. Pardon my French, but if those cocksuckers hadn¡¯t woken me up, it¡¯d be a bit better.¡± ¡°...Your¡­ French?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a turn of phrase. Anyway, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡± John smiled and sat down while Umara walked over to the arm of the couch. ¡°... So you can¡¯t wear your coat?¡± ¡°Seems like it. More rules, more bullshit. If I wanna stick it to them then I just need to play along and win anyway.¡± ¡°Or you can back out.¡± Maxwell spoke up, catching their attention. ¡°It¡¯s too risky now. My only solace in this whole thing was the gear I gave you. It¡¯s the one thing that you could rely on to protect yourself. Now it¡¯s gone and you¡¯re at an extreme risk of death if you so much as step foot on that arena. The risk outweighs the reward. You need to stop.¡± ¡°...¡± John was silent, all of them watching him as he dived into deep thought. But it soon became clear that he had made his decision. ¡°No. I need to fight.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking.¡± ¡°Neither was I. Like I told Umara. This is exactly why I need to double down. This is the only way I can win against them.¡± ¡°Winning against them doesn¡¯t matter. You need to focus on the future. Your potential is far more important than this tournament, your pride, or their thoughts. You¡¯re risking the capacity to revolutionize the summoner class! What is this tournament compared to that?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a matter of principle.¡± ¡°It may be, but right now, you¡¯re using that as an excuse to be stubborn.¡± ¡°...¡± John went silent, eventually huffing. ¡°I don¡¯t like all of these valid points you¡¯re making.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an easily convincible idiot. Now, are you going to be a rebellious child and continue or will you do the smart thing and back out?¡± ¡°...We can use this next battle as a gauge. I agree that it¡¯s more dangerous but it¡¯s also not like I¡¯ve had to use my coat much at all so far. Besides, even with the coat, if I had to fight in close quarters with Ponteck, it wouldn¡¯t help much.¡± ¡°Yes it would. You think that coat is only good for magical resistance? Impact mitigation and dispersal are its primary functions alongside dilation. I know exactly what a summoner needs and you can easily wear that coat until you¡¯re an Authority 9. It¡¯s the only reliable protection you have and, without it, you¡¯re one mistake away from certain death instead of ten.¡± ¡°Man, you¡¯re not going to let me squeeze my way through, are you?¡± John sighed, and then, they all heard a voice. ¡°John Cooper and Salivar Tone, to the arena!¡± ¡°...¡± They looked between each other for a second before John stood. He didn¡¯t say anything as he walked out the door, Umara deciding to follow him and leave the Duchess and Maxwell alone together. She looked toward Maxwell, sensing his fuming anger. ¡°Children. Can¡¯t always reason with them.¡± ¡°He¡¯s an adult. He should be acting like it. And he¡¯s ignoring the most obviously lopsided risk-reward ratio. It¡¯s asinine.¡± ¡°Mm, it is. However, I would consider how angry he is too. My daughter has told me about what he¡¯s had to deal with, and this is his last chance to do something about it. From that perspective, I can understand his decision.¡± ¡°...¡± Maxwell pinched his nose, and decided to remain silent. He understood the Duchess¡¯ words all too well. It was true that he wasn¡¯t very involved in John¡¯s daily affairs, so he wasn¡¯t aware of how he usually felt. All he could sense was how he was doing whenever they met. This was the most he had normally interacted with John outside of teaching him, and it was when he was facing his greatest conflict yet with the Magisterium. John¡¯s mind was closed off. He was too focused to get an accurate read of his emotions besides the obvious temporary ones. That was an extraordinary feat to accomplish in front of Maxwell¡¯s Aura and attunement to Psyka. The Duchess¡¯ assessment was most likely correct. John was pissed, and he had been working his ass off to do something about it. Initially, he had just been wanting to bypass the tournament and get out of the Magisterium. But yet again, they forced his hand, and he had decided to make them pay for it. Dropping out would be giving them what they wanted, and he had enough of that. He wanted to prove a point, to spit in their face and glorify his name, the name they hated. It would be one last hurrah before going on a final excursion and leaving forever. It would take a lot more to get him to stop especially when he had adequate power and wit at his disposal. After all, if he were any less accomplished, he wouldn''t have survived up until now. Maxwell eventually sighed, walking out with the Duchess to the spectator stands. He would just have to sit back and watch. That was all he was allowed to do now. ¡­ Umara gave John a quick kiss before he walked up the arena in nothing but a shirt, pants, and boots. He didn¡¯t have his coat or hood with him. Instead, he had a cigar in his mouth, puffing smoke occasionally. He stood across from Salivar Tone, his last warlock opponent. Salivar was dressed in actual armor, not unlike a knight, and wielded a heavy staff. He was a big man who seemed like a knight in a warlock¡¯s body, given the wrong Crest at birth. He had a perfect earth affinity, adding to his durability, especially against someone like John who utilized ranged weapons. The judge¡¯s hand snapped down. Salivar cast his barrier before raising some walls around himself to protect against John¡¯s barrage of gunfire. Anything that made it through in the initial barrage was blocked by the armor. It was obviously of much higher quality than some flimsy robes. Walls suddenly rose, boxing in the entire arena and blocking lines of sight. Umara¡¯s anxiety spiked as everything went quiet. A minute passed, only occasional gunfire reaching their ears. John wasn¡¯t shooting much and only the rumbling sound of earth could be heard in between the shots. After another bout of silence, a shockwave rocked the arena. An enormous plume of dust rose above the walls, rippling from the force of the explosion as massive chunks of rock were sent flying into the air. The ground shook simultaneously, rattling the chests of the audience, the explosion painfully loud to their ears. And that was only the beginning. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Explosive blasts were heard continuously after that, not from a mere gun, but from something much larger, much more potent. Some walls were outright toppled, knocking others over like dominoes. There were also other faint sounds from what seemed like a person, but they couldn¡¯t be heard over the lingering ringing in the ears. Most of the walls were reduced to heaps of rubble over the next five minutes until it all suddenly stopped. Silence reigned across the arena, the audience unwilling to even whisper. The judge couldn¡¯t see anything and didn¡¯t seem willing to call the battle even if he could. Unless absolutely necessary, they would give John¡¯s opponent enough time to do damage, wear him out, or kill him. But he soon didn¡¯t have a choice. Another explosion rang out as a section of the outer wall was scattered across the arena border. A little while later, John stepped over the rubble, dragging a body behind him. Salivar Tone was thrown out like a broken toy, missing an entire hand with armor dented or blackened, rolling down the rubble for all the audience to see. John stood at the top of the pile, his clothes caked in dust and blood. None of his injuries seemed serious; in fact, he was barely worse for wear, only appearing a bit more tired. He looked toward the judge, who had no choice but to call the match. ¡°The winner is John Cooper.¡± ¡°...¡± Yet again, he received silence in response. He gazed across the audience and lifted his arms. ¡°Are you not entertained?! Huh?! I¡¯m not even wearing any armor now! If President Carrion is going to insist on taking away a summoner¡¯s only lifeline, then I¡¯ll win this tournament without it! You!¡± He suddenly pointed to the judge, who jumped a bit. ¡°When is the next battle?!¡± ¡°... That is undetermined.¡± ¡°Undetermined?! Are you trying to give Ponteck Gulliard, the greatest knight of our generation, more time to rest?! And yet here I am, fighting battles back to back?! He¡¯s had hours! Bring him here! Bring me my final opponent so we can settle this tournament once and for all! Your audience needs to see the finale!!¡± ¡°Woooo!!¡± The crowd suddenly exploded in cheers as John walked down the arena. Then, their cheers turned into a chant. ¡°Ponteck! Ponteck! Ponteck! Ponteck! Ponteck! Ponteck!¡± Ponteck¡¯s name rang out throughout the stadium, the judge bringing up his Aerial to speak to whoever was on the other side. John paced around while several warlocks rushed to clear out the arena. The walls were torn down and the floor was cleared and repaired, making it look brand new. Just as the crowd started to die down, a man appeared from the medical ward. It was Ponteck, and he leaped up to the arena, making the crowd explode with cheers once more. John turned with a toothy grin, and was about to walk over when Umara suddenly grabbed his arm. ¡°...Are you sure about this? I don¡¯t know if Ponteck is out to kill you. But, no matter what, none of this is worth it if you die. Just¡­ please tell me you¡¯re confident.¡± Her purple eyes looked up at his in worry. John could clearly feel her anxiety. He was injured during the last battle, to say nothing of his depleted energy. It couldn¡¯t have been easy, and he may not be running with anything more than half his reserves. But he only smiled, his dusty hand gracing her face. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking that title, my dear. Your boyfriend is about to become the Crowned Champion. Just give me a few minutes. I¡¯ll be done quick.¡± ¡°...¡± She didn¡¯t respond as he just turned and left, walking up into the arena to meet Ponteck. He looked fine with his armor on, only slightly weathered. But his face told a different story. He was still battered, his reserves low and only barely recovered. Seems like the medicine didn¡¯t help him as much as they thought. He wasn¡¯t going into this with much better health than John. He held his helmet underneath his arm, and shockingly, spoke first. ¡°John Cooper. I¡¯ve been told several things about you, and heard many more rumors.¡± ¡°They¡¯re probably true.¡± ¡°Doubtful. It seems we¡¯re both in a suboptimal state. You¡¯ve been worn down and I¡¯ve only partially recovered from Lady Talerria¡¯s spells. I have maybe 40% of my Vigor.¡± ¡°I would estimate about the same for my Psyka. Perhaps a third left if I¡¯m being more accurate. That jackass before you was difficult to get to.¡± ¡°Understandable. Then it seems I only have a slight advantage. So long as I also go without the armor they gave me.¡± With those words, Ponteck suddenly tossed his helmet away, tearing off his armor alongside it before throwing it off the arena. John¡¯s brows raised. ¡°How fair. You know, we never got to talk in any capacity before. But I¡¯m starting to think you¡¯re a pretty decent man.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m not so inclined to believe the slander I¡¯ve heard about you. Unfortunately, there are good things waiting for me should I deal with you. A Marquess household can¡¯t afford everything and I need to take all the rewards I can get. I¡¯m sure you understand what that means for our battle.¡± ¡°I do. But I can at least respect you despite that.¡± ¡°Respect for your enemy¡­ I don¡¯t hear that very often.¡± ¡°Because you all only fight mindless beasts. Now, with low reserves on both sides, this battle will go quickly. Let¡¯s just skip to the climax, shall we?¡± A Lewis Gun appeared in John¡¯s hand with those words, smoke puffing from his mouth one more time before he grabbed the short cigar and flicked it off the stage. Ponteck unsheathed his sword in response, his blood stained clothes shifting as he took his stance. For a while there was silence, until neither of them waited for the judge¡¯s signal and started themselves. Ponteck took off in a dash as John¡¯s finger slammed down the trigger, explosions ringing out in rapid succession. Lead flew towards Ponteck, fully empowered bullets only managing to put dents into his skin before mushrooming and falling aside like so many coins. His Vigor formed a visible film above his skin, a mere fraction of the power that was coursing through his flesh. And those were just the bullets that managed to hit. He was fast and agile and unpredictable enough to throw off John¡¯s aim, much more effective at dodging than any of the challengers that came before him. It bought John time but hurt Ponteck less. John ran as well, kiting him until the pan magazine ran dry. Then, he switched to the StG, unloading a magazine as the distance was closed. Ponteck¡¯s legs exploded as he shot himself toward John like the bullets coming his way, the tip of his sword snaking around the gun and straight toward John¡¯s chest. At that moment, John¡¯s eyes narrowed, a long breath escaping his mouth. With that breath came a dense white fog that pooled around their bodies, enveloping them, Ponteck¡¯s Aura tingling in alarm. And then another John appeared, one just as real as the original, breaking off his body. The two diverged on their own vectors. Ponteck was thrown off for a split second, enough time for both Johns to break off a distance away. Ponteck had been told that John used illusory techniques, but seeing it now in person wasn¡¯t something he could have prepared for. He spread his own Aura, but had a hard time immediately differentiating the two within the fog as they ran away. He could only stand there, not willing to make the wrong decision. And then, he suddenly snapped toward John, the real John, whose brows raised. ¡°You¡¯re good.¡± The other clone disappeared instantly, John having distanced himself several meters. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was something. In his hands now was a Browning A5 with slugs instead of the birdshot he used for spells. He started firing immediately, Ponteck¡¯s pupils narrowing as he felt the threat. He retreated as one of the slugs impacted his body, shattering the thin film above his skin and burrowing into his muscles before the slug pancaked, leaving a huge gash behind it. Even after mustering all his power he couldn¡¯t completely resist the slugs. He found it harrowing. Not even arrows carried such penetrative and devastating power behind each and every one, let alone in such rapid succession. On the other hand, however, John was feeling disgusted. He couldn¡¯t believe that Ponteck was actually resisting fully empowered slugs with his bare body. At the very least, with each shot, Ponteck¡¯s reserves fell drastically. Both of them were expending energy at unbelievable rates, but neither were about to back off. John let off four shells before stopping and reloading. That instant he stopped though, Ponteck shot forward, almost completely closing the distance with a single step. John barely even got two shells in by the time Ponteck was in front of him. However, as if John predicted it, he pulled the trigger and let off another slug. Ponteck only expected two, correlating it with the amount of shells John slotted in. John backed off while firing, and as soon as the second shell had been fired, Ponteck diverted energy into his legs and shot forward again. However, John was ready with one more shot, the slug firing off and tearing into Ponteck¡¯s dominant arm. It tore through his tricep, making it fall limp for a second as Ponteck reached out with his other arm. John tried to dodge, but he was too close, and Ponteck was too committed. Ponteck¡¯s fingers clawed downward, his fingernails making contact with John¡¯s chest and sliding down. His skin broke like paper underneath a knife, the nails tearing down his chest, gouging angry red channels into his flesh and carrying away what remained of the shirt. John, who was throwing himself backward, continued to do so with a long groan. He hit the ground and rolled, popping right back up to his feet and looking down to see him pouring blood. But he just smiled before jumping aside to dodge another oncoming strike. A clone appeared again, and although Ponteck knew what to look for, he was getting too tired to do so quickly. It bought John valuable seconds as he just stood there, creating more distance. But he found the real John shortly, taking off again into another run to be met with the shotgun. A few more slugs were fired, but Ponteck closed the distance too quickly. John was shockingly agile for a summoner, but nothing he could do would ever come close to the physical abilities of a knight. The only thing that was saving him was his predictive ability. Ponteck, even with such an advanced Aura, couldn¡¯t counter that. He didn¡¯t have enough time to learn the things that usually came with experience. He could only make do with what he had, though he wondered how John had gotten so good at fighting people. It definitely didn¡¯t come from fighting beasts. So after another round of chasing, Ponteck finally broke out his best card. He dashed forward, and John got ready to fire another volley. But right before he pulled the trigger, his instincts screamed at him. That¡¯s when he suddenly felt something. Time dilation, not on the level of his coat, but good enough to work with his speed of thought and seemingly slow everything around him. It was his Crown, the dilation ability he hadn¡¯t yet figured out how to activate at will. Ponteck swung his sword in slow motion. It was so fast that he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with it normally, and from it, a diagonal blade of white Vigor shot out toward him. It visibly sliced through the air as John contorted his body, shifting his torso and kicking his leg up so it wouldn¡¯t bisect him from the shoulder to the thigh. However, John soon realized that he would land flat on his back, and so, in preparation, he summoned an object into his hand. As time resumed, John felt the full force of his Psyka expenditure hit him, the blade of Vigor shooting right past him without so much as touching a single hair on his body. John¡¯s back slammed onto the floor, placing him into the most vulnerable position he could be in. Ponteck dove forward at the opportunity. However, his eagerness to end the fight decisively led him to ignore the small object flying behind him. John smiled as the grenade disappeared behind Ponteck, the pin twirling around his finger. With a Bang, the grenade exploded, sending Ponteck¡¯s body flying over John before his sword could reach him, his backside bloodied and heavily injured. John hadn¡¯t come out completely unscathed either though. He winced and looked down to find a hole in his leg and another through his forearm. There was probably a broken bone somewhere in there, but he couldn¡¯t mind that right now. He slowly climbed up, his injuries screaming at him. The cut down his chest, yet another fingernail injury, seemed to burn under the lingering power of Ponteck¡¯s vigor. But that wasn¡¯t half as bad as the grenade shrapnel that caused his limbs to bleed profusely. Once he was on his feet, he turned toward Ponteck. He was also climbing to his feet, several holes through his back, no doubt plenty of broken bones and hurt organs. It was far worse than what John was dealing with. But he was a knight. His wounds weren¡¯t even bleeding, at least not visibly, which was freakish enough. John laughed a bit. ¡°Now it¡¯s a fight. How much Vigor you got? I¡¯m about out of Psyka.¡± ¡°... Yeah.¡± Ponteck spit out some blood with that minimal response. He was no doubt in a world of pain, his eyes almost out of focus and his remaining Vigor desperate just to keep him alive. John started hobbling over to him, his bloodied grin threatening to give Ponteck nightmares. ¡°Come on, boy. Stick em¡¯ up! Let¡¯s have a man¡¯s fight!¡± ¡°... Agh!¡± Ponteck shouted, the two putting up their fists and diving toward each other. John delivered the first blow to Ponteck¡¯s stomach, sending out a shockwave of pain. But Ponteck delivered one in response, his knuckles digging right into John¡¯s head. The two fell back before throwing themselves at each other once more. Each one of Ponteck¡¯s blows were precise, backed by years of technique. Just because he used the sword didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t know hand to hand combat. In fact, the two were probably equal. But John had power. When reduced to their bare bodies without any Magika, John was bigger, heavier, and actually stronger. Vigor gave knights strength, but it was still only supplemental. The strength of Vigor meant nothing for their pure muscular strength. So John hit harder, and he could take the blows. Ponteck could dish them, but his severe injuries did him no favors. The two laid into each other for nearly five minutes, trading blows and bloody-ing each other further. John eventually stopped smiling and had to grit his teeth. His ribs were fractured and his face was swollen. His organs felt like they were about to explode with every body shot Ponteck delivered and his head was sending out waves of pain with every heartbeat. He could barely keep himself lucid when he was hit, almost blacking out before waking up to throw out another punch on pure instinct, his Psyka the only reason he managed to stay on his feet. But Ponteck was worse off. His Vigor reserves dwindled to nothing, his wounds started to bleed out. His skin was deathly pale and his weakness was obvious. That sneaky grenade had been the noose around the neck. And with one final punch, John hammered the last nail in his coffin. His knuckles drove into Ponteck¡¯s stomach, making him curl over before delivering another blow straight into his chin. With that, Ponteck passed out, collapsing to the floor. John pulled his fist back. A few unsteady steps backward, and he stared, uncomprehending, at Ponteck on the floor. Their bloodstains painted a mural across the arena floor and their bodies. Taking a second to let it settle in, he stood silent, and slowly straightened out his body. He stood tall, his shoulders rolled back to put himself on full display. And then, his smile broke out, his chin lifting to the sky. ¡°RAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!¡± The crowd exploded as he roared into the sky for several seconds, adrenaline coursing through his body in a euphoric high. But his victory cry was cut off by the menacing impact of someone jumping down from the stands. John looked over to see President Carrion on the edge of the arena, looking at him with a dark gaze. The hairs on the back of John¡¯s neck rose, but he still shot him a bloody smile. Another impact was felt through the floor, but it wasn¡¯t from Carrion¡¯s side. From the corner of his eye, John saw Ignatius and Willow Verga rising from their landing. More Magisterium staff stepped down beside President Carrion. And then, as if in response, the Raven Chief appeared beside Ignatius, Shadowbane by his side. Even the Duchess glided down onto the arena. John felt a few more Auras light up from the stands as well, one of them being the familiar Patriarch Tavera. For a moment, there was a standoff. John slumping in the middle and feeling the heated clash of dreadfully powerful Auras. What broke it was the Puppet Master running on stage with Vizen, Umara right behind them. He ran over to his side as Vizen tended to Ponteck. ¡°A few dozen internal wounds, some organ scrambling. Goodness, John. You¡¯re making me work today.¡± ¡°Hell yeah.¡± John chuckled and grabbed Umara, trying to pull her in for a kiss. But his wounded leg buckled as the adrenaline wore off, and he instead stumbled into Umara¡¯s shoulder, barely able to keep standing. She caught him, disregarding the blood smearing across her clothes. The Puppet Master walked over just then and patted John¡¯s shoulder, but before he could speak, John suddenly turned to President Carrion, letting go of Umara. ¡°Looks like I won. But that¡¯s not enough. I want you to say it.¡± ¡°...¡± Carrion was silent, glaring in pure rage at the kid who had slapped him in the face. Not many people knew about what was going on, but for those who did, they knew Carrion had lost. It was impossible. It had never happened, should never have happened. Ponteck was a genius that would go into the Hall of Fame. He was the prodigy of his bloodline, the seed for a new line of high nobles. Yet he had lost to a cold summoner who, not even a year prior, was completely unknown to the Kingdom. Seeing Carrion¡¯s silence, John frowned and yelled. His own anger, imperceivable before, suddenly exploded out all at once through his Aura. ¡°Say it! Fucking say it! In fact, take out that trophy and lay it down at my fucking feet! John Cooper is the Crowned Champion of the Magisterium¡¯s Tournament! He defeated Ponteck Gulliard in fair battle after 5 consecutive matches! The first summoner to win in Magisterium history! Go on, Carrion! I want you to say it!¡± John stumbled in blinding rage, taking a step toward Carrion, but lost his footing on the way. Umara caught him again. ¡°John-¡± ¡°Come on, Carrion! Say my fucking name! I want you to engrave it into your fucking skull!¡± ¡°John!¡± Umara yelled, pulling John back and grabbing his face. They looked each other in the eyes. ¡°This is it, John. This is that time.¡± ¡°I¡­ I gave it everything I had¡­¡± ¡°I know. And you won.¡± She hugged his head, the blood of his face smearing onto her shirt. ¡°...You won. So let¡¯s go. It¡¯s over now.¡± ¡°...¡± He was silent, nodding into her shoulder a bit before standing straight. She helped him as they walked off the arena, those who had come to his side making a path, watching them with half concern and half joy as they walked off. Maxwell appeared before the couple. ¡°Let us go to Polaris. They will treat him, and he¡¯ll be safe.¡± ¡°Should I leave him with you or¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t dirty myself with his blood. Just follow me.¡± He waved, Umara snorting out a laugh as she helped the half-conscious John walk out of the stadium. On the arena, the standoff continued for a little longer as Ponteck got rushed off stage, a whole staff of healers on standby. Ignatius Verga spoke first. ¡°I quite enjoyed this finale. I think those of the Holy See will find the results of this tournament to be quite historical.¡± ¡°The Whetted City will mark this day as well. Never has a summoner been so capable as to best the Magisterium¡¯s greatest.¡± Carrion grit his teeth as the Raven Chief concurred, barely speaking through his anger. ¡°The Magisterium will not validate your reports.¡± ¡°President Carrion, you are mistaken.¡± Ignatius smiled. ¡°You will announce the results of this championship to the world. Failure to do so will throw the Magisterium¡¯s credibility into question, as well as the integrity of its staff. In such a case, I¡¯m afraid some of the administration may have to be investigated, perhaps reeducated and replaced according to the Kingdom''s bi-jurisdictional law with the Church¡­ But of course, that¡¯s only if this prestigious institution makes such a lowly blunder. I can¡¯t imagine that happening, right, President?¡± ¡°...¡± Ignatius shot Carrion a smile before turning and walking away. Like that, the standoff was broken, the tournament ending quietly. Yet its aftermath would be anything but. Chapter 124: Warm Socks I wasn¡¯t sure when I passed out. I only remember leaving the stadium before everything went dark. When I said I was just about out of Psyka, I had meant it. Why else would I resort to boxing Ponteck Gulliard? I couldn¡¯t even summon a pistol at that point. But my mind didn¡¯t need energy for my body to work. At that point, I just needed to stay lucid, which was easier since my mind was still powerful. The dregs of energy it gathered even while empty was enough to keep me awake and resist the lapses in consciousness whenever I got punched in the head. Either way, when I woke up and opened my eyes, I immediately noticed the dark surroundings. The room I was in was illuminated, but the walls and floor were made of some black stone like obsidian. It was odd. I let out a few deep breaths, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and propping myself up a bit. A sense of incredible clarity hit me like a truck¡­ not that I would know what that felt like. It wasn¡¯t like I had started on the next advancement formation so I couldn¡¯t be advancing at all. But I still felt like I had gotten more powerful. Maybe it was like a solidification of my recent advancement of power. Either way, my mind was crystal clear and my body felt equally good. The leg and forearm that received a hit from some shrapnel were a little sore, but obviously mostly healed. ¡°John?¡± I heard Umara¡¯s voice and looked over to see her sitting on a couch. It seemed Maxwell let her use one of his. She smiled and walked over to my bedside, brushing back my hair. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m feeling great, honey.¡± ¡°Hehe, I bet you are. How does it feel to be the first Crowned Champion Summoner in Magisterium history?¡± ¡°¡­ Good. Pretty good. It took everything I had to give, but it was worth it seeing the look on Carrion¡¯s face. Where are we, by the way?¡± I asked while taking another glance around. I saw an emblem on the wall and vaguely remembered it. Umara¡¯s answer cleared my suspicion. ¡°We¡¯re in the Polaris Headquarters. Maxwell brought you here to heal. You slept for a full day after the tournament, so it¡¯s about morning right now.¡± ¡°Oh. I really gotta stop doing that.¡± I sighed while sitting up. It seemed every time I exerted myself, I¡¯d sleep for a whole day to get better. I don¡¯t know about anyone else but that wasn¡¯t normal where I came from. Umara shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s normal. It¡¯s what happens when you overexert. Now, take a look at this.¡± She excitedly scooted against my side as I threw an arm over her shoulder, what looked like a newspaper appearing in her hands. The front page held the results of the Magisterium tournament, a large picture of me screaming into the air next to Ponteck¡¯s collapsed figure smack dab in the middle of columns of text. ¡°John Cooper, Cold Summoner, wins the Magisterium tournament for the first time in history.¡± ¡°Carrion actually made me the official winner? Shocking.¡± ¡°Indeed. But it seems like he didn¡¯t have a choice.¡± ¡°Yes. I got both wins.¡± I smiled in thought. The tournament win was only one victory. The fact that they had to declare the win was another. I was dead sure that Carrion would rather die than plaster my name with such fame but it seemed he was forced to comply. In our little battle of wits, I had won. Not only had I gotten another Crown that he couldn¡¯t take from me, but I had now won the tournament despite everything he tried to do to kill me. Even Ponteck had been trying to kill me for the rewards they offered him, let alone all the others. But I had thoroughly dominated all the others while barely triumphing over Ponteck. I had won the tournament and lived. I did everything they didn¡¯t want me to. That wasn¡¯t just winning the battle, but the whole damn war. So I was satisfied. There was now absolutely nothing that I needed to concern myself with regarding the Magisterium or anything related to it. I could leave now and never look back. Of course, I¡¯d still like to graduate, just to have that for the resume. Not to mention all the time and effort I had invested into it. I wouldn¡¯t want to leave with nothing. I just had to stick it out through the last excursion we had. ¡°Speaking of, when¡¯s the excursion?¡± ¡°We leave in four days, and it will be 15 days long.¡± ¡°Mm, good. Get in, get out, graduate, and be done. I¡¯m about ready to move on.¡± I laid back and sighed. It felt like this was the climax of my year. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to do more, but I didn¡¯t have much of a choice. I crawled out of the bed. Turns out I was in nothing but underwear, but I didn¡¯t mind as I twisted my body and popped all my stiff joints. Once thoroughly loosened up, there was a knock on the door, a doctor walking in. ¡°John Cooper? Seems you¡¯re doing just fine.¡± ¡°I am. Thanks for the treatment. Do I owe you anything?¡± ¡°No, you have nothing to worry about. Lady Luna would like to extend her congratulations, in fact. She said that you should go see her when you¡¯re able. If you want, I can take you there right now.¡± ¡°Oh, I suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt. I¡¯ll dress real quick and meet you outside.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The doctor nodded and left, letting me dress. I threw on my pile of clothes sitting on a nearby table before slipping back into my coat. I was certainly appreciating it more now. That fingernail wound from Ponteck had actually left a scar down my chest, alongside the new lumps of scar tissue through my leg and forearm from the shrapnel. Only a few among many, but still enough to remind me of my weakness. Once dressed, Umara and I walked out and followed the doctor further into the headquarters. Along the way, we passed by some blue glowing plants with vines that sprouted glowing bulbs and crystalline leaves. They were incredibly pretty, though they were dimming as the morning sun rose over the horizon. ¡°Moonshade. We used a bit to get you back in working order. Good stuff, any battlefield medic will appreciate it if you have a bit on hand.¡± The doctor waved us onward, guiding us into yet another glossy jet-black door. ¡­ After traveling down a long pathway lined in the same obsidian brick as the medical room, we walked to what seemed like a throne room, a grand hall decorated with pillars and insignia, yet without the statues or images that might¡¯ve hinted at the history of the institution. There were many people walking throughout the hall. Most seemed like workers for the headquarters, likely managing all of the Polaris businesses like the bank and production lines. We were brought straight across the hall, passing everyone and walking through a set of double doors. We were greeted by an office. On one side was a massive Orb flashing with countless tiny runic formations. It seemed impossibly complex, becoming recursively dense as I tried zooming in on the tiny glyphs with my eyes. On the other side was a chair upon which Lady Luna sat in silent meditation. The head of the Polaris Family was stunningly gorgeous, so much so that she seemed ethereal. If I was being honest, I could barely concentrate on her features. It was like her face was being obscured by an Auric fog alongside her platinum hair, and my mind filled in the gaps of what I couldn¡¯t see, hallucinating her beauty. It was quite amazing to see up close, but sure enough, her eyes opened with our entrance and ended my curious analysis. ¡°John, it¡¯s good to see you well.¡± ¡°You as well, Lady Luna.¡± ¡°Greetings, Lady Luna.¡± Umara curtsied beside me, making the Lady smile. ¡°Hello, Lady Umara. Seems you¡¯ve been making rapid progress since I last saw you here.¡± ¡°Yes, and I thank you for the hospitality you showed my mother and I back then, as well as for the care you¡¯ve shown in these past days.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite welcome. We don¡¯t get many guests, but it¡¯s always interesting when we do. Like now. I¡¯m proud to say that I now stand in the presence of the Magisterium¡¯s most historic summoner. Please, come sit.¡± She waved, a couch appearing before the chair. We took a seat as I smiled at her. ¡°Thank you, Lady Luna. It took everything I had, but it was worth it.¡± ¡°Indeed, yet even then, your everything is inconsequential to what you represent. Your power is already so far beyond the rest of the summoner class that you now represent a new path. Maxwell plotted the path on a map, which was revolutionary in its own right. But you¡¯re the one who needs to tread it, and you¡¯re already proving how superior it is. It¡¯s becoming quite obvious that you have something the rest of the class doesn¡¯t, which will attract more eyes than your infamy does, in or out of the Markets. And now that the entire Kingdom knows your name, there¡¯s no hiding.¡± ¡°...You know, I hadn¡¯t thought of that.¡± I suddenly felt my heart sink a bit. By now, I could already expect that everyone connected to the black markets who knew the American also now knew that the American was John Cooper. It was a bit too obvious to hide. So now, both my identities were connected and revealed. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. But the worst of it was the fact that everyone now knew who I was. I was the talk of the town, and I was carrying some valuable knowledge that many would want to get their hands on. Knowledge that could revolutionize an entire class of Magi. I had to admit, this would not be very good for my health. It turns out that announcing my win was actually bad for me, far worse than if I had just faded into the background. I was beginning to believe that Carrion did this on purpose. So the choices were to win and attract dangerous attention, or lose and let Carrion win. Seems I went with the more emotional option. I had won, but at what cost? A long sigh escaped my lips. ¡°Damned if I do, damned if I don¡¯t. I really can¡¯t catch a break, huh?¡± ¡°Well, you certainly don''t make it easy for yourself. But, I will admit, John, it¡¯s a welcome change to the scene. It may be more dangerous, but it¡¯s more valiant. It¡¯s the correct thing, more importantly. But I do recommend laying low now. You¡¯ve attracted just about all the attention you possibly could, so your best option is to stay hidden and let the spotlight fade, at least until you get into the military.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ll definitely be doing that.¡± ¡°Good. And to that end, I have something for you.¡± Lady Luna¡¯s hand flipped, a soft bundle of items appearing in her palm. Then she unfolded them, revealing a pair of hot pink socks. Umara¡¯s head tilted. ¡°Socks?¡± ¡°Indeed. These are called the Warm Socks. They self clean, don¡¯t get wet, and keep your feet warm. We don¡¯t have very many as they were a discontinued product due to their difficulty to make, but I¡¯d like you to have a pair.¡± ¡°...¡± I stared at the socks while Luna softly placed them in my hands. I had to admit, this was the last thing I¡¯d guess she¡¯d give me. I looked up, finding her bright eyes watching me with a smile. Then, I bobbed my head. ¡°You know what? I love this gift, Luna.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really. You can never go wrong with a pair of socks.¡± ¡°Indeed! And these are the best socks in the Kingdom. I couldn¡¯t find any in another color though, so I apologize for the pink.¡± ¡°Hey now, I can rock pink. Watch.¡± I suddenly kicked off my boots, swapping my other socks for the pink ones. Once they were on I stood and struck a pose, looking at Umara. ¡°How do I look?¡± ¡°Pfft. You look beautiful.¡± ¡°Damn straight honey.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± I heard Luna laugh, smiling before sitting back down and throwing my boots on. That¡¯s when I noticed how comfortable wearing the boots became. They were already comfortable, but now the socks made my feet felt like they were resting on clouds. The temperature also adjusted perfectly. It was blissful. Honestly, this was turning out to be a pretty good gift. ¡°Thank you Luna, these socks are amazing.¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m glad. Now, I¡¯ll let you go so you can relax. I¡¯m aware your next excursion is less than a week from now. Please prepare yourself. It¡¯ll be your most dangerous one.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Mm. But don¡¯t be a stranger. Here, take a badge. You are now an honored guest of the Polaris Family. Come see me again after your trip.¡± ¡°Oh, well, thank you. I will.¡± I checked out the badge. It bore the regalia of the Polaris Family, a moon surrounded by seven shining stars, the topmost star gleaming the brightest. The badge itself was a bright silver, and each star actually shone with what looked like a tiny white crystal. It was pretty, no doubt a disproportionate investment of resources, but perhaps holders of the card warranted such an honor. Well, I was now one of those people. What that meant, I didn¡¯t know, but it seemed like I¡¯d at least be able to visit Luna when I wanted. I looked back up at her with a smile, taking her extended hand and shaking it. ¡°Have a pleasant day, John.¡± ¡°You as well.¡± ¡°And you, Umara. I look forward to your progress. Perhaps one day we might converse about the nature of magic.¡± ¡°I sure hope so.¡± Umara smiled and received a small hug from Luna. After that we left the room, heading back out of the headquarters and onto the Black Spider main street. Umara glanced back briefly. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ interesting.¡± ¡°Right? Seems like a fun person. Definitely not what I expected, but I¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°Mm. So, what are your plans? Four days until the excursion. Anything you want to do?¡± ¡°No. I want to do fuck all. I don¡¯t even want to leave the hotel.¡± ¡°Really? I mean, you missed the trophy ceremony yesterday. But there¡¯s still your final tests.¡± ¡°...Tsk.¡± I clicked my tongue, making her laugh a bit. To think I still had to do some tests. They would be easy since I had basically memorized the books by now, but still. ¡°I¡¯ll just stop by to talk to the teachers today. After that though, I¡¯m relaxing. Maybe I¡¯ll start on the next advancement formation. If I wait for too long I¡¯ll get lazy.¡± ¡°Sounds good. And since you have free time, mind if I pick your brain for science? We haven¡¯t been able to discuss anything recently.¡± ¡°Of course. Curious about those weapons?¡± ¡°Very.¡± ¡°Well it¡¯s an interesting topic. We can talk on our way to the Magisterium. First, the flamethrower. Its chemical composition is pretty simple until we get to the different hydrocarbons and the nature of combustion when combined with other inert gasses and accelerants¡­¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ My day was spent preparing for the end of the year. It was no secret that the fourth year students had another excursion, but usually they were all in classes that automatically accommodated for that. I wasn¡¯t, so I needed to plan accordingly, which basically meant taking my final exams early. But that was fine since I was a summoner. My mind was magnitudes better compared to when I first came to this world, so memorizing the entire book was no issue, let alone taking a curated test. Besides, I had my experience from college to help me out. This school was much easier in comparison. In fact, it was so easy that I decided just to take the final exams on the spot. They had already prepared them so I took the opportunity. They even graded them during class. I aced all of them. And so, I never had to show up to class again. All I needed to do was go on this trip and my time at the Magisterium would be over. After that day passed, I had three more days. During that time, I actually went and tried to check on Vetsmon. The Puppet Master let me see what he was doing, but not actually meet him. And he really was being worn to the bone. There were hundreds of wounds, both partially healed and fresh, across his entire body. He was locked in a never ending battle against constant enemies that he had to fight off with his bare body, a pitiful shield, and a basic sword. All while having his Vigor locked away. Of course, not all of the Vigor was wiped from his body. There was just enough left to keep him alive and functioning. Under normal circumstances he would just go back to feeling like an ordinary person. But he wasn¡¯t allowed any respite. Part of me enjoyed seeing it, as mean as that was. I just liked the thought of him knowing how I felt. A knight¡¯s resilience no doubt made many of them complacent, since they could weather even the worst damage known to man. An ordinary person would be killed thousands of times over if they had to take the same damage. Case in point, as soon as Ponteck¡¯s Vigor dwindled to nothing and could no longer stifle his wounds, he collapsed. For a while, we were actually fighting on equal grounds. His Vigor was too busy keeping him alive while I had no Psyka left to spend. Thus, two ordinary, though wounded, men resorted to bare knuckle fighting. It was almost refreshing. And I had won, because I could take more hits and dish out harder ones by virtue of my size and weight. Ponteck wasn¡¯t as big as me, so despite his superior skill, I won in the end. Now, Vetsmon was feeling the same thing that I always did. The vulnerability of the ordinary, the capabilities of the mediocre, capable of dying at any moment. Perhaps that threat he gave me had left a sour taste in my mouth after all. Part of me wanted to go up to him and ask how it felt. Eventually I left for my hotel room, lest I enjoy his suffering too much. Beyond that, my time was spent resting. My Crown still had lingering effects even going into the tournament. My body was still sensitive and I hadn¡¯t completely adapted to my senses. Of course, the capabilities they afforded me, even if uncoordinated, were still much sharper than what I had before. It was the only reason I was able to survive against Ponteck for as long as I did while in close range without my coat. The tournament did a good job of distracting me from all those issues though. However, now that I was healed and relaxed, I noticed myself on edge. I could only spend time settling myself, giving my body time to process things itself. Because of that, I had a lot of free time, a lot of which was spent educating Umara. Two days before we left, I was doing just that. The sun set and I found myself looking at the night time streets of the Capitol. A quick glance at the clock told me Umara and I had been discussing things for around eight hours. I looked down. One of the main streets was aligned with the hotel, so I could see down its length for close to a mile before it got blocked by another building. From here, I was able to exercise my eyes to their fullest extent. The results were extraordinary. That building a mile away could be seen as if it were merely across the street. Even the people in some of the windows, from their grimaces and smiles to the shifting wrinkles on their clothes, And that wasn¡¯t even the best of it ¡ª I could keep zooming in. It was only at two miles that my vision finally started to drop off. Yet I could still see over three miles away clearly. At two miles, individual leaves on a branch started getting blurry, but I could still tell you how many there were. At three miles, I could still tell you how many bricks composed a section of the city wall. Beyond that, my vision wasn¡¯t precise, but it was still far better than any other human. And that wasn¡¯t even mentioning the fact that it was dark out. It looked no different than daytime for me. It was an insane level of vision that I could hardly fathom having. I actually disoriented myself a bit and had to zone out when trying to concentrate at such a distance. Eagle eyes, that¡¯s what they were. How I would use my guns in conjunction with my eyes, I wasn¡¯t completely sure. But it would be worth it to figure that out as I started to receive specialized sniper rifles. For now, I could just adjust what sights I had and correlate my vision with my aiming. However, while looking around the city with my fancy new eyeballs, I noticed more than just tree leaves and couples kissing in the windows of restaurants. I also noticed some posters on some walls and hanging on lines over the streets. On a select few posters were images. And I naturally recognized myself. Screaming into the air, shirtless, sexy abs, and standing over the body of my defeated opponent. There were only a few, but I could actually see people passing out more of those posters. I asked while looking for more. ¡°Hey babe, what¡¯s with the posters of me?¡± ¡°Hm? What posters?¡± ¡°Those.¡± I found one nearby and pointed, Umara walking over and squinting. ¡°Hm, interesting.¡± ¡°Do they usually make posters after the tournament?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve never seen something like that before. But it doesn¡¯t surprise me.¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re the first summoner to ever pull something like this off. Not to mention the controversy surrounding the tournament. You think nobody else knew what was going on? I¡¯m sure the news is out and about by now regarding what Carrion tried to do. Maybe not about how he was trying to kill you, but the unfairness was clear as day.¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent, watching as posters got passed out like candy. They weren¡¯t even charging for them. ¡°You stood against President Carrion and beat down a bunch of cocky nobles while making history. Doing any one of those things would make you famous for a period. Doing all of them makes you something of a legend. I¡¯ve been hearing nothing but talk about you. Even my mother has been asking me to come home, probably to talk about the spells and you, but I¡¯ve kind of been ignoring her.¡± ¡°How naughty. Still, this doesn¡¯t help me. If it keeps going like this, then I¡¯m going to start seeing my nickname pretty soon.¡± ¡°Which nickname?¡± ¡°American.¡± I turned away from the window. ¡°It was what I was called in the black market. I already know people are making the connection. And that makes the situation worse.¡± ¡°Oh I know. Being famous must be so difficult. To think you have to go through the hell of watching people idolize you for another two days, all from the comfort of the Kingdom¡¯s safest and most luxurious hotel. Ugh, the tragedy!¡± ¡°Oh heavens I know! Please, hold me my dear. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll make it much longer.¡± ¡°Ack!¡± I dramatically spun around before directly falling into Umara¡¯s arms, forcing her to catch me as I let out a sorrowful sigh. ¡°You¡¯re heavy!¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t think I can take it anymore¡­ The pressure is too much¡­¡± ¡°Shut up and stand!¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s like the whole world is against me. Thankfully I can find comfort in the one woman who lo-¡± ¡°I¡¯m dropping you!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± I let out a quick scream, landing flat on my back as Umara¡¯s arms loosened, She looked down at me with a smile before suddenly squeaking as I pulled her leg and brought her down to my level. After that we fooled around for a while. Two days before a short trip, yet it felt like I was already done with everything. I looked forward to the future. Chapter 125: Purple Sky Over the next two days, I did exactly as I said I would and relaxed. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean nothing was happening around me. For one, those posters I saw on the streets earlier had spread like a virus. They were everywhere, on almost every building, and scattered across the streets. At some point I felt more concerned than confused. I didn¡¯t believe this was happening for no reason. I just didn¡¯t know why, and since I wasn¡¯t searching, I couldn¡¯t find out who. I could only hope this didn¡¯t devolve in a way that would land me in more trouble. Part of me thought that it was the precursor to some kind of protest or revolution, but I didn¡¯t believe that my winning the tournament was enough to spark something like that. If not for the slap to Carrion¡¯s face my victory would be, I wouldn¡¯t have even bothered with it. It really didn¡¯t matter much, so I let it be and let my days pass. Umara and I devoted those two days to scientific discussion. This time, it was a deep dive, unlike the more surface level concepts we previously covered. In the process, I filled out another 30 pages for her, all of them loaded with definitions and principles. The core of our discussions revolved around some chemistry, biology, and ballistics. I taught her about different chemicals and how they could affect the human body, including the ways to synthesize them and about chemical synthesis in general. I also taught her most of what there was to know about ballistic weapons, including grenades and bombs. In particular, I talked about the most explosive weapon I utilized during the tournament, particularly the one against the earth warlock. Satchel charges. They were simple weapons utilized during WW2 and were nothing more than explosives packed into a handbag. The type of explosive could vary and came in various quantities. For the annoying fellow who walled me in and insisted on being difficult to lock down, I decided to bring out the good stuff. I used the satchel charges alongside grenades in order to either demolish his walls or corner him with his own structures. In the end, it worked out. The only downside was that it took a lot of energy, but that was beside the point. I taught Umara about what they were, how they worked, why, and all the other little details. Of course, conceptually it was all simple. It was easy to know that a bullet inside a rifle had its primer ignited by a firing pin, combusting the gunpowder within the casing and propelling the bullet through the barrel while twisting it with rifling. The problem was in the weeds. It wasn¡¯t easy to know that primers could be composed of a variety of different chemicals, that gunpowder, or more specifically smokeless powder, could be shaped in several ways like pellets or cordite and have their own special effects, or why the rifling enhanced a bullet¡¯s ballistic coefficient. And the systems within a gun instantly grew more complicated with the advent of automatic feeding, adding on a whole other level of mechanical complexity. Then there were explosives that could be ignited through electricity, shock, or combustion. Each one had different properties and effects that determined how you could potentially defend against it. After all, just because you blocked something didn¡¯t mean you blocked all the energy. As soon as tanks became widespread in WW2, armor piercing became a big deal. And sometimes, you didn¡¯t even need to break the armor. Shockwaves and spalling would kill just as easily as penetration. Everything was rather easy to understand individually, but the way it all came together and painted one massive and convoluted picture had Umara stumped. Weapons were more than just their components and chemistries. A weapon was an icon of its creator¡¯s intent. Regardless, it was difficult to explain to her how these things could be defended against. That¡¯s what she wanted to know the most; in her words, if she could defend against my weapons, she could defend against anything. I agreed with her, but the issue was that these weapons were built precisely to punch through defenses. It was why warlock barriers couldn''t handle bullets even if the overall force was less than an attack from a knight. This led to one important lesson that I told her. It wasn¡¯t about the total amount of energy, but rather how that energy was used. Of course, like with the earth warlock, sometimes more boom was the key to your problems. When one bomb wasn¡¯t enough, I threw more. But weapons were not just about destructive power, but efficiency. I wanted Umara to learn that, because she only had a finite amount of energy. That was essentially the conclusion of our two day discussion. The day came for us to leave for our last excursion. Umara and I packed our things and went to the terminal instead of the Magisterium, meeting with the rest of our class as well as our squad and the Puppet Master. It¡¯s also when we finally got to see Vetsmon. He didn¡¯t look too good, to say the least. Hollow cheekbones and saggy eyes most prominently told of his ordeals, and the templar standing sentinel behind him certainly didn¡¯t help his image. It didn¡¯t seem like he was going to talk to us much. Either he wasn¡¯t allowed to, or simply wasn¡¯t in the mood. I didn¡¯t blame him either way, but that didn¡¯t mean it wouldn¡¯t be awkward. ¡°Listen up!¡± The Puppet Master¡¯s voice echoed through the terminal. There were several hundred soldiers around us, probably reinforcements for the base we were headed to. ¡°Our destination is the forward bastion Purple Sky! This will be the most dangerous base you¡¯ve ever been to. The only people there who are below Authority 5 are logistics officers. There are approximately 100 thousand troops at this installation alone, and you will be nothing more than a small drop in that enormous bucket. For the duration of your stay, all of you will be given a temporary Infantry rank of Sergeant, equivalent to an Authority 4. You must follow the chain of command accordingly. There will be no excuses for neglecting your duties, disobeying orders, or falling out of rank. Do so, and disciplinary action will be taken. And believe me, that¡¯s the last thing you want right before graduation. Now board the Rail! You only have two cars, so you¡¯d better get comfortable!¡± The last of his words prompted us to file into the Rail, piling into one of two cars. They were big, but not entirely enough to comfortably accommodate 150 students. 75 students per car meant that we were squeezing a little. Of course, the Elites immediately carved out a section for themselves, so we at least got more space. My squad claimed three small rows. Umara and I took one while Feiden and Tana took another. As for Vetsmon, he was stuck with his babysitter. Like that, we were off. However, as soon as the Rail started moving, I frowned in annoyance. I could hardly call it a premonition, but I immediately knew that something annoying would be happening not long from now. ¡­¡­ ¡­ After a day, we made a stop at a military depot, picking up more troops and supplies before streaking back off to the base. It was another day before we finally arrived at Purple Sky. Its namesake was immediately obvious. The terminal itself was even larger than the Capitol¡¯s, about twice as deep and thrice as long. It accommodated truckloads of supplies and troops that constantly boarded and disembarked. That wasn¡¯t even considering the fact that there were two other Rails that came into this place. Once we arrived, we were immediately taken command of by another officer, an Authority 8. We were assigned to one of the weaker battalions primarily responsible for support, not any kind of direct combat utility, which was completely fine with me. A streaked expanse hung over us as we walked to our quarters. I couldn¡¯t imagine what was turning it purple, but whatever it was, it was working. We were rushed off with our luggage to a huge living area. It was essentially a hangar filled with nothing but bunks, crap, and people. I was separated from Umara in the process as the girls were taken elsewhere. Feiden and I paired up and dumped our stuff on our beds. After that, we were taken to a command area for a debrief. The Magisterium students were already divided into squads, but to better integrate us into the command structure, each squad would be assigned their own commander. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! The chain of command was an integral part of making sure that we could get told what to do in the most efficient manner. As the strongest squad, we were assigned Squad 1 and given a captain who was in charge of mine and Ponteck¡¯s squad, the second strongest. We were also given assignments. Everyone had something to do, even if it was bullshit, sometimes quite literally. We were set on a rotating schedule for tasks, particularly cleaning duties. We couldn¡¯t do much even in a support role, given our low authorities. They would probably find something for us to do later, but until then, we were stuck getting bottom of the barrel duties. And there was no delay. Our duties started on the spot, and conveniently, my squad was on dusting duty. What was dusting duty? ¡°This is fucking bullshit.¡± I muttered while swiping a broom across an entry ramp. This ramp led into a bay for countless vehicles. Of course, these vehicles tracked in dirt, purple grass, and whatever else was out there. So our job was to sweep it up. The only issue was that the trucks constantly came and went, without rest or respite. We had to sprint out of the way whenever they came or left, before running back to get to sweeping again. If we slacked, we got yelled at. I heard Umara chuckle from behind me. ¡°I would say it''s relaxing compared to the other things we could be doing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. We could be on toilet duty.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯d kill myself.¡± Feiden muttered from the side, making me laugh. ¡°Hummer!¡± ¡°Hummer!¡± A few people shouted as a car came speeding up the ramp. We ran out of the way as it flew past and into the hangar. I scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re trying to hit us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard they do exactly that. It¡¯s like a game.¡± ¡°Assholes.¡± I shook my head before running back and finding a streak of muddy crap inside a crevice. Left behind by the Hummer, of course. Well, we were the newbies. We weren¡¯t really allowed to complain. I did anyway though. Dusting duty wouldn¡¯t be so bad if it didn¡¯t last 6 hours. And apparently it wasn¡¯t usually difficult, but because it was spring and rainy, a lot more mud got caked on the tires and more was tracked in. Normally it was just dirt or dust. But again, it wasn¡¯t as bad as what the bathroom cleanup fellows had to deal with. I said a silent prayer for them. And then prayed we would never be assigned to that. And that was our entire first day. The tour of the base only came the second day, and it seemed like we wouldn¡¯t be rotated on our duties. Since we were elites, we got the good stuff. I had the Puppet Master to thank for that. After the second day¡¯s tour we were back to menial labor. A quick question to the Puppet Master told me that we wouldn¡¯t be getting missions anytime soon. Apparently, there was a lull in attacks recently. Any missions that came up were mainly for scouting, and that wouldn''t go to us. The only issue I had with that information was that it gave me a bad feeling, stronger than the annoying feeling I had gotten when the Rail left the station. By now, I trusted my intuition, and felt like something was wrong. The only thing that dampened that feeling was the fact that this was one of the largest military bases humanity had, stationed at the front of the frontlines. There were literally armies of scourge beasts, bigger than any siege we had been a part of, sitting at our doorstep. And because of that, this place was manned by an Authority 12. I was told that, but I couldn''t sense whoever it was. I could sense a few Authority 11¡¯s though, as well as plenty of Authority 10¡¯s. It made them seem common. Regardless, this base was one of the safest places to be in despite the danger just outside. Since we wouldn¡¯t be fighting, it was safe for us. It hadn¡¯t fallen since it was created, and there was no way it would be falling now. So I could only disregard the feeling. Anything that threatened this place¡¯s security wasn¡¯t something I could do anything about anyway. So what I was feeling was probably just a siege on the horizon. Once our duties for the second day were over, I grabbed Umara and started wandering the base. ¡°Let¡¯s go see the wall.¡± ¡°The wall? I don¡¯t think we can go up there.¡± ¡°Hey, with enough confidence, you can go anywhere. Just don¡¯t act nervous and follow me.¡± Saying that, I started walking through the base, passing row after row of residences. The Purple Sky Base really was massive. A lot of space was needed for 100 thousand people, including all the resources and logistics necessary to keep them fed and operational. It was a city unto itself. There were even vendors who sold higher quality food than the stuff from the cafeteria, including an entire sector of blacksmiths and enchanters. There was naturally plenty of demand for their services. We bypassed that commercial sector and approached the wall. Umara followed a step behind me while I kept my Aura reigned in. As I had learned, anybody who could use Aura to a degree had a certain sixth sense that told them the power level of the people around them. I could sense Authority 11¡¯s even from a distance, at least the ones who couldn¡¯t ¡ª or wouldn¡¯t ¡ª reign in their Aura. If you were capable of either completely concealing your Aura or masking it with false information, then the people around you would only be able to sense what you wanted them to sense. Although there were powerful people here, the vast majority sat around Authority 6 and 7. That also seemed to be the average, considering the logarithmic decrease in higher authorities present. And I was pretty confident in my Aura, as well as the recent illusive techniques I had developed during the tournament. So long as I projected a certain image, that would be all the soldiers around me could see. They¡¯d have to be significantly better in order to see through me. So with Umara in tow, I walked straight up to one of the side gates that led to a staircase. There was a guard beside it, but I didn¡¯t even look at him, simply walking up to the gate. And I stood there for a second, the guard giving me a glance before reaching over and opening the gate. I walked through, Umara slipping in behind me as we ascended a staircase. After a few twists and turns, we ascended up to the highest level, the top of the wall affording us an overview of the landscape beyond. The sight was extraordinary. For one, there was none of the plant life that I knew elsewhere. There were no trees, no shrubbery, and purple grass could only grow in the areas where the ground wasn¡¯t cratered and split open. In every other area, there were sharp vines growing across the ground, their thorns blood red. I recognized these vines from my bestiary class. These vines were called Blood Thorn, and the thorns fed on the blood of all those who fell before the wall. They were some freakish carnivorous scavenger, and by no means passive. When a corpse fell, the vines would reach out and plunge into their new prey. The thorns were hard as metal, and they couldn''t differentiate between a live and dead body¡­ or simply didn¡¯t care. If you weren¡¯t careful, they¡¯d plunge into your legs and bleed you dry. Apparently the thorns were laced with something that made you bleed excessively, probably an anti-coagulant. These things were basically living barbed wire and even attempting to walk across a field of them would kill someone like me. And they were everywhere. I could see entire fields of them in all directions, some of them squirming around with life, spreading out in search of more prey. It sent a shiver up my spine. This was the true face of the frontlines, and there were many more bases like this one. The war against the Scourge spread across the entire front of the Kingdom¡¯s territory. Someday, I¡¯d love to see a map of it all. I pulled out a cigar and started smoking, letting out a long wisp. I could see everything in front of me with painfully clear detail. Umara broke the silence. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°About?¡± ¡°All this. We¡¯re going to be soldiers pretty soon. This will be our reality for years to come.¡± ¡°...Well, I certainly can¡¯t run away from it.¡± My thoughts spun as I recalled my time here on this new world. At this point, I was becoming more and more certain that my purpose here was to fight. I was backed by the full might of Earth¡¯s war machine. To deny that weapon its purpose would frankly be suicidal. It would be extremely dangerous, but that didn¡¯t change what I needed to do. At every turn, I was forced to fight. I was forced to get stronger, constantly improving to beat new and stronger threats. The recent tournament was the culmination of my growth at the Magisterium. I had triumphed over the best. And that was after training myself up from the bottom over the course of a mere year. I wasn¡¯t stupid. It was clear that my talent was great, even more so than someone like Ponteck Gulliard. I was Authority 5 after only a year. Where would I be in another year? Who¡¯s to say that in 5 years, I wouldn¡¯t be pushing Authority 10? And what kind of power would I be wielding then? Everything pointed toward fighting. I needed to use my power as it had been given. I would be a soldier. I would be fighting on these front lines, against the worst the Scourge had to offer. And I was already prepared to do so, having planned every action since coming to this realization. If I wanted to shirk away from the fight, then I wouldn¡¯t have taken up every battle I had been faced with for the past year. I would have played it safe at the last minute, like Maxwell had tried to convince me to do. I wouldn¡¯t have taken the risk. He couldn¡¯t understand why I insisted, and I hadn¡¯t explained myself since even I couldn¡¯t put it into words then. It was more than just slapping Carrion in the face. It was about confronting my enemies and destroying them. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was doing so just out of principle, but regardless, since it was my path, I would be treading it. I let out a long smoky sigh, slipping my arm around Umara and letting her lean against my chest. ¡°I¡¯ve changed a lot since I got to the Capitol. I never used to be particularly keen on joining the military, but here and now, the decision seems almost easy.¡± ¡°Any particular reason why?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been fighting so much that I''ve gotten used to it. That, and our enemy makes itself too easy to hate. Back where I came from, our enemies were our fellow man. There were too many moral gray areas, not to mention the corruption of the Elite. I wouldn¡¯t allow myself to fight for those that didn¡¯t deserve my life.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s hard to imagine. I¡¯ve only ever heard a few stories about wars within humanity.¡± Umara muttered, earning a nod of understanding. I had learned all about the World Wars and the wars following it into modernity, including the intricacies of the devastation that ruined so many countries and nations. I wouldn¡¯t call myself a history buff, but I knew more than enough to accurately recall the details of each one. It was interesting, after all. But perhaps that made me a bit more insensitive to the whole concept. Here, war was common, but it was against a beastly inhuman army. There was no moral gray area, and no reason to doubt joining the military. Even the corruption of the noble class didn¡¯t change what needed to be done. Besides, even beyond all that, I could admit that my goals weren¡¯t totally virtuous. It was fun kicking people¡¯s asses, especially when they were dicks. Even more so when I got to stick it to a bunch of noble pricks. I could only continue doing that if I got stronger. Chapter 126: Anarchy ¡°What a cheeky girl, ignoring me then going on a trip.¡± Duchess Talerria smirked as she put down her Aerial, her messages to her daughter left unanswered. Her husband shrugged from his side of the dinner table. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s getting chummy with the boy.¡± ¡°Oh no, she knows exactly what she¡¯s doing. There are a dozen different people who want to know where she got those spells from, but I thought she¡¯d at least be open with her mother.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t think to ask her before she ran off to Polaris?¡± ¡°I was being courteous since she was tired and in pain. And then she was overshadowed by John, so I had forgotten for a moment. Nevertheless, once this trip of hers is over, we¡¯ll have time to sit down and talk.¡± ¡°...Seems to me like you already know where those spells came from.¡± Ikhor glanced up at his wife, causing her to click her tongue. ¡°Forgive me if I find it difficult to believe that John has knowledge about the deepest secrets of the elements and is capable of imparting them to Umara.¡± ¡°Could his mentor have given him knowledge?¡± ¡°Maxwell only cares about his protege. He has no use for passing on elemental comprehensions to either of them. Besides, those spells she used weren¡¯t conventional. They were pieced together, unrefined. That¡¯s why they took so much energy out of her.¡± ¡°Dear, I have a feeling you¡¯re ignoring the obvious. It¡¯s not like summoners have never worked with warlocks for spell development before. They do it all the time with enchanting especially. I see no reason why John couldn¡¯t be smart enough to do the same. So what¡¯s really going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s their relationship, Ikhor.¡± The Duchess rubbed her temple. ¡°Part of me doesn¡¯t want her to know this definitively since she may leverage it, but I will fight for my daughter. Before that though, I need to make absolutely sure that John is the one. Him having a deep understanding of magic makes him valuable even beyond marriage. He would become an asset to the family, but that comes with risks since he¡¯s earned the ire of so many. I cannot give my blessing prematurely because the moment I do, I place this family against the other noble households. After the tournament, the pressure on us has risen tenfold. Not only did John kiss her in front of the entire Kingdom, but he managed to survive what should have killed him. Now, the longer I stall, the worse our position gets. You know that.¡± ¡°...¡± Ikhor was silent, his fork no longer stuffing his mouth with food. Umara¡¯s performance during the tournament showed more than just her access to high-level spells, but also her enlightenment. It would be impossible to pull off what she did otherwise. Those interested in her were spurred into acting even more brazenly. She was showing talent even above her mother¡¯s at the same age and would become extremely valuable to any family that managed to claim her for themselves. The Duchess could always make excuses. She could argue that because she was showing such great talent, she wanted to hold onto her for as long as she could, especially as she started to enter the military. But even that was difficult since John was there and had made his claim in front of the Capitol¡¯s people. The situation was clear; Talexia didn¡¯t have much wiggle room to maneuver around something as obvious as that. Now, she was even receiving pressure from the Ancestors, telling her to cut John out of Umara¡¯s life. No matter how talented he was, he was still only a summoner with no noble title to back him. The noose was tightening. She would need to take any excuse she could get to stall. If Umara would at least speak to her, then she would be able to confirm her suspicions, even if it didn¡¯t change much. But now she was being ignored. She would be lying if she said that it wasn¡¯t bothering her. After some more silence, Talexia sighed. ¡°Maybe she doesn¡¯t trust me.¡± ¡°Nonsense. It¡¯s just the position you¡¯re in. Look, how about I head over to Purple Sky and talk to her? Some things are better handled in person.¡± ¡°...Fine. Not now though. Give it a few days so she can settle.¡± ¡°Sure, but I¡¯ll still go now. I¡¯ve got some friends there that I can talk to while I watch her.¡± ¡°Hm, are you sure this isn¡¯t just a vacation?¡± ¡°Who said I can¡¯t do two things at once?¡± Ikhor chuckled while jumping up from his chair. Talexia rolled her eyes as he rushed to pack his things. ¡­¡­ ¡­ Several more days passed at the base. We¡¯d been here a week and it was filled with nothing but menial labor. I was expecting a little bit more than that. I knew how dangerous it was out there, but the Puppet Master was good at knowing what missions we could handle. The fact that he hadn¡¯t come to us once meant that there was simply nothing we could do. In fact, there wasn¡¯t much of anything at all going on recently; because we were on dusting duty, I could keep track of the traffic. At first it was constant, but then, only one vehicle out of an entire convoy returned from a mission, its back half-missing and sides covered in deep gouges. After that, no more convoys or sallies were sent out, leaving us out of a job. The only messes we had to clean up then were created overnight when they launched black ops. Something was happening, something out of the ordinary. For a base as large as this, that meant big trouble. I started to worry more, but as the Puppet Master had told us, we were only a small drop in a very large bucket. If something was going to happen, it would happen. Us small fry could only rely on our superiors to keep us safe. I let out a sigh. ¡°One more week.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Are you feeling anxious?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°...So am I.¡± Umara muttered. Her Aura had gotten far sharper after the tournament, rising to a level not far below my own. I wasn¡¯t surprised that she was feeling what I was. Something was coming. But I couldn¡¯t get a read on it. Normally, I could tell when there was a concrete threat to my life, but whatever was coming was either weak enough to be easily handled by this base, or strong enough to completely thwart my Aura. And I wasn¡¯t the only one. It was clear that tensions within the base were rising. Those who could feel what was coming were anxious like us, while those who couldn¡¯t were feeding off the anxiety of those who could. And the Puppet Master wasn¡¯t answering me. He had been AWOL since we arrived. He was clearly busy, but that only made me worry more. That was until the 7th day when we received an order to head to one of the briefing rooms. And by we, I meant the entire Magisterium class. I arrived with my squad, piling into the room where the Puppet Master was waiting with some instructors. The room was completely silent, even though there were nearly a hundred people crammed in. The Puppet Master broke the silence after a few minutes, when the last few stragglers stumbled through the door coughing dust. ¡°Listen up, everyone. We¡¯ve received news that there is a siege on the horizon. We don¡¯t know how big, but it¡¯s big enough to warrant contingencies. I need you to listen very closely to what I¡¯m about to say. ¡°You are all the future of the Kingdom¡¯s military power. You are all talented, which is why you all are in the fourth year class in the first place. And our priority is to preserve that talent so you can grow to higher heights in the future. That can¡¯t happen if you die early, and this trip was never one to test your mettle. It was merely to expose you to life on the frontlines. To help you realize that there are tens of thousands more who are talented just like you. Going into the military, you will not receive special treatment. You will be required to earn the respect that those above you receive. Now a new threat has come knocking on the door. Put plainly, you are worthless to the Kingdom until you grow into your talent, and that is the only reason why I¡¯m telling you this now. ¡°If things turn dire, if the wall falls and you find yourself staring death in the face, then run. Even if you are the only ones doing so, you need to run away. Refusing to do so only tells me that you¡¯re too stupid to weigh the risks and rewards. Hopefully, your parents didn¡¯t raise idiots that can¡¯t understand that.¡± ¡°...¡± Nobody let out a sound. Anxious eyes flitted between classmates and friends. It was quite the ominous message. My only question was how we would manage to run away if the walls fell. Then, the Puppet Master evened his tone. ¡°Of course, all this is only necessary if a base that has stood for over a century manages to fall. I don¡¯t see that happening by any stretch, but even if it doesn¡¯t fall, that doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t be at risk. You all simply need to retreat should it prove necessary to do so. Just focus on preserving your lives. That¡¯s all we care about. Understood?¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Yes sir!¡± The firm response seemed to break the overwhelming pressure of the room, but I was still stuck in my own thoughts at the back of the room. If I was being honest, I was already prepared to run in the event something like that happened. This just made that decision a lot easier. But the issue wasn¡¯t running. It was where we would run to. I wouldn¡¯t trust the Rails, and running wouldn¡¯t do us too much good. We were too far from civilization to travel anywhere on foot. That left the vehicles. Perhaps we¡¯d have to steal one and secure an exit through a back gate. But as he said, the chances we¡¯d actually have to abandon the base were slim to none. There was an Authority 12 here that could handle whatever threat came, so I¡¯d only have to make sure that we would survive the duration of whatever siege was coming. We were dismissed after all was said, going back to our normal schedule. Unfortunately, it seemed like the discussion was perfectly timed. It wasn¡¯t even three hours later when I felt a tremor through my feet. As Umara, Feiden, Tana and I walked through the base, I suddenly came to a halt. The tremor I felt was barely perceptible, almost entirely dampened by my boots and socks. But the air also vibrated, however slightly. I could feel it in my skin. ¡°John?¡± ¡°...Hang on.¡± I continued to stand there as another tremor, a bit stronger, rumbled through the ground. A minute later, it was strong enough to hear normally as it rose in tempo. It went from a tremor to a low vibration. Like the purrs of a cat¡­ I felt my hairs stand on end as I looked off to the walls. This wasn¡¯t the first time I experienced this. So I started running as the sounds continued to vibrate the ground, constantly rising in intensity. I streaked past the guard at the gate, climbing up the wall with footsteps trailing behind me, and looking out over the frontline. On the horizon I could make out a small figure, rapidly approaching considering its overwhelming size. With every step it made, the drone around us got more and more unbearable. From shaking vibrations, to the unceasing roars of a lion, to the pounding shockwaves of a jackhammer that threatened to split the ground ¡ª and my head ¡ª open. All that was left was a screeching symphony that could tear the sky asunder. All that was on my mind was the mere concept of what was before me. It was no mere creature, not even something that could be described as a living being. For it was not living, and it was not being. It was a curse upon this world, the very icon of humanity¡¯s doom. Perched atop four legs, of a lion, of a lizard, and two of an eagle. An amalgam of twisted flesh and muscle. Six arms protruding from random points, each curled around a bundle of broken weapons. Two heads, one human with no eyes and a mouth sewn shut surrounded by scars, with slits for a nose. The second head a mound of flesh, a trinity of eye pairs, and twice as many mouths and tongues. It was as terrifying as it was incomprehensible. I cursed my eyes, cursed Maxwell, cursed myself for even being able to see it at this distance. No, I couldn¡¯t actually see it clearly. Its image was projected in my mind, its chaotic assortment of organs and appendages poking and piercing my brain with almost-physical pain. At odds with its comical, if disgusting, appearance was the very concept of dread the entity seemed to walk with¡­ all the way up to our doorstep. The last time I saw this entity, this thing, I hadn¡¯t identified it; couldn¡¯t identify it. But now, being much stronger and having directly felt its Aura, I could identify it clearly. ¡°The King of Anarchy¡­¡± I muttered, feeling tears fall from my eyes. At least, I thought they were tears until I smeared them and looked down, finding blood on my hand. The corners of my vision turned red. I turned to Umara, finding her eyes wide open, staring out into the distance. After a couple seconds, I figured that I shouldn¡¯t even bother doing anything about this. The King of Anarchy, one of the four Kings, the most dreaded beings in the world, was here to destroy this base with all of us on it. What the hell could I do? It didn¡¯t matter how fast or far I ran. Even if I were to abandon everyone, there was no hope. If anything, I should be trying to kill her so that she wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the horror of dying by its hands. At least she would be able to die as a human. Then, I could try and kill everyone else, granting them the same mercy before going out on my own. Hopefully she¡¯d just listen to me and let me do it, otherwise I¡¯d have to force the issue. A 1911 appeared in my hand. I raised it and pointed it at her temple. I was just about to pull the trigger when I saw her barrier appear, her eyes drifting over toward me, the same streaks of blood going down her face. ¡°No John, you¡¯ll allow me. Of all the people who deserve to die peacefully, it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°You know you can¡¯t beat me, so why bother?¡± ¡°Because you can only beat me with the right conditions. Thankfully, you¡¯ve taught me well. Perhaps if you were a knight, nobody would be able to stop you. Maybe in another life, we¡¯ll be able to reunite under better circumstances.¡± She smiled before a massive spell formation appeared around her. I could actually recognize it since they were hers, spells we had worked on together. She was going all out. My mask appeared over my face, and that saved me when the vacuum domain appeared. But it was only a temporary measure as I started firing into her barrier, fully empowered shots slamming against it and creating cracks. My Psyka flowed so smoothly that it felt like I was a dozen times more powerful. I could fill my gun with so much power that it glowed. It felt good, so good. Perhaps this was what it was like to go out in one last blaze of glory. But then, just as our battle started, I saw a flash of light. All at once, my reddened vision cleared. I finally noticed that I was looking through a film of blood over my eyes. When I looked down, the blood vessels across my body were bulging, some of them having burst. I looked back up toward Umara, and my bleeding eyes widened. There, behind her, was the most beautiful being I had ever seen. An angel. I felt a familiar pair of arms hug me from behind, an embrace that washed my mind and made me fall to my knees in vulnerability, an embrace that felt just like her. Guardian Angel. With my mind being cleansed of the power of Anarchy, I finally realized what I had been doing and looked around. The entire base around us was descending into, well, anarchy. Everyone was attacking and trying to kill each other, what was initially supposed to be an act of benevolence turning into savagery Some had already died. On the windows of the administration building there were veils of red obscuring the view within, the sight inside no less of a horror scene than the one happening around us. I looked back to Umara, smiling wryly. ¡°Fortitude, huh? I actually tried to kill her. Seems I¡¯m still a ways off. You¡¯ve any advice for me, Miss?¡± I looked over my shoulder, finding a luminescent arm and feathers, but no face to look into. The voice bypassed my ears and pierced straight into my soul. ¡°Don¡¯t give up.¡± ¡°... Well, that¡¯s certainly specific.¡± I chuckled as she faded away, a glowing white feather the only thing to mark her passage before it too disintegrated into air. And then I crawled over to Umara and wrapped her in a hug. ¡°Sorry about that, dear. Did I hurt you?¡± ¡°...I almost killed you.¡± ¡°Come on. You can¡¯t kill me that easily.¡± ¡°...¡± Her worried face quickly turned inquisitive. I laughed. ¡°Alright, let''s save this for later. It¡¯s time to run for our lives.¡± ¡°Can we really get out of this?¡± ¡°Well¡­ do or don¡¯t, it won¡¯t take long to find out.¡± ¡°Tana!¡± My head whipped around when I heard a shout, finding Feiden, Vetsmon, and Tana to the side. The Templar was also there, tapping an orb in his hand furiously. I disregarded him and picked myself up, pulling Umara along as I ran over to them. ¡°Hey! You three, we need to go!¡± ¡°John, what is that?¡± Feiden asked with a quivering voice and streaks of blood down his cheeks. In his arms was Tana, her face a similar mask of pain. I grabbed his shoulder. ¡°That right there is anarchy incarnate. Now stop thinking about it and let¡¯s get down this wall. Vetsmon!¡± I stood, finding the big man nearby. He was looking down at Tana, his eyes raising when I called. I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s time to work, big guy. We¡¯re all we got and it¡¯s a game of survival now.¡± ¡°...¡± He was silent for a second as I stretched out my hand. It was only when he clasped it that I broke into a smile. ¡°We¡¯re wasting time talking.¡± ¡°Hell yeah. Jump down!¡± ¡°Got you.¡± Vetsmon¡¯s arms hoisted me up before we were suddenly airborne, landing with a thump and a ring of purple dust. Umara followed, floating down gracefully while Feiden jumped with Tana. I pointed toward the hangars. ¡°Get to the cars! We¡¯re stealing one!¡± ¡°Got it.¡± We charged back into the base with that word, flying between all of the nearby fights going on. Hundreds of people, anywhere from Authority 5 to 10, were killing each other mindlessly. They seemed to predominantly be those with weaker Auras, unable to pull themselves out from the depths of despair. My Aura certainly wasn¡¯t strong enough either. I was barely self aware while trying to kill Umara. Remembering my thoughts and actions during that time seemed to be the extent of what my proficiency afforded me. The King of Anarchy wasn¡¯t something I could resist, no matter how talented I was. So it was my Guardian Angel who descended to help me. Question was, where was everyone else¡¯s? I washed my mind of that inquiry as we arrived at the depot, finding hundreds of vehicles lined up in hangars. Quickly running through our weeks of dusting the place, I recalled how the keys for the vehicles were stored and identified. ¡°Get inside and go to the far right admin shed.¡± Vetsmon shot off as the words entered his ears, finding the admin shed and blasting through the door with his leg. Inside there, I saw a few containers holding different stacks of keys. Each of the vehicle types had different types of keys. What I wanted was a model that I had only seen deployed a few times. Hummers were popular, but they certainly weren¡¯t the best the human military had to offer. I jumped off Vetsmon¡¯s back and went for the smallest stack of black keycards. The containers were attached to a desk, and there were several buttons along with a key slot. I looked down to find a corpse, bending over and snatching the keycard hanging off what remained of its neck. My hands flew as I recalled the actions of the operator who handled all the vehicles and security, unlocking all the containers and grabbing all of the black keycards. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Across the depot.¡± With that Vetsmon grabbed me and shot out of the room, jumping on top of one of the vehicles and flying across them all to reach the opposite wall. There, we found the Steeds, large tank-like trucks meant to take the worst beatings one could find on a mission. ¡°Feiden! Find one!¡± I yelled while throwing the stack of cards into the air. Feiden¡¯s figure flew overhead at that moment, zipping around between all the vehicles and finding which card went where. Umara was dropped by Vetsmon and I, while Tana appeared on top of a Steed. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± ¡°Grab one of these things and haul ass. I can use my Aerial to find the general direction back to the military depot we stopped at.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we just take the Rail?¡± ¡°Assuming the Scourge isn¡¯t stupid, we won¡¯t get the chance to.¡± ¡°Found it!¡± Feiden announced, appearing with one card in hand for the Steed we were next to. I grabbed it and jumped in the driver¡¯s seat, the others piling into the back. This thing even had a couple magic turrets, so Tana crawled up into the gunner¡¯s seat. I slotted the card and started the engine, shifting the speed before gripping the steering wheel. Right as I drove out though, all the sounds of the world were drowned out. I looked up, seeing a black line drawn from the ground to the sky, a severance of space. It seemed Anarchy really could split the sky. Chapter 127: Run Maxwell¡¯s head snapped up from where he had been lying on his arms, a shooting pain streaking across his mind like lightning. He couldn''t even bother grunting in pain, simply placing a hand against his head while he clambered out of his seat. He hurried over to one of the dozen bookshelves in his room, his knotted fingers reaching for one dark red book and pulling. Mechanical noises rang out for a few seconds, then stopped. A small void had opened up behind the shelf, a softly glowing teleportation circle inset in the floor providing the only source of illumination from within. He didn¡¯t pause for a second before slamming his foot down on the runes caked in dust from years, possibly decades, of unuse. A flash of light lit up the cavity, and Maxwell was gone. He saw the little room one second then a dark underground cellar the next. Surrounding him were kegs and bottles, all in pristine condition and infused with incredibly dense Magika. The value of this cellar was worth magnitudes more than the average person would ever see in a lifetime. But none of it was important at the moment. Maxwell stormed past it all, hurrying up a staircase and finding himself before a massive bedroom. It was large enough to be considered a house in its own right, but it was only one portion he had seen fit to maintain of a more massive structure. His heart pounding, he ignored the luxurious trappings as his eyes snapped to one spot: a full-size mirror flashing white by the wooden slab of a dresser. With gritted teeth, he stalked over to it and slammed the glass with his fist, a swirling light growing from where he hit it and forming yet another portal. He stepped through it to find himself at an unknown but familiar location, multiple silhouettes of people gathered around him sitting at a table. ¡°Ah, Maxwell. Seems it¡¯s true then.¡± Maxwell glanced over, finding Anderson in one of the chairs with a huge toothy grin. All around him were other manifestations, other people. But he couldn¡¯t make out their mere figures. They were too far beyond him to gaze upon, especially if they didn¡¯t want him to. One woman across from Anderson, One of the few that Maxwell could actually see, garbed in shimmering white robes and a deep dark blindfold, shot back at Anderson. ¡°Why do you seem happy about it then?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me, woman. You know exactly why I¡¯m so fucking happy. Now, where is Anarchy?¡± ¡°Purple Sky.¡± ¡°Hoho.¡± Anderson chuckled as everyone turned to face a dark shadowy figure. ¡°Prophet. It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve no time for pleasantries. Get ready to move. I will send you all universal coordinates soon. Every second is valuable.¡± ¡°Yeah? Why don¡¯t you join us, then we might be able to kill a King today.¡± ¡°Not the time.¡± His response was sharp and succinct. ¡°But I can tell you that if you aren¡¯t quick, the Light will not shine favorably.¡± ¡°The Kingdom¡¯s future is at that base, true. But wh-¡± ¡°No more questions. It¡¯s time to act.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Anderson let out a sharp exhale as he was interrupted, but chose to stay silent. Maxwell glanced at Prophet before turning away and closing his eyes. ¡°Make a note of my Protege, please. That is all I have to ask.¡± The woman flicked acerbic words back at Maxwell. ¡°I was hoping you wouldn¡¯t speak at all, heretic. But to hear you have a protege is certainly interesting. Which poor bastard have yo-.¡± ¡°No more questions!¡± Prophet interrupted once more, the woman clenching her jaw in irritation before waving and disappearing. Anderson also disappeared with a knowing smile, Prophet following after that. Maxwell retreated with a gloomy face, leaving the unknown area and reappearing before his mirror. He recalled the meeting, something that only happened among those who could sense the oncoming of the Kings. Except, whereas he used to be capable of seeing everyone, he could now only see Anderson and the Cardinal of Peace. Those two didn¡¯t care if he saw them, but the others did. They didn¡¯t even deign to allow him to gaze upon their images, their Auras obscuring their figures. He could no longer even decipher them, nor their words, despite knowing their names. The only exception was Prophet. Nobody knew him. He sighed. ¡°I just hope that¡¯s enough. Get your ass home, John.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Shit!¡± Umara cried out as the Steed flew out of the garage. Even Vetsmon and Feiden were holding on for dear life as it rocked about. While locking her body against the seat, Umara looked to the side and found John furiously operating the steering wheel, every movement sending the entire vehicle flying across dirt paths around the base. Well, the magic powering a Steed was certainly more powerful than anything else they had ever driven. Regardless, she was wondering where the hell he learned to drive like this. It was insanity. But she wouldn¡¯t want it any other way right now. Somehow it was comforting, especially when she watched as they flew through the base with wild abandon. John didn¡¯t even flinch when he rammed several people locked in battles. Many people dodged, but some were so engrossed that it took a massive truck plowing through their backside to snap them out of it. Didn¡¯t matter to them. Nobody could seem to care about anything except their own battles. The pillar of darkness splitting the sky in two was of even less concern¡­ until it started getting closer. It got closer until it seemed to be right on top of them, and then in the distance, they could see a wave of terrain flowing toward the walls of the base. It grew larger and larger until the squad could see a wave of rock and dirt, taller than the walls themselves, flowing towards the walls of the base like water before the bow of a ship. It wasn¡¯t just a pillar of darkness. It was the slash of a blade from the King of Anarchy. A blade of pure power, devoid of all technique, capable of annihilating the base in its entirety with sheer brute force. There was only one who could contend against it, and in front of it they seemed like a mouse. The Authority 12 manning the Purple Sky bastion was a warlock, a woman draped in embroidered robes that fell well below her feet. Rising to the sky, her robes rippling about with a life of their own, but a mere speck before even Anarchy itself, to say nothing of its blade, she raised a crystalline staff that blinded with the power of the sun. A single rune the size of a person flashed into existence far above in the sky, blinding light marking its division into two, four, eight¡­ In mere moments, a runic shield of size to rival the slash with a chromatic glitter spread before the black tear. The moment the two touched, everything exploded into white light. A shockwave of not sound but pure magic rolled across the base, knocking those dueling to their feet. Even diluted by the sheer volume it had to cover and whatever else was simply reduced to nothing in the collision, John could still feel the strange tingling in his Aura all across his skin. What was reflected away from the walls was even worse, creating a massive tsunami of pure matter that rose nearly a mile into the sky as if meaning to create a new mountain. A voice echoed in everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°Man the walls. Hold the line.¡± The Authority 12 gave her command, and all at once, everyone who was fighting on base stopped in their tracks. They looked around dazed before the voice came back with greater intensity. ¡°Man your stations! We are under attack!¡± ¡°Hoh!¡± There was a resounding wave of acknowledgement from the entire base as everyone forgot about what was happening and ran to their positions. Finally, mounting the walls, they were able to see what was beyond. And while some directly collapsed to their knees, others were able to retain enough of their faculties to start hurling spells and arrows at the roiling mass below their feet. The King of Anarchy marched with an army straight from hell. The landscape around the base couldn¡¯t be seen. It was now nothing more than an endless carpet of countless monsters. The Aura created by this army was so overwhelming that it created a tangible fluid all around them, one that suppressed every human within the base. Anybody below a certain threshold of power would have directly died standing within such an Aura. But the base wasn¡¯t completely helpless. It only took moments, critical moments, for all of the walls to flash with countless runes inscribed on each brick, causing a massive shield to appear from the top of the wall and rise into the sky, forming a protective dome. The suppression disappeared entirely with that, and a flood of Magika rejuvenated the battered bodies of the soldiers within. John glanced up for a split second before sighing. ¡°Fancy gimmicks. That shit won¡¯t hold Anarchy. We need to gain as much distance as we can. I¡¯m setting my Aerial, everyone connect to it.¡± After he spoke, Feiden, Umara, Tana and Vetsmon all tapped their own Aerials and connected it to his local Node. With that everyone was able to maintain their connection regardless if the base fell or not. John then dialed the Puppet Master, who shockingly picked up. ¡°John.¡± ¡°Puppet Master. I¡¯m leaving. That¡¯s Anarchy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not even going to ask how you know. Either way, I have a request. I¡¯ve already sent the surviving students to the gates. Please, save as many as you can. Not many survived. A few Elites even died.¡± ¡°Hm, sorry your perfect record had to fall today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happens when a King shows up. I know you¡¯re driving the Steed. Everyone should fit within. Just take them and run. Use the base as your sacrifice.¡± ¡°And you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be watching.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. He muttered before the call hung up, leaving John clicking his tongue. After scratching his head, he whipped the wheel around and continued driving. ¡°Get ready! We¡¯re picking up some students!¡± ¡°Can we really babysit?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to, but the Puppet Master didn¡¯t exactly leave me any room to be indifferent. They¡¯re waiting at the gate. Get ready to help them squeeze.¡± A soul-rending scream shook the atmosphere. The squad stuck their heads out the windows, looking behind them to see¡­ The King of Anarchy itself. It threw itself to the altitude of the Authority 12, the warlock tossing out thousands of spells at a time to intercept. Yet all of them were torn apart or simply didn¡¯t do any noticeable harm. The two clashed, but it was clear that even among Authority 12¡¯s, there were massive gaps in strength. Anarchy used each of its 6 weapons in sequence to attack in a reckless, random, yet fluid manner. There was no technique to it, but it seemed so elegant that one might think it was the greatest technique a knight could learn. It even hurt itself with its own attacks, occasionally slicing through its own body just to sneak in another quick attack on the warlock. It was unrelenting. Not even the occasional blink spell to move the warlock away was enough to allow a breath. Anarchy was going all out from the beginning, and wouldn¡¯t stop until one of them died. The shockwaves their attacks gave off shook the dome over the base until it cracked. John grit his teeth, flooring the Steed and sending it to the gates. It wasn¡¯t long before they arrived. He kicked open the door, finding all the Magisterium students standing around, gawking. ¡°HEY! All students, get the fuck in here! Let¡¯s go!¡± He yelled, his voice backed with Aura so it echoed clearly in their minds. They all turned to him, some hesitating to get in. His voice fell. ¡°I¡¯m leaving this base. If you want to stay, then I won¡¯t bother wasting my time.¡± ¡°...¡± Nobody responded, but the battle in the air caught their eyes once more. Some Authority 11¡¯s joined, but two of them were immediately reduced to gore the moment Anarchy focused on them. The warlock couldn¡¯t even do anything about it. And then, one of Anarchy¡¯s weapons separated from its normal barrage and flung toward the sky. The other two Authority 11¡¯s survived moments longer, but not because of their skill¡­ They were given a brief moment of respite as Anarchy paused for a moment, but not out of fatigue. One of Anarchy¡¯s weapons rose toward the dome, a smaller, yet still massive, beam of darkness piercing through the barrier with all the ease of a Vigor-blade through flesh. Huge fragments of Magika, dissipating as they fell, scattered throughout the purple sky. It was so easy that John wondered why it was even there. His Aura flashed. John turned to spot a tide of monsters roaring over a section of the wall. Thousands of soldiers met the tide and suppressed it, but it was clear that the base had been irreversibly compromised. All the students could see it. They could feel it even more intensely, the suppression on their souls gut wrenching. They wouldn¡¯t be able to perform at even half their normal standard. Suddenly, the Steed was looking a lot more attractive as a dozen ran over to board. Vetsmon and Feiden made way for them, opening a hatch on the back. The Steed had a massive cargo hold that doubled as a troop transport. There was more than enough room. John sighed as he counted how many were left. The fourth year students originally numbered around 150 in total, 40 of whom were Elites. Most of those Elites were here, but in total, those at the gates only numbered around 40 now. Of those 40, only around 25 were Elites. So 15 Elites and over 100 normal students had died. It was sad. Nothing more than Anarchy¡¯s mere presence was enough to reduce this entire base to such a state. And it would probably get worse if they didn¡¯t create enough distance in time. Who knew how long the Authority 12 would be able to stall? They couldn''t be anywhere near here when she fell. When one student ran, the rest followed. Before long, every remaining student from the Magisterium was crammed in the Steed. John sat back down and slammed the pedal once more, throwing the vehicle forward straight through the gates. They shot past empty guard posts, rocketing across the terrain and rolling off into the distance. However, after only a minute or so, John cursed. ¡°No fucking way.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°These guys are flanking the base. Over there.¡± He pointed, his squad sitting up and looking off into the distance. There, they could see a dark tide of tiny figures circling around the base. They were headed straight for the back gates. They would cut off any route of escape. Just then though, John frowned and looked backward. ¡°Hey, Tana!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Check behind us! Are they circling around there too?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­¡± She went silent for a bit, crawling back up to the turret and looking off into the distance. The same scene played out, except those monsters were much closer than the other group. ¡°Y-Yes!¡± ¡°Well shit. It¡¯s a pincer. I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll actually be able to make it out.¡± He muttered and slouched a bit, shoving his foot down on the pedal a little more. Those two flanking tides of monsters both looked like they were heading straight for them. Of course, the base wasn¡¯t ignorant to the issue. They could see massive area spells exploding in the midst of the flanking armies. But that was only thinning them out, especially when they started fighting back. The flying monsters only numbered slightly fewer than the land monsters. Winged beasts circled the base and swooped down like hawks. Spells flew into the sky and exploded like flak in order to take them out, but it was only so effective, especially without the dome. The Steed wouldn¡¯t go completely unnoticed. They needed to get past the pincer attack and keep running. In the best case, they would be able to outrun any potential enemies. But an all out war wasn¡¯t exactly conducive to giving people the best case scenario. Umara was quick to ask John. ¡°What happens if we can¡¯t make it past?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just have to push through. Feiden, get on the other turret with Tana.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°John!¡± Tana suddenly shouted. ¡°Incoming human, from the back!¡± ¡°Soldier?!¡± ¡°No! White robes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the Guard!¡± Vetsmon suddenly responded, climbing to the top where he stuck his head out the turret hole. At that moment, there was a thud as the templar jumped on top of the Steed. He looked down through his helmet at Vetsmon before reaching down and grabbing his face, pulling Vetsmon close. ¡°This is war, boy! This is what you need to prepare for! Now tell your driver to keep going! Don¡¯t worry about what I¡¯m doing!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± John, who heard everything, turned around with an odd look. Then, the Templar took out a heavy crystal device, cradling it in his arms before raising it up into the air. A soundless golden beam shot into the sky, cutting through the clouds and exploding with holy radiance as it created a swirling portal up above. Suddenly, the flanking armies of beasts surged toward them, causing John¡¯s eyes to bulge. ¡°What the fuck is he doing?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Agh! I know they say shit gets worse before it gets better, but I¡¯m failing to see how this gets better!¡± He yelled while flooring the gas pedal. It made the ride much less stable, but they didn¡¯t really have a choice now. The Steed roared with power and flew across the terrain, Tana panicking from her spot in the turret. ¡°John, we got incoming!¡± ¡°Use the turrets! Don¡¯t let them intercept!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Tana nodded before she and Feiden spun the turrets around, centering their sights on the incoming hordes. Two barrels aimed for the groups. There was really no need to aim, so she pulled a clamp by her hand and fired. Two spell circles appeared over the ends of the barrels, multiplying in size before flashing and firing off a massive bolt of fire that hurdled straight into the hordes. BOOM It exploded in their midst, sending several flying and slowing them just a tiny bit. Tana¡¯s eyes widened in excitement. ¡°Haha! I got guns like John!¡± Repeatedly pulling the clamps, Tana and Feiden let loose dozens of bolts of fire that broke up the incoming hordes. They were far so the shots were inaccurate, but they didn¡¯t need to be accurate when there were just so many targets. It was only when they started to close in that Tana started panicking. John yelled. He could see them. ¡°Just keep firing!¡± ¡°Should I go up?¡± ¡°No. Save your energy.¡± He stopped Umara from moving, instead knocking on Vetsmon¡¯s armor. ¡°Go talk to the other students. Tell them to be ready to abandon ship.¡± ¡°Will we really?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Just do it so they¡¯re ready to fight.¡± Vetsmon nodded while stepping into the cargo hold where all the students were stuffed. John continued to listen as Tana and Feiden unleashed fiery hell onto the hordes. Almost all of them were converging on the Steed, all because the templar wanted to make a beacon out of them. Before long, the noose started to close. Umara pushed herself back into her seat as the monsters got within 200 yards. ¡°Threading the fucking needle here. Get ready!¡± John shouted, watching the distance close. 200¡­ 150¡­ 100¡­ 80¡­ 50¡­ 30¡­ The explosions from the turrets practically licked the Steed as they made contact. The Steed rocked as several bodies slammed into it, feral screaming making its way past the thick runed metal into the cabin. Several students shuddered. The templar suddenly shouted. ¡°Done!¡± With his word, the device in his hands suddenly dimmed, the beacon disappearing from the sky. Just like that, the mass of the incoming hordes slowed themselves down, turning toward the base. What was left chasing them was only a tiny portion. The issue was that they were still being chased, and not just by a bunch of mindless small fry. Everyone could feel several high Authorities barreling toward them, regardless of how undeveloped their Aura was. None of them would be able to contest them. The templar shouted again. ¡°Cooper! You take everyone and keep running! I¡¯ll handle the big ones!¡± ¡°Fine! Whatever that beacon was, I hope it was worth it!¡± ¡°It was worth more than my life.¡± He drew a sword and shield, his armor flashing as he took up a stance. Three Authority 10¡¯s on wings barreled at him. One of them dove down like a missile while the two others flew straight at him, faster even than the Steed could go. ¡°RRAAAAHHHH!!¡± With a sound to rival John¡¯s guns, the templar let loose a sweeping wave of Vigor that blew all three enemies back, catching hundreds of lesser beasts in the crossfire. What remained was now a mere fraction of the fraction still chasing them, only smaller and weaker and slower beasts. The Steed was ahead. They just had to drive straight. The only threats to their life were the remaining few enemies. But the templar could only handle so much as a knight. Perhaps a warlock at the same level would be able to handle multiple enemies at their level for a duration, but a knight was limited in reach. So perhaps it was inevitable that the Steed was rammed, tossing the entire thing into the air like it was a sack of potatoes. Nobody could do anything as they were suspended. And thankfully, Vetsmon had quick enough reactions to wrap John up in a bear hug right before they landed. The heavy hunk of metal skidded across the ground. John could sense one of the Authority 10 beasts outside about to trample all over the Steed. It would kill them all, crushing them like a bag of chips. But right before that happened, a familiar flash of blue light enveloped the area, highlighting every being around them for all to see. A dozen different shields appeared around the Steed, intercepting the beast. A massive shockwave had blown it back, clearing the area of the scraggly purple grasses and any Blood Thorns looking for an easy meal. ¡°...Prepare to disembark.¡± John muttered when everything went quiet. Vetsmon carried him while climbing through the now broken windshield, more shockwaves reverberating in their ears from the battle around them. All the other students also climbed out of the cargo hold, Tana and Feiden pulling themselves from the turrets. The Puppet Master¡¯s voice came to their ears. ¡°We can only do so much for you. Start running, and don¡¯t look back. John Cooper has a map of the region. Follow him.¡± With those words, John suddenly looked down at his Aerial, seeing that he had received a large data packet from the Puppet Master. When he opened it, a huge map was projected in the air. It had everything from the most recent frontlines ¡ª a huge mark of randomly twisting red marking Anarchy¡¯s passage ¡ª to the geographical routes back to the military depot. It also had routes to nearby villages, even distant cities. It was a map John had recently been wishing for. A little silver lining. ¡°Run! Now!¡± A yell came a moment after, prompting all the students to make a run for it. There were nearby forests that John had been avoiding, though in preparation for this, had stuck close to. Everyone decided to head for that, using all manner of magic to cross the distance as fast as possible. Tana disappeared while Umara flew with air magic. Feiden ran beside Vetsmon who carried John in his arms. Ponteck was naturally there nearby, along with the other Elites and those who specialized in speed. Everyone was running, monsters hot on their heels. Once through the treeline, John pointed. ¡°Follow the direction of the tree line. That¡¯ll keep us in the proper direction.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Vetsmon responded while following that direction. Like that, they created more distance. But the shockwaves from the battle behind them only continued to get worse. Not only that, but they couldn''t completely outrun the monsters behind them. After all, those beasts were stronger. John grit his teeth. He could see all the students behind him. Most of them would be cut down as soon as the monsters caught up. Given enough time and no help, they would eventually reach them. There seemed to be no hope, but that was only if they had one squad. The entirety of the Elites were here, as well as what remained of the regular students. Making a decision, his Aura projected outward, touching everyone¡¯s minds. ¡°This is John Cooper. Those monsters will catch up to everyone given enough time. That leaves us one choice. There¡¯s only two Authority 7¡¯s. The others can be killed easily. So on my mark, we turn and fight. Given a group effort, we can win and continue smoothly while the Templar and Puppet Master fight off the others. Get ready.¡± John took out a Lewis Gun after finishing, pounding in the pan magazine before glancing back. Then, before the student at the back of the group could be caught up to, he sent the signal. ¡°Now!¡± Vetsmon stopped in his tracks and turned, John aiming his gun and Umara drawing spell formations. And then they watched as all the students passed them, continuing to run off into the distance. Chapter 128: Heartstopper I almost didn¡¯t react when I saw everyone streaming past us. Turning around had killed our momentum; we wouldn¡¯t be able to get back up to speed before the Scourge was upon us. I had taken the gamble that everyone could use their brains to figure we had a chance of survival through teamwork. Perhaps, in a moment of crisis, they would revert to their teachings at the Magisterium ¡ª instilled in them for even longer than it had for me ¡ª and band together to face the threat. But when it really came down to it, I suppose it was everyone for themselves. I pounded Vetsmon¡¯s chest with my fist. ¡°Divert to the side. Quickly.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± He took off without a moment¡¯s rest, my squad running to the side instead of following behind the pack. I looked back at the horde, the two Authority 7s screeching as they redirected their pursuit towards us. They were both a type of scorpion, one I recognized from my Magisterium classes: a Heartstopper, known for¡­ well, heartstopping. Both darted towards us. Then a white wave, honed to a fine point, slammed into the carapace of one of the scorpions from behind. Whatever it was, in a rare moment of luck, the scorpion shook off the impact and diverged with a good half of the swarm. It continued chasing after the rest of the group while we were left with the other half. Our chances, though much higher, still looked grim. We were all worn out from the battle between ourselves at the base, despite the rejuvenation. I had almost shattered Umara¡¯s barrier only because I pumped so much Psyka into the bullets I could, at best, empty a pistol magazine before dropping unconscious. Thankfully I had only fired a few shots, but that still used around half of my reserves in just a minute¡¯s time. It wasn¡¯t good for the body, not for me, not for the others. ¡°Tana!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Umara called to Tana, and they linked up while running. Umara brought out her gifted knife from Shadowbane, a one-off weapon that could kill high-level enemies. My eyes brightened. ¡°This is a powerful weapon. It¡¯ll kill that Authority 7. I¡¯m leaving it to you. Use it at the right moment.¡± ¡°... I won¡¯t let you down.¡± Tana took it with a nod, glancing back at me before shooting off into the trees. We continued running as I let out a breath. ¡°Handle the small ones first, then focus on the scorpion. Ready?!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± With my word, everyone spun around in sync, preparing attacks. I was dumped to the side before Vetsmon shot off with his shield. Feiden also shot forward, making a beeline straight for the scorpion and stopping it in its tracks. I took aim at the small fry, opening fire without a word. Explosions rang out as I mowed down all the nearby beasts. It was easy to kill the ones I could see, so I did as much as I could. Feiden also started killing stragglers while Vetsmon charged the scorpion. For the first few seconds, it seemed to be going well. That was until Vetsmon actually clashed with the thing. I watched as his shield was shredded by the spikes on the scorpion¡¯s head upon collision, the force knocking him into the air. I felt my pupils narrowing. ¡°Feiden!¡± ¡°Got him!¡± I didn¡¯t even have to say anything. Before a word came out of my mouth, Feiden was already on his way, launching his body towards Vetsmon and tackling him to the side. However, the tail was the scorpion¡¯s chief weapon, and it came like a whip on top of both of them. An explosive crack resounded as it slammed them both into the ground. It cratered beneath their bodies. Their armor crunched inwards, taking the shape of the spikes on the creature¡¯s tail. Perhaps their adrenaline surged at just the right moment, because, despite the damage, they were able to jump away like nothing happened. A second afterward though, while running away, Feiden buckled and rolled to the ground, blood oozing from his chestplate. Vetsmon didn¡¯t fare much better, but Feiden had at least taken the brunt of the hit for him. Umara fired off a barrage of spells, slicing open what monsters I couldn¡¯t see, and throwing a few at the scorpion for good measure. It was pushed back for a moment, allowing Vetsmon to stand back up and prepare an attack. Yet, with one swipe of a claw from the scorpion, he was sent straight back to the ground, his chestplate into his body. As his head snapped to the ground, I felt his Aura greatly diminish. He had actually lost consciousness. But I wasn¡¯t even given the opportunity to panic. Taking advantage of the attack on Vetsmon, Tana appeared on top of the scorpion¡¯s back. I hadn¡¯t even sensed her. Her Aura was impeccably hidden. It seemed in this moment of crisis, she had pushed her Aura forward a large step. Just like that, she plunged the knife between the layers of the scorpion''s spiked carapace. It plunged deep and like a needle, injected a surge of pure power almost through the scorpion. But perhaps the worst place to attack a scorpion was on its back. Tana learned this the hard way as its tail spike plunged into her gut. My vision flared, almost blinding me for a second. I saw the scorpion turning into ash from the inside-out, the point of penetration spreading a wave of death, but I registered none of it, even as the carapace collapsed and clattered to the ground. Tana was left in the midst of the dissolving shell and a pile of ash. She quickly ripped the tail out after cutting off the spike. She seemed healthy¡­ at first. It only took two steps for Tana to collapse in a heap. ¡°Tana!¡± Umara screamed as I ran forward, sliding to Tana¡¯s side as she fell on her back. Without hesitation I unbuckled and ripped off her chestplate before pulling up her shirt, finding the hole in her gut. It wasn¡¯t exactly centered, close enough but significantly to the side. Perhaps it had destroyed a kidney, but since she was a knight, she could survive all that. Instead, what made my heart drop was the rapidly spreading venom. I could see it spread visibly as it turned her veins black while traveling upward toward the heart. I panicked. I didn¡¯t have anything like an antivenom. Nothing geared toward recovery could stop something like this. And even though Tana was a knight, this venom wasn¡¯t something she could naturally fight. She would die. Without her heart pumping, no oxygen would reach her brain and she would be brain dead before long. How long, I wasn¡¯t sure. Perhaps her magic could keep her going for a little while longer. I saw her eyes trembling while looking toward me, her weak voice barely getting pushed out. ¡°I did it¡­¡± ¡°...We¡¯re not done yet, Tana. Just stay with me. I- we¡¯re getting you home.¡± ¡°...¡± She couldn¡¯t respond, slowly losing consciousness as I took out a knife and sliced her shirt in half. I looked at her bare chest, black veins already spreading to her heart. When I put my ear to her chest, I could barely hear the last few beats before her heart stopped. Clinical death. I pulled my head back, hand moving down her chest before finding the right position over her heart. Then, I put my palms down and started chest compressions. Her Vigor wasn¡¯t active, so her body barely resisted my efforts. She was just a normal girl now. Thankfully, otherwise there would be absolutely nothing I could do. I felt her chest cave under every press, maintaining a steady rhythm while including mouth to mouth resuscitation. These were the only two tools at my disposal. Umara came over not long later. ¡°John¡­¡± ¡°Check the others.¡± I spit out those words, leaving Umara to check Feiden and Vetsmon. My Spark was wholly devoted toward keeping my body in a rhythm, while I just had to keep count of how often I provided Tana some air. At the same time, I could hear and feel the clashes between the big players in the distance. One fight in particular seemed to almost shatter the world. I could see flashes of light and dark cut across the sky occasionally, attacks that I could never hope to match in my lifetime. That was an issue. I didn¡¯t know what was going on, but it was clear that we wouldn¡¯t be attracting any attention anytime soon. That was good since we wouldn¡¯t be attacked; bad since I couldn¡¯t find someone to get Tana treatment. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. I didn¡¯t know how long she could hold on for. All I knew was that as long as I could do something about it, I would. After some time, Umara came back. ¡°They¡¯re alright. Hurt pretty bad, but they¡¯ll live.¡± ¡°Good. I can¡¯t spare the attention.¡± ¡°...Is there some way I can help?¡± Umara kneeled down in front of Tana¡¯s head. I glanced at her for a second and spoke between breaths. ¡°Are you able to circulate air through her lungs? It would be something along the lines of simulating breathing.¡± ¡°...I think. Can I try?¡± ¡°Hang on.¡± I pushed a few more times before providing another round of air. Then, I nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Umara¡¯s hands waved over Tana¡¯s face. I could see the mana in the air move into her mouth. Then I could feel her chest expand underneath my hands before falling back down. It was a bit irregular, but eventually turned stable. ¡°Good. She doesn¡¯t need full breaths. Just enough to get oxygen in her blood.¡± ¡°Are you operating her heart?¡± ¡°Yes. The venom caused her heart to stop, but so long as I can keep it going artificially, she¡¯ll stand a chance. It won¡¯t be as good as a normal heartbeat, but it¡¯ll have to do.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be here as long as she needs me.¡± She said that while taking a seat, continuing to ventilate Tana¡¯s lungs. Not having to give mouth-to-mouth occasionally let me settle into a better rhythm. My body screamed at me from the constant exertion, but any aches and pains I simply ignored, shutting them out for Tana¡¯s sake. The battles in the distance continued to rage, showing no signs of stopping. After nearly two hours, a bright golden light blinded me for a second, despite the fact I was looking down. A few more shone through my tightly-shut eyelids, but that was the end of the commotion. The battles seemed to calm, for better or for worse. After another half hour, a flash of familiar blue light illuminated the darkening trees around us. I sighed as the Puppet Master flew over, landing by our side. He took one look at Tana. ¡°... Heartstopper.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Keeping her heart going. We need something to clear the venom and restart her heart.¡± ¡°John, I don¡¯t think-¡± ¡°Unless I hear solutions, I don¡¯t give a damn. Where¡¯s Vizen?¡± ¡°Recovering.¡± ¡°...¡± My mouth opened, but I couldn¡¯t get the words out. I wanted to demand his presence, but chances were, he wasn¡¯t capable. I gritted my teeth. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± ¡°The Church appeared and drove back the strongest of them. Unfortunately, the horde still numbers in the millions. What¡¯s left of the Kingdom is in full retreat. They¡¯ll be passing by soon, where we will all join them.¡± ¡°And Tana? Any solutions?¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll try.¡± He said that before flying off. I redoubled my efforts. After a little bit of thinking, I looked up at Umara, whose face was getting paler. It seemed she was having a hard time. I wouldn¡¯t stop her though. Her comfort wasn¡¯t worth risking Tana¡¯s life by any stretch. She would just have to deal with it. Then again¡­ I didn¡¯t even know if she would live. After the three hour mark, my hopes were slim. I wasn¡¯t really thinking about it at this point. I didn¡¯t want to. I just kept pumping, occasionally glancing off into the distance. At some point, a massive column of soldiers winded their way towards us. It was the retreating military, and among them were a few dozen templars that shone in their white and gold armors, the only purity in this hellscape. A strange presence felt near me. I turned and looked to the side to find an unexpected visitor. Anderson, the strongest knight in the Church, perhaps the world. And he was crouched down next to us with his characteristic toothy grin. Umara didn¡¯t seem to see him. ¡°Is she even alive? You¡¯ve been doing that for a while now.¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t know. Can you neutralize the venom?¡± ¡°I can do a lot of things. I just drove back the King of Anarchy. Question is, what¡¯s in it for me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I had anything you¡¯d find valuable.¡± ¡°Get creative, boy. Perhaps it may not be anything tangible. Tell me, are you asking for help or charity?¡± His bright blue eyes pierced straight into my soul. It took everything I had to not falter in my compressions. ¡°... Help.¡± ¡°Good answer. I¡¯ll save your friend. But I want you to remember this in the future. When you have to choose, I want you to remember what I did to tip the scales in your favor. Maybe then I¡¯ll be repaid.¡± He said that while taking out a black pill, dropping it in Tana¡¯s open mouth. It dissolved immediately, clearing out the black veins from her body. Umara finally realized something was happening as Tana¡¯s heart restarted. She rushed to feel her heart, putting an ear up against her bare chest. I felt her wrist: faint, but present. I almost collapsed on my arms, letting out a long sigh while hugging her head. ¡°... Don¡¯t ever do that again, okay? ¡°I feel like I¡¯m missing something.¡± Umara muttered as I moved to pick Tana up. I just shook my head, realizing Anderson was gone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I made a deal with someone.¡± ¡°Someone who? What did you promise?¡± ¡°Someone important, and I¡¯m honestly not sure. It¡¯s nothing bad though. Plenty worth it.¡± ¡°... Let¡¯s get her a shirt.¡± Umara just sighed while taking out a spare shirt, covering Tana¡¯s bare chest with it. The Puppet Master reappeared sometime after that, bringing us into the retreating army and deciding to ignore the topic of Tana¡¯s miraculous recovery. There were few spare vehicles to use, so we had no choice but to march with everyone. Vetsmon, who was still unconscious, was laid on top of one of the few trucks while Feiden was given some recovery meds and resigned to march with us while healing. I kept Tana with me, shifting her on my back. I also put my coat on her. Her body was incredibly cold. At least she was alive, I kept reminding myself. It was quite the miracle. Or perhaps a given. She was a knight, so since I was able to keep her heart going, her own body worked on preserving the rest. It was almost logical. But those three hours felt like an eternity. I didn¡¯t know if it was possible that she could be alive after the first five minutes, let alone hours. But I banked on the fact that knights defied death itself, as had been shown to me repeatedly. That, and the voice of my angel continued to echo in my mind. Don¡¯t give up. Seemed she hadn¡¯t been talking about running away. ¡­¡­ ¡­ It seemed the Kingdom could at least respond quickly to a crisis. We didn¡¯t have to march for more than half a day before the soldiers did something peculiar. They found a spot on the ground and started digging. Earth warlocks caved in the earth while scooping out massive chunks of land. And what was revealed below after a few dozen meters was the Rail tunnels. Better yet, they had sent some Rails over. It seemed we were lucky and most of the rail cars weren¡¯t actually at the base at the time of the attack. Since we now had access to them, we were able to load them with people and head back to the military depot. Once there, all the students were sent to the medical ward to get checked. All things considered, my squad had gotten off pretty well. It would¡¯ve been smooth sailing had Tana not gotten poisoned. As for the other group that abandoned us, I suppose I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised, but a good chunk of them survived. The children of rich nobles naturally had a few things to preserve their lives against stronger enemies. It was just unfortunate for the ones who didn¡¯t descend from endless generational wealth. The rich kids kept everything for themselves. What was 30 Elites and 20 students had been cut down another chunk. A headcount said there were only 18 Elites and 5 students, including us. 23 students remained of the 150 who left for the excursion. It was an utter massacre, killing off almost all of the new blood that would¡¯ve become soldiers only a month or so later. The fourth year, even disregarding the Elites, was supposed to be a generation of exceptionally talented students who were basically guaranteed to rise above the average. They would become valuable soldiers in the future. At least a few would likely reach Authority 10 within a decade or two. Now, over 90% had been killed unceremoniously. Those left were generally the cream of the crop, or at least the richest of them. But that didn¡¯t mean the Kingdom hadn¡¯t lost a major portion of their upcoming talent. It was the first tragedy of its kind. The Puppet Master had never lost an Elite before, and student deaths were exceptionally rare. Now, it could be said that so many Elites surviving through this was something to be proud of, given what happened. A King of the Scourge had stepped out to do battle. I didn¡¯t know the last time that had happened, but considering the fact that few knew about the Kings, I could guess that it was a long time ago. War was coming, that much was certain. Sitting in the medical ward, we were all given some sort of recovery medicine. I resorted to my cigars. Except for some internal injuries and a headache caused by the initial battle against Umara, I was perfectly fine. Umara was also untouched. It was our knights who needed the treatment. To our surprise though, someone came and found us while we were waiting around. ¡°Umara!¡± ¡°Dad?¡± Umara¡¯s eyes widened when her father appeared out of nowhere. He was wearing bloodied and beat up armor, so he had obviously fought with something. Thankfully, he had come out on top. Ikhor ran up and patted down his daughter. ¡°Are you okay? You weren¡¯t hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, dad. What about you? Your armor is dented.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine. Your father may not be a demigod, but my skill hasn¡¯t degraded even after all the paperwork your mother has made me do. If not for the situation, it would¡¯ve been a refreshing battle.¡± ¡°I see¡­ But why are you here?¡± She looked at him worriedly. She probably didn¡¯t think that her family should ever have been a worry. Turns out, her father had gotten caught up in all this. He sighed. ¡°I had visited the base to talk to you, but while I was spending some time with some old friends, Anarchy appeared. I had no choice but to run as far away as I could before the coercion messed with my mind.¡± ¡°Run away?¡± ¡°...You felt it too, didn¡¯t you? The desire to kill those you were close to in order to spare them the horror that was coming. If I had been nearby¡­ what would have happened shouldn¡¯t be talked about.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara¡¯s breathing hitched a bit. Her own father would have come to kill her if he hadn¡¯t made the wise decision to run when he did. If something like that had happened, how would he have lived with himself? Unfortunately, that was now the story of most who survived the mental coercion. They had either lived long enough to get saved by the Authority 12, or they had killed whoever they were trying to ¡®save.¡¯ My own ears twitched as I heard the screams throughout the depot. Some were from the medical ward. Most were coming from the surviving soldiers who had to bear the agony of knowing they killed their friends. All because a King had stepped within a few miles of the base. Such power was horrifying, and still hardly comprehensible despite us experiencing it first hand. Ikhor suddenly waved his hands. ¡°Nevermind that. What matters is that you¡¯re alive. Both of you. You can¡¯t imagine the weight on my chest as I was looking for you. So don¡¯t worry about anything else. Once you¡¯re ready, I¡¯ll bring you both home. John, I invite you to stay with us. I don¡¯t want you to be alone at a time like this.¡± ¡°...I appreciate it.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He nodded to me before sitting down on a nearby seat. After a few moments of silence, I lifted my Aerial and dialed a number. Maxwell picked up almost instantly, causing me to snort a little. ¡°Hey. You¡¯ll never guess what happened.¡± ¡°You were attacked by the King of Anarchy and survived?¡± ¡°...Way to kill the surprise.¡± ¡°Hardly something to be excited about. But I suppose making it out alive is an achievement worthy of accommodation. Good job, and I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe.¡± I could feel the relief in his voice. I wasn¡¯t sure how he knew about what happened, but it was nice to hear such genuine concern. I smiled. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ve been invited to the Talerria household. Should I go?¡± ¡°You can do whatever you wish. Doubt you¡¯ll ever have to step foot on Magisterium grounds ever again after this too. Once this tragedy reaches the public¡¯s ears, there¡¯s going to be an uproar. How many students died?¡± ¡°Only 23 remain. My squad comprises 5 of those survivors.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Alright, I needn¡¯t know any more. Be with your friends. I¡¯ll be waiting at the Capitol for your return.¡± ¡°Sure. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Goodbye, my boy.¡± The call ended, my Aerial dimming. I silently put my arm around Umara, pulling her in while waiting. Before long, Vetsmon and Feiden came out to greet us. Chapter 129: Are You Okay? Feiden and Vetsmon walked over from the medical ward, a cloud of depression hanging over them. I stood up and walked to meet them, placing a hand on Feiden¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°...Mira.¡± ¡°Mira¡­¡± It took me a second to understand what he was implying. My heart sank. ¡°She¡­ wasn¡¯t there. Not in the Steed, not in the group that abandoned us. She¡¯s¡­ not here¡­¡± ¡°...¡± The medical ward¡¯s atmosphere grew oppressive as the screams of the soldiers faded away. I¡­ didn¡¯t know what to say. She didn¡¯t make it through the initial fight. If she had been with the other students, she probably would have stayed with us when we stopped to fight. But now she was nowhere to be seen. Even if she survived the initial battle, since she wasn¡¯t here, she was somewhere out there. And that only meant that she was already dead. Feiden¡¯s girlfriend was gone. I wrapped him in a tight hug. I could only imagine how he felt. It wasn¡¯t a feeling I ever wanted to experience. Once we separated, I brought him over to a seat, guiding him to slump into the seat and simply being there. Eventually, he asked. ¡°How¡¯s Tana?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in a coma right now. Should survive. How healthy she¡¯ll be when she wakes back up, I¡¯m not sure. But she¡¯s at least alive.¡± ¡°Yo-¡­ you were keeping her heart going for hours. Thankfully it worked out.¡± ¡°Yeah. Given the shit circumstances, we all did the best we could.¡± A long sigh escaped my lips. A few tears leaked from the corners of Feiden¡¯s eyes, tracing rivulets down his cheeks. ¡­¡­ ¡­ Tana didn¡¯t seem like she would wake up anytime soon. I had fears of neurological damage, but for now, we could only wait for her to come out of her coma. We couldn¡¯t really do anything except notify her parents and leave her in the Puppet Master¡¯s hands as those unwounded in our class were teleported back to the Capitol. Vetsmon couldn¡¯t find the Templar assigned to him, but he still had his Writ, despite all that had happened. He went straight back to the Holy See to report to his parents. Feiden went back to his parents with a promise that we would meet up soon. I didn¡¯t want to leave him alone for that long, but he needed a familiar place to process things. That left Umara and I to the Talerria Dukedom, the City of Joffrun. Ikhor accompanied us to the mansion where the Duchess and Faey were waiting by the door. Worry was so palpable in Faey¡¯s Aura it seemed to almost stain the entryway, seeping deep into the gray bricks. Talexia silently walked over to her daughter and wrapped her in a crushing hug. ¡°Welcome home.¡± ¡°Thanks mom.¡± Their greeting was warm but succinct. Umara walked over to Faey afterwards, wrapping her in a hug. Her face, tense, instantly melted into relief. Talexia faced me for a few seconds before stepping forward and hugging me as well. I was a bit shocked. I didn¡¯t think we had gotten so close. The hug was short and sweet, and I felt my eyebrows rising as we broke it off. ¡°I suddenly feel my spirits being rejuvenated. Few more seconds?¡± ¡°Tsk, cheeky boy. Leave the cuddly stuff for my daughter.¡± ¡°Heh, will do.¡± We shared a smile before I went over to pick up Faey, poking her ribs with my fingers. She let out a peal of laughter. ¡°Ack! I¡¯m not a kid!¡± ¡°Why are you ticklish then? Only kids are ticklish.¡± ¡°Liar! Put me down!¡± ¡°Haha.¡± I laughed as we walked into the house, letting Faey down when the doors closed. I pulled her in for a quick hug before she could run. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, kid.¡± ¡°Mm, you too. I heard something happened?¡± ¡°Eh, a few beasts attacked our base. But we¡¯re fine. Your sister singlehandedly killed them all and flew us home.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I-I did not. Stop lying.¡± I got a smack on the shoulder. Faey snickered. We filed into the dining room after a little more talking. My stomach rumbled upon smelling food. I had forgotten entirely to eat with everything going on, Dinner was already mostly made so we sat down at the table, occasionally exchanging a few words over some inconsequential topic. I didn¡¯t really offer anything. I supposed they noticed, since after an hour had passed, Talexia broke the silence. ¡°John? Are you okay?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten anything.¡± I looked down, finding a full plate that I hadn¡¯t touched at all. I scratched my head. ¡°I¡­ uhh¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯m hungry. I think I just need some sleep. Is there an open room I could use?¡± ¡°Of course there is. Ikhor, if you could.¡± ¡°Mm. This way.¡± Ikhor nodded and stood to lead me. Umara spoke up from behind me. ¡°Do you want me to come with you?¡± ¡°No no, that¡¯s alright. I¡¯m just gonna catch some sleep¡­ don¡¯t mind me.¡± ¡°... Alright.¡± She muttered an acknowledgment as the two of us walked out, heading up to a guest room. ¡°Here you are. If there¡¯s anything else, let one of the maids know.¡± ¡°Sure. Thank you.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I gave him one last smile before walking into the room, shutting the door and taking a few steps inside. The room was completely silent, the thick door drowning out the already faint noises of life, yet it sounded like someone was screaming in my ears. My stomach churned. I sprinted to the bathroom, spewing what little was actually in my stomach inside the toilet. ¡­¡­ Ikhor descended back into the kitchen, Talexia asking. ¡°How is he?¡± ¡°... Vomiting.¡± ¡°...¡± Silence reigned over the dinner table. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. What broke it was Umara¡¯s sudden sobbing. Faey watched as her sister broke down in her seat, sobbing almost uncontrollably. She had a feeling something wasn¡¯t right earlier, that John¡¯s attempts at trying to lighten the mood earlier were just a mask for something far more serious. Her family sat in silence, letting her process her emotions the best she could. When her tears finally seemed to dry up, she weakly stumbled up, pushing herself away from the table. ¡°I¡¯m going to bed too.¡± ¡°Please let us know if you need anything.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara didn¡¯t respond and simply left the kitchen, leaving the remaining three at the table. Faey spoke up. ¡°Can I ask what happened?¡± ¡°...I suppose you¡¯ll hear about it soon enough.¡± Talexia sighed. ¡°The base your sister was at was just destroyed.¡± ¡°¡­w-what?¡± ¡°Yes. One of the strongest Scourge beasts in existence attacked it earlier today, alongside an army of millions. Most of the soldiers stationed there were wiped out, along with over 90% of the Magisterium¡¯s fourth year class.¡± ¡°...¡± Faey sat in stunned silence, unable to comprehend it all. Ikhor chimed in. ¡°John and your sister are only two of 23 students that managed to survive. Their entire squad made it as well, though one of them is in a coma and has yet to wake. The fact that they¡¯re alive is a miracle. But I can¡¯t imagine the stress for them. They¡¯re just kids, and they had to face a monster like that¡­¡± Ikhor went silent, recalling the image of Anarchy. Simply gazing upon that entity was enough to drive one insane if they weren¡¯t powerful enough to resist. And its mere presence was enough to plunge the base into a homicidal frenzy. John and Umara had both gazed upon it, succumbed to its insanity, and tried to kill each other, before getting pulled out of their stupor. Now, they would live to tell the tale, the image of Anarchy permanently branded into their psyches. Not many people, even among the survivors, could claim such a thing. And they were just kids, not even out of school. Ikhor just wished he could have done something about it. But at the time, getting as far away from them as possible was the best choice. That¡¯s why he threw himself into battle with others on the opposite side of the base. The details of what transpired there was something perhaps only his wife would ever know about. Yet, even now, he couldn''t quite wrap his head around how they managed to escape its influence. Preliminary reports suggested that every single person who actually caught a glimpse of Anarchy was dead, which was most of those who had been on the wall. That mental coercion had disappeared once the stationed Authority 12 did something about it, but even that couldn¡¯t cure those who had experienced the worst. There was a reason the Four Kings on the Black Spider Repository didn¡¯t have any pictures. It was because pictures couldn¡¯t be captured, not by photo or eye. It was only when the King projected their true form that people would go insane. Otherwise, they would only see an incomprehensible form that was harmless, though confusing, to gaze upon. John and Umara had seen Anarchy¡¯s true form, yet weren¡¯t insane. Ikhor had seen them atop the wall with the others who had glimpsed Anarchy, and later saw the red tears of blood dried on their faces characteristic of those afflicted. He wanted to know what happened, but the forces involved in that battle were beyond their own world. They might not even know, and he didn¡¯t want to press the issue. All he cared about was that they were alive. He couldn¡¯t give a damn about anything else, because by all stretches of logic, he should have lost his daughter. Ikhor looked up after snapping out of his own thought process, seeing his second daughter looking downtrodden. He smiled a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to worry so much about what happened, Faey. Just be there for your sister. She will need family now more than ever.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Good. Now, get ready for bed. Your mother and I have things to discuss.¡± Ikhor sent Faey off. After that, the night was spent spilling secrets that would likely never get uttered again. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Any change?¡± Talexia looked up from her desk at Ikhor, who sighed while sitting down across from her. ¡°No. Though our daughter made her way into his bed at some point.¡± ¡°Hm. They¡¯ve been sleeping for a full day.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t blame them. I only just woke up.¡± Ikhor wiped his face. The three of them, after going to sleep for the night, had been asleep for a while. Ikhor woke up some hours ago, but he was also an Authority 10. John and Umara had yet to wake even after a full 24 hours. Despite that, Umara managed to slip her way into John¡¯s bed. Both parents hoped they would wake soon. Unfortunately, the two only emerged after another half a day. It was almost lunchtime the next day when they walked down. Their hair was completely disheveled, their eyes squinted and face covered in the markings of whatever they had been sleeping on. Umara was also on John¡¯s back as they marched their way straight to the kitchen. The family watched as they flipped on a water spout and started gobbling up everything that poured out like thirsting beggars. When they eventually made it to the table where everyone sat, their front sides were drenched, but it didn¡¯t seem like either of them cared as they stared blankly into space. At that moment, Talexia slid a newspaper over to them. ¡°News got out. It¡¯s the only thing the Kingdom is talking about now. Dozens of nobles have also gone to the Magisterium in outrage, though they¡¯re getting shut down. The front page is¡­ a summary of the outcome.¡± John reached over as she explained, taking the newspaper and checking the front page with hazy golden eyes. There in big bold letters were the words ¡°The Calamity Class - 127 Students Massacred.¡± It went on to summarize how the fourth year Magisterium class was almost entirely wiped out, victims of the worst incursion in decades. It was almost like they didn¡¯t care at all about the tens of thousands of soldiers who died as well. Then again, no news sold better than that which freaked people out, and what better than covering the Kingdom¡¯s future getting shattered? Soldiers died every day ¡ª though usually not in the numbers that they just did ¡ª it was basically expected. What wasn¡¯t expected was for school kids to get massacred, and no journalist would pass up such sensational news. As for details about the King of Anarchy appearing, it seemed like that was being completely suppressed. After all, almost everyone who had seen Anarchy was dead. And it seemed the top brass weren¡¯t keen on scaring people more than necessary. A military base had fallen. The citizenry didn¡¯t need to know why. John passed the newspaper to Umara, having gleaned an idea of what was written with a quick skim. He spoke as she looked over it. ¡°What¡¯s graduation going to look like?¡± Talexia looked up from her food and responded. ¡°Not sure. There are only 23 students to graduate now besides the third years, and since there are already talks of a memorial being put up, a graduation would really only serve as a kind of funeral. They¡¯re still deciding what to do. Regardless, it won¡¯t happen for another 10 days. For now there isn¡¯t anything you two need to worry about. Perhaps except plans for the military, which I wanted to talk to you about, John.¡± John lifted his head when Talexia asked. ¡°How would you feel about enlisting under the warlock corps?¡± ¡°... I suppose it would be a better fit than the knight corps.¡± ¡°Mm. There aren¡¯t any divisions for summoners to go into or specialize in except Intelligence. But if you plan on doing any fighting, we can¡¯t do that, so you¡¯ll go through basic training alongside the warlocks. As for who takes you under their command, I can already feel the headache. There¡¯s always a lot of competition for the Crowned Champion, but I have a feeling it¡¯ll be worse with you.¡± ¡°...¡± He didn¡¯t respond, taking a moment to think. Nobility had three interests: their assets, the Magisterium, and the military. It wasn¡¯t wealth or influence that really defined a noble, but sheer power. A noble title was directly tied to the strength they personally wielded, and the only way to maintain that was by ensuring powerful successors as well. Their assets granted them the resources to invest, the Magisterium provided a safe base to develop, and the military served as further tempering to bring a noble scion to the required level of power. Noble children were always cycling through the latter two, and being the nobles that they were, naturally didn¡¯t go through normal channels. They got preferential treatment at every step; every noble worth their salt had been through the same path once. A noble¡¯s social network was vast, and they would pull as many strings as they could to ensure their children had an advantage. As for John? Despite being a commoner hailing from a completely unknown background, he would be treated rather similarly. His pioneering of the summoner class, being Crowned Champion, and having Umara¡¯s parents willing to pull strings for him put him miles ahead of the ordinary enlisted ¡ª loads of people would be fighting to hold him under their command. But that wasn¡¯t what made things difficult. It was the fact that John didn¡¯t have backing that would make things complicated. He was a popular candidate for subordination yet didn¡¯t have any rights or decision-making power to himself. It wouldn¡¯t be like Umara, who could just choose to be under her mother. Of course, Talexia would have more of a say given John¡¯s relationship with her daughter, but that would be limited. She would definitely have to fight for it, and the mere anticipation was already giving her a headache. Of course, she wasn¡¯t just fighting for him because he was Umara¡¯s boyfriend. His performance during the tournament was shocking even to her. She had never seen his combat prowess before ¡ª nor had most people. The show he put on was eye opening and very very tempting. Such lethality had never been seen before. It was pure killing power in the form of long metal tubes. However it worked, all of the big players in the military wanted it for themselves. Talexia wasn¡¯t an exception. And unfortunately, in a grim way, the competition would be even greater since the pot of Elites to choose from had been cut by over 90%. Well, it would all have to wait until the issues regarding that event blew over. As Talexia remained deep in her thoughts, John and Umara stood in unison and walked out of the kitchen. She watched them with an odd face, not saying anything as they vanished into the upper floors. She looked over at Ikhor. ¡°What was that about?¡± ¡°... I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Hm. By the way, did you see Anarchy?¡± She asked inquisitively. Although they had gone through the same thing, Ikhor was reacting to it much differently. Sure he was also an Authority 10, but she didn¡¯t want to disregard the differences so readily. Sure enough, he shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t dare look out to it. My body might be strong, but my mind doesn¡¯t necessarily follow. Aura was never my strong suit, so I didn¡¯t want to test the theory with Umara there. I just ran and resisted as long as I could.¡± ¡°Mm, a good choice. Something tells me that they¡¯re going through something right now though.¡± ¡°Recovery, most likely.¡± ¡°That, or they¡¯re preoccupied. They¡¯re thinking about something. Chances are, it¡¯s Anarchy.¡± ¡°... What can we do?¡± Ikhor asked worriedly. They couldn¡¯t do much about that, even at their level. It was a miracle that they weren¡¯t going insane, but it seemed they also weren¡¯t completely unaffected. Whatever it was, it felt like they could only wait. Talexia was also frowning, her fingers rapping across the table. ¡°...I¡¯ll call a friend. Perhaps he¡¯ll be curious enough to indulge me.¡± She tapped her Aerial with those words, sending a few messages before waiting patiently. After a minute or so, she got a response. She clicked her tongue. ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait, but he¡¯ll come. I suppose I¡¯m not the first to call him.¡± ¡°How long?¡± ¡°A day or two. For now, let¡¯s just watch them. So long as their condition doesn¡¯t get worse, we¡¯ll be able to do something about it.¡± She sighed, the two of them falling silent in contemplation. Chapter 130: Rationalize Anarchy was more than just a lack of order. It was the insanity that wrought the ruin of all things stable. It destroyed peace, disrupted harmony, defaced all forms of law. It made friends, lovers, and family turn on each other, as if death was the only purpose of the living. It warped the desire to protect into the desire to kill. And finally, it unlocked all inhibitions that might have prevented someone from carrying out their newfound intentions. These thoughts had come to me after a day or so of thinking. Umara and I hadn¡¯t been asleep for so long; it was just that our minds were so occupied with our thoughts that we may as well have been sleeping. Neither of us could pull ourselves out of this stupor before we figured everything out. We had attempted to make sense of Anarchy. Not just the concept, but that which embodied it. That two headed monster haunted both of our minds; only through comprehension could we drive it out. My guardian angel, as well as Umara¡¯s, had only saved us from the immediate insanity that Anarchy had imprinted unto our minds when we saw it. That did nothing to wash the image ¨C not merely a memory, but carrying the influence of Anarchy, the raw unfiltered concept the monster represented ¨C from our minds. It was difficult to think of a living thing as a walking concept, but this was a world of magical bullshit; I wasn¡¯t closed to the idea. The issue was that it was simply too easy to think of the monster. The moment its image popped into your head, its influence would hitch a ride and come as well. As a result, a homicidal rage similar to the one we initially experienced would flood your mind. It didn¡¯t have the same secondary effect of getting rid of inhibitions, thus not actually affecting your desires nor making you act on your thoughts, but still proved impossible to simply wash from your mind. Not unless you could rationalize your way out. And to do that, you needed to understand why Anarchy wasn¡¯t something to follow or believe. It was effectively a moral and philosophical debate. Except the outcome of this internalized argument would dictate your actions, for better or worse. It wasn¡¯t something you could just haphazardly conclude and push to the back of your mind. If you couldn¡¯t reach a good conclusion, you would return to the insanity that affected everyone at the base ¨C except nobody could save you this time around. This made it incredibly difficult to let myself come to a definite conclusion. And I was thinking several times faster than Umara. How long it would take her, I wasn¡¯t sure. And that¡¯s why we were constantly communicating. I had established a telepathic link almost the instant I realized what was going on. I wanted to make sure that my own thoughts weren¡¯t going down the wrong path. I was keeping my mind in check, using Umara¡¯s thoughts as a sanity test. But as time went on and both of us figured out what we had to do, we entered a deep discussion that wouldn¡¯t end until we could come to a consensus. We established pretty quickly that Anarchy wasn¡¯t just something to go against. I had learned about no small amount of philosophical, moral, and ethical beliefs on Earth, and I myself had come to the conclusion that everything, both good and bad, had their roles to play in our lives. Call it the cycle of life, yin and yang, duality, opposites attracting, or whatever else you wanted. There were two sides to every coin and that meant Anarchy wasn¡¯t wholly or inherently something to bastardize. It played a part in our lives, especially my own philosophies. Did a revolution or rebellion not take a certain level of anarchy to achieve? Did plunging a country into chaos not require the dissolution of law, peace, and harmony? It didn¡¯t matter if it was to achieve your goals or not. Without anarchy, you would never be able to get away from order, regardless of whether that order was good or bad. Or put simply, you can¡¯t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. It was an unfortunate truth of the world, but violence did solve problems. A Utopia of peace and harmony, by definition, was unachievable. Maybe humanity was never deserving of something like a Utopia. Or maybe we would never be able to appreciate one without being incapable of achieving it. Regardless, it was clear to me that anarchy had a role in my thinking. It wasn¡¯t inherently good or bad, but merely a function of life. And only when taken to its purest extreme did it become a very bad thing. After some time, I could feel Umara resonating with my thoughts. The only debate was over what degree of influence anarchy could have on our lives. That wasn¡¯t as easy to determine. Too much anarchy in our lives would mean we would be trying to overthrow every form of authority we came across. We might not be trying to kill everyone we came across, but the level of conflict in our lives would skyrocket. There would be no peace. But too little meant that we wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve any of our goals. In this way, our relationship underwent something of a test. Umara and I were facing pressure at every turn. Just about everyone wanted us separated, and we had to fight just to continue seeing each other. It wasn¡¯t easy, that much was certain. I, for one, would have a far easier time in life if I just broke up with her. Almost all of the noble class would get off my ass and I would be free to pursue anybody they didn¡¯t care about. But we never did that. Everyone came after me since I was the only one they could touch, and I fought them all off. Umara did her best to help in the form of resisting the pressure on her family and keeping it away from me. We both had our own battles to fight. And we were only willing to keep fighting because we were willing to accept a certain level of chaos and anarchy in our lives to get what we wanted. But there was a balance that we had been pretty desperate to maintain. If I hadn¡¯t gotten as strong as I did, then that balance likely would have collapsed a while ago. But I was able to triumph over the tournament, which was the last card they could play to semi-discreetly dispose of me. Because of that, I was able to refrain from resorting to a greater level of anarchy, a level that probably would have been my downfall. Due to my experiences, both on Earth and here, I felt like I had a pretty good grasp on the level of anarchy I could allow in my life. Unlike Umara, ethics and philosophy were prevalent topics on Earth and something I had debated often enough. I had even taken classes on them, for however much that was worth. But she didn¡¯t. Those things simply weren¡¯t as big of an issue here in this world where there was only one dominant religion and an existential enemy at your doorstep. For the most part, everyone was too busy with living to worry about crap like that. Umara never had an opportunity to reflect on morality. I would have to be careful. She was much more volatile than I was. She didn¡¯t have the same stability of mind I did, which helped rather significantly with dealing with Anarchy. And since she also didn¡¯t have a foundation of years of pondering and debate, she needed to form a philosophy in a short amount of time and with far higher stakes. It was difficult to help her while I was also trying to rationalize everything and subdue the monstrous image in my mind, but I was trying my best. Which, after almost 48 hours, led to the current conversation. (Who the fuck should be allowed to tell us what we can and can¡¯t do?! I¡¯m the daughter of a Duchess! If I want to have sex with you, then I shouldn¡¯t have to give a damn about anyone else! I¡¯ll fuck you whenever I please!) (Whenever we both want to.) (... Hah. Yes, I get that. But my point still stands!) I inwardly sighed. She was practically explosive at this point, and I had devoted a chunk of myself away from rationalization towards restraining her a little. It was amazing just how calm she usually was. Umara didn¡¯t let her emotions show very often, especially not in public. Even when we were alone, she was generally the one who tried to keep herself calm and collected. In comparison, I wore my heart on my sleeve. That¡¯s how nobles were supposed to be, and that¡¯s how she had been raised. But that also meant that much of her emotions had been repressed. Both of us were completely unfiltered right now. I was still a bit surprised at the depth of her discontent. Despite understanding her upbringing, she was holding back a lot more than I expected, far angrier about the whole situation. Which is why I asked. (If you understand exactly why they¡¯re doing what they¡¯re doing, then why are you so mad about it? It¡¯s not something you can necessarily control¡­ their own opinions I mean. Since that¡¯s the case, you shouldn¡¯t be letting it get to you like this.) (It¡¯s a matter of principle, John! I know you also understand that, you cite that plenty enough. You know why I¡¯m so mad. This is just the first time you¡¯ve seen it, because believe it or not, I have more self-control than you do. I have to, for my family and our image. For me, the game is all about having a poker face, as you like to call it. It¡¯s all a bunch of bullshit, but that¡¯s the way it is, so I play along. But because you find no reason to conceal your own emotions and filter your words, I have to compensate. That¡¯s why everyone sees you as the stupid peasant who couldn¡¯t possibly have any thoughts worth hearing, while I have to be the ice queen bitch! You think I like playing nice with a bunch of old motherfuckers?! You think I like smiling when I feel like gouging out their eyeballs and spreading their guts across the floor?!)Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. (...) I stayed silent as she exploded. (Do you think I like hearing about how you¡¯ve fucked other girls too?! Sex is supposed to be one of the most intimate things a couple can do, and you¡¯ve done it with multiple other girls before! Part of me can hardly believe that you could be as intimate with me as I would be with you! I can¡¯t help but imagine it as one-sided now! But I never told you these things because that¡¯s not the right thing to do. The right thing to do would be to disregard it and trust you when you say that it has no bearing on us. And that¡¯s what I did. But that never meant that it didn¡¯t piss me off. You just didn¡¯t get to see it. And now, we stand at a crossroads because I¡¯ve exposed myself. So what do you plan to do?! What can we possibly do that would fix our balance?!) (... We should take a step back.) I said that while opening my eyes, sitting up on the bed we laid in. Umara sensed it and did the same, the two of us looking at each other with fire in our eyes. She was right, we had reached a crossroads. She was exploding, all of her bottled up emotion coming out all at once. And I was left here wondering if she was even capable of taking our relationship to the next level. So I was about to make things really simple. (Umara, I¡¯m not the one with an issue. You are. You hate the fact that I¡¯ve had sex before. I understand why you do. But right now, you need to cool yourself off and tell me if you¡¯re capable of getting past that. Because if not, then there¡¯s no reason why we shouldn¡¯t break up right now. Do you understand that?) (... Fuck¡¯s sake.) She suddenly started crying. I could feel the anger within her, but I could also feel the surge of dread at the mention of us breaking up. She seemed to sober up pretty quickly, but the conflict was obvious. She looked down, drawing her knees into herself. ¡°... It hurts.¡± She whispered out loud. ¡°I get so mad sometimes. I can¡¯t know if anybody around me is trustworthy. All of the nobles have openly talked about how valuable my child would be for them and how I¡¯m at risk of tainting my womb with some commoner garbage. And then their children come and try to be friendly with me, talking about how pretty I am and how amazing my progress is while calling us lifelong friends. I¡¯m not even sure my few childhood friends are still my friends. Sometimes I think they just make an effort to stay relevant in my life so they can try to manipulate me due to the state of my family. I can¡¯t know, and it¡¯s infuriating. And¡­ And you¡­¡± ¡°I might be the same, right?¡± I looked down at her with a neutral face, watching as she nodded lightly. ¡°You¡­ Maybe you¡¯re trying to sleep with me for my money, or my mother¡¯s influence. You¡¯re not a noble, so attaining one of my mother¡¯s businesses would set you up for life. Or worse, you could just see me as a trophy. Sleeping with me would be quite the impressive feat, especially if you never meant any of the things you¡¯ve said to me. Even you rejecting my gifts could be an act. I just don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Good God, woman.¡± I let out a sharp huff before standing from the bed, pacing a few times before turning back to her. It was difficult to see her so pitiful. She was doubting everything we¡¯ve ever done for each other, everything we¡¯ve told each other. She was doubting all of the experiences we¡¯ve had up until now. I shook my head. ¡°To think we¡¯ve faced the fucking incarnation of death together and you¡¯re doubting whether or not I really didn¡¯t want you to buy me the hood. It¡¯s quite enlightening though. I told you that I was going to trust you and love you unconditionally, but obviously I didn¡¯t even think about the fact that you didn¡¯t promise me the same. You¡¯re calling everything I¡¯ve done into question, and why? Because you¡¯ve had some bad experiences with some stupid fucking nobles? You¡¯re really going to let them ruin everything for us?¡± ¡°... All I¡¯m doing is recalling my life¡¯s experiences. This is how my life is.¡± ¡°Then let me make it crystal fucking clear, because right now, there is no possible way that I can try to act or deceive you. I simply don¡¯t have the patience for shit like that, nor will Anarchy let me, especially when it might dictate whether I give you the rest of my fucking life or not.¡± I went over and propped my knee on the side of the bed, leaning over to her and speaking with a low voice. I had to admit, I was pretty pissed now too. ¡°I simply do not care about the thoughts of nobles. I don''t care about their opinions, I don¡¯t care about their feelings, I don¡¯t care about what they want, like, or hate. The entirety of the noble class could come and gargle on my balls and it wouldn¡¯t make me like them any more. Frankly, that goes for your past experiences with them too. Where I come from, shitting all over the name of nobles and elitists is an enjoyable pastime. And we did that because almost all those people are a bunch of disgusting immoral pigs. And it seems like you''ve come to the same conclusion. But you¡¯ve made the mistake of thinking that I could possibly be remotely similar to them. It¡¯s insulting, and it tells me one thing.¡± I tapped Umara¡¯s forehead. ¡°You obviously haven¡¯t stopped being one. You let them get into your head, you let them brainwash you into thinking you have to play their game to survive. And even if that¡¯s not the case, at the very least, you let them convince you that you should care about anything they have to say. You see, dealing with nobles is relatively easy for me because I don¡¯t actually listen to them. They think I¡¯m just a worthless peasant with no thoughts worth hearing? Who the fuck cares?! All of my unfiltered conflicts with them in the past didn¡¯t change anything since they¡¯ve hated me from the beginning! There was never any room for negotiation! What would being polite to them achieve? And why should their opinion of me hold any weight with you? Huh?¡± ¡°...¡± Umara didn¡¯t respond, so I turned around and found a chair to sit in. I let her stew in her thoughts for a while. In my eyes, I could see our Auras. Mine was pretty solid and in the cloudy form it was usually in. Honestly, my rationalization about Anarchy was already pretty set. This discussion with Umara was the only loose end that I needed to figure out. But Umara¡¯s was volatile, reflecting her emotions. It was unstable and fluid, flowing about her in violent streams that changed directions in a heartbeat, making it clear that she had yet to come to a conclusion. But after what had to be almost half an hour of stewing in silence, she finally started mumbling. With every utterance, her Aura solidified a bit more. Whatever she was thinking, it was setting things in stone and would make or break this relationship. ¡°... I need to stop being a noble¡­ All of it needs to stop. They¡¯re¡­ my enemies. Everyone¡¯s enemy. There¡¯s nothing holding them back so they dig their filthy claws into everything they can get them on. They¡¯ve twisted even their own children to play their games. They need to be dethroned.¡± ¡°In a way.¡± I smiled a bit, rubbing my chin as her head snapped toward me. ¡°What do you mean in a way? You made it pretty clear that they need to go to hell.¡± ¡°They do, but you need to understand that this place isn¡¯t like my home. Like I said during the discussion we had with Vetsmon¡¯s father, magic makes it impossible to abolish the noble class. Even if there were someone powerful who did so by killing all nobles, they would then become king, the de facto noble class that stands above all. That¡¯s what magic does. So I agree that nobles need to go fuck themselves. But we don¡¯t do that by getting rid of them. We need another way.¡± ¡°... Kind of like what the Church did?¡± ¡°Yes. You keep them in check. But you have to have the power first. Until then, we can only do what we can to not give them an excuse to just outright kill us for daring to go against them. Which is what I¡¯ve been doing.¡± ¡°...Yes, you¡¯ve balanced that well. Only because you can find safe refuge with my mother and the hotel.¡± ¡°Exactly. Which is why you also can¡¯t just forsake your nobility just yet. We need the title and the protection it affords us, so long as we come to the conclusion that our relationship can continue to work.¡± I stood and walked over to the bed, sitting on its side and grabbing Umara¡¯s hand tight. ¡°Umara, I can¡¯t do anything about your doubt beyond what I have. That¡¯s something you need to rectify within yourself. All I can ask is that you look at what we¡¯ve been through and understand that I¡¯m not here to deceive or use you. You worry that I¡¯m like the nobles. Well, unfortunately I¡¯m also worried that you¡¯re like them. I liked you back then even before I knew you were a noble. I knew nothing about you other than the fact that you were cute, smart, and fun to be with. Your mother and her lie detector test made that pretty clear. ¡°As for my history, I unfortunately can¡¯t go back in time¡­ nor can I regret what I did. Not to mention that for me, it was never a big deal. What I did back then could never affect what I do with you now, just like how all the dates I¡¯ve been on back then don¡¯t make ours today any less fun or romantic. But how much it affects you is something only you can decide. It¡¯s not something I can help you with, because for me, I¡¯m done doubting. I don¡¯t feel like there¡¯s any point. After finding you, all I want to do now is live life with you. I want you to be the one person that I don¡¯t have to question at all. It could be us against the world, with enemies on all sides, and I¡¯d be just fine knowing I was fighting with you because I could lay my life in your hands without a shadow of a doubt. The question is whether you want the same.¡± I finished with a breath of resignation. It wasn¡¯t a decision I could make for her. What I wanted was clear. She had to decide to meet me there. This was a street that went both ways and if I needed to leave her behind, then so be it. I wouldn¡¯t waste the time. Her eyes met mine, but they also looked like they were staring off into space. She spent a long time silent before muttering. ¡°It seems¡­ like we¡¯ll have to kick it up a notch.¡± ¡°Kick it up how?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been extreme enough. I¡¯ve been lagging behind in just about every respect. From our relationship to my power, I¡¯ve just been riding along and reacting to everything. But that¡¯s going to have to stop. I need to start dictating my own life...¡± Umara¡¯s Aura rapidly solidified as she nodded. One thing was for certain though. When her eyes focused on mine, I knew that we were going to do just fine. ¡°You.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°How soon is too soon to get married?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even have a ring yet, dear.¡± ¡°Then how keen are you on waiting until marriage to have sex?¡± ¡°Waiting was a matter of principle. How keen are you on abandoning that?¡± ¡°...¡± She went silent, her Aura shifting one more time before her Aura properly solidified. She let out a breath. ¡°We¡¯ll figure that out later. For now¡­ I need to tell you something.¡± Umara spoke while suddenly collapsing to the bed. It looked like all her energy was being sucked away all at once. Even her face went pale. She smiled at me while whispering. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t tell you how much I love you. If I wasn¡¯t about to pass out¡­ I¡¯d try to put it into words. But for now¡­ I just want you to know that I¡¯ll be ready¡­¡± She mumbled, barely getting out her last words. ¡°I¡¯ll be ready for the ring¡­ I¡¯ll be a woman you¡­ can be proud of¡­ I¡¯ll wait however long¡­¡± She went silent, passing out as her Aura went still. That¡¯s when I suddenly felt my own Aura seep out of my body, like I was letting some strange ethereal fog rush from my pores, surrounding me in a metaphysical cloud. It quickly solidified, becoming so stable it almost felt suffocating being inside. But that process, like with Umara, drained all my energy like a black hole. It only took a few seconds before my mind threatened to shut down. I crawled into the bed, pulling Umara close before passing out myself. I couldn¡¯t respond to her, nor could she get all her words out. The conversation was a bit all over the place. Anarchy was still in our minds, and we were trying to work it out. But I knew exactly what she wanted to say. Like her anger before, it was all too obvious. So I let my consciousness fade, feeling more content than I ever had been. Chapter 131: Grand Duke ¡°Grand Duke Anselma, thank you for coming on such short notice.¡± Talexia and Ikhor both greeted the man at their door. He came alone, but his mere presence was far beyond what most could ever hope to witness. Anselma was an Authority 12 Warlock and one of the strongest individuals in the Kingdom by virtue of his elemental knowledge. He allegedly had three perfect affinities and their respective enlightenments, as well as a fourth affinity that was infinitely close to perfect. He had effectively completed the path of a Warlock, standing at the pinnacle of the world. But he was a man of knowledge, responsible for pushing magical technology and enchanting leaps and bounds ahead to where it was today. He had done the work of generations by himself. Because of this, he was the head of the Magic Spire, the Kingdom¡¯s hub for all magical research and development. This made him both very smart and very rich, far above even other Grand Dukes. And he was at the doorstep of the Talerria household, something that would likely never happen again. Anselma gave Talexia a small smile. ¡°Thank you for the hospitality. Unfortunately I¡¯ve been extremely busy lately, so I can¡¯t stay long. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll take a look at your daughter now.¡± ¡°Of course. Right this way.¡± Talexia ushered him in, taking him straight to the bedroom. There, they found both Umara and John laid in the bed. They were no longer cuddled like how John had fallen asleep, but separated and laid out tidily. Still, Talexia was worried. ¡°They came out for a short time before going back and having a conversation. Then they fell asleep and haven¡¯t woken up since. They¡¯ve been like this for 18 hours.¡± ¡°Hm. Their Auras are faint¡­ but strong.¡± Anselma peered down at both of them. His own Aura washed over them both and immediately sensed how stable theirs was. ¡°Both of their Auras are incredibly powerful for their age. As for the boy¡¯s mind, from what I can sense he¡¯s doing something similar to resetting. I imagine the girl is doing the same.¡± ¡°Resetting? Why?¡± ¡°Because of Anarchy, of course.¡± Anselma backed away. ¡°Duchess Talerria, what I¡¯m about to tell you is something of an open secret among those who have studied the Scourge Kings¡­. Simply gazing upon a King imparts their influence. Just because you may escape the King doesn¡¯t mean you will escape what they are. In the case of your daughter and John Cooper, they have gazed upon Anarchy, and so their minds were filled with Anarchy. What they¡¯ve been doing for the past few days is processing Anarchy, or more specifically, honing their Aura until it could handle and harness its concept.¡± ¡°... Did they succeed?¡± ¡°They have. But success may not look the same for everyone. They were forced to reconcile Anarchy with their lives and beliefs. The conclusions they¡¯ve come to will therefore shape their personalities. As for what conclusions they¡¯ve come to, and how it will affect them¡­ we won¡¯t be able to know that until they wake up. So long as they didn¡¯t allow it to take over their lives, they¡¯ll be able to operate relatively normally day-to-day. They¡¯ll also be perfectly healthy physically regardless of what changed in their psyche.¡± ¡°¡­ I understand.¡± Talexia nodded, reaching out and stroking her daughter¡¯s face. It seemed things wouldn¡¯t be the same as they were. The encounter with Anarchy was life-changing in more ways than one. She could only hope that her daughter was able to handle herself. She also regretted not knowing this sooner. If she had, then perhaps she would have been able to help her daughter with processing everything. She recalled many hours earlier hearing some voices coming from this room. Perhaps John and Umara had been talking about Anarchy, getting through the plight together. In that case, she could only hope that John was a good influence on her. Anselma gazed at the two for a bit longer before closing his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much, Duchess. Although they are in a deep sleep and their Aura is faint, I sense no abnormal influence from Anarchy. Of course, I¡¯ve never met them before so I can¡¯t gauge how much they will have deviated from their baseline¡­ but I can say for certain that both of them have managed to work their way through the insanity well, especially considering their Authority. How they managed to escape in the first place is something only the Divine can know¡­ but be at ease knowing your daughter will come back to you, and she¡¯ll be even stronger than before. This experience is one that can temper even the Auras of Authority 11¡¯s, let alone kids like them.¡± ¡°¡­ I can imagine. Thank you very much, Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Of course. The two of them shouldn¡¯t be asleep for much longer, but do try to feed them if you can. The longer they¡¯re allowed the sleep, the more they¡¯ll gain and the more stable they¡¯ll be when they wake. We wouldn¡¯t want them losing out just because they were thirsty.¡± ¡°Understood. Is there anything we can do for you while you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°No, thank you. The appearance of Anarchy has me busier than I¡¯ve been in 30 years. Though, there is something I wanted to mention. Here.¡± Anselma suddenly took out an envelope from his coat, handing it to Talexia. ¡°Don¡¯t open it now, only if you need to. I wanted to ensure that John could come under your wing in the military. In exchange, I want you to make sure he will be taken care of. He need not be coddled, but so long as you keep an eye on him, I¡¯ll be at ease. I¡¯ve heard from some¡­ contacts say that he¡¯s a summoner paving a new path, and I would hate for him to fail prematurely or get unsavory attention from his enemies. If you have trouble taking control of him, just hand this to Intama.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± Talexia held the letter carefully. Something like the paper in her hands meant a lot more than just taking John under her wing. It involved another level of responsibility and scrutiny. She asked meekly. ¡°Is¡­ there anything you want in exchange for this letter?¡± ¡°Yes, but nothing you can give me. John Cooper¡¯s life could be said to be one big experiment. The farther he goes, the more value humanity as a whole will gain. Those who want him dead are nothing more than shortsighted fools. Only now have they started to realize that the Scourge is still a massive threat to our very existence, and there¡¯s still an enormous well of power that humanity has yet to tap into. Perhaps he will be the key, but we can¡¯t know unless he¡¯s allowed to grow. If a little letter will open a door, then I don¡¯t mind writing it. Don¡¯t be afraid to use it.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°... Yes.¡± She nodded, stowing the letter away. After that, Anselma brought out a coin. ¡°Then I must go. Good day, Duchess.¡± ¡°Good day, Grand Duke.¡± She quickly bowed a bit, watching as Anselma flicked the coin into the air. When it came down, it grew in size and created a portal that fell over his body, warping him away to an unknown place. The coin vanished with him, and Talexia let out a sigh. ¡­¡­ ¡­ My eyes fluttered open when I heard some groaning. I discreetly tilted my head over to see Talexia holding Umara¡¯s head, a floating stream of water flowing into her mouth. Umara was trying to dodge it, apparently aroused to consciousness. Once Talexia saw that, she stopped and took Umara¡¯s hand. ¡°Umara? It¡¯s okay, you can keep sleeping.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara didn''t respond, just laying there. She was definitely waking up, but obviously not in the mood to give anyone the time of day. I watched with half-lidded eyes as Talexia set her hand down and stood, walking over to my side of the bed. A ball of water floated around her, turning into a stream as she sat down by my side and cradled my head. Just as she was about to give me some water, we made eye contact, her brows raising. I spoke after a few awkward seconds. ¡°... You can continue.¡± ¡°Tsk. Haven¡¯t changed, have you¡­¡± She smiled a bit before setting my head back down, standing back up. After that, she just let us both naturally come to lucidness. I sat myself against the headboard while Umara shifted under the sheets. Her arm snaked around and found me, grabbing my shoulder and pulling herself up so she could lay against me. She snuggled against me for a while, her eyes still closed. Once her eyes opened, she stared at her mother for a long while, as if deciding on something. Once she came to her conclusion, she sighed. ¡°Hi mom.¡± ¡°Hello. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Amazing, actually. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever felt this clear headed in my life. Are you feeling this too?¡± ¡°Mm. It¡¯s pretty nice.¡± I nodded when Umara looked up at me. Clear-headed was one way to put it. I certainly did feel like my entire mind had been power washed and made squeaky clean. Everything flowed smoothly, and that was saying a lot considering my Psyka. But what was even more prominent was my Aura. It felt completely different than before, and not just due to its newfound power. It was difficult to describe, but it felt like it had risen to another stratum. Almost like advancing Authorities, or perhaps being enlightened. I suddenly turned to Talexia. ¡°Duchess, are there levels for Aura? Perhaps something along the lines of¡­ proficiencies?¡± ¡°... Yes, there are. There¡¯s no official categorization, but the military generally recognizes three levels of Aura. From lowest to highest they are Sensory, Visionary, and Clairvoyant. Sensory Auras are just that. They can generally sense the people around them and their mental states. As for visionary, this level is entered when someone develops an Auric technique. I heard that you used illusions, so that would place you within the Visionary level.¡± ¡°And the Clairvoyant level?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s like its namesake. That level allows someone to effectively predict the future. They can see and feel things before they even happen. And vague feelings of anxiety or danger aren¡¯t enough to place you within that level. It¡¯s¡­ more so a matter of being able to read the¡­ fabric of reality, almost, and tell with certainty when something specific is going to happen. It also comes with the most profound Auric techniques known to man, something only found around the level of the Scourge Kings.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an awfully large gap.¡± My brows raised. The difference between a Visionary and Clairvoyant seemed to be the same as the difference between an Authority 6 and an Authority 12. It was so massive that there was space for plenty more Quanta between them, yet it was barren¡­ much like the Kingdom¡¯s information on Aura. I had yet to hear anything definitive about Aura and its various stages of advancement, which was only driving home the thought that the Kingdom really was holding information close to its chest. There were no techniques at the Magisterium, and the military probably only handed them out to loyal and strong soldiers. Even that was most likely a lie. Chances were, all the Aura techniques were in the hands of the nobles, and you¡¯d need to be born into or pledge fealty to them to gain access. More than that, you¡¯d have to be someone worth giving a technique to, both a valuable asset as well as someone who they knew wouldn¡¯t threaten them. It was no doubt a bootlicking shitfest among those who tried to advance. I understood why though. Aura was a powerful thing. It was the one thing that scared nobles, which was why they kept its information behind lock and key. I most likely wouldn¡¯t be getting anything that could help me keep track of how developed my Aura was, not even from Talexia. Even if she wanted to give me something like a technique, it probably wouldn¡¯t be something that would fit me. Information on Aura was as scarce as it was tightly guarded. Seems I was on my own, though perhaps Maxwell would have a bit more insight. He came from the Church and they no doubt had just as much if not more information on such things. I simply shrugged and dropped the topic. There would be a time for questions later. There was a long minute of silence before we heard a knock on the door. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve got the broth.¡± ¡°Faey!¡± Umara¡¯s face brightened when Faey walked in, a look of surprise crossing the young girl¡¯s face. ¡°... You¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°Are you disappointed or something? Come here!¡± ¡°O-Oh.¡± Faey stifled a smile as Umara waved, handing the bowl of broth off to Talexia before getting grabbed and lifted onto the bed. Umara planted Faey between us, giving her a big hug. ¡°Mm, you¡¯re the cutest little sister in the world, you know that?¡± ¡°... Yes.¡± ¡°Hahaha! I love you, Faey. Don¡¯t you ever forget that, you hear?¡± ¡°... John, I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll protect you.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Umara pulled as Faey tried to escape to me. Laughter rang in the room as we fought over our hostage. Even I could see how uncharacteristic Umara¡¯s sudden proclamations of familial love were. She was usually quite reserved, even if it was clear that she cared about Faey. It seems she changed more than I thought¡­ although I certainly wasn¡¯t complaining. It was a world of difference from the doubt and mistrust she held within herself previously. If she had finally learned to open up to and trust those who really mattered, then she would be much better off. We would be much better off too. It¡¯s not like I had ever asked for blind trust from her, but what I gave her was expected in return. If she couldn¡¯t trust me, then none of this would work. But that was gone now. I¡¯d have to watch her for some time to see just how much Anarchy had changed her, but my initial thoughts were leaning toward definite improvements. We had woken up in the afternoon, it seemed, and were still feeling fine, so eventually we jumped out of bed and went about our business. One of the first things I did was send some messages to my squad, including the Puppet Master and Vetsmon¡¯s parents. It was from them that I received status reports and exchanged information on what was going on. Feiden had woken up like us while Tana was still in her coma. Vetsmon was also still asleep. He had passed out in the streets while walking to the Verga Tower, so nothing had been done about him yet regarding his punishment. Since Feiden was awake, I talked with him a bit. Our brief conversation about how he was doing was concluded with a promise to meet up soon. From his messages I could imagine that he wasn¡¯t much in the mood for conversation, but it was still him that asked to meet, so I was thankful that he wasn¡¯t pushing us away. Still, he seemed different. I was hoping that he handled Anarchy well, because like Umara and I, the rest of the squad had seen that monster¡­ except he didn¡¯t have anyone left to help him handle it. I was especially worried about Tana. Unfortunately, I could only wait for a report from the Puppet Master about her. Seemed like everything was just a waiting game now, although I did have one other thing that I could do. I had yet to really start on the next advancement formation, and I had a lot of inspiration to put to use. With the hours and days of free time I now had, I decided to start taking a look and see if I couldn¡¯t crack open that can of bullshit. Chapter 132: Allies It really was a big fat can of bullshit. To say I got nothing done was actually an understatement. After spending almost three entire days looking at my advancement formation, I felt even more confused than I was before. I knew which cluster of formations to start from, but there were still four formations within that cluster and I had the freedom to start from whichever one first. It didn¡¯t matter which, but the illusion of choice added another level of indecisiveness to my actions. Each formation within the cluster was unique. They all had to connect to each other, which meant they had to be completed independently first. It was easy when I had already completed one; could see where the connections would fall in place, could visualize the energy flow. But until I completed the first cluster, there was none of that. So I could only attempt to understand each one individually, which would be fine if not for the absurd complexity. The formations contained symbols and runes and lines that had partially branched from the normal two-dimensional drawings into three-dimensional constructs. It was like a network of pathways leading to and from structures of data. I thought I had gotten a good grasp on the language of these symbols and formations, but a whole new world had been introduced. I had to learn an entirely new level of the same language that changed how things could be interpreted. It was like I had only learned the words before, and now I was learning the grammar. Three days did nothing more than break down the foundation I had built. The only solace was the necessity of the whole affair. These next levels would involve an evolution of sorts. My knowledge would have to follow along. I hadn¡¯t been sure how long it would take to reach the next advancement before I started. I was hoping it wouldn¡¯t be long, but I intuitively understood that each level would take much more time than the last. Even those at the Magisterium had taken years to make their early advancements. Granted, they were younger than I while taking the same steps, but I still knew that my rate of Advancement was unsustainable. I hadn¡¯t expected a wall this high this early though. I wasn''t even halfway through the power hierarchy. Would I really have to spend an entire year to get to Authority six? What about seven, eight, nine? Those could only take longer. The difficulty seemed to be ramping up exponentially, and I was right at the bottom of the curve¡­ how many years would it take just to develop those authorities? Five? Ten? I didn¡¯t want to think even that far ahead, but couldn¡¯t keep myself from doing so. There was a constant worry in the back of my mind that taking so long to reach those higher levels of strength would be my death. My survival up until this point hinged on unprecedented advancement ¡ª of which the rate was practically unheard of ¡ª and the far above average lethality granted. If I were to suddenly lose that, would I be able to protect myself against all the shit that would no doubt come my way? I sincerely hoped the military would be different. I didn¡¯t care if it would involve a harsher lifestyle, so long as I didn¡¯t have to worry about the bigwigs and my supposed brothers- and sisters-in-arms trying to kill me. I was getting sick and tired of it. All the people worth killing were precisely the ones I couldn¡¯t kill, whether that was because of their strength or the consequences of doing so. I just wanted to go to a place where I could stop worrying about betrayal and oppression. I lifted my head and let out a sharp exhale. Umara lifted her head from where she was reading the science book we had compiled. Her voice echoed through my Aura. (What¡¯s wrong?) (I¡¯m itchy. How would you feel about heading back to the Capitol early?) (I wouldn¡¯t mind. Is there a reason why though?) (Well, I¡¯ve been contacted by a few people. I thought I should pay the Market a visit.) I tapped my Aerial, looking at the messages from Patriarch Tavera, the Key Master, and my friends from Divine Distribution. They were all checking on me. Everyone in the Kingdom had heard what happened. I hadn¡¯t even let them know that I was alive though since I had been preoccupied and didn¡¯t feel like being social. Now though, I had pissed myself off thinking about the tournament and the position I had been in. My time as a delivery boy in the black markets had been filled with constant bloodshed. There was a reason the orders for the Trenches went mostly unfulfilled, and that was because it often took killing your way through to get anything done amidst all those psychos created by Apocryon¡¯s drugs. And the more you killed, the more people you pissed off, and the more people you¡¯d have to kill. It was a vicious, self-reinforcing cycle. But at least I could kill them. A bullet through the skull meant one less nuisance to worry about in the future. I would never have to fear their revenge, and the more blood that was on my hands, the more people began to fear me. It got to a point where I didn¡¯t actually have to kill anymore to make my way through. I had founded my notoriety in blood. But at the Magisterium, I couldn¡¯t instill that same fear. I was a chained dog that could only nip back. I had to suppress every instinct within me to not do what I had learned in the Trenches, to dive straight for the jugular. I could only be unruly, not something that would be worth putting down. It was annoying, the reason why I found myself worrying about not advancing fast enough, and why I suddenly felt like going back to the Market. Although, there was one other reason. I looked at Umara, simply enjoying the silence for a moment as we exchanged smiles. To say that we had the hots for each other right now was an understatement. I was micrometers away from saying ¡°damn it all¡± and tearing her clothes off. At the very least, whenever we weren¡¯t training, she was trying to make out. The sex we weren¡¯t having was being compensated by our less explicit activities. But to our great distress, we were being watched like hawks. Both of us could sense the Duchess¡¯ Aura on the entire household at all times, especially since we were inside. After our advancements it was all too clear, and I myself could actually block her view to some extent. All I had to do was use some of my illusory capabilities and mask my immediate surroundings, like a fog but for Aura. But it didn¡¯t matter; the absence of my presence alone would be a hint that we were doing something, and the Duchess would be all over it. We were under her roof, so I understood her concerns, but it was still annoying; our intimate time was frequently disrupted. She didn¡¯t even let us sleep in the same room. Why she was doing all that, I didn¡¯t know. Even Umara was confused by it all. Not even her worry over Anarchy¡¯s influence was enough to warrant that much surveillance. Either way, I much preferred the undisturbable hotel. Umara combed back her gray hair. (I¡¯m not sure how my mother would feel about that, but I say we should go anyway. It¡¯s getting suffocating here. We also need to see Feiden.) (Mm. Should we even ask?) (I don¡¯t know. Can we even sneak out?) (If we¡¯re smooth about it. Go pack your things into your spatial sack. When you¡¯re done, we can go shopping.) (Oh. Alright.) Umara smiled and walked off, heading to her room. After that we met by the front door. Sure enough, just before we could walk out, the Duchess appeared. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Shopping, mom. We lost everything in our chests at the base.¡± ¡°...Take Faey with you.¡± ¡°Faey is busy. I¡¯m not dragging her out just to babysit her. And besides that, we aren¡¯t children that need attending. I think we can find some clothing shops just fine by ourselves.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point.¡± ¡°Then what is the point, mom?¡± ¡°...¡± Talexia went silent, her face falling. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Fine, since you care to be so blunt. John, a word in private please.¡± ¡°Mom, Jo-¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking.¡± Talexia waved her hand, creating a bubble that locked me in with her. Umara could only silently protest. Not even my telepathic connection was maintained. I turned to the Duchess who had dropped her fake face of indifference. ¡°I¡¯m only going to ask this once. What did you tell my daughter while she was dealing with her thoughts on Anarchy? She hasn¡¯t been the same, and I know you had a hand in the change in her behavior. I just need to know whether you decided to take advantage of that to keep her fixated on you.¡± ¡°... First of all, I didn¡¯t tell her nor lead her in any particular way. In fact, our discussion was quite the eye opener even for me. Your daughter is not easily convinced of much, not unless extreme circumstances compel her in one way or another. It¡¯s not like I could somehow shape her however I wanted. But I suppose I can divulge the intimate details. All things considered, I respect you. Though I sincerely hope it goes both ways.¡± I cleared my throat, the Duchess maintaining her silence and letting me explain. ¡°Turns out, your daughter harbored quite an unhealthy level of doubt. Doubt in everyone and everything. She didn¡¯t know who to trust ¡®cause of shitty noble politics, and it seems like deep down, she could barely trust me despite everything we¡¯ve gone through. The core issue there was my history, which if you want to know about, you¡¯ll have to ask her. That¡¯s something I think should stay between us. Anyway, it pissed me off, so I gave her an ultimatum. ¡°If she wanted our relationship to work, then she had to trust me. Truly, and not just act like it. Thankfully Anarchy forced us to be completely open with each other, so she had no choice but to either change herself and come to trust me, or not. If not, then our relationship would have ended right then and there. But she did. She managed to get past her doubt. Now, our relationship is fully functional. And we¡¯d be having quite the time of our lives if not for the timely greetings you always seemed to give us.¡± ¡°...¡± I smirked at her as she let out a sharp breath. She continued staring at me as she considered my words. Those purple eyes of hers were piercing, but like with Carrion, that was only because of their power. Duchess Talexia Talerria was a powerful woman, no doubt. But there was a reason she wasn¡¯t an Authority 12, and I had a feeling that Aura was the very reason. I couldn¡¯t match her, but my level of Aura allowed me to hide whatever she would normally be able to see. So long as she didn¡¯t directly pressure me, I could hide away. But she didn¡¯t, so she could only stew in her thoughts and figure out how she felt about all this. Finally, she huffed. ¡°I should¡¯ve been there. I didn¡¯t know what was happening, but now I regret not keeping an eye on you two.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think it was for the best.¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t. John, you are quite the amazing man. You¡¯ve managed to pull off the impossible a few times now. I applaud you for it, and I do in fact respect you. But the one thing that¡¯s always concerned me is that head of yours. My daughter has never been quite herself since she met you. I believe that change is mostly good; she¡¯s far happier and livelier than she was before, but as she becomes more and more like you, I start to notice the risky behavior she adopts. It comes from you, and I don¡¯t like it one bit.¡± ¡°And you think she was better off with the alternative?¡± ¡°Everything was normal less than a year ago. So yes, I believe that.¡± ¡°Normal isn¡¯t always a good thing, Duchess.¡± My face turned neutral as I looked down at Talexia. Although she was supremely powerful, I was still taller and we both knew I didn¡¯t treat people as if they were above me. I could look down on an Authority 12 if I felt like it. ¡°Now, I¡¯m not usually one to argue for throwing away all forms of order and normalcy. But ever since I showed up in the Kingdom, it feels like that¡¯s all I¡¯ve been doing. Everything I come across is stupid, including the entire noble way of life. All of you are so pompous and arrogant that the mere presence of a commoner like me seems to piss you all off. But it didn¡¯t bother me much until you all started trying to kill me just because I started dating a girl who I didn¡¯t even realize was a noble! If I could remind everyone that Umara approached me first, I would. But nobody gives a damn because why would they listen to little poor me? ¡°But regardless of all that, the root of the issue is the fact that all you nobles are just a bunch of assholes. It¡¯s all politics with you people, and Umara hadn¡¯t quite accepted that way of life yet. And then I came along, someone who didn¡¯t put up with that shit, and helped her see the light on the other side. Our few days wrestling with Anarchy was just the turning point that helped Umara understand that she didn¡¯t have to put up with that shit either. It was because of all the crap that she¡¯d experienced as a noble that she still couldn¡¯t trust me even after facing the icon of death itself. All I did was show her that she could. Now what would you have told her? I¡¯m genuinely curious because I find it very sad to imagine you trying to keep her on the same road she had been on, the very one that gave her trust issues in the first place.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how this works!¡± Talexia shouted, her Aura rippling a bit. I could tell she was restraining herself so as to keep the conversation civil, but this topic was putting her on edge. ¡°You said it yourself John. You¡¯re not a noble, so you don¡¯t know how this life of ours goes. We all have trust issues at first. I remember when I was a girl wrestling with the same thing so many years ago. I was slated to become the heir to the Talerria household. What kind of position do you think that put me in? I couldn¡¯t trust anyone, not even my own family, and most certainly not outsiders. It took me decades to find my husband and another decade just to get married. And all that only happened because I eventually learned through time who I could truly trust, and that my doubts had been unwarranted. It¡¯s a matter of experience, and Umara would have learned that eventually. It¡¯s a part of our lives. ¡°Now I¡¯m not a mother who won¡¯t fight for her daughter. There¡¯s nothing I wouldn¡¯t do for my children, and I¡¯m not afraid to wield the full power of my household to make sure their lives are stable and fulfilling. But you, John, have put me in a bad position. My daughter loves you and I understand that. I understand why. Believe me, if you had a noble name on your back I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to simply let you two walk your road and see where it goes. But you don¡¯t, and there are dozens of other nobles who want a piece of the Talerria household, who threaten the foundations of this family, and demand my daughter as the price to let it stay together. Both of us were able to stall while she was at the Magisterium, but then you came along and now we¡¯re on very shaky ground. So forgive me if I¡¯m unable to place my full trust in you, especially when you have such thorough influence over my daughter. The price of letting you two off a leash is higher than I¡¯m willing to pay right now.¡± ¡°... We know, Duchess.¡± I sighed. It felt like we were coming back full circle, arguing the same damn things over and over again. ¡°We know all of that and it¡¯s why we¡¯ve held ourselves back up until now. Both of us have agreed to wait until marriage to do anything. But believe me, we know exactly why we aren¡¯t able to do anything right now. And it all goes back to what I was saying. Nobles are just a bunch of old assholes who think they should own the whole damn world. Which is exactly why I don¡¯t put up with it. Now, that lifestyle was keeping Umara from trusting me. And she wanted to trust me. So I gave her the choice, and she made hers. Whether she¡¯s completely thrown out that way of life, I¡¯m not sure, I can¡¯t read into the depths of her psyche. All I know is that we trust each other fully now, and we¡¯re prepared to do what we need to in order to make our relationship work. Take that for what it¡¯s worth. I can only hope that you don¡¯t try to get in the way, because I can be pretty damn stubborn too. My lineage, as common as you may think it is, fights for what it wants. If it works out, I¡¯m going to marry your daughter. And nothing less than killing me is going to stop me. That much I can promise you.¡± ¡°... haah¡­ I envy that youthful freedom.¡± Talexia closed her eyes, her head hanging for a bit before a tear rolled down her cheek. I was surprised as she took a deep breath, wiping that tear and collecting herself. ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t have to do all this, John. I truly do. I wish I could just let you two be happy together. But our name comes with a price. The luxury and wealth demands certain concessions. Unfortunately both of my daughters were destined to have their marriages more arranged than not. It was never supposed to be difficult because they wouldn¡¯t know anything else. But you¡¯ve made this a lot harder on all of us. And right now, I don¡¯t see an out. Know that, because at some point, they will come to collect.¡± ¡°...Yeah.¡± I massaged my temple, the two of us connecting in our mutual melancholy. What I did had really only delayed what they thought to be inevitable. And in that sense, this recent massacre actually bought me even more time. In that newspaper we read before was a list of the survivors. And one of my more hated enemies, the punk known as Ravon and one of Umara¡¯s suitors, wasn¡¯t on there. That was one entire family that no longer had any grounds to pressure the Talerria household. They had nobody to marry off anymore. I wasn¡¯t sure about the exact number, but I was certain that he wasn¡¯t the only one. And given the state of the military right now, reeling from the loss of a major base, as well as the outcry from the nobles who lost their children, there was no way anyone would be bothered about a marriage at the moment. We had time, and getting through her first years in the military would be yet another excuse Umara and her mother could use to keep people off their ass. So we had more time to find an out, even if there wasn¡¯t one right now. After several more moments of silence, I sighed. ¡°Duchess, I get that there¡¯s not a lot going for us. But I want Umara to be happy just as much as you. I may just have a different vision of what happiness and fulfillment looks like. Still, that¡¯s no reason we can¡¯t meet in the middle and be allies in this. I usually make it a priority to be on the good side of my girlfriend¡¯s parents.¡± ¡°Hm, you mean you do this often?¡± ¡°Umara isn¡¯t the first girlfriend I¡¯ve had, but I¡¯ll do my damnedest to make sure she¡¯s the last.¡± ¡°... I suppose.¡± She let out a long breath, to which I smiled and put out my arms. She looked at me with a raised brow. ¡°Hug?¡± ¡°... Still cheeky.¡± She rolled her eyes before accepting it, the two of us wrapping up in a tight hug. It was quite funny. She was the same size as Umara, so it was easy to just bear hug her like she was no more than an ordinary woman and not some all-powerful Duchess. Of course, she noticed my amusement as the hug went on for longer than normal and her head was smothered in my chest. That''s when I felt some freezing cold fog nip at the back of my neck, causing me to jolt. ¡°Ack!¡± ¡°I¡¯m still a Duchess, you know.¡± ¡°All I see is my future mother-in-law.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s a Duchess.¡± ¡°I fail to see the relevance.¡± ¡°Heh, sure.¡± She chuckled before dispelling the dome around us. Talexia walked off as Umara stood there glaring. ¡°Take care of my daughter in the Capital, please.¡± ¡°Always.¡± I gave her one last smile before sticking out my arm so Umara could link her own. ¡°Let¡¯s go, dear.¡± ¡°Just like that?¡± ¡°Just like that.¡± She took my arm, and the two of us started making our way out of Joffrun. Chapter 133: Owlykat Umara was right. One thing I hadn¡¯t really thought of until after the fact was how all of the stuff that was in my storage chest was still back at the overrun base. We obviously didn¡¯t have the time nor mind to try and retrieve it, so it was probably sitting among thousands of monsters at the moment. That meant I had very few spare clothes. I never had many belongings in the first place, but now what little I had was gone. The only solace was the fact that I still had everything that was expensive on me or in the hotel, such as my nice formalwear. Anything I lost could be easily replaced. And replacing it needed. Although I was planning on using shopping as an excuse to sneak away, I really did need new clothes and supplies. I was missing an entire wardrobe and associated chest to store it in. Umara and I took the teleporter to the Capitol since we didn¡¯t care to take the Rail. Once there, we went straight to the Hotel to greet a familiar face. ¡°Key Master! Long time no see.¡± ¡°John, it¡¯s good to see you in good health. You as well, Lady Umara.¡± ¡°Key Master.¡± Umara curtsied a bit as I shook hands with the Key Master. I leaned on the reception desk, letting out a long breath as he smiled. ¡°I have to admit John, I wasn¡¯t initially sure if you had survived. But I knew someone such as yourself couldn¡¯t possibly die in such an underwhelming manner.¡± ¡°Underwhelming is one hell of a way to put it. But yes, I suppose I was lucky. A few stars aligned that day and I was able to make it home, my squad included.¡± ¡°Mm. It was a fortunate coincidence that a Grand Templar was there to call upon the Church.¡± ¡°The Church?¡± Uamra¡¯s face lit up with question marks, prompting an explanation. I had guessed it as soon as I saw Anderson appear. That beacon the templar burdened us with while running away was something that managed to call down a few Paladins of the Church. Anderson was probably only just one of many that were called, along with an entire brigade of Templars. With their help, the Kingdom was able to retreat with some of its soldiers and Anarchy was forced back. Of course, a majority had been killed unceremoniously, but taking small victories was all we could work with now. The Templar watching Vetsmon being a Grand Templar was a small detail I hadn¡¯t known, but the Key Master was right that his presence was incredibly fortunate. Even then, the Church probably had plans in place to respond from anywhere. The first emergence of a Scourge King in decades and they were able to respond within the hour. It was an incredible mobilization, speaking to the Church¡¯s prowess. Once Umara was filled in, she nodded. ¡°So that¡¯s what I had missed when keeping Tana alive. You know a Paladin?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know him, but Maxwell does and given the circumstances, we¡¯ve been acquainted.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re in debt to him. I would say that¡¯s a bad thing, but it may very well be good since it¡¯s a Paladin.¡± ¡°Either way, it¡¯s a miracle we¡¯re here. So, tell me Key Master, how¡¯s the market doing? The war settle yet?¡± I looked over, the Key Master nodding. ¡°Yes, tensions have settled, and the Tavera Family has come out relatively victorious. That Crown played its part perfectly and now they¡¯re in the process of redrawing territory lines. As for the other mafias like the Clockwork Association, they¡¯re in a precarious state at the moment, though alive. Time will tell how this will play out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Though I wonder who managed to make a Crown at that level. It was an Authority 11 beast heart, right? Making a Crown that powerful would take one of the best minds in the Crown-making business. There can¡¯t be many at that level in the whole world, and I don¡¯t think the Tavera Family went to someone from the Kingdom for help. There¡¯s also no way they did it in-house. They¡¯re a knight family after all.¡± ¡°Hm, that¡¯s quite the speculation there, John.¡± My brows raised when I saw the Key Master¡¯s wide grin. He seemed amused. I realized that this situation wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed. ¡°...Who helped the Tavera Family?¡± ¡°Who knows? That¡¯s not the question to be asking though.¡± ¡°It¡¯s why¡­¡± I drifted off in thought. Someone powerful was helping the Tavera Family reach a realm of power far above the other mafias in the market. They would only do that if they had something to gain. A simple conclusion would be that a Tavera Family takeover of the market was beneficial. Whoever helped them would be similar to a partner who had control by proxy. Maybe the Kingdom really did help them in order to take control. But if they didn¡¯t, and it was a third party beyond the Kingdom¡¯s control, far more was at stake than just control of the market. At some point, I shook my head. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m stopping there. Too far above my pay grade.¡± ¡°Haha, political undercurrents are fun to think about, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a real hoot to know that the stability of humanity is on a knife¡¯s edge, especially when a Scourge King just made its debut on the battlefield. I¡¯m stressed enough knowing I¡¯m going to be on that battlefield soon too, so no thanks.¡± ¡°Yes, the military will be quite the change of pace for you. But you¡¯ll be ready for it. Is that what brings you here also?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going shopping.¡± I explained the fact that I had lost my chest, prompting a nod of understanding. ¡°I hadn¡¯t even thought of something like that. Quite unfortunate.¡± ¡°Hey, I hadn¡¯t either until just recently. Shopping is only one reason I¡¯m here though. I need to check in with the Patriarch. Maybe I¡¯ll take a job too.¡± ¡°Oh? Well, I can certainly provide you with the latter.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take your recommendation.¡± I smiled as the Key Master lifted his Aerial, transferring a data packet straight from the Repository. A very fat man appeared. He had to be at least 600 pounds with how large he was. Turns out, he was also a warlock. ¡°This is Turner Bremman. He¡¯s an Authority 6 warlock who managed to acquire some power and infrastructure during the recent chaos of the market war. Nobody dares do anything about him since his father is an Authority 8 warlock in the Clockwork Association¡­ but I have a feeling you won¡¯t care about such things. This job is to simply kill him, though there¡¯s an extra reward stipulated for anyone who manages to destroy the stolen infrastructure he¡¯s taken over.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the infrastructure?¡± ¡°A strainer for Moonshine. They don¡¯t grow the plant, but they do refine it to give it greater potencies. There¡¯s also packing, but that¡¯s secondary to the strainers. Now, if you kill the man, someone else will only take his place. But destroy the building, and it¡¯ll cripple a major part of the market¡¯s current drug chain. It¡¯ll also mean less profits for the Clockwork Association.¡± ¡°Mm. Doesn¡¯t seem too difficult. There will be plenty of people, but I should be able to handle that. Alright, consider it done.¡± I tapped my Aerial a few times, stowing the data. The Key Master smiled and nodded. ¡°Happy hunting.¡± ¡°After some shopping, it will be. Have a good day, Key Master.¡± With a wave, Umara and I left and made our way over to the Founder¡¯s Market. On the way though, Umara pulled on our linked arms. ¡°Hey, let me join you.¡± ¡°Your mother told me to do the exact opposite of that.¡± ¡°That was a long time ago and I hardly give a damn now. I already know this is some dangerous stuff, so I want to help you. Or do you expect to destroy an entire factory alone?¡± ¡°That was the plan. This isn¡¯t exactly my first rodeo, honey.¡± ¡°...I suppose that¡¯s true. But still.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I hummed and pulled Umara into a side alley, facing her. ¡°You do realize that this will involve killing most of the people, if not all, working in that factory right? To say nothing of the difference between open field and urban warfare, you¡¯ve never killed a person before. I never planned on involving you in my work not just because of your mother, but precisely because of how dirty it is. And I certainly don¡¯t want you doing this just because you think you have to match me or prove something. Simply wanting to support me isn¡¯t going to be a good enough reason to join. I can do it myself. Convince me I should let you, and I will. Otherwise, let¡¯s go shopping and you can wait for me in the hotel.¡± ¡°...¡± "You have however long it takes to buy our stuff to think on it.¡± I said that while pulling her along, the two of us walking down the street in silence. Like that we made our way to the Founder¡¯s Market, passing through Chef Black¡¯s food shack and finding the store that sold my old chest to me. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Once there, I talked to the shopkeeper and got the same model, just with some more space. We paid and left, heading out of the market and back into the Capitol where we found some nice clothing shops. Although the market was good for unconventional or powerful items, when it came to luxury and comfort, the Capitol couldn¡¯t be beat. While it wasn¡¯t cheaper by any means, I didn¡¯t care about that too much. I almost always wore my coat out of habit. I couldn¡¯t afford to be caught off guard, and it was my one source of protection. But everything underneath, besides perhaps my Warm Socks from Luna, I wanted to be more comfortable than durable. I got a few pairs of some generic shirts and pants, things I could wear whenever. But I also had Umara help me pick out some more fashionable items. Sure enough, she had plenty of input planned for me. I bought enough clothes to wear completely different things for two weeks. It was a lot, and some couldn''t fit in my chest, getting stuffed into bags instead. But that was fine; I wanted to have a stash both for the road and home. I didn¡¯t want to lose everything if my chest got lost again. Everything took almost four hours. I had my own sense of style that frequently clashed with some of the clown wear of this world, so Umara and I had quite a few debates over what exactly was a good fit. Even the dresser at the store we went to was in on the fun as she and Umara tested my patience by dressing me in dozens of different outfits. I would¡¯ve come out with several times more if I had no standards. But in the end, it worked out well enough. Umara also bought a few things. We went back to the hotel and dropped everything off in the room when that was finished. It was there that I looked at Umara and crossed my arms. ¡°Alright, let me hear it.¡± ¡°...¡± She pondered for a second and then squared up to me. ¡°Moonshine is a drug, right?¡± ¡°Yes, a smoked one.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s all I needed to hear. It¡¯s stupid that humanity has its thoughts on anything other than wiping out the Scourge. I get it, we can¡¯t be so fixated on one thing for centuries, especially when we¡¯ve reached a stalemate. But the fact that those people are wasting their lives away with such things is disgusting. And even besides that, I know those things are used to manipulate people. I¡¯ve heard about some of the things you¡¯ve done before, and I want to be a part of that. There¡¯s a lot of scum within the market, and I wouldn¡¯t mind cleaning some of it up myself. If this hunt is going to help anything at all, then it¡¯s worth putting my effort toward. Because now I know that we¡¯ve got things to fix both within and beyond this Kingdom.¡± ¡°...¡± I stared at her. Her argument was soundly based in principle. It wasn¡¯t just because she wanted to follow me. And that was what I was looking for. I nodded. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Just like that?¡± ¡°Just like that. You need to do this because you believe it should be done. Don¡¯t get me wrong, we¡¯ll be making some good money. These kinds of things pay well. But this isn¡¯t something you should just stroll into without a good reason.¡± ¡°... Why did you start doing it?¡± ¡°Because I had to.¡± I spoke while gearing up, slipping my fingerless gloves on. I turned over my hand, glancing at the letters of the word Bang across my four fingers. ¡°I mean, I suppose I technically had a choice. But I stuck with it because I needed money and I had just gotten to the Kingdom with nothing to my name. I was desperate. But you¡¯re stepping into this of your own volition. You¡¯ve nothing to gain from this, so you better be doing it for the right reasons, especially considering the risks. And to that end, we¡¯ll be getting you a mask.¡± ¡°Want me to cover my face?¡± ¡°Yes. They can get mad at the American all they want, but you can¡¯t give them an excuse to give you or your mother any trouble. So you need to go incognito.¡± ¡°...incog-what?¡± ¡°It means you need to disguise yourself. Just cover your face, get out of those obvious warlock robes, and do as I say. Go ahead and change, then we¡¯ll go buy the mask.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She nodded and skipped off. Before long, she came back out in some new overgarments. Umara wore gear underneath her robes that was primarily responsible for safety. The robes themselves were imbued with special enchantments supplementary to her magic, nice, but not essential to have. She also had a tight black undershirt and black pants with some straps that held last ditch items like knives and medicinal pills. It fit her body well. Then she put on an overcoat similar to mine, letting it hang on her shoulders. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go get the mask.¡± She spoke as I took one last glance, clicking my tongue. ¡°Looking sexy.¡± ¡°Take off my clothes and I¡¯ll be even sexier.¡± ¡°Tsk, why am I the one who has to exercise restraint?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t. Come on.¡± ¡°Silence temptress! I¡¯m a good Catholic boy.¡± ¡°Pfft, uh huh.¡± She laughed as we left. Once in the lobby, I hit up the Key Master¡¯s desk. ¡°Key Master! You know a place that sells masks?¡± ¡°Of course. Building 1288 in the Founder''s Market.¡± ¡°No shit? Thanks man.¡± I fist-bumped him and we continued on our way. Once again we entered the market, walking down the streets, peering at building numbers until we found the shop. Surprisingly, there were a bunch of parents and children there, many of them buying masks. Or perhaps not so surprisingly. My brows raised as I approached a lady with a fox mask inside. ¡°Well you¡¯re a new face. Welcome to the Faceless Abode. You can call me Aki. How can I assist you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking to get her a mask.¡± I motioned to Umara, who stepped forward. Aki moved over, reaching out her hand and tracing a finger from Umara¡¯s forehead to her chin. I watched from the side, Aki tilting her head a few times before nodding. ¡°Very well. For protection, aesthetic, or do you want a new face?¡± ¡°That¡¯s up to you, Umara.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ I don¡¯t need protection. Just aesthetic.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Aki nodded, waving to the wall nearby. Across it were a few hundred mask designs of all shapes and colors. ¡°You can choose from the wall or I can do a custom one for you, which will cost extra. You can also ask for changes to a wall design. Come back to me when you¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± We nodded and moved to the wall. This was Umara¡¯s mask so it was up to her, but many of the designs were pretty so I had fun looking at all of them. I even considered getting one myself. Some were shaped like the faces of animals, like various fox, bear, wolf, or bird masks, and all of them were painted in various ways. Some of them had tribal designs, some had stars across the face, some were shaped like theater masks. All of them were artistic, no doubt. And it was clear that this Aki sold to everyone. Hence the children who were in here wanting the pretty pieces. After all, you had to make money somehow. Aki didn¡¯t limit herself by making expensive products. After many minutes of looking, Umara leaned back and sighed. I moved over to her while checking out some more masks. ¡°Find one you like?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve found 50 that I like.¡± ¡°Understandable. Well, maybe pick something that reminds you of something important to you.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara went silent, so I walked off and left her to her thoughts. I continued browsing, finding a number I liked. This Aki was an amazing artist, so there was a lot to choose from. But I had my eye on one in particular. It was a white mask that resembled the face of a barn owl but without any eyes. It had some sparse golden accents around the sharp curves of the structure, but was otherwise just pure white. I stared at it for a while. That¡¯s when Aki appeared beside me. ¡°Good eye. The facial structure of a Paragon is always eye-catching.¡± ¡°Paragon?¡± ¡°Of course. The Paragon species of Psyka, the Owlykat. Beautiful creatures of mystery and illusion.¡± ¡°Paragon species of Psyka. I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± ¡°My my. Never? Surely you¡¯ve heard of the Dragons then, right?¡± The name rang a bell. After all, it was in the name of this Kingdom. ¡°I have.¡± ¡°Well, the Dragons are the Paragon species of Mana.¡± ¡°And Vigor?¡± ¡°The Immortal Mane, formally known as the Lordbeast. Nothing dominates the lands quite like the Lordbeast, the strongest creature in the world. You can imagine it like a behemoth tiger. But of course, nothing can prepare you for the real deal. Its kingly Aura leaves all in awe, almost as much as its power.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I nodded. This was all new to me. I didn¡¯t realize that dragons were real, but since this Kingdom was called the Kingdom of Dragon Tongue, I suppose they had to get it from somewhere. It seemed like it was an actual species, though I wondered if they still existed since I hadn¡¯t seen any. Not only that, but Dragons were only one of three of these Paragon species. There was one Paragon for each of the three Magus classes. And apparently this mask was modeled after the Owlykat. ¡°Would you like to get this mask?¡± ¡°... Sure. Why not.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more expensive than the normal ones. That¡¯s due to the eyes. I used a special material for it, allowing you to see through it despite the design. If you¡¯d like, I have one that¡¯s armored, one that I made for another customer who backed out. Protection around Authority 6 for 50,000. What do you think?¡± ¡°Sounds good, I¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°Great! I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She clapped before dashing off. After some seconds she was right back out with the mask. It was the same as the one on the wall. I grabbed it and felt the material. The inside was soft and comfortable while the outside was rigid. It was split into two layers. ¡°Can I try it on?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± After asking, I activated my necklace and felt the hood unfold over my head. Then I placed the mask over my face. It sat over the air mask just fine. I would have two masks on, but after moving around and taking some deep breaths, the Owlykat mask did nothing to inhibit my breathing. I didn¡¯t even notice it over my vision, and it didn¡¯t threaten to fall off. ¡°These have some special adhesive magic. It won¡¯t go anywhere, even with something under it. It can stick anywhere on your head as well.¡± ¡°Mm. Neat. Here.¡± I turned toward her and took out 50 gold bullion from my bank card. She smiled, taking out her own and letting me transfer it over. ¡°Pleasure doing business with you, sir. If it breaks, please come in anytime for a repair.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I nodded and took off the mask, letting my hood disappear before placing it back on my face. Then I walked over to Umara, who seemed to have decided on one. ¡°Boo.¡± ¡°Hm? You got one?¡± ¡°It was cool. It¡¯s also an armored one. A good deal for Authority 6 protection.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ I¡¯ll get some protection too then. I think I want this one.¡± She pointed toward a void black mask with two round eye sockets, within each socket a small flame that glowed eerily, like a wisp. ¡°I figured my eyes are my most iconic trait.¡± ¡°True. Is that the one then?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Another splendid choice. Shall I prepare an Authority 6 protection plate?¡± Aki appeared behind us, Umara nodding. ¡°Yes please.¡± ¡°Coming right up!¡± As Aki ran off to the backroom, we stood around at the empty register for a bit, continuing to look at more masks. Before long, she came back out with a new mask, identical to the one on the wall. ¡°I¡¯ll sell it to you for the same price as your partner here. 50 thousand.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡± ¡°With pleasure.¡± Aki bowed a bit after Umara paid. I smiled when she put on the mask. Besides her gray hair, there really wasn¡¯t a way to identify Umara now. That¡¯s when Aki tapped my shoulder. When I turned to her, I could sense a sudden spike in anxiety, her fingers trembling a bit. It put me on guard. It was a sudden shift in attitude when she had been perfectly normal this whole time. ¡°Uh¡­ You are the American, right?¡± ¡°I am. Is that an issue?¡± ¡°N-No! Not at all! I just wanted to ask¡­ where did the name come from?¡± ¡°...It¡¯s what people where I came from call themselves. Another country very far away from the Kingdom.¡± ¡°...¡± Aki went silent for a few seconds, her entire body shivering in a mixture of anxiety and excitment. She mumbled again. ¡°Perhaps¡­ the United States of America?¡± ¡°...¡± For the first time in a long while, I was rendered completely speechless. There was only one reason someone should know that name. ¡°...No fucking way.¡± Chapter 134: Pillars of Creation Upon hearing me curse, Aki suddenly sprung up and started running around the shop, ushering people out. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I need to close for today! Please come back tomorrow!¡± She ignored any protests, doing her best to clear the shop until she shut the door on the last disgruntled customer and left it dead silent. I turned to her, taking off my new mask and looking at her own. She took off hers in kind, placing it to the side of her head to reveal Asian features. I pointed. ¡°That mask. That''s a kitsune mask, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Mm. Not my most popular product. Kids like the dragons more.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re Japanese?¡± ¡°I am. I lived in Osaka before all this.¡± ¡°...Fucking hell.¡± I almost laughed in disbelief. Umara tugged my sleeve. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°...This lady is from where I am. Kind of. I knew it had to be possible ever since I bought this, but I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d meet one of you now of all times.¡± I suddenly took out the katana I had bought back at the auction. I had kept it in my personal spatial ring the entire time, the only evidence that I wasn¡¯t alone in this new world. I stuck it out to Aki. ¡°Recognize this?¡± ¡°I do. I¡¯m the one that sold it.¡± ¡°Was it yours?¡± ¡°No. It was the weapon of another man who I came here with. He died while we were making our way over, but I can¡¯t say I was particularly fond of him. I sold his weapon since I was short on money. It was the only thing of value I could give up.¡± ¡°Hm. So it wasn¡¯t you who put the anime figurine on there.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Tsk. Can¡¯t whack a dead man over the head with a stick. Whatever.¡± I threw the katana back into my spatial band. It was basically worthless now that I had found Aki. Initially, I thought the katana had only been found way out there in the place they call the Outlands. But it turns out that was just a story Aki told them, something that increased the value of the sword. I didn¡¯t care, but perhaps I should¡¯ve thought about finding the buyer earlier. Aki and I looked at each other for a bit before I sighed. ¡°Well, this is a hell of a meet. And forewarning, this is my girlfriend Umara, a native, and she doesn¡¯t know about my secret.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Greetings, Umara.¡± ¡°Greetings. John, why don¡¯t you just tell me already?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how I feel about doing that right now.¡± I looked away from the wispy eyes of Umara''s mask, dodging the issue. Aki smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Umara. Our secret isn¡¯t a bad one. But it means a lot more than you can imagine. Uttering such a thing can only invite bad luck.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s not bad but can only invite bad luck?¡± ¡°For us, yes. For you, it wouldn¡¯t really change anything other than the fact that it makes you an incredibly lucky lady.¡± ¡°I always told her she was the lucky one in this relationship.¡± I grinned, earning a laugh from Aki and a quick eye-roll from Umara. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t pry.¡± ¡°Thank you, dear. Now tell me Aki, how long have you been here?¡± ¡°I arrived here about seven years ago, and I¡¯ve only been in the Kingdom for about eight months.¡± ¡°Seven years¡­¡± I let out an amazed breath. ¡°How old were you when you arrived?¡± ¡°I was only 19, having just started university in the year of 2019.¡± ¡°Shit. So you¡¯re 26?¡± ¡°I am, about to turn 27.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡± My head dropped a bit. 7 years in this world wasn¡¯t a length of time I was looking forward to. She just smiled, existential pain evident in her visage. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve made my peace with it a long time ago.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only been here for a grand total of 14, maybe 15 months, and I still haven¡¯t really made my peace with it. And honestly, I can only imagine it getting more painful as each year goes by. I mean¡­ this wasn¡¯t how our lives were supposed to go.¡± ¡°... I was supposed to become an animator.¡± Aki clasped her hands. ¡°I was going to study art, maybe work on some of my favorite media. My father wrote manga, two of which had been animated. I figured I could follow in his footsteps, and maybe I¡¯d have an easier time breaking into the industry. But I had only just started¡­ and¡­ didn¡¯t even realize what was happening before I¡­¡± Her breathing hitched, probably remembering her death. Mine had been pretty odd, so it wasn¡¯t all that traumatic. But that didn¡¯t mean hers had been the same. We had both died. That seemed to be the prerequisite for getting sent to another world. I heard her sniffle as she continued. ¡°I didn¡¯t even get to say goodbye. M-My mother, my sister, none of them know what happened. I just vanished and was thrown into this hellish place with nothing to rely on. And I didn¡¯t even get to collect myself before we were thrown at the forefront of an all-out war with demons! I just¡­ I just want to go home¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± I stepped forward and brought her into a hug, feeling her tears wet my shirt. There was a lot of meaning packed into her words. I was already thinking about how she had come from 2019. Additionally, wherever she landed had already fought a war with the Scourge¡­ and it didn¡¯t seem to have gone well, since she was here. Regardless, after seven years, there was definitely a lot of pent up stress and regret. Hence why she was now bawling her eyes out. I had to admit that I also missed my family. Dearly. I sincerely wished I could go back. But what made it bearable was the fact that I was carving out a pretty good life for myself here. I had a girlfriend who I didn¡¯t mind sticking around for, and being honest, there was a lot on my plate to distract me from homesickness. Seven years would get to anyone though, especially after what Aki seemed to have gone through. I pitied her situation. After a little while, Aki calmed down, backing away and wiping her face.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry. I can clean your shirt off¡­¡± ¡°Please, it¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s find a place to sit though. I have a feeling we¡¯ll have quite a lot to talk about.¡± ¡°Of course. Over here. I will welcome you into my home. You as well, Umara.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± We followed Aki into the back room before ascending a set of stairs into her loft. It wasn¡¯t big, but it was cozy. After scrambling about to clean some of the immediate surroundings, she went to the kitchen and started brewing something. ¡°I apologize for the mess. I certainly wasn¡¯t expecting the American to enter my shop today.¡± ¡°Call me John. And don¡¯t worry about it. This place looks great.¡± ¡°Thank you. The black market isn¡¯t the most attractive place to have a home, but for me, it turned out to be the best paying. I¡¯ve just done what I can to make it presentable. This place was a dump when I bought it.¡± Aki brought over a steaming kettle not long later, pouring us some cups. It smelled like a kind of tea, though none I¡¯d ever smelled before. I didn¡¯t even drink tea. I took a few sips, not liking the taste, and once Aki sat down, we started talking. There was too much to talk about. Both of us seemed eager to dump as much information as possible. Aki was definitely more curious though. I had come here from a different time. 2019 was six years before I had been killed in 2025. Now, it was supposed to be 2026. Aki¡¯s age seemed to go with the year, making it easy to establish a timeline. It was only a difference of six years, but a lot had changed in that time. Technology was one thing, and the global state of affairs was another. I couldn¡¯t possibly remember everything that happened over a six year timespan, let alone things regarding Japan, her home country. But my summoner memory was getting to be pretty damn good, so I could remember most things and once we started talking, I had a fun time dumping all kinds of past news and developments. Even though we came from two very different places and walked two vastly different paths in life, there was some common ground we could relish in. That discussion took two hours by itself. I felt sorry for Umara, but it seemed she was just fine listening to us and attempting to infer things from it. Most of the things we talked about were completely foreign, but she wasn¡¯t an idiot. Her inquisitive nature was positively glowing. She had always been a curious girl. But at some point, I had to move on to business. I felt bad for her so I didn¡¯t mind feeding her a slice of her old life, but her history over the past seven years was of great interest to me. After those couple hours of talking, I shifted the topic, getting into the nitty gritty. ¡°Aki, where exactly did you come from? And I mean where you were prior to the Kingdom.¡± ¡°...Well, at the time, it was thought to be the last bastion of humanity. They were the Pillars of Creation, a collection of kingdoms, and they were located on an adjacent continent across a sea. There are thousands of miles from here to the Bloody Sea, and then it¡¯s a 2 week sail with a magic boat to reach the other continent.¡± ¡°And what happened there? Why are you here?¡± ¡°...They fell.¡± She muttered two simple words. They implied volumes worth of devastation. ¡°The Pillars of Creation are no more. All of the kingdoms were razed to the ground over the course of two years. They and the Scourge had been accumulating power long before I arrived, and my 6 years there were spent watching the gradual downfall of that empire. The Scourge was simply too powerful, even though the Pillars were much more powerful than the Kingdom is right now. The last two years that the Pillars stood were a constant horrific genocide. Entire legions of soldiers would go to fight before getting decimated and then resurrected as demons and monsters, just to march right back into their homeland and do the Scourge¡¯s bidding. In my 5th year, they finally introduced their Kings and went all out. It was hopeless from then on. Morale was shattered in just the first year, and after that, everyone could only wait for those monsters to storm through the walls.¡± ¡°... Did they try to run? I remember my mentor speaking about the Pillars of Creation and the religion of those people. Some must have escaped, especially if you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Mm. Everyone tried to run. It only made things worse, but nobody cared. There was only one reason some managed to make it here though. It was thanks to the Church that we could get transportation.¡± ¡°The Church?¡± My brows raised. I didn¡¯t expect to hear about them. Aki nodded. ¡°The Church had already been establishing a forward base on the continent. Due to the chaos, we knew nothing about them until the Pillars were already collapsing. And those of us who were able to run were found by them, taken here. Most of the upper echelon of the Pillars, those who survived anyway, are still probably within the Church right now.¡± ¡°Wow. Did the Church manage to maintain that base?¡± ¡°I have no idea. I can¡¯t imagine they did since they would''ve had to fend off all the Scourge¡¯s forces by themselves. But that¡¯s inconsequential. What I do know is that any remaining legacy of the Pillars are now in the hands of the Church. Not many know this, but if my logic is correct, Crowns are being perfected because of those legacies. Let me show you something.¡± Aki suddenly stood, turning around before undoing the clothes she was wearing. My brows raised as she exposed her bare back to us. On it, I could see hundreds of inscriptions from the base of her neck to the small of her back, all of them radiating pure Magika, flowing with power like it was blood. And accompanying those inscriptions were a few devastating scars that told their own stories as well. ¡°These are Invocations, the source of power the Pillars used. It pulls on pure Magika, and depending on the inscription, allows the person to wield that power in different ways. It¡¯s extremely rigid in its use though until Aura is introduced. Only then can the power be raised to the level of what you know as Authority 12¡¯s. The most important part of it though is the fact that anybody can get inscriptions and wield the power. It¡¯s only a matter of resources, knowledge of different inscriptions, and Aura.¡± ¡°... That¡¯s¡­ game-changing.¡± I felt my heart palpitate. If this was true, then the entire ordinary population of the Kingdom would be able to wield magic. It would multiply the combat power of humanity exponentially and overnight. And existing Magi would be able to use that power to supplement what they already had. I heard Umara put my thoughts into words. ¡°We could use Invocations to compensate for the weaknesses of the different classes. Warlocks could attain the intelligence of summoners, summoners would be able to attain the strength of knights, and knights would be able to supplement their combat with the elements of warlocks. It would be a paradigm shift the likes humanity has never seen.¡± ¡°Yes. With our legacies, we might just be able to stand against the Scourge. But it¡¯s barely been a year since the Church inherited this knowledge, and the entire continent of the fallen Pillars is one massive nest for the Scourge. They hold power and numbers that you can¡¯t even imagine. Sometimes I wonder if it even matters. But the chance exists¡­¡± Aki¡¯s shoulders dropped, but I could hardly care about her own hopelessness. Umara was right. Those legacies would upend this world¡¯s entire power system. I didn¡¯t know why they didn¡¯t also have the three Magi classes, but now, we would be able to capitalize on their strengths. It was like we were missing an entire half of the power system. It was like we were always meant to have more options to make up for such obvious weaknesses. Summoners were seen as useless precisely because they couldn''t make use of their own powers. Their weaknesses far outweighed their strengths, especially cold summoners. If I had been a cold summoner with swords instead of guns, then I would be no different from all the others. There simply wasn¡¯t anything I could do. How could you be a knight without any of the strength or durability? But if a cold summoner with swords could receive Invocations that boosted their strength and survivability to the level of a knight, then they would be even more combat capable than knights. They would have power and durability with the versatility of a walking arsenal. If the ability to hand off weapons was also developed, then one summoner would be able to equip a small army single-handedly, and from anywhere¡­ The possibilities were endless. Warlocks could harness a summoner¡¯s power of mind to create and cast spells dozens of times more complex, knights could use mana to imbue their bodies and weapons with the power of the elements¡­ It almost seemed like the Scourge never stood a chance¡­ but that was only if we could actually use the Invocations. Whether they were compatible with those who had Crests or not was a mystery. All that knowledge was in the hands of the Church. I couldn¡¯t make any guesses even if hypotheticals got my hopes up. What was clear, though, was that no matter what, the Church was in a superior position. Even if Magi couldn''t use Invocations, the ordinary population could. The Pillars obviously made it work without Crests. There was no reason we couldn¡¯t spawn an entirely new army of those soldiers, ones with just as much potential as Magi. Humanity finally seemed to be in a good position. It was all in the Church¡¯s hands though. What they did would determine the future. My only concern was regarding the Kingdom, and, if they knew of this information, what they would do about it¡­ The web was suddenly much larger, and I found myself frowning again before long. Aki buttoned back up her clothes and sat back down. Umara and I were too lost in our thoughts to consciously register it, but I still pulled myself out of my racing thoughts to acknowledge her existence again. ¡°I suppose I should thank you for the knowledge. It¡¯s been enlightening. ¡°Of course. By the way, do you have that booklet?¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± I suddenly remembered. Along with the katana, there had been a small booklet. I brought it out. ¡°That booklet, at least the latter parts, have several Invocations that the man I was with developed. He told me they were theoretical designs for new ones, better ones. He had been learning about them from one of the Kingdoms during the war. I couldn¡¯t tell you what they mean, but it¡¯s something. If you wish, I could translate the descriptions into English.¡± ¡°Well, I certainly can¡¯t use it otherwise. I¡¯ll thank you in advance.¡± I handed her the booklet. She took it with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all. And, for when I finish, if we could¡­¡± Aki raised her wrist, exposing the Aerial. I smiled and nodded. She beamed when we exchanged info. ¡°Not quite like phones, but I¡¯m just happy I can talk with someone about things. Thank you so much, John. I¡¯ll get this translated and hand it back to you soon.¡± ¡°Sure. Don¡¯t be afraid to call. I¡¯ll have plenty of free time until I enter the military.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± With that, we said our goodbyes, and Umara and I left the shop with our masks. Not everything could be discussed in one sitting. There was surely more information we could give each other. We would just need time. But the inherent trust we had for each other as fellow earthlings was obviously high. She didn¡¯t hesitate to spill just about everything from her history, and I finally had someone I could relate to. I could consider us friends, even after just one brief meeting. And now, it was late into the night. It was the perfect time for our original order of business. I looked at Umara, who glanced at me before slipping on her mask. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°Ready.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll scout the place before moving in. We only have two objectives, so let¡¯s complete them smoothly.¡± We took each other¡¯s hands and started walking. The warehouse we were looking for wasn¡¯t far from us. It was time for our first hunt as a couple. Chapter 135: Dark Side Umara and I sat against the wall of a building. Across the street from us was the very warehouse we were going to raid. Since this was now going to involve both of us, I decided to give her a rundown of how I usually did things. I didn¡¯t have a specific procedure or system or anything, but I needed the two of us to be on the same page. If anything went wrong, it would go wrong fast, and the two of us would need to react properly. We discussed things while snacking on some kebabs. Those at the warehouse only a hundred feet away had no way of suspecting that we were there to kill them, even while we were relaxing in plain sight. ¡°So we¡¯ll just go in and kill anybody who threatens us?¡± ¡°Basically, yeah. I¡¯d prefer not to kill any workers, but if they¡¯re strong and hold any sort of hostility toward you, don¡¯t hesitate. As for the ordinary, don¡¯t worry about them. They¡¯ll start running as soon as I start shooting.¡± ¡°Mm. This¡¯ll be interesting. Are there any differences between killing Scourge beasts and killing people?¡± ¡°In a technical sense, not really. But the process of killing the two is very different.¡± I bit off a chunk of meat, trying to explain while chewing. ¡°It¡¯s obvious, but if you¡¯re going to kill, go straight for the kill. That means shoot for the head, neck, and chest. The only reason you would aim to injure is if they¡¯re a knight you need to wear down. But besides that, you need to know that people are generally unpredictable. They get pissed and fight on instinct. You¡¯ve had training and you¡¯ll have no problem overpowering them, but making mistakes or getting caught off guard isn¡¯t something you can really defend against.¡± ¡°Even with a barrier?¡± ¡°... Well, maybe you can. I couldn¡¯t. Since you have a barrier you¡¯ll be much safer in general. As long as you don¡¯t get complacent and keep it powered. And Aura is going to be even more important than with Scourge beasts. It¡¯s the only thing that might let you know how the flow of a battle will go against other people. Trust it and react accordingly.¡± ¡°Mm. Now, what about specifics? What do we do once we walk through that door?¡± ¡°Focus on the people. As for the machines, that¡¯s what this is for.¡± I summoned a bag into my hand, the bag filled with high explosives swinging gently in the breeze. This was a satchel charge, and it was my main weapon against that earth mage during the tournament. ¡°If you need or want to destroy anything, go for it. But focus on eliminating threats before worrying about the machines. They¡¯re not going anywhere.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°As for the firefight, I want you to stay with me. This is your first time doing anything like this; I just want you to focus on keeping yourself safe while slinging spells from a distance. Most of the enemies we¡¯ll come across will be pretty easy to kill, besides the Authority 6¡¯s of course. We meet one of those, you keep them occupied, I¡¯ll wipe out the lower Authorities, and we¡¯ll take them down together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ like taking down a strong beast.¡± ¡°Kind of. You¡¯ll learn as you go¡­ you ready?¡± ¡°One second.¡± She scarfed down the rest of her kebab, as did I, before the two of us stood up, slipping the masks over our faces. ¡°Just follow my lead. We¡¯ll breach the garage first, then we just clear the building. You don¡¯t put down your barrier until all threats are dead.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± I hoisted the satchel charge onto my shoulder before walking over with Umara¡¯s hand in mine. When we approached the large warehouse door, I dropped the satchel right in the middle. I didn¡¯t bother empowering it; it would be more than enough by itself. Hooking up a string to the detonator, I scanned the street, meeting the eyes of someone walking out of a side door to the warehouse. I waved. ¡°Hi!¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I was bringing over a delivery for Sir Bremman. I need to do something first though. Hang on.¡± I put up a finger before walking off with the string and Umara, leaving the bewildered worker behind as we turned the nearby corner of the building. I yanked the string. The ground quaked with the explosion. From around the corner, a wave of dust billowed around our feet. A Tommy Gun appeared in my hands. ¡°Start.¡± I turned the corner once more, the roiling cloud of dust unable to hide the remains of what was once a door. Hopefully it wouldn¡¯t collapse on us. I quickly identified several powerful individuals moving hastily and dozens of ordinary people all around the grounds of the warehouse operating magical machinery. One of said ordinaries, after recovering from the sudden shock, found me and ran over while yelling. He threw a fist, but I responded in kind by simply lifting my leg and kicking him right in the gut. He keeled over without issue, and Umara and I continued on our way. An Authority 4 knight barged through a door. My reflexes worked as if with their own mind, snapping my gun over and sending a bullet straight through his head. As he collapsed, several others emerged from various entrances. Umara sensed them as well, so she started casting spells. I could sense her anxiety while doing so, more power than necessary being infused into her magic. I didn¡¯t bother her though. ¡°I have the stairs.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got the doorway.¡± She responded, the two of us turning to our self-assigned zones and unleashing hell. Six knights and five warlocks were all that emerged. All six knights jumped at us from different angles while the warlocks started casting spells. Of the six knights, I immediately gunned down the four in front of me. I then moved to the warlocks, sending lead their way and collapsing their barriers. That¡¯s when Umara¡¯s spells hit, dense lances of air flying over and skewering all five warlocks through the chest. Even the ones whose barriers I didn¡¯t break were obliterated without mercy. I clicked my tongue while killing the last two knights. Umara made this look too easy. Once we were done, we watched the rest of the ordinary workers run out. A presence suddenly tried to make itself scarce. Umara sensed it too, our heads snapping to the back wall of the warehouse. ¡°He¡¯s running.¡± ¡°Through the wall!¡± Umara dashed forward, preparing a spell and sending out a bomb of air. It exploded right in front of the back wall, blowing a huge hole so we could jump through. I instantly spotted our target, Turner Bremman. The fat warlock could do nothing but throw a gust of air at his feet, launching himself over a building. He had a powerful barrier around him in addition to all those layers of fat. ¡°You chase.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± I gave a word, Umara shooting off. He wasn¡¯t the only one with mobility. I just stood where I was, taking out a Garand and taking aim. I acquired his huge figure as he made it to the top of a nearby apartment. I didn¡¯t even bother aiming much, simply unloading the en-bloc full of empowered bullets. I managed to send four his way before he dipped out of my line of sight. Still, his barrier was left shattered. I started running as Umara rapidly caught up to him. Circling around the building at almost a full sprint, I followed them on the ground as they ran, skipped, and bounced on rooftops and pressurized air. (Try and send him my way.) (Got it. He¡¯s got a lot of mass though.)Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. (Do your best. And know that he¡¯s probably calling for help. We need to finish fast.) As soon as I said that, Umara upped her pace. This Turner had a pampering father from the Clockwork Association. There was no doubt in my mind that there was help nearby for him to call, if not the father himself. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t have much to worry about. Umara was able to use a series of concussive shockwaves to blast Turner off-course and into my sights. That¡¯s when I unloaded the rest of my clip, lighting up his barrier and shattering it with Umara¡¯s help. Once it broke, it only took a few bullets to shred through his body, ripping straight through his considerable girth. He fell from the skies and into the streets, hitting the floor before Umara landed right next to him. Before I could do anything or he could even beg for his life, a blade of air decapitated him. Just like that, our target was dead. Umara looked up to me, earning a nod. ¡°Good. Anything on his body?¡± ¡°Two Spatial rings, a bracelet, and an Aerial is all I can see.¡± ¡°Take everything except for the Aerial.¡± She didn¡¯t even respond before taking off his arm, ripping the bound spatial storages off his flesh. Once she came back to my side, I waved. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± We ran, heading right back to the warehouse where I left a well placed satchel charge with some extra Psyka for good measure. Once we¡¯d blown the roof off and let the building collapse, we vanished into the chaos. We went straight out of the market without a word, taking off our masks before exiting and heading to the Hotel where we found the Key Master. He smiled at us on arrival. ¡°Well done. Your bounty for this job comes out to a total of 240 thousand coin. Shall I split between the two accounts?¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The deposit was immediate, as our Aerials chimed the moment he finished speaking. Umara had her own account, thankfully, so this wouldn¡¯t earn any attention from her mother. Umara sighed. ¡°Barely 10 minutes of work for all that money.¡± ¡°You made it easy for me. How do you feel?¡± ¡°... Fine. It really isn¡¯t much different from killing beasts. A bit bloodier, but otherwise pretty easy.¡± ¡°Mm. They aren¡¯t trained as properly as those from the Magisterium, especially the Elites. The part to worry about is the weight on your conscience.¡± I put down my Aerial, fumbling with the bloodied spatial storages of the dealer. Umara glanced up at me. ¡°Do you have any weight on your conscience?¡± ¡°Would you think me a total monster if I said not really?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then no. Not necessarily something to be proud of, but I had to get used to it a while ago. I don¡¯t care to have any remorse. But I also pick and choose my targets. Now let¡¯s go rest. Thank you for the job, Key Master.¡± We waved, the Key Master bowing a bit. ¡°Of course. Come back if you ever want a recommendation.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ After a night of rest, the next day came. That was also when we got two pieces of news. Feiden had arrived in the Capitol, and Tana had finally woken up. With that, we all rushed over to the Magisterium¡¯s medical ward as soon as we could. We joined up with Feiden and entered Tana¡¯s room, finding her with the Puppet Master. She was wide awake, sitting up in her bed with a few doctors around her. Umara went over for a hug, embracing her while I smiled. ¡°How¡¯s our girl?¡± ¡°...¡± Tana didn¡¯t respond, simply turning and staring at me. My smile faded, feeling something different. Sure enough, the Puppet Master spoke for her. ¡°She hasn¡¯t said anything yet, but it¡¯s only been an hour or so. Doctors said she¡¯s physically perfectly healthy.¡± ¡°Well, I would say that¡¯s most important. Would they know if she suffered any brain trauma?¡± ¡°Not necessarily. But if there was an abnormality anywhere in her body we would''ve found it.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I stood over to the side, giving Umara space to sit next to Tana and give her some company. As she tried to get Tana to talk, I turned to Feiden and patted his shoulder. ¡°How are you, man? Feeling a bit better?¡± ¡°A bit, I suppose. Things have changed though¡­¡± He brought up his hand, staring at it as if inspecting a foreign body part. I got concerned. ¡°How did you handle Anarchy?¡± ¡°... I handled it. But it made me realize some things.¡± ¡°Like?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t done enough. I¡¯ve obviously been far too relaxed. I¡¯ve realized that if things continued as they were, I would lose everything I hold dear, more than I have. Perhaps you were the only one who did enough, and you even tried to help us keep up. What you did is nothing short of miraculous considering your position.¡± ¡°I just did what I had to. I¡¯m not perfect, Feiden.¡± I shrugged, feeling a bit of melancholy. He was putting me on a pedestal, and I didn¡¯t want him to do that. I was forced into my circumstances. Of course, I didn¡¯t necessarily try to wriggle out of them, instead continuing to push back. But that didn¡¯t mean I was doing that much better than everyone else. I was just doing what I could, and it was just enough to keep my life, as well as the lives of my squad. But Feiden just shook his head in response. ¡°No, your achievements and the good you¡¯ve done are undeniable. You¡¯re someone who¡¯s going to go far, farther than me. But I¡¯ll be damned if I can¡¯t at least try and keep up. I¡¯ll do everything in my power to make sure that I fill out every possible gap in my talent. This recent event, Mira¡¯s death¡­ it taught me that who I was wasn¡¯t enough. If I want something more, then I¡¯ll need to fight harder¡­ smarter... And most importantly, I¡¯ll need to fight by the side of those who will hold me to higher standards. Since Vetsmon is gone, I¡¯ll attempt to fill his role and keep you safe. You¡­ can rest assured that you won¡¯t die so long as I still breathe.¡± ¡°...¡± I glanced at the side of his face, hiding mixed feelings behind a worried face. I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever had someone tell me that they¡¯d lay their life down for me. It was quite the experience. I couldn¡¯t really reject that, but I also felt weird about accepting it. So instead, I just decided to meet him on the same level. I squeezed his shoulder, looking back toward Tana. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one. My job is to watch over all of you. So long as I have anything to say about it, you¡¯ll never be put in the position to lay down your life for my own.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ve already proven that you¡¯re capable.¡± ¡°Not necessarily. One person was put into that position. And it was only because of luck that she managed to survive.¡± We both looked at Tana, the girl in question turning toward us. Umara muttered. ¡°I put her in that position.¡± ¡°No, I gave the order to do what we did. I was an idiot for thinking those people had any sense of logic or honor. I¡¯ve learned my lesson, but it was almost at a dear cost. I can only apologize now, and-¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Tana spoke, stopping my words. Her face looked deadpan as she continued. ¡°You saved my life in an impossible situation. We all should¡¯ve died. I was certainly prepared to. I couldn¡¯t see a way out even with the escape we were making. And giving my life up to kill that Heartstopper seemed to be the one thing I could do to at least give you all a chance. But you actually brought me back from that. I¡¯m completely healthy. You gave me another chance at life, and now you¡¯re apologizing for it. Honestly, it¡¯s a bit too humble for my tastes. It doesn¡¯t suit you.¡± ¡°... I think I¡¯ve said that before.¡± The Puppet Master suddenly mumbled. Tana smirked at him. ¡°I¡¯m just being honest. Now, what we should be doing is finding those students and killing the rest of them off. The last thing they deserve is to live after abandoning us.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all safe at their homes. But the difficulty of killing them right now is secondary to the fact that I can¡¯t let you do something like that.¡± The Puppet Master shot Tana a scolding look, making her roll her eyes. ¡°Whatever. Then let¡¯s inform the newspapers. We can drag their names through the mud. Then they¡¯ll at least be branded for the scum-sucking cowards they are.¡± ¡°... Please don¡¯t. For your own sakes, I implore you.¡± The Puppet Master massaged his temples. Tana was dead serious and we all knew it. I just sighed. ¡°Seems Anarchy got to you a bit, Tana.¡± ¡°It opened my eyes. Nobles are¡­ the most selfish bastards in the world, and those people deserve to be taken full advantage of. We should be stripping them of all they¡¯re good for before ridding this society of their names. It would only benefit. I¡¯ve heard you say things like that. I didn¡¯t realize how right you were.¡± ¡°Heh, I see you¡¯ve finally come to the dark side. Welcome¡± ¡°Glad I could finally make it.¡± The two of us laughed mischievously, causing the Puppet Master to shake his head ¡°I¡¯m not sure which will bring this Kingdom to its knees first. The Scourge or John Cooper and his band of misfits.¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s you, you rebellious punk, then I want you to promise me job security! I worked too hard for a good paying, easy job like this, and I don¡¯t want to lose it just because you decided to overthrow noble society.¡± ¡°Hah, yes sir.¡± I gave him a salute before he waved. ¡°Then I¡¯m going to leave before getting involved with more treasonous talk. Now, I don''t know when I may see you all again¡­ but for what it¡¯s worth, you all are some of the most exceptional students I¡¯ve ever had. Take care of yourselves in the military. If humanity is going to be saved by anybody, it¡¯s going to be people like you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re only as good as our teachers, sir.¡± Feiden chimed with a small smile, making him shrug as he walked out. We were left alone, Umara leaning her head on Tana¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay, Tana.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­ Question is though, what¡¯s going to happen now? I know we¡¯ll be entering the military, but does that mean we¡¯ll be able to stay together?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ probably not going to happen. At least at first.¡± Umara explained. ¡°Basic training will separate us by class, so you guys will go elsewhere. As for what happens after you get out of that, it all depends on who decides to take you under their wing. That, and their word determines what base you¡¯re assigned to and what Commander you fall under the authority of. We¡¯re quite the special generation, so there will be many hands pulling us different ways. My mother doesn¡¯t even know if she can take control of John, let alone you guys. So if I¡¯m being honest, we probably won¡¯t see each other for a long while, not until our ranks rise a bit and, with some luck, we somehow get put together due to our history and chemistry as a team. I''ve heard of Magisterium squads being put back together on several occasions.¡± ¡°Sounds like we¡¯ll have little control over things.¡± ¡°Mm, basically. Though, there is one thing that might increase the chances. If we¡¯re all outstanding enough and catch some eyes, we¡¯ll have a decent shot at entering a division of Special Operations. Get there, and we¡¯d be able to fight to get our squad back together.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Feiden nodded, dipping his head in thought. ¡°All the more reason to train harder. In fact, if I don¡¯t get there, then I¡¯ll be doing something wrong.¡± ¡°Agreed. I just woke up, but I¡¯m thinking with my recent improvements, I can manage something like that. I¡¯ll need to start getting active again.¡± Tana concurred with Feiden, then both of them looked at me. Tana grinned. ¡°We¡¯ll be expecting you there, John.¡± ¡°Indeed. You¡¯re practically built for Special Operations. It should be pretty easy for you to get in.¡± ¡°Heh. We¡¯ll see.¡± I shrugged and pulled out a cigar. Chapter 136: Point of No Return [author] This chapter is 85% R-18! Proceed at your own peril or pleasure. [/author] Tana was awake and Feiden had arrived in the Capitol. Although Tana would need to go back to her parents estate to check in, she would be coming right back. There wasn¡¯t much time until graduation, but we wouldn¡¯t actually need to attend. Apparently, all of the fourth years who survived were having issues even if they didn¡¯t gaze upon Anarchy, so going to a graduation ceremony wasn¡¯t in the cards. They would simply send us a nice certificate stating that we had graduated along with a display of all our accolades and achievements. Our identification cards would also be updated to display the fact that we were alumni. All of that hardly mattered now though; only 6 weeks after the graduation was official, we would ship off to basic training. They weren¡¯t wasting any time. It wouldn¡¯t be long before I was a military man. It was strangely ironic that I, the American, would be joining a force other than the US military. Well, we had all already experienced military life and were generally adapted to it. Now, after some training that would mold us into what the Kingdom wanted, we would be living that life every day for the next several years. I didn¡¯t have any hopes of ending my contract soon. Apparently, those that came out of the Magisterium were automatically contracted to serve for 12 years. The Kingdom was under constant threat, so they didn¡¯t have any room for short-term contracts. It took time for Magi to become strong, and due to their greatly increased lifespan, they had plenty of time and energy to give. The Kingdom had no qualms taking advantage of that. I understood why. It was just an unfortunate reality here. My only issue was how I would go about dealing with the people. The night after we met up with Tana and Feiden, all of us decided to go out for a nice dinner. Tana wasn¡¯t leaving just yet so we would all have one more day together as a squad. We all promised to meet the next morning. In fact, they would be coming to my hotel room. For now, I was hanging around the room with Umara. I stood by the glass, staring out at the sunset-illuminated streets of the city with my fancy eyeballs. Those posters of me that sprang up after the Magisterium Tournament were all gone now, the usual assorted advertisements and notices of Capitol life having replaced them. My mind was on the military though. I could only sigh, thinking that it would be more years of trying to keep myself safe from my fellow humans. ¡°I am not looking forward to this.¡± ¡°The military?¡± ¡°Mm. More bullshit politics, more angry old assholes I¡¯ll have to dodge. Question is, how am I supposed to keep myself safe? I barely survived a year. How am I supposed to get through a dozen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not going to be the same. The military isn¡¯t the Magisterium.¡± Umara set down her book, looking up from the couch. ¡°The Magisterium is full of a bunch of immature children that have yet to really experience what it¡¯s like to fight for their lives. Elites and fourth years are only a bit better off due to their greater experience with missions and combat. But it¡¯s a fact that the military does a good job of beating that out of them, even the noble children. There¡¯s a chain of command that can¡¯t be flaunted. Sure, there¡¯s plenty of nepotism, but remember your own words on who keeps the nobles in check.¡± ¡°The Scourge does that.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Exactly. We¡¯re in a state of constant war, now even more critical with Anarchy on the loose. Nobles have little time to deal with their petty and dramatic children because they¡¯re needed on the battlefield. Even more than that, they can¡¯t go around sabotaging their fellow soldiers because that directly reduces our ability to fight the Scourge. If there¡¯s too much infighting, we¡¯ll collapse. They know that, so they¡¯re forced to bend. If a noble child comes and tries to oppress a higher ranking officer, they¡¯ll get their teeth kicked in, and they¡¯ll have nobody to blame except themselves. Of course, there are limits and exceptions, but that¡¯s generally how it is.¡± ¡°...¡± I rubbed my chin in thought. ¡°So if I¡¯m the same rank as a noble child¡­¡± ¡°You two will be equal. They can¡¯t do anything to you, nor can their parents. Chances are, you¡¯ll be underneath my mother. If anybody does anything to you unjustly, there will be hell to pay. There are rules in the military and they aren¡¯t loose like those at the Magisterium. Once again, without order, we fall. You¡¯ll prove yourself to be valuable in short order, and with that charm of yours, I have a feeling you¡¯ll be just fine in the military.¡± ¡°Hm, hope so. Anything better than how things were at the Magisterium is acceptable to me. You¡¯re my next concern though. What about your marriage? Won¡¯t they keep trying to get me out of your life?¡± ¡°No. At least, not nearly as much.¡± She shook her head. ¡°The reason they were trying to marry me off so quickly was precisely because of the military. There¡¯s no time for marriage negotiations and courting, our full focus is on fighting and growing. And children aren¡¯t that valuable unless the parents who have them are at the ends of their talent anyways.¡± ¡°So why was your marriage such a big deal now? Wouldn¡¯t it be customary to wait until after the military?¡± ¡°Because they wanted to lock me in. A lot of things can happen during one''s service, and they don¡¯t like to risk any potential love affairs. So they marry us off while at the Magisterium. And then the military is just a decade or two of fighting. A married couple may not see each other for years during that time, but since they¡¯re already married, when the time comes to continue the bloodline, there are no arguments to be made even if they have different thoughts.¡± ¡°So it just minimizes variables.¡± ¡°That, and it opens up the alliance. If I got married right now, even though I wouldn''t have children for a decade, the husband¡¯s family could start working with the Talerria household. That means business acquisitions and political favors. It¡¯s a decade¡¯s worth of profit to be made before even considering children. There are more than enough reasons to make it happen now.¡± ¡°And we fended them off.¡± I smiled. It seemed like I pissed some people off a lot more than I realized. Umara nodded. ¡°Yes, we managed to hold off until we could be safe. But we still can¡¯t do anything right now. If we were to suddenly talk about getting married, all those issues would pop right back up and they¡¯d be coming at you full force. That stuff isn''t even supposed to cross my mind in the military, so we¡¯ll need to act like that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°So we wouldn¡¯t be able to get married for another 12 years at the least?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a long time.¡± I propped my chin up with my fist, eliciting a knowing smile from Umara. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I asked if you still wanted to wait. It would be a long time to wait.¡± ¡°... I¡¯ll have to think about it. Wouldn¡¯t there be a risk of having kids though? Or do you know the magic for that stuff?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the magic yet since my affinities don¡¯t align. But I¡¯ve got things that do the same thing.¡± ¡°And the risk of someone finding out about Inception?¡± ¡°Well, given how powerful my Aura is now¡­ Only the most powerful people I would come across would notice if they looked.¡± ¡°You mean the only ones that matter?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± We both stared at each other before she sighed. ¡°I guess we have to wait.¡± ¡°Not necessarily that long. It¡¯s not like they can watch us all the time. Eventually, we¡¯ll get our chance.¡± ¡°Or we can just do it right now.¡± ¡°Y-You just said we have to wait!¡± ¡°Fuck that.¡± ¡°Girl, I outta-¡± I stomped over and grabbed her leg, yanking her off the couch before throwing her over my shoulder and marching to our room. She squeaked when I threw her on the bed, her face already thoroughly flushed. We stared at each other, both of us understanding exactly what was about to happen, the anticipation rising before shirts flew off. Chapter 137: Bonds My bare skin, sensitive in light of the erotic memories of last night, told me someone was squirming. I squinted bleary eyes at the sun streaming through the window, taking a moment to rub the sleep from them, and looked down to find Umara shifting into an upright position. Something must¡¯ve alerted her to my wakefulness as she slowly turned around, cheeks flushed bright, taking a moment to meet my eyes. My smirk turned into an ear-to-ear grin as I took an almost sadistic joy in her embarrassment. ¡°Well, good morning, darling. Have a good sleep?¡± ¡°...¡± She turned away, covering her face with her hands. ¡°I¡¯m a dirty whore.¡± ¡°You¡¯re my dirty whore.¡± ¡°Uuagh shattup! I¡¯m sticky! And crusty¡­¡± She took a moment to feel her cheek. ¡°¡­ I think my face has your¡­ stuff¡­ on it¡­¡± ¡°Pfft, yes, you were quite enthusiastic last night. It wasn¡¯t technically sex but it¡¯s pretty damn close. What did you think?¡± ¡°I think sex is tamer. More¡­ normal, I guess. But that¡­¡± ¡°...¡± I propped my head up with the hand not pinned under Umara, and watched her think. My smile faded a bit¡­ ¡°Not that I regret it¡­¡± ¡­and then returned in full force. ¡°I mean, you asked for it.¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d shove your tongue inside me! I¡¯ve never even heard of doing something like that¡­¡± ¡°Aww, you¡¯re so innocent.¡± ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡± ¡°No. Just makes you cuter.¡± I chuckled before pulling her in for a hug, combing back her hair with her big ol¡¯ titties on my chest. ¡°Was it too much? I know it was sudden.¡± ¡°No, no it wasn¡¯t. It was just shocking. But I liked it¡­ Since we can¡¯t quite have sex yet, we¡¯ll have to keep doing that until we can.¡± ¡°Stave off the horny.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She smiled and left a gentle peck on my lips before shifting herself around a bit more, disappearing under the blanket. Then my Aerial rang, my brows raising as I answered. ¡°Yo.¡± Feiden responded. ¡°Hello. We¡¯re at the hotel.¡± ¡°... Shit.¡± My eyes widened before my leg suddenly jerked in shock. Fresh Prince was getting the lollipop treatment under the blanket. Wasn¡¯t she just embarrassed? This girl was bipolar or something. I clicked my tongue and turned my attention back to Feiden. ¡°Just chill out in the lobby, maybe introduce yourself to the Key Master at the front desk. He¡¯s a cool dude. We¡¯ll be down there in a little bit.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± His response was succinct. We bid each other a short farewell before I looked down at the lump in the blanket. I threw it aside. Umara froze for a second, looking into my eyes for a second before she continued. ¡°We¡¯ll need to call room service. This room is not decent.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°I think a shower is in order too.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t be long since they¡¯re waiting.¡± She left Fresh Prince out to hang for a second to properly respond. ¡°Hm¡­ That¡¯s up to you.¡± Umara paused with a smile, making me snicker before I grabbed some of her hair and pushed her back down. ¡­¡­ ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hi?¡± Tana and Feiden waved to get our attention from a group of couches in a corner of the lobby, both their gazes fixed on Umara¡¯s beet-red face. They stood up and exchanged a few whispers as we approached. I clasped hands with Feiden while Umara exchanged a hug with Tana. Feiden whispered in my ear. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing important. We were just messing around a bit. Sorry we came down late. We had just woken up when you called.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°Here, let¡¯s head up.¡± I waved them over, giving a greeting to the Key Master as we walked past. Once in the elevator, I slotted the golden key in and punched my floor number. It was a quick trip up and before long we walked into the hotel room. Feiden and Tana looked around with wide eyes, muttering in succession. ¡°So this is where you¡¯ve been living this whole time? It¡¯s really nice.¡± ¡°Nicer than my family¡¯s manor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely comfortable.¡± I chuckled as they walked around, checking out the kitchen and bedroom. Thankfully, the Hotel¡¯s room service was prompt. It only took a minute for the cleaners to get there, and after pointing them in the right direction, they took a measly five minutes to clean. Impeccable service. It was made even better by Umara¡¯s perpetual embarrassment upon seeing just to what extent our wild romp last night had messed up the room ¡ª and that the cleaners knew exactly what we had done. That was on top of what we did in the shower just moments ago. She was so cute when she was all flushed red like that. Feiden stood with me as Tana walked around, as if inspecting. When she arrived at the table, she poked my Orb sitting in its projection cradle. ¡°Is this a projector? What¡¯s on the orb?¡± ¡°My advancement formation.¡± ¡°Oh, let me see.¡± Tana tapped it, the entire formation cluster being projected in the air in all its miserable glory. Her jaw dropped for a few seconds. ¡°...That¡¯s insane.¡± ¡°Yes, it is. I¡¯ve barely started and it¡¯s melting my brain.¡± ¡°Well, at least nobody can say you¡¯re stupid.¡± She shrugged, turning it back off while taking a seat on the couch with Umara. Feiden had wandered over to a nearby counter and lifted some things up from there. They were the two spatial storage bands that came off our recent kill, brownish droplets staining the otherwise pristine metal. ¡°Blood?¡± ¡°Oh, right. We haven¡¯t looked through those yet.¡± I went over and Feiden dropped them in my hand. I explained what had transpired while trying to activate them. ¡°They¡¯re spoils of war Umara and I got.¡± ¡°From who?¡± ¡°Some drug maker in the black market. Don¡¯t tell her mother, or anybody else that Umara got involved with some of my work.¡± ¡°You should call me next time. It must be dangerous.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Tsk, I¡¯m trying not to pull more people into that place with me. Don¡¯t worry about it. I won¡¯t be working that much anymore since I¡¯ll need to prepare for basic training. That reminds me, I need to see Tavera¡­¡± I mumbled before suddenly frowning. I couldn¡¯t get into the sacks. Binding storages to a crest was only useful since it prevented anyone else from opening them. That¡¯s how mine operated, as did most Polaris brand sacks. But if the owner wasn¡¯t there to erase their crest from it, then it would persist. Now that our target was dead, his items couldn¡¯t be accessed. Seems I¡¯d need to find someone to help me with that. They looked much nicer than my own so I wouldn''t mind swapping them if they were better. Mine was due for an upgrade anyway, one of the things on my list of preparations before the military. I tossed them back on the counter. ¡°No luck?¡± ¡°They¡¯re still bound. You wouldn''t happen to know anyone that can get rid of the restrictions?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find someone later then.¡± I shrugged. After a lull in the conversation, Feiden caught my attention. He looked at me and raised his fingers to his neck, tapping it. I raised my hand and touched my neck where he indicated. My fingers met the irregular lump of scabbing and a bit of dried blood. I smiled. Seemed Umara was biting pretty hard last night. And with a quick look, I noticed she also had a hickey. Hers was a bit more discreet since I didn¡¯t try to bite a hole in her neck. I shrugged again. He snickered. After that we hung out in the room, ordering some food for a brunch. None of us had anything to do and it was fun just being together and eating. At some point though, Tana had to depart for her home. We all walked her to the station and saw her off. After that it was just Umara and I plus Feiden, who excused himself. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go train.¡± ¡°Right now?¡± ¡°I have yet to do so today. And the Puppet Master is helping me, so I¡¯m on a schedule.¡± ¡°Alright. Well, keep in touch. We¡¯ve got some weeks before we ship-¡± ¡°You¡¯re John Cooper?!¡± My head swiveled when I heard the sudden shout, laying eyes on a man and woman who came running over. They were dressed in suits and held no ill intentions so I wasn¡¯t on guard, not to mention the fact that the man was a summoner. I could sense his Psyka. Feiden shifted himself between us as I responded. ¡°Who¡¯s asking?¡± ¡°My name is Joel Hunterson, from the Capitol News. This is my partner Abigail Acosta.¡± ¡°Pleased to meet you.¡± The little lady bowed to the side, though Joel seemed too excited to do anything else other than get straight to business. ¡°I¡¯ve been investigating the events surrounding the recent retreat on the frontlines, especially the reasons surrounding the deaths of so many students and noble children. The military, Kingdom, and Magisterium haven¡¯t given any official response, and none of the surviving noble children are capable of coming out of their homes. I was hoping you would be able to shed some light on the subject.¡± ¡°...¡± I stared at him for a few seconds, glancing to the sides to see Umara and Feiden¡¯s neutral faces. By now, Joel¡¯s excitement had drawn the attention of bystanders, and I felt a few eyes drifting my way. I would need to finish this quickly. ¡°... You do understand what kind of a position this puts me in. You ever thought about the fact that the Kingdom doesn¡¯t want you knowing what happened?¡± ¡°Of course. But a military base headed by an Authority 12 being completely decimated indicates some extreme circumstances that the people ought to know about.¡± ¡°And you couldn¡¯t talk to any of the soldiers?¡± ¡°They¡¯re being detained, so no. You three are the only survivors that are out in the open right now. The only ones that can¡¯t be suppressed. So please, the people deserve to know what happened. Even if you only give me a hint.¡± ¡°...¡± I let out a breath, linking my mind with Umara¡¯s. (How much can I say? I¡¯m not opposed, but only if it doesn¡¯t land me in legal trouble.) (... I¡¯m not entirely sure about the details, but there¡¯s a chance that information about the Kings are military secrets. Open secrets, but still secrets. Putting that info out into the public will catch eyes and trouble. I wouldn¡¯t.) (Hm.) I hummed, thinking about her words while continuing to stare at Joel. Then, I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t tell you anything.¡± ¡°But-!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you anything.¡± I repeated myself before turning and walking. At the same time, my Aura found his mind and echoed some words. (The King of Anarchy has appeared.) (!) He didn¡¯t respond since he couldn¡¯t, but he clearly heard my words, his brows raising and Aura conveying his surprise. Then, I heard him mutter. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Abigail.¡± ¡°Sir, can we really let them go?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. We have some other leads to follow. Let¡¯s not trouble such a historical summoner.¡± He turned and strode off, his words making me smile inwardly. He really knew how to play it cool. Seems he was a half-decent investigative journalist. We bid Feiden another goodbye so he could go train. The two of us made our way to Tavera afterwards, threading through the midday crowds of the Founder¡¯s Market. She threw on her mask as we walked through the streets and into Tavera territory. Upon approaching the gate to the headquarters, a pair of guards in dark gray armor faded from recesses in the entryway and blocked our way with crossed halberds. ¡°Who are you? State your business.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see the Patriarch. My name is John Cooper.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± I held up the golden cigar case, which was really my only form of identification relevant to the Taveras. The guard looked at it for a few seconds before standing aside. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll send word of your arrival.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± We walked past, heading into the building and noticing a lot more people than normal. All of them were dressed in red, black, and white uniforms, and all of them had sabers at their waist. I eventually found the Patriarch¡¯s estate, meeting another two guards outside the door. They stopped me again. ¡°State your business.¡± ¡°I was paying the Patriarch a visit. Is he here?¡± ¡°He is, but-¡± ¡°Let him in.¡± A voice boomed out from the office behind the cracked open door. The two guards, to their credit, didn¡¯t hesitate an instant, pulling open the double doors and standing guard with their blades at their sides. Once we made our way to the study, I found the Patriarch and another man within. He smiled at us. ¡°John, I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°Yes, thanks for the concern. I just thought I''d stop by and say hello, let you know I¡¯m still alive and all.¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯ve come at a good time, in fact. John, meet my grandson, Emmerich. Emmerich, this is John Cooper.¡± ¡°A pleasure.¡± We shook hands, Emmerich glancing at the masked Umara for a second. Once he looked back at me, he smiled. ¡°I saw what you did at the Magisterium. I never would have imagined the sight of a summoner beating a knight in a fist fight. You have my respect.¡± ¡°Thank you. Though it was only possible since he was critically wounded.¡± ¡°Heh, nobody cares about that. You brought down a knight an entire Authority above you. That alone is an event worthy of the history books.¡± ¡°I¡¯m flattered.¡± I grinned. This Emmerich seemed friendly. The Patriarch chimed in at that moment. ¡°John, Emmerich is the one who we gave the Crown to. You¡¯re currently looking at the future Patriarch of the Tavera Family.¡± ¡°Oh, wow. Congratulations.¡± ¡°Thank you. Though I have a lot of work to do before the succession.¡± Emmerich smiled, making me shrug. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine. You won the war in the markets. Now you just need to dominate the rest. Maybe I can help out with the Trenches. I¡¯ve had some experience there.¡± ¡°Hm, indeed, though I can¡¯t say I want to see Apocryon again.¡± ¡°Yes he¡¯s quite the character. Almost killed me with his Aura one time.¡± ¡°You have my sympathies. My experience was also rather haunting. He¡¯s only Authority 10, but dare I say he has the Aura of an Authority 12. It is the only reason I don¡¯t preemptively end his reign.¡± ¡°I see. Unfortunate.¡± We nodded to each other in understanding. Apocryon was a menace to all who crossed his path. ¡°Speaking of war, you¡¯ll be entering the military soon, right John?¡± The Patriarch muttered, shifting my focus. ¡°Yes sir. Hopefully I¡¯ll have an easier time than at the Magisterium.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the troubles you¡¯ve had there. The military will indeed be easier, socially at least. If you wish, I can also talk to some friends of mine and get you placed under a friendlier name. It may help you stay out of the spotlight.¡± ¡°I appreciate the concern. Hopefully the Duchess has already taken care of that. If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s no reason for you to be troubled.¡± ¡°Perhaps. Either way, I¡¯ll warn them. Competition will be fierce, and every little bit will help. Perhaps what I do is what tips the scales in your favor.¡± ¡°Are you sure? I don¡¯t want to trouble you.¡± ¡°Nonsense. You underestimate my influence, boy. Rest easy and take care of yourself in the military. I better not hear anything about you risking your neck before you climb in power. You¡¯ve too much potential left to unearth, and I intend to see it at some point. Don¡¯t deny us that.¡± ¡°...Of course, sir. Thank you.¡± I smiled and nodded to him. He grinned. ¡°Good. Now, I hear you recently killed the Bremman boy. His father is currently trying to hunt you down. Thankfully, you make yourself scarce.¡± ¡°I try. Should I be worried on my way back?¡± ¡°Perhaps. Certainly don¡¯t let your guard down. Our territory covers most market entrances, but those warlocks may be lingering. Leave through the west or northwest entrance, where Chef Blue and Red work. They should be safer.¡± ¡°Mm. Will do. And speaking of Bremman¡­¡± I brought out the spatial storages we took off the body, explaining the situation. The Patriarch nodded when he understood. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be an issue. For future reference, building 455 on 2nd street. There¡¯s a warlock there who specializes in cracking spatial storages. But for these, we have a warlock here who can do it. If you head to our logistics building in the east wing of the estate, look for Herald. Tell him I sent you.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t keep you. Enjoy your final days as a civilian, John. With the situation out there, you certainly won¡¯t be entering with favorable conditions.¡± I smiled bitterly, nodding as we said goodbye before heading down to that warlock to get the spatial storages unlocked. ¡­¡­ ¡°You seem to favor this kid.¡± Emmerich muttered once John had left, earning a chuckle in response. ¡°I suppose I do. But for good reason. You can¡¯t possibly fail to see the value he represents.¡± ¡°I do. But going so far as to pull strings in the military for him? You might be met with trouble.¡± ¡°And it¡¯ll be worth it. His future favor outweighs any potential negative consequences right now. Don¡¯t make the mistake of missing such a potential ally, Emmerich. Luna and the Church both have eyes on him, and it was merely a stroke of luck that we met him first.¡± ¡°The Kingdom as well.¡± ¡°All the more reason.¡± The Patriarch raised a cigar, letting out some puffs. ¡°You¡¯ve been spending too much time slaughtering our enemies. Time to start building friendships. They¡¯re just as important, especially if you plan to take my seat. I¡¯ve been running this family for over 150 years and I can tell you with absolute certainty that the only reason we still stand today is due to the bonds we¡¯ve forged with others over many decades. John is young, but he is one of those bonds we need to develop. Keep that in mind, especially as the Kingdom¡¯s tensions rise.¡± ¡°... Understood.¡± Emmerich nodded solemnly. With the recent market war and suspicious movements in the Kingdom¡¯s Royal House, he had been on edge and suspicious of everyone beyond their family. Too many of those he once thought allies had forced his blade against them as they tried to backstab the Tavera Family in the midst of the war. But John Cooper seemed to have earned the approval of the Patriarch himself. He¡¯d have to heed his grandfather¡¯s advice and keep watch for that name in the future. Chapter 138: Convictions The Tavera Estate¡¯s logistics warlock easily cracked the two spatial storages we brought him, revealing quite the haul. For one, there was a large amount of gold totaling around 250,000, already enough to make everything worth it. Then, there were some books for warlocks and documentation of Clockwork Association activities. Finally, an assortment of miscellaneous things, ranging from clothing and gear to magic consumables, medicine, and what seemed like alchemical materials. There were also tons of drugs. Thankfully, the warlock was also someone who bought spoils like these, so after going through everything with Umara we decided to sell most of it. We received another 180,000 with that. Umara decided to keep some of the gear and consumables since she could use them, and the documents from the Association ¡ª enemy intelligence, in other words ¡ª fetched a decent price. Finally, we were left with the two storage items. They were bigger than my own, no doubt about that. I had wanted to make an upgrade, but with the amount of money we were receiving, I eventually decided to sell them both off. The two bands sold for another 340 thousand, putting our grand total at 770,000 coin. Turner Bremman was spoiled rotten by his father. No wonder the man was after us. I deposited it all into my bank card, taking a look at the total as we left the Tavera Headquarters. ¡°1,941,330 coin. That¡¯s quite the sum.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been saving up.¡± ¡°Mm. Time to spend it though. Let¡¯s head to Polaris.¡± We left the markets, thankfully not running into anybody as we made our way to the Polaris Bank. There was a little kiosk beside the main building. There, we were able to find all the different kinds of storage devices they sold. Normal storage devices would simply bind to the crest of the owner and usually couldn¡¯t be removed unless the owner wanted it to be. Otherwise you¡¯d have to carve it off their body, so it couldn¡¯t be stolen by normal means. There were several other types though, such as ones that were designed to hide within clothing. There were even ones built into certain pieces of clothing, such as earrings, belts, even shoes. The ones I wanted though were the really expensive ones. Ones that carried a ton of storage space and also couldn¡¯t be taken by any means. Those were the implants, storages designed to reside within the body, completely undetectable under normal circumstances. One model was a tooth implant, while another model would be implanted underneath the skin on some part of the body. The only issue with them was the fact that the amount of space I wanted would place my cost around 1.2 million. More than that, I also wanted to get Umara one. Of course, I couldn¡¯t afford 2.4 million coin on my own, but she also had money and didn¡¯t want me paying for her stuff anyway. In the end, we agreed to get one for each of us, and I would give her 400,000. After making the sale and transferring her payment, I was left with a measly 300k in my account. It was definitely worth it though. I would probably never need another upgrade. I didn¡¯t actually need that much space for my private stash. Only the most valuable items would go in there while everything I could lose would sit in my normal storage. I wouldn¡¯t be hurt in the event that I got screwed somehow and lost access to it. Still, this hidden stash would be multiple times larger than my previous stash. After our purchase, Umara and I were brought to another room where they implanted the storages. It was a simple affair. They numbed the skin, made a small incision, and slipped the small pill-shaped storage inside. That also contributed greatly to its cost. Smaller sizes required a smaller White Crystal, and to compensate for the reduced space available, they had to use a much stronger one. After running some healing magic over it and sealing the skin, they were done. Just like that, in no more than half an hour, we had both received concealed storage devices with space equivalent to a large room. That didn¡¯t stop me from walking out with a sad face. ¡°I¡¯m poor again.¡± ¡°Yeah right. You could make that money back up in a week if you really wanted to.¡± ¡°With bounties maybe. I¡¯m not trying to stir the pot more though. There¡¯s already enough people that want me dead.¡± ¡°What¡¯s one more?¡± ¡°You little demon. I¡¯m trying to keep both of us out of trouble. You walking around with me like this isn¡¯t very safe.¡± ¡°Hm, I like a little danger.¡± She smiled mischievously, making me grin. Right then though, her eyes widened. ¡°Wait! We should go see Luna.¡± ¡°Huh, I guess she did say to go visit her. Let¡¯s go then. We¡¯re already here.¡± We linked arms before turning around and heading to the Polaris Headquarters. I only got stopped when trying to enter the core areas, to which I flashed the badge Luna had given me last time. I was an honored guest of the Polaris Family. So I was let straight in where we went for the study. Sure enough, Luna was there, smiling from her chair as if expecting us. ¡°I was wondering when you guys would show. I¡¯ve been lonely.¡± ¡°Apologies, Lady Luna.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be silly. I know more than anyone what¡¯s happened recently. I¡¯m just glad you two are safe.¡± She jumped over her desk and landed on a couch. Another appeared right in front of her, which Umara and I sat down in. Luna beamed as we got comfortable, prompting me to remember her last gift. ¡°Your Warm Socks have been very nice. Thanks for the gift again.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m glad! Do you have them on now?¡± ¡°You already know.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± She laughed when I lifted my leg and exposed the hot pink socks. They were way too comfortable to care about the color, so I almost always wore them. After that, Luna leaned forward, smiling while looking between both of us. ¡°So? What have you two lovebirds been up to? I don¡¯t sense inception, but bite marks like those don¡¯t come from kissing.¡± ¡°W-We¡­¡± Umara suddenly flushed a bit, looking toward me for help. I just laughed. ¡°Haha, well, we can¡¯t quite get married yet, but yes, you could say our ¡®intimacy¡¯ took another step forward.¡± She let loose an uncharacteristic but wholly appropriate giggle. ¡°Worried about Inception?¡± ¡°Mm. Our situation still doesn¡¯t allow us to do as we please.¡± ¡°I understand. My husband and I were like that at first. Our love was an affair that my family wouldn¡¯t stand for. Until he became so powerful that they begged me to marry him.¡± She sighed with nostalgia. Umara perked up with curiosity. ¡°You have a husband? Was he a commoner?¡± ¡°No. He was from the Church. The Anderson Peerage.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Umara nodded while I suddenly narrowed my eyes at Luna. She looked at me and giggled. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Yes John? You look inquisitive.¡± ¡°... Your husband-¡± ¡°Is him, yes. I believe you two have met.¡± ¡°...¡± I went silent, eventually sighing. ¡°Then thank him for me, for saving Tana.¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t let him worry you so much about that. If I learned that he let one of you die, Anarchy would be the least of his worries.¡± ¡°Maybe. Still, I¡¯m thankful. I was desperate.¡± ¡°It was a desperate time. And not nearly as bad as what¡¯s coming. With Anarchy having emerged for the first time in three decades, everyone is preparing for another grand war. Millions of beasts are flooding in, and millions of soldiers are being drafted and sent to the front lines. You¡¯ll be one of many, John. Unfortunately, you¡¯re going into this at the worst possible time.¡± ¡°Or maybe the best.¡± ¡°Depends on your goals.¡± I nodded at her conjecture. Millions of Scourge beasts were flooding over and attacking the Kingdom, which meant trouble. But it also meant money. White Crystals could only be created when Black Crystals were being harvested. This war would bring riches and provide opportunities. I needed to be more focused than ever on increasing my Authority. Thankfully, I had Maxwell covering a good portion of that for me, from the formations themselves to crystals. But my secondary concern was regarding the Invocations that Aki had told me about. It seemed like Scourge beasts were the same here as they were over there when the Pillars of Creation fell. That meant that, more likely than not, the Invocations that gave them power were made from White Crystals. More crystals meant we could make more soldiers, so long as the Church actually moved forward with it. Lord knows we¡¯d need it for the coming storm. I didn¡¯t believe that Anarchy appearing out of nowhere was for no reason. Luna was right. Another war was coming, and nothing like the idle battles that they¡¯ve been fighting for decades if not centuries.. I just hoped that the Church and Kingdom would take advantage of it. They definitely knew better than I did how desperate the situation was. But that didn¡¯t always mean they would act accordingly. Still, a war was good for whipping people into shape, as horrible as that sounded. Hopefully the urgency would spur the higher-ups into action. Besides that though, there wasn¡¯t anything else that I found beneficial about the situation. This was, in fact, the worst time for me to enter when considering my survival. Perhaps the only thing I¡¯d get out of it was the combat that would keep me on my toes and motivate me to get stronger. If I just sat around at home for the next two years, I might eventually start wasting away, even though I didn¡¯t need training or combat to make me better. All I needed was my brain and time. Umara and I spent the next little while talking with Luna. She seemed to enjoy the company¡­ well, more Umara¡¯s company. They discussed things regarding spellcasting and magic. Umara spilled some of my scientific knowledge without saying it was from me. While she couldn¡¯t compare to Luna¡¯s breadth of expertise, I brought a unique perspective that even she found interesting. Because of that, Umara was able to keep Luna¡¯s interest, giving her a leg up in the conversation. It certainly didn¡¯t make them equals, but it showed that Umara was more talented and knowledgeable than one might initially think. I had no issue sitting to the side and letting them go back and forth. And it was only when one of Luna¡¯s trusted aides came in with a report that the conversation finally had to stop. With a quick promise meet again and chat sometime in the future, Umara and I left the Polaris Headquarters. ¡­¡­ ¡°So the Church has a hold on the black market.¡± ¡°That¡­ seems to be the conclusion.¡± Umara looked up from her book across the kitchen island as I cooked dinner. ¡°The Head of the Polaris family is married to the Church¡¯s strongest Knight. The Tavera family had to have gotten their Crown from somewhere, and chances are that they went to the Church, or maybe Polaris, to do so. Which means that the Church has the two controlling organizations within their pocket, with the others either being thoroughly suppressed or a non-factor.¡± ¡°Not to mention the control they have over the Invocation legacies from the Pillars of Creation, as well as the production method for perfect White Crystals. And when factoring in the corruption of the nobles of the Kingdom¡­¡± ¡°The Church holds all the cards.¡± I concluded, stirring up the last of the meat within the frying pan before taking it out and plating it. After setting the table and sitting to eat, I mumbled my thoughts. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we just join the Church at this point¡­?¡± ¡°Can we even do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯d say we should call Vetsmon but I¡¯m sure he¡¯s busy. Either way, they seem to be the best place to go.¡± ¡°Well¡­ unless we intend to run and throw away all our connections with everyone here, I¡¯d say that¡¯s a bad idea. I think it would be better to just spend some time in the military. At the very least, this war is going to last many years. There¡¯s no rush.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I nodded and chomped down on some savory lemon chicken. Or, at least that¡¯s what this meat felt like. I had to play around with the seasonings and fruit to try and resemble a lemon pepper mix. The Church seemed to be accumulating a massive amount of power and potential, a necessity to ensure humanity¡¯s continued survival. After sending a quick message to Aki on my Aerial earlier, I also learned that the Pillars of Creation had fought a total war with the Scourge for 16 cumulative years. She only arrived after a decade of war had already passed, and the Pillars fell 6 years later, 2 years after the Kings stepped in. ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say that we have some time, like you said. Aki said they fought for 16 years. We may not get that long since the Kings have already stepped in, but hopefully we get at least 10 before the war concludes. That means we have another decade to make ourselves as powerful as possible.¡± ¡°... I¡¯m already progressing much faster than I normally would thanks to you. But 10 years isn¡¯t a long time.¡± ¡°How long does it normally take to reach the highest Authorities?¡± ¡°My mother reached Authority 11 when she was 53, so it took her 37 years. I¡¯ve heard that Authority 12¡¯s have taken anywhere between 30 years and 80 years, placing them between 40 and 100 years old.¡± ¡°... So we would certainly have to be abnormal to pull this off before we hit 30.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve certainly proven that you¡¯re talented enough. I just don¡¯t know about myself.¡± Umara looked down at her plate. Her fork trailed to a stop as I lifted my head to look at her. The month was May, and we would be graduating right at the start of June. Umara would be turning 21 only a month later in July, while I had turned 23 back in January. That meant that in 10 years, we would be in our early 30s. Under normal circumstances, the talented Magi who could hit Authority 11 and 12 would need at least another decade on top of that, if not two, to hit their full potential. It simply took longer to grind through those later authorities. It didn¡¯t take them long to hit Authority 8 or 9. But getting through 10 and 11 took years by themselves. The difficulty rose exponentially. But if we planned to do this in 10 years, we would have to spend a measly 1.5 years on each Authority from now on. That would place us around Authority 11 by the end of the decade. Just saying such a thing was asinine. Although I had blazed through my first 5 Authorities in around a year, that didn¡¯t mean I could keep it up. I had the benefit of age on my side. I wasn¡¯t trying to figure everything out at 16 years old like everyone else in this world did. And I was already stumped by my next advancement formation. It would take weeks just to figure out how to start the first formation of the first cluster, let alone link the four formations within one cluster, do the same for all the other clusters, and then link all the clusters together. Only then could I actually start using the entire formation to cultivate power for my advancement, which would take another chunk of time. Was one year even enough? I wasn¡¯t sure. And Umara hadn¡¯t been going at the same speed I was. She only advanced to Authority 5 last year. She had been working toward Authority 6 for around 6 months now. She was ahead of me, but I didn¡¯t know by how much. And that wasn¡¯t considering how I was piling all my scientific knowledge on top of her regular studies. It was certainly daunting to think about. I looked up right as she resumed eating. ¡°How close are you to Authority 6?¡± ¡°Pretty close. Maybe¡­ 3 months?¡± ¡°Wow. So you¡¯ll go up an Authority in less than a year.¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks to your knowledge.¡± ¡°... Unfortunately my knowledge isn¡¯t endless. There are a lot of details left, but we¡¯ve gone over many of the general conceptual ideas. You¡¯re beginning to truly understand how the world works. I don¡¯t know how much more I¡¯ll be able to help.¡± I sighed, thinking how regretful it was that I couldn¡¯t yet recall more knowledge. The more perfect my mind became, the more I could remember. My memories were becoming more like files in a computer rather than a jumbled mess of glimpses and random thoughts. At some point, I would remember everything I had ever seen, heard, tasted, smelled, and felt. I would be able to call upon every article and page of information I had ever seen, even if I didn¡¯t understand the information it held. But I hadn¡¯t reached that point yet, so what I could give Umara was limited. Even if I could, it wasn¡¯t like I knew or had seen everything. There were people far smarter than me on Earth. I had just been a curious college student. Those scientists were masters of their craft. Umara suddenly flicked a little bit of sauce at me, catching my eye. ¡°Dear, how many times do I have to tell you how priceless your knowledge is? You¡¯ve frankly given me far more than I can use right now. I have enough for years as it is, let alone all the finer details you could give me. Get that disappointed look off your face. I might need help if I want to advance to the top within a decade and keep up with you, but I also don¡¯t need you to hold my hand at every step. Your future wife can stand for herself.¡± ¡°... Still, I¡¯ll make sure you have everything I can think of between now and when we ship off. We should buy some books so I can fill them.¡± ¡°God, you¡¯re so stubborn. And then you get bitchy at me when I try to buy you something.¡± ¡°I fail to see how that¡¯s relevant.¡± ¡°Pfft, uh huh.¡± She snorted and continued eating. Thinking too far into the future was going to be a headache at best and halt progress at worst. Umara¡¯s little verbal joust had lightened the mood, and I felt a smile spreading on my face. Well, we certainly had our long term goal now. 10 years was an assumption, but it wasn¡¯t like we could really hope for anything better. In 10 years, the war might be reaching its climax, all the biggest players duking it out in a fight that would decide the fate of both humanity and the Scourge. If we were just barely reaching Authority 11 by then, we still wouldn¡¯t have the power to truly make an impact. Not to mention how I still wasn¡¯t sure if I could make it that far yet. I was blazing a new trail so my future was uncertain. So we either had to hope that we had more time, or hope that something changed within that time. Perhaps if the Church figured out the Invocation technology, Umara could get something that would strengthen her mind. That would speed up her comprehension, and then this goal wouldn¡¯t look so daunting. And if that didn¡¯t happen, we could try and get her a Crown that did the same thing. Anything to speed up her progress. Unlike me, she was practically guaranteed to hit Authority 11, if not 12. And knowing the kind of power my knowledge gave her even beyond the advancements, I was anxious to give her as much as I could. I made my plans. We had over a month before we shipped off. I would have to thoroughly prepare, because I wouldn¡¯t have the freedom I did now. If there were loose ends, I wouldn¡¯t have the time to tie them up. So that night, Umara and I went to bed with convictions. As well as no clothes. Chapter 139: Command Weeks and weeks passed by with nothing significant happening. The Magisterium¡¯s graduation was a big event, but a heavy damper was put on the situation given what recently happened. A highlight of the graduation was always the presentation of the fourth year class, including the pride of the Magisterium, the Elites. They would have ceremonies displaying their accolades and speaking of their achievements, impressing all those of the Capital who could come to watch. It was an event only slightly smaller than the tournament and would be accompanied by an afterparty at a noble house, usually the President¡¯s. But this year, the graduation ceremony was succinct, and only the third year students were in attendance. I was sure that there were at least some of the fourth year students who were functional by the time of the ceremony, but none showed up. The Magisterium probably wanted to try and stay subtle about it all. Needless to say, the whole thing was underwhelming. Umara and I couldn¡¯t be bothered. We decided to enter the stadium and take a glimpse, but when we heard the droning of name calling and saw how boring it was, we left and decided to go on a date. Brunch was far more invigorating than some disappointing graduation. So much as stepping foot in that stadium would infect someone with the depressing atmosphere. Only some of the third years would be staying for another year, while the rest would get shipped off to boot camp. And considering the recent massacre, none of them were thrilled. After brunch, Umara and I had nothing to do. It was around 5 weeks of idleness. We staved off our boredom with studying and training. I continued to fill out as many pages as I could with anything I could think of regarding science and standard conceptual knowledge. Even little details such as the standard composition of air, the properties of some specific compounds like carbon monoxide, mixtures of deadly compounds like chlorine gas or cyanide and how they interacted with the human body, details about the general functions of the human body and what chemicals were involved in those processes, as well as how to interfere with those functions using specific chemicals¡­ Most of the knowledge I recorded was geared towards being weaponized in some way, but I had to be thorough. After all, it wasn¡¯t enough to say that carbon monoxide was deadly. She would have to know that it took the place of oxygen when inhaled and distributed into the bloodstream, eventually suffocating the person and killing them, ¡®eventually¡¯ being the key detail there She had to know how she could apply the knowledge, especially regarding chemicals and the body, otherwise she couldn¡¯t use it. Still, there was too much to write down. I filled pages worth of information every day and yet as we got closer to the deadline, it felt like I was only further away from actually giving her everything I knew. I obviously couldn¡¯t possibly scribble, by hand, every single bit of knowledge hidden in my brain. But there was so much she could use, now or in the future, and I wanted to make sure she had it. Although she said that she had enough for years to come, I wanted to make sure there was enough variety to inspire her if it was possible, and enough to be used in any situation. Nonetheless, she would have three books full by the time I was done, not even including the contents of our nightly discussions. Plus, there was one interesting thing I found out while using the advancement formation Orb. Summoners could easily use orbs. In fact, most Orbs were designed to be used by summoners exclusively due to Psyka and its properties. If a warlock or knight wanted to use one, they had to use special equipment not unlike the projection cradle to implant information. Summoners could simply hold the orb and inscribe information with their minds. It was incredibly easy for summoners to write or receive massive amounts of information quickly since Orbs were designed around Psyka. If I wished, I could get an Orb and write down thousands of pages of information and diagrams rather easily. It would take a fraction of the time it took to write it down physically But my girlfriend wanted her books. I understood why she, like all warlocks and knights, didn¡¯t like orbs. But it was still a bit regrettable. Despite that, I still went and got an Orb for myself. They were expensive and I didn''t really have a use for it at the moment, but it was good to have. The only heartache came when I looked at my pitiful savings account. Other than all that though, my mind was on nothing but making final preparations for the military. Finally, a week before the day we were supposed to ship off, I got a letter from the Puppet Master, given to Feiden and passed to me. ¡­¡­ ¡°Conscription notice. Looks like it¡¯s finally time.¡± I took a knife to the letter, slicing it open and taking out the sheets of paper within. The folded papers were laid out on the countertop. There was an official wax seal sporting the regalia of the Kingdom¡¯s Magical Forces, a circular emblem with a coiled dragon and two swords crossed in front. I read through every word. This wasn¡¯t a letter that went through the Magisterium. It came straight from Kingdom recruiting offices, notifying me that since I had graduated from the Magisterium, I was legally obligated to serve a term of 12 years within the Magical Forces. This was all stipulated within the contract that I had signed when I first enrolled, though they hadn¡¯t mentioned 12 years specifically. After getting through all the bureaucratic crap, I was given directions for basic training. I was to report to the recruiting center in the Capital on the morning of the day a week from now for processing. From there, I would undergo all of their introductory stuff before getting shipped out to a base for training. Basic training in this world was different from Earth. Generally, Earth¡¯s militaries spent around 2 months in boot camp, give or take a few weeks. It was a good amount of time to drill everything into a recruit¡¯s skull and shape them up while also not taking up too much time. Here, it was shorter. The Kingdom¡¯s Magical Forces didn¡¯t need to train a recruit in combat because they were either a Magus who had already gone through a magic academy like the Magisterium, or they were an ordinary person who didn¡¯t need much, if any, combat training. While there were still ordinary people who operated in the field, they were generally there for logistics or maintenance. They rarely had combat roles so those who came to basic training needed no standard combat training. My training period would last around 6 weeks. It seemed that I had been sent this letter with a bit of attention to detail, because they noted my combat ability as a summoner and determined that since I didn¡¯t really fit into any standard category, they would be throwing me in with the warlock squadrons. Not only that, but because I was a summoner, they also offered me the opportunity to go through Intelligence training.Stolen story; please report. Umara had told me such a situation was likely, so I wasn¡¯t surprised. A summoner¡¯s place in the military was usually behind the desk, using their smarts for the purposes of outmaneuvering the Scourge and processing all of the information that needed to be stored, utilized, or sent within the military. They were in charge of communications, reports, strategy and tactics. They also designed and engineered most of the equipment and armament used like magical turrets, vehicles, consumable items, and more. Thus, summoners occupied the highest Intelligence ranks in the military, what would equate to officers on Earth. The infantry were the brawn, but should they prove themselves, they could also become an intelligence officer and sport two ranks that afforded them greater responsibilities, pay, and opportunities. I would be allowed to choose whether I wanted to go through Intelligence training while at the recruiting center. If I decided I did, then I would go through that training immediately after basic. As it stood right now, I saw no reason why I shouldn¡¯t do so. Besides that, I was given some details on what I should expect, what to bring, what to leave behind, among other things. I finished through the letter before stashing it away. I had already thought about what I would do and how I would handle myself for weeks now. There weren¡¯t really any other ways to prepare beyond tying up loose ends, but I didn¡¯t have many of those and had already dealt with most. Normally this period would be filled with family time, but¡­ I could only sigh. It didn''t get any easier to think about them even over a year later. I glanced to the side, the spot in the corner of the couch where Umara usually sat. In her place was her Grimoire of Science, a compilation of all the drawings and scribbles I had first written for her. She had gotten it properly bound, giving it a plain but nice hard cover. Right now, she was at home in Joffrun, having been summoned by her mother. There were things for them to discuss and I didn¡¯t want to intrude, so I stayed behind. What they could be talking about, I wasn¡¯t sure. Either way, I didn¡¯t worry. There was nobody I trusted more than her now. ,,,,,, ¡°What do you mean, you couldn¡¯t take his command? Who stopped you?¡± Umara frowned at her mother, a tinge of anger bleeding into her disappointed tone. She didn¡¯t think her mother could actually manage to lose control of a situation such as this. She was an Authority 11 and a Marshal of the Warlock Corps. That was large chunk of humanity¡¯s battle power under her command. There were other Marshals just like her, but something like this shouldn¡¯t have been a problem for her to take control of. Now, John had fallen through her fingers. The battle that had been raging behind the scenes for weeks now was lost as soon as the recruitment letter went out. The question now was, who had authority over him? Umara noticed that her mother wasn¡¯t mad or worried. She could sense her emotions now through her Aura. Anarchy had made her Aura obscenely powerful. Not even she knew how powerful it was, but being able to see through her mother was a good indicator. Granted, she wasn¡¯t on guard and actively concealing thoughts, but Umara hardly cared. It wasn¡¯t like she was trying either. Instead, Talexia was inquisitive. Which at least meant that whoever had taken John wasn¡¯t someone to worry about. Hopefully. Talexia¡¯s fingers rapped across the arm of her chair, head resting on her fist. ¡°... He¡¯s been taken under the jurisdiction of one person, though it may as well be two. I thought I had a Sovereign on my side, a powerful card to play. But of course, a couple calls and two days later, it fell out of my hands. Why, I don¡¯t know. But one thing¡¯s for certain. John will get his share of fights.¡± ¡°Who did he fall under?¡± ¡°Sovereign Haley and Sovereign Adam. Together, they run the operations side of the Warlock Corps. More specifically, it¡¯s Haley he¡¯s technically fallen under, and she is in charge of the joint forces of knights and warlocks, working in tandem with the other Sovereigns on the Knight side of things. Apparently, since I don¡¯t handle operations, and John has proven himself to be a highly lethal asset, they managed to argue that he should fall under their wing. And the one person I thought would help me changed his mind.¡± ¡°... You¡¯re under Sovereign Intama, right?¡± Umara recalled her vague knowledge on the topic. Talexia¡¯s superior was Sovereign Intama, a man who was in charge of the recruitment and training divisions. While warlocks that came out of the Magisterium didn¡¯t necessarily need to be taught how to fight, they did need to learn advanced spells from somewhere. Although it seemed the contrary, the vast majority of Magi didn¡¯t come from noble backgrounds that could provide their own sets of spells and advanced knowledge. In fact, even most nobles couldn¡¯t do that. Only those at the very top of the social strata had the accumulated wealth and capital to provide their Magi with such resources. So, Warlocks, while serving with the military and collecting accolades and merits, would gradually be taught battle-oriented spells not covered in school. Sovereign Intama was the highest authority on such matters, and Talexia was one of a couple Marshals under his command who worked with such affairs. She wasn¡¯t in charge of operations or tactics. If the military wanted John¡¯s lethality, the case could be made that he would waste away under Talexia, who leaned more toward the logistics side. She nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m under Sovereign Intama. And although John won¡¯t be under my command nor his, that¡¯s not necessarily a bad thing.¡± ¡°I can see the silver lining, but I still find much to worry about. They aren¡¯t concerned for his safety.¡± ¡°Actually, they are. If they had the conversations I think they did, then the only reason John was allowed to fall under Sovereign Haley was because she could provide assurances in regards to his health. At the very least, I¡¯m not worried about him, especially in the short term. They won¡¯t do anything with him until they figure out the best way to use his power, so he¡¯ll be safe.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara silently pondered, putting aside the conversation with her mother. Needless to say, they probably wouldn¡¯t be together, whether through training, or afterward. She definitely preferred to be with him, but could wait if need be. John had been working himself to the bone to give her everything she might need and arm her with knowledge for the future. Even before that, they had weathered a lot together, especially pressure from nobles. Now though, they would be free from that. Especially him. If she wasn¡¯t seen around him, then he wouldn¡¯t have to suffer from so much scrutiny. And now that he was earning the eyes of those at the top of the military, she figured he could go without the additional pressure of worrying about her presence. He would thrive even more without her than if she was there. While she received knowledge from him that was changing the way she understood the world, she couldn¡¯t do anything like that for him. And, at least for now, she¡¯d like him to stop thinking about her and focus on himself. She thought this would be a good opportunity for that. So long as she didn¡¯t have to worry about his safety, she was perfectly fine letting him go out and take on the world. By the time she saw him again, he would no doubt be far beyond what he was now. Of course, she¡¯d have to soak up every bit of him before they had to leave. But after that, their entrance into the military would be a good opportunity to devote themselves to their own advancement. There would be no more school, drama, or politics to hold them back. That¡¯s what the military was to the nobles who entered: a training ground; a place to temper themselves so that they would one day succeed their parents. It would be no different for Umara. Except now, her goals were a bit higher than merely fulfilling the talent that her mother gave her. She had an incalculable advantage, and it would take her much higher. And she¡¯d need it if she wanted to keep up with her future husband. Contrary to his confidence, he didn¡¯t believe in himself nearly as much as she believed in him. He was still doubting whether he could reach the same heights as her. She was doubting her ability to keep up with his insane advancement rate. Well, time would certainly tell. Hopefully they would both have enough of it. Chapter 140: Fealty When Umara returned to the Capital, she gave me the news. I didn¡¯t have any idea how the Duchess was trying to get me under her wing, but it was a bit disappointing that I wouldn¡¯t be despite Umara¡¯s assurances that it wouldn¡¯t be that bad. It seemed that bigwigs had their eyes on me. I was getting used to it, as well as the trouble it usually came with. But now, it seemed that the attention would be more beneficial than not. If everything I was being told was true, then I¡¯d be having the time of my life in the military, regardless of the Duchess¡¯ intervention. People were beginning to recognize just what I represented: the potential future for the entire summoner class. I was now an asset, an investment, and bringing me down wasn¡¯t in their best interests. Whatever got those noble dicks off my back was fine by me. And now, it was about time for me to say goodbye. Umara returned only three days before we had to report. In that time, we put together our luggage while making last minute preparations. Umara went and made sure all of my academic papers were bound into her books while I stocked up on plenty of cigars, enough to last me the next two years. They were also a level stronger than normal, compensating for the subtle amount of Vigor in my body from temperings, as well as the Crown. I actually had to let Umara pay for some of it as well since I was broke now. I had also decided to take on another bounty since my bank account was so pitiful. Umara came along, and we net around 250 thousand from two hits. It wasn¡¯t nearly as much as the spoiled warlock gave us, but it was something. And it was during our salvage after the second bounty, just a day before we were meant to report, that I had an interesting encounter. ¡­ ¡°You got the storage?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then. I never liked this place.¡± I glanced around, seeing nothing but shabby wooden houses and crappy dirt roads. There were three other bodies around our bounty as well, some unsavory idiots who tried to lay a hand on Umara. I couldn¡¯t even lift my gun before she simply took their hands off. Whether they were dead or alive now was none of my concern. She tossed me the storage bracelet. I snatched it out of the air and stuffed it in my coat. Although the bounty didn¡¯t give us as much, he also wasn¡¯t being protected by a powerful father. There was little to worry about. We trudged through the Trenches for a bit, intending to make our way out of the godforsaken place and back into the normal markets. I felt something running our way though. Uamra felt it too, and the two of us came to a halt, stances wary, before it even turned the corner. It was a brunette girl with a huge axe on her back and a long black coat, not unlike my own. My brows raised when I noticed that she was an Authority 6. It wasn¡¯t so much the Authority that concerned me as the level of danger she could pose in spite of it. My only solace was her non-hostility, but I drew a pistol regardless, resting it against my chest, watching as she walked toward us. She spoke first. ¡°You¡¯re the American?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s asking?¡± ¡°I¡­ Nobody in any official capacity.¡± (She¡¯s a noble.) I heard Umara¡¯s voice in my head, her words making my own tilt in interest. I wasn¡¯t sure how she came to that conclusion, but I¡¯d take it at face value. Besides that though, the girl looked rather young. She¡¯d be going through the Magisterium if she were a noble. But that would only make her power level more confusing. Maybe she just looked young for her age. Seeing my lack of a workable response, she continued. ¡°My name¡­ is Aria Gorvatch, daughter of a¡­ former noble. But that is not important. I wish to ask you something. A proposition, perhaps.¡± ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t know if you recognize me.¡± She lifted her head, confusing me for a second before it suddenly clicked. ¡°You¡¯re the girl.¡± ¡°Who was to be delivered to the Clockwork Association, yes. You saved my life as well as those who were meant to be sold many months ago. I¡¯ve learned since then that we were going to be used as human experiments. So my gratitude to you¡­ cannot be conveyed in words.¡± ¡°... There¡¯s no need to thank me. What I did back then was only a given. It was within my capacity, and so doing anything but saving you would go against all manner of human decency.¡± ¡°Maybe so. That doesn¡¯t change the fact that you did it. And my gratitude remains the same. So I¡¯ve been trying to find you. Not just to thank you, but to offer you something, if I may approach.¡± ¡°... Alright.¡± I put the gun away. This girl wouldn¡¯t hurt me, so I didn¡¯t mind letting her close the distance. She walked forward with measured steps. I could tell she was anxious, trying not to scare me as if I were on a hair trigger. It was almost humorous if not for how somber she was being. Then, once she was a few feet away, she dropped to a knee and took out her axe, laying its shaft across her hands. ¡°I¡¯ve devoted myself to purging this filthy place, saving as many as I can from the fate that had been my own back then. But I don¡¯t want to do it alone. I don¡¯t know if I can. But I know that I can help you. So, if you believe me worthy, I wish to pledge to you my fealty. And my offering to you shall be the heirloom of my family, The Bloodsworn. It is all I have left of my fallen lineage.¡± ¡°...¡± I looked down at her, processing everything she said. I wasn¡¯t exactly familiar with this kind of situation. I wasn¡¯t sure how to react. But there was a clear issue that I immediately shattered her hopes with. ¡°Aria, do you realize that tomorrow, I leave for the military?¡± ¡°...¡± I could sense her jolt in response. Seemed she had been living under a rock recently. It was a bit funny. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t help you, or accept your fealty. I simply won¡¯t be able to. Not to mention that I¡¯m not strong enough to make any meaningful change. Not yet anyway. I need time and the battlefield. So for now, this isn¡¯t my place.¡± ¡°... I see.¡± Her arms dropped a bit. I could feel her disappointment clear as day. I was also a bit sorry. But there really wasn¡¯t anything I could do. Even the bounties I could take were severely limited. All the valuable ones had the strength around Authority 9. That wasn¡¯t something I could touch, let alone the leaders of places like the Clockwork Association. I was realizing that these organizations went much deeper than even close inspection would reveal. The Tavera family gave me a glimpse of that. So I couldn¡¯t do anything until I got much stronger than I am now. It was the same for this girl. If she wanted to make real change, Authority 6 wasn¡¯t enough. I reached out and pushed the axe back into her arms. ¡°I appreciate what you¡¯re offering. But if I¡¯m being honest, you¡¯re not strong enough right now to do much either. Both of us need to cultivate our power. Once we do that we can make this place sparkly clean, starting with the people who bring the filth here in the first place. Until then though, we need to buckle down.¡± ¡°... You¡¯re right. But even so, there¡¯s at least some good we can do. No matter how little.¡± ¡°Of course. But that¡¯s not my fight. Not right now. So, although I hate this, unfortunately I¡¯m going to have to leave this place in your hands.¡± With those words I summoned a bullet, a standard .38 Special, and placed it in Aria¡¯s hand. She looked at it, my mouth curving into a smile. ¡°It¡¯s like I¡¯m fulfilling a prophecy¡­ Anyway, I¡¯ll come back eventually. If I don¡¯t, it¡¯s because I¡¯m dead. If I do though, I¡¯m going to be far stronger than now. So when that time comes, I¡¯ll either have to take care of all the scum here by myself, or I¡¯ll have one well-established ally. Think you¡¯re up for it?¡± I put out my hand, Aria looking at it before putting away her axe and taking it. Her hands were actually calloused, despite being a knight. Once she stood, she looked me dead in the eye. ¡°I¡¯ll await your return, and become someone capable of cleansing this place by your side.¡± ¡°Good. In the meantime, you should go find the Tavera Family. I¡¯ll send a message to their patriarch. Maybe he¡¯ll have some work for you.¡± ¡°The mafia? Are they trustworthy?¡± ¡°If my recent encounters are reflective, then yes. In fact, it was their patriarch that gave me the job to go and kill the man who was going to sell you. Without him, you would probably be dead.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± She nodded, then looked at Umara. They stared at each other before Umara spoke with a bit of an edge to her voice. ¡°I¡¯m his girlfriend.¡± ¡°O-Oh. My apologies.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I could feel Umara¡¯s amusement under the mask, making me roll my eyes. ¡°Alright, we need to pack the rest of our things. We leave in the morning.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Aria. I hope we meet again sooner rather than later.¡± I waved at the girl, hearing a goodbye in return as we walked off. Umara linked our arms as we walked back to the hotel. I also sent that message to the patriarch. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d mind working with someone who was hellbent on clearing out criminals and enemies of the family. Once inside the hotel room, Umara sighed. ¡°People really are attracted to you. In general, I mean.¡± ¡°Well, I am quite the charmer. Even those I¡¯ve never met before flock to come and pledge their fealty to me.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. I¡¯m not sure if I should be worried about being separated or not. You¡¯ll do just fine, but I can''t help but think about all the girls who will have their eye on you.¡± ¡°Yeah? And what am I supposed to do, knowing all the guys will be fighting and begging for your attention?¡± ¡°Please. I couldn¡¯t possibly give a damn about any other man. I can¡¯t even fathom another being able to compare to you.¡± ¡°And I couldn¡¯t possibly care about the eye of another woman. I¡¯ve already got the best. She¡¯s the prettiest, and I¡¯ve seen her proficiency in action. Not to mention how she¡¯s already claimed all of my knowledge. I¡¯m too invested.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s true.¡± We shared a smile and a kiss. Then she stared at me before nodding her head to the side. ¡°We need to shower. Care to join me?¡± ¡°Dear, you¡¯ve got that knife from Shadowbane. If I ever say no to that question, I want you to stab me with it.¡° ¡°Hehe, deal.¡± She grabbed my hand before the two of us ran to the back and stripped. After that, we jumped in a hot bath. It was our last night together, so we weren¡¯t quick to jump to the climax. Instead, we spent some time simply savoring the pleasure of laying together in the tub, intertwined under the steaming water, relishing in the silence. I never got used to it. It was always so invigorating, simply being with her. A better way of putting it would be an addiction. I just couldn¡¯t get enough. And it only got worse when I thought about how she thought the same exact way. There was no better feeling than knowing the person you loved felt affection just as intense. It was a mutual addiction. Our Auras practically fused given enough time. I could close my eyes and see every inch of her, feel every little emotion and thought she had. She wasn¡¯t quite on the same level, but since I was completely open to her, I knew she could sense it just the same. We could both be completely vulnerable, and the only feeling that resulted between us was pure happiness. It really was a drug. I couldn¡¯t help but think about how dangerous it was, how she could absolutely ruin me, and there would be nothing I could do about it. Damn was that an amazing feeling. After some stewing, we eventually started to move and wash each other. It was intimate, as well as a bit humorous. I found a few of her ticklish spots in the process, she a few of mine. A few minutes after that, both of us found out that neither of us liked being tickled at all. I would be going into the recruiting center with a new bruise on my jaw. We dried each other off. And the heat from then on never died, things quickly getting spicy as we moved from the bathroom to the bedroom. I was already rock solid from earlier, but now I could act on it. I kneeled down and moved my towel along Umara¡¯s legs, mopping up the droplets tracing playful paths down supple skin, occasionally blowing a playful breath at her navel. But all the effort in the world couldn¡¯t get her dry. Her heart rate climbed as more streams of all-natural lube dripped down her thighs. I was a bit amazed at how much there was. I kissed around the area while she stood, starting at the navel before going around her pretty little folds. She only leaked more, goosebumps appearing over her stomach and legs. I planted a chain of kisses around the area while she stood, starting from above and tracing a circle down and around her pretty little folds. She stood silently, shivering, and I felt goosebumps pop up on her stomach and legs under my lips. Her hands were stiff at her sides, nails gouging lines as her breathing quickened and face flushed. But it was a playful kiss, right on her clit, that finally broke her spell of silence, eliciting an aroused whimper that trailed off into hasty breaths. I smiled and rolled out my tongue, slipping it in as my hands went around and grabbed her perky ass. From then I heard nothing but moans and heavy breaths as her hands moved to my hair, urging me forward until I shoved myself fully inside her. She clamped down around me, and no more than 30 seconds later, I heard her shudder as one of her legs went over my shoulder, anything so I could push in deeper as she came. I worked over her clit at the same time, earning a few borderline screams as she grasped handfuls of my hair and pulled. A few minutes later she gradually calmed down as I moved her over to the bed. Her hair was still a bit damp, something I noticed when she moved to give Fresh Prince some savory attention. She even planted a bunch of kisses on it. Shameless. For a while, I just decided to lay back and enjoy it, hands behind my head like I was lounging at the beach. It was quite blissful, almost relaxing. Only when I felt it rising did I reach over and comb back some of her hair. I went over the edge when she buried her face and swallowed Fresh Prince whole. I barely had the mind to think about how good she was getting when I felt her tongue wrapping around me like bacon on hotdogs. My fist clenched her hair a bit as everything unloaded straight into her mouth. A long breath of contentment escaped my lips. I looked down as she pulled back, cleaning every inch as she did so. Her purple eyes were mesmerizing, a depth to them that threatened to such out my soul. She really was one of the most beautiful girls I¡¯ve ever seen, both adorable and sexy. It was an injustice, almost, that we¡¯d have to separate, even if only for a little while. I stroked her chin, stricken with a sense of longing almost like she¡¯d already left. The two of us simply enjoyed each other¡¯s eyes for a time. And when I¡¯d had enough, I grabbed her throat and pulled her over so I could fill her mouth with my tongue. We were gonna have fun tonight. Enough for the memories to last us months. Chapter 141: Offer Umara and I stood outside the recruitment center, the noon midsummer sun beating down on us. She held my arm as we looked around, Feiden and Tana beside us. It wasn¡¯t crowded. All the third years who weren¡¯t staying at the Magisterium would be processed later, letting us fourth years have more of a streamlined experience. Not that it mattered. There were only 23 fourth years now, and some of them didn¡¯t even show up. I couldn¡¯t say I was pleased to see any of them. The rat bastards had left us to die. As I ran my eyes around the entrance of the building, my Aerial pinged with a message. ¡°Stay where you are.¡± My brows raised. It was from Sawn. A few moments later, a huge magical vehicle, blocky and utilitarian, slowed to a stop on the road behind us. I felt a pang of pained familiarity as its lines briefly flashed into those of the Steed that had saved our lives just weeks prior, interrupted by its side hatch swinging open. Sawn, inside, was sitting behind a table with all sorts of gadgets strewn across it. He waved me in. Umara and I glanced at each other before clambering into the cabin. The door gently snicked shut as we moved to sit down. I caught a glimpse of Tana and Feiden waiting outside. I didn¡¯t even get a chance to greet the man before he started talking. ¡°This will be the last upgrade I give your Aerial. After this, we¡¯ll design a new generation and roll yours out to the mass market. Your current Aerial is the PsyComm-1, designed to be utilized directly with the mind. Summoners are most proficient with this type of communication; they¡¯ll be our market. You¡¯ve done well testing all of its functions. Most people we give prototype products to tend to forget about them and never send messages. You use it like a limb. Put your arm in this cradle. You¡¯ll be able to message and call from within your mind. We haven¡¯t yet figured out how to do the same with visuals so you can¡¯t do the same with images. We¡¯d need expertise in illusory Psykic techniques in order to develop that function. Which brings me to my second order of business with you. I¡¯d like you to come to the Magic Tower under my wing and help me in my research and development division. The resources at your disposal would be vast, should you accept.¡± Sawn halted his monologue with that offer, continuing to tinker as I mentally ran through his words one more time. It was certainly tempting. The fact he was offering me this right in front of the recruitment center meant he had a way to simply exempt me from service. The method he would use came just a second after that conclusion. The only reason a summoner would enter the military was if they weren¡¯t smart enough to get into the Magic Tower first. They were valued for their intelligence; the Kingdom wanted to put them in places where they could advance technology and give everyone an edge. Things like magic vehicles and the Rails came straight out of the Magic Tower, and the value of those products went without saying. And here I was, the strongest summoner yet, about to enter the military. Sawn probably thought it was a waste, and since we were acquainted, he didn¡¯t have any issues simply throwing down the offer. There was nothing stopping me from accepting it right here and ditching military service, living a safe and lavish lifestyle in the most prestigious intellectual institution in the Kingdom. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t where I was needed. Not yet, anyway. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I can¡¯t accept. I have a feeling the military is where I need to be.¡± ¡°... Well, you¡¯re certainly capable enough, that much is obvious. But your mind is approaching a level rivaling my own, even though I sit 4 Authorities above you. I¡¯d hate to let you waste that in that brawny place.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still a lot of brain to be used there.¡± ¡°Not as much as the brawn.¡± ¡°I suppose. Still, things are changing. In the future, I¡¯ll need strength instead of technology.¡± ¡°Technology can multiply strength.¡± ¡°It absolutely can. Which is why I¡¯d like to propose a counteroffer.¡± He glanced up at me from the devices below. My Aerial had been entirely stripped down by this point, and yet even more was being added on. I spoke plainly. ¡°I¡¯d like to assist in your work anyway. You can send me schematics and ideas, and perhaps I might have some things to add. I can also give you some of my own ideas. Things I¡¯ve thought of, and things from my homeland that don¡¯t exist here. As my girlfriend here can attest, I have knowledge of a different perspective of the world, completely non-magical, yet more than capable of changing the landscape of the Kingdom. I¡¯d like it to be used even if I can¡¯t exploit it completely for my own benefit, because like I said, things are changing. Humanity is going to need every advantage it can get. Allow me to work with you from my position in the military. I don¡¯t even need an official job title.¡± ¡°...¡± The only sound in the vehicle now was the soft clicking and sliding of wire-thin mechanical arms slotting various strange devices into place. I briefly wondered if they fit because of spatial magic. There was a small pull on my Psyka as every piece was installed, each reaching to form a connection. And once it was all done, he nodded. ¡°Very well. I accept this counteroffer. You don¡¯t need it, but I will give you a job title, as well as compensation in the form of both a salary and intellectual property rights. Your ideas, should they prove beneficial or profitable, will be paid for. We can negotiate those details as you provide material. I will also provide you with a workstation directly connected to the Sawn Industries network. You¡¯ll be able to access our repository where you can view and submit documents and artifacts. We will also be in direct contact with each other, but none of this can happen until you at least finish basic training. After you get stationed at a base, I will send you everything you need, including a contract.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± ¡°Very well. Until then, we shall simply shake on it.¡± He stood as my arm was released, and we grasped hands. ¡°I look forward to doing business with you, Mr. Cooper.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± ¡°Good luck in basic training, as well as during your assignment. If you ever feel like you¡¯re going to die, just say the word and I can have you transferred to the Magic Tower. Don¡¯t let your mind be wasted.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I smirked a bit before leaving the van with Umara. Once we stepped out and the van left, she looked up at me. ¡°Look at you. Already making friends at the top, and yet turning down their most opportune offers. Do you know how many would kill for a job like that?¡± ¡°I told you, I need the military to keep me sharp. The Scourge needs to be eradicated, and I need to assist in that goal while advancing my power.¡± ¡°Yet your knowledge would revolutionize the world.¡± ¡°Which is why I¡¯m still going to work with him.¡± ¡°... Tell me again why you can¡¯t just bide your time and advance your Authorities without fighting? You¡¯re a summoner, not a knight.¡± She asked as we linked back up with Tana and Feiden and went into the recruitment center, looking for where we needed to sign in. ¡°Because draining my power actually helps me advance. Whenever I use up all my Psyka and go to sleep, I have dreams. While I still have dreams anyway, those particular dreams help me with my formations rather massively. I think it¡¯s because I¡¯m recovering Psyka while dreaming so my mind gets pushed in that direction. Either way, the more often I dream, the faster I advance.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Hm, that¡¯s right. I still can¡¯t believe you regularly have dreams. I¡¯ve only ever had one, and that was during my enlightenment.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why that is either. Unfortunately, it also means I need more sleep. I can¡¯t get by with the 4 hours every night like you.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll have fun with that during basic.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I grunted in response, earning a giggle from Umara. Sleep deprivation was certainly going to be my worst nightmare. At some point, Feiden nudged me and pointed at one of the desks. A clerk sat there expectantly, sharp eyes peering over squared glasses at the students fooling around in front of him. Umara gave him her ID first. ¡°Magisterium students, here to report for duty.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Let me check your identification and I¡¯ll be able to get your assignment.¡± He lightly picked up her ID and tapped it on a runed pad with practiced efficiency, going through each of ours in turn before filling out some information on a set of forms. ¡°John Cooper, you are designated to be Infantry, but you also have the option to go to school for Intelligence. Have you decided if you would like to?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be doing so.¡± ¡°Understood. You will be sent to the school after your time at basic training.¡± The clerk stamped my paper before handing it to me. The others got theirs as well. With that, he filed everything away before nodding to us. ¡°John Cooper, Umara Talerria, Tana Choron, and Feiden Desmus. You have hereby reported for duty. You are to proceed to your designated Halls and await further orders from your commanding officer. I suggest you get any affairs in order before doing so, because you will not be coming back out except to deploy.¡± We chorused in acknowledgement. ¡°Then proceed, and thank you for your service.¡± With that, he shooed us off before repeating the procedure with some other recruits. While walking away we turned and looked to the Halls he spoke of. On the other side of the building were signs designating each Hall next to wide doorways. Looking down at our papers, we found the Halls we were assigned to. I spoke first. ¡°I¡¯m in Hall 3.¡± ¡°Hall 2.¡± Umara responded resignedly. Looked like we wouldn¡¯t be going to the same place. Feiden was next. ¡°Hall 1.¡± ¡°Hall 1 as well.¡± Tana smiled. She would be with Feiden. Once at Hall 1, I looked inside and found a couple dozen knights standing around. Magisterium students weren¡¯t the only ones being sent off today. However, I also found a familiar face. Ponteck Gulliard. Umara spotted him as well as the few others from our class, scoffing in disgust. ¡°Bastards. We should kill them where they stand. They don¡¯t deserve to live.¡± ¡°... Hang on.¡± I patted her shoulder before walking in, catching everyone¡¯s eyes as I went straight to Ponteck. Tana and Feiden tailed me. They had to be here anyway, but I could feel them primed for battle. If I started a fight here, they¡¯d probably join me. Ponteck turned, his longsword strapped to his back as it always was. Black hair, tall but lean, and black eyes with hues of red. I¡¯d never taken in his features before; I simply never saw much of him. We had never even talked before our battle. He was supposed to be my greatest enemy, being Umara¡¯s prime suitor as well as the strongest Elite besides myself. Yet, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to hate the guy. In fact, I was here to thank him. Once I was right in front of him, I noticed that he was just an inch or so shorter than me. Then, I spoke. ¡°You lured the other scorpion away, right? With a Vigor blade?¡± ¡°... Yes.¡± He nodded, making me smile. I had seen a flash of white back when we were running. I didn¡¯t know what it was and didn¡¯t have the time to care then. All I knew was that the second scorpion had been distracted, which saved our lives. In retrospect, I realized that there was only one attack powerful enough to catch its attention and make it jolt. And there weren¡¯t any warlocks besides Umara that could do such a thing. The only possibility was that Ponteck was responsible. In fact, he was the reason that more of the students had been killed. If he hadn¡¯t lured that thing, then we would¡¯ve had to fight both the scorpions, been killed, and the rest of them probably would have been able to get away. The Puppet Master hadn¡¯t arrived long after, and with our distraction, they would¡¯ve been able to keep running and get saved. But this man right here took the heat and gave us a fighting chance. Depending on how you looked at it, we owed each other our lives. I put out my hand. ¡°You saved our asses. Thank you.¡± ¡°... You have no need to thank me. You¡¯re the only reason any of us had a chance to survive in the first place.¡± ¡°But you still saved our asses at your own expense. Thank you.¡± ¡°...¡± He looked at me for a bit before finally shaking my hand. I chuckled a bit, smacking his shoulder after that quick shake. ¡°We need more good men like you. Don¡¯t get yourself killed.¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer it if more were like you. That disgusting combat power will be valuable against the Scourge.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s agree that we¡¯re not so different. Feiden! Tana! You¡¯ve got some competition!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Tana muttered with an evil grin. I wasn¡¯t sure if I should feel bad for Ponteck. After that, I said my goodbyes to her and Feiden, giving them both hugs. Umara joined and wrapped up Tana with a bit of sorrow. Feiden smirked. ¡°See you in Special Operations.¡± ¡°Heh, we¡¯ll see if they take summoners.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t take summoners, but they¡¯ll take you.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± I pat his back before waving, Umara and I leaving the hall. Then, we stood in front of Hall 2. I heard a barely audible sniffle when we stopped, smiling as I looked down. Umara¡¯s head hung low. I could see the faint trickle of a tear, its path made visible by the soft ambient light. I reached out and lifted her head. ¡°Aww, you really do love me.¡± ¡°W-Well, I don¡¯t see you crying. We¡¯re not going to see each other for months, maybe even years. Why aren¡¯t you a mess?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m super manly and thus incapable of crying.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re so cute.¡± I wrapped her up in a hug, which she returned with crushing force. We stayed like that for a while, until the commanding officer in her Hall suddenly appeared. I could sense a vague sort of disapproval. I separated with a sigh, only for her arms to wrap around my neck. She planted a deep kiss. Nothing erotic, but one that tried to convey as much love as possible. Once the commanding officer started talking, she pulled away, sniffling one more time. ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°Love you too. Now go on. And try not to kill any familiar faces.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡± I gave her a quick smack on the ass as she turned, making her flush as bit as she had no choice but to walk off. I left with a laugh, heading into my own Hall where another officer was talking. ¡°... head to the Rails in about 20 minutes. From there you will be sent to Fort Lauder and undergo basic training. Your assignment afterward will be dictated by your performance and or whatever jobs you pick out. Now LINE UP! I want five equal rows 30 minutes ago!¡± Everyone scrambled around, myself included, to line up as he ordered. I slipped into the middle of row 2, standing straight yet still feeling like I was sticking out like a sore thumb. The surrounding warlocks weren¡¯t that tall, and my face at this point felt like a household icon. After that, we simply had to wait 20 minutes. During that time, a few more people arrived, getting yelled at with enthusiasm equal to that which inspired the initial scramble, eventually evening out the five rows. Once that 20 minutes was up, another door slammed open. ¡°There it is, trainees! Row 1! Through the door! The rest of you, fall in behind! March!¡± The first row moved with his command, following the officer out where he led us to the nearby Rails. We saw all the other Halls as well. There were eight in total of varying sizes. I glanced around as we started to line up near one of the docks. I quickly found Umara as well as Feiden and Tana. They found me as well, and the four of us shared a smile before we lost each other in the rush. The Rails arrived in front of our docks, the officer yelling as soon as they opened up. ¡°Inside, now! You all get the cheap seats in Car Eight! Hurry up, unless you want me to box you all up in the cargo bay!¡± Everyone rushed forward into the Rail, heading to Car Eight before scrambling into the cramped seats. The officer then waited around some more, chatting sardonically with some of the other officers until it came time for departure. ¡°Listen up! We have 3 hours until we reach Fort Lauder. The only reason you¡¯re allowed to get out of your seat is if you¡¯re about to shit yourself, in which case, if you come find me in the next car, I¡¯ll direct you to the nearest window and toss you out! Enjoy these 3 hours while you can, trainees! It¡¯ll be the last enjoyable experience you ever have!¡± He slammed the door behind him, leaving everyone alone in the car. Chapter 142: Tedious Chatter grew after the officer left, slowly at first, then faster and faster, until the train car filled with the dull buzz of whispered socialization. Most of us were still complete strangers with one another, but that didn¡¯t stand in the way of nervous energy seeking a release; people talked to whoever they could regardless of familiarity. I didn¡¯t really get a chance to check if there was anyone I knew, though I didn¡¯t care to either. Anybody I¡¯d know was someone I wasn¡¯t fond of. I only had a few friends and they were all elsewhere, so everyone else was either a stranger or someone I¡¯d prefer to be dead. There were two columns of chairs with a dozen rows in each. Each row had three seats, so it wasn¡¯t much unlike airplane seating. Not comfortable, but we¡¯d only be here for a few hours so I didn¡¯t care. I was on the end of the row, two others beside me and three others across the center walkway. None of us talked for a few minutes, but once the chatter got louder more people felt comfortable enough to. I was tapped on the shoulder, looking to the side and finding the girl I was sitting next to looking at my face with curiosity. ¡°Where¡¯d you get all those scars? They look like they were painful.¡± ¡°More fights than I¡¯d like to count.¡± ¡°Not from the Scourge?¡± ¡°Only some.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re a Magisterium student. I¡¯m Abby. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°John.¡± I shook her hand. And at the same time as I mentioned my name, I felt several eyes land on me. I let out a small sigh, waiting until a boy in the row across from me spoke. ¡°John? John Cooper?¡± ¡°That is my name.¡± ¡°You won the Crowned Championship! I was at that tournament!¡± ¡°Cool.¡± ¡°...Wait a minute, prove you''re him. You¡¯re a summoner right? Why would you be with the warlock-¡± His words stopped as I shoved the barrel of an M1 Garand right up into his jaw, pushing until his eager body went back into its seat. ¡°Is this proof enough?¡± ¡°...Yesh.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I pulled back the gun, the boy rubbing his face until I heard a whisper. ¡°So cool¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re a summoner? Why would you be here then? Don¡¯t you guys go to logistics?¡± I was silent as I looked back at the girl next to me. With blonde hair and blue eyes, along with her curious face, she was the spitting image of innocence. Seems she had been living under a rock as well. I couldn¡¯t imagine anyone in the Capital not knowing who I was. The boy answered for me after a few moments of silence. ¡°John Cooper is the strongest summoner to ever exist! He beat down the Magisterium¡¯s best! He-¡± ¡°I can speak for myself, thank you very much.¡± ¡°O-Of course.¡± The boy backed down, making my brows raise. What was this guy, a fan? He was talking like I wasn¡¯t even here. It was weird. I looked back at the girl and shrugged. ¡°I can fight, unlike other summoners. So I¡¯m being trained for that with you guys.¡± ¡°Oh. Sorry, I didn¡¯t go to the Magisterium. My parents sent me to another city for school. The Magisterium was too expensive for us.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I nodded. Maxwell had paid my fees for me and even then it was only for one year. Normal kids paid tuition for all 4 years, not to mention the costs of living in the capital. There was a reason nobles were so prevalent, and why the population was so small. Being born with a Crest wasn¡¯t exceptionally rare. A large chunk of the population was born with it. It was just that most didn¡¯t have the talent to get anywhere above Authority 5, and doing so would take many years unlike the nobles who did that as a bare minimum prerequisite during their teens and early 20s. So most of the Kingdom¡¯s population that lived in other cities would simply go to the school within those cities. All of the major population centers had magical schools like the Magisterium, just of much lesser quality. It seemed Abby¡¯s parents couldn¡¯t deal with the expenditure, yet lived in the capital since that¡¯s where she went for recruitment. Whatever the situation, she was now being shipped off to the military. I could only sense Authority 3 power from her. I was at that level not long ago, and I couldn¡¯t fathom going into the military while so weak. Someone like her would be nothing more than another body on the frontlines to fall namelessly. And here I was, thinking Authority 5 was much too weak, nothing more than the start of a much larger journey ahead. It was a nasty feeling. I had both killed and seen many people die. The common factor was that they did so in large groups, unless they had enough power, in which case they would already be standing out from the rest. So when I looked at Abby and thought about how much worse the war was about to get, I couldn¡¯t see anything more than another dead body. ¡°...John?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± I zoned in as my name was called, Abby staring back at me in confusion, still alive. I turned away. ¡°Sorry. Authority 3, huh? What element are you working on?¡± ¡°Earth! That¡¯s what my father recommended. But how¡¯d you know I was Authority 3? I only advanced a few months ago!¡± ¡°John Cooper is the Magisterium¡¯s greatest! He can use Aura to the highest degree, so naturally, sensing your Authority is easy!¡± I looked over as the boy started yapping again. Red hair, freckles, pale skin, and a loud voice. He was only Authority 4, and barely so. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your name?¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Henry Holler!¡± ¡°Holler? Shut up for me, please.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Abby stifled a laugh while I settled in. ¡­¡­ ¡°File out, now! Move those fucking feet! I want 5 equal rows right on those lines!¡± Right when the doors to the car opened, we were yelled at until we finally organized ourselves on the lines right in front of a large building. Right above the double doors was a metal sign of large blocky letters. Fort Lauder: Ignited Hope I glanced around, counting 20 people in each row. There were only 100 people in this squadron. I felt like it was a bit too small. After lining up, the first row was filed into the building where they were processed. There were some logistics to take care of first. Stripping clothes, receiving standard issue gear, and surprisingly, no buzz cuts. I forgot this wasn¡¯t Earth¡¯s military. Even then, I was pretty sure cutting down hair was a modern thing. I never paid much attention to my hair. I at least kept it from getting long, though it was still medium length. I either swept it to the side or if I was trying to be more proper I would comb it back. Either way, I wouldn¡¯t be getting my head shaved. It was rather nice. I was already warned beforehand so I didn¡¯t have any issues when I had to turn in my clothes and belongings. My Aerial went into my hidden spatial storage within my collar while I had to turn in the extra storage band on my arm. My coat and valuables were also hidden away. There was no way I¡¯d allow anyone to take them. So the only thing they got their hands on besides the band were some normal clothes. After that I received some standard gear like a few sets of white shirts and shorts, as well as some socks and a pair of boots. Another thing I didn¡¯t have to worry about were all the medical screenings. For some reason, this world didn¡¯t seem to have any diseases, at least none that could affect Magi. I had yet to actually see any Magi get sick so far, though that also led me down the thought that if there were magical diseases, they¡¯d be horribly devastating. Either way, there wasn¡¯t a long list of immunizations or vaccinations I had to get. After we had all our gear and were situated, our shakedown ended and we moved into the first phase of basic training. It was midday by the time we made it to the dorms. We weren¡¯t in any barracks, but had a large building which was effectively an apartment. Each room held two people and it wasn¡¯t long before we were assigned a partner. Thankfully I didn¡¯t get Holler, though I wasn¡¯t sure if the alternative was better. After all names were called and all dorm numbers assigned, I proceeded to my door and waited until I spotted a nutritionally advantaged individual hobbling over with his gear bag hugged in front of him. My brows raised when the rotund warlock approached. He reminded me of a target I had killed not long ago. ¡°I¡­ uh¡­¡± I immediately formed my evaluation of him as he meekly looked past me at the door I was standing in front of. He didn¡¯t want to get within 5 feet of me and was too worried about speaking too loud in my presence. Did he think I was going to punch him or something? But he was Authority 5, which meant he had surprising talent. Certainly better than Abby or Holler. ¡°You¡¯re Sein Narren?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± ¡°John Cooper.¡± I put out my hand. He almost fliched at the simple gesture before catching himself and giving me a dead fish handshake. He was looking more pitiful by the second. I shrugged inwardly before throwing the door open and checking our our little room. At least we¡¯d have two beds. It was certainly better than what I¡¯d expected to have. I threw my bag on the left bed while Sein took the right. We only had some minutes before we needed to head back down, and in that time we needed to have our gear stashed properly. I dumped everything in the bag and quickly folded all my garments before throwing them into a chest at the foot of the bed. Sein did the same just much slower. I barely had the last pair of socks in before our Instructor¡¯s booming voice shook the building. ¡°Everyone report to the Bay, now! Last pair gets 5 extra miles tonight!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I spoke before rushing out. I heard Sein scramble and follow. I jogged all the way down the hall, all the other recruits beside me as we tried to push through the door. I had to stop though, sensing Sein far behind. There, in the back of the ruckus was Sein trying to push forward while also being courteous to everyone around him. I simply slipped through the door before stepping to the side and waiting. Like that, everyone rushed out to the Bay, which I assumed was the courtyard outside the dorms since all our instructors were waiting there. But it was only after everyone was out that I finally saw Sein emerge from the doorway. I looked down at him before waving, simply jogging over with him in tow. And so, we arrived last. An instructor came yelling as we jumped in formation. ¡°Cooper and Narren! You two get 5 extra miles tonight! And you can forget about grabbing a treat during dinner!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± I straightened out while responding, Sein trying to do the same while already sweating. After we got chewed out the instructors started giving more instructions, such as what to do and how to respond whenever we were spoken to. It was standard procedure. We were to salute whenever a superior officer walked past, had to acknowledge our orders as loud as possible when they were given with a ¡®Yes sir,¡¯ and had to stand at attention with our arms to our sides. They went and corrected all our forms, spending an hour doing just that. During the process, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. I don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve gotten a worse partner. Sein looked to weigh around 280 pounds and stood at 5 foot 10 inches. No athletic ability to speak of, and certainly no confidence. I was hoping he was at least competent and capable of following orders, otherwise basic training would be an even greater pain in the ass than I thought it would be. In this world, there was no such thing as giving up during boot camp. Everyone had to get through it, because military service wasn¡¯t voluntary. Every soldier was needed and they would serve their time, willingly or otherwise. Unfortunately that meant I was stuck with Sein. The only solace was the fact that basic was only 6 weeks. It also wasn¡¯t like I was training for anything important. Once we graduated, none of this would matter. I decided I would just have to figure out how to make it work. ¡°Alright, start running! If you thought basic training would just be hurling spells all day, then you are dumber than we assumed! Down that road, right now! We¡¯re doing laps, trainees!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Everyone yelled before taking off, running down the road and getting scattered in the process. ¡°Stop, stop! Get back in fucking formation! Fucking dumbasses!¡± More yelling, and everyone shifted back into formation before taking off into a run again. 5 long lines of 20 each, and Sein was right behind me. I felt him puffing air on my back not even 200 yards in. And each lap, as said by the instructor, was a mile long. He was wheezing before long. A guy behind Sein started with a harsh whisper. ¡°Hey, get back up there! Before he yells!¡± I heard Sein¡¯s stomping as he struggled to keep in pace with the group. It was only a jog. But he couldn¡¯t keep it for long. At some point he stepped off to the side, everyone running past him as he stopped and started vomiting. An instructor was immediately on him. ¡°Fuck! Already?! Get your sorry ass back in there trainee!¡± ¡°I..!¡± ¡°Go! Fucking move! Get those oily paws of yours moving! Hey, who¡¯s this guy¡¯s partner!¡± ¡°Fucking hell¡­¡± I muttered before stepping out and saluting. ¡°Me, sir!¡± ¡°Cooper! We don¡¯t fucking tolerate sad sacks of shit! I don¡¯t care how long it takes, you will get your partner around two laps! And I suggest you get him moving, because lunch is in an hour!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± I saluted one more time as the instructor ran off. Then I looked down, finding Sein heaving on the floor. ¡°...Did they never make you run during academy?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for apologies. Stand straight, and start walking. Keep moving, no matter how slow.¡± ¡°Ye-... Yes¡­¡± He hardly managed to breathe while shuffling forward. He was trying to jog and barely managed walking speed. I just walked beside him. I couldn¡¯t even pretend to jog at this speed, and I didn¡¯t care much about getting yelled at. While he struggled for air I watched as the rest of the squadron ran ahead. Of course, some handled better than others, but all of them could at least run. How someone like Sein managed to exist, I had no idea. I supposed there had to be at least one, but I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be in my squadron, let alone be my partner. Before long, the squadron looped around and lapped us. We got yelled at a few more times, Sein speeding up just a bit before falling back down to walking speed once they were gone again. And then an hour passed. I watched them all head into the chow hall, and we were just barely crossing a mile. Another sigh escaped. This was going to be a tedious 6 weeks. Chapter 143: Ranks The one good thing about having a slow partner was that I didn¡¯t have to move fast. I could easily perform well above standards, but had little desire to. Vigor preserved my strength and stamina, not to mention how much those two had increased in and of themselves due to my training at the Magisterium. Plus, I was pretty sure that these instructors knew exactly who I was. Maybe they gave me the short end of the stick on purpose, but I didn¡¯t feel any ill intentions, nor were they treating me particularly discourteously. It was only Sein that they were getting on. All I was told to do was to keep pushing him. So long as my life wasn''t made more difficult, I was A-OK with anything they gave me. I didn¡¯t even care about running all day. The only annoyance was them cutting into my sleepy time, of which there already was little. As our first night approached, we finally managed to get called in for dinner. By that time Sein was nothing more than rags. I, on the other hand, had a little pep in my step. I was hungry after missing lunch. I jumped in line behind everyone. The near-mush they served us didn¡¯t become more appetizing after marinating in the odor of a bunch of young adults. Nothing I wasn¡¯t used to, however, given my experience in sports. Not much got worse than a full locker room after practice. ¡°John!¡± An airy voice called out to me. I looked over to see Abby at a table, waving vigorously. I lifted my eyebrows and walked over, sitting down across from her. ¡°Hey, Abby.¡± ¡°Hi! How was running? That boy seems to be weighing you down.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it. But for me, it¡¯s a light jog at best.¡± I chuckled a little bit. Abby initially seemed kind of airheaded, but turned out to also have a sense of humor. I asked. ¡°Who¡¯s your partner?¡± ¡°Her name is Henrietta. And she¡¯s nice. And a bit loud¡­¡± ¡°Abbyyy~!¡± A girl came running over and jumped into the seat next to Abby, gently nudging her with her shoulder as she set down her tray. My face fell. Red hair, pale skin, no freckles. She looked like a near carbon copy of Henry Holler. ¡°John!¡± Speak of the devil. I heard another call as Henry came running over with his partner, the two sitting down next to me. ¡°Meet Jack Smithson! He¡¯s my partner!¡± ¡°¡®Sup.¡± I nodded at them before burying my nose in my food, occasionally glancing up at Henrietta and Henry. I asked the girl between bites of food. ¡°Henrietta, what¡¯s your surname?¡± ¡°Hitchens! And you¡¯re John Cooper, yes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, this is John Cooper from the Magisteriu-!¡± ¡°Holler, shut up.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± He stiffened and saluted. His voice was seriously loud, especially when he sat right next to me and my sensitive ears. It rattled my eardrums. Abby stifled another laugh as I resumed eating. At some point I heard some heavy breathing, finding Sein heading to an empty table in the back with a tray of food. Henry nudged my arm. ¡°It seems you got the runt, John. My sympathies.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just basic training.¡± ¡°Still. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ve ever seen someone so¡­ unfit for the military.¡± I took another silent glance at Sein. Henry was right. It was almost like the guy was trying to be as unfit as possible. Maybe he was just scared shitless of actually enlisting. Well, at least he was good at eating. I watched him inhale the entire tray of food before sitting in silent contemplation, maybe shame. Unfortunately for him, there were no seconds. I cleaned off the rest of my tray. The food was bland, but hopefully nutrient dense. ¡°I just need to get through these six weeks and I can move on. I don''t care about being weighed down. None of this has any bearing on the future.¡± ¡°Certainly not for the Magisterium¡¯s top elite. But for others¡­ impressions mean a bit more.¡± Henry¡¯s voice went down to a mutter, Henrietta¡¯s head bobbing in agreement. Another reminder that I couldn¡¯t allow myself to be insignificant. I¡¯d be reduced to a statistic otherwise, to be tossed around on a whim against the Scourge. For those with no noble backing and no obscene talent, staying safe in the military was far more difficult than it would be for me. At least I¡¯d have eyes on me. I¡¯d have value to bigger players. They wouldn¡¯t, and they¡¯d be treated accordingly. I glanced around the chow hall. 100 trainees, and I couldn¡¯t see a bright future for any of them. None of them mattered, none of them would survive. They¡¯d all be decimated as the Scourge flooded in by the millions, just another 100 deaths to add to the other hundreds of thousands. ¡°5 minutes, trainees! If you¡¯re not formed up in the Bay before then, all of you will be joining Cooper and Narren on their extra 5 miles!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Resounding shouts echoed through the hall as a dozen eyes fell on me. That¡¯s right. We had more running tonight. Everyone rushed out and formed up. The sun was passing twilight, the sky fading from purple to black. A few magic lights illuminated the Bay where we all gathered, well before the five minute deadline. Two instructors stood before us as we stood at attention, standing around for a few minutes before barking instructions. ¡°Listen up! Lights go off two hours past sundown every night! That¡¯s curfew, and unless expressly ordered, none of you are to be found outside the Bay after curfew under any circumstances! If there is an emergency that we absolutely need to know about, medical or otherwise, you are to report to my quarters right over there in the east sector of the dormitory, room 1. Otherwise, being found outside the Bay after curfew will land you official disciplinary action! To that end, none of you are allowed to travel beyond the dormitory without your assigned partner! They must remain in contact with you at all times! Do you understand that, trainees?!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Another shout that echoed off the walls of the dorms. Then, the instructor waved. ¡°Retire for tonight! Cooper and Narren, remain in your positions until given further instructions! Dismissed!¡± Everyone saluted and made their way to the dorms. The instructors also walked off, seemingly with no intention of giving us further instructions anytime soon. I let out a long sigh, and simply stood there at attention as everyone left. We were soon left alone in the middle of the Bay, chilly winds and dark landscapes our only company. That, and Sein¡¯s still-heavy breathing. ¡°... Sorry.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like apologies.¡± ¡°...¡± Sein went quiet after my rebuttal. But it was not without thought. I really didn¡¯t like apologies, a philosophy I carried from a well-respected family member of mine. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. I glanced at him in the corner of my eye, waiting a few seconds before muttering. ¡°Apologies mean nothing and do nothing for anyone. The only things of value are your actions. In this case, what do you need to do in order to fix this situation?¡± ¡°... Keep up.¡± ¡°Exactly. So keep up, or work until you can. That will be your apology. I don¡¯t care about anything else so long as you¡¯re doing that.¡± ¡°... Yes sir¡­¡± With those words we went silent, and then waited an entire hour until the instructor emerged from the dorms. ¡°Cooper! Report!¡± ¡°Sir!¡± I turned and ran over, the instructor heading past the entrance to the dorms. Once on the other side and away from the chilly breeze, I saluted in front of him. He spoke first. ¡°At ease. I understand the situation clearly, Cooper. Nobody with an eye on your name is going to care about your performance here. I¡¯ve got orders to get you through this and out of here without delay. And although you still need to meet the bare minimum standards, don¡¯t worry about being held back by the sack of fat out there. We only paired him with you so that we can ship him out faster, otherwise he¡¯d be going through round after round of basic training with no end in sight. You¡¯ll compensate for him in a way. And not without reason. We could have picked someone else¡­¡± He trailed off for a second before sighing. ¡°Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s another case of nepotism. So please, bear with it. 6 weeks and you¡¯ll never have to deal with this again. Understood?¡± ¡°... Understood, sir.¡± ¡°Good. Now head back out and do two miles, then retire. Any more might kill that kid out there.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± I saluted before jogging out, waving Sein along for the run. He didn¡¯t say anything as we ran, and I didn¡¯t let him stop. As I had said before, he had to move, no matter how slowly. I didn¡¯t care if he had to crawl. He would continue moving forward until he was done. I ran ahead and did both miles, taking no more than 15 minutes. I didn¡¯t want to be completely idle during these 6 weeks. Plus, breaking a sweat felt nice in the cool night air. After that, I walked with Sein until he finished the second mile, after which he basically had to crawl back to the dorms. I washed up and retired right before lights out. Sein laid down on the floor without even washing, filling the room with an unhealthy odor. Unfortunately, he passed out before I could even say anything. I just had to make do, donning my hood, the mask filtering out the odor. Thankfully, it was comfortable enough to wear to sleep, sparing me the irritation. And so our first day ended. ¡­¡­ The first week went by slowly, but that was only because everything happening was new. Once we settled into a routine, each day flew past. Unfortunately for Sein, things got much worse before they got better. I could practically hear his creaking joints and limbs on the second day as the previous day¡¯s trials took their toll, and the instructors knew not the concept of mercy or recovery days. Every day of the first week required two miles of running in the morning. After that, we moved on to form drills for saluting and standing at attention. I couldn¡¯t count how many hours they made us just stand outside while going off and doing their own thing. Sometimes we missed lunch because of that. Everything else was educational. We were taught things we¡¯d need to know, such as ranks and insignias for both infantry and intelligence ranks. We also learned protocol for communication and appearance, such as when to wear dress uniforms, when to wear fatigues, and how to take care of all our gear. It was all standard stuff that I had no issues following. And I was a summoner, so forgetting anything wasn¡¯t really even an option. For one, the infantry ranks almost always directly corresponded to the person¡¯s Authority. Us trainees were the sole exception: all of us were Ensigns with a blank insignia, unable to advance in rank until we finished basic training. Anybody who went above Authority 10 with an infantry rank was required to train for the intelligence ranks as well, because by then they would be trusted and powerful enough to lead massive amounts of troops. At the very least, they needed to understand the wider picture, as they themselves were strategic weapons capable of altering the face of a battlefield. This also meant that the Infantry ranks ended at Authority 10, shifting to the Intelligence ranks. At the peak of Intelligence ranks was the title of Sovereign, exclusive to Authority 12s. Sovereigns were the pillars of the Kingdom¡¯s combat power as well as the leading authority on, well, everything. They might not be the greatest tacticians, considering that there were many more summoners who were several times smarter, but nobody could trump their sheer power. That alone was the deciding factor most of the time regarding major decisions. Still, most of the work involving leading the military fell to the Marshals. That was Duchess Talexia¡¯s rank. She, according to some rumors from Umara, only became a Marshal because she had to. And because of her distaste for logistics and intelligence activities, all the paperwork fell to her husband, the poor man. Another detail I learned was how one person could hold two ranks. Unlike on Earth however, one rank didn¡¯t inherently supersede the other. An A-4 Sergeant was a higher rank than an I-3 Officer, but equivalent to an I-4 Captain, and underneath an I-5 Major. The intelligence ranks were mostly composed of weaklings, putting it simply. Many ordinary people who enlisted went there and carried out logistics roles. Summoners went there too, to be trained into higher-ranked roles for intellectually demanding tasks like tactics and strategy. Because of that, they couldn''t be allowed to outrank all the infantry ranks like officers did in Earth¡¯s militaries. Those with actual power wouldn¡¯t allow themselves to be ordered around by some powerless summoner. Only if that summoner outranked them directly would they be forced to comply, and even then it depended. But there were those with power who also took to the intelligence roles, and when that happened, they would sport two ranks. They could be both an A-6 First Sergeant while also being an I-4 Captain, and they would wear both insignias, one on each shoulder. These were all things that they taught at the Magisterium, though I hadn¡¯t been there long enough to learn them. Now I was, though, and it was nice to finally put things into perspective. Umara¡¯s mother stood at the peak of the Kingdom¡¯s military, holding some of the most devastating power humanity had to offer in that unassuming body. Thinking of it that way, I felt weird about treating her the way I did. That thought only lasted for a second though. She was just a nice lady, and would eventually be my mother-in-law. Like Umara, she was also too pretty to look scary. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Report to the Bay in five minutes!¡± Everyone heard the announcement, regardless if they wanted to or not, and rushed to line up in the Bay in formation. There was a moment of silence before the instructor continued. ¡°The second week is upon us, and now, we will be shifting into combat and formation drills! All of you must know how to operate when called upon to fight! You must know how to stand on a wall, how to obey commands given by your commanding officers, how to launch spells, and where your presence will be appropriate in combat scenarios! Teaching you all how to conduct yourselves in and out of combat will take no less than three weeks, starting now! All of you, double time to the eastern Fort Walls! Move, trainees!¡± With shouts we were herded and sent off toward the walls of Fort Lauder. These walls, however, weren¡¯t here for defense, but education. Once at the walls, we were rushed up the stairs and lined up on the ramparts. When I looked back at the base from that vantage point, I could see some of the other squadrons being trained and drilled. We were only one group of many. ¡°Cooper, step aside.¡± I turned when I was called, finding another instructor waving me over. Right then, the warlocks listened in as they were taught standard procedure. I, on the other hand, got some private instruction. ¡°You¡¯re a summoner and I¡¯ve heard about your weapons. You¡¯re a ranged fighter, so most of what we¡¯ll tell you here will be applicable in some way. However, anything relating specifically to spells will go right over your head. All I want you to do is follow along with the procedure. You¡¯ve been up on walls before, so you should have a good idea of what¡¯s expected.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Although I usually ended up doing my own thing, that was only when I was trying to kill as much as possible. Here, that wasn¡¯t necessary. I would just shoot once whenever they told us to fire. Nice and simple. ¡°Alright, groups, spread out along the wall! On my count, one section will unleash a simple spell at the targets down below. You will await your turn and fire precisely when we tell you to, not a moment before or after! Is that understood?!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± ¡°Then MOVE!!!¡± Some other instructors came and separated the groups. I was dragged into one as they rushed to their positions, forming a long line atop the wall with gaps between groups. I looked down and found the aforementioned targets, propped up on boulders. The first instructor yelled. ¡°Section One, ready! Fire!¡± With his word all the warlocks scrambled to get their spells off, weak or otherwise. A variety of elements crashed down around the targets, pelting them with water that immediately burst into steam from fire, blown away or smothered by gusts of wind and billows of dust. The boulder was hardly harmed, and the next instructor stepped up. It was my turn. I slung an M1 Garand and aimed through the irons, finding a smaller target a bit farther away. My safety flicked off right when I heard the instructor. ¡°Section Two, ready! Fire!¡± I pulled the trigger a half second after his command came, the crack of my gun echoing in the distance as my bullet ricocheted off the rocky target. I heard a slight buzz. And sure enough, all eyes fell on me. I glanced around before focusing my attention back on the targets beyond the walls. Using my vision with the ironsights on my guns was still an art I was perfecting. Might as well make an otherwise boring exercise productive. ¡°Section 3, ready! Fire!¡± --List of Ranks Infantry Ranks: A-1: Ensign (Blank Insignia) A-2: First Ensign (One Stripe) A-3: Corporal (Two Stripes) A-4: Sergeant (Three Stripes) A-5: Master Sergeant (Three Stripes w/ One Arrow) A-6: First Sergeant (Three Stripes w/ Two Arrows) A-7: Commander (Three Stripes w/ Three Arrows) A-8: First Commander (One Sword) A-9: Chief (Two Crossed Swords) A-10: Brigadier (Dragon and Sword) Intelligence Ranks: I-1: Ensign (Blank Insignia) I-2: Lieutenant (One Silver Bar) I-3: Officer (Two Silver Bars) I-4: Captain (Three Silver Bars) I-5: Major (One Vertical Arrow) I-6: Lieutenant Colonel (Two Crossed Arrows) I-7: Colonel (Three Arrows) I-8: Brigadier General (Dragon w/ One Pair Wings) I-9: Major General (Dragon w/ Two Pair Wings) I-10: General (Dragon w/ Three Pair Wings) I-11: Marshal (One Crystal Star) I-12: Sovereign (Custom Insignia) Chapter 144: Keep Going The last three weeks felt like a blur as we moved into the last week of training. The monotonous training routine simply blended every day into one giant, indistinct mess. Dinners now were quiet, quite unlike the first day¡¯s bustle. Even Henry and Henrietta, usually somehow enthusiastic even after our grueling training, were quiet today. I, meanwhile, was perfectly fine with the silence, and Sein, as usual, was fighting for every last breath even as he sat down to eat. There was a question on my mind though, so I lifted my head toward Abby. For a brief moment when I faced her, my face burned a bit, momentarily filling my skin with the sensation of a horrible sunburn. But it faded away as rapidly as it arrived, and I was just left with the sight of her picking out the vegetables in the slop we were served. ¡°Hey Abby.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Have you thought about going into intelligence?¡± ¡°A little. I don¡¯t know if I can though. They don¡¯t tend to let warlocks into those roles.¡± Henrietta bobbed her head in agreement. ¡°Summoners are always the first to get picked for intelligence roles, and ordinary people get second pick after them. Anyone with fighting ability is forced to fight. The only way a warlock gets off the front lines is if they¡¯re good at enchanting, and that takes special training the military doesn¡¯t give away easily. Only the Magisterium offers those classes beforehand.¡± ¡°Hm. Then I have another question. What¡¯s the difference between this place and the others? Why were the warlocks separated when being sent to basic training?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re being prepared for the front lines. That¡¯s why they¡¯re teaching us how to fight on walls and in formations. The other warlocks are stronger so they¡¯re being sent to back or midline positions.¡± ¡°...¡± I stuffed a spoonful into my mouth in contemplative silence. You¡¯d think it would be the other way around. But when a soldier had valuable talent, you made sure they had enough time to fulfill that talent. There was no sense in throwing them as-is into the meatgrinder of the front. It wasted more than just one life. A soldier with talent was worth many times more than their peers without. They¡¯d kill off a dozen Authority 7s to save one potential Authority 10. This was exactly the position of those within this squadron. Nobody here exceeded Authority 5, and none were as talented as those from the Magisterium. Having extracted most of their meager talent, the military would use them according to their fixed value; they were worth no more than the time they could buy by throwing their lives on the line. And putting them into intelligence positions would do nothing more than waste their power. There were enough ordinary people who could fill those positions. On the contrary, there would never be enough warlocks to be sent forward to fight. Yet another aspect of this grim reality. I shook my head and resumed eating. Putting too much thought into it would get me nowhere. Abby¡¯s piercing gaze found mine. ¡°What about you John? Will you go into intelligence?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the plan. I should still be fighting though. I don¡¯t plan to sit behind a desk all day.¡± ¡°A summoner who fights. I still have a hard time believing it. You really are special.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just doing what I can.¡± I shrugged, Abby looking up at me for a bit. ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot of scars. You¡¯ve already fought a lot.¡± ¡°Somewhat.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s dangerous. You don¡¯t have barriers or a strong body. You¡¯re just an ordinary man.¡± ¡°Well, that just means I have to use the one tool at my disposal.¡± ¡°... Your mind?¡± She tilted her head inquisitively. I nodded in response. ¡°Well, that, and extraordinary violence. My weapons are the best at killing, better than any sword or magic spell, and at a longer range as well. So although I¡¯m physically weak, I just compensate by killing everything else first. But yes, I have to be smart about things. I have to place myself in advantageous positions. But so does everyone else.¡± ¡°I suppose. Still, I can¡¯t imagine fighting like that. At least I have my barrier. You don¡¯t even have that.¡± I shrugged. I had long gotten used to fighting like I did. And it wasn¡¯t like complaining would help me anyway. After dinner passed we only had one more formation drill to do before we retired. Or, at least before everyone else retired. I looked down at Sein. We were frequently punished due to how slow he was. He still couldn¡¯t keep up with the rest of the squadron. But I wasn¡¯t totally upset. I didn¡¯t particularly care, but you could say I¡¯d been coaching him through it. And tonight we had another 2 miles to do. As we stood in the Bay awaiting the order to start running, I spoke. ¡°You¡¯re getting better, Sein.¡± ¡°...¡± He didn¡¯t respond, but his Aura spoke in his stead. He was shocked, if not a bit wary. I rolled my eyes at that. ¡°You¡¯re losing weight and gaining stamina. Keep this up and you might be able to hit the physical ability standards by yourself. But you haven¡¯t been speeding up. It¡¯s time to start pushing.¡± ¡°Cooper! Get going!¡± We got the command from the instructor. I waved Sein along. ¡°For the first half mile, you¡¯re going to move at least twice as fast as usual. I don¡¯t want you thinking about the rest of the run. I just want you to get through half a lap at a proper pace. The standard you have to meet is one mile in 7 minutes. You¡¯re nowhere near that but that¡¯s okay. To start, I want you hitting the half mile mark in 3 minutes.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t think I ca-¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask if you could. But I¡¯ll give you some incentive anyway. Hit that time, and you won¡¯t have to do the second mile the instructor gave us. Understand?¡± ¡°... Yessir.¡± He nodded as I adjusted my mind, assigning my Spark to count the time. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m running with you. Starting¡­ now. Move.¡± I waved him along, the two of us moving at a fast jog. It was barely five seconds in before his breathing got heavy, but he kept up. I kept glancing at my side. I was running at precisely a three minute pace, perhaps a few seconds faster. It was easy to visualize and pace myself with my Spark. And Sein kept up for the first quarter. Of course, that was at the cost of most of his stamina. It was clear that he wouldn¡¯t make it from my perspective, and maybe even from his. Either way, he started slowing down. I yelled. ¡°Come on! One half left! Get the hell up here!¡± ¡°Agh!¡± I heard a grunt as he forced his legs to keep moving. Compared to before, he was much better at pushing through pain. I had spoken to him about such things almost every day. After all, I had a plethora of experience with this stuff. 3 quarters in and the guy was suckng down air so hard I thought his lungs were going to explode. He also became unsteady, so I yelled again. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare stop! If you stop you¡¯re never getting up again! One foot in front of the other! The burning doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t keep going!¡± ¡°Ugh! I¡­ Agh!¡± He grunted with every breath, his feet trudging a pace behind me. I kept track of the time as we got closer. ¡°Move! It¡¯s right there! Come on! Get here!¡± I sprinted ahead and stood at the line, counting down. ¡°Five seconds! Run!¡± ¡°Agh!¡± ¡°Three! Two! One!¡± ¡°Huh!¡± He threw his leg across, stumbling over and coming to a halt. I nodded. ¡°2 minutes and 58 seconds. Right on the mark. You¡¯ll have to run around that pace for double the distance 3 weeks from now. It seems almost impossible, but- Hey, stay on your fucking feet! Walk around if it burns too much!¡± I flicked him as he tried to lay down. That was another thing I didn¡¯t let him do. ¡°I know it burns, but you¡¯re not as tired as you think. It just fucking hurts. You never run that fast because you¡¯re always anticipating the miles ahead, so now that you kicked it up a gear, your body is being shocked awake. Still, it¡¯s good that you met the mark. 3 short weeks and you¡¯re already getting better. Now you just need to keep going. Start walking. You got a half mile.¡± I waved him along. He picked his body up, ever so slowly starting to trudge forward. Then, he stopped and buckled over, puking up his dinner. I shrugged. It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t have plenty of fuel on his body. ¡°I¡¯m going to run my miles. Stay on your feet. The burning will subside eventually.¡± I took off with that, doing my portion of the run while timing myself out of curiosity. At a race pace I crossed the half mile mark in two minutes flat, feeling decent. Then I kicked it up a gear and crossed the mile mark in three minutes and 41 seconds. That got me plenty winded, but I was still disgusted. A little bit of Vigor and I could shatter Earth¡¯s mile world record. And I still did another mile at a jog pace. When I was close to finishing though, I spotted Sein lower himself to the floor. I rushed over and yelled. ¡°Hey! Get up! The dorms are right fucking there!¡± ¡°How¡­ How do you do this¡­¡± He mumbled from the floor, and with my acute vision I actually saw him crying. I let out a long sigh. ¡°Boy, I¡¯ve been training my body for years, and harder than most knights. I just don¡¯t have their disgusting strength because I¡¯m a summoner. Even then though, it¡¯s not like my fitness came naturally to me. I¡¯ve never been like you but I¡¯ve also never been allowed to be like you. You¡¯re a noble kid right? What¡¯s your father?¡± ¡°... Count.¡± ¡°A Count. In some random city out in the territories, that¡¯s probably god-like. You didn¡¯t have a place like the Magisterium to keep you in check, and your father¡¯s nobility let you slack off and turn into this sack of lard. There¡¯s really no excuses. You did this to yourself, all while knowing it would bite you in the ass one day.¡± ¡°I¡­!¡± I felt his anger rise as I kept talking. He actually mustered the energy to yell back. ¡°I-I¡¯m a Count¡¯s son! My father still serves, and I¡¯m graduating even if I don¡¯t meet those stupid standards! And I heard you¡¯re nothing but a commoner! What do you think my father will do when he hears-!¡± ¡°Shut your mouth.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± All the air rushed out of his lungs after I drove my foot into his juicy gut. Then I bent down and grabbed his sweaty hair, pulling him up to eye level as he struggled to breathe. ¡°Listen, fatso. I don¡¯t give a damn about your father. I¡¯ve dealt with nobles far more powerful than him. I¡¯ve also killed people with fathers more powerful than yours. In fact, you remind me of one of them, an unfortunate fat body who was left decapitated on the roadside. So believe me when I say that you do not want to find out how little I care about your tiny slice of nobility.¡± ¡°Haah¡­¡± I watched him as he started shivering, cowering under my mere gaze. Was he seriously that terrified by a few words? I almost rolled my eyes. The guy looked like he was about to piss his pants. I pushed his head away before sighing. Then I thought of something and reigned in my Aura, watching him visibly calm. I let out a curious exhale before squatting back down. ¡°I¡¯m trying to help you, Narren. You¡¯re a sad little existence, but you¡¯ve got so much more potential than you¡¯ve allowed yourself to see. You¡¯re just scared. You¡¯d rather look as pathetic as possible so that no responsibility or danger gets thrown toward you, rather than actually make yourself capable of handling those things. And now, you¡¯ve been tossed at my feet. You¡¯re unfortunately my current responsibility, but I have no issues trying to help you improve. I mean, you¡¯ve already done so well. You¡¯ve got some grit. Definitely a far cry from the sad sack of shit you were when you first arrived.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He grunted while raising himself to a seated position, his breathing unsteady. I looked at him. He¡¯d already lost at least 50 pounds, if not more. He was visibly skinnier, and was running far better than he did the first week. It was amazing progress, and hardly took anything by my standards. I tapped his leg with my foot. ¡°All you have to do is keep going. Of course, once we finish, you¡¯re not my problem anymore. You could go right back to that sad little life and I wouldn¡¯t know nor be able to do anything about it. You¡¯d be totally off the hook, free to hide behind your father. But both of us know how much you hate that. I doubt you¡¯ve ever been satisfied with yourself, let alone proud of the things you¡¯ve done. Fortunately for you, you¡¯ve got no choice while I¡¯m here. I¡¯m going to get you as close as fucking possible to that seven minute mile, if not past it. You can hate, curse, and threaten me all you want. Whatever helps you cope, because you¡¯ve got plenty of work ahead of you, and you¡¯re not stopping now.¡± I walked off with those words, heading back into the dorm, though not before leaving one more command. ¡°Shower before you get into bed.¡± ¡­¡­ Another week passed, and Sein seemed to have had his attitude culled by our little talk. He was getting better by the day. The instructors loved handing out extra running. They were probably trying to get Sein in half-decent shape as well, because although they could be bent, the standards still existed. They couldn¡¯t be completely flaunted. At the very least, they had to actively attempt to get him better, even if the attempt didn¡¯t work. I didn¡¯t care either way, because now Sein had become a little pet project of mine. I¡¯d make him run more even if they didn¡¯t. By the end of the week, he managed to improve by a whole 20 seconds in the half mile, hitting 2 minutes and 37 seconds. I knew he already had the strength since he always carried so much weight with him. And now that he was losing weight and gaining stamina, he was improving at lightning speed. When the fifth week came the instructors focused on the last bits of formation drills. We learned how to get organized within an army, the kinds of orders that might come down from superiors and how to follow them, as well as how to work in smaller tactical teams of five to six. As a ranged summoner who could actually dish out damage, I¡¯d be treated almost exactly like a warlock. I didn¡¯t know what exactly was waiting for me after basic, but chances were, I¡¯d be fighting with moving platoons. Not all battles were fought defensively from bases. That¡¯s all us Magisterium students could experience for our safety. The military in fact led many offensives to rout Scourge invasions. There were mobile battalions beyond the bases. Those were the deadliest places to be, though they also included the strongest combatants the Kingdom could offer. People like Umara would be stationed on bases. But since I wasn''t with her, I¡¯d probably get put into a more active position. Either way, I¡¯d be using all the knowledge they gave me. We entered our final week. That¡¯s when we started to conclude the educational parts of basic training, moving on to things like target practice and getting to know what would be expected of us. We hadn¡¯t had a chance to use much magic at all, so they started getting us primed again. As for graduation, it wasn¡¯t anything like on Earth. Once finished we¡¯d simply have a little ceremony with our dress uniform, get our Ensign ranks, and move on. However, testing to meet standards also occurred during week 6. That week was both Sein¡¯s hardest and easiest week yet. Chapter 145: Graduation ¡°Rest for today.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Sein looked at me with wide eyes. I disregarded his shock as I continued polishing my dress shoes. ¡°I said rest. That means no running.¡± ¡°... Why?¡± ¡°Because you need to recover. Five weeks of nonstop running means your body is tired and worn. Today, you¡¯ll do nothing, and tomorrow you¡¯ll go for a slow jog. The day after that you¡¯ll get another rest day before taking the test the day after that. That should leave you in prime shape. Remember that recovery is just as important as working out.¡± ¡°...¡± Sein didn¡¯t respond, sitting in a stunned, contemplative silence. I glanced over. By now, he actually had a figure instead of being a round blob. He had lost even more weight. It happened so fast that I was actually worried for a bit. But it seems like he had actually gone through a tempering of some sort during one of his advancements. It was poorly executed, so he didn¡¯t get much Vigor out of it, but it was something. Besides, I was pretty sure everyone in this world was naturally more physically capable than those from Earth. With Magika in the atmosphere, there was no way they weren¡¯t. In fact, that would explain the taller average height. Either way, Sein¡¯s cheeks had slimmed while his body was big, but no longer morbidly obese. If he were an athlete, this would actually be an amazing bulk weight to be at. He could gain a ton of muscle with all that fuel. It was honestly scary how fast he progressed. A transformation like that in six weeks was unheard of on Earth. He probably would¡¯ve gotten hurt if he tried that there. But here, with some Vigor and naturally heightened abilities, it was more than possible here. How easy it would be for him to shape up. Even just average exercise would make him perfectly fit over the course of some months. But he let himself fall so low, and for what? But perhaps that was the fear. It was so easy to be valuable. And value in the military meant you¡¯d be placed in harm¡¯s way. I was on the fast track in that direction, so I understood it well. Well, whatever he did after this was up to him. Still, hopefully he¡¯d see the light. A day of relative leisure passed. Nobody was worried about hitting standards so they all simply did the bare minimum. By now, we no longer got yelled at as the instructors made final preparations. The next day, we were issued our official dress uniforms. The warlocks had Red Coats. The name was self-explanatory. The pants were black while the shirt and coat were both maroon red. There was no hat. Another thing that came in was the armor for the warlocks. While many wore robes imbued with some defensive measurements, armor was still the most protective. It was just that it was heavier, bulkier, and less comfortable, so it wasn¡¯t worn often, from what I¡¯d seen, on bases. But warlocks did in fact have armor. It was designed to be worn over the fatigues and consisted of some plate mail that covered vitals and broad surfaces. It was definitely lighter than knight armor, with additional allowances like a wider aperture on the helmet for visibility. However, I wasn¡¯t one of the people who received that armor. It was then that I was called by an instructor, who pulled me to the side. ¡°Cooper. I¡¯ve been given some special instructions for you. You¡¯re not getting the standard warlock armor. There¡¯s a custom order waiting for you after you deploy from intelligence school.¡± ¡°Understood, sir.¡± ¡°Good. For now just get your dress squared away. The lack of armor will cause you no issues.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± I nodded and was dismissed. Once I arrived at my room, I checked out my dress uniform. It wasn¡¯t like the warlocks. The dress uniform for summoners was called Glimmers, also for good reason. The pants were similar to warlocks¡¯, only with two white stripes helixing down the sides of the legs. Then there was the white coat which had a black cape-like design going around the collar and down the arms and back. The undershirt was also black with gold accents blending from its collar into the coat. It was a dress suit, more suited for a wedding than a military. Summoners sure did know how to make themselves stand out. Perhaps this was one of the few things they could take pride in. It certainly wasn¡¯t bad looking, just eye-catching. I also wondered what the female dress would look like. Hopefully it wasn¡¯t an actual wedding dress. Well, everyone would definitely know I was a summoner. I starched up the coat a bit more, cleaning off any dust. ¡­¡­ ¡°Wake up, trainees! It¡¯s testing day!¡± I rose out of bed, immediately looking toward Sein. He looked well rested, if incredibly nervous. I threw off my covers and spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s do this. Get up. We¡¯ll need to get out there and warm up.¡± He nodded and followed me. 15 minutes later, everyone was out lined up in the bay. The instructors walked back and forth, clipboards and papers in their hands. The head instructor had a watch in his hand. He shouted. ¡°Today is your last day of casual running! After today, all your running will be for your life! Now, all of you head to the mess and eat. The first test will begin 30 minutes after that. Dismissed!¡± Everyone walked off, their steps faster than usual. Once in the cafeteria, I grabbed a tray and sat down, and Sein settled in across from me. Before he started eating though, I reached out. ¡°Stop. I only want you eating¡­ these two portions. Don¡¯t eat the meat.¡± ¡°...¡± Sein looked down. I had cut off half his tray. I explained while taking a bite out of some bread. ¡°You want to stay light. If you eat the meat, you¡¯ll be heavier and it¡¯ll slosh around in your stomach while you run. You¡¯ll get nauseous. The other stuff will pass through faster, make you feel better.¡± ¡°... Understood.¡± He nodded and started chewing, clearing off the two portions before pushing the tray away. I cleaned off my portions too. That¡¯s when Henry and Abby arrived. ¡°Hi John. Hi Sein.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± We greeted before standing, Abby staring at us. ¡°We need to warm up. Sein¡¯s got a big day! No minute to waste!¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Good luck Sein!¡± ¡°T-Thanks.¡± He smiled at Abby in happiness before we walked off, the two of us heading straight outside. I just smirked. It was humorous seeing him get all giddy when near Abby. Once outside, I pointed. ¡°Half mile, cool jog. Just get your blood pumping and joints warm.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± He nodded before running off. I watched him go, getting approached by the instructor. ¡°You think he¡¯ll make the mark, Cooper?¡± ¡°I think so, sir. At the very least, he¡¯s much better than he was.¡± ¡°Indeed. You¡¯ve shaped him up marvelously. I suppose I should thank you because I never intended to give him the time of day.¡± ¡°Our positions are different, sir. I could provide a personal touch. Either way, it won¡¯t be a stain on your record.¡± ¡°Much appreciated. I look forward to the trial.¡± He walked off, leaving me to watch Sein. After he completed his half mile, he did some stretches that I taught him. And once done with those, he came walking over. ¡°I feel good.¡± ¡°Good. Take it easy until the trial. Drink water. Stay warm.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± He nodded, walking off. Eventually, everyone made their way out and lined up in the bay. Once our allotted time was over, the instructors appeared once more and waved us along. We were brought to our normal starting point. The trail was well-traveled and marked for a mile. The instructor shouted. ¡°Listen up, trainees! Your first trial will be a one mile run! After that, you¡¯ll have a series of body exercises which will test your strength! In order to pass, you must finish the mile in under seven minutes! You must also do 35 push-ups and 35 ab crunches given two minutes each! Now, everyone line up! We begin in five minutes!¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. With that, everyone started to crowd around the line. I moved to the back with Sein and muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll be running at 6 minute 30 second pace. Keep by me and you¡¯ll do just fine.¡± ¡°But you can run much faster¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. Focus on yourself. Don¡¯t worry about other people.¡± He went silent as we waited. And eventually, the instructor raised his hand, pocketwatch in the other. It went down. ¡°Start!¡± Everyone shuffled forward, some running at a half sprint to get ahead. Some were treating it as a race since passing was so easy. But I simply stayed at a jog. Sein stayed beside me, and we quickly fell behind everyone else. Before long, we were done with a quarter. ¡°Good. Keep this up. Focus on deep breaths.¡± I heard Sein¡¯s labored breathing. Not desperate, but stamina still wasn¡¯t his strong suit. Eventually, everyone was ahead of us and we passed the half mile. By that time, the first place was getting close to finishing. I saw Sein watching them, his breathing heavy. ¡°Relax. Don¡¯t look at them. We¡¯re halfway through.¡± He bobbed his head as we continued. And once we reached the last third, he was heaving for breath. We could see the finish line, but he was drifting back. ¡°Keep your pace! The finish line is right there! You¡¯ve done good, don¡¯t waste it!¡± ¡°Hah!¡± I heard a sharp breath, but kept my pace. I crossed the finish line and looked back to see Sein still trudging forward. ¡°30 seconds!¡± ¡°Come on! You¡¯re right fucking there!¡± ¡°Come on, Sein!¡± Abby cheered from the side. And like that gave him a second wind, he sped up, his head dripping sweat as he sucked down air. The instructor stayed silent as I beckoned Sein forward. And finally, he crossed, practically throwing himself over the line. The instructor clicked his watch. I felt my mouth curl up. ¡°6 minutes and 54 seconds. Congratulations, you¡¯ve all passed. 30 minutes until the next test.¡± ¡°...¡± A few people cheered, but most were silent, choosing to instead gulp down the crisp morning air. I walked down toward Sein, who laid on his back. He couldn¡¯t hold back the smile, even though he tried. ¡°Well would you look at that? You fucking did it.¡± ¡°Good job, Sein!¡± Abby walked over with Henry, his partner Jacks, and Henrietta. They all clapped. ¡°You did great, man!¡± ¡°Impressive.¡± ¡°T-Thanks.¡± Sein beamed. I nudged his stomach with my toe. ¡°Alright then. That¡¯s it. Two more tests which you can easily pass. You¡¯re basically done. All that hard work and you did it.¡± ¡°... Barely.¡± ¡°You still fucking did it. Shut up and accept that you won. You worked your ass off for it. Now get some water in your system. If you fail these next two tests just ¡®cause you got lazy, I¡¯ll kick your teeth in.¡± ¡°Yessir.¡± He nodded and crawled to his feet, leaving for some water. Abby walked to my side, sweat coating her forehead. ¡°You¡¯re amazing John. You got him to do it.¡± ¡°Not difficult, for me at least. Some people just need to get out of their own way.¡± ¡°You mean to stop being scared?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°... How do you do that?¡± She looked up at me, her breathing still a bit laborious as she pulled her hair up and exposed her nape. Oddly, the scene felt a bit seductive. It was¡­ weird. I glanced at her with slightly narrowed eyes and formulated my words. ¡°... You just have to figure out what¡¯s worth fearing. Fear can be an important tool that keeps you safe. But it can also smother you if you don¡¯t keep it in check.¡± ¡°I think I understand.¡± She nodded and dropped her head, contemplation on her features. But she soon lifted her face again and returned with a smile and a quip. ¡°You must not be afraid of anything then, huh? You seem to have it all figured out.¡± ¡°Please. It wasn¡¯t that long ago when I was shitting my pants in fear. I thought I was gonna die.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem possible. You look so scary. What can possibly be scarier?¡± ¡°Heh, funny. There are plenty of things scarier than me. I just pray to God that you don¡¯t ever come across them.¡± ¡°And what if I do?¡± ¡°...¡± My gaze turned solemn, Abby¡¯s Aura looking all too clear to me. She was terrified, and wanted something reliable from me. So I searched for an answer, but none seemed good enough. Perhaps the necessity for an answer itself was the dilemma. I just spit out what I felt. ¡°... Fight like hell, Abby. If you can¡¯t do that, run like hell. And no matter what, just know your Guardian Angel will be there for you. They¡¯ll always be there to protect you.¡± ¡°... Could you be my Guardian Angel?¡± ¡°I thought you said I was scary?¡± I smiled a bit at her, earning a giggle. ¡°Mm. But scary monsters need scary people to fight them.¡± ¡°Hm. That reminds me of something I heard once.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°He who fights with monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster.¡± ¡°My. How dark.¡± She smiled, and then waved. ¡°I¡¯ll go get some water.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I nodded, watching her walk off. Oh, how I wished I could be her Guardian Angel. And how regretful that I didn¡¯t even have the power to be anybody¡¯s. ¡­¡­ Everyone passed the tests cleanly. Tomorrow was graduation. Parents could travel out to the Fort to see their children during the ceremony. It was short but a respite nonetheless. The day came, and I donned my new Glimmers. We had already practiced the procedure, including the marching and standing by during the various speeches. It would be like a show for the families that decided to come. There were even flag bearers. And when the start of the ceremony came, the squadron marched onto the grounds in formation, lining up accordingly while glancing over at the wall of parents and family members to the side. 100 trainees shifted before saluting the instructors at the front, the right hand forming a knife hand and crossing over the heart. The instructors saluted back, letting several moments pass before barking out a command. ¡°At ease!¡± The salutes went down and everyone shifted to a parade rest. ¡°Trainees! Stand by for pinning! Instructors! Go forth and introduce this new batch of recruits to the Kingdom¡¯s Magic Corps!¡± The instructors saluted once more before moving forward, one to each of the five lines, each with insignias in hand. They went down the lines, each trainee putting up their palm to receive the blank insignia. Before long, the last trainee received their pin. We clenched our hands over the pin. ¡°Trainees! Apply your pins, and become an honored soldier of the Magic Corps! To defend against the Scourge of Humanity! To uphold the glory of our Kingdom, the King, and the People!¡± We lifted our pins, sticking them to our left collar. Once all our hands went down, the instructor smiled. ¡°Congratulations! You are all now soldiers of the Magic Corps! For Honor!¡± ¡°For Honor!¡± ¡°For Honor!¡± The mantra of the Kingdom echoed across the grounds. Then the instructor saluted once more, all of us returning it. Once the hands went down, he shouted. ¡°You are all to report to the bay at sundown! Until then, be with your families. Dismissed!¡± ¡°Sir!¡± Once acknowledged, everyone moved to the side where the families were. I stayed put, watching them all give hugs and happy greetings as the atmosphere was filled with chatter. At some point, the head instructor came over to me. ¡°Cooper. I¡¯ve got a message from above, transfer orders.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°Of course. Did your family not come?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a family here.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I responded while opening the letter, stamped with the military seal, official orders from what looked like a General. It told me I was to report to the Intelligence Academy at Fort Octus as soon as possible. Apparently it had started 10 days ago, but I was to be slotted in midway. They believed I¡¯d have no issue catching up, and then I¡¯d get into active duty faster. Well, it wasn¡¯t like I had the choice. ¡°Is there a Rail I can make the transfer with, sir? I¡¯d like to leave as early as I can.¡± ¡°Indeed. I¡¯ll pass down the message and give you a time to report to the Rail within the hour. Can¡¯t keep a General¡¯s orders waiting, so be packed and ready to leave.¡± ¡°Yes sir. Thank you.¡± We shook hands, the instructor walking off. I threw the letter into my spatial storage. Then, Abby came walking over, her family in tow. It looked like a normal family, and neither parent had any magic to speak of. ¡°John! Where¡¯s your family?¡± ¡°Not here. Are these your parents?¡± ¡°Yeah! Mom, dad, this is John Cooper. He helped me during training.¡± Abby brought her parents forward, the two of them shaking my outstretched hand gently. I smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t help much at all. Abby did just fine on her own.¡± ¡°We¡¯d still like to thank you, Mr, Cooper. We¡¯ve been worried about Abby. It¡¯s reassuring to know she has friends to help her.¡± The mother smiled. She looked pretty young, as did the father. Hell, I almost looked older than him. Then I glanced at her younger sister. If Abby was around 20 then she looked to be only a year or two younger. She also didn¡¯t have any magic. I looked back at Abby. ¡°It seems you¡¯re the first of your family to become a Magus, Abby.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose I was lucky.¡± ¡°Which is why you need to take care of yourself. Try to get into intelligence, even if you¡¯re also in infantry. It¡¯ll be safer that way.¡± ¡°Mm. I think I¡¯d feel safer if you were there though. We should all be going to the same place. Do you think It¡¯d be possible? To stay in the same platoon?¡± ¡°... Sorry Abby.¡± I brought out and lifted my transfer letter, the big red wax seal clear on the front for them to see. ¡°Order came down from the General. I¡¯m going straight into the Intelligence Academy. After that, I really don¡¯t know where I¡¯ll be headed. Chances are it¡¯ll be somewhere on the front lines, but that could be anywhere.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± She let out a depressed mumble, her mother subtly rubbing her on the back. Then she stepped forward, the two of us hugging for a bit. At least until we were interrupted by a familiar voice. ¡°Henrietta!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± We both turned, finding Henry approaching the girl. My brows raised, noticing how flush his face was. Henrietta, whose family was intrigued, all looked at the bold young man. He stood before her, almost shouting. ¡°I-I like you! I think I¡¯ve fallen in love! So¡­ if you¡¯d be open, I¡¯d like to date you!¡± ¡°...¡± Henrietta stood there stunned, her face gradually turning bright red. ¡°Y-Y-You idiot! Why are you doing this here?!¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait any longer!¡± ¡°But we¡¯re going to the same place! And there were a million ways to do this less obviously!¡± ¡°B-But I had to make sure!¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± Henrietta covered her face, looking between her family, Henry, and Henry¡¯s family. Every spectator was barely holding back amused laughs. I myself almost buckled over. This was hilarious. They were practically soul mates. After stewing in her embarrassment for a little, she softly nodded. ¡°... Fine.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°Shut up! We¡¯ll talk about this later! Stupid!¡± ¡°Bahahaha!¡± I cackled as she pulled her family away, Henry smiling in victory. He had no shame. I silently wished them luck. Then, I saw the instructor approach from the corner of my eye. ¡°Cooper. I¡¯ve got your tickets. There¡¯s a departure heading to Fort Octus in two hours. Report to the terminal for departure at 1330 hours. All of your belongings are prepared at the warehouse as well.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± I took the slip of paper from him, reading the details before tossing it into my spatial storage. It was time to move on from this brief respite. Chapter 146: Precision As the instructor walked off, I pulled my Aerial from storage while adjusting my sleeve, strapping it on in one smooth motion. The device glowed the instant it touched my skin as it scanned my Crest, and I felt a click in my mind. I tapped it a few times to get it into working order, feeling the connection grow stronger with every touch. I really could operate this thing with a mere thought. It was nice. Abby leaned over and looked at it. ¡°Wow. Is that an Aerial? I¡¯ve never seen one up close before. Are you a noble, John?¡± ¡°God no.¡± ¡°Those are really expensive.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say they¡¯re that expensive. Not compared to some of the other things I¡¯ve had to buy. Seriously, the Capital drives you broke if you¡¯re not careful.¡± Once my Aerial had fully booted, I saw a message each from Umara, Feiden, and Tana. They were all finishing up their basic training as well. Umara was already getting transferred to her new assignment, near the frontlines, though not on it. Feiden and Tana were in similar situations. I messaged them back, taking only a few seconds to send all three messages. With the speed of my mind, it was ridiculously easy to send and receive data. Unfortunately I still had to look at the thing. It was only a step away from becoming a fully-fledged neurally-linked computer. Magic was insane. Once that was done I set it down and looked back at Abby. ¡°Go ahead and be with your family, Abby. I¡¯ve got some things to take care of before I leave.¡± ¡°Of course. Though, I have one small request, if you don¡¯t mind¡­¡± Abby glanced back at her parents with a bit of excitement. ¡°Could you¡­ use your weapons? I know they¡¯re dangerous but I can¡¯t stop thinking about how cool they are.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ I don¡¯t see why not. They are pretty cool after all. Loud though.¡± I smiled and took out a Lewis Gun, testing the slide a few times before slotting in a pan magazine. ¡°This is the Lewis Gun. It fires full-power cartridges at a rate of over 500 rounds per minute.¡± I tossed Abby one of the bullets, her head tilting as her parents looked over. ¡°This thing?¡± ¡°Indeed. That little metal bit on top is launched out of this tube going two-thousand feet per second.¡± ¡°That sounds kind of impossible.¡± ¡°Better believe it.¡± I raised the gun, pointing it over the walls at an angle. These rounds would fly well beyond the base. I looked over. ¡°Cover your ears.¡± ¡°Yes! Dad, mom, hands over your ears.¡± Abby, who knew how loud these things were, hurried her family to cover their ears. Once they did, I pulled the trigger. Explosions rattled from the gun, booming across the base. Spent casings fell from the gun in the same rhythm, little puffs of dust accompanying the tingling of brass before they simply vanished into wisps of Psyka. I saw a little flinch from one of the nearby instructors, who cut his conversation with a parent short and started storming over. Once the pan was spent, I stopped, bringing down the smoking barrel of the gun with a smile. Abby¡¯s eyes were wide. ¡°... My ears hurt.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll get better.¡± ¡°You could kill a lot of monsters with that thing.¡± ¡°Hell yeah. I basically just fired a hundred arrows. Only took ten seconds. You have that bullet I gave you?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Abby brought up the cartridge, giving it another curious inspection. I watched her for a second before putting out my hand. ¡°Let me see that.¡± ¡°Aww, but I want to keep it. It¡¯s interesting.¡± ¡°... It''s dangerous. Let me.¡± ¡°B-But it¡¯s the one thing I have to remember you by¡­¡± Abby clutched the bullet and dodged my hand. I almost frowned, thinking it weird. I didn¡¯t know she could be so persistent. Perhaps realizing her mistake, she opened back up her hand, looking down at the bullet. ¡°... Would it really be so bad for me to keep it?¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent, slowly approaching her while settling my Aura. I put on my best poker face, my hand rising to just under hers. And then, with a bit of my own time dilation, I slipped the bullet out of her palm, sending it right back into my dimension. Her eyes widened, unable to react. And because of that, I sensed a surge of anger when she looked up at me. Uncharacteristic, I thought. It didn¡¯t quite faze me, especially when I saw her calm down so quickly. Weird. ¡°Sorry Abby. I don¡¯t want you hurting yourself. There¡¯s a reason my weapons are so deadly.¡± ¡°... Yeah.¡± Her face fell as I walked off, waving to her parents. ¡°Good to meet you all. Enjoy your time together.¡± ¡°O-Of course, Mr. Cooper.¡± They smiled as best they could, the situation having obviously turned awkward. They were probably disappointed that I treated their daughter like that instead of getting all fuzzy with her. Well, I only gave bullets as promises. And now, seeing what I did, Abby¡¯s trust for me disappeared entirely. It was unfortunate. For a bit, I had actually taken a liking to her. The instructor intercepted me on my way to my dorm and gave me a quick earful about firing the gun for a bit too, but I wasn¡¯t really paying attention. Having not spotted Sein while making my over, I just continued after he finished lecturing. I packed all the standard issue gear into the duffel they provided while throwing everything else into spatial storage. From there, I went to the warehouse, where I grabbed my old clothes back from them. With that, I was ready to leave. I made my way to the Terminal well before I had to be there. Since I had time, I ended up texting Umara for a while, working out the new functions of the Aerial. Tomorrow she would be deployed to Nagalev Bastion, a familiar name. It was one of the earlier bases we had gone to on Magisterium excursions: relatively safe, but the rapidly changing frontline meant nothing was off limits. Thinking, I brought up a data packet, something I hadn¡¯t checked out since I got it. The map the Puppet Master gave me while we ran from Anarchy detailed most of the frontlines while giving a general overview of the entire Kingdom. Turns out, there was one particular landmark that separated the frontlines from the rest of the Kingdom. It was called the River of Desolation, a massive river that cut through the middle of the continent and acted as a dividing line between the Kingdom and its enemies. The frontlines were located beyond the north side of the river, holding back the Scourge to what could be considered their part of the continent. The Kingdom rested relatively safely on the southern half of the continent. Purple Sky, which was now destroyed, was one base located deepest in the Scourge¡¯s territory in the north. There were adjacent bases and forts, but even those were slightly behind Purple Sky. It was considered the first line of defense. I could only imagine what was happening among those other bases. If Anarchy was leading the charge, then all those adjacent bases were probably gone by now. On the other hand, the Scourge wasn¡¯t marching on Kingdom territory yet, so they had to be doing something right. As for where the Church fell on the map, I had no idea. Very few Church establishments were displayed, one of the exceptions being the Holy See. I knew the Church had a military, but that was the extent of my knowledge. Still, it was nice to see all the dividing lines. It gave me a better idea of how much room we had. It was clear though that if the Scourge made it over the River of Desolation, that would mark the beginning of the end. An alarm sounded, interrupting my thoughts. The Rail glided to a stop in the Terminal, slowing to a halt before doors hinged open. Some people walked out while some walked in. Others were leaving while some were simply unloading cargo. ¡°Next departure for Fort Octus!¡± A conductor shouted through the terminal, so I walked up to him and handed him my ticket. He checked it before handing it back. ¡°I was told about you, Ensign Cooper. Go ahead and board.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± We saluted each other before I boarded. I just took one of the many seats on the sparse car, throwing my luggage beside me. It wasn¡¯t long after before I felt the Rail move beneath me again. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Get off my Rail! All transfers, report to your commanding officer immediately! All fresh recruits, report to Commander Georro at the armory! Double time! We are under siege!¡± Umara¡¯s book snapped closed, a page of a dozen doodles disappearing amidst the massive stack that was her new scientific grimoire. Her gaze pierced the walls around her to find the towering Aura of the Scourge army in the distance. They really were under siege. But this wasn¡¯t anything like that led by Anarchy. This army was pitiful, hardly worth worrying about, and certainly nothing that she would stress herself over. She stood, glancing at Tana beside her. Tana hoisted their bags as they made their way out. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Tana asked as they slipped into the stream of people. Umara shrugged, grimoire disappearing into her personal spatial storage. ¡°We do what we¡¯re told. We need to report to Commander Georro.¡± ¡°I meant in general. You think we¡¯ll even get the chance to prove ourselves? Your mother won¡¯t let you do dangerous things.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry so much about that. My mother won¡¯t have a choice. Unless she plans on posting me behind the River, we¡¯ll encounter more than enough danger. Besides, they won¡¯t have a choice either. If they think they can keep us out, then we¡¯ll just have to pry our way in.¡± ¡°Lead the way.¡± Tana fell into place behind Umara, her presence fading to nothing in the sea of people. Umara smiled a bit as they walked. Whatever happened to Tana during her coma, it seemed to be extraordinarily beneficial to her Aura. They were now at the same level, but due to the path Tana seemed to have chosen, Umara couldn¡¯t actually pick up on her if Tana didn¡¯t want her to. She initially noticed the phenomenon when Tana had killed that Heartstopper. She had appeared on its back as if manifesting from the ether. Nobody knew how she had gotten there undetected, not even John. The only issue was how she exposed herself when she attacked, something she couldn¡¯t really control due to the power disparities. Now though, Umara wasn¡¯t sure how extensive those abilities were. No matter what though, she had chosen a path much like Johns, but dealing with completely vanishing versus illusions and trickery. Umara¡¯s fingers fluttered, micro vacuums appearing on the tips before sputtering away. She had yet to choose her own path. There was ample opportunity to think, given she hadn¡¯t really been forced one particular way. Even Feiden had a developing path. He was always one for speed, and, according to Tana, there was no way he couldn¡¯t now project blades of Vigor like the genius Ponteck. They were also close to breaching Authority Six. But her? She had all this scientific knowledge exposing the secrets of the universe, the talent of her mother guaranteeing her rise to at least Authority 11, as well as the incredible tempering of her Aura by Anarchy. The possibilities, the paths she could travel, were limitless. She¡¯d be grateful for all the options if that didn¡¯t also make it much more difficult to find her way. And frankly, she didn¡¯t feel like she had a lot of time to figure it out. Not only was there the pressure of her friends, but her Aura was making her anxious in a way a Scourge siege never could. Was this what John always felt like? She felt like she was getting a glimpse at the incessant paranoia that John once felt, the overwhelming demand for progress, the fear of falling behind and losing everything. It seemed she wasn¡¯t alone in feeling like John. Even Tana had told her something about it recently, which meant that Feiden, and likely Vetsmon, were all feeling it too. If it kept up, she couldn¡¯t imagine what they would all look like a year or so from now. She had to make sure that when the time came, she would be an irreplaceable part of their team, and finding her path would be the first step toward making that happen. Umara and Tana weren¡¯t the only ones to report to Commander Georro. There were many from other forts who had just undergone basic training. All of them, however, were at least Authority 4. Only the ones with some power were sent here. Once they arrived, they found Georro shouting out orders from the armory. They approached and saluted. ¡°Ensign Talerria and Ensign Choron reporting for duty, sir!¡± ¡°Talerria? Drop your bags off in¡­¡± He flipped through his clipboard. ¡°Residential Block 3. You¡¯ll head up the wall and join Section 3. Your partner can join the repulsion forces below.¡± ¡°Understood, sir.¡± ¡°Before you go though.¡± The Commander sifted through his pocket, pulling out a pair of pins and insignia. ¡°Congratulations, Corporal Talerria and Corporal Choron. Your performance thus far has been exemplary. Just remember that paperwork usually takes a few days to process.¡± ¡°... Thank you, sir. We won¡¯t let you down.¡± Umara and Tana saluted once more, taking the pins and insignia. It hadn¡¯t even been ten minutes and they had already been promoted twice. Their rank still didn¡¯t match their Authority, but rising in ranks took both power and responsibility. It would take time before Umara was allowed to do things like lead her own squads or platoon. From what she knew, formal promotions didn¡¯t even start until one was slated to become a First Sergeant, the Authority Six equivalent. Until then, they were more like a whim, handed out in order to quickly catch a powerful soldier like her up to her equivalent rank. Once she got to Master Sergeant, the promotions would slow and follow her power. When the conversation finished, she and Tana left to go find resident block 3. Only after traversing half the base did they finally find the blocks. Resident block 3 was one of the nicer blocks, certainly better than what their Corporal status should afford. But Umara didn¡¯t care. She¡¯d take whatever the Talerria name gave and run with it. Anything to eliminate potential roadblocks and speed up her progress. Plus, there was no reason she saw to deal with being uncomfortable or put on airs. After entering the block they went through the rooms. Each one had a pair of name tags on the door, so when they found one without tags, they entered and set themselves up. ¡°When are we going out?¡± Tana threw her bag onto a table, Umara responding. ¡°Today? I¡¯m not. The siege is already past its climax. I¡¯ve got more important things to work on instead of standing out there for the next five hours.¡± Umara brought out one of her books while looking through her Aura. She could feel the intensity of the siege, and it was only going down. Tension was dropping, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about it. As for the order from the Commander, well, she wouldn¡¯t get in trouble for spending some time settling in. And by the time anyone thought about it, she wouldn¡¯t be needed. Tana shrugged. ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll go though. My training is out there. Unless you need me.¡± ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯ve just got more studying to do.¡± ¡°...¡± Tana watched Umara start to flip through the book. It had no title on the cover and was generally unmarked except for diagrams and pages of text within. She got curious, walking over to read some of it. Umara didn¡¯t mind, pretending like she was reading as normal while settling on a topic. Tana read aloud. ¡°The three modes of energy transfer, expressed as conduction, convection, and radiation, can be generally narrowed down to the two principles that only physical mediums in contact and radiation can transfer energy. Fire and flame, or combustion, occurs among gas which is a fluid and thus falls under the category of convection. It only differentiates from conduction due to the difference in behavior between solids and liquids and gases. But the fact remains that if you want to transfer energy from one thing to another, you either need to make them touch or radiate to bridge the distance. ¡°This principle brings into question the nature of the Fire element. Fire is only a natural chemical process, a chain reaction that releases the energy contained between certain chemical bonds. There are plenty of reactions that release energy just like fire does, some that do so with millions of times the intensity (see section on nuclear reactions). So I ask myself, having seen the variety and extensive applications of singular elements, what else does the Fire element hold jurisdiction over? What physical phenomenon would fall under that ¡®element?¡¯ My immediate answer is the transfer of energy. If that answer is true, then the Fire element holds, by far, the most extensive array of physical interactions of any element, and by extension, the most powerful and destructive, the levels of which very few have likely ever understood. But this conclusion compels me to narrow my view, almost unwilling to believe that one element withholds such a broad concept. It would render all other elements almost obsolete. And so, the further sections are dedicated toward hypothesizing various phenomena, why they may fall under the element conceptually, and what about their specific functions would justify their place under said element¡­¡± Tana scanned all the words, sometimes multiple times, yet still not understanding most of it. Some were just outright foreign while others implied much more complex definitions that she didn¡¯t know of. But a few lines stuck out, and pointed her in an interesting direction. ¡°He¡¯s trying to define the Fire element? Is that even possible?¡± Tana was a bit dumbfounded. The very nature of magic essentially stipulated that anything was possible, and that there were many unique paths that could all take a warlock everywhere, nowhere, and sometimes to the same places. It was so hard to definitively define any singular path toward learning magic that, to this day, they still couldn¡¯t definitively guide a warlock toward understanding an element. All warlocks were essentially left to try and comprehend everything on their own. Only the vaguest concepts were able to guide them in a general direction, but beyond that, they had nothing to help them except the spells they often used as milestones of comprehension. But spells, due to their nature, were reductions in the comprehension of an element and couldn¡¯t be used as direct teachers. So to read that there was a potentially definitive way to define an element by what it held ¡®jurisdiction¡¯ over was ridiculous at best, not to mention it came from a summoner with no knowledge of elemental comprehension. Umara puffed out her chest a bit. ¡°Mm. And he¡¯s succeeding, even if he doesn¡¯t realize it himself. I won¡¯t truly be able to test his hypotheses in-depth until I perfect my fire comprehension, but even now I can associate certain comprehensions with what he¡¯s talking about and develop spells. If the spells can be developed at all, then he¡¯s correct. If they can¡¯t, then either I¡¯m not strong enough yet, or we¡¯ve narrowed down the jurisdictions of the elements more. The only issue is how complex and small some of this stuff is getting. We¡¯re dealing with scales so tiny and yet so comprehensive that I¡¯m having trouble developing spells without some serious buffering on my Foci¡¯s part.¡± Umara brought out her staff, looking at the crystal on its end. The Foci helped warlocks buffer their spells so that the smallest mistakes didn¡¯t lead to a catastrophic collapse. The more advanced ones even allowed them to multiply output by mimicking the spells as they were being made, turning one spell into five or six. But even with a relatively advanced staff, Umara was pushing its limits. She had already hit its buffer ceiling several times, and it often led to collapses of the spell formations. Which meant she either needed a better Foci, or she needed to change the way she approached spell formation. Tana rubbed her chin. ¡°Can¡¯t you just use Aura to compensate for the buffering?¡± ¡°Not really. Aura still relies on the mind to process information, and my mind isn¡¯t like John¡¯s. Plus, the buffering doesn¡¯t address the crux of the issue.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°The sheer complexity. Even disregarding the buffer issues, collecting all that information is asinine. Most of it is redundant, but I don¡¯t know that until I collect it. It''s a nasty cycle keeping me from making spells.¡± ¡°Huh. So you just need to use Aura to collect the information, right? If you can see it with your Aura first, then you don¡¯t have to worry about figuring out which is redundant or not and filter it before it even gets to you.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara looked up from her book, tilting her head. That was right, in a sense. What passed as sight for Aura was an odd combination of sensing sources of energy and piecing together magical interferences. At least, that¡¯s how Umara understood it. But she remembered John''s stunt clearly while he was getting his Crown. An image of him projected in her Aura through his, similar to telepathy, but much more thorough. Perhaps that was the first step toward transferring visual information via Aura. Either way, she knew that she could see with Aura. As John said, it was like a magic limb. It could do anything, become anything. And suddenly, thanks to Tana, she was getting ideas. She brought out another book, flipping the pages until she landed on a specific section. ¡°Precision, and what it means to be precise.¡± She scanned the title, clenching her fist. Normally, she wouldn¡¯t know what to look for. Finding a direction was always the hardest part of advancing. But if she was having issues with complexity, and she knew exactly what to look for to gather the information she needed and rectify her troubles with spell formations¡­ She just had to do it. She looked beside her at the bed, and suddenly, all the materials around her, from the solids of the sheets to the gasses in the air, started sharpening and turning into different colors and textures, taking on their own distinct properties. Her eyes dilated, the hairs on her arms rising and goosebumps blooming all over. Precision, dividing the world into all its constituent parts and properties, and revealing so much information that before long, her nose started to bleed. A few seconds after that, her vision started to redden. And yet, the elements all around her only became sharper. ¡°Umara?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Umara shook her head, looking at Tana as all the detail faded. Tana stepped closer, touching near Umara¡¯s eye and finding blood. Then, with a widening grin, Umara grabbed Tana¡¯s arms, ecstasy on her face. ¡°I oughta kiss you, girl.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you okay? Did Anarchy get to you again?¡± ¡°Haha! I just found the answer thanks to you! Come here!¡± ¡°H-Hey¡­¡± Tana backed away, Umara moving forward with puckered lips. After laughing some more, Tana left, though only after some reassurances that Umara was okay. And she was more than okay. She was ecstatic. The path she was looking for. What better way to use scientific knowledge than through complexity and precision? She needed to perceive more than just what her senses could if she wanted to manipulate the elements and use them as John described. She could only wield physical phenomena, chemical reactions and reconfigurations, if she could see the parts of those processes in the first place. The only issue was that it was straining, hence why she was bleeding. But anything could be solved with enough training. And now, she finally knew what to train toward. She brought back up her book, buckling down and entirely disregarding her military duties for the time being. Chapter 147: Sanity Fort Octus was even more massive than Fort Lauder, perhaps because it was a logistics hub. It was both a school for Intelligence and a hub of bureaucracy. Learn in the classroom, walk outside to practice. What better situation was possible? It was also behind the River of Desolation, which didn¡¯t matter to me. I didn¡¯t come here to fight. In fact, I was only interested in earning an Intelligence rank because of the perks and insider information access. If I could keep my Intelligence Rank on par with my Infantry Rank, I¡¯d be able to command my own soldiers when I rose to the appropriate level. It was responsibility, but it was also influence and power. I¡¯d need friends and people who could protect me if I was going to be here long-term. It was with those thoughts that I was thrown into the deep end of the intelligence academy. By the time I arrived, settled in, and finally got to the first class, I was 11 days behind. The total duration was only 40 days, so it was an entire quarter of the class that I had missed, not to mention that most of it was introductory and contextual procedures. On top of that, it was the summoner academy. They separated summoners and ordinary people because they obviously learned at different paces. Because there weren¡¯t as many summoners who came through, class sizes were smaller. I wouldn¡¯t be in a class with 100 summoners like I was with the warlocks. As for why the class had only started 11 days ago and not when basic training did, that was because they often waited to accumulate a large enough group of summoners before sending them off. It wasn¡¯t cost effective to send batches of five or ten when you could just wait and send all 40 at the same time. When I got there, I was told to report early in the morning so my instructor could brief me. Turns out, I didn¡¯t miss as much as I thought. ¡°Ensign Cooper?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°Good to have you here. Find a seat.¡± I gave a quick salute before turning and finding a desk in the front row. It was a classroom setting, quite the opposite of basic. Once seated, the instructor went to a chalkboard and started scribbling down words. ¡°A majority of the first week here was merely teaching the new recruits military basics. I¡¯ve taught them the chain of command, how to conduct themselves, and much of what you learned during the first half of your time with the warlocks at basic training. The next two weeks, the first of which we¡¯re halfway through now, will be about the job description of the Intelligence officer. What we do here is simple. Depending on your rank, you will often be responsible for collecting, filing, and transferring mission reports, keeping inventory at places like armories or warehouses, maintaining complex gear, weapons, and systems like Nodes, debriefing superior officers, acting as a communications liaison, and, eventually, managing command of troops and resources. We¡¯ll teach you everything you need to know about these except the last one. Know, though, that you usually won¡¯t be responsible for any but one or two, and what jobs you¡¯re given depend entirely on the needs of the base that you may be stationed at. Now, here¡¯s your books, what we call the ¡®Silver Six¡¯. We¡¯ve gone over the entirety of the first and half of the second. I¡¯ll be working with you personally, but we need to catch you up quickly. I hope you¡¯re a fast learner.¡± ¡°... Yes sir.¡± I nodded after looking down at the stack of six books. I was beginning to understand that the teaching style for summoners was inherently different. I should be able to keep up just fine though. My information retention was honestly rather unbelievable. I was finding myself memorizing even the minutest details of things I came across on a whim, not to mention an incredibly sharp recall of previously blurry memories. And creating new memories, as opposed to remembering them, was far easier. Needless to say, I was going to do just fine. I had both a mind that was dozens of times more powerful than an ordinary mind, as well as a secondary Spark that acted as a miniature mind itself, multiplying that overall power. I wasn¡¯t a genius before, but I couldn¡¯t say that now. Put me on Earth and I¡¯d likely outperform all intellectuals, past and present. The only department I could possibly lack in was creativity, and perhaps only a savant could hope to match me in sheer processing ability. Memorizing a book? That¡¯d be too easy. I picked up the first book in the stack, scanning the first page for about a minute before closing my eyes. I could almost perfectly remember every word. Another one or two more looks and I¡¯d be able to recall it word for word, and that was if I memorized it passively. That was just one page. Given less than a day of casual reading, I could probably memorize most of the book word for word. ¡°Have you created your first Spark, Cooper?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°Then this will be easy. We have an hour before class. Follow along and we¡¯ll get through this quickly.¡± With that the instructor started going through the first book. We jumped through multiple pages a minute, and I got a summary of all the knowledge I needed to know. Every book had fluff in it that was unnecessary to truly retain, and the instructor flew past all that. The instructor only said things once, and, after seeing how well I retained everything, never even bothered with clarification. Every word that flew out of his mouth was promptly soaked up and stored in my mind. Through the process, I assigned my Spark to do what he didn¡¯t, which was stimulating my brain with repetitions of information, making everything that came in stick the first time. It was like rereading something over and over again, but happening in the span of seconds instead of minutes or hours. This was active memorization instead of passive, something that wasn¡¯t so difficult to do given my control over my own mind. I quickly found out how much stimulation was necessary to make sure the information was memorized. Some things stuck more than others, other things needed a few repetitions to make sure my brain got a handle on it. However, I found this wasn¡¯t without cost. My head was noticeably warmer from the activity, and sweat started dripping. Compared to my more passive use of this ability before, this used a noticeable amount of Psyka, to the point where it felt like it was radiating from me as I used it. Before long, an hour passed. By that time, we were halfway through the book, pausing for a second as all the other summoner trainees walked in. The instructor shouted. ¡°All of you sit down, seal your mouths, and take a good look! Talk about the pinnacle of summoners. John, are you alright to continue?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± I nodded. I still had plenty of Psyka and more than enough energy. With that, the instructor continued flying through page after page. There had to be at least 500 within the first book, which was definitely the largest. It went over every facet of the military¡¯s logistical system, from top to bottom, detailing how every log, record, and report was filed, accessed, or disposed of. It detailed all the features and how those records were organized, why they were like that, and the methodology to fill out and file said records. There were also plenty of legalities to learn. And I was burning it all into my brain on the fly. In the process, I affirmed that this was where summoners really shone. I was a damn genius. The classroom was silent as the instructor talked without end. He bounced from topic to topic, chapter to chapter, without even stopping to breathe. He was also a summoner, after all, and had been over all of this countless times. He could easily recite everything, and I took it in just as easily. And then, after another hour, he snapped the book shut. I sat there for a few seconds before looking up from my own book, my forehead glistening. The instructor smiled. ¡°Chapter two, second paragraph.¡± ¡°... A report has four basic sections, consisting of the Header, context, personnel information, and repository designations. The Header will be detailed with the names of those involved, as well as the commanding officer, jurisdiction, location, time-¡± ¡°Chapter five, paragraph six.¡± ¡°A communication relay can go through two-¡± ¡°Chapter 11, conclusion.¡± ¡°Repositories within a forward operating base will differ from those within an established stronghold, namely by their lack of thoroughness. Yet they must still be compiled and kept, preferably in the hands of the highest commanding officer or their assistant.¡± ¡°No shit. You all see that?!¡± The instructor looked up to the rest of the class, sneering. ¡°Ensign Cooper just memorized the entire first book in two hours! And for that, guess what he¡¯s getting?!¡± I sat there and watched as the instructor dropped a pin and insignia on my desk, that of a Corporal. I had just been promoted twice. I took them slowly, looking up at the instructor and catching a wink. ¡°Now he¡¯s Corporal Cooper! Just keep in mind that he¡¯s already ranked beyond all of you, so treat him accordingly! Do you understand, trainees?!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± A resounding response shook the room. I saw the instructor wave, so I stood. ¡°Go ahead and head down to the cafeteria and get some food inside you. Then take the rest of the day off. We¡¯ll continue tomorrow. Also, head down to requisitions and grab your summoner fatigues. Can¡¯t have you walking around looking like a warlock.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°Dismissed.¡± With that, I was let go. I left the classroom and headed to the cafeteria. I was in fact getting really hungry. All the energy I used up just thinking had taken its toll. The brain consumed a ton of calories, after all, especially when stressed to such a degree. I was also dehydrated. So I went to the cafeteria and got myself some breakfast. Thankfully, they still had some out. After eating, I went to requisitions as I was told. I checked in with the clerk, who was already expecting me. I guess a General¡¯s orders weren¡¯t taken lightly. Everyone involved was brought to attention. Warlock fatigues were slim attire. The pants were a dark red while the shirt was black. That¡¯s what I had been walking around in since it was the only pair of fatigues I had. But now, I got what the summoners wore. Similar to the Glimmers, summoner fatigues were made of black pants and a white button down shirt. There was also a long winter coat for relevant weather. Considering summoners were effectively office workers here, it was no surprise to me that their attire reflected that. At least it didn¡¯t stand out like Glimmers did, merely being plain colors. I went back to my room with four pairs of them and put one on. It was surprisingly comfortable, easily worn all day. I unbuttoned some of the buttons along the long sleeves and rolled them up. After buttoning my pins and insignia onto my shirt, as well as placing a small patch with my name on it, I finally settled down. First day here and I had memorized an entire book in two hours. It was a hell of an introduction, and hopefully not a repeat experience. I had a bit of a headache from the whole thing, but at least now I could rest. Though, since I still had some energy, I decided I could break open my advancement formation and take some peeks. It was a long road ahead, but I still needed to walk it. Since I was here to learn, I may as well do as much as I could. I¡¯d have enough fighting later on. Relaxed settings like this wouldn¡¯t be available every day. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡­.. ¡­ ¡°Fucking MOVE! Dress and get in the damned line!¡± Vetsmon¡¯s eyes snapped open when the voice rang in his ears. Two months, and it never got any less grating. His head throbbed a bit as he jumped out of bed, sprinting to his locker where he yanked out his prepared dress. It was a full set of heavy armor. And by heavy, he meant heavy. It was at least double his bodyweight, amounting to nearly 500 pounds by itself. And it was his daily wear. Just about every waking hour was spent in the metal coffin, and simply existing inside it required him to spend Vigor. Without the minimum strength granted by his power, he would collapse after just some steps, let alone hours of activity. And it never got easier to wear, mainly because they kept increasing the weight whenever he got used to it. In this place, being comfortable was a sin. ¡°Five seconds!¡± ¡°Huhh¡­¡± He let out a sharp breath, strapping on the last plate before running with all his strength. And he stepped behind the line, at attention, right as the instructor clicked his stopwatch. Vetsmon wasn¡¯t the only one. There were 39 others. They were all lined up square on the line, all in heavy armor, dead silent in front of their instructors. There were only three instructors, but each of them radiated the gut wrenching might of Authority 10. They were also relatively old, veterans who now found value in teaching the younger generations instead of fighting on the front lines. The one in the middle sneered. ¡°Well would you look at that?! All of you made it, and right on time! Usually we¡¯d have one or two stragglers! But not today! Congratulations! You¡¯ve all earned 5 flights! Starting fucking now! Last one to the deck gets double! MOVE!¡± Everyone sprinted off the moment the instructor yelled, bolting out of the barracks and off toward one of the decks in the distance. The deck was an elevated metal platform that led to a series of massive stairs. Each step was four feet tall, like a staircase for a giant instead of humans. There were 99 steps in total, and one flight was one ascension up all the steps. They would have to ascend nearly 500 steps in order to complete their workout. So long as they weren¡¯t last, of course. The instructor always carried out his threats. Vetsmon put in his full effort to reach the deck, as did everyone else. They bound across the grounds before climbing up. Different people had armor weighing different amounts, and thus had different speeds. Vetsmon was never one of the fast ones, at least not with his armor on. He had the heaviest by far, but, although it was torture at first, the benefits were becoming clearer with time, or so he begrudgingly admitted. And thankfully, he barely managed to make it a step before the last guy. The poor bastard jumped on top of the deck just after him, his foot landing a moment later than everyone else''s. ¡°Jackson gets double! Congrats, slow ass! You lost to the Tank again!¡± ¡°...¡± Jackson took heavy breaths. He had been losing a lot recently. Vetsmon had stopped allowing himself to be last, despite all the disadvantages. But it was getting frustrating. The pain was mind numbing, day and night. Something like this would screw him for the rest of the day, cascading into the next like it had been for weeks now. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Jackson¡¯s breathing hitched, his rage bubbling forth until it could no longer be suppressed by his metal casing. Vetsmon shivered a bit when he saw how joyful the instructors got. Poor Jackson. They were practically begging him to break down. ¡°FFUUU-!¡± ¡°Hah!¡± The instructor dove forward right as Jackson yelled, sending out a kick and sending him flying several feet, his body thrashing against his own armor. Vetsmon could only continue as he heard the yelling. ¡°What is it, little punk?! You got something to share with me?! Come on, let me hear it! You know how much I love it!¡± ¡°Hahh¡­ Hahh¡­¡± Jackson¡¯s heavy breathing stirred up winds as he picked himself up off the floor. The pain, the wrathful anger, the desperation and fatigue. All of it came crashing down on top of him. It had been relentless for two months, and never got easier. None of it did. Once he stood, despite emotions that almost blinded him, he snapped off a salute and yelled. ¡°NO SIR!¡± ¡°Then what the fuck are you standing around here for?! You getting lazy on me?! Do an extra three since you like taking your sweet time!¡± ¡°YES SIR!¡± The hand came down, and Jackson jumped up the platform and began the flight. Vetsmon, already halfway up, could only grit his teeth. He had been doing that. He knew how difficult it was. Not even Jackson had dealt with the oppression he had. If anyone was most hated, it was him. And yet, he wasn¡¯t allowed to compare himself. He wasn¡¯t allowed to be a victim in this hellish place. He had no friends here. Nay, he had no friends in the Church. Dare he say there were none anywhere. His parents had sent him off to this place, a special camp with no name, for ¡®re-education¡¯. But not before stripping him of his family name, no questions asked. He wasn¡¯t even allowed to process Anarchy in peace. The moment he woke up, he was shipped off. There was a period of about eight hours between the time he woke up after collapsing in the middle of Saint¡¯s Walk and the time he arrived here. After that, it was nothing but hell. His conclusion on Anarchy? He didn¡¯t know. He had been riding a dangerous line for a long time after arriving, filled with rage and indignation every hour of every waking moment. And yet, he wouldn¡¯t stoop to the level they wanted him to. They seemed to know exactly what he was going through. They knew how pivotal the moment was. And yet, they seemed to be doing everything in their power to make sure he became a monster. It was like they wanted him to be driven mad so they could just put him down like a dog. He knew why this had all started. He wasn¡¯t stupid. But he didn¡¯t believe anything warranted such treatment. He didn¡¯t care what he did. Yet something inside him didn¡¯t allow him to believe it. He wasn¡¯t allowed to give in, yet couldn¡¯t seem to rectify the troubles within himself. It was perpetual, a constant agony that never ceased, not even when he slept. Each step up the Flight took almost his full effort. He could barely put in enough strength to ascend the step in a single bound. But he did it, because if he didn¡¯t, or was too slow to proceed up the next, then he would only get more. His legs spasmed, still not completely recovered from the day before. It was like knights were never strong in the first place with how he had been feeling recently. Or, perhaps it was precisely their strength that made all of it so damn difficult. A body that didn¡¯t let you break, that endured the tribulations of the flesh that would otherwise bring death. A body that would persist even beyond the mind. Vetsmon turned his head, his eyes catching a stele with only two lines of text on it. ¡°For we build our sanity upon our faith in Christ, that His Light may forever blind the insanities of the Beast.¡± ¡°Pray, oh children. May your battles become prayer, so that you may not become monsters, so that the Light of your heart purifies the abyss of the unholy flesh, for it is no longer Man.¡± Vetsmon read them and shook his head. Those two verses were the foundation of the philosophy of this place. That was, driving you to the point of insanity, so that you learned to endure it. Supposedly, there was no stronger man than the one who was broken. He didn¡¯t know if that was true. He didn¡¯t care. He was just trying to keep up, every minute a fight to keep himself in check. With each flight, his joints and limbs creaked under the stress. His body could barely take the strain, but he pushed on anyway. And once he finished all 5 flights, he ran back to the line, standing in front of it and waiting while taking long, deep breaths. Jackson continued in the distance as the instructor walked up to them. The instructor took one look between each person before scoffing. ¡°Hurry up and go eat. You¡¯ve got 20 minutes! Go!¡± ¡°Sir!¡± They all saluted before sprinting off, heading to the chow hall. It was there that they grabbed massive portions of food and shoved it down their throats. Vetsmon almost felt emotional. He always did while eating. The chow hall was the one place they didn¡¯t have ridiculous restrictions. It had one rule. Eat as much as you could. There was enough food to fill a city here, all of it imbued with vigor. It was the only reason they could survive the hell that was this camp. Because of that, they filled buckets instead of tiny plates. Entire pounds of meat and fruit were stuffed inside before getting devoured at a table. If someone placed a butchered animal in front of them, it would get cleaned down to the bone in minutes. Everyone who had come here didn¡¯t eat in such a barbaric way¡­ at first. But given enough time, all of them lost their manners. There was little time and their bodies were desperate for fuel. Missing a meal was deadly. Jackson would be having a hard time today, which was exactly why he had almost broken down. A minute before 20, everyone rose from their tables, buckets empty, and disposed of them before sprinting back to the line. There, the instructor was ready to give another command. Jackson stumbled to the line. A large rack of swords, spears, bows and arrows, knives, axes, halberds, maces, flails, shields, and more appeared. He barked. ¡°Grab your shit and head to the Arena! It¡¯s Live Fire today!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Everyone went to the rack, grabbing their choice of weapons. Vetsmon looked around before grabbing a longsword and shield. The longsword made his shoulder hang. It was heavier than any weapon he had ever wielded, completely unusable unless he applied his full strength. The shield was the same, almost as heavy as his entire set of armor. With those two things, Vetsmon was forced to actively spend Vigor just to stay standing. And when they got to the arena, they all heard the growls, howls, and cries of live Scourge beasts. Live Fire training. That meant there were very real monsters prepared to kill them. Even bringing Royals here wasn¡¯t out of the question. It had happened once before, the instructors turning it into a team project that they almost failed. That day, a few people lost a few limbs. The instructor yelled. ¡°All of you, JUMP IN!¡± ¡°...¡± They were silent, anxiety radiating through their Auras. Yet they jumped in anyway, all the trainees including Vetsmon gathering in the center of the arena. Then, all the surrounding gates started to roll open, revealing the monsters hidden within. Vetsmon¡¯s arm flexed, standing at one end of their formation. They were surrounded, and it was his job to hold his end. The others would hold theirs, hopefully. Spears occasionally tapped his sides, sticking out in front of him as the knights behind him held their positions. That¡¯s when the monsters were released. A few hundred of them came surging forward, of all shapes and sizes. Some could fly, others slithered. Some of them launched poisonous or fiery projectiles. They were bombarded from all sides and angles, yet they didn¡¯t move an inch. Vetsmon held up his shield, protecting his head from a compressed fireball. The flames exploded over everyone''s heads as he glanced forward. A behemoth, Authority 7 and towering 15 feet high. It rushed at Vetsmon on massive hands and skinny hind legs, its head grossly disproportional to the rest of its body. Angry red marks of recently-released chains crisscrossed its body. With every stride, it left craters on the ground. Once it arrived, both hands raised, it slammed its full weight straight down. Vetsmon held fast, his shield meeting both fists. His legs almost buckled, a crater forming under him. But he stood, and, with gritted teeth, drove his longsword into its chest. Several spears followed up from behind, all of them severing or impaling the beast and sending it recoiling back with bloody wounds. Vetsmon let out a breath, feeling his arm swell with an injury. But he ignored it. Several more beasts were trying to break the line. They were a small group, outnumbered and overpowered. But they had dealt with situations like this before. Vetsmon held his side, occasionally shifting a bit to intercept anything that might threaten the integrity of the formation. Otherwise, he was rooted to the ground, refusing to buckle even when the soles of his feet split open. Gradually, the beasts started to die. One by one they were whittled down and killed, either dying to a phalanx of spears or a few well placed arrows. When they had been culled to a suitable number, the formation split, a shout echoing in their ears. Their captain, the leader of their squadron, gave his command. ¡°Expel!¡± With that word, Vetsmon launched himself forward, throwing his shield against several beasts and knocking them away. His team behind him shot through the opening, those with swords, knives, and maces spreading out to do battle with anything they could lay eyes on. Arrows fell by the dozen as the archers used the spearmen as cover, rapid arm movements launching arrows like beams of light. Spearmen moved outward in measured paces, killing anything that dared rush them and the archers. And at the forefront, Vetsmon continually swept out with his sword. With every swing, glimmering blades of Vigor flew across the air, bisecting entire rows of beasts within a dozen feet. Then, when all the remaining beasts were killed off, they all went around and confirmed their kills, hacking up vital organs and limbs. When every beast was confirmed dead, everything went silent. They all looked up at their instructor, breaths heavy and bodies aching. He nodded. ¡°Acceptable. Take 30 minutes for reflection, and then head to the line for further orders.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± They all saluted before everyone kneeled in their places. The odor of blood and the disgusting monsters around them served as its own kind of tempering as they closed their eyes. Vetsmon did just as everyone else. However, he couldn''t manage to reflect on the most recent battle. In his mind flashed memories of Anarchy and their retreat. The sight of that monstrous icon was one thing, but perhaps a greater shame was his inability to protect his team. He still remembered the words of his guard. ¡°This is war, boy! This is what you need to prepare for!¡± His words were true. The true face of the war with the Scourge, Vetsmon had gotten a rare taste of it, and survived. The real battles were with those things, not the mindless armies under them. He was a fool. How could he have ever been lazy? He may as well have killed himself and his friends. His pitiful efforts beforehand had been nothing but a lousy joke. The fact that he was alive was a miracle he didn¡¯t deserve. But he had survived, and only because there were some people smarter than he was who had led them out of that hell, and people stronger than him who could defeat those that tried to kill them. He was a knight, and yet had been at the mercy of his enemies. He was supposed to be a shield, and yet had buckled under a few hits. He was supposed to protect, and yet had almost lost his love, and his team. ¡°To the line.¡± The captain¡¯s words roused Vetsmon from his reflection. His eyes snapped open. He stood and marched. His body screamed at him. His spine felt twisted, his arms broken, his boots leaked blood from his soles. He had almost lost everything, and yet the pain he was feeling now was hardly bearable. He grit his teeth. He hated having to decide. He didn¡¯t want to. He knew he couldn¡¯t just have things come to him. Strength and success wouldn¡¯t just lay down at his feet. But did it have to be so agonizing? Why did he have to trade his sanity for the strength to defeat his enemies? Why did he have to walk through this hell to protect his loved ones? He whispered. ¡°Oh Lord, help me¡­ even just a little bit¡­¡± Chapter 148: Hell The subsequent days were even easier than I expected. Of the Silver Six books for the Intelligence Academy, the first was the thickest. I had memorized that one in one go, so learning the others was childishly simple, especially since I had comparative ages to do so. Even better was the Corporal promotion. I was treated like royalty compared to the other trainees: I got occasional free time, had my own room, and generally wasn¡¯t treated like shit. It was nice. However, after a few days passed, Colonel Kotts decided to go off script. I was given three more books to memorize with no explanation. He was certainly quite clear on what he expected of me, so I followed orders and read the books. Learning the Silver Six was easy, so learning three more wasn¡¯t hard. With that goal, my 30 or so days at the academy passed uneventfully. Since I was so detached from the rest of the class, I didn¡¯t make any friends, unlike at basic training. Graduation came fast after I memorized the books and passed the tests with flying colors. On the tenth of September, I, like everyone else, was dressed in Glimmers, shining with water from a light misty rain. The standardized uniform and drab gray skies finally made it so I didn¡¯t stick out like a sore thumb. And, one by one, we were all made Ensigns. I sported one pin on my left collar for Intelligence, and one on my right collar for Infantry. My left shoulder had been empty and my right shoulder had the two stripe insignia of a Corporal. Once finished, we all saluted and were congratulated. At the ceremony¡¯s conclusion, I was promptly called up. ¡°Corporal.¡± ¡°Sir.¡± I turned as all the other Ensigns went to speak with their families. Colonel Kotts came up to me, handing me a sealed letter. ¡°From the General. You have your assignment, and I¡¯ve already got a Rail for you to catch.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s your ticket. Rail departs at 1400. Get your affairs in order and I¡¯ll meet you there at 1340.¡± ¡°Understood sir.¡± We saluted each other before he walked off. I now had my Glimmers along with warlock fatigues and summoner fatigues. One of them was meant to be worn under armor and the other was like an office suit. My bag bulged at the seams. I¡¯d have to upgrade at some point. For the time being, I just threw extra things into the spatial band on my arm. Unlike at basic training, I wasn¡¯t stripped down when I got to this academy. I still carried everything on me. While packing though, I found my attention drawn again to those three extra books the Colonel gave me to memorize. They were collectively called the Golden Trio, and they were what I assumed to be more advanced material on the inner workings of the military communication network, specifically material developed after Sawn¡¯s widespread deployment of Nodes. Communication was vital in a war, and Sawn made it easy. So the military developed protocols for Aerial communication, simultaneously contracting Sawn for standard issue Aerials that could be used for battlefield communications. It was surprisingly similar to radio on earth. There was an etiquette to follow, certain lingo to know, technical details about Nodes and how its networking worked. But all that stuff comprised just one of three books. The others talked about what we¡¯d need to know as a Captain or Major, specifically how to operate as an tactical field advisor. It went into strategy, the thought process of higher ranks such as I-7s, 8s, 9s, and 10s, and how to properly lead troops in accomplishing set goals. In other words, the Golden Trio books were the things higher-ranked Intelligence soldiers would need to know to get promoted. I wasn¡¯t stupid. The Colonel gave me a glimpse of them early. I smiled and packed them away before taking a moment to relax. I had time, so I opened my letter and read. Assignment details. I was to report to Stronghold Charlie and find Commander Pollux, who I¡¯d be under the command of. There weren¡¯t any other details that told me what I¡¯d be doing. I shrugged and threw the letter into my spatial band. Then, I brought up my Aerial, tapping it a few times and seeing messages from Umara and Sawn. I checked Umara¡¯s first, smiling at the loving words I saw. Apparently she had already gone on several missions. She was part of a strike force that went out and hunted packs of Scourge beasts that liked to linger beyond the base. It wasn¡¯t unlike what we had occasionally done at the Magisterium. Since she was with Tana, I was much less worried than I would have been. They would protect each other with their lives. Besides, I trusted her to handle herself. Warlocks turned knowledge and comprehension into power, and I had given her an arsenal. My expectations of her were high. After sending an update, I turned to Sawn¡¯s message. Apparently he had gotten in contact with some people and already knew where I was going. He said the workstation was on its way, along with a contract that would make me an employee under Sawn Industries. I sent an acknowledgment before pondering what I would do from here on out. I wanted to work with Sawn because loads of technology would help humanity. But my own knowledge of engineering was limited, and Sawn already had plenty of magical items that mimicked what I knew, such as Aerials, cars, and Rails, among other things. I¡¯d have to find suitable pieces of tech that could be made with the limitations of this world¡¯s current era. I had a few ideas in mind, though they¡¯d have to wait until I got settled at Stronghold Charlie. Thinking of that, I tapped my Aerial and pulled up my map, finding Stronghold Charlie on it. It was one of the forward bases beyond the River of Desolation, not the deepest into the front lines, but also not in the back. It was somewhere in the middle in terms of depth, located to the extreme west and effectively inside a mountain range. I could imagine just how troublesome the Scourge beasts would be with so many places to hide. The number of hunter-killer missions would be completely unlike anything I¡¯d done before. Still, it seemed like a decent place. After some time, I headed to the Rail terminal where I found Colonel Kotts waiting. I approached and exchanged salutes. ¡°Cooper. Here¡¯s a parting gift.¡± He handed me another insignia, the two silver bars of an I-3 Officer. ¡°I can¡¯t promote you straight to Captain since you have to take a test for that. But since you¡¯ve memorized the Golden Trio, that¡¯ll be easy for you. Put in for it when you get to Stronghold Charlie.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll also want some winter gear. It''s blisteringly cold over there. Coats are usually lined with something to protect you, but pants are often overlooked. For now, take this.¡± He pushed a folded pair of pants forward, a thick set with a built in White Crystal to power whatever enchantments were weaved in. I took it with raised brows. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°Of course. You know, I was surprised when I heard you¡¯d be coming to my Fort for the academy. I had some expectations since I¡¯ve heard about some of your achievements. But you surpassed them. You¡¯re a hell of a summoner. I¡¯ll be looking forward to your future.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± I just smiled and nodded. This was an unexpected compliment. After that we said our goodbyes. I stashed the pants and waited until the Rail showed up. It was mostly devoid of people. Cargo would have to keep me company. I just took my seat and waited until it shot off into the tunnels. I was a bit excited. It was finally time to start the next stage of my life. Hopefully I wouldn¡¯t get torn in half by some monster in the process. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt, kid. I don¡¯t have the energy nor desire to fight to place a talented knight in some rear position.¡± The General rumbled with a low voice. ¡°I¡¯ve spoken with your father, and I managed to get a hold of you so you at least won¡¯t be thrown into the meatgrinder that is the fight to retake Purple Sky. But that took a lot out of me. Nearly all of the fourth years are dead so there was a lot of competition for the few that were left. If I recall, only 12 of the 23 were actually able to enlist, and only nine were Elites. The other 10 either lost limbs or were driven to some degree of insanity, while another left for the church. Your talent is in high demand, that much is for damned sure.¡± The General let out a puff of smoke from a thick cigar. This one was the exact opposite of medicinal. Feiden¡¯s nose twitched at the smell as his eyes fell on the three pairs of dragon wings patched to the man¡¯s shoulder, as well as the nametag with ¡°S. Thorn¡± inscribed on it. Not only was he a General, but he was also a Brigadier. An Authority 10 knight with brains, and a menacing one at that. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. His words made Feiden frown though. ¡°Sir, if I may speak.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t have the desire to be placed into a rear position. Quite the opposite, in fact.¡± ¡°Well, your father is asking for your safety. He¡¯s a good friend of mine but it seems he¡¯s being overprotective after the massacre.¡± ¡°... My thoughts apparently don¡¯t align with his.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± He smirked a bit, Feiden nodding. ¡°So? How ambitious are you?¡± ¡°Special Operations. I want to meet my friends there.¡± ¡°Hoho, quite ambitious indeed. Why, though? What spurred this eagerness to throw yourself into the depths of hell?¡± ¡°If Anarchy made me realize anything, it is that the weak mean nothing in this war, both on the human and Scourge side. This is a battle between Kings and Sovereigns. My friends will eventually rise to that level, I have no doubt. So I need to keep up, otherwise I won¡¯t be able to fight with them, let alone protect them. To that end, we¡¯ve all agreed to attempt to enter Special Operations.¡± ¡°Hm, yes, I¡¯ve heard about your squad.¡± General Thorn rummaged and grabbed a sheet of paper off his desk, glancing at it. ¡°The only intact squad after the massacre, comprising four of the nine Elites that entered the military. Either incredibly lucky, or incredibly competent to survive the massacre. No matter what, you five are promising. It¡¯s only unfortunate that Verga has gone back to his Peerage.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°So it seems you have high opinions of their talent. Everyone else does, and I¡¯m inclined to agree. Surviving Anarchy is no small feat. And now, I¡¯m pleased to hear that you haven¡¯t had your will to fight cowed. So since your balls are still intact, I¡¯ll put you to the test. I doubt Gurns will mind.¡± ¡°...¡± Feiden tilted his head as General Thorn tapped his Aerial, making a call. A voice came through. ¡°Thorn? Not the call I expected to receive today.¡± ¡°Hello, Gurns. I¡¯ve got an offer.¡± ¡°Lay it on me.¡± ¡°Some newblood wants a chance at Special Operations. Feiden Desmus, one of the nine Elites we received this year.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± There was a small chuckle. ¡°Hasn¡¯t been neutered by Anarchy like all the others?¡± ¡°Nope. Seems like it fanned the flame. He wants to fight.¡± ¡°No shit. Well, the prerequisite for even getting looked at is Emission. Can¡¯t take him if he can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°...¡± General Thorn glanced at Feiden, who brought up his fingers. With a swipe, Vigor swept through the air, a thin blade several feet wide flashing through the air for a few seconds before dissipating. Thorn smiled. ¡°He¡¯s reached Emission. He¡¯s also still Authority Five, on the cusp of advancing.¡± ¡°Shit. I wish I had that fucking talent!¡± ¡°So you¡¯ll take him?¡± ¡°Well, if you aren¡¯t going to. Send him over here and I¡¯ll take a look. We¡¯ve lost some men recently with the wave of attacks, and I have a feeling I¡¯m going to need new blood to fill the gaps in our operational capacity.¡± ¡°Very well. He¡¯ll be on a Rail by tomorrow.¡± The call ended with a succinct goodbye. Thorn and Feiden stared at each other for a bit. ¡°Well, you heard him. You won¡¯t be getting slaughtered en masse on the frontlines, but you¡¯ll also be encountering the most dangerous the Scourge has to offer. Those guys can die like all the rest, as they have. So? Still think you¡¯re up for it, even as an Authority Five?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Feiden¡¯s answer contained no hesitation. If anything, it was impatient, like he was annoyed Thorn was even asking the question. The General smirked. ¡°Fine then. Go rest for now. You¡¯ll need it. I¡¯ll have a ticket for you tomorrow. After that, you¡¯re at Gurns¡¯ mercy.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir. Though I have to ask. How difficult would it be to offer my squad the same opportunity? If I¡¯m up to standards, then they most certainly are as well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more difficult than you think. I can¡¯t just pull the daughter of a Duchess, and John Cooper has Sovereigns watching him. The only one I could do something about is Tana Choron.¡± ¡°... She¡¯s with Umara. It¡¯s better to keep them together.¡± ¡°Well that doesn¡¯t leave me many options, does it?¡± He chuckled. Feiden lowered his head. ¡°Thank you, General Thorn. I appreciate the opportunity.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting to hear good news. Focus on yourself. I¡¯ll give the names to Gurns, so if your friends really are exceptional and express interest, he¡¯ll be able to act. Until then, perhaps you¡¯ll be able to carve out a little spot for your little crew.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do so.¡± ¡°Good confidence.¡± With a wave and goodbye, Feiden was dismissed. He left the admin building he was in before retiring to his dorm. He sat down on his bed, thinking for a few seconds before tapping his Aerial and sending out a message to all those concerned. He didn¡¯t think his squad would meet Gurns. But at the very least, names were mentioned and if they really were being watched, then they should know that the path was open. Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be long then until they all met up with him at Special Operations. General Thorn, his father¡¯s friend, turned out to be an exceptionally valuable contact to have. After getting some responses and smiling, Feiden shut things down and went to sleep. ¡ª---------------- The destination was Stronghold Beta. It took about a day for him to arrive. When he stepped off the Rail, he was hit by a pleasant chilly breeze. Stronghold Beta was one of the deeper military bases. It was located on a central plain not far from the middle of the war front. But it wasn¡¯t as busy as many other bases like Purple Sky. That was because there was a huge dividing canyon between them and Scourge nests. That meant most battles were small skirmishes. They happened often, not at any significant scale, and across complex terrain. It was also prolific with skilled fighters on both sides. Royals could be found en masse here, whereas the mindless monster mobs commonly found laying siege to bases were actually rare. It was no wonder it was also the headquarters for Kingdom Special Operations. ¡°Feiden Desmus.¡± Feiden¡¯s head spun when he heard his name. He saw a short man standing not far from him, waiting, no doubt for him. Seeing the single sword insignia of an A-10 Brigadier, he snapped off a salute. ¡°Sir! Ensign Desmus reporting for duty, sir!¡± ¡°Unclench your asshole, Desmus. And follow me.¡± The man ordered and waved, Feiden hoisting his bag of gear and following behind. The base seemed mostly empty. The only people he saw were sentries in guard towers on the walls. Other than that, there weren¡¯t many walking around, certainly not as busy as somewhere like Purple Sky. That wasn¡¯t surprising. Taking down a place like this would bring hardly any value for the Scourge. It couldn¡¯t be sieged due to the nearby terrain, and small teams would have to severely outclass those at the base just to take it down, which wasn¡¯t likely. Feiden didn¡¯t know who was heading the stronghold, but it had to be at least a Marshal. As thus, the atmosphere was generally relaxing. Feiden found it refreshing. ¡°For now, you¡¯re only here for an evaluation. It¡¯ll be hard to find you a place here since you¡¯re weaker than the average. Even at Authority 6, you¡¯ll lose your head if you aren¡¯t paying absolute attention to every little detail in a battle. I heard you¡¯re fast on top of your talent, and I¡¯m sure Anarchy did something for your Aura. So my expectations are high, so long as you¡¯ve got the grit to actually get through training. And hopefully, once you get assigned to a task force, you¡¯ll live long enough to become an asset instead of a liability.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t fail.¡± Feiden responded plainly. He didn¡¯t come here to try. He came here because he was going to become a special operative. The training would be just that. There was no test to be conducted in his mind. The Brigadier snorted. ¡°Heh, I¡¯m not sure if that monotone voice of yours sounds like arrogance or confidence. You have no idea what you¡¯re stepping into. People think they know what being broken is until they step into my program. What makes you think you¡¯re different?¡± ¡°... There was a time not long ago when I thought that I was broken. Then I realized it didn¡¯t matter. So I moved on. Now I¡¯m just doing what I need to do to become better.¡± Feiden¡¯ spoke while memories flashed through his mind. Losing Mira was perhaps the greatest driving force behind his rationalization of Anarchy. He wanted, so very badly, to make everyone responsible pay with their lives. He wanted to tear apart every incompetent bastard on that base, slaughter every last Magisterium student, and then depart to the afterlife so he could slap Mira for being such an idiot. He couldn¡¯t have fathomed the all-consuming rage, nor the desperate desire for the deaths of those he once held dear. He felt like if he couldn¡¯t send everyone to hell himself, he¡¯d just end his own life. What was the point in being such a weak failure of a man? But he realized during that process that those thoughts were¡­ idiotic, pointless, and just as weak as those he hated. He couldn¡¯t dwell on it. He couldn¡¯t afford to. He had failed to protect one of the people he loved. That was his fault, and now, he was required to live the rest of his life in pursuit of strength so that it wouldn¡¯t happen again. No matter how little, he would make sure that his life provided some value to those he cared about, or he would die trying. Being broken? So what if he was? He smiled just a bit toward the Brigadier. ¡°You can certainly try, sir. I¡¯ll take the challenge.¡± ¡°Is that right¡­¡± Feiden saw him smile a bit and sighed. Now he was really in for it. After that, there was nothing but silence as they walked to what seemed like a training ground. The floor was entirely metal, and in the middle of the area was a tall metal obelisk with deep enchanted engravings on it. It produced a dense field of power around it. There were currently only two people in the grounds, and both of them were knights, sweating as they did some sword exercises. The Brigadier walked up to a nearby console, tapping it a few times until the field around the obelisk vanished. The two men in the field lifted their heads and looked toward them questioningly. The Brigadier pointed. ¡°Leave your bag here and step just inside the circle around the obelisk.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Feiden saluted quickly before dropping his bag and walking over. There was a large circle drawn on the floor around the obelisk about 50 yards from it. The metal-floored training ground wasn¡¯t that much larger than the circle. Feiden stepped within the circle while the two other men stepped out. There were some items for training within the circle such as dummies and an obstacle course, among other things. Once he stepped past the line, he waited, looking around. Then, without warning, the obelisk flashed. The air around Feiden compressed for a moment before dispersing, rushing out of his lungs in one incredible gust. Simultaneously, he felt himself get a dozen times heavier, the still-increasing gravity of the area slamming his kneecaps into the metal floor with such force they shattered under his weight. ¡°AARGH!¡± He let out a long painful groan. It was more shocking than anything as the pain lapsed his consciousness for a few seconds before he regained his bearings. His body trembled as he flattened on the floor. Even with his strength, he felt like he could barely crawl. And his broken kneecaps made everything worse. No position relieved any of the pain. Even activating his Vigor was difficult. It was like it was affected by the gravity too. His power was being suppressed, barely able to keep him together. He heard the Brigadier walking over, stepping into the circle and smiling at him. It didn¡¯t even look like he felt anything. ¡°You better get used to this, because you¡¯ll be here often. For now, I¡¯ll give you your first objective. Touch the obelisk, and it¡¯ll shut down. After that, you can get your knees treated. Our healers here are some of the best. Or, you can crawl out, and I¡¯ll put you on a Rail straight back to the rear. With your broken kneecaps, of course.¡± He waved and walked off the grounds. ¡°I look forward to your performance.¡± ¡°...¡± Feiden grit his teeth, straining to even lift his neck. Then, he moved his arm, palms slamming down into the metal, and pulled. Chapter 149: Pathfinders I saw the cold before I felt it. When the Rail surfaced to enter the Terminal, I looked out the window and saw clear skies and an endless expanse of snowy mountains. A slight chill graced the cabin moments after. I pulled up my coat¡¯s collar. It was also black and looked similar to the summoner¡¯s coat I had received to go with my fatigues. I figured it wouldn¡¯t be an issue to wear it instead of the standard uniform, especially when the weather was so extreme. Still, it seemed I¡¯d have to get used to being cold. Though, given the fact that I had socks, pants, a coat, and hood that was all temperature controlled, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯d actually have an issue. Not long after, we glided into the terminal. I grabbed my bag and stepped out, instantly feeling the cold¡¯s bite on my face and hands. This base didn¡¯t seem active. There was a squad or two of soldiers alongside me that had stepped out, as well as plenty of supplies to be unloaded. But at first glance, comparing the base with something like Purple Sky was almost like an insult to the massive microcity. Stronghold Charlie was on the westmost edge of the frontlines. Further to the left were more mountains before one reached the coast. I was actually on the border of the Bloody Sea now, though it wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d be taking any trips out on a boat. Still, it was obvious what this base¡¯s purpose was: keeping the Scourge away from strategic flanks. They might not come with the ferocity they did at other bases because of the terrain, but those that did come were no doubt specialized. Less numerous, stronger, and harder to find. I was starting to see why I was sent here. Though my Crown was off the books, I was still a ranged fighter with exceptional single target lethality. In a place like this, ranged fighters were more valuable than close combatants. I walked onto the base with those thoughts. I had my orders. I was to find Commander Pollux and report for duty. Fortunately, I wouldn¡¯t have to go looking for him. My eyes caught a man with a shoulder sporting three stripes and three arrows, the insignia of an A-7 Commander. Then, there was the nametag that said T. Pollux. The only confusing part was how he was Authority 8, a level higher than his rank indicated. The man wasn¡¯t large and wore the fatigues of a warlock. He was several inches shorter than me and I faintly sensed some water mana. That¡¯d be useful in this place. I walked up to him and saluted. Although I now had two ranks, Corporal and Officer, I defaulted to my Intelligence rank. ¡°Officer Cooper, reporting to Commander Pollux on the General¡¯s orders.¡± ¡°Mm. Good to see you, Cooper. Welcome to Stronghold Charlie. Come with me, and I¡¯ll get you acquainted with your new life here.¡± I dropped the salute when he extended out his hand. I shook it before following him into the base. My breath let out visible vapor as we walked. This was a military base, but in order to handle the snow, the rooftops of the buildings were slanted, giving it a more homely vibe that almost let me ignore the metal and stone construction. Interestingly, there were enchanted conduits along the stone brick roads that melted snow, the remaining streams of water being diverted into a drain system. I didn¡¯t know where it went, but it would be ingenious if it was brought to a purifier to be used for the base¡¯s water supply. Commander Pollux spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve read of your exploits, Cooper. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been told many times, but there¡¯s never been a summoner quite like you. Outstanding ranged lethality. I¡¯ve also seen some of your mission records. Your performance was noteworthy in every case. But it¡¯s also clear you need to operate in a squad. Your strengths are just as clear as your weaknesses.¡± ¡°Yes sir. I¡¯m quite the glass cannon.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ a fitting phrase. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re self aware too. So you must understand that, given the attention on you and the often unpredictable nature of our operations here, I find it difficult to find a suitable place for you that doesn¡¯t immediately put your life at risk. Nevertheless, you¡¯ve been placed in my platoon, so it will be done. Hopefully the position I¡¯ve assigned you is a place where you can thrive. I have no doubt your lethality will become a great asset to us should we succeed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± I smiled a bit. This guy was basically saying that he hoped I¡¯d be able to survive long enough to be of value. I didn¡¯t mind being of value, but why were we acting like my survival was a casual topic of little concern? Was that not supposed to be my primary goal in all this? I internally shrugged, filing the thought away for later, and continued following him. We came upon some residences where he led me to an empty room. I guess since this base was emptier than normal, there were enough rooms for everyone. He had me drop off my bag there before I was brought to the headquarters building. ¡°You¡¯re a summoner, no doubt fit for an intelligence role. However, we also want you in the field where we can take advantage of your lethality. After some consideration I decided to give you a relatively new position. It was only created when we got the Aerial nodes. You¡¯ll be our communications liaison. The Intelligence personnel here at headquarters relay information to us while we¡¯re in the field, but since we may be busy if there¡¯s a fight, we need someone to act on that information for us. That¡¯s where you come in. First, I¡¯d like you to meet one of our Handlers. You two will be frequently talking to each other.¡± I was led into a large room with several magical screens that displayed maps and pages of information. There were tables all around with papers and Intelligence personnel sitting behind them. There were devices, similar to Aerials, but cruder and larger, mounted on the tables like a landline. And behind one was a mature woman with short deep blue hair and a dark face. She looked perpetually depressed and angry. She saw us approaching and turned. ¡°Polly. This is the newbie.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, ma¡¯am.¡± I gave a quick salute when I saw the three arrows signifying a Colonel. She was also a summoner, it looked like. I could feel the power of her mind through what little Aura she had. She nodded plainly. ¡°John Cooper. I wish I got promoted right out of academy.¡± ¡°...¡± I just smiled. It wasn¡¯t like I had any excuses for it. She leaned back into her seat. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m hoping you at least won¡¯t hold us back. I¡¯ve heard what you¡¯ve done at the Magisterium but all of that hardly matters out here. Everything beyond the walls of this base is hostile. Everything that walks and crawls wants to kill you and burrow into your corpse for the little bit of warmth it may offer. For your sake, I hope you adapt quickly. Such a high profile kid dying here will only stain our record.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry ma¡¯am. I don¡¯t want me to die either.¡± ¡°Whether or not you die isn¡¯t up to you. If you can die, you will die. So don¡¯t put yourself in the position to. Thankfully, you¡¯ll have me in your ear. If you get your leg bitten off, you¡¯ll at least be able to hear me say ¡®I told you so.¡¯¡± ¡°Duly noted.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but grin a bit. I didn¡¯t sense a lick of hostility in her Aura, just someone who had no filter and said it as it was. I quite liked those kinds of people. Though, the apathy I sensed from her was a bit disheartening. I could imagine that she was a bit jaded after years of being in the military. She looked down and tapped the Aerial on her desk. ¡°Connect your Aerial to this. This is my personal Aerial and if you get contacted by it, you better answer. Failing to do so will be met with severe disciplinary action. On the other hand, you are only allowed to contact this number when specified or during operating hours. Outside of operating hours, there better be a damn good reason for you to call. If not, I¡¯ll have your balls. Is that clear?¡± ¡°Crystal clear, ma¡¯am.¡± I gave an acknowledgment before exchanging contact info. The screen on her Aerial device flashed and added my name to the contact list. She nodded. ¡°Good. Since you¡¯re a summoner it¡¯ll be easier to communicate. Still, you¡¯re going to have to memorize some maps and learn your way around the terrain. Getting lost is just as dangerous as encountering Royals. I''m transferring you a map.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I was transferred some data, and a map popped up on my Aerial. Like with an Orb projector, I could interact with the map and focus on all the little details. After that, she waved. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing more, I need to get back to work. Pollux, is he going out tomorrow?¡± ¡°I was planning on bringing him along since it''s routine.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll put it in the logs. Just remember he¡¯s a summoner and prepare accordingly.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Pollux smiled and walked off. I trailed behind him, taking one last glance at Polly as she went back to filling out papers. He chuckled. ¡°She¡¯s a hard ass for protocol. And now, you get to deal with her. Just know you¡¯ll probably be in charge of mission reports from now on too.¡± ¡°... Understood.¡± I clicked my tongue. Seemed I¡¯d have to handle the bureaucracy since I was the summoner. After walking around a bit more, we came upon what looked like a barracks. I heard the boisterous interior before the door even opened. A recreation area greeted us as we entered. There were a few dozen people here, all of them turning their heads from their tables, games, and conversations. Mostly men, and some women, all scrutinized me as one spoke. ¡°Is that the new guy, Commander?¡± ¡°Damn, he¡¯s tall!¡± ¡°Yes. All of you listen up! This is Officer Cooper. He¡¯s the new Communications Liaison for our Pathfinder Platoon. Andrea, you no longer have to deal with mission reports.¡± ¡°Fucking finally!¡± One female warlock let out a cry of relief. ¡°As for his position, Cooper is a ranged fighter. I¡¯ll be assigning one of you to be his partner in the field. For the time being, that person will be his protection until we decide whether or not he needs it. He¡¯ll be coming with us on our scouting mission tomorrow. Either way, get yourselves prepared tonight. We leave an hour before sunset tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°Hey new guy!¡± One guy shouted shortly after, catching my attention. He was a knight, Authority Six from first glance. He flicked his head from a spot on a couch. ¡°Your face looks like it got chewed up by a snowrat. What¡¯s with that?¡± ¡°Heh.¡± I chuckled a bit. It was true that I had a few scars on my face. Thankfully it didn¡¯t quite put me on the level of deformity. I shrugged. ¡°Eh, you know. Just a little bit of personality.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s one fucking way to put it. Ever consider putting a bag over your head? Might save us some trouble.¡± ¡°And rob the ladies of this beautiful visage?¡± I stroked my chin with a smile, feeling a healthy layer of stubble. The knight snorted. ¡°Hah! You think you¡¯re ever gonna get a girl, you fucking virgin?¡± ¡°Well with that attitude, you certainly aren¡¯t. So someone¡¯s gotta, eh?¡± A few people chortled to the side. The knight¡¯s face fell from cocky arrogance to something more violent. ¡°Fucking summoner. I think you¡¯re forgetting who¡¯s got the power here. ¡°Hey now, what¡¯s with all the hostility, man? Can¡¯t we all just get along? We could be buddies!¡± ¡°The fuck? You think I¡¯d associate with a little bitch like you?¡± ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s get to the part where you shut the fuck up, please. It¡¯s not like I find this sudden pissing contest particularly enjoyable either.¡± I sighed and brought out a cigar, lighting it and taking a few puffs. I really didn¡¯t know what this guy¡¯s problem was. Then, in the corner of my eye, I saw the gleam of a knife. A 1911 appeared in my hand as I lifted my head, the knight throwing the knife as I raised it. It was heading for the side, not at me. I tracked it with my eyes and hand, using a bit of Psyka and time dilation before pulling the trigger. The explosion of the gun was the only thing audible as the knife suddenly went flying the other way. It clattered on the floor to the side. A wisp of smoke rose from my barrel. Needless to say, that shut people up. The knight took a few seconds to process what happened, the two of us staring at each other, before suddenly standing. Then, Pollux put up his hand. ¡°Stand down. Cooper, apologize to First Sergeant Eric. He doesn¡¯t have his stripes on, but he still outranks you.¡± ¡°Ah. My deepest apologies, First Sergeant.¡± I gave a sharp salute, smiling a bit as Eric smoldered. Then, Pollux waved. ¡°Let¡¯s go check you into the armory.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± I nodded and went to walk out with Pollux, though not before he got in the last word. ¡°Ugly motherfucker.¡± ¡°...¡± I stopped and turned, shooting him a half smile of disappointment and slight contempt. Then I just went and walked through the door. Pollux smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. He¡¯s always been a bit of a¡­ fiery personality.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ve heard. Speaking of ranks, sir. I was told that I could put in for a promotion to Captain? Apparently there¡¯s a test?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, you can. That would be something for Colonel Polly to handle. Go find her during your free time.¡± ¡°Understood. As for Eric, should I expect more warm welcomings like his?¡± Pollux chuckled again. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You must understand that everyone here is relatively independent. When we head into the Crags and mountains, teams are separated and on their own. We don¡¯t defend walls here. We go out and hunt our enemies. We split off into pairs or singles and set up traps and stalk ambush sites. We also get ambushed and are forced to either consolidate and defend, or disperse. Ranks mean less. The chain of command is useless out there where everyone has to fend for themselves. That means interpersonal relationships are both less important and unique. That also gives me the challenge of finding someone who will be your partner when you go out there.¡± ¡°... If I may give my opinion on the matter.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer a knight for a partner, but I¡¯d sooner go out on my own than get paired with someone like Eric. Anybody who isn¡¯t hellbent on making my life difficult for no good reason.¡± ¡°Hm, noted.¡± Pollux nodded as we arrived at the armory. There, we met the clerk, Josh. ¡°Hey Josh.¡± ¡°Commander.¡± ¡°Get Officer Cooper here checked in and equipped with the basics.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Cooper, come find me in the Garage when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± I saluted him before he walked off. After that, I turned to Josh and got started. The basic package here was primarily cold gear. Not everyone was fortunate enough to be gifted Warm Socks from the head of the Polaris Family, and you wouldn¡¯t survive here without layers. So I was given a set of standard issue clothing. A thick fur lined long coat, two pairs of pants, two pairs of a wool long sleeve shirt, some nice boots, insulating socks, and a balaclava. All of the gear was camouflaged for snow too. They had white and black designs across them, though I was curious as to how effective camo was against Scourge monsters and Scouts. Vision was vision, but when magic was factored into it, there was a whole other layer of complexity. Once I was given all that, I signed a contract stating that the given items were merely loans. Should they be damaged in the line of duty, then they would need to be turned in and then replaced. If I lost them, I would need to pay for it. And at the end of my assignment here at this base, I would have to turn everything in. Standard military things. After that, Josh moved on to one more order of business. ¡°I received two shipments for you, the first from Armor Production and Requisitions. No need for payment. Here.¡± Josh pushed over a box with a letter pinned to the corner. Then, he pointed to a bigger box to the side. ¡°Second shipment is from Sawn Industries. I¡¯ll need an ID imprint for that.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I handed him my ID, which he used to sign a document. Once I got it back, he rested his hands on his hips. ¡°Can you bring these back, or do you need help?¡± ¡°I should be able to.¡± I walked over to the box of armor. Taking that into my armband storage was easy. Then walked over to the huge box from Sawn. That one had to go into my personal storage. Josh shrugged. ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ve got nothing more for you. If you need repairs or more gear, you know where to find me. Just know you¡¯ll have to buy any gear beyond your issued stuff.¡± ¡°Sure. Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± With a wave, I left the armory, everything I received inside my storage. Since I didn¡¯t need to drop everything off immediately, I went to the Garage where Pollux was standing around. The Garage was just that. It stored all the vehicles this base used, larger than a hangar and taking up a huge chunk of the base. There were several dozen vehicles, from magic bikes to Steeds. Almost every vehicle was modified for the rough and snowy terrain, as well as painted to match our camo. Pollux waved me over. ¡°This here is the Garage. Almost every deployment beyond the walls of this base will be in one of these vehicles. You know how to drive any of these things?¡± ¡°Yes sir. I should be able to drive all of them.¡± ¡°Good to know, though for now, you won¡¯t be. Once you get the gist of how we operate, you¡¯ll probably become a driver. I¡¯ll test you when that time comes. Still, get used to the sight of these babies. Transport can sometimes take longer than the mission. And occasionally, you may sleep in them.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Did you get everything from Josh? I heard you got some packages.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°Good. There¡¯s more that we use, things like traps, sensors, and camping gear. But you get those things when you deploy.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Good. Now, relax for a little bit. Alpha Platoon should be returning soon.¡± Pollux grabbed a nearby stool used by some maintenance personnel in the Garage. I grabbed one as well. Then, we waited for a while. Sure enough, there was a distinct alarm as the front gates of the base flung open. Six Steeds flew through, as well as a dozen bikes. The Auras of those who rode them practically towered. I sensed one Authority 10, five Authority 9s, and an assortment of 8s and 7s. A really powerful platoon. There were about 40 of them from a quick count. While there wasn¡¯t anybody in our platoon who was below Authority 6 except me, they still couldn¡¯t match these guys, not by a long shot. Pollux mumbled. ¡°Alpha Platoon, otherwise known as the Snow Doves, is in charge of most of the search and destroy missions. They fight the strong ones. Royals and Unique monsters. As for us, we¡¯re often in charge of recon, trap setting, and sensor placement. I¡¯ll tell you more about those things tomorrow on our mission, but basically, we¡¯re the ones who pave the way for those guys so they can do what they do best.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I nodded while watching them roll into the Garage, quickly hopping out with enthusiasm. I glanced around and found patches on their shoulders, ones that sported white doves in front of blue backgrounds, the source of their nickname. It seemed like their mission had gone well, though I quickly sniffed out some blood. Human blood. ¡°Healer! One wounded over here!¡± ¡°On it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a spear to the leg. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± The wounded knight waved off the excessive concern, though still allowed himself to be treated. He was generally battered and bruised, so he had probably taken a beating before getting speared. I watched the healers cast a couple of small spells before talking with the knight and getting him moved to the medical bay. Pollux elbowed me. ¡°Just so you know, both of our platoons have healers who deploy with us. They are there for emergency on-site treatment. Basically, they¡¯ll keep you from dying until we get back to base. Normally, you won¡¯t get fully repaired since if you¡¯re getting hurt, the battle isn¡¯t going well. They¡¯re still mages capable of combat. So they can¡¯t devote all their energy to healing.¡± ¡°Mm. No matter what, it¡¯s great that they¡¯re there.¡± ¡°Yes, and since you¡¯re a ranged fighter, they will be the people you must focus on protecting. You understand why they have to be the last people to get hurt, right?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°Good. Well Cooper, I¡¯ve got nothing more for you today. Go situate yourself and settle. Your first mission starts tomorrow. Keep an eye on your Aerial for instructions from Polly.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± We both stood and saluted before going our separate ways, the bustle from the Garage fading away. Chapter 150: Letter Having been dismissed by Pollux, I went to Headquarters to find Polly. When I arrived, I found her still doing paperwork. I approached and saluted, standing at attention silently. She ignored me as she continued filling out the page, taking a minute or so to scribe things down at a rapid yet consistent pace. Once she reached the bottom of the page, she took a breath, scribbled a neat signature, and turned to me. ¡°Cooper. You know how to be patient. Keep that virtue.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°So? What do you need?¡± ¡°I was told to come to you if I wanted to take the test for promotion to Captain.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± She nodded and rested her hand on her fist, leaning against her backrest while crossing one leg over the other. Dressed in the summoner fatigues, she looked just like an office lady ¨C except her gaze was hardened by years of menial paperwork and military experience. ¡°Yes, you can put in for it, but the test won¡¯t happen right away. You¡¯ll first send in an application, which will be reviewed by High Command before getting accepted or rejected. If it¡¯s accepted, it¡¯ll be sent back down and I¡¯ll give you the books to study. After studying them, you¡¯ll take the test. Once you pass, I¡¯ll carry out your promotion.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Then wait here.¡± She stood and walked off to another room. Four minutes later, she was back. She placed two papers on the desk next to me. ¡°There¡¯s your application. Fill out the first page and I¡¯ll complete the second. Here¡¯s a pen, and there¡¯s a table over there for you to use.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I took the two items and headed to the table. The application consisted mostly of basic stuff, requiring details about me and my position in the military: duty station, commanding officer, requested rank, duration of service, etc. I filled out most things easily. Before long, the entire page was filled out. The only difficult part was what to put down under a section titled ¡°Reasons for Application.¡± What was I supposed to put down there? Why did anyone want to be promoted? More money? Better benefits? It was like they couldn¡¯t understand why anyone would want to have a higher rank. I rolled my eyes at that and put down some fluffy bullshit. Things like how I wanted to serve the Kingdom better, how effective I¡¯d be being able to command more people, my past performance during academy. I had a hard time not cringing at my own work. I didn¡¯t want it to seem like I was trying to jerk them off, but that was kind of how these things worked. It was all nothing more than ass kissing and false righteousness. Once done, I clicked my tongue and handed the page back to Polly. She looked over it, reading through my work before smirking and scribbling across the second page. ¡°How ingratiating. Just based off this I¡¯d think you were a noble.¡± ¡°Seeing as I¡¯m trying to appeal to nobles, I figured that would work best.¡± ¡°Very true. But most people don¡¯t even have this breadth of vocabulary, let alone know how to write in such a uselessly eloquent manner. Either way though, you¡¯ve been on active duty for all of a day. I¡¯d keep expectations realistic. Then again, if they¡¯ve got their eyes on you, they¡¯re probably waiting for this to come through with a stamp in hand.¡± ¡°I certainly didn¡¯t ask for it, but I¡¯ll take what I can get.¡± ¡°I would too.¡± With that she stamped the second page before putting them together. ¡°That¡¯s all, Cooper. I¡¯ll send this out with the next shipment. And keep your ears open. You¡¯ll be receiving a message from me tonight with an instructional brief. Go to sleep early tonight, the Pathfinders are getting an early start tomorrow.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I saluted her, receiving a quick salute back, before I left headquarters. Next stop, my dorm. I arrived in the room a little while before dinner. I decided to get myself comfortable with the free time I had. I figured that all of my issued gear should stay on me, so I just kept it in my storage. Then, I brought out the armor box. After setting it on my bed, I pulled off the letter attached to it, saw the insignia of a Marshal stamped on its front, and opened it. It was signed by Marshal Talerria of the 2nd Warlock Corps. My brows shifted higher as I read the letter.
Hello John. The shipment of armor you have received comes from an intercepted order in APR. You¡¯re one of the extremely few summoners who have ever been placed into a combat role on the level you have. APR planned to give you a slightly modified warlock armor set, since both summoners and warlocks have ordinary bodies. But I understand that your coat is of higher quality than anything they would give you. Those armor sets can only sustain Authority Six attacks at best, certainly nothing comparable to what your coat can take. So I intercepted the order and changed it. What you¡¯ll find in the box is a pair of boots and pants. They¡¯re rated for Authority Eight and equipped with temperature regulation, something you¡¯ll appreciate in the Crags outside Stronghold Charlie. The boots also house a movement enchantment. I know that¡¯s one of your weak points, and, although this doesn¡¯t outright solve it, it¡¯ll certainly give you more room for error. The enchantment is passive and toggleable, providing a power boost to your steps and weight reduction. It¡¯s a step down from outright levitation, but that¡¯s the cost of a passive effect. However, you can use the enchantment actively. It has limited fuel, but it can increase the power of your steps by a magnitude using air magic. Use it wisely, and don¡¯t kill yourself by jumping too high. It¡¯ll help you in the snow, but stealth remains your greatest ally. You can consider this an apology for not taking command over you. The other Marshals want to see you perform, which will naturally place you in danger. Thankfully, I know your Aura is up to the task, which is the only reason I stopped fighting to keep you under me when they came to me with their decision. Keeping you away from Umara at this point in time is for the best. It¡¯s already gotten every major family off our backs, and it will remain that way so long as they don¡¯t have to worry about you two fornicating. They¡¯re hoping distance and time will cause you two to drift apart. This buys us time; use it and get stronger. If you attain a high enough rank and gather the merits, you may actually acquire a noble title. This upcoming war will help facilitate that. Then, there will be no more opposition to you marrying my daughter. However, should you fall behind her Authority too much, marriage will quickly become a fantasy. Take care of yourself, John. But keep up. Whether it''s thanks to you or not, Umara is advancing faster than ever. She¡¯s currently on track to surpass me. As of writing this letter, I¡¯m also preparing for her next advancement to Authority Six. For her sake, I hope you¡¯re as amazing as I think you are. I want her to be happy, John. Help me make that happen. -Talexia
I smiled and placed the letter in my personal storage. I was glad to have the Duchess as an ally. Opening the box, I found a pair of black boots and pants inside. The pants had a heft to them, probably due to the segmented armor plating. They sagged in my hands, the weight of the plates dragging the legs down. The boots were similar. They were made of relatively flexible leather and had smaller metal plates attached in no discernable manner. I hummed appreciatively, slipping off my shoes before shoving myself inside the boots. They were shockingly comfortable for a pair of overgrown steel-toe boots. After securing myself in with the leather straps, I stood and jumped experimentally. No sound besides the equivalent of tapping my feet against the wooden floor. Even when I kicked something, there was nothing more than a normal thud. It seemed the armor plates wouldn¡¯t be a source of noise. That was good.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I then went on to try the pants, finding them nearly identical. Overall, the two pieces of gear were heavy, though I enjoyed the room the baggy pants gave me. They were thick and comfortable, and almost unbearingly warm in the heated barracks. These would serve well along with the coat. It was a good thing the Duchess decided to do this. Otherwise, I¡¯d have the undershirt, the armor, and my coat, topped off with the fur coat for camo. I¡¯d have ended up discarding the armor if that was the case. Now that I had these pants from the Duchess, I no longer needed the pants from my academy instructor Colonel Kotts. At least, not while I was in the field. I could wear them casually on base, since they were lighter than the armored pants. After taking a moment to mentally catalog my outfits, I stashed everything and moved onto the next box. The box took up a quarter of my room all by itself. The workstation Sawn sent slowly revealed itself as I pried off the wooden siding and packing material. It was vaguely desk-like with several devices built into it, including a series of Orb projectors, a specialized Aerial much larger than the one on my wrist, and a large screen that popped out from the back. On top of the desk was a letter. I grabbed it and scanned it briefly. There was only one line. ¡°Log in with your personal Aerial. It¡¯ll take your Crest information from that.¡± I shrugged and looked down. The Aerial on the desk doubled as a kind of interface. I tapped my Aerial to it, and the two devices flashed before the screen glowed to life. I sat down on the chair that came with the desk and watched as a wall of text appeared on the screen. Another letter. As promised, this was my workstation from Sawn. It was connected directly to the Sawn Industries network, with limited access to their repository. It was also equipped with a few programs that would help me design things, essentially 3D modeling. The real kicker was how summoners could interface with it. It handled information just like an Orb did. Orbs were built by summoners, for summoners, and they allowed the direct use of Psyka to transcribe information. This workstation was no different, which meant I could draw things and scribe descriptions with nothing more than my mind, some Psyka, and a bit of Aura. After reading about the details, I got to the last part of the message. It was the contract, a custom one made by Sawn. I would be receiving the job position of Design and Development Specialist. I¡¯d have no formal schedule, and my obligations were limited. I would occasionally receive blueprints and designs and would improve designated or alternate aspects. I would also be able to design my own pieces of tech and submit them for assessment. Should anything I made be used and eventually sold, I would receive commissions between 10% and 30% of the profits, depending on how much of the work was actually done by me. This point was negotiable per product. On top of that, I was to receive a weekly salary of 3 thousand coin. Besides that, I would also have the opportunity to learn about enchanting, since that was a pretty big part of magical design. The lessons were all on the workstation, and learning them was up to me and my schedule. Finally, there was the last and most major stipulation of the contract. Doing this wouldn¡¯t be free. Although I¡¯d be giving him my knowledge, it wasn¡¯t like Sawn knew its depth. All he knew was that I was a valuable summoner, someone who¡¯d acquire far more power than most other summoners. And because of that, he wanted to keep me to himself. So the last stipulation was that, in exchange for this opportunity and position, I was to promise that I wouldn¡¯t work or interact with other companies or development entities for the next 30 years. I wouldn¡¯t be allowed to talk to anyone about my intellectual property nor anything regarding Sawn Industries. Basically, it was a non-disclosure and non-compete agreement. And honestly, I didn¡¯t mind all that much. Unless Sawn Industries crashed and burned, I had no reason to go anywhere else. And if they did crash and burn, there wouldn¡¯t be anyone to stop me. Besides, who the hell knew what this world would look like in 30 years. It¡¯d be unrecognizable in 10 with the Scourge Kings knocking on the door, given how the Pillars went down. It wasn¡¯t like I was tying myself down, and money wasn¡¯t doing much for me right now anyway. I simply signed when I saw the Crest imprint line at the bottom. After that, the screen flashed. Sawn¡¯s face flickered into existence, surrounded by what seemed like a workshop. ¡°Hello John. I¡¯m glad to see you agreed to the contract. Just remember that as we move forward, some of details can be negotiated, such as commission and salary.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°This is a live call, by the way.¡± ¡°Ah. Thank you, sir.¡± I smiled. I had thought it was a video, but it seemed like it was programmed to connect us when I signed. ¡°I look forward to working with you.¡± ¡°As do I. I think an important step in realizing your value will be learning enchanting. Although enchanting relies on warlocks and mana, summoners play an important part in the design process. The only limitation, should a summoner completely understand enchanting, is the warlock¡¯s ability to apply the enchantments according to the design. To that end, I¡¯m currently the second best enchanter. The best currently resides at the top of the Magic Tower. For now, worry not about complexities and simply learn as much as you can. Anything you make will go through my hands first, and I¡¯ll guide you should you need advice.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°As for your schedule, please take your time. Stronghold Charlie is one of the more dangerous places to be at. Focus on that before worrying yourself with education. You can¡¯t design anything if you¡¯re dead.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I smirked a bit. Then, Sawn nodded. ¡°If you need anything, like a trip back to the capital should you want to leave the military, just let me know. Your workstation can send messages to my own. Leave them there, and I will respond when I can. I¡¯ve also given you a sign-on bonus of one month¡¯s pay. It should deposit into your bank soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful.¡± ¡°Mm. Goodbye then.¡± The video call clicked off, leaving me to lean back into my seat. I was now an employee of Sawn Industries, given the freedom to create anything I wanted. I already had several pieces of technology I could give him, none of them magical, but more than revolutionary enough. And if I could learn enchanting, I¡¯d be able to make some really special things. Although I wasn¡¯t something like a full-fledged engineer since I barely graduated from college, I still had a working knowledge of several technologies. I knew how combustion engines worked, I knew how turbines worked, I knew how trains and cars worked, I even knew how to make things like looms and printing presses and several other basic technologies and tools. It really wasn¡¯t difficult conceptually. Although the designs would be basic, it wasn¡¯t like this world could handle anything more. They simply didn¡¯t have the required base infrastructure. As I improved and put out more complex pieces, they would improve their ability to produce what I put out. The hardest part would be learning how to use whatever design program was on the workstation. After that, I could put together various technologies and send them off. I was also interested to see some of the designs they would send me. I didn¡¯t know if I could improve them, but learning how they operated would be valuable. But that would wait for now. After turning off the workstation, I stood and left my room. It was about time for dinner. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all at set times. Between those times, small snacks would be put out for anyone that needed a bit more sustenance. When I got to the chow hall, I found that most of the base was already there. I filled up my tray and went and found a sparsely populated table. I didn¡¯t know anybody here yet, so I just stuck to myself. I gave a nod to the people at the other end of the table while I sat. There were three - two were Authority Eight while the other was Authority Nine. They seemed like friends and none of them cared enough to have a chat with me. I just ate my dinner while operating my Aerial, sending and receiving messages with Umara. We could go days at a time without talking to each other, while sometimes we¡¯d hold conversations for hours at a time. She told me about the fact that she was close to Authority Six. She had already mentioned stuff about it so I wasn¡¯t surprised seeing the topic in Talexia¡¯s letter. However, one thing only Tana and I knew about was her recent advancements regarding Aura. From her descriptions of it, her breakthrough was sensory in nature. She told me how she could sense things in far greater detail, but, more than that, the things around her took on extra attributes. She said that the air took on different colors and textures while she could sense the inherent natures of different materials like metals and fabrics. Of course, these colors and textures she was seeing weren¡¯t actually colors and textures. It was all sensed via Aura and Mana, and interpreted into something familiar by her brain. In the case of the colored air, I assumed that she was actually seeing the elements composing the air, things like nitrogen and oxygen. When I asked about it, she said that the majority of the air was composed of a neutral gray color while there were hints of blue. She couldn¡¯t see much of anything else, unless she focused on different sources of other types of air. For instance, the air that someone exhaled appeared slightly different than ambient air. She said there was a greater hint of something similar to violet in that air. Perhaps that was carbon dioxide. And, in the case of fire, most of the air around it was violet, with streaks of red and orange diffused throughout. The conclusion after she had tested various things was that she was now able to differentiate elements, and not magical elements. Air was no longer just a transparent gas around her, but a mixture of different fluids. And most importantly, she was already learning how to focus her control based on the element. It was as simple as separating oxygen from nitrogen, but the applications for that kind of ability were endless. However, that in itself posed more questions. Why could she control some elements but not others? Why could she pull oxygen out of the atmosphere, but not something like iron out of the ground? Was it as simple as being the difference between a gas and a solid? Or did the magical Elements differentiate themselves based on other attributes? It felt like an impossible question to answer, especially since I wasn¡¯t a warlock myself. I could only pose those questions to Umara and educate her in hopes that she could figure it out for herself. But no matter what, the question wouldn¡¯t be answered until she mastered at least one other Element, like Fire, which she was currently trying to gain affinity for. Still, she was excited, and I was happy for her. Her Aura was starting to go down the path of precision, which would allow her to utilize the knowledge I was giving her. Being able to tell the difference between things like nitrogen and oxygen would be the first step in developing new spells that harnessed the power of exotic compounds and chemicals. One of her goals was harnessing poisonous gasses like mustard gas. Now, she had a place to start from. She¡¯d be a force to be reckoned with very soon. I could hardly imagine her limits. With those thoughts in mind I polished off my tray and returned it to its designated disposal area. I left the chow hall wordlessly. Not long after that, I received a message on my Aerial from Polly. ¡°Orders for the Pathfinders: Mission brief in Room 2 at 0500 hours.¡± I sent a quick acknowledgment and continued walking back to my room. That was an early wake up call. I set my alarm and got ready for bed. After finishing any organizing I had to do, I piled on my own cushions, blankets, and pillows onto the bed. There was no way I was sleeping on the standard issue cardboard pad. That was a lesson I had learned at the Magisterium. Always bring your own luxuries. After that, I hastened myself to sleep. I wondered how long my application would take to get processed. I hoped it wouldn¡¯t be long. I¡¯d like to rank up quicker than not. Chapter 151: Trail The incessant beeping of my alarm brought me to consciousness. Although I still didn¡¯t feel quite at 100%, I decided eight hours was enough and tore off my covers. Although the building was temperature controlled, my room specifically didn¡¯t have much in the way of active heating. Because of that, the small window I had was a rude source of frosty air. I shivered a bit. My blankets were toasty cozy. The cold air around the room made me want to shrink back under them and go to sleep for another four hours. Unfortunately, this was not the day I wanted to be late. Thankfully I had my Warm Socks on, so I had no issue stepping onto the otherwise icy floor and dressing myself. I threw on my thermal pants from Colonel Kotts, a shirt and my coat, plus some normal boots, before rubbing my hands together and leaving the room. The bathrooms were communal here. Thankfully, the residential complex I was in was higher quality than the barracks. There were only two people in a relatively clean bathroom, one of whom was Commander Pollux. I gave him a silent salute, getting a nod in response before we went about our business. After that I headed to the chow hall. There, I found some piping hot beverages and morning snacks. There were two cooks on duty at this hour, no doubt there for people like us who had to be up at the asscrack of dawn. I grabbed a few snacks before lighting a cigar, taking a few puffs and feeling a pleasant wave of rejuvenation and cleansing. These things were the best for washing out morning fatigue. It was soon after I sat down that Commander Pollux, along with nearly all of Beta Platoon, arrived. They filed in relatively quietly, grabbing plates of food and tables. I glanced at them momentarily, the knight Eric catching my eye for a split second before I turned away. Their gazes collectively landed on me for a moment before other things occupied their attention and they made their way to their tables, but a group did split off and make their way toward me. ¡°Mind if we sit, Cooper?¡± ¡°... Please.¡± I motioned while taking a better look. Three girls and two guys. Two were warlocks, three were knights. None were Eric, so they were so far alright to me. ¡°Commander Pollux talked to me last night. It looks like I¡¯m going to be your babysitter from now.¡± The female knight who sat down across from me spoke first. Beneath her overcoat was a shirt with the name tag A. Weber. She was a fit girl with jet black hair, pale skin, and above average looks, though most knights were pretty good looking. She also seemed rather energetic. I nodded to her. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to stay out of trouble.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ all those scars tell a different story. I don¡¯t mind, but it would help if we took extra care. The rest of the frontline strongholds don¡¯t prepare you for the shit you can encounter here.¡± ¡°I heard it was plenty hostile. I¡¯ll defer to you then.¡± ¡°Appreciated. First Sergeant Amary Weber. Pleased to meet you.¡± ¡°Officer John Cooper.¡± I shook her hand, smiling at her rank. Seemed I would be getting an Authority 6 bodyguard, though it would remain to be seen how reliable she was compared to Feiden or Vetsmon. I really wished I had Feiden with me, but it seemed he was shipped off somewhere else. The last time I asked about it, he said he was given a pretty good opportunity, though didn¡¯t want to share details until he had some time to establish himself. I had yet to hear back. Either way, I was pretty sure that he was better than this Amary. She was definitely an Authority 6, but my squad could fight well above their power levels. Not that I¡¯d make her an enemy. I just couldn¡¯t help but compare. I¡¯d make sure to learn as much as I could from her. This was a different place with different dangers. I didn¡¯t want my Aura to be my only safety net. The male warlock spoke from the side, sticking out his hand. ¡°Gabe Trent.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Gabe.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an Authority Five?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re a summoner? I saw your little stunt in the rec room. What was that thing you used?¡± ¡°My weapon.¡± I lifted my hand and squeezed in the approximate shape of a gun. The 1911 popped into my hand. ¡°You can think of it like a bow. It shoots projectiles.¡± ¡°That little thing?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°...¡± He scrutinized it, probably trying to find something about its features that would justify any reasonable power. It certainly didn¡¯t look like a bow. I chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ll just have to trust me. The only downside to my weapons is the noise. It¡¯s an explosion every time I use them.¡± ¡°Yes, my ears were ringing yesterday when you used that thing. That could be a problem when we¡¯re trying to stay low.¡± ¡°Mm. I¡¯m thinking about some strategies to mitigate the issue, but I¡¯ll need some field testing.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± He nodded in agreement. Suddenly, the rest of the table twitched to attention. I followed a moment later as I heard Commander Pollux draw a breath. ¡°Start heading over to the briefing room.¡± With that order, people started to finish off their foodstuffs before heading out. Those at my table were among the group, all of us making our way to Briefing Room Two. A few people were already there, including Colonel Polly, who was fiddling with a map displayed on the front wall of the room. We all sat down. Once everyone seemed to be inside, I did a quick headcount. Beta Platoon was composed of 48 people, including me. ¡°Alright, listen up. Today, you¡¯ve all got sensor maintenance and recon.¡± Polly spoke, pointing at the map. In one corner I could see Stronghold Charlie, and in the other, I saw our objective area, outlined with a big red circle. ¡°Alpha Platoon had a moderate battle yesterday after intercepting a small detachment of Royals. Those Royals were going around and destroying our sensors and traps. You are responsible for replacing 18 sensors at the marked points. At the same time, we need to find out why the Royals were destroying our sensors. Recon has been requested on Hare¡¯s Pass and Scythe¡¯s Peak. Check for Scourge activity, report back, get those sensors deployed, and come home. Since you all are deploying past the Black Forest, prepare for an overnight stay.¡± Polly then started speaking to individual squads, assigning them specific instructions on what to do with the sensors. I learned that I was actually to break off from my squad and perform a separate duty, but wasn¡¯t given any details then on. As she finished, she looked around the room.¡± ¡°Any questions?¡± Eric¡¯s hand shot up. ¡°Yeah, uh, do we have to?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t answer stupid questions. Any others?¡± ¡°...¡± A few people snickered, but nobody asked anything else. So, Polly snapped the folder in her hands shut. ¡°You deploy at 0630 hours. Dismissed.¡± ¡°Alright people, grab your camp gear and stash two trucks. I also want four Steeds running hot. Anybody not packed and ready by 0610 gets the night watch.¡± Commander Pollux ordered us out and we made our way to the garage with purpose. ¡°Cooper. A minute.¡± I heard Polly call me, so I stopped in my steps and approached. Commander Pollux stayed behind as well. ¡°Today, we¡¯re going to see how you handle. You¡¯re the new Communications Liaison for Beta Platoon. That means you¡¯ll have me in your ear. Besides Pollux, you¡¯re the only one with a line back to base. Now, let me give you a small rundown of what happens when you arrive at the operation site.¡± Polly pulled out the map, pointing to the circled area where we needed to deploy sensors and recon. I simply listened. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°After arrival, so long as you don¡¯t get ambushed by the Scourge, Pollux will divide the platoon into four squads. They will usually be divided from there based on the workload. Those details are up to him. However, we need to maintain active command over all groups. Since there are only two people with a line back to base, what do you think we need to do?¡± ¡°Have Commander Pollux and I in contact with two squads each.¡± ¡°Correct. Each of the squads will have one or two short range Aerials that they can use to contact you. Normally, so long as they aren¡¯t that far away or aren¡¯t divided by mountains, they can also contact other squads and Pollux. But that doesn¡¯t always happen, and it¡¯s your responsibility to make sure that your squads are capable of receiving orders, whether that¡¯s from me or Pollux. You¡¯ll also need to relay information from them to us. Now Aerials normally have a relatively short range and I¡¯d have to give you one to use. But I was given a message regarding you and your Aerial. I was told that it was much more effective than normal.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± I nodded, recalling the details. ¡°My Aerial has a much longer range, as well as its own Node. If we set it up, I could be a link between Pollux and all the squads, as well as the base.¡± ¡°Its own Node? We¡¯ll figure that out later. You¡¯ll use the Repeater Nodes that we¡¯ve placed out there for today. The map I gave you has them marked, so remember where they are and stay in range. You¡¯ll probably have to move independently of the other squads. Pollux will figure out the details with you.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Good. Use those summoner smarts and we won¡¯t have any issues. For the most part, squads can take care of themselves, but I still need to file objective completion and recon reports. That¡¯s stuff you¡¯ll need to receive from the squads and relay back to me and Pollux. I¡¯ll walk you through as you go. Just remember to pay attention to the details.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Alright, dismissed. Go pack.¡± She waved me and Pollux off. He spoke as we left headquarters. ¡°Occasionally, we need to set up camp out there in the wild. Go to Josh and receive the standard camp kit. Don¡¯t worry about food beyond what¡¯s in your kit. Pack anything else you think you might need, including a blanket or two, and then meet me at the garage. You might be taking a bike.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± I gave a quick salute and then split off. At the armory, I received the camp kit. It was a simple tent with a sleeping bag, some emergency rations, a water canteen, a tiny lighter thing that could be both a heat source and light source, and a big bag to pack stuff into. I just threw it in my storage band. I also went to my room and grabbed a blanket and pillow. With all that, I was more than prepared to survive a night in the woods. I also decided to put on my armored pants and boots. I kept my coat over my shirt, but also I threw on the fur lined coat that had the white camo. With that, I made my way to the garage. The rest of the Platoon was packing trucks with supplies like sensors and food while readying the Steeds for deployment. I found Pollux with a hand on a heavily modified, probably personal, bike. A generic model was also parked beside it. ¡°Alright Cooper. How well can you ride one of these bikes?¡± ¡°Very well, sir. So long as they have wheels made for snow, I¡¯ll have no issues.¡± ¡°Good. The bikes are already prepared for our terrain. And since you¡¯ve apparently got your own spatial storage, you¡¯re more than light enough for a bike. Weber will be riding with you. She knows how to drive too, so you two can figure out between yourselves who makes the trips.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± I nodded and looked around. The sun was gradually starting to peek over some mountains, and Amary was hauling supplies into the trucks. I sat on the bike, occasionally taking a package or chest of supplies, until she was done. I basically had everything I owned inside my storages, so there was no way I was forgetting anything, even if I didn¡¯t feel prepared for this mission. At some point, Amary walked over with a smile on her face. She wore a snow coat over plate armor. She seemed to have a spatial storage as well since I didn¡¯t see her helmet. ¡°Alright Cooper. I was thinking I could drive there, and you can drive back. Sound good?¡± ¡°No objections here.¡± ¡°I hope you have some kind of face protection too. Those winds can be hard on the face.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve got that covered.¡± I thought about my mask, which was probably better for this environment than the aviator goggles. I could also wear my hood for insulation against the cold. I was interrupted from my thoughts by a shout. ¡°Deployment in 15 minutes! Get those Crystals hot!¡± Pollux¡¯s voice echoed through the Garage. I then saw the trucks and Steeds light up with enchantments and magic power. Before long, people started lingering. Everyone was ready. Pollux boarded his bike and walked it out of the Garage. Amary waved me over when she saw that, prompting me to jump on the bike behind her. We rolled up beside him. Pollux put on a special pair of goggles, a thin construction with a slit through the middle. They were snow goggles, meant to prevent snow blindness, but apparently also served just as well protecting from the wind while riding. The sun cast an orange glow on the snowy mountain peaks in the distance as the rest of the vehicles rolled out behind us. We waited for a minute or so until I got a ping on my Aerial from Polly. I answered. ¡°Handler to Liaison. Comm check.¡± ¡°Liaison to Handler, I hear you loud and clear.¡± ¡°Copy Liaison. I¡¯m connecting the Commander. Stand by.¡± There was silence for a second before I got another ping. Commander Pollux was dropped into the line. ¡°Handler to Commander. Comm check.¡± ¡°Copy Handler. Hello Liaison. Ready to get this show on the road?¡± ¡°Headcount first, Commander.¡± ¡°Copy.¡± The line shifted as I got four more pings. Those were the short range Aerials of the squads. ¡°Come in Pathfinders. I need a headcount.¡± ¡°Squad 1, all accounted for.¡± ¡°Squad 2, present.¡± ¡°Squad 3, we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Squad 4, I¡¯m missing the new guy.¡± ¡°The new guy is in front, Squad 4. If that¡¯s everything, we¡¯re good to go. Go ahead, Handler.¡± Pollux passed control back to Polly, her voice ringing through. ¡°All checks complete. You are clear to deploy.¡± ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s ride, Pathfinders!¡± At his word, the vehicles surged forward. Amary punched the bike after Pollux flew off. I wrapped my arms around her and activated my hood, all the Steeds and trucks behind us following almost soundlessly. It was weird, not hearing the roars of engines. A bit depressing, actually. How much cooler it would be to hear the sweet purr of gas-guzzling diesels revving into the distance. The only benefit was stealth and subtlety, but I wasn¡¯t sure whether the tradeoff was worth it or not. The platoon flew through the gates and off onto a road. However, that road only continued as far as the base could monitor. So, once we disappeared over a hill, the road ended and we made our way onto impromptu trails. With the snow underneath the wheels, the ride was actually somewhat smooth despite the speed we were going offroad. I made sure my hood and mask were secured over my face. Then, I just relaxed while taking in the chillingly beautiful scenery of the morning mountains. It was snowy, but this wasn¡¯t the arctic circle. I still saw some greenery poking through. Trees covered the sides of mountains where they could, and jagged cliffs dominated the rest of the space. They called them the Crags, and it was obvious why, given the features. The path we rode on was pretty normal and frequently treaded. From the base we moved across relatively flat land, until we got to some geological formations that forced us to slow down. One of them was a hill that we went over instead of around, while the other was a skinny passage between two mountains. Along the way, I recalled the map in my memory, trying to reference it with what I was seeing around me. Thankfully there were several landmarks that I could use, ones that were almost always topped with a Repeater Node. Those things were similar to antennas, just more subtle so they didn¡¯t get destroyed all the time. Then, after we were about 20 miles from base, we hit the Black Forest. Its namesake was pretty obvious in an ominous way. Even from afar I was able to notice how different it was from a normal forest. All the trunks, or perhaps stems, were black, for starters. Then there were the canopies that almost completely blotted out the sun with what looked like massive interlocking flowers. That was the only reason I didn¡¯t immediately call them trees. They looked like gargantuan black lotuses. Those lotuses were still in bloom too, because I could see them continuing to expand as morning passed and the sun traveled toward the horizon. Soon, they would plunge everything underneath them into total darkness. Or at least, that¡¯s what I thought. The convoy shot straight into the forest as the canopy closed up any remaining gaps. There was an obvious trail lined with magic lights that the convoy followed. Then, once everything around us went dark, the canopy lit up. The bottoms of those huge flowers turned fluorescent, gradually getting brighter as the sun fed them. Each flower had designs within and along the edges of the petals facing us, casting a gentle violet light on everything below. Then, all the black flora on the forest floor began to respond to the light, feeding off it and blooming themselves. Those plants had similar fluorescence of a lesser intensity, glowing dark red, closer to infrared than anything else. And because of that, as we continued rolling along the brightened trail, I felt it get warm. All the air in the covered forest started heating up as all the flora released energy. That caused the snow, which had accumulated on the ground after bypassing the initially folded canopy, to melt. The water then seeped into the ground to be absorbed by the entire forest. ¡°How beautiful¡­¡± I muttered, amazed at the symbiosis at play. It was an incredible system, a marvel of nature. I lifted my Aerial and started snapping a bunch of pictures before sending them to Umara. Taking pictures was oddly something I didn¡¯t do much of recently, but I couldn¡¯t help it. This was too amazing not to share. The trail through the Black Forest went on for quite a distance too, around 15 miles based on the map and my guesstimations on our speed. And we were only cutting through a portion of it. Sometime later, we could once again see sunlight. The residual warmth from the depths of the forest faded and we sped out from under the canopy, the bitter cold hitting our skin with a bite. My eyes adjusted almost instantly to the light change, finding massive mountains in the distance and much rougher geological formations. Now we were in deep. I heard a ping on my Aerial. ¡°Commander to Liaison.¡± ¡°Copy Commander, go ahead.¡± ¡°That mountain over there with the curved tip is Scythe¡¯s Peak. At its base, about 10 miles northeast is Hare¡¯s Pass. Those two sites are major contention areas. We won¡¯t go past them. Only the Snow Doves do. Today, we¡¯re doing recon in those areas and replacing any sensors around the battle sites. We expect enemies, so keep those golden eyes of yours open and let your partner position you. She knows what needs to be done.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± Pollux went silent as I continued to look around. It wasn¡¯t snowing at the moment, so I had crystal clear sightlines of everything in front of us, including the base of Scythe¡¯s Peak. Hare¡¯s Pass seemed to still be out of view, probably at a lower elevation behind a hill. I waited as we approached. Then, as we arrived at the first sensor point, Pollux pinged in again. ¡°Alright Pathfinders. Three minutes to sensor point. Squad Four, you¡¯re up first.¡± ¡°Copy, Commander.¡± ¡°You know your assignments. Direct replacement. Report any anomalies.¡± ¡°Copy. Going off trail in two minutes.¡± One of the Steeds behind us shifted on the trail. Then, when the two minute mark came, they drove off. Nearby was a large clearing at the base of the mountain, probably where some sensors were placed. Pollux spoke again. ¡°Squad Three, you¡¯re up at the turn. I¡¯m changing your instructions. Replace what sensors are broken and shift the other ones outward more. We need better coverage.¡± ¡°Copy. Going off trail.¡± Another Steed diverted as we hit the turn. While we continued on, they rolled up and over a hill before coming to a stop at the top. I faced forward. After a few more turns, we entered another clearing. That¡¯s when I saw Hare¡¯s Pass. Hare¡¯s Pass was actually a natural bridge that crossed over a massive canyon. The canyon ran perpendicular in front of us and carried a river at its floor which was located at least a few thousand feet down. It was difficult to estimate how far it was from one wall of the canyon to the other. Perhaps the distance across was a third of the depth. Whatever it was, the Pass, which was an obscenely large natural bridge, was shorter than the canyon was deep. I had hardly seen natural formations as tremendous as this. I gazed around in awe at the winding canyon stretching off into the distance and the lazy river slowly flowing below. Quite strangely, the natural majesty soothed the nerves I had coming out here. I took off my mask and hood, letting the cold wash over my face and filling my lungs with crisp, boreal air. Chapter 152: 5 Times We rolled up to the beginning of Hare¡¯s Pass before slowing. When the convoy came to a halt, Pollux spoke over comms. ¡°Squad 1 and 2, hop out and get moving. We¡¯ll recon at the end of the day. We need to get these sensors replaced first.¡± ¡°Copy.¡± ¡°Copy, Commander.¡± The two squads responded and scrambled to get out of the Steeds. One of the trucks pulled up as well, once loaded with sensors, now missing a few. The other one was with the other squads. Then, Pollux looked at us. ¡°Liaison, find a good position and make contact with squads 3 and 4. I¡¯ll check in later for a report.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± I responded before tapping Amary on the shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s head back a bit. There¡¯s a good hill I saw.¡± ¡°You want to drive?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Instead of making me point our way, Amary just swapped with me. I swung myself behind the handles and she wrapped her arms around my chest. I tested the throttle a bit before rolling off, kicking a bit of snow in the air and backtracking on the trail. There was a tall hill that would give me a view of everyone, right between Hare¡¯s Pass and Scythe¡¯s Peak. My assessment seemed correct; it was such a popular vantage point it was actually named on the map, called Shield Hill. The path halfway up gradually turned too rocky and steep to drive up, so we left the bike behind and climbed the rest of it, getting to the top vantage point. I could see the expansive canyon spread out before me. The squads practically looked like pinpricks compared to the massive, untamed wilderness. ¡°Fucking beautiful.¡± I let out those words with a long breath, truly in awe at the sights around me. Amary chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re from the capital, right? Not many get to see a view like this. One of the few perks of being a soldier here.¡± ¡°Mm. The commander said that we should expect enemies. Now, I get why we should be careful, but if that bridge is the only way over here, why the concern?¡± ¡°Because they could be behind us.¡± ¡°...¡± I turned, looking back at all the mountains and irregular terrain. Truly, if they were back there and wanted to hide, there was no way we could find them. I suddenly felt much less safe. Amary suddenly patted my back, making me flinch. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t get so scared, guy. The sensors we¡¯re putting down at least make sure that there aren¡¯t any near the trails and that the ones who slip past are weak enough to handle. Plus, you have to remember that nature doesn¡¯t like the Scourge either. They¡¯re the ones behind enemy lines.¡± ¡°You mean animals will hunt Scourge beasts?¡± ¡°Not animals. Flickers.¡± My brows raised when I faced her. I had forgotten about those. She motioned to the lands around us. ¡°Flickers roam around here. Occasionally we¡¯ll spot them in packs. And those things kill Scourge beasts on sight. They¡¯re actually one of the best forms of defense we have around here, even better than sensors.¡± ¡°Amazing. I hope I get to see some.¡± I glanced around a bit more. Then, I raised my Aerial. It was time for business. ¡°Liasion to Squads Three and Four. Comms check.¡± I paused after speaking, waiting a bit for a response. ¡°... Squad Three, copy Liaison.¡± ¡°Squad Four, I hear you, ugly.¡± My brow raised when I heard the voice from Four. That was Eric. I chuckled. ¡°Copy, Three and Four. Lines are clear. Let me know if you need anything. I¡¯ve got a map, some eyes, and all the time in the world.¡± ¡°You can either be quiet or come down here and help us.¡± ¡°Negative, Squad Four, I can do neither. I can help guide you though.¡± I shifted my gaze, looking out to where Squad Four was, at the base of Scythe¡¯s Peak. I could pick out Eric and some others systematically searching the woods for sensors. He was standing by the Steed, sensor in hand, while the others were trying to find the broken sensors hidden somewhere. I looked at my map and got a gist of the positioning before speaking. ¡°Tell your squadmate highest on the base to travel to his right a few hundred feet. There should be a sensor over there.¡± ¡°...¡± There was no response as I watched Eric turn to the person I mentioned. Then, as if debating, he stared for a few seconds before waving his arms and pointing, guiding that person. After that, I watched as that person walked and looked around. They seemed to be carrying sensors of their own, and when they got close, it gave them a signal. Sure enough, given a minute or two, the sensor was found. I smiled as Eric ran over with a fresh sensor. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Squad Four.¡± ¡°Zip it, jackass.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± I stifled a laugh before turning back around. I looked between all the other squads, including where Pollux was at. He was using the map to guide everyone. I could hear his traffic. Once he went quiet a bit, I spoke. ¡°Liaison to Commander.¡± ¡°Go ahead, Liaison.¡± ¡°Squad Four has replaced one sensor, and Three is still searching.¡± ¡°Copy Liaison. Good work.¡± ¡°Sir, if it''s alright, I can help guide based on the map.¡± ¡°Can you even see from all the way over there, Liaison?¡± I smiled as Pollux turned toward the hill I was on. I could see his lips move as he spoke into the aerial clear as day. I chuckled a bit. ¡°Yes sir I can. You could say I¡¯ve got the vision of a Scout.¡± ¡°Audacious. But very well. Relay directions to the squads if you''re able. Keep an eye out too though. There could be enemies around here and, Scout eyes or not, you¡¯re our best lookout. Weber should be scanning too.¡± ¡°Yes sir, she is.¡± ¡°Good. Check in every half hour. We¡¯re in for the long haul today.¡± ¡°Understood. Liaison out.¡± I put down my Aerial, taking one more look around before taking out my little chair and sitting down. Amary looked down at me with a smirk. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°My chair. I often find myself with nothing to do and a lot of time to do it, like on walls. So I got myself this seat. Saves my legs.¡± ¡°How smart.¡± ¡°I am quite the genius, aren¡¯t I?¡± I smiled while looking off toward the canyon, my eyes landing on Hare¡¯s Pass. That natural bridge, as I looked at it more, stopped looking so natural. I couldn¡¯t imagine anything that would cause a massive curved rock and dirt bridge to form between two cliffs. Perhaps it was an earth warlock who made it. They¡¯d have to be obscenely powerful, but it wasn¡¯t impossible, not in this world. The bridge was at least a thousand feet long and a few hundred feet wide. A large army could cross it without problem. And since it seemed to be a major chokepoint on this battlefield, I wasn¡¯t surprised when I saw all the large wounds on the ground caused by battle. The Snow Doves had fought yesterday, and there wasn¡¯t enough time to cover their traces with snow. I looked off into the distance beyond the bridge. The entrance on the other side was barren. I didn¡¯t see any Scourge beasts. Not at first, at least. Given a bit more scrutiny though, scanning across various vantage points, I managed to pick out a Scout. It was a Cyclops Scout, a more powerful variant, and it was peeking from behind a tree on a hill similar to mine. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I lifted my Aerial. ¡°Liaison to Commander.¡± ¡°Go ahead, Liaison.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve spotted a Cyclops Scout across the bridge, on the hill slightly to its right. It seems to be watching you guys.¡± ¡°....¡± The Commander turned and looked, scanning in the direction of the hill I pointed out. But there was no way he could spot the Scout. Instead, he just seemed to be thinking for a bit. ¡°Copy Liaison. Notify Handler and receive orders. My priority is to get these sensors replaced, so I¡¯m sticking to that unless she says otherwise.¡± ¡°Copy. Stand by.¡± I changed channels, contacting Polly. ¡°Liaison to Handler, come in.¡± ¡°... Go ahead, Liaison.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve spotted a Cyclops Scout watching our platoon from across Hare¡¯s Pass. The Commander is focusing on replacing sensors and wants to leave it be, unless you have other orders.¡± ¡°Copy. It¡¯s still early in the day, and sending a detachment to hunt it can cause more problems than just leaving it since it¡¯ll have reinforcements. Still, it¡¯ll know where our sensors are. You¡¯re a ranged fighter, Liaison. Is there anything you can do about it?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I squinted my eyes a bit. From my hill to the Scout¡¯s, there was a distance equal to about double the length of the bridge. Given a bit of guestimation, I¡¯d say it was about 750 meters. That was a much longer shot than I¡¯d comfortably take cold. I¡¯d never shot anything that long and that wasn¡¯t even considering the winds going over the canyon. I didn¡¯t want to be spotted myself either, but if I moved down toward the bridge and closed some of the distance, that shot would be much easier to hit. Then I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about whatever this thing had seen, since it would be dead. I responded. ¡°Affirmative, Handler. I¡¯ll try and take care of it. Worst that happens is I spook it and it hides.¡± ¡°How many sensors have been replaced?¡± ¡°Just one that I know of, no more than two or three.¡± ¡°That¡¯s better than scheduled. You¡¯re clear, Liaison. Deal with it and report back.¡± ¡°Copy. Liaison out.¡± I smiled before relaying those plans to the Commander. He had no issues. Then, I looked toward Amary. ¡°I¡¯ve got something to take care of. Care to follow?¡± ¡°Oh. Sure.¡± ¡°We need to stay low though. There¡¯s a Scout watching us. Don¡¯t want to get spotted. Amary didn¡¯t question much as I started walking off. I cut off line of sight with the Scout just in case it saw me. Then we snuck our way down the hill and over toward the bridge. It took us some time but I found a tree near the edge of the canyon. Now, I was closer to 350 meters away from that thing. And it continued to just watch, not suspecting that it would ever be spotted, let alone attacked in any meaningful way. I clicked my Aerial as Amary settled down beside me. ¡°Liaison to Commander. I¡¯m ready to take my shot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m all ears, Liaison.¡± I set down the Aerial and took a breath, taking out my weapon and steadying my aim on a protruding rock. I was a bit lower than the scout, but still had a good view of it. The M1 Garand tucked in my shoulder only had iron sights, unlike my Springfield, which had its own telescopic sight. Normally the Springfield would be better for distance shooting with that sight, but my eyes as they were now really didn¡¯t need a telescope. In fact, the scope would only be a hindrance as I tried to look farther into the distance than it could handle. I centered my sights on the Scout, aiming right for that big bulbous head. The explosion rang through the mountains as I watched the Scout¡¯s head burst with a puff of blood. It collapsed in on itself. My aim was perfect. I clicked my Aerial. ¡°The Scout is dead.¡± ¡°I heard. Step out of the woods and come over here.¡± ¡°On my way.¡± I lifted my body and walked out with Amary. Since we didn¡¯t have to hide anymore I just walked over to the Steed where Pollux was waiting around. I saw many of the others around there too, still searching for the sensors. He smiled when I approached. ¡°You really killed that Scout?¡± ¡°Yes sir. You can go grab its corpse if you want.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll take your word for it. Fantastic work. Those slippery bastards are usually the reason our sensors get picked out so easily. There¡¯s not much we can do when they¡¯re so far away, but if you¡¯re able to solve that problem, we¡¯ll save a lot of time and money.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. And if you guys see them before I do, just tell me.¡± ¡°Will do. Go back up and watch that corpse. If anything goes near it, let me know.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°Amary, keep this one safe.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± We both saluted before walking back off, reclaiming our spot on Shield Hill. I settled back on my seat, watching the corpse. Amary took out a blanket and sat down beside me. ¡°You can see that Scout from all the way over here?¡± ¡°Yup. I¡¯ve got good eyes.¡± ¡°More than just good eyes. I¡¯ve never seen golden eyes like yours. Is it a Crown?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± ¡°Hoho, how mysterious.¡± We chuckled a bit. Then, I thought of something and asked over the Aerial. ¡°Liaison to Commander.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Do you mind if I get in some target practice?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see an issue. Go ahead.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I smiled after getting permission, looking down at Amary beside me. ¡°Hey, wanna switch spots?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I was going to lay down, practice shooting some.¡± ¡°Hm, alright.¡± We both stood and changed seats. I moved her blanket behind a rock and rested my M1 on it. I could feel her interest peak when she saw the gun again. ¡°So what kind of weapon is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a firearm, or a gun.¡± ¡°Gun¡­¡± ¡°It shoots little projectiles, like arrows but smaller and much faster.¡± ¡°And louder.¡± ¡°Much louder. But the tradeoff is worth it.¡± I smiled and sighted in on the Scout corpse. 750 meters away¡­ but I could see it like it was right in front of me. Right now though, my sight went beyond the capabilities of my aim, or my gun. I learned that clearly when I started shooting. My first shot missed by a few feet. After that, I slowly started grouping them tighter, hitting near the corpse. After a couple dozen rounds though, I hadn¡¯t actually once hit it. Funnily enough, since it had more distance to fly, I was actually able to see the bullet travel. The way it distorted the air and drew a slightly sloped line to its impact point gave me a shit eating grin. It was so cool. But the wind over the canyon, as well as the inaccuracy of me and my gun, made it difficult to hit near the target. I didn¡¯t bother empowering any bullets since I wasn''t trying to kill anything. After going through four clips, I let out a sigh and lifted my head, looking beyond the gun. Amary muttered from behind. ¡°My ears are ringing. Are you at least hitting anything?¡± ¡°No. But maybe¡­¡± I settled back down behind my gun. Then, I fully empowered it, letting the Psyka flow as it wished into a new group of bullets. I let out a breath, settling my body and steadying my heartbeat. My Crown, specifically enhancing my agility and dexterity, was a great help in stilling my micromovements and steadying my aim. That was an important part of being able to shoot at distance. Beyond 500 meters, even the tremors of your heart would shift your aim. It wouldn¡¯t even move you a full millimeter, but that much would result in inches or even feet of inaccuracy at distances beyond 1000 meters. Of course, I knew all of this in theory. I¡¯d never actually shot anything that far. But I needed to start trying. I had the eyes and the implements. There was no reason I shouldn¡¯t be shooting farther than I was. I couldn¡¯t restrict myself to sub-500 meter engagements. And to that end, I had a curious idea. Empowering a canister of Mustard Gas made it act on the body within a matter of minutes instead of hours or days. It made it more effective. To put it differently, it enhanced its functions, improved the efficacy of its properties. It made poison act faster, and gave it such powerful effects that it was able to wreak havoc on a knight''s body. So what about a bullet? What about filling it with more Psyka made it more effective? Why did empowering my bullets allow them to hit harder? I was about to find out. My finger tightened around the trigger. The Garand punched my shoulder. I watched as the bullet drew a line through the air. Except, where before, it took over a second or so, it now took but a small fraction of that time. I withdrew my Psyka and fired a normal round, mentally clocking the time to impact at around 1 second. That probably wasn¡¯t accurate, but it would serve as a reference point. Then, I fully empowered it and fired again. This time, it didn¡¯t even take a quarter of a second to impact. That was almost 5 times faster. Based on the equation to calculate kinetic energy, 5 times the speed would impart 25 times the energy. If a normal intermediate cartridge like this 30-06 delivered 3000 joules at the muzzle, the same fully empowered round would deliver 75000 joules. That was nearly 4 times more force than a normal .50 BMG, depending on the load. It also meant that the round traveled in a laser straight line. As for its other properties, I couldn¡¯t tell without proper testing which was difficult to carry out without modern equipment. Either way, the effects on stronger enemies was obvious when I recalled all my battles up to this point. Perhaps it also had greater armor piercing by virtue of a bullet with greater integrity. I hadn¡¯t noticed all this before simply because I didn¡¯t get very many opportunities to shoot at a distance like this. Whenever I was on a base, it wasn¡¯t really appropriate, not to mention that the landscapes didn¡¯t accommodate it as easily as this place did. Now though, I knew that my Psyka didn¡¯t simply enhance ¡®damage¡¯. It enhanced the weapon¡¯s properties, the details of which I had finally discovered. That was a game changer. So I settled back in, keeping the bullets fully empowered and starting to let off rounds continuously. With the higher bullet velocity, there was no slope or bullet drop to speak of. It changed the way I had to aim the gun, but that was easy to get used to. In fact, it improved my hand-eye coordination, resulting in generally greater accuracy. However, after I had shot for around an hour almost nonstop, I started to realize the limits of the M1 Garand¡¯s inherent accuracy. I only hit the corpse occasionally, and considering my eyes were so good and the bullet trajectory was so straight, that could only mean that this gun¡¯s accuracy was reaching its limit. The target area was approaching 800 meters, and I was sure that I could tighten up my groupings a bit more, but this wasn¡¯t a precision or extreme range rifle. There wasn¡¯t any such thing during WW2. Hell, ¡®sniper rifles¡¯ were whatever standard issue rifles that managed to get a scope screwed onto them. There might¡¯ve been some rifles that were more accurate than others and picked out for those traits, but the concept of a sniper was in its infancy during that time. Even in modern warfare, handling targets at the thousand meter range was rare, certainly not frequent. And hitting a shot like that took exceptional skill that only the best snipers were capable of doing reliably, let alone anything farther in such conditions. So my expectations for this rifle weren¡¯t sky high. It was an amazing weapon, but each weapon was suited for different purposes. The M1 Garand was an excellent medium-range shooter with a good fire rate and great reliability. But using it for targets beyond 500 meters seemed to be where it started falling off. Which meant I¡¯d have to wait for the next Authorities to get the precision shooters that came from modern times. I wondered if it would be one or two more advancements before that time came. Authority Five was giving me WW2 era weapons alongside WW1 gear, so I wondered if Authority Six would give me the semi-modern weapons created during wars like Korea or Vietnam. If it did, I could have much stronger scopes that may actually compound on the resolution of my vision. And perhaps things like silencers would actually make the gun silent. That would be another game changer. I fantasized while getting some more practice. After another hour, I started getting tired, so I stopped and decided to help all the poor Pathfinders who were still searching for sensors. The search went by quicker. Squads Three and Four managed to finish relatively quickly, finding and replacing all eight sensors with my directions. But squads One and Two had more trouble, and the markings on the map proved to be inaccurate. Thus, they had to brute force the search. Hours passed, and nothing came for the corpse of the Scout. I just continued to stalk it since I had nothing to do, but that proved futile. Those monsters probably couldn¡¯t fathom the idea that their scout got killed without it being able to notify them first. That only aided us. It also made me think that I should try and keep my presence faint. I had already attracted attention while being a Magisterium student, and in this place, I had much less protection. I couldn''t make myself a high value target, or I¡¯d get assassinated or something. To that end, since I couldn¡¯t become flat out invisible like Plex, I¡¯d have to use my Aura and its illusive properties to try and mask myself while operating. Trick the mind of my enemies. Sure, they may hear me, but if they couldn¡¯t find me, or couldn¡¯t see me, then I¡¯d be just fine. It was another thing to practice. Chapter 153: Flares It took two and a half hours to reach Hare¡¯s Pass from the stronghold. And, unfortunately, we didn¡¯t find the last sensor until late in the day. I wondered why they needed to collect those broken sensors so badly. If they were already destroyed, I didn¡¯t see why they couldn¡¯t also just let them waste away as scrap, or give up after not finding them for a while. But according to Pollux, each sensor had an array of Authority Nine White Crystals within them. There were six crystals in each array, making them incredibly expensive. Then when I wondered why the Scourge didn¡¯t try and steal or destroy them. Pollux¡¯s answer was vague since the technology was new and supposed to be secret. Even he didn¡¯t know the inner workings of those arrays, but basically, when activated, they were extraordinarily difficult to tamper with or steal. However, there was one clear weakness: the sensor that housed the array. The enchanted device encasing the power array was pretty easily broken ¨C ridiculously so, given the durability of their power source. The sensor itself and all the associated mounting devices were readily replaced though. So the arrays were anchored and reused, while the sensor devices around them were simply replaced to get them back online. It was a pretty cost effective system, though it demanded a lot of manpower. When I asked how they worked in practice, Pollux waved me over to one. The sun was setting as we walked over to a planted sensor. I could see its intricately enchanted shell, but besides that, it just looked like a UFO shaped saucer planted on a pole. He explained, ¡°When anything with tainted Magika comes near this thing, aka Scourge beasts, this disk lets out a pulse that pings our maps back at base. It also uses all the nearby sensors to give us an image of where each sensor is in reference to each other, letting us know which sensor it was that sent the ping as well as generally where each sensor is on the map. The downside is that the pulse of mana it lets out alerts Scouts and sensitive monsters, so they like to come and attack these things. Well, when the sensor gets damaged, the disk lets out another pulse of levitating power and shoots itself into the sky. It''ll then hover there for a while and protect and conceal itself with a field before eventually falling back down. It¡¯s intentionally designed to drift in a random direction so as to make it harder to destroy when it returns to the floor, but that also means it can be anywhere. We¡¯ve had to drop down that cliff to retrieve some before. Thankfully, the ones we¡¯re dealing with today were all still in the area, but it still took us the whole day to find them all.¡± Pollux let out a long breath. I nodded. It seemed the arrays had their own protection mechanisms. They were interesting little machines, yet I couldn¡¯t help but feel they were grossly inefficient. I felt like there was a much easier way to achieve the same thing. Not to mention that, despite taking six Authority Nine Crystals, they only covered the surrounding 5 miles of Hare¡¯s Pass and Scythe¡¯s Peak. All that power and they were hardly covering any significant area. The only benefit to using so much power was that they could transmit from so far away without a booster or repeater. Still, grossly inefficient. But I suppose it did the job, and it wasn¡¯t like it cost me anything, considering I didn¡¯t exactly pay taxes. Plus, I considered something else I hadn¡¯t thought about for a while. The Crystals used in these arrays weren¡¯t White Crystals. White Crystals were Crystals with completely purified Magika, wholly cleansed of the poison of the Scourge beasts they came from. Only the Church knew how to completely purify a Crystal. That meant the Kingdom¡¯s Crystals weren¡¯t completely pure and thus less powerful, less efficient, more degrading on anything that used them. Perhaps that¡¯s why they needed to use so many more. That or the enchantments were just that shitty and inefficient. I couldn¡¯t know unless I cracked one open and got the schematics for it. I shrugged and watched as Pollux buried the sensor before walking back to the steed. The rest of the squads were all there, and Squads One and Three were getting ready to perform recon. That was the only opportunity a Pathfinder got to go over Hare¡¯s Pass. It was dangerous, so I wouldn¡¯t be going, despite volunteering my services. All I had to do was stay on top of Shield Hill and act as a communications relay. As for Squads Two and Four, they were going to reconnoiter around Scythe''s Peak. That involved going around the base and checking for any indications of Scourge activity. They would set up traps and such all around the Peak, along with mini-sensors, so if they detected any hint of the poisonous Scourge, they¡¯d prep for a hunt. Amary and I, along with two others, were to stay back and watch the cargo. The squads boarded their respective Steeds, Pollux giving up his bike and replacing one of the people staying behind. ¡°Alright, Pathfinders. Meet back here in two hours, check in every 20 minutes, report any anomalies. You know the drill.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s roll.¡± Pollux ducked into a turret as the Steeds sped off. Amary and I, plus our two chosen ones, stood watching. Amary and I went back to the top of Shield Hill. I had to be up there and Amary was my bodyguard, so she followed me everywhere. Randal and Quinock, the two chosen ones, got to chill out in the trucks. The sun dipped below the mountains before the horizon, giving auras to the edges of the mountain peaks, bathing the valleys beneath in a pseudo-darkness. We wouldn¡¯t be making it back to base tonight. Thankfully with my vision, even when it got dark I could see as if it were daytime. Nothing would escape my sight so long as it was in my field of vision. The rest of the platoon quickly disappeared over the Pass and into the dense forest beyond. I could see them for a little while until they rounded a mountain. However, one Steed was stationed on top of said mountain, serving as a relay. ¡°Squad Two to Liaison, nothing out of the ordinary.¡± ¡°Copy, Squad Two.¡± I got a report from them, keeping the exchange short. I didn¡¯t want to annoy them with overly professional chatter, so I kept things casual but succinct. Besides, I had a feeling that was how this platoon operated anyway. Amary suddenly asked. ¡°You know, I haven¡¯t heard you speak once, even though you click on your Aerial occasionally.¡± ¡°Oh. Yeah, I don¡¯t have to actually talk into it. I can use it with my mind.¡± ¡°The hell? They do that?¡± ¡°Mine¡¯s the only one that does. It¡¯s made for summoners.¡± ¡°Oh. Must¡¯ve been expensive.¡± ¡°Eh.¡± I just shrugged my shoulders. The less people who knew about my not-as-impressive rainy-day stash and my connections, the better. At most, I would have to explain to Pollux what the giant box I received on my first day was. As for everyone else, deflection would serve better. Pollux reported shortly after Squad Two, nothing out of the ordinary. After that, I waited some more, doing a whole lot of nothing as nightfall chilled the air. I rubbed my fingerless gloves together, feeling my fingers go numb. My hood also went on, so my face was spared some of the chill. However, when I saw my fingernails turn purple, I started to think that I might need new gloves. Sorry Rayla. The cold didn¡¯t care about style, and I was not a fan of this finger-numbing weather. For the time being, I sunk my hands into my coat where it was perfectly warm and toasty. After another 20 minutes I got another check-in from Squad Two and Four. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The check-in from Pollux was delayed. After five minutes, I reached out. ¡°Liaison to Commander, status report.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Liaison to Commander, come in.¡± ¡°...¡± No response, even though I could see the Steed still sitting on the hill in the distance. The people manning it were all looking away from me and down the hill. One of them had an Aerial in his hand, probably talking into it, but I wasn¡¯t hearing anything. My eyes narrowed as I pinged Polly. ¡°Liaison to Handler, come in.¡± ¡°Go ahead, Liaison.¡± ¡°Squad One and Three are currently across Hare¡¯s Pass with the Commander. I have line of sight with Squad Three and their Steed but cannot establish communications with them.¡± ¡°Copy Liaison. That¡¯s a Scout Troop causing that blockage. Not a concern unless you get signal flares. Stand down for now. What¡¯s the status of Squad Two and Four?¡± ¡°Still searching the back of Scythe¡¯s Peak.¡± ¡°Tell them to halt their recon and stand by.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± I switched channels. ¡°Liaison to Squad Two and Four, come in.¡± ¡°Copy, Liaison.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got a Scout Troop blocking comms with the Commander. Halt recon for now.¡± ¡°... Understood, Liaison. Give us a call if we need to head back.¡± I switched the channels back to base. However, just before I was going to check in with Polly, I saw three balls of white shoot up into the sky, popping like balloons in rapid succession, definitely not a normal combat spell. I recognized it. It was the signal flare. One meant all clear, two meant distress, and three meant retreat. I saw the Steed on the hill across the way start rolling down the hill. Amary also shot out of her seat beside me. Squad Two rang. ¡°Liaison, was that the retreat flare?¡± ¡°Affirmative, Squad Two. Come back and regroup.¡± ¡°On our way.¡± With order, I went back to Polly. ¡°Handler, I just got a retreat flare.¡± ¡°Understood. Order Squads Two and Four to return and assist in the retreat.¡± ¡°Already done.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯m mobilizing the Snow Doves, but the Commander needs to personally give confirmation for their deployment. If you see a flashing red flare, immediately report it and get ready to run. Otherwise, prepare for a fight.¡± ¡°Copy Handler. Liaison out.¡± I set down my Aerial and turned to Amary. ¡°What do you usually do in this situation?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no red flare, so we need to fight whatever¡¯s coming our way. Where are Squads Two and Four?¡± ¡°On their way.¡± ¡°Good. We¡¯ll go down last.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I nodded before standing up and keeping an eye on Squad Three¡¯s Steed stopped at the bottom of the hill. Before long, I saw another Steed come flying around on the trail, the two turrets on it firing in rapid succession. Squad Three joined them and started firing back as well. Their target? A small horde of spiked snow wolves, two Scouts, and a group of eight creatures that looked a lot like mutated and zombified polar bears standing at least 12 feet tall. Pollux¡¯s voice came over faintly. ¡°-ome in, Liaison!¡± ¡°Copy, Commander. What¡¯s the order?¡± ¡°We hold them at Shield Hill! Get everyone to the chokepoint next to it and dig in!¡± ¡°Roger. Squads Two and Four are on their way.¡± Right as I said that, both the aforementioned Squads appeared from around Scythe¡¯s Peak. I pinged them. ¡°Squads Two and Four, head straight for Shield Hill. We¡¯re digging into the chokepoint.¡± ¡°Roger. Heading over.¡± The two adjusted their vector from the Pass to the hill. They arrived at the bottom, where the trail started to wrap around it, and sat there. ¡°Amary, go get those two trucks back behind the Steeds.¡± ¡°Gotcha.¡± She jumped down the hill, bounding over where our friends were already boarding the trucks, having realized what was going on. They didn¡¯t have an Aerial, so I couldn¡¯t talk directly to them. That seemed like an oversight. Amary led them back, and Pollux plus Squads One and Three started crossing the Pass. Amary arrived back at my side. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Now, I get to have a bit of fun.¡± I brought out a Lewis gun and rested it on an outcropping, taking aim. I didn¡¯t feel much threat from the horde. The bears were the most dangerous, but I didn¡¯t think they were stronger than Pollux. The only issue was their numbers. Pollux probably just didn¡¯t want his two squads to get overwhelmed and decided to gather everyone for a proper defensive. I could sense a collective Aura from everyone. It was the kind of thing most obviously felt from an army or siege, but my Aura was sharp enough to sense it from small groups now. From that, I knew that the whole group was collectively stronger than them, but it would be a close match with just the two squads down there. Pollux had good judgment, even if he couldn¡¯t quite sense the same thing. The Steeds were faster than the horde, though not by much. They crested the bridge before the horde and made off. After that, I had a clear line-of-sight. Then, I took the liberty to do what I did best. Without confirmation, I opened fire over the oncoming Steeds, sending fully empowered rounds toward the spearhead of spiked wolves. My aim was rather imprecise, but they were grouped enough for rounds to hit regularly. Mere seconds passed before the pan magazine went dry, though not before half of the wolves fell, either injured or fatally wounded. I quickly slammed in another magazine, unloading. At the same time, the hexagonal projector turrets on the Steeds continued to fire, hurling explosive fireballs into the horde and adding to the rapidly increasing kill count. Another two pans went through my gun before Pollux made it back. He didn¡¯t even have to give orders. As soon as they were no longer blocking line of sight, the other two Steeds started firing their turrets, while warlocks unleashed their own spells. Any remaining wolves were blown to smithereens before a single one could so much as lick the knights who stepped forward to defend. The bears were next. They didn¡¯t stop even if all the wolves were dead or dying. I unloaded a pan into one of them, but when I realized it wasn¡¯t doing too much, I shifted my focus and let them clash with the rest of the Pathfinders. I also sent Amary down there to help since she seemed rather antsy just sitting around. So while they fought the bears, I turned to the Scouts. There were two, and they kept their distance, lingering on the bridge, ready to bolt on the drop of a hat. I brought out the Garand, taking aim and immediately firing once I acquired one Scout. A bullet connected with a head, dropping one easily. Before the other could start running, I shot it too, the bullet easily punching through the side of its head, a bit off center, but still enough to kill it. Now that I knew more about how these guns reacted to my empowerment, my aim felt much better. Just like that, the communications block was lifted, and Polly¡¯s voice came in over my Aerial. To think those Scouts had both insane senses and area magic-communication suppression, however that worked. Thankfully they were still pitifully fragile. ¡°-dler to Liaison. Come in Liaison. I say again-¡± ¡°I¡¯m here, Handler. Scouts are dead.¡± ¡°Copy. What¡¯s the situation?¡± I walked over the edge of the hill, looking down at the chokepoint. There, the bears were clashing with the knights as warlocks used spells to suppress them. Although the bears towered over the sturdiest of the heavily-armored knights, they were sustaining so much damage from everyone all at once that they could hardly catch their bearings. They were spinning around and swinging like they were swatting at flies, as the knights surrounded, pierced, slashed, and chunked them down one by one. I couldn¡¯t see a single casualty on our side. They were doing just fine. ¡°Most of the horde was decimated, and the remnants are engaging the platoon. We¡¯ll win this fight with what looks like no casualties. I¡¯m watching from the side.¡± ¡°Understood. Remember the details ¨C you¡¯ll be giving a mission debrief with me when you get back tomorrow. Write one down if you can¡¯t remember. I¡¯ll be a part of it though, so don¡¯t worry about doing it alone.¡± ¡°Copy. I¡¯ll check in when the battle is over. We won¡¯t be needing reinforcements either, so the Snow Doves can go back to sleep.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let them know. Handler out.¡± I smiled as Polly clicked off. Then, I raised the Garand and started firing at the bears, doing whatever I could to help bring them down. Before long, the last one was vanquished, and the Pathfinders emerged victorious. There were some cheers as I looked away and scanned the surroundings. I saw nothing alive and felt no danger. Looked like we were clear. ¡°John! How¡¯s it look up there?!¡± Pollux yelled from below, his voice easily echoing up to me. I responded. ¡°All enemies dead or dying! I got the Scouts too!¡± ¡°Good! Can you confirm kills from up there?¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± ¡°Then do that and come down! Everyone, pack up and get ready to head to camp!¡± Pollux started handing out orders as I scoped in. I went and shot every wolf from the hill to the bridge, confirming kills before climbing down to the bike that Amary and I had parked halfway up. I drove that down and met up with everyone, Pollux approaching when he saw me. ¡°Good work, John. You¡¯re proving to be a mighty fine addition to our platoon.¡± ¡°Just doing my job, sir.¡± ¡°Mm. Well, it¡¯s time to head out. Grab your partner and follow along.¡± ¡°Roger roger.¡± I saluted before finding Amary. While we waited for everyone to get situated, I also gave my final report to Polly. With that, we rode off into the darkness. Chapter 154: Complete Along the way there, I learned that our campsite would be somewhere between Scythe¡¯s Peak and the Black Forest. It took about 30 minutes to get there. The specific place was a cave, tucked into a crag and well-hidden by snow. We rolled down a ramp and into the earth before parking the Steeds and trucks in a way that turned them into an impromptu barrier. Everyone jumped out and headed into the cave¡¯s clearing, a large space that was padded with dirt so as to not force anyone to sleep on bare rock. I noticed several signs of previous use such as the charred remains of a previous campfire and a large stack of firewood. This was a well established camping spot. ¡°Terry, start dinner.¡± ¡°Yes, Commander.¡± Terry, our chef, went and started cooking near the middle of the cave. Everyone else started pitching their tents closer to the back, gathering into loose groupings with squads and friends. I brought out my own camping equipment, finding a random open spot and throwing everything down. Pitching the tent was easy enough to do by myself. They were A-frame tents. Each one could also fit two people, even though everyone had one. ¡°Hey, John.¡± ¡°Oh. Hi Amary.¡± Amary came over and set down her supplies as I started to tie my own down. Behind Amary were her friends, who also started tying down their tents in the area. ¡°Need help?¡± ¡°Appreciate it.¡± One of the guys from that group came around and helped me tie down the other side of my tent. Once all that was done we greeted each other. ¡°Gabriel. Knight. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°John. Likewise. Let me help you with your tent.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, actually. I¡¯m with Brisa. Amary can probably use your help though.¡± ¡°Yes please!¡± ¡°Heh, alright.¡± I chuckled and went over to Amary, tangled in string and camping poles. I extricated her and helped her get everything tied down. Gabriel and Brisa seemed to be a couple. Besides them, there was another man who didn¡¯t seem as social but was definitely a part of the group as he started pitching right next to us. I went to help him once I was done with Amary¡¯s tent. He was tying down one of the strings so I grabbed the other end and helped. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Sure. Name¡¯s John. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Winston.¡± We shook hands. The entrances to our tents faced a common center. It seems I had found a group for the night. ¡°Gather up, Pathfinders!¡± Pollux shouted once everyone had finished their tents. We grouped up around a new fire. For a second I was worried about ventilation within the cave but when I looked up, I noticed a hole in the ceiling, one with crossbeams of rock that made it look like a gate. It was no doubt made by an earth warlock. ¡°You all will get a couple more hours of sleep tonight. We leave camp at 1100, and then we¡¯ll scout out the rest of Scythe¡¯s Peak before returning to base. I¡¯ll need two pairs for night watch. Anulle and Eric, you two take first watch. Randal and Quinock, you¡¯ll take second watch.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Randal was the only one to respond, the others sighing or scoffing discontentedly. Pollux didn¡¯t seem to care, simply waving at the huge pot of food being brewed by Terry. ¡°Otherwise, you all are free for the night. If you must go outside, at least have a partner. We killed a large Scout Troop but don¡¯t know how they¡¯ll react. Be on your guard. You all know that.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°This would be the best place to defend though.¡± A few comments went around as Pollux retreated to his tent, leaving a few words behind. ¡°Amary, report.¡± ¡°Coming.¡± Amary looked back at me before putting up two fingers in goodbye. I nodded to her, watching as she went to go give a report to Pollux. People gathered around the fire, so I joined the coalescing group and sat down on my little chair, taking off my snow coat and enjoying the contrast of the hot fire and cold air on my face and hands. At the same time, my ears tuned into the conversation between Amary and Pollux. My sight wasn¡¯t the only sense that was enhanced. ¡°... was he up there? He performed very well but I want to hear what you think of him, as well as details about what you noticed.¡± ¡°... Right here?¡± ¡°He can¡¯t hear us, not that I¡¯m so concerned if he can.¡± I felt their eyes land on me, as well as Pollux¡¯s Aura. Needless to say, neither of them could guess that I heard them loud and clear, even though they were over 100 feet away and toning it down to a near whisper. At this point, I was pretty sure I could hear a fly fart, even though I rarely stressed my hearing. Like my vision though, it could be focused. Once Pollux decided that I couldn¡¯t hear them, he nodded. ¡°We¡¯re fine. So tell me, what¡¯s the deal with his weapons? I got a profile on him but information was limited, besides his record.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not too sure about them. They¡¯re long metal tubes and he told me they shoot little projectiles like a bow and arrow. A bit like if you put our turrets and a bow together. They¡¯re fast too. Really fast. When he was practicing I was able to catch glimpses of those little things flying across the Pass. They twisted the air with how fast they were.¡± ¡°Hm. Anything else?¡± ¡°He can shoot far. He was shooting the dead Scout from Shield hill. It was around 800 meters away. I¡¯ve only heard of archers that can shoot something that accurately from so far away. That¡¯s not considering the fact that he¡¯s only Authority Five.¡± ¡°Mm. He¡¯s powerful for his level. And yet, he¡¯s a summoner. No wonder the Sovereigns are looking at him.¡± Pollux sighed, brushing back his hair and taking out a notepad. I could hear him write, but couldn¡¯t possibly see what. ¡°Alright. What about his vision? He could pick out a Scout from that far away. That¡¯s not normal. Did he have a tool for that? A summon?¡± ¡°No sir. Just his eyes. He was watching Squads Three and Four as well, guiding them to the sensors with the map from his view on the hill.¡± ¡°That¡¯s definitely a Crown, then. I don¡¯t see any other explanation.¡± ¡°I would agree. I tried to ask about it but he dodged the question. Still, he all but confirmed it.¡± ¡°Indeed. I¡¯m not sure why he hid it from the military, but an eye enhancement is hardly something to be concerned over. It just makes him like those Scouts. And frankly, that¡¯s something we need. So long as his name doesn¡¯t cause me trouble, he¡¯ll be a valuable member of this platoon. Would you agree based on his other actions today? I could hear him from the great beyond but you were still the one beside him.¡± Pollux glanced at Amary. She took a look back at me in silence, thinking. ¡°... I think he¡¯s nice.¡± ¡°Think?¡± ¡°Let me rephrase that. He is nice. Of course, that asshole Eric wouldn¡¯t agree, but he picks fights with anyone who gives him the time of day. You¡¯ll have to ask Colonel Polly about his communication, because I couldn¡¯t hear him talk at all. He says he controls his Aerial with his mind. But when we talked, he was nice. He looks like a good fighter too. He took out plenty of those spiked wolves today, all from the hill. It looked easy, but he was eager to help you guys.¡± ¡°Yes, he started shooting without asking.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s just how he works. He¡¯s fragile but powerful and loud. He¡¯s probably used to keeping his distance and helping from afar, where everyone can hear him but nobody can touch him. Plus, he just came out of the Magisterium. I wouldn¡¯t-¡± ¡°I understand, Amary. I¡¯m not saying what he did was wrong. In fact, he did everything right. I¡¯ll be promoting him to Sergeant when we get back, after I talk to the Marshal. Now, last question. Do you think he needs someone watching over him? I know you might enjoy sitting around all day instead of working sensors, but putting that aside, how much of a liability is he? Can we trust in his abilities?¡± Amary glanced over again, staring as she spoke. ¡°... I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s only been a day. I mean, he¡¯s survived so far. But regardless, he¡¯s still a summoner. If something gets close, he¡¯ll be in trouble. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a matter of trusting him or not.¡± ¡°True. I¡¯m still waiting for an Orb to show me the recording from the Magisterium¡¯s Crowned Championship. I¡¯ve been told it¡¯s something I¡¯ll want to see. But no matter how good it is, his records always said he was in a squad. His weaknesses are clear.¡± Pollux snapped his notebook shut. ¡°Alright, thank you for the report. You¡¯ll stay with him for another couple weeks. I might also form another squad. Then we¡¯ll reevaluate his position after we put him through some more missions. Today was a surprise, but it¡¯s far from everything we¡¯ll need him to be doing.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Yes sir.¡± Amary gave a short salute before trotting back over. After retrieving a blanket from her tent, she came to the fire with everyone else and sat down beside me. We watched Terry work the huge cauldron of stew. A positively heavenly scent diffused throughout the area, the mixed aromas of meats and vegetables and spices simmering away, gracing our noses with promises of salivating deliciousness. The wait was almost excruciating, but Terry finally finished. He brought out a large stack of metal bowls and got everyone in line. There were several eager eaters who jumped right in. I waited a bit before going up with Amary, getting a bowl and spoon before sitting back down and chowing down. It lived up to its expectations. I slurped everything down, surprised that the single bowl filled my stomach. After that, I lounged back as Amary and the knights went for seconds and thirds to satiate their powerful bodies. Then, once my stomach wasn¡¯t bulging anymore, I had a thought and pulled out my guitar. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°A guitar.¡± I answered Amary¡¯s question before strumming a few strings. The tuning hadn¡¯t changed at all. These strings were high quality, or just straight-up magical. After finding my sound, I started playing some suitable songs. Whatever chatter there was shrunk to a whisper. I took it as a compliment. Nobody wanted to interrupt the guitarist. Well, except one. ¡°By the way, did anyone ask you to-¡± ¡°By the almighty, Eric! Start bitching like a little girl and I¡¯ll turn you into one!¡± Amary snapped, genuine anger surging out as Eric¡¯s voice cut through the melody. He scoffed out a snide remark, but I ignored him, opting to continue playing, bouncing between a bunch of the songs I knew and occasionally humming lyrics. Everyone else ate and finished their stew, gradually wrapping up and getting ready to retire for the night. Many stayed to listen and stare into the fire, and a few couples manifested and held onto each other. I sighed when I saw them. How I wished Umara was here. It had been about two months since we last saw each other, and although we kept in frequent contact, it couldn¡¯t substitute for seeing her face and hearing her voice and kissing her all I wanted. Not to mention the lack of sex. I had the military to distract me, but it still felt like I was being withheld from the drug that was Umara¡¯s body. I really needed to find my way into whatever special operations division the Kingdom ran so I could see her. But I had a feeling that I¡¯d need to get much stronger for that. It didn¡¯t matter how lethal guns were if I was limited to killing Authority Six weaklings. It all came back to that damn advancement formation. I looked at the time after finishing my song. People were beginning to disperse and I needed my sleepy time as well. That, and time to work on the formation. I had been putting it off with everything going on, but it was time to kick back into gear. Once I stood up, Amary opened her closed eyes. ¡°You going to bed?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Well if the music''s over, there¡¯s no reason for me to stay out here.¡± She followed me back to the tent after I put my guitar away. I could feel Eric¡¯s gaze track me as we left. I didn¡¯t like that guy. I climbed into my tent, as did Amary. She gave me a goodnight wave from her half open tent flap, which I returned before arranging my blankets and getting comfortable. I sealed my tent flap and took out my advancement formation, manipulating the Orb and projecting its information into my mind. I was getting used to the new patterns of this formation with its greater complexities, so I could start making actual progress on the first of many. An hour passed and I was steadily breaking my way into it, comprehending just a small part that would act as my foothold in the future. Unfortunately, I was destined to be interrupted. My eyes drifted over before Eric even stood up. Talk about precognition. Then, I watched as he walked over to my tent, standing outside it. ¡°Can I help you, First Sergeant Eric?¡± Right as I asked, his hand tore away the flap of my tent. It was dark but I could see him and the rest of the cave around him clearly. He sneered. ¡°Get up. I don¡¯t want to do night watch.¡± ¡°That sounds like a personal problem.¡± ¡°You better crawl out before I make it yours too, smartass.¡± ¡°Hey man, I get tired easily so I need my slee- oh.¡± I was interrupted by my ankle being grabbed. Eric dragged me out and tossed me on the floor outside like a wet rag. I groaned a bit after hitting the ground. Thankfully it was dirt. I glanced back at Amary¡¯s tent. She was deep asleep. ¡°Get your sorry summoner ass to the Steeds and take first watch. If you need me to throw you over there, I¡¯d be happy to oblige.¡± ¡°... Fine.¡± I thought for a second and stood, brushing myself off and walking over. ¡°Good dog.¡± ¡°...¡± I glanced back. What a creep. But I kept walking, making it to the Steeds and climbing to the top to watch. There, I saw the other guy who was doing night watch, Anulle. He was a peak Authority 6 warlock, and he watched me climb up with pity. ¡°So he forced you over, huh?¡± ¡°I came willingly, not that I had a choice. I¡¯d prefer not to break any bones.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± He nodded as I took a seat nearby. ¡°You know, you can jump inside the Steed and sleep if you want. There¡¯s really no need for two of us.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll watch for a bit, but thanks for the offer.¡± ¡°Suit yourself. I¡¯m going to read.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Anulle took out what looked like a Grimoire, similar to one of Umara¡¯s. I glanced at him before focusing outside the cave. We were surrounded by forest, so finding us wouldn¡¯t be easy. But the forest would hide us as equally as it would hide something that had found us. Time passed as I just stared off into the darkness, keeping alert for any movement whatsoever. I needed something. An excuse to nip this in the bud. For a time, I thought that wouldn¡¯t come. Hour after hour passed. Even Eric went to bed, and the fire turned to smoldering embers. But I kept watching as we got close to finishing the first watch. Then, my saving grace arrived. I saw faint movement deep in the forest. A Scout, not a Cyclops, but still a Scout. It was searching around, walking in our direction. Anulle naturally didn¡¯t see it; both due to lack of ability, and the fact that his face was buried in his book. But I stared as it, along with a small escort of spiked wolves, approached. Then, it got in range, finding a spot next to a tree to stalk us. It didn¡¯t look like it was intending to attack in any way, instead opting for a more passive information-gathering stance. In any other situation, nobody would ever know it had come, and it would silently slip away later. This cave was definitely already known to the Scourge. They probably stalked it every time the platoon camped here. I took out my Garand. The Scout was around 140 meters away, well within range. Anulle looked over, but before he could say anything, I fired. The explosion reverberated through the cave as the Scout crumpled to the ground. Then, I took out my Lewis Gun and started unloading. The noise and muzzle flash attracted the wolves, who came charging over after a brief moment of shock. I let off small bursts as they weaved through the trees, gunning each of them down one by one with ease. They were barely Authority Five. Then, when the last one was killed, I let off the trigger. I could then finally hear the sounds coming toward me. ¡°...op! Stop, dammit! Are you trying to make everyone deaf?!¡± I turned back. Everyone, without exception, was outside their tents and very much awake. I barely hold back a laugh as the Commander jumped and landed on the Steed. He yelled, definitely irritated. ¡°What the hell are you even doing on night watch?!¡± ¡°Sir! I spotted a Scout and a troop of spiked wolves making their way over! Right there!¡± I pointed. I had let some of the wolves get close, the closest being somewhat visible in the dark about 30 meters away. After taking a few breaths, Pollux scoffed and looked back at me with narrowed eyes. ¡°I asked, what the hell are you doing on night watch?¡± ¡°Sir, First Sergeant Eric assigned me to this post. I was just following his orders.¡± ¡°And you needed to wake up the entire damn mountain? While in the field, and especially on night watch, we don¡¯t engage unless the enemy is clearly attempting to mount an offensive or subvert our operations!¡± ¡°I apologize sir. I wasn¡¯t familiar with protocol here. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± ¡°... Fuck! So much for extra sleep!¡± Pollux jumped down, walking back into camp. ¡°Cooper! I don¡¯t ever want to see you on fucking night watch again! God forbid you make my ears bleed!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± ¡°I was planning on promoting you when we got back to base too, but I think I¡¯m going to be too tired to give a damn now! Eric! Get to your fucking station!¡± Eric walked over as Pollux was giving the order. I jumped down, the two of us passing each other. And the asshole was actually smiling at me, as if proud. I even heard him whisper. ¡°So much for being a rat. You just lost a promotion, little bitch.¡± ¡°...¡± I had to hold back my own cackle as I walked off. This guy was an idiot. I''d never have to do night watch again! He thought I gave a damn about an infantry promotion? I was going to be getting that shit within the week anyways. I really couldn¡¯t fathom this guy¡¯s stupidity. I had a feeling Pollux was helping me out too. Pulling a stunt like this might make him mad at me for a little bit, but for what I was getting? Easily worth it. I had a wide grin on as I got back to my tent, Amary looking at me with questioning eyes. A foggy breath escaped my lips. ¡°Now I can sleep in peace.¡± ¡°Thanks for waking me up. Quite rude.¡± ¡°Heh, not sorry.¡± ¡°Sly bastard.¡± She snickered at me. I chortled in response as I climbed back into my tent. I had no flap since Eric tore it off, but I hardly gave a damn. I felt at ease. And I fell asleep with a smile on my face. ¡­¡­ ¡­ As morning arrived, the platoon rolled out on the dot. I got a call from Polly not long after. ¡°Handler to Liaison. Good morning.¡± ¡°Liaison to Handler. It really is a beautiful morning out here. You should see it.¡± ¡°And step out into that cold? No thanks. What¡¯s your status?¡± ¡°All normal over here. Just finishing up our recon before heading back.¡± I looked around. We were driving around Scythe¡¯s Peak, taking a look at the last of the traps and sensors. Pretty soon we¡¯d be on our way back. ¡°Copy, Liaison. Check in before you reach the Black Forest. Communications go dark under that canopy. I need to know when you¡¯re passing through.¡± ¡°Will do Handler. ¡°Good. Compile your mission report too. Handler out.¡± I set down my Aerial with a smile almost as bright as the rising sun around us. Commander Pollux reaffirmed how good my eyes were in the morning when he saw the corpses. Not many could see in that darkness, let alone hit a shot through the trees from where I was. Well, it was good that my value as a long ranged fighter was apparent. That way I¡¯d be able to keep my distance from all the battles. The recon concluded promptly and with no issues. The convoy started their return to base and I checked in before we went into the Black Forest. I took off my hood and mask when I felt the blast of warmth under the canopy. I once again marveled at the beauty of this place, simultaneously feeling Amary¡¯s arms tighten around my waist from behind. I was the one driving the bike, so I didn¡¯t mind that she had to hold on. I did the same with her. But a part of me was wary. Perhaps I should take another bike next time. It was another hour or so before we made it through the forest and sighted the tips of the watchtowers over the thinning forest cover. They had seen us ¨C and our trail ¨C and the gates swung open just wide enough for us in perfect time with our speed, snicking shut mere seconds after our last Steed glided through the gap. First Mission: Complete. Chapter 155: Victory, At No Cost After arriving at base, I settled various affairs like turning in camp equipment and paying for the tear Eric left on my tent. Then, I went with Pollux to file the mission report. Giving a mission report had been covered in the Silver Six books. There was a paper to fill out, and I had to walk Polly through everything we did so she could log her own data. Pollux was there to help me in case I missed anything, but since my memory was good, he wasn¡¯t needed, to his immense pleasure. I was now in charge of debriefs and mission reports for the Pathfinders. It was a bunch of office worker crap, but I wasn¡¯t that opposed. Taking on a responsibility like this got me out of other things. Once all that stuff was filed away, Polly sat me down. ¡°You did well for your first mission. I¡¯ll be talking with Pollux later, but based on his mood, I¡¯d say he has no issues with you.¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t very happy this morning.¡± ¡°Hardly bearing on your performance, and I know that snobby dick Eric is probably giving you trouble too, so don¡¯t worry about it. Your ranged combat ability speaks for itself already. Scouts that like to linger in the distance have always been an issue. With you there, they may just become a non-factor during missions. Those golden eyes of yours also seem to be a valuable asset. So as long as you use that head of yours and keep yourself away from trouble like you did yesterday, you¡¯ll soon carve out your own spot with the Pathfinders. They¡¯ve needed someone who can handle the intelligence side of things for a while. I¡¯m hoping you can fill that role.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. And if it means anything, I¡¯ve already read and memorized the Golden Trio books. I¡¯d like to say that I can handle anything that might need that.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± She looked at me with a faint sense of fascination before turning away and diving back into her prior work. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. I¡¯d like to wait for the approval to come down for your promotion first. Just focus on adapting to life here. I don¡¯t need you dying because you tried to bite off too much responsibility.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I gave her a salute before leaving. Since we had just finished a mission, there was nothing else to do for the rest of the day. I decided to go fill myself up, since we had gotten back at around lunchtime. I spoke with Pollux for a while on my way to the mess hall ¨C he thankfully didn¡¯t chew me out too much about the gunfire today, given he was probably hungry too ¨C and sat down with Amary and Co. From them, I gathered a bit more information about the base and its environment and pieced together what my life would look like here for the foreseeable future. Missions like the one we just got back from didn¡¯t happen every day. Two or three times a week seemed to be the usual maximum. And if we weren¡¯t doing missions, our jobs consisted of either training or occasional patrols, which was just busy work. The Pathfinders were responsible for the intelligence side of this base¡¯s operations. We collected data, ensured sensors were working, did reconnaissance and generally kept tabs on everything happening from the base to Hare¡¯s Pass. We occasionally got a hunter-killer mission on a Scout Troop or a small enemy encampment and the like. Since we weren¡¯t that strong, our scope was limited in regards to combat. Very occasionally, we were given special orders to operate with the Snow Doves. Everything else was handled by everyone else. All the grunt work around the base, such as logistics, patrolling, night watch, and other miscellaneous tasks, were handled by the lower level individuals. And anything that required combat power was handled by the Snow Doves. So the Pathfinders were in the middle stratum of Stronghold Charlie¡¯s hierarchy. From what I gathered, this base held about a company¡¯s worth of soldiers, between 300 and 400, along with another several hundred other grunts. The Snow Doves consisted of about 40 of those, while the Pathfinders were another 40 or so. There was another base of soldiers, consisting of some at the level of the Snow Doves, but those guys were apparently out at a forward base somewhere in the boonies. Besides that, everyone else was lower level, supporting the operations of everyone above them. Logistics makes the world go ¡®round. The Pathfinders were in a pretty decent position. They got to remain pretty detached from the really dangerous battles and had a good amount of time to themselves. The Snow Doves had even more time off, but they also put their lives on the line in the big battles for it. That meant that I¡¯d have enough time to train, which I planned on taking full advantage of. After eating lunch, I disappeared into my room instead of joining Amary in the common area to hang out. There, I dug into my advancement formation, continuing from where I was rudely interrupted. Given some time to think, I had finally figured out some of the quirks of these formations. They were baby steps, but I had to start somewhere. At some point, brute forcing your way over the learning curve was necessary. There wasn¡¯t any easy way around it. So that¡¯s what I did. I had expended minimal energy today, so my mind was sharp. I was also learning to harness the sheer power of my mind better, beyond simply memorizing and searing information into my brain. There was a reason summoners were the smartest. The Spark was like a secondary mind, another processor that worked alongside the brain. I could assign it to work, allocating its power to carry out tasks ranging from automating my telepathic connections to keeping track of all the little types of squiggly runes and shapes and arrays within my advancement formation. The best thing about it was, unlike my mind which could still lose track of some details, my Spark had a perfect ¡®memory¡¯. It didn¡¯t remember things long term - a task my brain still had to carry out - but like RAM, it could temporarily retain batches of information for me to easily pull on when I needed it. It could also repeatedly feed data to my mind, resulting in the information being repeated in a redundant loop, a technique I used to memorize those books in mere hours. All of this meant that my advancement formation was just a little less daunting. I had cradled my Orb in Sawn¡¯s workbench, using it to project the massive advancement formation into a good chunk of my room. My advancement formations were generally shaped like spell circles, except now, it was a 3D constellation, more spherical than flat. As my eyes glanced between symbols, I cataloged the differences between each symbol before drawing them with my Psyka in the air. I would mimic them as best I could before chaining different portions of the formation together. And, to test it, I would run power through it and see if I got anything coherent in return. These formations were supposed to move the Magika from a White Crystal and my Psyka in a very specific way through my mind, resulting not just in an increase in power, but a transformation. That meant that any given part of the formations should, complete or not, move something in a specific way. Of course, I didn¡¯t know if the right something was being moved in the right way, or how it should be moving, or whether it should be moving something at all. The formations generally worked as a whole, not as pieces, so what I could test out was limited given the information I had. But I had to start somewhere. So long as the power that was being moved wasn¡¯t flying out of control, and I could discover what kind of directions each symbol and rune provided, I could gradually learn the language, understand what the formation was trying to do, and piece it together. But, as with most things, getting started was the hard part. The energy consumption was far beyond anything I had done before, as I dumped energy into learning everything, rectifying mistakes, maintaining precision, testing formations, and on and on and on. It wasn¡¯t even just brute force work; I also had to slog through the sheer amount of information in the results, isolate what was important, and infer what was going to happen, constructing logic chains similar to equations to discover unknown variables. It was all rather exhausting. By comparison, using my power for shooting at stuff was way more enjoyable. It was only when dinner came around after several hours that I finally stopped and put everything aside. I had gone through perhaps 80% of my Psyka and was still barely getting started. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Hopefully my dreams would help me out at night. Lord knows I¡¯d need the assistance if I wanted to keep the pace of my advancements. ¡­¡­ ¡­ Apparently, the Pathfinders were often given leave during their days of downtime. We weren¡¯t given stuff to do every day. After we returned from my first mission, we were given two days off. Our Stronghold wasn¡¯t responsible for pushing the front lines forward. We just had to make sure no monsters slipped past and snuck behind us. That meant there were often periods of inactivity on both sides. During our days off, we had the option of heading to the nearby town. It was called Frostfront. It only had a population of a few thousand, but because of the relatively high level of soldiers at Stronghold Charlie, the town was richer than most, since smiths and enchanters took residence there. That meant it was also the place where everyone went to maintain their gear or buy new things. The base even outsourced some of its work to them. There were also plenty of entertainment opportunities, which is why the soldiers loved going there. It was much more lively than the stagnant Stronghold. From what I heard from the men, it even had a brothel, whatever that would look like in a town setting. I only remembered the ones from the red light district in the Founder¡¯s Market, which were massive. The facilities there in regard to enchanting would possibly be useful in the future, if I needed to prototype designs I made, but I didn¡¯t go now. I was too focused on my advancement formation. Not only that, but I took a few glances at the enchanting lessons on my workstation, seeing what it was all about. Turns out, it wasn¡¯t too different from what I did with my advancement formations. Enchanting was a warlock¡¯s arena. Only they could actually make enchantments work with materials. That was how we got enchanted stuff like the Aerials or enhanced structural materials for the obscenely tall buildings that spit in the face of engineering and architecture. But warlocks didn¡¯t have the brains to create complex enchantments. That, or they didn¡¯t care to try any harder. So summoners were recruited to help them. And because enchanting was much like programming, but for magic, summoners were able to codify everything and turn it into something they could work with. Now, there was a whole dictionary full of magical symbols and terms that one needed to memorize in order to enchant things. It was its own language with grammar and nuances and all the other complicated things that came with a coding language. That wasn¡¯t to mention that, because this was magic, there was technically only one language, unlike computer programming, and this world¡¯s enchanters had yet to unearth everything, let alone find out all the different ways they could build syntaxes and such. It was still a growing field, and those at the bleeding edge were just the ones who were creative enough to first find the best ways to utilize and apply new discoveries. However, from my perspective, it would actually be an incredibly easy field to get into. I had no issues memorizing things, especially when they were already set in stone. It wasn¡¯t like my advancement formation, where I needed to discover the definitions all on my own. I just had to go through Sawn¡¯s dictionary and learn the language. Then, I could start enchanting at any time. The only difficulty would be utilizing the language to effectively create my own programs, like software engineering. I was no software engineer, but who said I couldn¡¯t learn? Just based on my increased speed of thought, I¡¯d learn in five years what any ordinary person would learn in a decade or three. That wasn¡¯t even counting my Spark, or whatever power I gained from future advancements. I could barely hold myself back from diving in, but until I made some worthy progress with my advancement, I put it on hold. One thing at a time. Like that, my two days of free time passed. Pollux actually held training for the knights and warlocks, but since I was neither knight nor warlock, I wasn¡¯t included. Even then, a few hours of target practice every day hardly distracted me from my studies. And then, after those two days, we were ordered into mission readiness. We got a new assignment, and it wasn¡¯t replacing sensors. ¡­¡­ ¡°Alright, Pathfinders. Today, you¡¯ve got a target. This will be a joint strike with your friends at the FOB Treehouse. We¡¯ve been picking up Scourge activity around Treehouse for a while now, and the latest recon suggests an imminent strike. We¡¯re going to hit them first.¡± Pollux listened to the mission brief for a few seconds before tuning it out. It was nothing he hadn¡¯t heard or done before, not to mention that he knew of this operation yesterday. Instead, his attention was on the Orb in front of him. Although it was a famous event, there were few copies of this video. He had only received it from a friend in the Capital who luckily recorded it himself. Even then, the fact that this video was in circulation at all was telling to its fame. Video recording was still a new and expensive technology. Only the most interesting videos would be saved. And Pollux could understand why this one made that list. John¡¯s consecutive battles and victories were eye opening. The metal pipe that breathed fire like a dragon, the poison gas that could cause horrible blistering, and whatever weapon that allowed him to blow holes in massive earthen walls and defeat the earth warlock behind them all. That last one earned Pollux¡¯s scrutiny. If John were a knight, he¡¯d need to utilize Emission and destroy the walls with concussive Vigor. A warlock would need explosive fireballs or compressed air. So what did John use? What could possibly allow a summoner to cause such explosions? Pollux only saw one, the explosion that blew down the wall at the end of the battle, revealing John and the bloodied earth warlock he held by the neck. But when he thought about how this weapon would work, rather than simply the result, he found himself stumped. That itself spoke volumes. Not to mention the flame thrower and poison gas. He knew that those two things simply contained their contents and expelled them, but the fact still remained that John was a summoner, incapable of wielding the elements. Since he had to pull on weapons from whatever dimension summoners had access too, what the hell kind of dimension was it? Some theorized that summoners called upon weapons from other worlds. What kind of world would produce such destructive and mysterious weapons? Finally, there was John¡¯s battle with Ponteck, which was the most eye opening. While watching it, Polux realized that he had underestimated John¡¯s ability to survive, as well as his cunning. The video showed John¡¯s clones, which he used to confuse Ponteck. This alone revealed how powerful his Aura was. For the level he was at, it was extraordinary. He had developed his own technique! Not even Pollux had done that. Then, there was the lethality. John could punch through Ponteck¡¯s skin, someone who could use Emission. Disregarding Pontecks prodigious talent, breaking through that level of Vigor was incredibly difficult for those who couldn¡¯t also use Emission. Knights were the toughest for a reason. Under no ordinary circumstances should John have been able to harm Ponteck in any significant capacity. But he actually beat him, reducing him to a bloody mess before taking victory through a slug fest. Just watching it, Pollux found himself scoffing, thinking it asinine that a summoner could ever fight hand to hand against a knight. But the video didn¡¯t lie. ¡°...¡± Once it ended, Pollux sent the Orb back into his storage, contemplating in silence. No wonder John had so many eyes on him. He was a rising summoner promising unheard potential. He was already an extraordinary fighter as he was now, let alone what he could become later. Pollux didn¡¯t know the details, but he was assuming that John had access to a particularly amazing advancement path, which would be the only logical reason he had so much power. Now, things were making more sense. Pollux would also have to rethink how he used John. His ranged abilities were clear, but he was also smart and capable of surviving even against a knight on his heels. It was clear that he wouldn¡¯t have to baby him so much. He could afford to draw out more of that lethality. Though, there was one other thing that caught his eye. John wasn¡¯t exactly subtle with how intimate he got with that one girl. ¡°Talerria¡­¡± He remembered that name. The warlock Marshal, the rich one who controlled the City of Joffrun. John was actually chummy with that woman¡¯s daughter, which wouldn¡¯t be possible unless the woman herself approved. So if something happened to John, he¡¯d have to answer to her personally¡­ and that was the last kind of person he wanted to be on the bad side of. It wouldn¡¯t be much better than angering a Sovereign. A Sovereign would probably just kill you. A Marshal couldn¡¯t do that, so they¡¯d just make your life a living hell instead. He had guessed this before, but now he was certain. John was a delicate bomb in his hands. He was thankfully capable of surviving some normally hopeless situations, like during the tournament, but one small slipup and he was dead. He had to make sure John never faced anything too far beyond his ability to survive. Pollux sighed as the briefing came to a close. This next battle would be a good guage, but he still couldn¡¯t help but be anxious. A glass cannon indeed. Powerful but weak. Pollux had never seen someone who tread that line so precariously. He glanced at John, who was conversing with Polly post-brief. The other Pathfinders passed him by, preparing to deploy. He couldn¡¯t feel John¡¯s Aura. Turns out, that was because his own was actually less developed. And in that position, John would be able to know when someone had their eyes on him. He¡¯d be able to sense their emotions, perhaps even a glimpse of their thoughts. Aura was a mysterious and sometimes scary thing. It was discomforting to know that one of his soldiers could actually see through him. With another sigh, he started walking off. John would fit in nicely with the Pathfinders; he wasn¡¯t worried about that. But time would tell how. Would he be another soldier like the rest of the Pathfinders, or would he be an elite, someone perhaps destined to become a Snow Dove? Maybe he would become something else entirely. Thinking about it gave him a headache, so Pollux halted that line of thought and focused on the mission ahead. No matter what, his objective didn¡¯t change. Victory, at no cost. Hopefully John would be a means to that end. Chapter 156: Versals Our mission was, in name, a search and destroy operation. We were tasked with finding and eradicating an advancing Scourge troop numbering no more than 200. Because this troop was located around Forward Base Treehouse, we would be receiving help from the soldiers stationed there. The difficult part about this whole operation wasn¡¯t the battle, but the journey. The forward base was over a day¡¯s drive away. We¡¯d also be heading out with a full convoy¡¯s worth of supplies for the base, so our secondary objective was simply getting there safely with all the supply trucks in one piece. Everybody was participating. We had a Snow Dove duo, ranked Authority Nine and Ten, escorting us and acting essentially as heavy weapons during the main extermination. A bunch of normal troops and even a few mundane people were mixed in as well, filling out numbers to handle logistics like driving and unloading. After our briefing was over, I stepped aside to speak with Polly. There was a gap between the Stronghold and the Treehouse that had no communications. The only way the two bases communicated with each other was via a long-range Pulse Node, but that was only good for short burst long-range transmission. Our portable Aerials didn¡¯t have enough power to cast to either base while we were between them. We¡¯d be on our own. Since my Aerial hosted its own Node, we¡¯d be able to maintain local communications if necessary. But I wouldn¡¯t be able to talk with Polly. Hopefully, we wouldn¡¯t need her. She was primarily there if we needed reinforcements. But if there was something even our Authority 10 couldn¡¯t handle, then having a line to her would be good for nothing more than letting her know we were soon to be dead. So I didn¡¯t worry much about communications. We had heavy hitters on our side, which was all I could ask for. Instead, I was concerned with the responsibilities as Liaison I would have to carry out, such as filing reports. I left the briefing room with a small stack of papers that Polly wanted done by the time we returned. After all that, I went and got ready to deploy. I requisitioned some camping gear and packed another set of clothes for the road. I also packed some extra blankets for more camping comfort, as well as other miscellaneous supplies for a multi-day trip. As for transportation, I decided I would be a passenger princess for this mission. Fuck if I was driving a bike all the way out there. I¡¯d rather sit down and study. Before long, the convoy was ready to leave. It was about an hour after sunrise that the gates flew open. I was placed aboard a Steed with Squad Two by Pollux. Apparently Amary was with Squad Three, and she was bummed when she found out we wouldn¡¯t be riding together. I was not. Instead, I got to meet some new people. After crawling into the Steed and taking my place on one of the chairs bolted to the wall of the huge cargo hold, the now company-sized convoy rolled to the gates. ¡°You¡¯re clear to deploy, Commander.¡± ¡°Roger. Let¡¯s roll, Pathfinders.¡± With his word, the vehicles rumbled through the gates. I took a look at my map after we diverted off our last trail. Hare¡¯s Pass was north of the Stronghold. The forward base was eastward. So we turned off the northern trail and changed our heading. The path was winding, seldom tread, and not very smooth. Thankfully, these Steeds seemed to have half-decent shocks. It wasn¡¯t unbearably uncomfortable. I took my free time to not study, but do some much needed projection into my fifth dimension. Most of the weapons I had now ¨C the M1, StG 44, and Browning A5 ¨C were all fantastic weapons, but they were also incredibly easy to find. There were surely many more powerful weapons that would boost my power until I finally advanced, but they would also take commensurate time investment. The poison gas, flamethrower, and satchel charges were examples of these increasingly lethal weapons. And I definitely hadn¡¯t searched the entire dimension. I knew there was more, and I was eager to find out what was in store for me. Luckily there wasn¡¯t anything to distract me. The day passed, and we made great progress toward the base, yet still had to stop around midnight to camp out. Unfortunately, I only got four hours of sleep at camp since we spent a grand total of six hours camped out. Most of the other soldiers were well rested when we woke at sunrise. I, on the other hand, felt like killing myself. I continued to miserably half-sleep on the Steed as we drove the rest of the way to the Treehouse. When I woke back up around noon, we were only a few hours out. I yawned before looking around at the rest of Squad Two. There were ten people in Squad Two besides myself. Six were warlocks and four were knights. Anulle, a warlock I had met before, was one of them. I had talked to them a bit, but not much since I was busy scouring my 5th star. It seemed to suit them perfectly fine, since they also had romantic partners with them. More than half of them were involved with one of their squadmates, and only two ¨C the driver and a knight ¨C were single. There were a lot of relationships in this platoon, and the Commander didn¡¯t separate them. It made me melancholic. I wanted my girlfriend so badly¡­ After groaning internally, I sighed and climbed up into one of the Steed¡¯s turrets and looked off into the distance. We were getting close to the base so I looked in its direction, finding it. Some miles away there was a ring of huge trees bounded by an inappropriately small valley. Each tree was at least 300 meters tall, with thick, densely packed trunks. And within that ring of trees was the Treehouse. The name was self-explanatory once I saw it. The place was miles away, and the trees were already prominent to the naked eye. When I concentrated, I could see a bit of activity on the walls of the base, which were constructed in the gaps between the trees. There seemed to be tunnels through the trunks as well, allowing the guards to walk the length of the wall all the way around. Natural fortifications, and from my guesses, magical in some way. I could certainly feel a distinct Aura from it all, one that towered with the trees and radiated from their very leaves. The guards on the walls spotted us on approach, and, before long, we were rolling through a pair of trees, between which was an open gate, fresh growth around its hinges. I took in a deep, crisp breath of fresh air. I could almost taste the earthly Aura. ¡°Disembark and start unloading supplies! The sooner we get everything into storage, the sooner you get to relax!¡± Pollux started shouting orders orders while walking over alongside the Authority Nine and Ten. ¡°John! Get over here!¡± ¡°Sir!¡± I heard my name and ran over, tailing the three people silently. We headed toward the headquarters to meet the overseer of this base. Said overseer had come out to meet us. ¡°Miron! Glad you could make it.¡± ¡°It was either come here or sit on my ass all day. I decided not to be lazy.¡± The two Authority Tens greeted each other. Ours was named Miron, apparently. ¡°How are you, Alois?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t complain. Remind me to get you some syrup while you¡¯re here. It gets better every week, especially when the Marshals aren¡¯t hogging it all.¡± ¡°Will do. I still can¡¯t believe you managed to snag this position.¡± ¡°Right? The only thing that would make it better is if I actually made some extra coin off of this shit.¡± The two friends started walking into the headquarters, chattering on the way. Pollux and I silently followed behind, eventually finding our way into a large meeting/war room with some intelligence agents sitting around and working. At the front was a huge map detailing the surrounding area. I stared at it and committed it to memory as the two behemoths seated themselves. I only glanced at them once before refraining from looking over at them again. Although I¡¯d had my fair share of encounters with people much stronger than them, Authority Tens sat in a weird spot with me. They were incredibly powerful from my perspective, which was obvious. But many weren¡¯t capable of controlling their Aura all that well. Those above them were stronger because of their better Auras, usually. They could at least control it, reign it in. Even Carrion could do that. These two guys weren¡¯t very good at that, or didn¡¯t give a damn, which was probably why they were still Authority Ten. And given my acute sensitivity, being around them was a little¡­ unsettling. It was like being stranded in the middle of the ocean with sharks all around you. Sure, they might not even have you in their mind. But that didn¡¯t make their presence any less disturbing to have around. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Thankfully, by pulling in my own Aura and strictly binding it to my own body, although I became blinded to everything else around me, I also didn¡¯t feel their raging power. It would also render them blind to mine, unless they forcefully probed ¨C although given their lack of control, I wasn¡¯t sure if I would make it out unscathed. After the two sat down, they started talking business. ¡°So? What¡¯s the deal? Heard you¡¯re having trouble.¡± ¡°Mm. A fairly large Scourge troop is moving in the vicinity. Their threat to us isn¡¯t as annoying as their threat to the surrounding environment. We don¡¯t want them killing off all the Bluesaps and Elaion Flowers, which seems to be one of their goals. They want to drive us out indirectly, and they haven¡¯t been easy to retaliate against. So I called you guys over to help us mount a strike against them.¡± ¡°Why not the Snow Doves?¡± ¡°Because we¡¯ll need them later. This isn¡¯t a half-assed operation. This is just the vanguard. If we take them out quickly, it¡¯ll be easier to fight them later on. Up until now we¡¯ve just been feeling each other out, engaging in a little bit of foreplay. Now that you¡¯re here though, I intend to fuck their asses raw and send them packing, make them hesitate before coming back for another round later.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always had such a way with words.¡± Miron chuckled and looked over at the map. On it were some red markers indicating where attacks had been carried out. ¡°When should we go?¡± ¡°Tonight is what I was planning on. They¡¯ll be vulnerable and most of the Royals will be in one place. Soften them up with magic, charge in, deliver that ass fuckin¡¯, and be home in time for breakfast.¡± ¡°Hm, sounds like a thorough plan. Maybe we should let the nerds figure out the details though.¡± ¡°Fine by me.¡± ¡°Then while they do that, show me that syrup.¡± ¡°Heh, right this way.¡± Alois grinned and walked away with Miron. Pollux and I, along with our Authority Nine, were left in the room. Then, a summoner walked over. Surprisingly, he was a Brigadier General, sporting a dragon with a pair of wings on his shoulder. The Authority Nine seemed to have no intention of talking, so Pollux stepped up, shaking the man¡¯s hand. ¡°Commander Pollux.¡± ¡°Brigadier General Hristo. Call me Hristo, or Brigg. Pleasure.¡± The two shook hands before Hristo turned to me, intent on getting my name. I saluted. ¡°Officer Cooper, sir.¡± ¡°Cooper here is our Pathfinders¡¯ Communications Liaison. Recently arrived from Academy.¡± Pollux patted my shoulder. Hristo nodded before turning. ¡°Very well. Now, if you¡¯ll come over here, I¡¯ll attempt to translate our Brigadier¡¯s words from before.¡± Hristo waved us over to the map. Seems like they already had something of a plan. Thank God. In short, it was just like Alois said, just in less crude fashion. We were to mount a night offensive and attack the Scourge encampment while they were at their most consolidated. This encampment wasn¡¯t in the same place every night though, so we needed to find them first. This was actually the most dangerous part. Hristo wanted to send a small squad out to recon the area they believed the camp would be in. Once found, that squad would need to remain there and keep watch, feeding information on numbers and combatant details back to the rest of the strike force. Once the time was right, the offensive would kick off. It was simple ambush tactics from then on, with the star of that show being Miron, a fire warlock. There were some other details as well. Apparently the Scourge was utilizing some odd fleshy organism that was capable of poisoning the surrounding environment, not only killing all normal flora and fauna, but transforming it into some kind of disgusting wasteland of melted biomass. They wanted to destroy these organisms, formally called Pustule Vaporators, or Pustules for short. That would take detachments to handle and eradicate them after the camp had been destroyed. The only thing I was worried about was the recon, because that was precisely where I wanted to be. ¡°I have a few men on our side that can handle infiltration, but it would be good if we can have someone good at collecting information, whether from up close or afar. Unfortunately, those I can offer would be¡­ mediocre at best.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± After hearing that, Pollux was silent in thought. That¡¯s when I raised my hand. ¡°Sir, if I may.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to volunteer for the recon position.¡± ¡°...¡± Both of them were silent, Hristo raised an eyebrow at me before turning to Pollux for his opinion. After Pollux stared for a little while, he nodded. ¡°Very well. Brigadier, Cooper here has exceptional eyesight, as well as an Aerial that can relay communications from a great distance, much more than standard devices. It¡¯s true that he would be fitting for the job.¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t know if exceptional eyesight will do much. Our knights have good eyes as well, and his weakness as a summoner is a liability in that kind of position.¡± ¡°Actually¡­ how do I put this¡­¡± Pollux scratched his head before glancing at me. I raised my hand again. ¡°If I may explain.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Hristo responded, prompting me to point at the map. My finger landed on one of the turns on the road that led to the base, one a few miles away and where I had initially popped my head out of the Steed to gaze at the base. ¡°Sir, while driving to the base around this part of the road, I was able to look at the base from the Steed turret and see the faces of the men who walked along the walls between the trees.¡± ¡°... Their faces?¡± ¡°Yes sir. My eyes are very good. I can count leaves from a few miles away, and see details from even farther. So I may not be able to tell you the color of someone¡¯s eyes from three miles away, but I could probably tell you if they¡¯re smiling.¡± ¡°... You have a Crown, Cooper?¡± ¡°I have really good eyes, sir.¡± I said that and stepped back, Hristo looking into my golden eyes for a second before nodding. ¡°Very well. That kind of vision will be an asset. For this recon though, you¡¯ll need to be able to tell me the color of their eyes. I¡¯ll want the smallest details, from the accessories those Royals wear on their clothes to the color of the claws of the beasts within the camp. How close can you get and still collect that information?¡± ¡°Depending on the terrain and light conditions-¡± ¡°A valley at midnight, possible fog.¡± I thought for a moment. ¡°1000 meters.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll start at 1500 before moving in as necessary. I want you to approach from this direction. It¡¯ll start you out at the best vantage points and allow you to acquire the camp¡¯s location before moving in. As for your team¡­¡± Hristo went quiet for a second. ¡°I¡¯ll gather them later. The recon team will have their briefing at 1800 hours before moving out no later than 1930 hours. Since that¡¯s taken care of, we can move on to other details.¡± ¡°Mm. John, go get some food and rest. You¡¯ll have a long night ahead of you.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± I saluted before heading out of the room, leaving the headquarters. The recon team was in the most dangerous position. Now that I was on it though, it very quickly became the safest. So long as my team didn¡¯t get me killed, of course. I smiled. These were the kinds of opportunities I wanted to take. I had no issues putting myself out there. Honestly though, I was surprised Pollux accepted so readily. Seems he had a change in attitude about me, perhaps because of my performance, or something else. Either way, I got the good position. Being the Liaison had its perks. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Key Master!¡± Plex strode into the Black Spider Hotel, a wide grin plastered across his face. The Key Master, contrary to his almost permanent smile characteristic of the front desk clerk, faced Plex with an unamused visage. Never was a frown to be found on his face, but there were certainly no beaming teeth filled with joy. ¡°Plex. To what do I owe your impolitic presence?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s always impolitic when it¡¯s me. But my apprentice steps foot in here and you have the grandest time chatting with him.¡± ¡°That apprentice is personable, something he certainly didn¡¯t pick up from his self-proclaimed master.¡± ¡°I happen to have many friends.¡± ¡°Generously outnumbered by your enemies.¡± ¡°I hardly see how that matters. Now speaking of, how is my apprentice doing? Last I saw him he was being carried out of the Magisterium by his girlfriend. I hope he hasn''t been eaten by the Scourge yet.¡± ¡°...¡± The Key Master raised a brow at him, making Plex click his tongue. He flicked a coin to the Key Master, imperceptibly caught by the recipient. He finally flashed a smile that disappeared as quickly as it came. ¡°How cheap. Always ransoming my curiosity.¡± ¡°One of my favorite pastimes. John is fine, currently stationed at Stronghold Charlie. How he will fit in remains to be seen, but based on his past history, he¡¯ll do just fine.¡± ¡°Good! I trained him well.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t train him at all. He¡¯s hardly your apprentice.¡± ¡°Hey now, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re stepping all over my toes. You¡¯re the one who threw him at me.¡± ¡°Indeed, one of my few misjudgments.¡± The Key Master sighed. Plex leaned against the front table as some guests walked in. After waiting and letting them pass by, he grinned and glanced back. ¡°What a great loss. I know you¡¯re hurting, but hey, that¡¯s no reason to get mad at me.¡± ¡°I hardly care about who he¡¯s under. What matters is where he¡¯s gone. My placing him under your purview was a great waste. He would have thrived elsewhere.¡± ¡°What, like at the Church? I think the markets shaped him nicely. We both know you don¡¯t want another Paladin, nor could you get one. Those old bastards are still too scared after the last battle. They have yet to manage another Authority 9 summoner! Quite laughable, really.¡± ¡°There are places other than the Church, and away from Noble eyes, where he would have grown just fine. I admit, the danger has pushed him farther and faster than I could have imagined. And that girl serves as good motivation, hopefully with the potential to be a good ally¡­¡± The Key Master¡¯s visage sharpened, before his whole body momentarily flickered pitch black. Plex rolled his eyes as the Key Master returned to normal, a smile blooming on his face. ¡°But the whole endeavor could have been optimized. It all happened so suddenly. There wasn¡¯t time to plan.¡± ¡°And yet everything that¡¯s happened feels¡­ almost divine. You just don¡¯t like it because you¡¯re a perfectionist.¡± ¡°No, I just don¡¯t roll dice like you do. And I don¡¯t like it when you play around with Versals. There are extremely few and you almost killed one multiple times.¡± ¡°But he lived.¡± ¡°...¡± The Key Master didn¡¯t bother responding, making Plex snicker. Then, Plex waved. ¡°Alright, thank you for the update. I''ll stop bothering you at work.¡± ¡°I wish you would. You¡¯re too suspicious, and I don¡¯t like being seen with you.¡± ¡°Bold of you to assume anyone can see me.¡± ¡°I can.¡± ¡°Your fault for being so powerful.¡± Plex chuckled before disappearing. The Key Master muttered one last thing. ¡°Keep watching Apocryon.¡± Chapter 157: Gut Root ¡°By the way, in case you didn¡¯t know, Scouts can detect magical transmissions within their suppression field. If you get caught within one, keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I hummed at Pollux¡¯s informative warning. I didn¡¯t know that, but I suppose it made sense. Currently, we were packing up to deploy. I was one of four people in my team. The other three were two knights and one warlock. We were given another briefing earlier. Nothing I hadn¡¯t already heard in the prior plan review, but there were still a couple tidbits that I found interesting to know. For one, knights carrying their warlock friends and running away from enemies was a valid and well-used tactic. I thought I¡¯d been somewhat original with it when I had Feiden and Vetsmon do it with me and Umara, but apparently not. Anyway, that was the plan if things went south. The four of us would take three bikes and stage ourselves on a small mountain. From there, we would attempt to find the encampment in the suspected valley. Once it was found, we¡¯d continue on bikes until we got within a few miles, then trek the rest of the way on foot. We were traveling light since this operation wasn¡¯t supposed to take any longer than a night to complete. If it did, we¡¯d have bigger problems on our hands. The last things of note were the expendable magic items we were given. One of them was a repeater for my Aerial so I could contact base. Another was a signal flare, for if shit really hit the fan. The last item was a bit morbid, and something I recognized. The Overkill Pill. It was a little black pill with no notable features, but with particularly extreme effects. I remember it being sold for a billion coin at my very first auction. Eat it, and it would give you explosive power for however long you managed to live under its effects. It was an overglorified suicide pill. I wasn¡¯t shocked to see it in circulation. If the Scourge got their hands on you, you would become one of their monsters. Thus, these pills were the best way to not only deal more damage to them, but ensure they couldn¡¯t increase their numbers with somewhat intelligent humans. It was also a form of mercy for the victims. It had been around a year since these pills were sold. I felt odd knowing who they came from as I stashed one away. Not that I was concerned. For the duration of our recon, as long as I was doing my job properly, I had navigational control. That basically meant I had command over our squad. So long as I wasn¡¯t obviously fucking things up, there¡¯d be no reason for the others to take the reigns. And so long as I was in control, I¡¯d be able to ensure that I didn¡¯t get into trouble. I arrived at the gates with Pollux. The other members of my squad, as well as Brigg. Hristo, were there waiting. ¡°All ready?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°Good.¡± He nodded. Right now, it was two hours before midnight. I had the map, my directions, and my bike. There was also Amary. She sat on the back of my bike, smiling at me as I walked over. The other two in the squad, a warlock and knight, were from Hristo¡¯s command and had their own bikes. I let out an unnoticed sigh while smiling at Amary and straddling the bike in front of her. As I did, my hood unfurled over my head. Hristo spoke. ¡°Hopefully no scouts will see you as you deploy, but keep your guard up. The last thing you need is an ambush. Just remember that everyone else isn¡¯t far behind. Play it safe, stay hidden, and there should be no problems.¡± ¡°Not too safe though!¡± There was a loud, chuckling voice that echoed from behind. We turned and saw the two Authority Tens, Miron and Alois. It was Alois that laughed. ¡°We still need results! So don¡¯t go shitting yourselves in fear just because you have to get a little close! It takes risk to get things done, as do all things in life! Aren¡¯t I right, Briggs?¡± Alois shot a grin toward Hristo, causing him to shrink back a bit. ¡°Of course, sir¡­¡± ¡°Damn right! So get the hell out there and point us in the right direction! Those monsters are killing our precious ecosystem. It would be quite the shame to lose its fruits, understood?¡± ¡°...¡± The four of us were silent. This guy was technically above me, but wasn¡¯t my commanding officer, so I didn¡¯t bother responding. Still, his Aura was positively bristling. It felt like a blade was poking into my neck, making it difficult to breathe even though I was keeping myself reigned in. His grin faded before his eyes fell on me. ¡°I hear you¡¯re the brains of this mission, golden eyes. Are you a noble?¡± ¡°... No sir.¡± ¡°Bullshit, where else would you get a Crown for eyes like that? And you¡¯re a summoner? You must have a rich daddy. I sure as shit wouldn¡¯t waste money on a summoner like you.¡± ¡°...¡± I just stayed silent. This guy was a fucking prick. For a second I glanced at Hristo, but he just had his head down, his eyes filled with apology and sympathy. I softly clicked my tongue while Alois laughed some more. ¡°Heh, well, whatever. Just get your job done and I won¡¯t have any issues. Now go on, fetch me their location.¡± ¡°... Yes sir.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Alois put his hand to his ear, a simple motion that made my anger flare. The retarded smile that bloomed on his face only fueled it further. With a thought though, I extinguished my anger entirely and stood from my bike, giving a sharp salute. ¡°Yes sir!¡± ¡°Heh, this guy gets it. Now hurry up and get out of here! Those monsters can¡¯t be killed soon enough!¡± ¡°Sir!¡± I gave one last response before turning my bike on, the others following suit. Then, Hristo spoke. ¡°Deploy.¡± With his word, we all drove off, my bike heading the path out of there. I could hear Alois laughing, so I drove a bit faster, lest it cause me to commit some form of treason. When we were far enough, I slowed down while speaking through the aerials of the other squad members. ¡°Take lead, one of you.¡± With my word, another bike rolled ahead and started leading. I knew the map but not the terrain, so I preferred to let someone else who knew these lands navigate. Amary hugged me a bit tighter from behind, her head moving over my shoulder so she could speak into my ear. The winds distorted her voice, but not nearly enough to drown it. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°... Don¡¯t let people like that get to you. Idiots like those get drunk on their power and then goad people into stepping out of bounds. Piss someone like him off enough and he¡¯d probably just rip your arm off.¡± ¡°...¡± My eyes remained forward. What she said was nothing new. I suppose there always had to be that one guy. And it changed nothing. It was just another motivator to get stronger, and until I did, I needed to just suck it up and not piss anyone off. It wasn¡¯t like at the Magisterium where simply being around Umara would invite trouble. Here, I simply needed to keep my head down, weather whatever bullshit people like Alois threw my way, before continuing like normal. I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with him again, and all would be right in the world. The illumination from the moon on the surrounding lands was enough to make it feel like day for me. The other two squad members had the lights of their bikes on to brighten the path. Mine was off, not just because I didn¡¯t need it, but also to draw less attention. I didn¡¯t feel anything watching us, but that didn¡¯t mean nothing was there. I assumed the Scourge already knew we had left, so I based my actions around that. In other words, I expected the worst. The location of the valley wasn¡¯t actually that far away, perhaps 25 miles from base. We crossed some of it before long. Then, it was on a large hill around 15 miles from base that we set up the repeater for the aerials, and, about an hour after we had left, we finally found the mountain Hristo designated for us to start at. After that it was another 20 minutes before we made it to the top. Once we rolled up there, I clicked on my Aerial. ¡°Approaching target area. Comms check.¡± ¡°Wallace, check.¡± ¡°Jen, check.¡± ¡°Amary, check.¡± ¡°All clear. Now, let¡¯s find these monsters.¡± I took point and rolled across the mountaintop, finding a good vantage point before coming to a stop. We jumped off our bikes, all four of us walking to the edge of a sharp drop. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. From there, we looked out over the valley before us. There was some cloud cover and fog, or what I was hoping was fog, making the light faded in certain areas and distorting anything in the distance. It was thin, which meant I could still make some things out in the distance with a bit of focus. Even then, my Aura spotted the encampment before I did. In the distance, on the side of the valley going in the direction of the base, was a large gathering of poisoning malice and intent. In the center of it was not just an encampment of tents and nests, but a pulsating mass of icky flesh and rancid fluid. They were about three miles from us, and yet when I pulled down my mask I could faintly smell the sickening odor of whatever the hell was down there. I was starting to think dogs ¨C or whatever Flicker equivalent ¨C would be a better way to find Scourge camps. That mass of flesh was in the center of the base, towering like some kind of distorted tree from hell. The ends of its branches writhed and shit out those clumps of rancid, viscous fluid. If I were new to gore, I¡¯d vomit just from the imagined sight. That wasn¡¯t to mention the rest of the valley, which was already corrupted, by the looks of it. Any remaining semblance of the original flora was withered, and everything else around that was covered in some kind of red, moss-like fungus. It covered the ground in patches, and was most definitely alive. I didn¡¯t like it one bit, because soon, I¡¯d be down there. I let out a long sigh. Although I could see the base and make out the figures, if I wanted to get detailed descriptions of the enemies in the camp with this fog, I¡¯d need to be closer. It seemed my guess of 1000 meters was looking to be right on the money. After looking around some, I snapped my fingers, pointed, and caught everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Right there. If we go down this ridge we can park our bikes there before proceeding on foot, making for a quick egress if we need it. We¡¯ll have cover up until about a mile from the edge of the base. Copy?¡± ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± One of the others responded. Amary nodded. Wordlessly, I walked back to the bike and mounted, as did the others. Once Amary was behind me, I peeled off and proceeded to our parking spot. There, we found a decent hiding spot for our bikes inside a ditch. After climbing out of it, we started making our way to the base. Before dropping onto level ground though, I turned to my two unfamiliar squadmates. ¡°We¡¯ll only speak unless absolutely necessary, and from here on out, keep your aerials off. Keep your Auras close too.¡± ¡°Aerials off? I hope you¡¯re not forgetting that we need to relay information back to base.¡± The knight, Wallace, spoke back. I just rolled my eyes. ¡°You think I forget things? Just turn them off. I¡¯m not speaking to them before I determine it¡¯s safe.¡± ¡°Alois is expecting us to check in.¡± ¡°And we will, after I know I¡¯m not going to get killed for it. Unless you want to walk in looking like a beacon for all their scouts to see.¡± ¡°...¡± Wallace went quiet, sighing and turning his Aerial off. The other two had already done so while he decided to bicker with me. Mine was already off as well. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t know my rank, otherwise they¡¯d probably be undermining me. With that, we finally started making our way over. We dropped into the valley, which had generally sparse cover. Thankfully the land that the base was built near was rocky, so we could stay low key in the midst of boulders and outcroppings. I crawled and slipped over and between rocks, staying as low to the ground as possible. Their base wasn¡¯t properly built, so there weren¡¯t any watchtowers. However, after we had moved about 300 meters in, I spotted something. Up on the surface of a nearby hill was a scout troop. Two scouts and their escort of spiked wolves strolled across, patrolling. I quickly ducked behind a rock before muttering quietly. ¡°Hide. Scout troop on that hill.¡± ¡°...¡± The others near me looked over before finding some rocks and slipping behind them. The scout troop continued to walk in our direction. Not toward us, but the hill they were walking on would loop them around us. Amary asked. ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°Hide and wait for them to circle around. Just make sure to stay out of sight.¡± ¡°Can we really wait that long?¡± Wallace asked another stupid question, causing me to glare at him. ¡°We¡¯ll wait as long as we damn need to. Unless you want to saunter on over there and get spotted. Do that and I¡¯ll watch as you get butchered alive.¡± ¡°... We should still check in¡­¡± ¡°Are you fucking¡­¡± I was baffled stupid. It was like this guy had a death wish, wanting to rush in there with no regard for safety. That¡¯s when the warlock, Jen, suddenly moved over to my side, stopping my words. ¡°... Cooper.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think you¡¯re understanding how scary Alois can be. He wanted us to check in a while ago. The entire strike force is waiting on us, and he wants this taken care of as soon as possible. Every minute of silence on our part is going to ruin his mood further. You may not have to deal with it, but we¡­ don¡¯t have that luxury.¡± ¡°... Fucking tyrant.¡± I scoffed. It seemed Alois neutered all his soldiers through fear. Wallace was scared shitless of him, so he¡¯d rather risk getting spotted just to get on comms faster and report the situation. And if he really was that unreasonable, then I could understand. Still, I wasn¡¯t dying for a prick like that. If he really wanted to rip my arm off just because I was a bit late with my report, then so be it. Better than dying in some nameless valley. ¡°Hey, if he¡¯s got an issue, just blame me. I don¡¯t give a damn so long as you two don¡¯t fuck this up, otherwise we¡¯ll all be dead and none of this will matter. Shit, I can¡¯t imagine fearing someone so much you put their pleasure above your own life¡­¡± I sighed and looked back toward the scout troop, watching them as they gradually made their way around. Jen hung her head beside me, silent and brooding. Now, I was a bit worried. Jen seemed more put together than Wallace, but both of them were looking like liabilities to me. Either way, if they really screwed up, then I was going to take Amary and disappear. At that point, their lives would be forfeit to me. Until then though, I¡¯d have to drag them along and pray nothing happened. Thankfully, Wallace could hold himself in check long enough for the troop to pass by. Once we were out of their field of view, I started moving, the others following. We made our way a bit closer, my eyes glued to the surroundings. I continued to take occasional glances at the encampment to see how my vision held up, and when I finally felt comfortable, I stopped and set up. I laid on top of a rock, my eyes peeking over the top. About 800 meters away was the base. I had gotten closer due to the fog, but we were still far enough for me to be comfortable. The base was slightly lower than we were, giving me a look not just at the perimeter but deep inside as well. From there, I started counting, estimating about 300 enemies based on the number of tents and the number of enemies laying around outside. That included nearly 30 scouts, most of which were still active. I also managed to spot some Royals. We were fortunate enough for a large tent to be facing our direction, its flaps pinned open, allowing for a glimpse inside. Three royals sat around a table, though that was only in my immediate field of view. If I had to guess based on where they were looking around and the size of the table, there were at least five others, probably more. One of the Royals caught my eye though. It had pale white skin, black veins, and pure black eyes. I made a mental note of that one before bringing up my Aerial and turning it on. I broke radio silence. ¡°Liaison to Treehouse, come in.¡± ¡°... I hear you, Liaison. This is Briggs.¡± Hristo¡¯s voice came back, making me sigh in relief. Still, I kept my eye on the surroundings. The voice that came next though made my blood pressure spike. ¡°Summoner! The fuck took you so long?! Have you no sense of urgency?!¡± ¡°No, Brigadier sir. We were delay-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t fucking care! Give me a goddamned report so we can get this shit going!¡± ¡°...¡± I went silent, taking a few breaths before giving the report. ¡°The Scourge encampment is on the southern edge of the valley. A quick count puts their numbers at approximately 300. That includes around 10 Royals, most of which are currently conversing inside of a large tent near the center of the camp. Besides that, there is one active scout patrol, as well as nearly 30 scouts within the camp. There are also bears, some monkey-looking things, spiked wolves, and a large flesh tree sitting in the center of the camp.¡± ¡°... Copy Liaison. Give me a description of the flesh tree.¡± ¡°About 40 feet tall, no leaves, writhing branches, and it''s excreting some kind of yellowish fluid.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a Gut Root¡­ Noted.¡± Hristo¡¯s voice dropped a bit, making me worried. ¡°Can you describe the Royals?¡± ¡°The first one that sticks out is one that looks like a man. He¡¯s got black veins across his face and pure black eyes. Otherwise, looks like a normal armored knight.¡± ¡°... Shit.¡± My heart dropped when he said that. ¡°Briggs?¡± ¡°... Liaison, that¡¯s not a Royal. That¡¯s a Corrupted. He likely used to be one of our own soldiers. How deformed is his face?¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t see any outstanding deformities, sir.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good¡­ Understood Liaison. Continue describing the rest.¡± ¡°I can only see two others directly, but okay¡­¡± I went on to describe the other two Royals. One had purple skin with red eyes and two jutting tusks coming out of its mouth. The other only had one green eye with dark green skin and large fleshy flaps on its neck, looking like a cyclops frog-fish thing. While I was describing them though, I was staring at the Corrupted. A prior human, corrupted by the Scourge and made one of them. The man seemed functional and coherent, capable of holding normal conversations, by the looks of it. I didn¡¯t know much about the process of corruption, but if Hristo was asking specifically about his deformities and was concerned about him looking normal, then it couldn¡¯t mean anything good. After a bit more explanation and detail, Hristo seemed to get everything he needed. ¡°We¡¯ve got at least two confirmed Authority Eights and likely at least two Authority Nines. Liaison, can you sense anything that might be stronger than that, such as an Authority Ten?¡± ¡°No sir, there are no Tens. There¡¯s one close to it, but not quite over that threshold.¡± ¡°Hah! You think you can sense an Authority Ten¡¯s Aura?! That¡¯s a good fucking joke, Five! You¡¯re fucking insane to think you can sense an Aura that powerful!!¡± ¡°I guess I must be, sir. My apologies.¡± I mumbled back, rolling my eyes. Alois had the most obvious fucking aura I¡¯d ever seen in an Authority Ten, so he was the last one who should be talking. Though I¡¯d expect nothing less of someone who was so blatantly incapable of being self aware. I let out another sigh, waiting for Hristo to give me the all-clear. However, after a few minutes, there was nothing but silence. ¡°... Treehouse? Liaison to Treehouse, come in.¡± ¡°...¡± I heard nothing, so I instantly shut off my Aerial and looked back. Amary¡¯s glistening eyes snapped up to mine. ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Now. Start moving.¡± I pushed her along, the two of us starting to slip back through the rocks. Wallace and Jen moved after us, Wallace muttering. ¡°But we need to report-¡± ¡°I already gave the report, and my connection was cut. There¡¯s a scout troop nearby, so I¡¯m leaving. If you want to stay and try reporting more, be my guest. I¡¯ll see you back at base.¡± I continued moving after saying that, tuning his bullshit out. After I¡¯d retreated some more though, I heard some movement in the distance. Claws on rock. That was my guess after hearing the distinct tapping. And it only took one glance back to see a few pairs of ears and spikes. They were coming, and I had a feeling they knew we were here. There was some more activity in the base too. Not good. I turned to Amary. ¡°Hey. If I tell you, start running. And if you see me disappear, start running. Either way, we¡¯re in hot shit right now, so get ready to book it.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± She nodded, and I was glad she wasn¡¯t questioning me. As for the other two, I was really close to not giving a damn about them, not that it would matter if things got worse. Still, I gave a cursory piece of advice. ¡°Wallace, if we start running, grab Jen and run with us. Otherwise you¡¯re free to turn around and buy us some time. Maybe Alois would commend you for your bravery.¡± ¡°... Asshole.¡± He scoffed at me, making me roll my eyes. I didn¡¯t care for idiots on my team and didn¡¯t care whether he liked me or not. I didn¡¯t need their help to survive. I was quick, not as quick as the knights, but I was still making good distance. Wallace went ahead of us a bit while Jen kept up with me and Amary. Unfortunately, that scout troop didn¡¯t have to be stealthy, and they were gaining ground. They seemed to be spread out too, which meant I couldn¡¯t sneak to the sides without taking on more risk. At some point, I started getting more anxious. I could feel them on my heels. The looming sense of danger rapidly grew upon me, smothering different routes of escape. They probably caught our scent or heard us¡­ or both. It was time to throw them off our trail now, before it was too late. My Aura bloomed into the immediate vicinity, solidifying before turning to fog. Moments later, the fog disappeared. And I disappeared along with it. Chapter 158: Disappear Amary felt her heart thrum when she saw the fog wash over her. She felt disoriented in a weird way. It wasn¡¯t malicious, but she could feel her own Aura lose its coherence within it. But only for a moment. Once the fog disappeared, she felt control rushing back into her¡­ but John was gone. He had been right next to her. He was her charge; she couldn¡¯t let him out of sight. And she was sticking close in case she needed to grab him and run. She too could hear the spiked wolves gaining on them, their contorted yipping and barking getting closer and closer. But now he was gone, and his words resurfaced in her mind. ¡°If I disappear, run.¡± She hesitated, looking around some more, yet couldn¡¯t find him to save her life. She felt like something, someone, was in the vicinity, but she couldn¡¯t see anyone except Wallace and Jen. He had really disappeared. But how? Did he have some kind of device to make him invisible? She couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡°John! Are you there?¡± She scanned the snow-covered rocks until suddenly, she sensed something and snapped her head in that direction. John resurfaced, well ahead of her, wrapped in a cloud of fog. Her perception of him was interrupted, distorted ¨C he was definitely in sight, but the fog seemed to almost convince her he wasn¡¯t, as if trying to hide him in plain sight. When she focused, his figure resolved in her vision. He spoke. ¡°Hurry and run. Once they find you, those Royals will come.¡± His words echoed despite the lack of boundaries, and once he dipped back behind one of the rocks, he vanished once more. No amount of focusing on her part could bring him back. Of greater concern though was what he said. Those Royals would come, and if she didn¡¯t get out in time, she would die to them. Suddenly, she heard a voice in her mind. ¡°Get to the mountains and disappear. I¡¯ll try to help you.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Amary let out a breath. Then, she looked over and launched herself. She soared over some rocks and landed right next to Jen. She scooped her up and dashed ahead, leaving Wallace behind. Amary wasn¡¯t too fond of him either, and he was a knight, so it¡¯d be up to him whether he wanted to keep the pace. She bounded across rocks, dropping some pretenses of stealth, but still not making herself too obvious. She covered dozens of meters in just a few steps, rapidly closing the distance to the mountain where their bikes were stashed. She was only halfway there though when she saw a flash of light in the corner of her eye. A Cyclops Scout stared at her, eye brimming with power. It had spotted her. But just as she thought it was all over, there was a sound. An explosive crack ripped through the valley, and, simultaneously, Amary saw something rip through the Scout¡¯s head, killing it instantly. It crumpled to the floor. And just as the other scout stood up on a boulder, it too was shot down. A few seconds later, the wolves started to howl, a sign of distress and alarm. The camp started to rumble with activity, but Amary recognized the chance she was given. If the scouts weren¡¯t there, nothing could track them. And since they¡¯d been made, she took off with her full strength, bounding across the valley and making it to the base of the mountain in less than 10 seconds. When she looked back though, a chill went down her spine. The Royals had emerged, and were looking in their direction. She abandoned all pretenses of stealth, throwing herself up the mountain and disappearing behind its irregular terrain. After finding the bikes, she set Jen down. Wallace was right behind them. But John was nowhere to be seen. And how could he be? He was an ordinary man. There was no way he crossed that distance before they did. He was still out there, that much Amary knew. But she couldn¡¯t go back into the valley. That¡¯d be asking to die. Thats¡¯ when she suddenly heard that voice again, no doubt John¡¯s. ¡°Take the bikes and leave. I¡¯m hiding. Don¡¯t waste the chance. The Royals are coming.¡± ¡°I can wai-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wait! Hurry up, go, now! Before the Royals catch up to you!¡± Amary went silent, and whatever connection that allowed John to talk to her disappeared. She looked back, hearing the wolves catching up to them. If she got into a fight with them, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the Royals jumped in and slaughtered them. Still, with gritted teeth, she cursed. ¡°Fuck! Let¡¯s hurry up and go, now!¡± ¡°What about-¡± ¡°He¡¯s not coming! Get on your bike!¡± Amary jumped on her bike with those words, turning it on before speeding off. Jen and Wallace scrambled to keep up with her, deciding it was better to just leave now and ask questions later. They went back around the mountain, taking the trail back the way they came and leaving the casually pursuing Royals behind. ¡­¡­ I cut my connection to Amary before sinking down behind a rock. Pulling in my Aura completely, I let myself fade back into existence for a bit. With the death of the scouts, the spiked wolves were no longer coordinated. They all charged after Amary, bounding up the mountain in pursuit and leaving me behind enemy lines. I was alone, but there was still a glaring issue. The Royals were coming. They didn¡¯t go very far. They were jogging over until I killed the scouts, after which they started running to see what was going on. Thankfully, Amary got out quick. They couldn¡¯t catch up to her, or perhaps didn¡¯t bother to. Instead, a bunch of scouts were sent out with even more spiked wolves, along with a few bears for good measure. I went off to the side when the wolves converged to chase Amary. Now, I was at the base of the mountain, closer to the central part of the valley. I let out a long breath. Becoming invisible, in my case, was a mimicry of Plex¡¯s ability. And the only reason I could do so right now was because the process was almost identical to how I made clones. Instead of tricking someone¡¯s mind to believe there were two of me, I was tricking them into believing I wasn¡¯t there at all. I was removing the ability to perceive me from anything that could actually perceive, not by distorting light or melding into the atmosphere, but by interfering with mental faculties. Even then, I wasn¡¯t interfering with the minds around me directly. That would just give me away, especially if something was more powerful than I was. It was no different from drawing a string between us. Instead, I took an indirect route. I distorted and changed my presence, like how you could encrypt data. Just because someone could see the data didn¡¯t mean they could decrypt it. So long as it remained encrypted, it would forever remain a mystery. As long as my enemies couldn¡¯t decipher my presence, I would remain unseen. Of course, they could just attack the area and counter my interference with sheer power, revealing me anyway, but that was beside the point. I thought it was rather ingenious, but it wasn¡¯t much different from making clones. In fact, making clones was a bit more Psyka-intensive. Becoming ¡®invisible¡¯ instead took more finesse. And it was working well. Scouts would look right at me, then turn their heads away, completely unaware. With everything chasing Amary and the others, I was free to walk out with none the wiser. It was the perfect plan. But when I turned my head around, my heart dropped. I saw¡­ something, sniffing around the floor in my direction with a scout beside it. The thing looked like a mouth with legs. It didn¡¯t even have eyes, just flaps on what could be its upper lip. As it started wandering in my direction, a Royal trotted over, curious as to what was going on. Dipping behind the rock, I drew one last foggy breath before activating stealth mode and moving on. I needed to get out. I started walking gingerly. My boots already helped a lot with that with their enchanted air-supported movement, but if I leaked any sound at all, I was dead. I had to take note of every single crunch of a snow crystal beneath my soles. Still, I tried to make haste. At some point, I had to climb a bit, moving to higher ground around the mountain. There was a small forest in the area that I could disappear into before making my way back in the direction of the, hopefully, oncoming strike force. As I started going up though, I heard that mouth-breather monster quicken its steps, its flaps flaring as it took in deep, harsh breaths. I saw it, the scout, and a particularly devilish Royal start jogging in my direction, probably following my scent or something. So I picked up the pace even more. ¡°Hey, bitch! Where are you going?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m tracking something! Get your dick out of my ass!¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t fuck off into the forest! Those humans are probably planning a strike if that was a scout group like I think it was!¡± ¡°Fuck off!¡± The Royal, a twisted approximation of a female, waved off the others while heading my way. I finally made it over one of the steeper slopes, finding the tree line and sprinting for it while using controlled blasts of air under my feet to make me fly over the ground, creating distance. The mouth-breather started scrambling, and the Scout made some weird sound with my sudden movement. In response, the Royal leapt and landed near the tree line. It slowly rotated its head as I hid behind a tree. Then, I heard its voice. ¡°I can taste you, darling. You¡¯re around here, somewhere. That delectable male scent is unmistakable. Why don¡¯t you put down that Aura and let me have a lick?¡± I didn¡¯t respond, deciding that I needed to get the hell out as soon as possible. Getting close to my enemies was never good for me. It was one of the Authority Eight Royals, though I was sensing power eerily close to Authority Nine. No matter what, it was far beyond me. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. When I took a few steps beyond my tree though, its head snapped toward me. For a second, I thought it saw me¡­ until I looked down and saw my boot prints in the snow. With a quick thought, I made those vanish too, but not before the Royal launched itself toward me. I ducked and rolled behind the tree again, narrowly dodging a set of razor sharp claws. I could almost hear them tearing through the wind. After gathering my bearings and rising to one knee, I stayed absolutely still, looking at the Royal as it scanned around right in front of me. I got an eyeful in the process. This Royal was almost completely nude, only some leather strips covering its most important jiggly bits. The more I looked though, the more I found myself getting entranced, aroused even. I narrowed my eyes before washing away the seductive influence. Was this what they called a succubus? I had but a second to think before its head snapped toward me, boobs swaying with its movement. I almost panicked before I realized it wasn¡¯t looking directly at me, but only knew my general direction. Still, my heartbeat, though slow, felt like it wanted to tear itself out of my chest. Then, it lunged forward, its claws slicing straight forward¡­ ¡­and hitting nothing but air right above my head. But simple proximity was enough. Despite my Aura¡¯s more potent distortive abilities, the Royal¡¯s power was on an entirely different level of raw power, blasting against mine and whittling it away to nothing for a moment. But a moment was enough. It knew where exactly I was. In response, I brought up my A-5 shotgun, blasting it in the face while throwing myself backwards with a blast of air from my boots. The Royal¡¯s head snapped back from the sudden impact, and it twitched it back, almost like a spider. I sent a clone in a different direction, and she lunged for it. While it was busy thoroughly dismembering my clone, I created some distance with the now invaluable help of my boots, making sure to cover up my trail this time. My brain automatically simulated blood and gore, and my body being bisected wasn¡¯t a pretty sight. I even felt some phantom pains. Once the clone disappeared though, those thoughts vanished with it. My stealth took over once more and made me scarce. The Royal went back to looking around for a few seconds before suddenly bursting out in laughter. ¡°Hahaha! Sneaky little bastard, aren¡¯t you? How slippery¡­ How weak. One wrong step and it¡¯s all over for you. Isn¡¯t it thrilling?¡± I continued to remain silent. There was no playing around with this one. As it searched, keeping eyes and ears out for any of my movements, I slowly got to my feet and made my way away. It was inches at a time. I was basically shuffling backward. Shockingly, making anything beyond my body disappear was rather difficult, including the ground. There was another problem as well. My Aura had a range. It was large, but my power diminished exponentially every foot from my body. That meant covering my tracks wasn¡¯t possible forever. Once those were revealed, it would draw a straight line to me, and I couldn¡¯t use the enchantments on my boots to much because that mana usage would make me shine like a beacon. I stopped and stood still for a bit, thinking. It was at least an hour before the strike force arrived. I just had to survive. A fully empowered shotgun slug to the face only left a now-gone bruise on that Royal¡¯s face. It was a nice shiner, but also a brutal reminder of how weak I was compared to it. So I wasn¡¯t killing this thing with brute force. Thankfully, its Aura was lacking, only supplemented by raw power. Well, that might not necessarily be true. All I knew was that it couldn¡¯t handle my mental interference very well. Not a surprise, since few Scourge beasts or Royals, if any, had ever faced competent summoners. Our scarcity made our abilities entirely unknown. I couldn¡¯t let this Royal learn how to combat my Aura though. I could feel its own, and it was constantly probing around, trying to get a read on my mind. Given time, it would eventually close in on me, and then? I would be screwed. If I wanted to avoid that, I had to improve. Change the encryption, make it more complex, make it fainter as I dispersed it over a larger area. I concentrated and continued to stand around. So long as this Royal didn¡¯t close on my location, I didn¡¯t have to move and make things more difficult for myself. I watched as it looked around, inspecting the surroundings, looking at my tracks and trying to guess where I was. ¡°... You¡¯re not moving, are you, hun?¡± It mumbled and kept looking, and over several minutes it began to get closer to where I was. In that time, I ran through dozens of ideas on how to improve my stealth, how to throw it off my tracks. I decided it was an appropriate time to give one of my ideas a try. I looked off to the side and concentrated my Aura there, giving it a bit more of my signature. The Royal quickly noticed and took a large bound over. When I dispersed it though, she looked around and chuckled. ¡°This little bunny is trying to play. You want to play? You think you can fuck with me?¡± It let out faint snarl before drawing a shortsword and slashing the air. My instincts screamed at me, causing me to drop down to the floor just as a blade of energy sliced through the air. It would have cut me clean in half had I not been fast enough. The trees, on the other hand, weren¡¯t so lucky. Dozens of them creaked and toppled, trunks slamming into the snow powder and raising a fine mist. I took advantage of the chaos, dashing ahead a few steps to make extra distance. The extra movement didn¡¯t go unnoticed though, and the Royal got a lock on my location and threw itself over. I threw out some more clones, confusing it while scrambling away. It threw out some more blades of energy, really pushing me to my limits. I started dumping so much Psyka into my stealth and clones that my head actually started heating up a bit. But it wasn¡¯t for nothing. With a bit more dancing around, I managed to shake it off and found myself another sweet spot. I stopped, taking a few breaths and noticing I had gone through nearly a third of my Psyka in that one bout. It had barely been 10 minutes. At this rate, I wouldn¡¯t even make it to the next hour. I cursed inwardly. This was looking like more and more of a shit situation that I really didn¡¯t want to be in. When I looked around, I noticed that the surrounding forest had been completely cut down. There were over 100 yards between me and the next standing tree. Naturally, that meant that all those tree trunks, branches, and leaves were cluttering the area. More cover. Convenient, if used correctly¡­ but it could also be a cage. There was some leaf cover between the Royal and I, which would help me maintain my stealth. However, I realized that I needed to simultaneously employ real stealth tactics on top of my magical stealth. Keeping my tracks hard to follow was one tactic, and reducing my noise was another. Every sound I made still reverberated outward and helped give away my location. With all these branches in the way, it would be harder to maneuver quietly, even though I could break line of sight easier. So while formulating how I would begin to increase the distance between us, I also employed some more baiting tactics. I occasionally used clones and Aura concentrations to throw off the Royal¡¯s senses. It pissed it off to no end too. ¡°Fucking with me, fucking with me. I¡¯d prefer you just fuck me. I¡¯ve fucked quiet ones before. The dead ones are nice too. Those dicks can get hard. Only downside is the lack of seed¡­¡± It continued to mumble, my disgust rising with every word. It was one thing to be vulgar. It was another to hear about this level of depravity. ¡°Fuck. Why don¡¯t you just come out, little bunny? Mama¡¯s getting hot.¡± And then it started touching itself. Seriously, I needed to get the hell out of here. I started walking on tree trunks and rocks, anything that wouldn¡¯t leave behind a track. It was working for a while until I started encountering barriers of leaves and piles of snow. Without the canopy of the forest, the snow was free to fall and accumulate on the ground, making my life more difficult. Still, I was making distance. More distance meant larger margins of error. I had no choice but to keep pushing. More time passed as I snuck around, but the more I messed with and baited the Royal, the more pissed off it got. It continued to launch occasional blades of energy. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t seem to know any large-scale magic. However, its sensitivity would continue to sharpen the longer it had to analyze my Aura. I did what I could to throw it off, but my power could only go so far. Minute by minute passed, each one feeling longer than the next. The 30 minute mark came and went, and I was down 60% of my Psyka despite constant regeneration. At that point, once I found a good spot, I stopped and thought some more. I couldn¡¯t continue like this. My stealth was good, but in exchange for the invisibility, I was basically broadcasting that I was in the area. The Royal knew I was here. It just didn¡¯t know where specifically. With every minute though, it was getting closer. I needed to improve. There were more facets to stealth in this world with the magic aspect. But that didn¡¯t mean I should forsake the non-magic aspects. Until I could improve my Aura technique more, I¡¯d have to use everything at my disposal. After all, this was the first time I was using this technique in the field. I looked around, examining the snow, sticks, dirt, and leaves. I needed to blend in. I needed to become a part of my environment. I was no scout sniper, but I had read things about camouflage. I unfortunately didn¡¯t have any gear that would make a ghillie suit easier to create, but that wasn¡¯t necessary. Obscure the figure, use the surrounding foliage and colors to your advantage, eliminate your traces, and disappear. I called upon what little knowledge I had before improvising and beginning to assemble items. I also brought out some string from my camping gear. And so, using the distance I created between myself and the Royal, I found a spot and started disappearing. A fallen tree for cover, some snow to eliminate my body¡¯s outline, mud to smear and distort the color and texture of my white snow coat, as well as dampen my obvious scent. After some time, I had a good spot. I just needed to bury myself while not making too much sound. Throughout this time, I had been occasionally popping up my head to check on the Royal¡¯s progress, and noticed an ever-increasing concentration of spiked wolves, scouts, and those mouth-breathers. I cursed as the Royal signaled them over. I had to hurry. Hastening, I laid down into a subtle crevice in the dirt by a rock and a fallen tree. Then, I started covering myself while slowly pulling a bundle of sticks and leaves over my body. At the same time, I used clones and lures to pull the Royal away, as well as some of the approaching spiked wolves and scouts. Finally, once I was buried beneath sticks, mud, snow, and a pile of leaves and branches from the fallen tree, I let out a breath. A puff of fog rose into the air before me. It slipped through my mask, a dead giveaway. Suddenly, a thought rose to the surface of my mind ¨C a convenient remedy. I grabbed a handful of snow from under me and stuffed it into my mouth. After I did that, I felt two things with my Aura. The first was something from my 5th Star. Something started calling out to me, excitedly, as if I¡¯d become worthy of it. The second was the Royal. I heard it mutter as it started to hone in on me. ¡°Fog? Is this your Aura, little bunny?¡± I cursed, and then, made my decision. Those Scouts and wolves were adding more variables, making it more difficult to maintain my stealth, especially as I started running through the last of my Psyka. So with my decision, I pulled everything back. My Aura, my Psyka, my mind, was pulled so far back into my body that I felt like I went blind. I closed my eyes, finished burying myself alive, and went still. ¡°Oh? A new game?¡± I ignored the Royal, not daring to even utilize the danger sense of my Aura. I started to convince myself that I didn¡¯t exist, that I was dead, that all traces of me were washed from the very ether. Going even farther, I shut down my coat and the functions of my hood completely. The cold quickly started invading my body, but I shoved the discomfort aside. Like that, minute by minute ticked by. I counted every single second, allowing my body to remain limp as the snow in my mouth numbed everything and melted a bit, covering my tongue with water and dirt. ¡°Where in the hells are you, little bunny? Hey! Start sniffing around, fucking mutts! I want every corner of this forest searched!¡± The Royal started yelling. Wolves whimpered as they were screamed at or kicked in anger. I just kept my eyes closed, focusing on my breathing. 30 minutes turned to 45, and 45 turned to an hour. At some point, the Royal reached its breaking point. ¡°Fuck! Where did he go?! Come out!¡± It started thrashing about, randomly throwing attacks every which way. No direction was spared, and I could hear explosions of wood and earth. The ground thrummed from the power of the impact. Chunks of wood slammed into my legs and torso, which, while painful, was bearable. But then a trunk tipped over and crushed my shin. I vividly felt bones snapping, causing my body to jolt uncontrollably as the pain lit my nerves up like lightning. But I didn¡¯t move, nor did I speak. A branch slammed into my arm, digging into me with the weight of a trunk behind it. But I let it be, using that sensation to distract from the broken bone. The Royal clambered around for almost 15 minutes, sending out more attacks that left some wolves crying out in pain. Those too loud for the Royal¡¯s liking were quickly silenced with wet squelching. And then, when the hour and a half mark came around, I let out an inward cry of happiness. A massive explosion sounded from the valley. Its echo was accompanied by yelling and shouts of alarm. The sounds of battle. The cavalry had come. I let out a longer than normal breath, some of the melted snow and dissolved dirt seeping out between my lips as I smiled. ¡°Fuck!¡± The Royal let out a shrill scream. ¡°You fucking fuck! Weak little piece of shit! Where the fuck are you?! Fuck!¡± It sent out several more powerful attacks. One of them must¡¯ve broken a boulder, because I felt a huge rock fall and smash my other arm. My happiness won out over my pain though. ¡°Fucking fall back! Go! Flank those motherfuckers! We¡¯re attacking!¡± The Royal commanded its troops. Rapid footsteps followed her words, running off into the distance. For a moment I felt relief. But I didn¡¯t move. For one, I couldn¡¯t move my leg anyway. But more importantly, I had to be sure. I remained buried, same as always, for several more minutes. The battle continued to rage on, but I acted like I wasn¡¯t safe. Then, I heard it. ¡°Fuck!¡± Another curse, and from eerily close. Then, I heard its steps run off. I let out a breath I had been holding, realizing that my heart was beating so hard my head was starting to hurt. I decided to continue waiting while buried. My leg went numb after a while, go figure, and my arm started to swell. But I stayed still, waiting until the sounds of battle dwindled away. Didn¡¯t take long, it seemed. So since there was no way that Royal was still sticking around, I decided to let out my Aura in a burst, checking for anything nearby. I could see with my Aura, to some extent, an ability I learn of while getting my Crown. I felt nothing but a ruined forest. So I rose, picking myself up and spitting out the cold water and dirt in my mouth. I quickly shuddered afterward, feeling both the numbing cold and my broken leg, which was still trapped under the trunk. ¡°It¡¯s only been half an hour or so. I won¡¯t lose it, right?¡± I prayed and turned on my Aerial, finding several connections nearby and tapping into a select few that I recognized. ¡°This is Liaison.¡± Chapter 159: Lovesick ¡°Cooper?¡± ¡°Over here.¡± I replied and tiredly lifted my arm, seeing Commander Pollux head over in my direction. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m buried. Right here.¡± ¡°Oh. Shit.¡± ¡°John!¡± Amary came running when Pollux found me. I tried brushing away some of the crap around me, but my arm ¨C and the miserable pain everywhere else ¨C made that difficult. On the contrary, Amary easily picked up the tree that was on top of my leg, throwing it to the side. ¡°Son of a bitch¡­¡± I let out a curse, feeling the horrible sting as blood circulated through my broken leg. ¡°I need a healer, Commander.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°The tree crushed my leg. That shit is really broken.¡± ¡°Amary, carry him. We¡¯ll head back over.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Amary reached out, so I gave her my arms and she pulled me into hers. I shuddered a bit when my leg moved around. ¡°Damn that hurts.¡± ¡°What happened, John?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing much. I was hiding.¡± ¡°And the forest?¡± ¡°Cut down by one of the Royals. It got pissed when it couldn¡¯t find me.¡± I chuckled a bit, still impressed with myself. I actually managed to evade an Authority 8. Aura was really something. Pollux asked. ¡°Which Royal?¡± ¡°The one with all its tits and shit out.¡± ¡°Temptress?¡± ¡°Is that what they¡¯re called?¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re technically Breeders. But they¡¯re known for their powers of seduction and temptation. They¡¯ll fuck just about anything that walks though so that¡¯s where their technical name comes from. She caused us some issues during the battle when she appeared behind us.¡± Pollux sighed as we made our way to the valley, the stench of blood and iron hitting my nose. I saw the strike force, consisting of several Steeds and a single huge armored vehicle that looked strangely like a tank. Two apertures were mounted on a large turret with three smaller ones scattered across the tank. Both Alois and Miron were there as well. It seemed they made quick work of those Royals as I spotted some of their corpses, including that of the Breeder who almost killed me. While walking into the midst of the vehicles, I heard Eric¡¯s familiar voice chime from atop a Steed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, summoner? Got hurt a bit and had to be carried like a child?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous now. My boo boo was pretty big this time.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Amary stifled her laughter, continuing to walk past. I smiled when Eric scoffed and rolled his eyes. Once we reached the area where some wounded were being treated, Pollux shouted. ¡°Commander Lupe! We could use some healing over here.¡± ¡°One second.¡± One of the warlocks tended to his patient for a bit longer before lifting his head and looking over to me. By now my shin was showing off its new joint. Commander Lupe raised his brows as he walked over. ¡°What happened here?¡± ¡°A tree crushed my leg for about 45 minutes.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯ll certainly do it.¡± Lupe, dressed in some black robes, kneeled down and tapped my knee. With a flash, hundreds of white lines were drawn down my leg, turning red and twisting when they flashed over the injury. I asked warily. ¡°Think I¡¯ll lose the foot?¡± ¡°... No. It should be fine. I¡¯ll need to treat it now though. This is going to hurt.¡± ¡°Fun.¡± ¡°Here.¡± He handed me a piece of leather, which I took with a sigh and bit down on. Then, after feeling my leg get pinned in place with a spell, I felt the changes as Lupe¡¯s hands flashed with power. My leg twisted as bone was reset inside my crushed flesh. I let out a long grunt, my jaw clamping down and my free hand banging on the dirt beside me. He mercilessly continued. Thankfully, the first part was the worst. Once the bone was back in place, the pain diminished and started fading as the muscle and blood vessels were healed. The process wasn¡¯t quick though. Even after 15 minutes, Lupe was still working on the leg, trying to repair as much as he could. Those lines that occasionally flashed across the leg were indicators at how ¡®correct¡¯ everything was. Like a game, Lupe needed to reform and fix the lines, making everything uniform and straight again. But there was a lot of damage, even though it was just a leg and not an area with organs. At some point, I took out my cigar case, picking one of the slightly red sticks out and lighting it. That breath of medicinal air felt particularly amazing, especially when its potent rejuvenating effects reached my leg. I could feel it tingle with every pump of blood. Then, once about 25 minutes passed, Lupe stopped and stood while wiping off a small drop of sweat. ¡°Well, if you were a knight, this certainly wouldn¡¯t have been as easy. I¡¯ve never worked on a summoner before either.¡± ¡°Did I handle differently compared to a warlock?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t notice anything different. Your leg is mostly repaired. The main thing is that everything is back in its place, and blood is moving through your foot again. But the bone is still a bit broken, and the muscle and flesh isn¡¯t any less damaged. Stay off of it and get regular treatments once we¡¯re back at the Stronghold. I can¡¯t do everything right here and now.¡± ¡°Understood. Thank you very much, sir.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± He nodded and spoke with Pollux a bit longer before walking off and continuing to treat others. There were a dozen or so wounded, a fraction of the strike force. But I noticed that not everyone was happy and healthy. After looking around some, I found a few dead bodies, human, being laid down to the side. There were six from what I saw, and there was a woman kneeling over one of the bodies. Tears fell silently as she bowed down at the dead man in front of her. His chest was completely flattened and one of his arms was missing, telling the gruesome story of his death. The woman looked to be in denial, understanding what she was seeing yet unable to register that it had happened. Her Aura was tainted with the darkness of despair and sorrow. I could see it all so clearly, soaking in those emotions and so easily placing myself in her shoes. To lose the one you loved. I was experiencing that hell by proxy, and it made my insides twist. I eventually pulled my eyes away and tapped my Aerial, waiting. ¡°... John?¡± ¡°Hi.¡± I eased a bit when I heard Umara¡¯s voice. She was still here. Her voice was groggy. We were in different timezones, not to mention that it was around four in the morning for me anyway. ¡°Sorry for waking you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright. Is everything okay?¡± ¡°... Yeah. I just wanted to hear your voice.¡± ¡°Well I can certainly talk. How are you? Late mission?¡± ¡°Mm. Night raid on a Scourge camp.¡± ¡°A successful one, I assume?¡± ¡°By most definitions, yes. There were a few deaths though.¡± ¡°... I¡¯m sorry. Must be hard to see.¡± Her voice fell to a mutter, making me nod in silence. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Then, her worried voice came over. ¡°You''d tell me if anything happened, right?¡± ¡°Would you want me to? I don¡¯t want to distract you.¡± ¡°As if! Being worried about you isn¡¯t a distraction!¡± ¡°Yes it is.¡± ¡°Shut up! Are you saying I should hide my close shaves with death from you?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m okay with being distracted by you.¡± ¡°... You think you¡¯re such a smooth talker. This is a two-way road, mister! So tell me. What happened?¡± She went silent, waiting, so I sighed and spilled the beans. I gave a brief overview of what happened with the mission and Royal, attempting to downplay just how close to dying I was. The fact that I was in such close proximity to a Royal at all though was telling enough, and Umara wasn¡¯t stupid. ¡°Fuck, John.¡± ¡°I know. My leg still hurts like a bitch.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about your leg! I know you understand how dangerous what you just did was. Can you not go volunteering for the most dangerous jobs? Sounds to me like without you there, the entire scout team would have died. And the only reason they survived was because you took on the brunt of the danger. Why the hell did you do that anyway? You should¡¯ve just had the knights carry you.¡± ¡°They were my bait. It just didn¡¯t work out as well as I¡¯d hoped. My stealth abilities are still a work in progress¡­¡± I scratched my cheek. The plan was foolproof, until they started literally sniffing me out. If that hadn¡¯t happened, all the enemies would have gone after Amary and the others while I slipped away with none the wiser. I had now learned my lesson the hard way and knew where my limits lay, as well as what to look out for. Still, I could admit that it was an unnecessary risk, even though I think we got plain unlucky being discovered like we did. Barely five minutes with my Aerial on and they started converging on our position, from around 800 meters away from the base too. I wasn¡¯t sure whether to be skeptical about the whole situation or if my Aerial was just that obvious. I looked at my own Aerial. My eyes had gained the slight ability to see magical energy. I generally couldn¡¯t notice it unless the source of the magic was potent enough, like with a White Crystal. And I could definitely see some of the magic that radiated off my Aerial. It was like a glow, not that bright, but still noticeable. When I looked around, I could also see fainter glows coming from a select few people with Aerials, including bright glows around the vehicles. Maybe my Aerial really was a shining beacon. A cluster of aerials would make it even more obvious. And even if the Aerial wasn¡¯t on, the Crystal was still there. I doubted that it was airtight to its own energy. But unless every other recon team regularly got caught while doing these kinds of things, it wasn¡¯t reasonable to assume Aerials were really that obvious to scouts and the like. I¡¯d have to ask about it. Fishy or not, I needed to know why we got caught and learn from this. If it turned out that Wallace was just being reckless or a dumbass and gave away our positions, then I¡¯d learn to be less trusting. I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, dear. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°I really hope not. It¡¯s been all of a week since you got there and you¡¯ve already come close to losing a limb. I love you, scars and all, but losing arms and legs will make our future battles more difficult.¡± ¡°I think I could rock a peg leg.¡± ¡°Please no.¡± ¡°And if I lose my hand I¡¯ll get a hook. I can still pull triggers with a hook hand.¡± ¡°Oh God¡­¡± I laughed as Umara facepalmed from the other end. ¡°Pathfinders, let¡¯s get going!¡± ¡°Oh. That¡¯s me. I¡¯ll let you go so you can get back to sleep.¡± ¡°Mm. Stay safe John. Oh, I¡¯ve been poking around in regards to Feiden, seeing if I can get him transferred to you, but he¡¯s dipped beyond my mother¡¯s reach. I¡¯ll keep working on it, but without someone to be your shield, you¡¯ll have to take extra precautions.¡± ¡°I know. But don¡¯t let your worry distract you. I happen to be pretty good at staying safe, and although Tana is with you, you still have yet to really weaponize my knowledge. I don¡¯t like worrying about you either, but the very fact that I can¡¯t watch over you makes me anxious.¡± I frowned while levering myself up. Amary lent me her arm so I could start hobbling over to one of the trucks. Umara hummed in response. ¡°There you go again. You can worry about me but I can¡¯t worry about you. Don¡¯t you hate hypocrisy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hypocrisy, just a double standard.¡± ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like those either.¡± ¡°Well, when it comes to my future wife, I¡¯m alright with throwing away some of my principles.¡± ¡°I think my future husband is just shameless.¡± ¡°A matter of perspective.¡± I smiled, imagining Umara rolling her eyes. ¡°Sure thing, darling. Whatever you say. Now go rest.¡± ¡°Mm. You too. And say hi to Tana for me...¡± We gave our goodbyes as I laid back in the bed of a supply truck transporting some other wounded. Once the call ended, I let out a sigh. ¡­¡­ Umara rubbed her face while setting the Aerial down, feeling her grogginess set back in with full force. Tana, laying in her bed across the room, propped her head up with a fist. There was a smile on her face, half covered by her long blonde hair. ¡°Future husband and wife? I didn¡¯t realize you two had gotten so bold. When¡¯s the wedding?¡± ¡°... Hopefully before shit really starts to hit the fan.¡± ¡°Hm, and how long do you think we have?¡± ¡°Not much longer than a decade.¡± ¡°I see. Then it seems like we¡¯ve got some more work to do. Your future husband can hide from an Authority Eight in plain sight. Stealth has become my primary Aura technique and I¡¯ve only barely started to do that. I¡¯ll send him a message tomorrow and ask about it, but either way, he just keeps pulling ahead of us.¡± Tana laid her head back down on her pillow, letting a drawn out breath escape her lips as she prepared to go back to sleep. Umara could only nod in agreement. It was exactly what she had been worried about. But she had been more confident recently. Her own Aura finally found its technique, and she was making faster progress than ever before. It almost scared her, making her think she was moving too fast. She was already primed for Authority Six. She could advance at any time. She had also perfected her second affinity for Fire. She would go into Authority Six with a two-thirds affinity, perfecting it completely on her way toward Authority Seven. But none of that was what had her concerned. It was the fact that she had finished perfecting her second affinity just a week after developing her new Aura technique, over a month ago. That technique, which allowed her to observe the world directly in its rawest and most precise form, had also allowed her to figure out the rest of her fire affinity with shocking ease. Combined with John¡¯s knowledge and hypotheses he had posed in her grimoires, she almost wondered why she had ever struggled to begin with. But she had waited to advance because she was a bit paranoid about missing something. Normally, after perfecting her affinity for that level, she would just accumulate enough power to create her mana core and advance. She already had all the necessary power, and she had mentally created her mana core ten times over. She could form it in a record time of just 2 minutes, when under normal circumstances it would take hours. But she kept asking herself. Was there really nothing else to do? More importantly, was she really destined to walk the same path as every other warlock? The most glaring issue with warlock advancement, which had supposedly been an issue for thousands of years, was the lack of ¡®room¡¯ for building every affinity. It took 3 Authorities to build a perfect affinity, each one contributing a third before finally combining. Failing to perfect a third of the affinity during any of the three levels would leave you with an imperfect mana core for the rest of your life. However, the first Authority, which every Magus entered during their awakening, didn¡¯t give any opportunity for developing an affinity. Once you chose and developed your first elemental affinity, you¡¯d advance into Authority Two with that single one-third affinity. Which meant, 10 authorities later, you¡¯d be short a single affinity. You could have perfected three of the elements and have perfected two thirds of the fourth element, but because it was impossible to get to Authority 13, you would lack that final affinity which would allow you to perfectly master every element. Warlocks had been wrestling with that issue for a very long time, and they¡¯d attempted no small number of experiments to try and fix it. They¡¯d tried to get people to comprehend an affinity before their awakening, and many warlocks, including the best in history, had tried to advance two affinities in a single Authority. But without exception, they all failed. An Authority 13 existence was mere fantasy, and no warlock in their recorded history had managed to develop four perfect elements, regardless of their enlightenments. Now though, Umara was questioning what they said was impossible. Perhaps every warlock was simply screwed during their awakening. But chances were the answer didn¡¯t lie there. Instead, she believed the answer lay higher. Not necessarily at a higher Authority, but at a higher level of comprehension. Not even she could see an opportunity for developing two affinities in a single Authority. It simply wasn¡¯t something their system of advancement accommodated, no matter how easily she comprehended the element. Many warlocks better than her had tried, some famous ones doing so at the cost of their lives. And she had no intention of testing her limits like that. Instead, she was beginning to see something¡­ She didn¡¯t know if it was a place, a realm, another dimension, or a source of power. All she knew was that when she looked in the distance, she could see that something, that place, over the horizon. But there was a massive wall blocking her way. She was nowhere near it, and less than capable of even trying to break through it yet, but she could see how colossal it was. She would need to make preparations to break it down. She had thought about asking her mother for advice since she definitely knew about what it was, but she refrained. Umara knew knowledge would distort her perception, so she wanted to understand it herself, using the knowledge she had attained from both her mother on magic and from John on science. Lately, she had been studying that wall, this barrier to higher power, and trying to figure out what she could do to prepare for it. She felt like she needed to figure it out before advancing; anything for a higher chance at not just breaking through it, but doing so quickly. After an hour of pondering though, nothing came to her. Eventually she let out a sigh and laid back down, bundling up under her covers, hugging a large pillow that could never replace the warmth of the one she wished was in its stead. After some silence, she whispered. ¡°I miss him, Tana. I miss our squad. It feels like everything changed after Anarchy.¡± ¡°... It did.¡± Tana whispered back, a bit of depression lacing her voice. ¡°Someday though¡­ I think we¡¯ll come back together. Maybe¡­ he¡¯ll come back to me¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Umara listened quietly. She knew Tana missed Vetsmon. The two had gotten close, but after the tournament, they had no choice but to separate. Then Anarchy happened, and since he left, not a single word had come from him. The only person in contact with his parents, John, also hadn¡¯t asked about the situation. He had opted to wait and see. Still, it seemed Tana was a bit more lovesick than she thought. She felt bad, because she at least had John up until they left for basic. After glancing at Tana, Umara faced the ceiling. Eventually, pity and sorrow turned to determination. Without power, they wouldn¡¯t have the right to fight for what they wanted, for something better. And Umara had a feeling that what she wanted lied beyond that barrier on the horizon. So she went to sleep. Tomorrow would bring more time for her to study, and the sooner she found what she was searching for, the sooner she could advance and move on. ¡­¡­ ¡­ We got back to base around morning, and it was only six hours after that when we embarked on another journey back to Stronghold Charlie. There were still Pustules and such around the land to clean up, but that would be a job for the Treehouse to take care of. We had fulfilled our role, which was to boost numbers and combat strength to demolish the encampment with overwhelming force. Apparently, there were seven deaths, three of which were Pathfinders. Because of that, the mood on the trip back was somber. However, it affirmed to me the necessity of having taken up the recon position, especially when I thought about Alois¡¯ attitude. If I hadn¡¯t been on the recon team, then I would¡¯ve been put somewhere in the main strike force. And when your superiors didn¡¯t know nor care about who you were, how you operated, and had no regard for your safety, things could get dangerous very quickly, especially if you were put in a shit position. At least on the recon team I could somewhat dictate how safe I was. Out there, nobody was stopping me from pulling out like I did, and when I did. I needed to have more control over my circumstances. Thankfully, I had a good commander, unlike Alois, who cared about the strengths and weaknesses of his soldiers while placing us in positions we could handle. So I would say I learned two lessons on this mission. Now I just needed to heal. Commander Lupe was nice enough to give me some attention on the way back as well. Although I had my clavicle broken before, that injury was healed right away, not to mention it was a bit less traumatic. This time, my leg had remained broken for almost an hour. I was honestly lucky it didn¡¯t just take off my leg, or perhaps the only reason I still had two feet was due to magic. Either way, it would take a few more days to heal it completely with active treatment. This also meant that I was free from work for that duration, having the time to myself, which I would use for more training. After I caught up on sleep, of course. The trip went by quickly as I spent most of my time either sleeping, eating, or projecting through my 5th Star. I still remembered that weapon that started calling out to me while hiding. It wouldn¡¯t take very long to find, and it seemed particularly powerful. Like that we arrived back at base, Polly calling me in first thing for a debrief. Chapter 160: Magic Shooter My debrief with Polly was over quick. The mission was a joint operation at another base, so it technically wasn¡¯t our issue. But for the sake of protocol, I had to give a general overview with Pollux. Then, I got a good piece of news. ¡°Congratulations, John. Your application has been accepted.¡± Polly held out a sheet of paper. I took it and read a bunch of gibberish that generally said I was now allowed to take the test to become a Captain. Then, she held up the test. ¡°Would you like to take it now or do you want to brush up?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± I thought for a second, recalling every page of the Golden Trio books. It was all still there. I smiled. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do it now.¡± ¡°Very well. It¡¯s 200 questions and you¡¯ll do it right here. Go ahead and get started.¡± ¡°The hell¡­¡± I scoffed, flipping through a dozen pages of densely packed questions. I hadn¡¯t had to take 200 question tests since I was in college. Not to mention that this wasn¡¯t some multiple-choice test. Every question had a blank line or two underneath it that I needed to fill in. I sighed and sat down near Polly, receiving a pen and starting the test. Thankfully, I still had every page memorized. Unless they asked about something completely unrelated, I had no issues. I flew through each question, even going so far as to cite my answers with the page number and lines. It took over an hour to reach the final question. By then, my hand was sore and my head was throbbing. Not out of exertion, but annoyance. ¡°Some of these questions are stupid.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll only get worse as you try to climb ranks. They like to ask about the most subtle topics in those books. If you don¡¯t have it all memorized, it''s easy to fail.¡± ¡°This was definitely made by a bitter summoner. Well, I¡¯m done. And none of those answers are wrong. I¡¯ll fight whoever says otherwise.¡± I handed back the test, Polly smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind while I grade.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Now get out of here. You can come pick up your new insignia tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± I gave a quick salute before evacuating, grinning on my way out. I was basically a Captain! I stretched after leaving headquarters, still limping on my bad leg. I had gotten a splint and the cigar was accelerating my healing, but I still needed some time before I could walk or run normally. Since I had nothing to do, I decided to go to my room and project. Once there, I laid down and closed my eyes. What appeared in my vision after that was a vast expanse of darkness, the dimension of my fifth star. I formed two drones of Psyka, my eyes within this place, before launching them in different directions. Simultaneously, they released occasional pulses of power which helped me detect anything in the vicinity. One drone went toward the signal from whatever spirit was trying to call out to me. The other went out further in the dimension. Along the way, I saw the usual stuff. Knives, rifles, grenades, tons of bullets, even some equipment like boots, helmets, shovels, bayonets, and socks. Most of the stuff I had no use for since I either already had as good or better gear, or it simply didn¡¯t fit my style. Knives, for example, would be seldom used since it required that an enemy be within arm¡¯s reach. If that was happening, then I had bigger issues. And I didn¡¯t need things like socks since I had the wonderful Warm Socks from Luna. So guns and bullets were really the only things I needed to worry about. There were also some special weapons like gas canisters and explosives, like the satchel charge I had once used. I spent some hours simply searching. After that while, I finally started coming upon the special weapon that was calling me. When I approached, I recognized the weapon. At first I thought it was a Mosin Nagant, and perhaps it technically was. When I made contact with it though, I found out exactly what it was. My vision went dark, and I found my consciousness shifting. ¡­¡­ A gentle breeze, carrying terribly cold air, nipped at my nose as I lay within a small crevice. Snow was piled in front of me, a small barrier to conceal my figure. From behind, I started down my rifle. The M28-30 was a precision rifle with a rather heavy barrel, a small price to pay for the improved iron sights and performance in the cold. I looked down at my target area, estimating the distance from my barrel to the floor of the trail to be about 230 meters. It was a good range for reliable accuracy, and I twitched my gun a bit to get properly sighted in. And so I waited. Hour after hour passed as the sun went from the horizon to high in the sky. It hardly made the environment warmer, and occasionally I¡¯d sneak some bread from my coat pocket into my mouth. Finally, after noon passed, I saw a troop. Soviet soldiers, none of them camouflaged for the snow. They were painfully obvious to see and track, and killing these targets wouldn¡¯t be dissimilar to my target practice back home. The poor bastards were practically begging to be shot, no thanks to their lord and master Stalin. They couldn¡¯t even paint their uniforms white. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. After they had advanced far enough, I looked to the right, checking the general area where a few of my other squadmates were supposed to be. I couldn¡¯t see them. Good. After turning my sight back, I took aim, feeling the wind on my face and adjusting for it ever so slightly while acquiring my target. Thankfully, these rifles worked well in the cold, and I¡¯d had plenty of practice with mine. I knew it well, and through experience, I knew it wouldn¡¯t fail me. I pulled the trigger and felt a familiar recoil on my shoulder. A soldier collapsed to the floor, a bullet through his chest. I chambered another round before acquiring another target. At the same time, a few more shots were heard, echoing through the snowy land and scaring away a dozen birds in the trees. The Soviet soldiers dropped to the floor while the two tanks near either side of the formation came to a halt, turning to our general direction. They couldn¡¯t see us, of course, and their ammunition was limited. But that wouldn¡¯t stop them from trying to kill us anyway. Even the slightest hint of our location would be enough motivation for them to shell us. I stopped to pack a bit more snow into my mouth, keeping my breath from giving away my position. Then I continued to fire. It wasn¡¯t long before I¡¯d gone through my magazine. Each bullet had hit its mark. Five Soviets now lay in the snow, either dead or dying. I thumbed in another five rounds before resuming fire. In the distance I could see a few of my squadmates rise from the snow and shower the two tanks with molotov cocktails. We didn¡¯t have much in the way of anti-tank weaponry, but that didn¡¯t mean we couldn¡¯t disable those tanks all the same. A tank that couldn¡¯t move, or one with nothing inside of it alive, was nothing more than a metal tomb. The soldiers who were being fired upon scrambled, many trying to hide behind the tanks, only to be met with Finns on the other side of the trail behind them. They were ambushed, barely being able to return fire before being gunned down by submachine guns. It was a massacre. They had nothing to protect them and were sorely prepared for a fight. They managed to wound some of our men, even kill a couple. But this battle, like many over the past couple months, would go down as a victory. And I had killed about 22, using about 28 rounds to do so. An efficient use of ammunition, with a wonderfully accurate rifle. There was little to complain about, except for the fact that I¡¯d have to do it again tomorrow. The Red Army really knew how to make me work. The battle concluded, and time wound forward. Another battle came, this one much less subtle and advantageous than the last. 160 Finns against 310 Soviets. I utilized both my M28-30 and KP31, killing a generally equal number with both guns, amounting to a total of 15. The next battle after that, another ambush, added 28 tallies to my list. It was getting difficult to keep track, but I wasn¡¯t the only one doing so. Sometimes I thought others were more invested in keeping track of my kill counts than myself. The next battle, just a day later, and I took the lives of another 23 Red Army bastards. Day by day this continued. I had plenty of time to get used to the battles. Killing those men was even easier than trying to hunt a deer. With a deer you had to avoid hitting their organs so as to not spoil the meat. You had to go for clean shots. With these guys, hitting them at all was a job well done. Plus, they generally didn¡¯t run, unlike easily spooked deer. I lay behind my sights, taking the lives of my enemies one by one. Each round I fired screamed like all the rest. Seldom were there fights that I felt afraid of. I was a good shot, but apparently I stood out enough to get names like the Magic Shooter. Along with the name came a certain level of fame, as well as shit from some of the other soldiers who had no qualms poking fun at it. At some point it was clear that my name was circulating through the army, as well as through the Soviet Union. That didn¡¯t spare me the troubles of a soldier though. I still had to bear the cold, long hours of these battles. I liked to set myself up safely, hiding away safely well in advance of battles. But that came with a certain level of discomfort as the hours ticked away. It was only toward the end of the war that I finally faced fear¡­ and morbid amazement. It was during a battle in the forests of Ulissma. We were given orders to halt the Red Army¡¯s 128th Division, a counterattack just like many other missions before, and we were out of artillery shells that would otherwise help halt their advance. It was clear that the war was coming to an end, but it seemed our enemies found desperation in that fact. Or, at least their commanders did. Red Army soldiers occupied the forests, determined to break through our line at any cost. Tanks stationed themselves behind advancing troops as we unceasingly fired upon every soldier that dared expose himself. We used the terrain to our advantage, hunting down man after man. It didn¡¯t take long to kill a dozen by myself in the early stage, and my squad was right there with me. However, they kept resurfacing. I thought that we had killed most of them, but more appeared, all of them fighting back in a desperate struggle to survive. I had heard that their tanks would fire upon any who dared turn around. At this point in the war, when soldiers so desperately wanted to live instead of sacrificing their lives for nothing, commanders kept them in line with the threat of death. Either way, we were cutting them down, with or without help from their own commanders. Sometimes I would get into engagements with enemies only two meters away. It was dangerous, but it was going well. We were making them withdraw, and my kill count had to have risen to around 40 Russkies in this battle alone. We gave chase, hunting them down. But some of the braver bastards stayed behind. And then, there was a sudden shot from maybe 70 meters away. I felt it just as I was hit, a small explosion in my mouth as the bullet tore through my jaw, giving me this bright tunnel vision. I knew I had been shot, but there was nothing I could do when I lost consciousness. Some time later I woke up to medics trying to suppress the injuries to my face. I could feel and taste the blood and bone fragments in my mouth. I was on a stretcher on the ground. However, I only managed to remain conscious for perhaps 300 meters of their transportation before passing out once more. I wouldn¡¯t wake up until a week later, on the day that the armistice was signed. The war was over, and I was left a broken man. Yet I survived, unlike so many that I had killed before, left with a reminder carved into my face of the war I had given my life and my skills for. ¡­¡­ ¡­ My eyes opened just as the memories ended. They had come more vividly than any other before. I looked down, realizing that I wasn¡¯t a soldier in a winter war. I was no longer the White Death. And yet his rifle sat in my hands. When I felt it, instincts arose within me. Intuition, experience, technique. I felt like I had gained years of practice in such a short amount of time. My body couldn¡¯t adapt to it; there was a disconnect between what was in my mind and the memory ingrained in my flesh and blood. Still, I had gained something incredible. The experience of one of the most famous snipers in history. Whether his feats were exaggerated, mere propaganda, or not, the summon in my hands was far above any other that I had held before, and the knowledge given to me was enlightening. I was given more than just experience digging holes and stuffing snow into my mouth to conceal my breath. I was given¡­ a feeling, of what it meant to be concealed, to be hidden among snow, trees, dirt and rock. And I knew the feeling of accuracy, the feeling that I could guide my shots, the feeling of absolute confidence in the operation of my rifle. It was experience under fire that I simply didn¡¯t have. There was a subtle change to my vision as well. Not literally, but metaphysically. My perception changed. I suddenly stood and hobbled out of my room, practically jumping across the floor until I left the residence and made it outside. When I did, I looked off into the distance. And I could estimate, with shocking accuracy, how far something was from me. Depth perception, and damn good at that. It wasn¡¯t enough to simply be able to see far. Without a rangefinder, I could only guess at how far something was, which would determine how I zeroed my sights, and by extension how accurate my shots would be. Of course, my ability to empower and increase the speed of my bullets changed how I handled zeroes. But that didn¡¯t negate the effect of gravity. It seemed the White Death had a wonderful intuition. With this kind of perception, it was no wonder he was a good sniper. I smiled brightly, before noticing that it was night. I had spent a long time absorbing those memories. I was also really tired; most of my Psyka was gone. That meant it would be easy to fall asleep. Only after some dinner, of course. I made my way to the chow hall with a pep in my step. After scarfing down my food, I retired for the night, falling blissfully asleep with my new rifle in my arms. It was like I was a kid on Christmas day all over again; I couldn¡¯t wait to try out my new rifle, and more than that, indulge in the skills of the world¡¯s most feared sniper. Chapter 161: Fast Track When I got the message from Polly early in the morning, I didn¡¯t hesitate to launch myself out of bed and meet her at headquarters. She was standing at her desk, insignia pinched between two fingers, a small smile on her face. I approached and saluted. ¡°Good morning, madam.¡± ¡°Good morning, Cooper. Ready to become a Captain?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting my whole life for this moment.¡± ¡°How dramatic.¡± She rolled her eyes before reaching out and plucking off the insignia from my fatigues, pinning the three silver bars of Captain on my shoulder. ¡°Congratulations, Cooper. You¡¯ve completed the easy part. Now, you get to work through the bullshit. I know you¡¯re looking to speed through the ranks and you¡¯ve certainly demonstrated how smart you are. I didn¡¯t find a single wrong answer on your test, and I¡¯ve never seen someone cite the exact lines out of the books their answers came from. With those smarts, getting to Lieutenant Colonel won¡¯t be difficult at all for you.¡± ¡°I appreciate the praise.¡± ¡°But the issue is time. I¡¯m a Colonel who parses Scourge activity in the region utilizing even the smallest details from reports that come in every day, from patrols to missions. I¡¯ve been stationed here for 13 years, seen thousands come and go, and hundreds die on missions I¡¯ve given them. By now I should be a Major General. And yet I still sit here as a Colonel, collecting reports and analyzing them, reporting to the Marshal whenever she calls. Do you know why that is?¡± ¡°No ma¡¯am.¡± I didn¡¯t even try to guess. I really didn¡¯t know why she was still in this position. Polly planted herself in her chair and leaned back. ¡°It¡¯s because summoners like to build ladders with overcomplicated regulations before kicking them out from underneath them. Being the weakest of the Magi, once they get a little taste of power and superiority, they hold on to it with a death grip and never let go. They¡¯re scared shitless of anybody pushing in and intruding upon their slice of authority, giving excuses like how they¡¯ve ¡®already filled all their positions¡¯ and how introducing another Brigadier General will only ¡®create tensions that disrupt the harmony of the chain of command¡¯. And since the cowardly bastards never die off in battle and never retire, there¡¯s no chance of things changing.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Indeed. Intelligence is their one asset and they know how to use it. Anyway, my point in telling you this is that you¡¯re going to have to prove yourself. I¡¯ve talked to Pollux. I¡¯ve seen your performance at your Magisterium tournament. I have a pretty good grasp on your attitude. And now you¡¯ve proven how smart you can be. You¡¯ve also got a Marshal on your side. You¡¯ve got loads of assets to be used to your advantage, so long as you¡¯re given the chance to exercise your abilities in the first place. And I¡¯m here to say that I¡¯m going to give you that chance. Follow.¡± Polly stood and walked off. I followed behind as she led me to a big war room. There wasn¡¯t anybody inside. The walls were plastered with maps, markers, and movements. There were dozens of reports scattered on the table, loosely organized by date and location. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you guys. The Calamity Class. It¡¯s amazing to think that you actually came face to face with the King of Anarchy and survived. That day, we came under siege ourselves. Thankfully, we had a Sovereign here. They¡¯ve since been relocated, but we thankfully haven¡¯t had a need for them. The pressure has been mounting though. We¡¯ve had more activity in the past month than we¡¯ve had in the year before Anarchy. I feel like you have a more intimate grasp on this than most, because either you¡¯re very lucky or skilled to come out of what you did alive. ¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I recalled memories of that day against Anarchy. Everything seemed to have happened in no time at all, yet every second was acutely seared into my mind. Polly continued, looking toward the maps. ¡°Whatever it is, you¡¯re going to start helping me. I have two other Colonels and a dozen intelligence personnel working almost everyday to help me synthesize information from reports. The Scourge is coming down harder, getting smarter. We have to step up. The war we fight here at Stronghold Charlie is a war of information. I frankly have no idea how we¡¯ve survived this long, given that we¡¯re sorely lacking personnel in all departments, but so far I¡¯ve managed to keep us winning. The Marshal knows this, which is why I¡¯m the highest sitting Intelligence agent in this Stronghold. And now, you¡¯re going to be another asset. Not just a thinker behind a desk like the rest of us, but one that can actually step onto the field and give us information from a perspective that someone like Pollux can¡¯t. But before doing that, you¡¯re going to need to understand how our tactics work. Then, you¡¯re going to have to study our recent history, understand the war as it was, and as it is now, before contributing to its future. Which brings us here.¡± Polly reached out, setting an Orb in front of me on the nearby table. ¡°This Orb contains four books. Memorizing them will technically be enough for you to reach Colonel. I¡¯ll give them to you and then expedite you through to the rank of Colonel, given enough time. You¡¯ll get the speedy promotions you want and you¡¯ll get some preferential treatment around here. You¡¯ll be one of mine, after all.¡± ¡°... And?¡± I raised my brow. As I listened, I realized that this was a deal being offered. I was quite interested. Polly smiled. ¡°In exchange, everything you do here, all your contributions, your accolades, will fall under my name. This is my initiative. A new war is coming, and I don¡¯t plan to remain a Colonel for much longer. I¡¯m already primed to become a Brigadier General because there were a few that died at Purple Sky. I¡¯ve been ready to take their place for a long time now. And Brigadier General is just the first step. However, I need to impress some people. Which is why my name has to be at the top. My other two Colonels already understand this. And if you help me as much as I think you can, not only will my job be easier, but I¡¯ll know just who to take up there with me when I climb. Your promotions will come as easy as breathing with my name behind it. And barriers, like access to these books, will be a nonexistent issue.¡± She twirled the Orb on the table, satisfied with her explanation. A mutually beneficial cooperation agreement. In exchange for all my achievements being tossed under her resume, including the help that only I could give, I¡¯d be on the fast track to Colonel. I wouldn¡¯t stand out nearly as much, probably fading into the background as Polly received praise for all the things I did. But promotions, things that often took years for intelligence personnel to get, would come as quickly as I could get them.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. She had already done it with two others apparently. My immediate thoughts weren¡¯t opposed. But when I thought about my goals and whether this lined up with them, I voiced my concern. I looked her in the eye, no longer addressing her like a soldier, but on equal grounds. This was a negotiation, somewhat. ¡°I have one concern, Colonel Polly.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You see, I made a deal with some friends, those of my prior squad, before we entered the military. We all plan on getting much stronger than we are, and to some extent our rise is almost guaranteed. They¡¯re some of the most talented of the Magisterium, and although I often question it, I¡¯ve come to realize that my talent and the foundations of my power will facilitate my growth well beyond average. And if you know who the Marshal behind me is and why they¡¯re there, then you¡¯ll know the kind of people I¡¯m talking about.¡± ¡°I assumed as much, though you two seem to be closer than what a few moving pictures might suggest.¡± ¡°To the great displeasure of many nobles, we are. It also means that I never foresaw any issues getting the recognition I needed to come into contact with a certain group of people. And if you take all my accolades, then I¡¯m afraid I may not fulfill my end of the deal with my squad, for I will remain unseen.¡± ¡°... And what group of people might that be?¡± She asked curiously, making me smile. ¡°Special Operations.¡± ¡°Oh? You and your friends have quite an ambition.¡± ¡°A natural consequence of what we¡¯ve been through.¡± ¡°... I understand. Good thing for you, I know some people.¡± She smiled, picking up the Orb. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for 13 years, and there has been no shortage of individuals who have come and gone from this place after being scouted by Special Operations. I happen to know the recruiter, since I chewed him out after he took a batch of my talented Snow Doves. So if that''s your goal, I can certainly facilitate the transfer. Only after you¡¯ve met his standards, of course. I can¡¯t do anything for you if he simply refuses to take you.¡± ¡°That would be my fault for underperforming. So long as he¡¯s made properly aware of my capabilities.¡± ¡°Which I can assure you of. Your performance in combat is yours alone. What I want from you is that strong mind inside your head, as well as the fruit it bears. And there¡¯s no reason why I can¡¯t help that recruiter understand your value beyond combat as well. So long as I get to where I need to go, I¡¯ll promise that, as long as you¡¯re capable, I¡¯ll pave the way toward your goals. My contacts run deep, Cooper. Know that.¡± ¡°...¡± I smiled. This woman, as unassuming as she looked, was quite the schemer. This was a glimpse of the world of summoners, a battlefield of cunning and subterfuge. Like politics on crack. I didn¡¯t think I was quite cut out for that world. I didn¡¯t like playing mind games. Which was why I wasn¡¯t bothered by my intellectual achievements being owned by Polly. My goals lay elsewhere. Once we managed to bring the squad back together, there¡¯d be nothing to stop us. And who knew? Years down the line, Polly might turn out to be an important ally. This was a great opportunity, even if I had to sacrifice some things. Besides, if it really came down to it, there were some people I could call to get me out, and I¡¯d just make my name big somewhere else. I seemed to be good at that. I put out my hand for a shake. Polly grinned, dropping her terser negotiation smile, and clasped my hand with hers, Orb between our palms. ¡°You scratch my back, and I¡¯ll scratch yours.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an interesting phrase. Quite fitting. I¡¯m not one to disappoint those who help me, Cooper. I need friends and allies, and the more powerful they are, the more we all benefit. Besides, the more power us summoners have, the more control we¡¯ll have over the battlefield and the soldiers on them. I don¡¯t plan to get overrun like Purple Sky, so this is both a war for benefits and survival.¡± ¡°Indeed. Have the recent battles here been that bad?¡± ¡°They¡¯re escalating, and if we aren¡¯t proactive, it¡¯ll quickly get out of hand. Absorb the information in the Orb. Take the time to really understand it all. After that, I¡¯ll start teaching you about the war we fight in here. Before all that though, go see Pollux. He has your Sergeant insignia. I heard you were particularly outstanding at the Treehouse. He told me to send you to him when you were ready.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I took the Orb, stashing it away, then delivered a salute. The deal was made. Now I just needed to do my part. After leaving headquarters I went to go find Pollux. He was in the rec room, enjoying a drink at the bar. I slipped in and sat down beside him, remaining silent as he took another sip. Once done, he set down the Sergeant insignia on the bar top, sliding over the three stripes. ¡°Congratulations, Sergeant Cooper.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°Keep this up and it won¡¯t be long before I have to give you your own squad. I¡¯ll give it three years for you to hit First Sergeant.¡± ¡°Hoh, I¡¯m not sure, sir. My current goal is to hit Authority Seven in three years.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awfully ambitious.¡± ¡°Well what about you, sir? Where do you see yourself in a few years?¡± I plucked the insignia while asking, swapping out my corporal rank. Pollux just chuckled. ¡°Heh, you ask that like I¡¯m young.¡± ¡°Who said our elders can¡¯t have goals and ambitions?¡± ¡°You calling me old, Sergeant?¡± ¡°Not a chance, sir.¡± ¡°Hm. Hopefully in a handful of years I¡¯ll still be kicking like I am now. This is an unforgiving war, and it¡¯s getting worse by the day. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the Scourge comes marching through those gates tomorrow with a million-strong army.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s dreary.¡± Pollux downed the last of his drink. ¡°Pessimism, and generally expecting the worst, is how I¡¯ve survived this long.¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I haven¡¯t adopted a similar mindset. Hopefully I¡¯ll get to the point where I can do something about it before that happens though.¡± ¡°If you can hide from Royals in plain sight, you¡¯ll have a better chance than most.¡± ¡°Hm, speaking of, mind if I test out my stealth on you?¡± ¡°On me?¡± He glanced over at me with a peculiar eye as I stood. I smiled. ¡°Just sit down there and keep your focus on me. Don¡¯t let me vanish in your eyes.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He nodded and swiveled to face me head on. Then, I let out a long breath. White fog spread out from my person, obscuring Pollux¡¯s view, as well as the sightlines of all those around us in the rec room. I felt several eyes fall on me. And then, I disappeared with the fog. I saw Pollux¡¯s eyebrows raise before I started slowly moving to the side. The entire rec room was silent, and I was able to move out of everyone¡¯s line of sight. Although Pollux seemed to be able to follow me for a short time, once I distracted everyone with a glimmer of myself in another location, I was able to completely vanish. I moved behind the bar, grabbing a bottle before mixing something up and serving it in two glasses. ¡°Can I interest you in a drink, sir?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Pollux flipped around, eyes wide as he looked between me and the glasses. At some point, he shook his head. ¡°Ridiculous. My Aura was never exceptional, but I didn¡¯t think someone three Authorities below me could just vanish from my sight. Are all the Magisterium Elites like you?¡± ¡°No, otherwise I wouldn''t have won the tournament. Plus, I¡¯m a summoner, and that technique messes with your mind. Not many people have ever had to deal with summoners. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t blame myself.¡± ¡°Weak excuse. But at least I know now that you can keep yourself safe.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I downed my drink in agreement. Showing Pollux my skills like this would help when it came time to impress certain recruiters. Although I was sure I could rely on Polly, I wanted to keep all my bridges clear. I went to the back of the bar and sat back down on a stool, hanging out for a bit longer. Chapter 162: Fading I spent a week reading over the Orb that Polly had given me. There were four books totalling over 3500 pages within, centered on two main topics: legislation, and strategy. The first 2000 pages went over the legalities of war, the military, operating procedures, history, and more. It was basically everything that gave the Kingdom the legitimacy to do whatever the hell it wanted during war ¨C not that anybody was really in place to protest ¨C and remind everyone who read it that the Kingdom was in control. Stepping out of line had severe consequences, in theory. In actuality, it depended on the nobility of the suspect, and the decision often rested more on the presiding officer than written regulations. The other two books were filled with small-theater-level strategy and tactics, on the level Colonel Polly worked with: not meant to direct an entire battlefront, but just some part of it, in complete detail. They wouldn¡¯t win a war, but for the little corner a Colonel managed? This contained more than enough. Of course, Colonel Polly¡¯s operations were more than a little beyond what would normally be a Colonel¡¯s responsibility. Stronghold Charlie¡¯s position on the frontlines and its concentration of combat power both contributed to what should¡¯ve been a General¡¯s responsibility, but it was all heaped on Polly. She took it in stride and accepted the challenge, becoming far more competent than even some of the officers above her, and was perfectly poised to seize the open General positions after the fall of Purple Sky. She had already proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that she could handle a higher rank. The two books gave me a glimpse into what she handled daily: considering terrain while positioning, joint operations between soldiers of different power levels, materiel and weaponry logistics, and, most importantly, interpreting Scourge actions. One book was for handling humans, one book was for handling Scourge. Becoming a Colonel was the first step to becoming someone who could meaningfully contribute to the war in the realm of strategy. Of course, most of the information was only supposed to apply on a smaller scale. It wouldn¡¯t, in theory, prepare one for an entire warfront and the smattering of bases that accompanied it. But if you were smart enough, it wasn¡¯t difficult to extrapolate and understand the bigger picture, especially with external information channels. Polly no doubt had sources from all over the Kingdom given her bodacious claims regarding her social network and experience. And, in this realm, I actually had a solid advantage. I may not have been a history nerd, but it was always easy to let myself fall into the spiral of sleepless nights and 4 AM documentaries and videos on all things war. I¡¯d seen no shortage of analyses on the world wars ¡ª and all their battles ¡ª and why things went the way they did. And while much of that stuff wouldn¡¯t apply to this world given the difference in technology and enemy, there were still some constants and parallels that I could draw, especially when I remembered the ancient wars, even the modern wars. I highly doubted that this world could possibly compare to the breadth of Earth¡¯s wartime expertise, let alone its complexity. I didn¡¯t care that this world had summoners with magical smarts. Sometimes, tactical genius was an inborn trait that couldn¡¯t be replicated. And I grew up in an area where all of that information was free to study all I wanted. Before, I couldn¡¯t dream of accurately recalling it all, let alone learning anything from it. But with my new magical smarts, that was no longer an issue. That was why those books Polly gave me came so easily to me. Sure, I needed to memorize them to answer the way they wanted in the future. A test wasn¡¯t where I needed to show my initiative. But that meant nothing for how I would operate in the future. The hardest part was the details. Knowing what the Scourge was trying to do required you to pattern together their seemingly-unintelligent actions. There were always brains behind a scout troop or a sudden attack, even though the monsters carrying them out were brainless. It was a Colonel¡¯s job to interpret what a Royal general¡¯s goals were based on the mindless movements of its monstrous appendages. That meant there was a lot of information on the different types of Scourge monsters, their purposes, and interpretations on why they were fielded. Seeing something as inconsequential as a Scout hideout would mean that they were not only really far from the main Scourge body, but that a large attack force was planning on coming to that area to establish a nest, which was one of the very few reasons a Scout would ever take up long-term residence beyond their home nest or base. This also meant that mission reports and observations were incredibly important. Failing to mention that the Scout had made itself a nest could result in the Colonel failing to predict an oncoming attack force, which could result in troops being blindsided and wiped out by a large-scale attack. They had to pay attention to the small details, which meant parsing through a ton of information from a lot of reports over many days, weeks, or months. After all, the Colonel, in the vast majority of cases, couldn¡¯t be out there in the field. Which was why Polly wanted to turn me into a Colonel, or mentally raise me to the level of one. With me on the battlefield, she wouldn¡¯t have to rely on the inferiority of inconsistent mission reports from people less observant and detail-oriented as her. I came to understand why she was offering this to me specifically. A summoner capable of combat and survival on a battlefield was practically unheard of. After the first week of crunching all the information in the book, I spent the second week relaxing a bit more and going back to my typical advancement formation training routine. Although I could memorize all the knowledge, I needed real data in order to understand and use it. For that, I needed to study things with Polly, but after we got back from the Treehouse, she had been a bit busy. The Scourge was definitely preparing for an attack on the Treehouse, possibly even Stronghold itself. The Snow Doves would need to be mobilized; they were called for the Treehouse just a few days after we got back. Their absence also made Stronghold more vulnerable, so us, the Pathfinders, started going out on more patrols to pick up the slack. Polly was in charge of coordinating all this, and it left little time for me. That wasn¡¯t to say she wasn¡¯t giving me things to do, though. She had started to test me by asking for more and more details on reports, seeing if I could remember to provide key details as well. And while free access was out of the question for now, Polly also practically threw bundles of old reports my way, letting me parse the information. Yet the days still passed by leisurely, despite the looming tension of battle in the air. Patrols certainly weren¡¯t eventful; there wasn¡¯t a single Scourge contact, and the only casualty was a quickly-mended slip and fall. Even with how busy Polly was, HQ was quiet too; one of her Colonels was on leave, while the other had left with the Snow Doves. The week passed quickly. My leg felt as good as new, and while I didn¡¯t have much of a chance to practice with the White Death¡¯s rifle, I was still able to get a read on some of its unique properties. This M/28-30 was more accurate than the M1 Garand. Its MOA was noticeably tighter; I could more reliably hit targets from further away. What was more important than all of that, though, was the attunement I felt with the rifle when I used it. When I first felt the rifle, I noticed an incredible improvement in my ability to estimate distances. With my eyes, I could estimate distances within 500 meters down to the meter mark. Beyond that, accuracy started to go down, but being able to know when something was 720 or 760 meters away was very nice. With a bit of experience wielding the rifle on patrols, I started to understand the spirit a bit more. These weapons weren¡¯t just hunks of metal and wood. They were living things, and this particular spirit allowed me to bond with it much more than other, less powerful spirits. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Thus, when I really focused, I could ¡®reach out¡¯. It was an odd feeling, like my Aura was extending out into the distance, but much more refined, more focused. Anything within 600 meters was fair game; past that, it got too straining to maintain. Within that range, the moment I pulled my trigger, I just knew if my bullet would hit or not. It was almost like drawing the path that the bullet would travel. Put simply, it was precognition for shooting. I no longer took shots that I was going to miss, only shooting when I knew I would hit, despite inherent inaccuracies at long ranges. The White Death understood his weapon so thoroughly that he grasped its inaccuracies and could adjust to them himself. I was merely borrowing that incredibly deep link only developed through experience and time. The second I touched another rifle, these feelings would fade. I would still retain the ability to estimate distances, but until I got in tune with another rifle, I wouldn¡¯t understand it and predict its shots with perfect accuracy. Still, even though I would someday give up this rifle for more powerful options, it opened up a whole new world to me. It was another level of shooting mastery that I had never been exposed to. Now, I was beginning to understand the level I needed to strive for. Like that, the third week came around. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡°AAAHHH!! Help me!!¡± I let out a long pained breath, pushing myself to keep leaping across rooftops until I got near the street. A little girl was stumbling in my direction, a man mere steps behind her, scrambling for me. He picked her up as he passed by, just as a group of monsters chasing them rounded the corner. I lifted my rifle and opened fire. Six beasts jerked and danced to the tune of my rapidly aimed shots, dropping to the scorched street with little ceremony. One of the beasts, just a bit tougher than its fellows, dropped a moment later, sliding to a halt on the slick of blood the street had become. The shots I took attracted more attention, and even as I turned my squinting eyes skyward in search of more hostiles, a group rounded another corner. I shot them as they came, dropping them as they came bounding and scuttling toward me and my charges. Some took a few dozen rounds of concentrated fire, and I struggled to get off the roof and into an alleyway. They were tough. This force was nothing like the ones I had fought before. New monsters, new environment. I kept one eye on the running pair going down the street as I swept across incoming enemies with the barrel of my weapon, watching their faces contort in exertion and terror as the thing that was chasing them finally shoved its way through the smoke. A light, the color of a raging star, pulsed in a way no light ever could as it illuminated the monster it belonged to. A Bellowbeast. Even as I dispatched the last few stragglers trying to make their way to me, even as I emptied the rest of my magazine, packed to the brim with the harshest Psyka I could muster, even as I waved to the man and the little girl he carried to sprint for the alleyway that would give them safety, its throat inflated and filled with inhuman fire, lighting the blackened cobblestones beneath its feet. It shrugged off the rounds that flattened against its skin; the full size cartridges didn¡¯t even stagger it for a moment, and it soon flooded the street with murderous flames. The man glanced back for but a second, and, with the intense heat singing his hair, didn¡¯t even hesitate for a moment before throwing the girl to me in the alleyway, no more than eight to ten, old enough to understand what was going on ¡ª and experience the terror that comes from comprehension ¡ª but not old enough to do anything about it. I reached forward and grabbed her as the fire drowned the man, unheard whispers on his lips. In the few moments I had left, I wrapped the girl in my hood, stumbling back a few steps in an attempt to gain some distance, any distance at all, from the flames tumbling into the alley. Even beneath my gear and hood, it was like standing in an oven. Even as the fire rushed over me, I took a last few steps, but, deep down, I knew it didn¡¯t matter. I couldn¡¯t hear the screams, but I felt them. The fire was gone in a matter of seconds. Everything was in flames, even the ashes on the stones charred to dust. I lifted myself from the floor, opening my arms to find nothing but a small body. Skin flaked off my chest, nothing more than cinders. Outside my inadequate embrace, it partially crumbled, revealing cracked bones and burnt flesh. Even through the mask, the smell reached me. I wanted to retch, but the danger approaching me only kept coming closer. Still, my eyes remained locked on the corpse, once alive just seconds ago. The danger stopped, that thing looking down on me from a rooftop. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m a fan of cooked meat anymore. Especially not that cooked. All the flavor is gone. Little girls are the good ones too. Why couldn¡¯t you protect her better?.¡± I finally lifted my eyes to find the sadistic piece of shit, nothing but smiles as it looked down from above. Completely black eyes and a face I could never stand. There wasn¡¯t even a trace of mutation on it either. The process wasn¡¯t difficult, forced, either. It had changed willingly. My mind almost drew a blank. The overwhelming anger and frustration paralyzed me. I couldn¡¯t understand. Why did this have to happen? Why did the Scourge exist? I would sacrifice my life if it meant stopping them, killing them all. But that was too easy, apparently. My death meant nothing. No, it was my life they wanted. My time, my blood, my sweat, my sanity. With every death, with every murder, they continued to chip away at it. I hadn¡¯t quite noticed at first. I could brush off death so easily back then. I still could now. But its toll grew. I could feel the cracks forming. I didn¡¯t want to. I felt like I could resist it, either by simply not caring or accepting it as part of the job. Death was everywhere, I¡¯d encountered it everywhere I went, and there would always be more. It was just a fact of life and I¡¯d gotten used to it. It wouldn¡¯t, couldn¡¯t faze me. But that wasn¡¯t true. The cinder stuck to my chest, the body cradled in my arms. I dropped the corpse when the threat to my life started growing even more, but I only felt heavier when I stood. I looked into what passed for eyes on the thing with a twisted perversion of a smile. That deep, corrupted abyss that made me shiver with unadulterated hatred. Killing this thing would bring me no joy. I used to think the comfort of their death was enough. I used to think that it could keep me going. The fact that one less monster was walking this planet, sparing one more person from death and destruction, was fuel that helped me through even the most straining days. But even as I imagined the corpse of this fiend plastered across the floor, I felt nothing. There would be no accomplishment, no relief that it could no longer harm those that were still alive. There was only one thought on my mind, even as my body moved on its own, as it had a thousand times before, seeking the death of this monster. It wasn¡¯t enough. ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡°Haaaahhhh!¡± I shot out of my bed, almost screaming. My dream, my nightmare, echoed through my thoughts. The force with which it recoiled through my mind was enough to leave my nose dripping blood. I could taste it on the tip of my tongue, could just barely smell it with each breath I took. Despite my amazing memory, details faded as fast as they came, almost as if something didn¡¯t want me remembering it. Yet the feeling remained all too vividly. I looked down at my bare chest. There was no ash, no charred flesh. But the sheer rage¡­ it made me feel like my head was going to explode. It was powerful, much more than I was currently. But with the fading memories, that feeling also dulled. I was able to filter it out and keep myself under control. Still, I sincerely hoped nobody would come to check on me. I didn¡¯t know what I would do. Minutes passed as my mind gradually came to full lucidity, no longer clouded by the thought that I needed to kill everything around me. I didn¡¯t just hate the Scourge. I was feeling sincere anger toward them. In a sense, the Scourge was only half the problem. The other half was the people defending against it. They were another problem. This wasn¡¯t just my hatred for nobles seeping through. This was something else, something I was only mad about a good time from now. Question was, why? What the hell did they do to get me so pissed off? After the mind-numbing thoughts started to fade away, a piercing headache hit me as my nosebleed slowed to a trickle. It seemed like it was too late to go back to sleep, so I got out of bed with a sigh, deciding to think over things later. It was 4 AM, and today, we were being deployed. Chapter 163: Recon October 15, 623 It had been a month since I arrived at Stronghold Charlie. I suppose the first phase of any new thing someone did was always the most hectic. A lot of things happened while I was settling into my new role with the Pathfinders. The past few weeks were boring ¡ª thankfully passing by quickly, though ¡ª yet we could all feel the tension in the air, plans and schemes brewing in the background. Having been roped into a new realm of decision making, I was more aware of what people like Polly had to deal with daily, and how they drove the war from behind closed doors. The Treehouse was currently under attack. Alois hadn¡¯t been wrong in any of his conjectures. That encampment we had wiped out was only the vanguard, a probing force sent to develop a beachhead. A minor, overlooked chink in the armor of the base was more than enough to trigger a full-scale attack only the Snow Doves could handle ¡ª and possibly a little beyond. They were almost always on a defensive footing at this point, forced to defend the Treehouse from seige, incapable of projecting any significant presence beyond the occasional sally or counterstrike. Now, none of this was necessarily out of the ordinary. But while discussing things with Polly, one issue made itself glaringly obvious. Henrick, one of Polly¡¯s Colonels, Polly herself, and I were in the war room, overlooking the battle map. ¡°The main Scourge force is advancing from a dip in Hare¡¯s Pass. They cross over the ravine from here, the east.¡± Polly pointed to a marker on the map. The geography was rather roughly sketched; I couldn¡¯t count on aerial reconnaissance or GPS to have topography all mapped out for us. Thankfully, general outlines, named landmarks, and the general lay of the land made it easy for us to visualize the area. I had even been to a majority of the listed places, and focusing hard enough made it feel like I was actually there, looking at it from a bird¡¯s point of view. Most of the conflicts centered around Hare¡¯s Pass. It was a major land divider separating our mountain range from the other, meaning neither side in this war could easily invade the other. That made reconnaissance exceedingly difficult for both sides. Information was sparse, and that was the problem. Everything centered around getting timely info. What did we need to do to see the Scourge coming? How would we predict when they would move so we could reposition defenses accordingly? Their animalistic nature actually made this simpler in strategic regards: they would come to try and destroy us regardless; it would just be a question of when and where. In the end though, our blindness stemmed from one major issue. ¡°We don¡¯t go beyond Hare¡¯s Pass. How are we supposed to collect information and make predictions when we¡¯re completely blind to them? If we at least knew where their camps were out there, then we could find their trails and narrow down points of approach.¡± ¡°Are you suggesting I send the Pathfinders out beyond Hare¡¯s Pass to infiltrate and collect information?¡± ¡°...¡± I went silent at Polly¡¯s question, thinking. The Pathfinders never went past the land bridge because it was incredibly dangerous. Even scouting around on our side, replacing sensors and resetting traps, put us a day¡¯s pace by Steed away and on the edge of comms range. Going past would hamstring us; we¡¯d have to set up relays in enemy territory, potentially exposing the away team to danger, with no hope of timely reinforcements. However, my presence solved at least one issue. We wouldn¡¯t need to communicate; I was a trained intelligence agent. I could draw the maps, mark the trails, and log Scourge data myself. We wouldn¡¯t have to speak to Polly because I could do her job in the field. Then, the only issue became safety. The Scourge didn¡¯t care about dying. They could afford to endlessly send probe groups with not a care in the world. If they got wiped out, there were always more to send. On the other hand, humans were a lot more squishy, and far less replaceable. That¡¯s why Stronghold Charlie hadn¡¯t moved its battle lines in years. We were here strictly to keep anything from coming over; we had no obligation to launch offensives. But this was an information war. We couldn¡¯t defend unless we knew what was coming. And with the war escalating beyond the occasional patrol skirmish, it was more important now than ever before to get a read on our enemy. Like Polly, and I hoped the vast majority of the Kingdom, I definitely enjoyed knowing an army would come marching on our doorstep before they were already there. Of course, none of this was anything Polly hadn¡¯t considered before. We both knew exactly why she didn¡¯t send Pathfinders over the Pass. Only Snow Doves went over, and rarely at that. Information, as a result, was spotty and inconsistent, hardly a sustainable situation long-term. But that was, of course, in the past. A radical change was needed. And look who comes along, ready to take drastic action? My lips curled. ¡°You might not be able to send Pathfinders over, but I¡¯d be confident in heading over there and scouting without getting caught. Especially if I¡¯m not trying to kill anything.¡± ¡°... That might be true, but I would never send you out there alone. You¡¯d have to take a small team, no more than four, preferably three, and you¡¯d have to pack for days, if not weeks, of isolation. I admit that your ability to conceal yourself is amazing. But your team wouldn¡¯t necessarily be able to do the same. I only send the Snow Doves because they can handle being caught, which is the worst case. You can¡¯t. Plus, you¡¯re no knight. The physical strain of traveling across that terrain in an attempt to find something would be incredible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. It was just a thought. But if things only continue to go downhill, and we can¡¯t handle being blind, then it might be the only option. Hell, send me with a knight from the Snow Doves and we¡¯ll have the whole mountain range scouted in a week.¡± ¡°Yes, that is quite the thought.¡± She smiled at me before looking back at the map. Colonel Henrik spoke. ¡°What if we sent a team around the east side? The Scourge is attacking the Treehouse from that route, so if they¡¯re driven back, then we could probably infiltrate while they¡¯re weakened.¡± ¡°... It¡¯s possible.¡± Polly muttered and leaned in for closer examination of the map. Hare¡¯s Pass lowered in elevation around a certain point, the walls of the ravine coming closer to ground level before fading off into a valley later on eastward. The Scourge had created a pathway through that dip that allowed them to access the area to the east of Scythe¡¯s Peak, north of where the Treehouse was located. They had been sending their army through for a while. It was a pretty major offensive, but, chances were, the Snow Doves would come out on top when working with the forces from the Treehouse. We had concluded after plenty of patrols that the Scourge wasn¡¯t interested in our area for now because their forces were so focused over there. However, sending a team straight up our land bridge across Hare¡¯s Pass still wasn¡¯t really an option since it was way too obvious. Even if the Scourge wasn¡¯t attacking via that route, there had already been dozens of old reports from the Snow Doves saying that there were nests not far from it, all of them containing armies. It was safe to say they had that Pass closed down. But around the east? That might not be as true, if they were moving all their troops toward the Treehouse instead of manning the crossing. If we brought along some top end firepower from the Snow Doves, then spying on them while they were weakened and sparse was a very plausible strategy. I certainly liked the idea, and Polly didn¡¯t seem too opposed either. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°I think we can do it. Extremely few are familiar with the area beyond the Pass anyway, so your inexperience wouldn¡¯t matter too much. It would still be dangerous, but I have a Dove who¡¯s done some infiltration for me before. They know how to keep low and have some spells in their arsenal suited for that as well. I¡¯ll need to pass it by the Marshal first though. Without her approval, an operation like this can¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°But this will happen?¡± I asked expectantly. Doing more recon sounded just up my alley. I was already excited. Polly smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t get too jumpy. We need to flesh out the details, which you¡¯ll help me do, before we submit it. We need a full plan of action that can guarantee results.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not possible to guarantee results.¡± ¡°With missions like these, no, it''s not. But your superiors don¡¯t care about that. Convince them that it¡¯s worth the time and investment, and make them anticipate the fruits of that labor. Only then can you get approval and earn accolades. Otherwise, you have nothing to do but sit back and watch.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I nodded, but still didn¡¯t like it. This was the politics part. The generals and higher-ups didn¡¯t care about reality. They only cared about vision. You had to play into that if you wanted to have your way and get things done, otherwise they¡¯d just bring things to a standstill. Or worse, they¡¯d step in and twist things their own fancy way, thinking it better, but making it that much more dangerous for the boots on the ground. I sighed, wondering how we¡¯d go about this. ¡°We have until the end of the battle at the Treehouse to formulate this plan. Based on what I''ve been hearing, that won¡¯t happen for at least another couple weeks. We also need to hope that nothing changes with the situation over there or here. Either way, we have time. Go retire for the night. You¡¯ve done enough for today.¡± ¡°Aye, ma¡¯am.¡± I gave a salute before leaving the war room. When I stepped out, I saw that night had already fallen. It was easy to lose track of time inside that isolated room. The day had been filled with battlefield analysis. There¡¯d be more to come, especially with more reports flooding in from the Treehouse. Polly¡¯s other Colonel was over there feeding us everything she could get her hands on, and I was working with Polly and Colonel Henrik to interpret it. It was quite the mental exercise. Now, we had another plan of action though. I absolutely intended to push myself into this recon mission. It would be amazing experience, and I was confident that the danger to myself wouldn¡¯t be that great. I would have much more time than the previous recon mission I ran, while also not having incompetent assholes holding me back and a tyrannical superior breathing down my neck. My mission, done my way. With my vision and senses, I doubted there were many who could match my ability to collect information, especially given my recent education on tactics. I was glad that we had time, though I didn¡¯t expect to have multiple weeks. I thought that the battles over at the Treehouse would conclude pretty fast. Apparently not, and without the Snow Doves here, we were limited in how far we could extend ourselves. We weren¡¯t sent out on missions that took any longer than a day, which meant we couldn¡¯t go far past the Black Forest. Thankfully there were no movements from the Scourge either. We hadn¡¯t seen a single tripped sensor in weeks. Honestly, I was getting a bit bored without all the excitement. Patrols were getting more mundane by the day too. Well, more time to study. Since I spent a good chunk of time finishing those books from Polly, I had more than enough time to shift my focus. I still worked on my advancement formations every day, but I was also dabbling more and more with enchanting. It was a very intriguing subject. The possibilities with enchanting were endless. It was much easier to create a device that could cast spells for you than it was to cast those spells. The only detriment was the material and labor cost, but considering most devices were long-term tools, that actually wasn¡¯t much of a detriment, especially since they could be used by more than just warlocks. White Crystals were the most versatile magical resource in this world. That¡¯s what I was coming to understand as I learned more. I also learned about their limitations. White Crystals had certain power limits. They ran on Magika and their attributes varied depending on the Scourge monster they were extracted from. The density of the power was determined similar to how material density worked. It depended on how large the object was and the total amount of power stored within. If it was a strong and small crystal, then it was very dense. If it was strong but large, then it wasn¡¯t as dense. Balancing these attributes was very important for enchanters because it determined how you had to tune your device. White Crystals always radiated a set amount of Magika, regardless of how much was in there. They wouldn¡¯t trickle off like electrical batteries; they could be almost completely empty and would still continue to radiate the same amount as if it were full. This made it easy to tune devices to specific crystals. You simply had to calculate the output, even if every single one had to be tuned by hand. As for Magika storage though, that was a different story. White Crystals pulled Magika from the surroundings. The surroundings had differing levels of Magika concentration though. A crystal¡¯s ability to pull in energy was determined by its baseline density, which corresponded to its strength, and the surrounding concentration. As for the limits on how long a crystal could run, that was determined by their usage and power. White Crystals disintegrated over time, literally. The Crystal itself would gradually lose the particles that composed it, shrinking over time to the size of pebbles and grains of sand before phasing out of existence. They also didn¡¯t leave behind any residue, which was why White Crystals were said to be the manifestation of physical Magika. Either way, using a crystal excessively and draining it over and over would speed up the disintegration. That¡¯s why, when not needed, it was good practice to insulate the crystals from Magika, retaining power and keeping it from draining faster than its baseline. As for specific lifetimes, only crystals up to Authority 10 had been measured. Authority One White Crystals would turn to dust after little more than six months under maximum load. Authority Five crystals could last about 10 years under the same conditions. As for Authority 10 crystals, they could last a whopping 150 years under those conditions. As for beyond that, it was impossible to tell. No crystals at the Authority 11 and 12 levels had been properly tested. Plus, those crystals had special properties that changed the way they operated and interacted with the world, warping the ability to measure them. The White Crystal acting as my storage space was a small piece of an Authority 7 crystal, which was very dense. And the device was isolating its power at all times except for when I was actively accessing it, which was only occasionally. It could easily last a century before beginning to degrade. The only reason they didn¡¯t charge much more money for it knowing that was thanks to the economics of White Crystal supply and demand. An Authority Seven crystal wasn¡¯t exactly rare, but something like my storage space was far beyond what the ordinary person could ever dream of getting their hands on. We Magi simply had a better ability to make money, thus why we sat within the top 10% of the population. Even then, I was probably within the top 3 or 4% as I was now. There was a lot of money in magic, because the Magi controlled it all. Besides learning all that, I was gradually learning the language of enchanting. The only thing taking away from that education was my concentration on my advancement formation. Thankfully, that was coming along well too. I had finished a majority of the first formation after having slowly chipped away at it for over a month. I was stripping away all its mysteries and exposing its private parts, really learning it in intimate detail. But I wasn¡¯t over the learning curve yet. The other formations offered different challenges that I¡¯d have to figure out later. It was undeniable, though, that I was beyond the worst part. Things would speed up from here. ¡­¡­ The battle at the Treehouse continued to rage on. Every day we got detailed reports from Polly¡¯s Colonel, every day we collated and consolidated reports, every day we filled out our maps, and every day we analyzed and predicted enemy movements in detail, transmitting everything back to the Treehouse. Two weeks passed, and the battle continued. By this point it was becoming obvious that this wasn¡¯t some simple skirmish. The Scourge was trying something. Our battle maps, filled with the movements of those monstrous armies and past battle histories, as well as numbers and battle lines, showed us an interesting picture. The Treehouse was being surrounded, slowly and methodically. It cost the Scourge great numbers, but numbers they had to spare. I remembered Alois¡¯ concern when I was there. The Pustules and encampments, as well as those corrupted trees that sat within those encampments, were all there to corrupt the land. They spread a bloody, root-like moss over the landscape that killed off any plant life and made land uninhabitable for wildlife. That also meant that Alois¡¯ lucrative business harvesting sap and syrup was being encroached on. We had received no shortage of reinforcement requests, but we couldn¡¯t spare much other than supplies. The other platoons here at base were responsible for ferrying those. Either way, the Scourge wasn¡¯t trying to destroy the Treehouse. Not yet at least. If this kept up, they¡¯d be choked out before long. There¡¯d be no reason for the Treehouse to exist if it couldn¡¯t hold a strategic position or make any money. The Scourge continued to receive forces from the eastern pass while the Treehouse was being ever so slowly whittled down. It wouldn¡¯t continue like this forever, and the Treehouse, armed with Snow Doves, wasn¡¯t going to fall. Unless the Scourge brought out some big players, they¡¯d just be kept busy. The threat wasn¡¯t too bad at the moment. But it was clear the Scourge had other goals. Polly and I wanted to figure out what those goals were. And scouting beyond Hare¡¯s Pass seemed to be the key to all that. We needed a read on their forces. And so, another week passed. We compiled tons of data and established predictions on the concentration of Scourge beyond the Pass based on their numbers moving toward the Treehouse. Then, we developed our plan of action. Once that third week passed, Polly took the report, as well as our mission proposition, and went to present to the Marshal. I was proud to say that a quarter of the details were developed by me, including a majority of the mission we were proposing. I was getting a good grasp on how things worked and could contribute a good deal. This was all thanks to the fact that I could handle tons of details at once. Where most people would only see a vague picture the wider the lens got, I could keep track of the small tidbits while envisioning everything at once. It all connected seamlessly in my mind, making my ability to strategize rather amazing. Even I was a bit shocked by it. Summoners really were amazing. Of course, the fruits of my labor were all being given to Polly. Her name was all over the report and proposition. My name only showed up in regard to the candidates for an infiltration, including some notes that my observation skills, as well as my recent education, would make me the perfect person to take this mission on. There were also two other candidates from Polly, two Doves who would help me. With all that, I sat back and waited. Within a day or two, we would get our answer. Hopefully, it wouldn¡¯t be rejected. I was looking forward to this mission. Chapter 164: Sublime November 6, 623 I was in the war room with Colonel Henrik. The man and I had gotten proficient at working with each other over time. He too had made a deal like mine with Polly, so we were in the same boat. Even better, in my eyes, was that he too was a summoner, and that made our conversations interesting. My mind worked pretty fast now. Normally I¡¯d forget things just as fast, but my power wouldn¡¯t let that happen. With these two things combined, I was often multiple steps ahead of the people I spoke with. The first few times I had unconsciously interrupted someone, I had gotten quite the dirty look. After a while, I learned to curb it, but it only made conversations that much more boring. Thankfully I wasn¡¯t interacting much with my Platoon, otherwise the problem would be exacerbated. Almost all of my time recently was spent somewhere in headquarters, and I started seeing my name less and less on patrols. I had a feeling it was by Polly¡¯s order, but I didn¡¯t mind. Patrols were mind-numbingly boring. In exchange, I crunched data with the Colonels. I had gone through hundreds of papers in the past several weeks, with dozens from Polly herself, filling what little time I had left with old reports in storage. It was all deskwork stuff, but I was actually having some fun. My powerful mind made it interesting. If I were still an ordinary man, I would¡¯ve been bored to death twice over. This also meant, however, that my conversations with the Colonels were rather peculiar. We spoke quickly, never repeated ourselves, and packed our conversations with contractions, acronyms, and information that required a hundred pages of background information to properly understand. Something as simple as pointing out an adjustment in a Scourge encampment could take months of context to understand and utilize for further predictions. I was playing catch-up a lot of the time because of that. But I was also a summoner, and to be frank, my mind was much more powerful than Colonel Henrik¡¯s. He was a smart man who had been doing this stuff for years, but my sheer power was pushing me closer to his level at a rapid pace. As for Polly, she was actually a very powerful summoner. Apparently she had two Sparks, making her mind a step more powerful than my own. Given another advancement, I would probably close the gap, but with her sheer experience and intelligence, the actual difference between us was pretty vast. Her predictive abilities had humbled me quite a few times already. Well, I was certainly learning a lot. My studies were coming along nicely and I was making tons of progress across all areas. However, I still found myself longing for a good mission. Having gotten used to fighting, with all the irony, at the Magisterium, not doing anything felt weird. I had a lot of ¡°time off¡± working in headquarters. And this mission we proposed to the Marshal was my next big gig. She spent a whole two days thinking it over, occasionally calling Polly back to consult, but ultimately, the decision for something of this scale remained with the Marshal. This wasn¡¯t recon or a sensor check. This was an infiltration deep behind enemy lines. And finally, the decision came back. As I lounged about in the war room, skimming yet another stack of old reports, Polly suddenly entered with a few papers, a slight smile on her face. I turned to her and returned it with more enthusiasm. ¡°So?¡± ¡°The mission was accepted. We¡¯re green to go.¡± ¡°Hell yeah.¡± ¡°There was a change to the candidates though.¡± She looked me in the eye, and my smile vanished. ¡°John, you¡¯re not going.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°She said you¡¯re not suited for something so dangerous, and that there are much better soldiers who can handle the mission requirements in a shorter period of time. It would take 8 to 12 weeks with you there, but half the time with someone else.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about the time, it¡¯s about the quality of the data collection. And did you tell her about my recent recon mission?¡± ¡°I agree, and yes I did. But you have to understand that, technically, we can get by with a report from one of our Snow Doves. They know what to look for too. There¡¯s a reason they¡¯re a Snow Dove.¡± ¡°... I want to talk to her.¡± I stood. Polly moved to put herself in front of me before I could even start toward the door, evidently having predicted my action before I even considered it. ¡°Stand down, John. There¡¯s no good way your conversation with a Marshal can end.¡± ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be on that mission. There¡¯s no good reason why I shouldn¡¯t be. The time difference is negligible compared to the information I can bring back. We could have a grasp of their entire operation beyond Hare¡¯s Pass in two months! She wants to trade that just so she can have three soldiers back a handful of weeks earlier instead?!¡± ¡°No, John. The issue is that you have an alarmingly high chance of dying with every single day that passes over there.¡± ¡°I would argue the oppo-.¡± ¡°Shut up and let me speak!¡± Her voice rose as she stepped up to my chest. I was taller but she did her best to get eye to eye. When was the last time I¡¯d been yelled at like this? I could smell her dark blue hair with how close she was, and given her stature, she was reminding me a lot of my own mother. Maybe that¡¯s why my mouth snapped shut. Her voice fell again. ¡°You¡¯ve been here for two months John. I admit you¡¯re taking to all of this amazingly well, but you¡¯re letting your position in this war room get to your head. Don¡¯t forget that not only are you only a Captain, but you¡¯re an Authority Five summoner. No base within the Kingdom has ever had to deal with someone like you, so, with the information on hand, you can¡¯t blame a Marshal for rejecting the idea of you going on a sensitive and high-risk mission. We¡¯ve gotten by without you so far. We won¡¯t collapse just because you can¡¯t get out there and use those fancy eyes of yours. So stand down, and don¡¯t make any stupid decisions unbefitting of your rank. Do I make myself clear?¡± ¡°...Yes ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Then go and take the rest of the day to cool off. We will reconvene tomorrow.¡± I stared at her for a second before saluting, receiving one in return before walking out. ¡­ Polly sighed when John walked out, straightening her blouse. ¡°Feels like I just scolded my son.¡± ¡°... How old is he? I never looked at his profile,¡± Colonel Henrik carefully probed. Polly set down the sheaf of papers. ¡°Only 23. He¡¯s basically still a child.¡± ¡°A very smart child. Kid is absorbing knowledge faster than I can give it to him.¡± ¡°Which is great, until he gets in over his head.¡± ¡°You knew the Marshal would reject him?¡± Henrik turned to Polly, scratching his scraggly beard. He was approaching 60 but still looked middle-aged. The only hint of aging was the slightest thinning of hair, and the occasional gray wisp more likely attributed to stress than any sign of aging. Polly sat down and closed her eyes. ¡°Of course. He never had a chance.¡± ¡°Never?¡± ¡°John¡¯s got some big names watching him. The Marshal would never risk his life like that, regardless of whether he could handle it or not. But even besides that, my reasons from before still apply. He¡¯s young, inexperienced, and much too comfortable throwing himself into danger. I need to reign him in. I just thought hearing it from the Marshal would be better. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d actually go try to talk to her.¡± ¡°Heh, he¡¯s got balls.¡± ¡°Which is more than I could say for most of the soldiers and intelligence agents I¡¯ve met. But they¡¯ll get him killed if he¡¯s not careful. He just needs someone to help keep him in check, keep him safe.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Hanrik hummed, smiling a bit as Polly started to run through some more papers. She looked tired and angry, but that was normal; with what some would call a resting bitch face, she never looked happy, and her off-putting bluntness certainly didn¡¯t help matters. But what wasn¡¯t normal was explaining herself like she did to John. She had outright shut down people much stronger and more dangerous than John, and for much less. But she had taken the time to rationalize things, which spoke volumes. Of course, John didn¡¯t recognize that. But he hadn¡¯t been here long. Either way, it seemed Polly wanted to take care of the kid. Even Henrik felt a bit proud of him. Summoners had to stick together, and letting others into their circles was very rare. But when a summoner came around who was extraordinary in just about all aspects, they just couldn¡¯t help but latch on. John was a genius, even though he acted far from one. He could go toe to toe with the most talented knights and warlocks at his level, something impossible for other summoners. And more importantly, he wasn¡¯t afraid to use his gifts. It wasn¡¯t enough to be capable of fighting knights and warlocks, or even the Scourge. For a summoner, one had to muster the courage to even face them. A summoner was fragile, could be killed on a whim. John was no different, and yet he faced all of it unhesitantly. He had the scars to prove it. This meant that some, like Polly, wanted to nurture him. Making sure he didn¡¯t throw himself behind enemy lines and get killed was the first step toward doing that, even though it robbed him of valuable combat experience. ¡­¡­ ¡­ Revisions for the mission plan ensued. Since I had formatted a good chunk of the infiltration part of the mission around my visual abilities, we had to adjust it to accommodate the new candidates. Instead, I inserted myself into the preparatory parts of the mission. The Pathfinders would be assigned to additional sensor placements on the bridge across Hare¡¯s Pass. Another layer of alarms was needed in case the Scourge decided to change tactics and send some monsters across the normal way. Since we were moving out to the Treehouse later, earlier warnings would be crucial for proper reaction times. Infiltration couldn¡¯t be planned in a vacuum. We needed to plan a route to the eastern crossing before we could even do preliminary scouting, log Scourge activity along the way, and actually secure an infiltration point and time. Since the rest of the Snow Doves were busy, the Pathfinders would be sent out to do what they did best. Once the finalized mission was compiled, we set a date and then lit the green light. Half of the Pathfinders were mobilized to go set up sensors on the land bridge around Scythe¡¯s Peak, while the other half left for the Treehouse early. Once the first half was done with sensors, they would return to base for additional supplies before setting off as well. This left Stronghold Charlie generally undefended, but since the Marshal was still there, we should technically be fine. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. I was in the second group that left early. My objective was to get to the Treehouse before linking up with Polly¡¯s Colonel there and delivering the mission plan. I would be responsible for briefing her as well as overseeing general mission progress. This also meant I had to go out and make sure the teams were assembled and on schedule to operate, including the infiltration team. I would be receiving help from the Colonel there, but the bulk of it was on my shoulders. It was a large amount of responsibility for someone who should only be a Captain. I had a feeling though that this was Polly¡¯s way of making up for the fact that I didn¡¯t get to infiltrate myself. In which case, I¡¯d have to handle everything perfectly to prove I could at least do this. My only source of doubt was how I¡¯d handle Alois. Hopefully I could just dodge him and grab who I needed. Like that, two more days passed before the day came to deploy. Two Steeds would go to the Pass to set up more sensors while the other two headed straight for Treehouse. Squad One and Three would each get their own vehicle, and a single supply truck would follow. Pollux would be going with the travel party while the sensor guys would be on their own. The job was easy, so they should be able to accomplish their mission and get back before sundown. As I loaded some things into the supply truck, Pollux came and found me. I was still cheesed from being rejected, but thankfully I had cooled off since a couple days ago. ¡°Cooper.¡± ¡°Commander, sir.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got something for you. Figured you could use it.¡± Pollux held up the insignia of a Master Sergeant. My brows raised. I didn¡¯t think this promotion would come in just a couple months. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing good things from Polly. Keep working like that and you¡¯ll be on the fast track to commanding a platoon of your own. Maybe you¡¯ll slip into the Snow Doves.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see. I need to get my Authority up first.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got time though. I¡¯ll be assisting you on this mission. Technically I¡¯m the commanding officer in name, but since you know the details I¡¯ll defer to you. Just keep us on the right track. ¡°Yes sir.¡± I snapped off a crisp salute, receiving one in return before the two of us returned to hauling crates and strapping things down. Before long, we were boarded. I slung myself into the turret of Squad Three¡¯s Steed, popping my head out onto the roof, comically small against the armored vehicle¡¯s bulk. ¡°Handler to Liaison. You all look primed to launch.¡± ¡°Affirmative Handler. All heads accounted for.¡± ¡°Permission to deploy granted. Sensor teams will be leaving in 10.¡± ¡°Copy.¡± I switched channels. ¡°Commander, we¡¯re good to go.¡± ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s roll, Pathfinders.¡± Pollux¡¯s voice echoed across all the nearby aerials. With that, the Steeds sped from the gates. We quickly diverted off the normal path, taking the road to the Treehouse. I visualized the map in my head, feeling the cold wind on my face. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon. We should arrive at around noon the next day. From there, I¡¯d assemble teams and get us to the eastern crossing, paving a way for our infiltration team. Simple on paper, but we¡¯d see how much trouble it would bring me. I sunk back down into the Steed when the frosty wind started nipping at my nose. It was getting colder as the year continued. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Well that¡¯s not reassuring. It¡¯s a good thing I advanced¡­¡± Umara muttered while sitting against a tree, packing and wrapping some cloth around her hand to stifle the nasty cut across her palm. She couldn¡¯t care less about the wounds or the bleeding. What had her concerned was the entity making its way over to them. Of course it had to be a patrol that got them in a nasty situation. It couldn¡¯t be an actual mission when they¡¯d be completely prepared to fight, even though they were supposed to be fully equipped for patrols anyway. Most of her platoon had failed to react in time. The rest were slaughtered as they retreated, their cooperative strength shattered by the loss of so many of their squadmates. One full squad, feeling dread in the face of an overwhelming enemy, popped their Overkills in some desperate measure to buy some more time for others to escape. In Umara¡¯s eyes, even that couldn¡¯t stand against the monster, and they paid with their lives. But it was enough for the two to make it out before the real danger descended. Umara could only hope she wasn¡¯t under suspicion of desertion. Their deaths were the only thing that kept her alive. Now she was dirty, bleeding, on the run, and missing her foci. That last one was an opportunity in disguise though. She¡¯d be asking for a fancy new one after this, one that could actually handle her new spells. For now, her Aura would have to compensate. Umara¡¯s ear twitched before she suddenly threw her head to the side. A blade sliced across where it once was. It took a few moments for the tree behind her to slowly slide to the ground along the cut. But it didn¡¯t take that long for Umara to put out her hand, a formation flashing with blinding white across it, launching a dense fiery explosion that threw the leaping Royal 50 feet in the other direction. The blur that was Tana suddenly appeared in the path of the ballistic body. Her sword glowed with Vigor, and she barely even had to swing to cleanly slice off the Royal¡¯s arm. Umara clambered back up and continued running as Tana diced the Royal with practiced efficiency, stuffing it into her storage as she went. Then they continued, paying no mind to the fact that the Royal they just killed was well into Authority 7. ¡°Your spells are making this too easy. Tone it down a notch.¡± Tana muttered. She dashed under Umara and grabbed her, launching herself into the distance right after. Umara activated another spell, the wind splitting for the two and carrying Tana farther with each bound. As they found their way into a large valley, Umara felt the blood pooling in the corner of her eye streak back along her face. Although her foci on her staff had been weak, it had been something. Without it, she was under much more pressure when casting spells. They had to be perfectly made the first time, which was difficult given their ever growing complexity and the requisite precision. That normal looking explosion which launched the Royal utilized pure oxygen drawn from the atmosphere. It was compressed to 30 atmospheres, ignited with her fire mana, and, supplemented by extreme air pressure, directed the resulting explosion toward the Royal. Pure hydrogen, another fuel mixture mentioned by John, was beyond her capabilities at the moment. It just seemed to slip her grasp, no matter what she tried to contain it with, nor could she liquefy either substance to get the really explosive mixtures yet. But this would have to do, because anything else would give her an aneurysm. Making that spell wasn¡¯t even that hard. It was the strain of drawing in information with her Aura first which got her. Anything that came in infused itself directly in her mind. Most if not all of it was forgotten soon afterward, but the moment it arrived, it demanded immediate attention, temporarily overloading her mind. She was still practicing compartmentalization to help with that. Umara wiped away some of the blood tickling her cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°Wrong response.¡± ¡°... We¡¯ll do what we need to do to get back to base. How many more miles?¡± ¡°Maybe six, if we can cut across the cliff.¡± ¡°Do it.¡± ¡°Alright. It¡¯ll be a bit bumpy¡­¡± Umara looked over Tana¡¯s shoulder as they cleared the valley, seeing that entity emerge from the treeline. It had arms so long its elbows could almost drag on the floor, skinny and vascular and ultimately disgusting. On the other hand, its legs were thick and muscled. The creepy part was probably its neck, at least 2 feet long, from which an emaciated human face sprouted, thin wisps of hair hanging from its scalp. It gave Umara chills whenever she looked into its pitch black eyes. A Corrupted, once human, now¡­ not. The struggle someone put up during the corruption process could be visualized by how mutated they were. The more they struggled, the more they mutated, until they eventually broke and gave in. In this case, it seemed whatever unfortunate soul once within that body had put up a good fight. Umara remembered the girl from John¡¯s homeland, Aki. She told of entire armies of Corrupted returning to their once homes to decimate their cities. She couldn''t imagine an army of these monstrosities. She could barely stomach one. And she¡¯d try to put that soul out of its misery if it weren¡¯t so damn strong. Thankfully Tana was fast and had seemingly endless stamina. The two continued bounding across the terrain until they saw a huge cliff appear. About 400 meters across was another cliffside, which led to the rest of the land that would bring them back to the base. If they didn¡¯t jump the clif, they¡¯d have to go the long way around, easily doubling the travel distance. Umara didn¡¯t think they had it in them to last that long, not unless they used her one-off knife attack. She wanted to do what she could to avoid that though. That was her last resort. ¡°Hold on tight.¡± Tana spoke, picking up speed before launching herself off the cliff. Right as she did, Umara formed a spell, pressurized air exploding behind them and launching them even further. After that, the winds formed and carried them, splitting out of their way before looping around and propelling them. Umara remembered one of John¡¯s lessons on aerodynamics. If she had wings like a bird, she¡¯d definitely be able to fly. Unfortunately, the two girls were about as aerodynamic as a brick, so there would be no flying yet. For a second, Umara remembered that she needed to start dabbling in spatial magic soon. It fell under the air element, but knowledge of it was top secret, almost on par with Aura in how restricted it was. Fortunately, Umara was getting so good at forming new spells that it might not matter whether she had something to teach her or not. First though, they needed to get back to base. Alive. The propulsion was enough to get them across. Tana slammed into the ground, jolting Umara¡¯s body and making her cringe in pain. After taking a quick breath, Tana kept running. The Corrupted continued sprinting after them, jumping off the cliff as well. It soared much farther than Tana did, but didn¡¯t make it all the way across, slamming into the cliff face. Then, it started climbing, it¡¯s long arms and fingers stabbing into the rock and throwing itself up with uncanny strength. Tana and Umara could hear it coming, but it wasn¡¯t as fast as them. Now, the distance between them had widened massively. They were a half mile away by the time the Corrupted finally made it to the top. When it got over, it looked off into the distance and saw the two running. It stood there, watching as they eventually disappeared over a mountain. Then, it clawed the ground with its arms, launching itself dozens of meters, moving even faster than before. Umara clicked her tongue. ¡°It¡¯s gaining.¡± ¡°Unless we want to fight it, we¡¯re going to have to keep it away for the next several minutes.¡± ¡°Give me a number.¡± ¡°... six minutes.¡± ¡°Six minutes of brain-liquifying spellcasting¡­ Let¡¯s do it. All in.¡± ¡°Then here we go.¡± Tana lowered her body, her muscles flexing like steel cords before shooting them forward. A mile a minute was a pretty big ask, especially since she was carrying Umara. But Tana knew that it was either that, or they¡¯d have to fight this impossible enemy. Like Umara, she didn¡¯t feel like rolling those dice. So she used her spatial storage to strip off her armor and weapon before putting her all into running. The area they ran into was hilly, so Tana was forced to fight gravity as they gained and lost elevation. She was moving fast, but that Corrupted was moving a bit faster. As she ran, Umara maintained air spells to help Tana move while slinging others to stifle the Corrupted. She cut down trees and threw them in the Corrupted¡¯s way, blew sharp gusts of wind that slowed its speed, and used some explosive fire magic to throw it off. More blood went down her eyes and nose, a vein or two popping from her forehead. It felt much longer for Tana, but two minutes passed quickly. At that mark, she started breathing heavily. Still, she kept her speed. When the four minute mark came, her legs started twitching, her heaving lungs unable to adequately supply oxygen. That¡¯s when she actually sped up though as more vigor poured through her body. Then, after another minute or so, they crested a hilltop and came in view of the base. Unfortunately by that time, the Corrupted was also on top of them. Both of their heads swung around when that monstrosity launched a blade of energy from its long fingers. They gouged the floor ahead of Tana, forcing her to sidestep to avoid a nasty trip and fall, but it worked just as well in killing some of her speed. She kicked up right as she was safe though, the ground sinking under her foot as she shot off once more. The muscles across her legs spasmed, but she continued anyway. At the same time, Umara cast some final spells, a brilliant display of red exploding in the sky as a standard-issue warlock signal flare. She¡¯d gotten their attention, one way or another. But their battle wasn¡¯t over yet. Tana dodged once more as another set of blades flew her way. That allowed the Corrupted to get in range, a tree-length spear materializing in its hands. Umara¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°God, what the hell kind of spear is that?! This guy is all about reach, huh?!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t fight that with my sword!¡± Tana shouted, dodging a spear strike and continuing to run just as Umara launched some explosive spells. They were powerful, not something the Corrupted could ignore. That gave them room, Tana using the last of her strength to sprint toward the base. She covered another half mile in a dozen seconds, but then, she felt her neck tingle in danger. Umara shouted. ¡°Keep running!¡± Tana ignored the danger and rushed forward, wholeheartedly trusting in Umara. Gritting her teeth in concentration, ignoring the now substantial amount of blood flowing from her eyes, Umara materialized spell circle after spell circle. The series of tiny compressed fireballs detonated on the spear, the force of their explosions just enough to carry it off its trajectory and force it to slam into the ground mere inches from Tana¡¯s heel. It created a rift when it hit the ground, but they were completely safe. Umara¡¯s ear-to-ear grin was sufficient testament. The precision, sublime. The timing, divine. That was her most impressive feat this month. Then, the calvary arrived. Several knights came charging through the gates, two of them Authority 9. It seemed like they didn¡¯t want to miss a good target, so they were enthusiastic. They shot past Tana, but the Corrupted had turned on a dime and ran right after its failed strike. The three shot into the distance. Umara was in too much pain to give a damn about whether or not they killed that thing. Finally, they made it to the gates. Tana immediately fell to her knees in absolute exhaustion, her body shaking and her limbs burning pink. Umara jumped from her arms to relieve the load. She bent down and brushed the blonde hair out of Tana¡¯s face. However, this day wasn¡¯t over. Umara lifted her gaze and scanned the surrounding people with a nightmarish face. She was pissed, and someone was about to take the heat. Chapter 165: Colonel Jasmine ¡°Where¡¯s a healer?! She needs medical attention!¡± ¡°All the healers are at the medical ward!¡± ¡°Fucking¡­¡± Umara grit her teeth and scooped Tana up, running through the gates and heading to the medical ward herself. Tana¡¯s body practically burned Umara¡¯s arms, her spasming muscles and pooling sweat threatening to make her slip at any second. Umara tightened her grasp. Tana had pushed herself well past her limit, and with every agonizing groan she let out, Umara became more pissed off. The details about that patrol were off. Patrols weren¡¯t sent out just to get slaughtered, and they weren¡¯t supposed to go anywhere near established Scourge encampments. The only reason they had gotten chased was because they had come across one of those encampments. The issue was that it should have been known about, and their patrol shouldn¡¯t have gone anywhere near it. Umara got Tana to the medical ward, and she was quickly taken to a room. As the healers got to work, Umara spoke. ¡°I¡¯m going to go talk to someone. Focus on resting.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Tana let out a word, Umara waiting for her to finish. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ kill anyone¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll fucking see.¡± Umara left with that, marching off to the headquarters building. Every patrol team was given a route to patrol. There were many different routes and a team could get assigned any of them. Messing up a patrol route, or a patrol team getting wiped out, was cause for suspicion. That meant that the base¡¯s intelligence was either off or incomplete. Either way, someone was at fault, and it sure as hell wasn¡¯t Umara. She threw open the doors with pressurized air, marching through the desks of summoners and intelligence agents. ¡°Hey lady-!¡± ¡°Fuck yourself.¡± She blew aside a pissed intelligence agent before kicking open the doors to the war room. There were several people inside, none of whom were more powerful than her. So she marched straight to the map at the front, all the summoners backing away, except one. Umara recognized the pair of dragon wings of a Brigadier General. But after one glance, she ignored him and looked at the map. She quickly found where her route went, and sure enough, there was a marking at the halfway point of their patrol route. A Scourge encampment. The sight of it made her bristle. ¡°Hey, how long have we known about this Scourge encampment?¡± She pointed to the marking, looking at the Brigadier General who lounged back in a chair, his Glimmers prim and proper. He had yet to say anything because he looked terrified. Umara generally tried to respect summoners because of John. He, along with people like Maxwell, had proven to her that not all summoners were weak, and there were some worthy of her upmost respect. Thus, she never treated them poorly. She had even made a few friends within the intelligence division. But the sight of this pitiful Brigadier General made those thoughts evaporate. She couldn¡¯t give a damn that she was three ranks underneath him. After not receiving a response promptly, she asked again, facing the entire room. ¡°How long have we known about this encampment!?¡± ¡°I-It was discovered two days ago!¡± Another summoner answered her, pissing her off even more. They knew about it, and they were sent straight into it. Question was, who assigned that patrol route? ¡°Who the fuck is in charge of overseeing patrols?! You! Who is it?!¡± She grabbed a summoner and yelled in his face, the man covering. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know! I¡¯m just in charge of the archives!¡± ¡°Then fucking point me somewhere.¡± ¡°...¡± The summoner was silent, pointing to the Brigadier General. So Umara dropped him and snatched up the Brigadier General, yanking him out of his seat, causing him to yell back in fright. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare-!¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up! You knew about that encampment. Are you the one who formed the patrol routes?!¡± ¡°I-I-¡± ¡°Yes or no?!¡± ¡°N-No! My Colonels are in charge of those menial tasks¡­¡± ¡°Then point me to them. Now.¡± She stared into the man¡¯s soul, his Aura fully exposed underneath her own. She knew he wasn¡¯t lying. But he wasn¡¯t completely guiltless either. ¡°Colonel Derrick¡­ He should be in the recreation center¡­¡± ¡°Anyone else?¡± ¡°I believe he collaborates with someone, but I don¡¯t know who-¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± She dropped him, the man falling to the floor as she marched out. From headquarters she stormed into the rec center. There, she found the Glimmers of a summoner, everyone in the facility turning to stare at her as she grabbed his neck and pinned him against the wall. ¡°Colonel Derrick! I hear you¡¯re the one who formed the patrol routes. So tell me, why the fuck were we sent straight into a Scourge encampment?!¡± ¡°Fuck!¡± Derrick choked underneath Umara¡¯s grasp, clawing at her arm a few times before suddenly throwing out a punch. Umara dodged before tossing her head forward, slamming her forehead straight into his nose and shattering it. ¡°Aaaghh!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare fucking touch me! Now answer my fucking question!¡± She grabbed him by the hair again before slamming him on top of a table. Her voice fell, yet her whispers were like screams through the dead silent rec center. ¡°My patrol team, my entire platoon, was just wiped out. Now, I¡¯ve come back to find that our route went straight into an encampment. So tell me why that is, right now, before I scalp the hair off your head.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± There was a shout from nearby, Umara looking up to find a knight, Authority 6, looking at her with his hand on his sword. He froze for a second when he saw her bloodied face, but recovered fast enough to talk normally. ¡°What¡¯s going on? You said your enti-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t recall speaking to you. Mind your fucking business.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± The knight was stunned as Umara brought up a knife to Derrick¡¯s face. Then, with fury, the knight drew his sword. Right when he did though, there was an explosion in front of his body that launched him backward, his body crashing into the opposite wall and cracking it. Umara looked up, another drop of blood going down her nose. ¡°I told you to mind your fucking business.¡± With those words she yanked Derrick off the table and dragged him out of the rec room. Once outside she backhanded him across the face, sending him to the floor before flourishing her knife again. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°You still have yet to answer my question, Derrick. I suggest you hurry up.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Derrick recoiled when a ball of fire appeared in front of his face. The hairs on his cheeks and chin curled away from the fire, charred. When he backed away though, he found he was surrounded by these fireballs, all of them emitting scalding heat. ¡°Y-You can¡¯t kill me¡­¡± ¡°You wanna test that theory? With every second of your silence, I¡¯m becoming more and more suspicious. Now, I¡¯ve only heard of Scourge sympathizers, but I¡¯m open to the thought that this may be my first time meeting one. If that¡¯s the case, then killing you might just get me promoted instead of punished. So, convince me you didn¡¯t intentionally send us into a death trap.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Derrick shouted when a fireball moved closer, but Umara continued anyway, the fireball coming in contact with his boot and melting it around his foot. ¡°AAAAHHH! W-WAIT! Wait! Please! I didn¡¯t know there was an encampment!¡± ¡°Did you form the patrol routes?¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± ¡°So did you or did you not know about the encampment?¡± Umara asked again, her Aura suddenly bearing down around Derrick. And he answered. ¡°No! I swear I didn¡¯t know!¡± ¡°... You fucking¡­¡± She clenched her fists. It was a lie. He knew. Suddenly, she jumped forward and started pummeling the man. He tried to defend himself, but she stabbed his arms with her knife when he put them up before continuing to bludgeon his face. ¡°Stop! What are you doing?!¡± There were shouts nearby as she beat his face into a pulp. She did so as long as she could before a knight jumped over and grabbed her. ¡°Fuck off!¡± ¡°Why are you beating that man! Stop struggling!¡± The knight held her arms, and she futilely struggled against his grip. She suddenly felt very vulnerable. No wonder John was so afraid of knights getting close. If they got a hand on you, they had the ultimate power. This was her first time being restrained by one like this, and she actually felt a bit scared. So she cast another spell and raised her barrier, the spell exploding right between her and the knight while pressurized air sliced into his hands, loosening his grip, the barrier protecting her at skin level nand redirecting the pressure toward him to send him through another wall. More blood dripped from her face. She dropped into a stance as more people approached to restrain her as the knight did, but more cautiously this time. Umara didn¡¯t let them. She dodged one before casting a spell at the foot of another, throwing him off balance. She did the same to the first knight when he recovered, blasting him through the wall of another building before defending herself against several others who ran over, most of them knights, yet all of them being pummeled by her precise spells. Then some warlocks appeared, all of them casting defensive spells as other armored guards made their way over in defensive formations. Umara was quickly surrounded, though not after blasting a few more people away, all of them at least Authority Six, a few at Authority Seven. ¡°What the hell is going on?!¡± Umara felt her own Aura get forced back into her body ¡ª but it didn¡¯t crumple, which gave her some satisfaction ¡ª as the full force of three highly-developed Auras descended upon her. They were too powerful to resist, despite Umara having met stronger Auras before. Two Brigadiers, and a Marshal ¡ª a friend of her mother¡¯s, the knight in charge of Nagalev Bastion. The Marshal looked at the bodies scattered around, all of them injured, as well as the bloodied summoner. Then he looked at Umara, who was still on edge. ¡°Talerria, you better have a damn good explanation for all this.¡± ¡°... That summoner, Colonel Derrick, just killed my entire platoon.¡± ¡°And¡­ how did he do that?¡± ¡°He set up our patrol route to roll right into a known Scourge encampment. My knight and I barely escaped with our lives, chased by a Corrupted all the way back to the base. Just ask the people who went and chased it out by the western gate.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know!¡± The summoner yelled through a swollen face. Umara gritted her teeth. ¡°He knew! He¡¯s lying about being oblivious! It¡¯s clear as fucking day if your Aura is any better than a child! It¡¯s a lie, or gross fucking negligence! They knew about that encampment for TWO DAYS! So either he set us up, or his incompetence just killed a hundred people on routine patrol!¡± Silence descended on the surrounding soldiers. The Marshal stood there, flicking his gaze between the two parties. Then, he turned and nodded. ¡°Arrest Colonel Derrick and Master Sergeant Talerria. Secure the archives as well for investigation.¡± ¡°You¡¯re arresting me?!¡± ¡°Stand down, Umara!¡± The Marshal yelled, Umara staggering under the oppressive power. She was already at the end of her rope. ¡°You just went on a rampage and injured a dozen knights! And beating summoners to a pulp is not how we handle things here! You will abide by martial law. Do not embarrass yourself or your name any longer!¡± ¡°...¡± Umara¡¯s face twisted for a few seconds before she fell to her knees. Her overexertion hit her like a truck, her vision spinning and her skull feeling like it was going to crack. The guards couldn¡¯t even get to her before she passed out. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Enemies in front!¡± ¡°Light them up!¡± Pollux commanded, the knights on the Steed turrets activating the barrels and hurling fireballs into the small Scourge horde in front of us. It looked like we¡¯d have to cut a path to the Treehouse. Thankfully most of them were weak. The Scourge had numbers, but humanity was graced with higher-end combat power. The side that won would be determined by who could use their strengths better. I took a peek outside before settling back down, rifle in hand. I¡¯d just wait until I had to do something. Nothing around us was a threat I had to worry about. There was a bit of turbulence as we rode, especially when we rammed through a few monsters or their corpses. Otherwise, things were generally calm as the gates opened for us to roll through. It was noon, and the Treehouse was being besieged from two sides. I could hear the constant explosions, warlocks on the walls hurling spells as the hordes below. The slightly different bark and delayed explosion of turrets rang with equal regularity, the knights manning them with unceasing enthusiasm. I jumped out of the Steed once we stopped, taking in a long breath of cold air before bending my neck and popping it. I did not enjoy long road trips in the back of an armored vehicle. ¡°Cooper! No time to lose.¡± Pollux waved me over. I silently followed as we went straight to the headquarters. It was time to gather the troops. The two of us entered a busy logistics room full of desks. Bypassing all the moving summoners, we entered the war room and found who we needed. Polly¡¯s second Colonel besides Colonel Henrik, Colonel Jasmine. She was a shockingly short girl with black hair and a baby face, featuring her signature monocle. She turned to us when we stepped in, glancing at me before looking at Pollux. ¡°Commander Pollux. Good to see you.¡± ¡°Likewise, Colonel Jasmine. This is Captain Cooper. He¡¯ll be helping you assemble the infiltration team.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± I gave a proper salute to Colonel Jasmine. It felt a bit comical to be saluting a girl who stood a few heads shorter than me. She definitely wasn¡¯t any taller than five feet. She gave a quick salute back, looking up at me. ¡°Cooper. Polly gave me the gist. I¡¯ll do what I can from here, but there¡¯s zero chance that I¡¯m going anywhere beyond the confines of this base, and right now, all of the Snow Doves are out there fighting. If you want your candidates, you¡¯re going to have to go get them. Since you have time before the other half of the Pathfinders gets here, I suggest you head out tonight when the siege dies down, that way you¡¯ll get back to base and have enough time to prepare all the Pathfinders and your candidates.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll take that advice.¡± ¡°Good. Now come sit. I need to brief you on the situation so you know how to handle. Everything is chaos right now. You could say this is the climax.¡± She waved me over, and right then Pollux tapped me on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m going to set up camp. Come report when you¡¯re done here.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± With a nod I turned back to Jasmine. After that she gave me a cool two hour rundown of absolutely every detail about every current battle and mission going on right now. She was thorough, which was nice, even if slightly overwhelming. I quickly figured out how she was able to get her rank. The Treehouse had deployed all of its top-end forces to do battle across the entire landscape in the surrounding 100 miles. Only the bare minimum was kept here in order to fend off the sieges. The mission I was in to destroy that encampment was a small glimpse of what had been going on for weeks now. Thousands of Scourge troops were marching into the surrounding land and spreading their disgusting blight wherever they could. The current map in the war room showed where the blight had spread, which amounted to around 30% of the land between the eastern crossing and the Treehouse. There were also a dozen pins showing where encampments were, as well as routes that the Scourge was taking to send their troops. From this, I found out that the Treehouse had sent out all the Snow Doves and high-end combat power to pierce past the oncoming Scourge armies and attack the backlines where the really dangerous monsters resided. They wanted to rout this little invasion that way, instead of simply facing them head on. While it was a riskier move, it was certainly effective when done correctly. I was able to quickly piece the puzzle together thanks to Jasmine¡¯s detailed explanations. With all that though, I figured that actually getting to the Snow Doves would be difficult. My team just to get there would have to fend off quite a lot, and we¡¯d have to move quickly. If we got stuck out there, we¡¯d be hard pressed to actually get back. We also had to make sure that we¡¯d know where the Snow Doves would move if they continued deeper, otherwise we¡¯d show up to their current campsite and find nothing. It wouldn¡¯t be good to get stranded with no leads in enemy territory. That was easy to figure out though. They could only go so far and we¡¯d be moving with haste. We just had to break past the line of monsters between us and them. Easy to say. I bobbed my head, everything coming together in my mind as I figured out my strategy. ¡°Alright, I think I have everything I need. I¡¯d prefer to take the Commander with me along with one squad. We can take a Steed, that way we keep our speed and firepower.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t want to keep things quiet and discreet?¡± ¡°That would take too long. I want everything to be ready when the rest of the Pathfinders get here. I don''t want to wait around and get swept into this mess. God forbid Alois orders us into battle just because we were idle for a day.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose that¡¯s the smart move.¡± Jasmine nodded in agreement, then sighed. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve told you everything I know. Come find me when its time to deploy. I¡¯ll be your handler for this mission.¡± ¡°Are communications up?¡± ¡°Mm. I don¡¯t know how Alois managed to get them, but he snagged some long range relays to set up a full line to Stronghold Charlie. While longer than normal though, my range only goes so far out into the field. I would just manage expectations.¡± ¡°Huh. I guess that means I can call my girlfriend, at least.¡± I smiled and rubbed my chin. I had been thinking that I wouldn¡¯t have service out here like last time, but it seemed Alois was good at pulling strings. Given the lucrative business this base was responsible for, I wasn¡¯t surprised. Jasmine shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s all you. For now I¡¯m going to sleep. Here¡¯s my information. Ring me when you¡¯re ready, and not a minute before. I haven¡¯t slept in 35 hours.¡± ¡°That¡¯s rough.¡± I chuckled as Jasmine gave me her aerial contact. Then we walked out of the war room together, Jasmine cringing at the bright sunlight when we emerged. ¡°Fucking bright... Well, it was nice to meet you, Cooper.¡± ¡°Likewise, Colonel Jasmine.¡± We shook hands, Jasmine¡¯s entire hand getting enveloped by my comparative bear paws. She really was small, making me smile. She muttered something about how huge I was while walking off. I went the other way, finding Pollux on a plot of empty ground having the squads setting up tents. Since there were no empty residential buildings, we got to camp out. I went and briefed the man and started preparing what I would need for tonight¡¯s departure. Chapter 166: Urgency Perched atop my little chair, on one of the highest ¡°watchtowers¡± carved from the great trees of the Treehouse, I watched as the last few Scourge siege creatures backed away out of our archers and mages¡¯ range. Now, with the cover of dusk and the daily siege dying down, would be the best time to try and slip our team through. I mapped out our route in my head. The Treehouse sat past the mountainous terrain Stronghold Charlie had to deal with, so the path would generally be level. It got worse as you got closer to Hare¡¯s Pass though, as the hills and valleys carpeted in trees sometimes doubled, even tripled, the straight-line distance between two points. The Snow Doves were somewhere in all of that, and we¡¯d have to fish them out. It still pissed me off to no end that I wouldn¡¯t be going over the Pass myself, but I had to pick my battles. With a sigh, I turned back to Pollux and Squad One loading the last of the supplies into our steed. My Aerial chimed. It was Tana. Peculiar. We didn¡¯t talk individually much, and I certainly didn¡¯t expect her to contact me first. Unless something had happened¡­ Something twisted in my gut as I accepted the call. ¡°Hey, Tana.¡± ¡°Hi John. I¡¯ve got¡­ news.¡± My brows furrowed. That wasn¡¯t a good tone. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Umara¡¯s been arrested.¡± ¡°That¡¯s certainly news, alright¡­¡± I turned, facing the direction Nagalev Bastion would be relative the Treehouse. ¡°How much trouble? And who the hell arrested her?¡± ¡°The Marshal arrested her, and how much trouble she¡¯s in remains to be seen. Either way, her mother is here; I can only stand by and wait.¡± ¡°I guess that''s a silver lining. So why was my girlfriend arrested?¡± I leaned against the wall, shrinking into my coat, as Tana explained. It didn¡¯t take long. Their platoon got wiped out on a patrol because the Colonel in charge of route planning was incompetent¡­ or worse. That was all I needed to hear. I never believed Umara would do anything without reason, and that certainly was a damned good reason. After all, she and Tana were almost killed by a Corrupted because of it. However, the implications here were heavy. What did it mean for someone to plan the massacre of an entire platoon? They either wanted to get at someone in the platoon, or the platoon itself. On one hand, this could just be some conspiracy and someone in the platoon held enough political influence to get themselves targeted by other parties who would benefit from their death. Those kinds of conspiracies were everywhere on Earth, but the issue was that nobody in that platoon should have that kind of influence. Those with actual influence were almost always powerful. Even if it was Umara and this had to do with her marriage, she needed to be alive for that. There was no reason to kill her. So that left the only other reason, which was that the Colonel who planned their deaths was against humanity and held allegiances with the Scourge. Perhaps they were some kind of double agent, or maybe they were a Scourge spy who could disguise as a human really well. No matter what, such existences were incredibly dangerous, and it was unnerving that they could even exist, to say nothing of having so readily infiltrated the military. I was suddenly incredibly thankful that I had decided to double dip in intelligence and infantry. With access to the war room and the info that came in, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being plotted against. Even if I couldn¡¯t determine my own paths, I would at least be able to verify that they wouldn¡¯t get me killed. I didn¡¯t have to put my life in others¡¯ hands. Still, the thought that I couldn¡¯t even trust another human to be on the side of humanity filled me with a not insignificant amount of paranoia. I had thought that such things wouldn¡¯t be a factor, that all humans would fight for humanity because it was their life on the line, that the Scourge couldn¡¯t disguise itself to look and feel exactly like a human. While that second possibility was a bit further out there, I could no longer disregard the thought. Anything was possible in this world of magical bullshit, and assuming too little would get me killed. Since I held a position beside the top brass of Stronghold Charlie, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have to worry about anything here. But what about Umara and Tana? What was to say this couldn¡¯t happen again? They¡¯d definitely second-guess their orders from now on, but would that be enough to keep them safe? I pinched the bridge of my nose, wondering what I was going to do, what I even could do. I was pretty sure I couldn¡¯t just transfer over there, and, even then, I probably wouldn¡¯t get the chance to insert myself into the top echelons of the intelligence division. I¡¯d need a higher rank; Polly was my ticket. I needed time to get what I wanted. Everything always seemed to come down to a matter of time. ¡°Well, thank you for telling me, Tana.¡± ¡°Sure. Do you have any advice?¡± ¡°Second guess your summoners, and make allies. You need someone to watch your back in that war room so if something like this happens again, you¡¯ll at least know in advance. Otherwise, unless you can insert yourself in there, you¡¯re at the mercy of your instincts.¡± ¡°Hm, thought so.¡± ¡°What about you two? If your entire platoon was wiped out, are you going to be assigned to another one?¡± I asked while turning around, looking back at the garage where Pollux was waving me down. I started making my way over. It was time to head out. ¡°Probably, but I¡¯ve yet to hear anything about anything. All relevant parties are in prison. I¡¯ll let you know when I hear something, but until then I¡¯m just sitting on my ass.¡± ¡°Right. Well, you have my thanks Tana. Without you there I¡¯m not sure what would have happened to Umara.¡± ¡°Without her there, I probably would¡¯ve died too. Her spells are shockingly powerful. She tossed around an Authority 7 like a child. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get myself out of that shitshow without her.¡± ¡°You two make an amazing team.¡± I smiled while climbing into the Steed with Pollux and Squad One. Our driver went down his checklist one more time. ¡°It would be better if you were here, John. I get worried since you don¡¯t have anyone reliable there with you. At least we can watch each other¡¯s backs here. You have nobody there to watch yours.¡± ¡°Well, you could say I¡¯ve got a lot of money watching me. I feel like I¡¯m starting to look like a noble with the expensive shit I¡¯ve got all over me. Hell, there¡¯s liquid gold running through my veins that gives me fancy eyeballs.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ I know you¡¯re the last person to do something stupid, though you also seem to have a knack for being reckless. I just don¡¯t want you giving Umara anything to worry about. ¡°Ironic, since she¡¯s the one who landed herself in prison.¡± ¡°Heh, I guess it is.¡± She chuckled as I looked back, finding Colonel Jasmine walking over. ¡°Alright Tana, I¡¯m about to deploy.¡± ¡°A mission? What kind?¡± ¡°I gotta go find some people so we can kick off an infiltration mission.¡± ¡°I see. Stay safe then.¡± ¡°Always.¡± I paused for a second before adding on a last goodbye. ¡°Keep her safe for me.¡± I ended the call and turned my head to Jasmine¡¯s petite figure, striding as best as she could up to the Steed. ¡°We all good to go, Colonel?¡± ¡°You tell me, Cooper. You¡¯re the one in the field, you¡¯re going to have command alongside Pollux. I¡¯m just here to check in and make sure all is well as you go.¡± ¡°Understood. We¡¯ll deploy now then. The winds are calm so I want to move while they remain that way.¡± ¡°Very well. Don¡¯t wait on me. I¡¯ll contact you when I get to my station.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± I nodded to her before dipping into the Steed, looking at the passenger seat where Pollux sat. ¡°We got the green light, Commander.¡± ¡°Copy. Squad One, all ready?¡± ¡°Ready.¡± ¡°Ready!¡± ¡°I¡¯m all good.¡± We got words of acknowledgment from everyone in the back. He nodded, ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s roll.¡± My head popped back up through the turret hole as the driver tapped the gas. The Steed rolled, and the gates flew open. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I waved back at Jasmine while we went through. Once beyond the gates, the driver turned off the main road and onto a side trail that I had designated beforehand. The Snow Doves were around a day out, mainly due to the difficulty of the terrain. There was precious little reason to ever venture towards the eastern crossing, so the Treehouse mostly stuck to its immediate area, and there were no roads or trails to follow. Anything that was there was made by a crushing mass of Scourge, and we wanted to avoid those as much as possible. The path I designated would take us along one of the more frequented trails. There would be more Scourge, but they¡¯d be weaker, only numbers on their side. It was the fastest to our destination. It might¡¯ve seemed counterintuitive, for an infiltration mission to charge through a mountain of Scourge, but it would take us two to three days slinking around the backcountry to get to where the Snow Doves were, and their trail very well could¡¯ve gone cold by then. I decided it would be better to simply blaze through whatever skirmishes came our way. Given our timing though, we¡¯d be dodging most of the activity. I¡¯d studied the schedule of the Scourge and they liked to do most of their work during the day. Most of their activities during the night were merely navigational, if they did anything at all. The main danger was the scout troops that like to operate nocturnally. With my shooting and our speed though, they should be a non-factor. At least that¡¯s what I hoped as we jumped onto the main trail, the driver flying over a hill and dipping down onto a mildly trodden path across the edge of a valley. On the opposite edge was a Scourge encampment. We¡¯d already made contact and it hadn¡¯t even been an hour. But we just blew right by them as I sent information on what I saw back to Jasmine. It wasn¡¯t my primary objective, but collecting information was still important. There would be plenty of free time though. I decided to find a seat and lounge back, getting ahead on some sleep while I had the chance. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°... How disconcerting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if we should be thankful that he¡¯s weak, or disappointed because he has nothing more to give us due to that.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a summoner. I wouldn¡¯t expect anything more.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I can¡¯t say I still hold those sentiments. If this is the first of many though, it¡¯s a good thing we were to get definite confirmation. ¡± Talexia rubbed her chin, looking down at the bloodied and mangled corpse of the former Colonel Derrick. With some lie detection spells, it was easy to realize that he was lying about knowing the Scourge encampment was there. After that, they demanded answers to find out why. When he started taunting them about Anarchy, the Corrupted, the Pillars of Creation, and her daughter specifically, Talexia wasn¡¯t really in the mood to keep pushing for answers. He had already given all he could. Slamming his body into the wall a few times, then letting Graham have free reign, was sufficient compensation. Like Umara, her views on summoners had changed with her experiences with John. Unfortunately, all others continued to be disappointments that failed to live up to a fraction of him, such as this one. She didn¡¯t mind too much though. Now, she at least knew that this was a problem they had to watch out for. Scourge sympathizers, traitors to humanity, were incredibly rare. However, in recent years, they had been cropping up more and more often. It had started as mere rumors that even Talexia hadn¡¯t bothered to pay much mind to. There would always be odd ducks that did stupid things just to do them. It hardly meant anything, merely providing an interesting topic for noble children to rabble on about for a time. Now though, it had become a very real issue that cost them an entire platoon. Her daughter was frighteningly close to becoming a part of that massacre as well. Even beyond losing her own child, Umara was shaping out to be even greater than she was. Her performance was shocking to all who saw it, and it was progressing by the week. To lose such a prodigy would be an immense loss to the entire kingdom, especially since most of its new talent had been wiped out by Anarchy already. Perhaps that was why her platoon was targeted. Perhaps she was the target. That would explain why the Corrupted had chased them all the way to the gates. Such persistence couldn¡¯t be explained otherwise. So the Scourge was out to get her daughter, and it had puppets within their military. It was foolish to think there was only one, and Talexia was already assuming that there were dozens of others throughout all levels of the Kingdom''s magical corps. Question was, where did they go from here? Panic and widespread investigations would reduce combat effectiveness across the board and raise dissent. They couldn¡¯t have that while the Scourge was bearing down even harder than it had been, not to mention that fears of Anarchy had only just been barely stifled. Thankfully, that monster hadn¡¯t appeared again, but its looming threat still cast a shadow across the entire upper echelon. Fear, doubt, anxiety, paranoia. These emotions would cripple them if they weren¡¯t careful. Talexia commended her daughter for quickly connecting the dots. However, the way she reacted and handled the situation was probably the worst possible way to do so. Now all of Nagalev Bastion was raising questions, putting a halt to nearly all of their operations as the infantry hawked to ensure they wouldn¡¯t also be sent into a deathtrap on a routine patrol. Marshal Graham waved in some guards. ¡°I¡¯m going to send this corpse to be studied. I want to make sure there isn¡¯t anything else to worry about, like some partial-corruption. Maybe we¡¯re lucky and this guy was just an idiot.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t count on that.¡± Talexia responded as the corpse was taken away. She left with Graham afterward, talking to him a bit more before separating and heading to another part of the small prison. In another cell was her daughter. She lay on a shoddy bed of packed hay, still bloodied and dirty from her last mission. She had recovered some since she passed out, but from her weak Aura it was clear that she wasn¡¯t yet fully functional. She was conscious though, as she weakly turned her head to glance in her mother¡¯s direction. ¡°Mom¡­¡± ¡°You were right.¡± ¡°...¡± Umara was silent, her head readjusting back to its original position. Even the slightest movements sent waves of pain through her skull, not to mention the disorientation that mana depletion caused. She was barely coherent. Talexia was surprised though. It usually wasn¡¯t possible for a warlock to push themselves so far. From the looks of it, Umara had almost killed herself from that kind of exertion. A normal warlock would either pass out or become severely delusional before they could stress themselves that much. It was clear that she was pushing some extremely high levels of magic and Aura, allowing her to punch well above her class. Some of the knights she had injured in her rage were well into Authority 7, and armored. So not only had she punched through their enchanted metal armor, but she had injured people that were already extremely difficult to injure at all. Her explosive power was off the charts, and she had also been almost completely exhausted at that time, and without a Foci. She was hiding a lot, and Talexia wanted to know about it. Unfortunately, Umara wouldn¡¯t easily spill her secrets, not even to her, and currently, she couldn¡¯t, even if she wanted to. For now, Talexia could only nurse her. Unlocking the cell, Talexia entered and picked her daughter up, using some magic to lighten her body and keep her head from shaking too much. Then she cast a silence spell, eliminating any noise that might irritate her before heading out of the prison and back to her room. Once there, she used some water magic to wash her face and what she could of her body, stripping most of her clothes and laying her in a clean bed. The last thing she did was pop a recovery pill into her mouth, one that dissolved into her bloodstream before it could even get down her throat. Umara visibly relaxed from the painkillers coursing through her body. Her coherence returned as her mind recovered a bit. It had been about five hours since the incident, which wasn¡¯t nearly enough to become operational given Umara¡¯s condition, but it was enough to talk a bit. Talexia sighed, stroking some gray hair out of her daughter¡¯s face. ¡°The base is panicking because of the scene you made. Nothing makes me happier than the fact you survived, but you¡¯re going to quickly get to the point where you have to worry about more than just yourself. So I ask, do you understand the kind of situation this has put us in?¡± ¡°... Do you?¡± Umara responded, her deep purple eyes staring straight into Talexia¡¯s soul. Umara recalled some of the deeper secrets she knew. Perhaps the most shocking secret was information regarding the Pillars of Creation and the state of those who had survived the collapse of that empire. She knew that the Scourge had many more cards to play. This issue with Colonel Derrick wasn¡¯t all that surprising to her. It was foolish to think that the Scourge couldn¡¯t do something as simple as corrupt or convince idiots to act as spies for them, especially those who were weak willed and would easily succumb to temptation. However, whereas Talexia believed that handling people like Colonel Derrick in an overt manner was bad, Umara believed the opposite. She was beginning to glimpse some deep issues that demanded extreme solutions, the risk of falling to them rapidly rising with every day and week that their resolution was drawn out. Talexia believed that, with the Scourge bearing down on them harder than ever before, especially given the threat of Anarchy, they needed to reduce dissent and panic. On the other hand, Umara saw no better time to solve these problems than now, before the real forces of the Scourge came from the ruins of the Pillars. By then, these mere issues would become infections that spread and brought down the last bastion of humanity from within. Umara acknowledged that her thought process was influenced by Anarchy, but even logically she couldn¡¯t imagine a better time to solidify the unity of the military and weed out spies than when they were at their strongest, which was now. However, she knew that little would be done about this in the near future, because nobody seemed to believe this to be a big issue that demanded an appropriate level of scrutiny. She couldn¡¯t fathom the noble class, who comprised the upper echelon of the military, to get off their asses and do something competently. So when she looked at her mother and recalled her understanding of the big picture, she couldn¡¯t help but think that maybe she wasn¡¯t the naive one. How much did her mother really know? More importantly, how much had she been allowed to know? She was raised within the noble class, just like the rest. There was no reason why she couldn¡¯t be a victim of the same oppression that Umara was fighting to get beyond. Part of that oppression was hiding information. Nobles refused to teach anything about Aura, one of the most potent weapons there was. Why would they say anything about the Pillars and the survivors, or the nature of the war over there, one of the most important pieces of information regarding the survival of the human race there was? There was no urgency, and that¡¯s precisely what told Umara how much people like her mother knew. Because unlike her, Umara at least had John, someone who was able to come across information like that and get her out of the sphere of noble control, somewhat. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Umara took a long breath. ¡°... if you understood just how big of an issue this was¡­ you would upend your corps and¡­ make sure there were no other spies¡­¡± ¡°You need to consider morale. It¡¯s not worth crippling the combat capacity of entire bases just to weed out a few spies.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t really believe that¡­ it¡¯s just a few, right?¡± Umara¡¯s disappointment in her mother¡¯s response was obvious. Talexia could only stop and think, but it was clear to Umara that because of their positions, what she said wouldn¡¯t be taken seriously. She loved her mother, but Umara was beginning to realize that she couldn¡¯t necessarily rely on her for certain things. They simply couldn¡¯t see eye to eye, and Umara could see the widening rifts between their philosophies and motivations. Umara continued before Talexia could respond. ¡°Mom¡­ I don¡¯t want you to get hurt¡­ because you failed to be as extreme as you needed to be¡­ when you needed to be. I feel like¡­ people are forgetting how horrible our enemy is¡­ Peace has made them forget¡­¡± Umara shuddered, the painkiller doing little to cure her of her mana depletion. She wanted to go to sleep for the next month. She no longer had the mind to try and debate with her mother. Sure enough, Talexia watched as her daughter passed out in her bed. She couldn¡¯t help a sigh, turning and sitting at the foot, pinching the bridge of her nose. A few seconds later there was some tapping on the door, Tana cracking it open to look inside. ¡°... Duchess Talerria.¡± ¡°Hello Tana. Come in.¡± Talexia wiped away her distress and stood as Tana walked in. Under an arm was a crutch she used to limp inside. ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°Doing well, all things considered. What about you? What did the healer say?¡± ¡°My legs are a bit torn up, but it¡¯s nothing I won¡¯t recover from given a couple weeks.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Talexia looked down and saw purple and red discolorations across Tana¡¯s legs. It looked like they had been beaten and broken. The fact she injured herself so much just from running spoke volumes about how straining it had been to run from that Corrupted, and even more to her tenacity. She could hear Tana¡¯s difficulty breathing. She sounded like she was constantly tired, meaning her lungs, perhaps even her heart were injured to some extent. Like Umara, Tana had pushed herself to the verge. Talexia smiled a bit. She owed Umara¡¯s life to Tana. They had both taken care of each other. She was glad that her daughter had made such a deep friend, a sister she could trust with her life. Talexia took one last glance back at her daughter before turning and walking out. ¡°Please get good rest, Tana. I¡¯m sure Umara will brief you on the details tomorrow. I won¡¯t disturb your recovery.¡± ¡°I appreciate your concern, Duchess.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She nodded and left, closing the door behind her. Tana was left in the room. Like Umara though, she was still utterly exhausted. It took most of her energy just to walk back to her room, her entire body stinging with pain from every little movement. Both of them had pushed their limits to a new level, and both of them needed an appropriate amount of recovery time. So she slumped into bed and passed out, the two girls sleeping soundly. And they did so for the next 30 hours. Chapter 167: Mind Palace ¡°Enemies right!¡± ¡°I got them!¡± I slung my M1 Garand around, switching hands and raising my sights as I did. The Steed sped down the trail, hitting what seemed like every bump it could, but even that didn¡¯t deter me from laying down a withering hail of fire on the small group pursuing us. Not that that did much, really; the rest of the Scout troop was behind the group I just dispatched, and to my left was a small army. My first target was the Cyclops Scout, its signature glowing eye only serving to make itself a very convenient target. I took a second to steady my aim, feeling the dips and rivets in the road, and put a neat hole straight through its rapidly dimming eye. A perfect shot. ¡°Fuck I¡¯m good!¡± I laughed and continued shooting the incoming spiked wolves. The two turrets were busy laying into the army to our left, so I had them all to myself. Or, mostly anyway. Commander Pollux was an Authority Eight warlock that specialized in water. I hadn¡¯t seen him work his magic much because there was little that called for his obscene firepower. Now was one of those times though, and I got a good glimpse into his power. Although he was well known for his abilities with water, he had obviously perfected more than one element. His other specialty was earth, and he combined the two with a grace that made him less a man and more a force of nature in this environment. Blades flew and lances speared, all made of a brilliantly clear ice, slightly shining even in the long shadows of the pines. When enemies made their way too close, they would either lose their footing and be swallowed by mud or get stuck with the weakly flailing corpses of their comrades and be frozen, made easy victims for the roving blades of ice with too many targets to kill. We were simply able to speed through the entire army because of his work; they couldn¡¯t even touch the path with Pollux on guard. I knew I was probably going to need him for this operation, but damn was I glad to have made that decision. I was a genius and a crackshot. There was little else I could want, besides my hot delinquent girlfriend. Right as I was thinking that and taking aim at another spiked wolf, I pulled my trigger as it scrambled over a boulder, missing it by a hair. And a literal hair too; I could see the little tuft get torn out from the wolf¡¯s back by the passing bullet. I frowned, glancing beyond my sight before zoning back in and firing again, nailing the shot. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. You got me thinking I was just lucky! I still love you though.¡± I gave my gun a quick peck on the bolt before swapping it for an StG, unloading on the last several wolves that threatened to jump the truck. Before they could all pounce though, a wide blade of ice swept through and bisected them all in one go. I stopped firing and glanced over at Pollux, whose upper body was sticking out of another hatch. ¡°Thanks, Commander!¡± ¡°I have questions about your decision to ride through a populated Scourge route, Captain Cooper!¡± I gestured for him to duck back inside for a slightly more legible conversation, divorced from the baying and roaring of the fast-approaching Scourge army. ¡°It was the best decision! Trust me! I don¡¯t want to encounter hordes any more than you, but it was either this or Royals!¡± I smiled and glanced over. Pollux could only sigh in response. Not long after, we managed to clear the intercepting army and speed beyond them. Something screamed at me from behind. ¡°Behind!¡± ¡°What?¡± Pollux spun around right as I did, and we both saw something rise from the floor. I had thought it was just a tiny hill, but we both watched as that hill rose from the ground and lifted its massive ass into the sky, propped up on a dozen insectoid legs. It¡¯s abdomen then glowed, and from its asshole came a huge projectile of some gel-like substance. I could hear the pressure explode as that substance was launched into the sky, aimed right for us and coming down like an artillery shell. I¡¯d never seen or heard of anything like that monstrosity, but I could already tell that it wasn¡¯t good news. ¡°Defend!¡± Wordlessly, Pollux spread his arms, willing a massive barrier of ice to unfold into the air. His clarity of manipulation was no help here; it only let me better see the greenish gel fast approach us. It seemed to pulse for a second and deform. I decided the hatch was a lot more appealing than discovering what happened when Magika met¡­ toxic sludge artillery. The barrier of ice shattered downward like broken glass as the projectile exploded with a massive shockwave. There was no fire, just pure concussive pressure, but more than enough to break down any barrier that dared stand in its way. Ice chunks rained on top of the Steed, spearing one of the slower knights in the chest. He quickly disappeared, dragged away by the rest of the team hiding out in the rest of the Steed. What I wasn¡¯t spared though was the shockwave. Although it slammed into the ice above, it still shook the Steed and sent a wave of pressure through our bodies. I covered my ears after they started ringing, cringing in pain as my lungs shook. The Steed sped on as I dipped back into my seat. Everyone else had dropped down too, except Pollux. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t hear another projectile launch, and once we cleared a hill, we were safe anyway. Pollux came down, slumping into his seat with a huff. I called. ¡°Hey, Commander, what the hell was that thing?¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen something like that before.¡± ¡°Is it some new kind of enemy?¡± ¡°I think it might be.¡± ¡°I¡¯m calling this in.¡± I thought for a second before tapping my Aerial, connecting to Colonel Jasmine''s line. ¡°Liaison to Handler, come in.¡± ¡°¡­Go ahead, Liaison.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a report. We just encountered an unknown Scourge monster. It may be a new type, but either way, it¡¯s heading to the Treehouse.¡± ¡°Understood. Give me a description.¡± I glanced back before recalling its details. ¡°It¡¯s about 40 meters tall, behemoth class. Massive abdomen, about 30 meters tall by itself, connected to a lower main body about 10 meters tall. It¡¯s supported by 12 legs, has a brown-green colored carapace, 8 green eyes on its face, and 4 hanging mandibles. As for its function, it lifts its 30 meter tall abdomen and points it to the sky before firing a large gel-like projectile which arcs and explodes with a concussive shockwave on its target with effective accuracy. I think I might¡¯ve seen some eyes on the end abdomen as well, but I¡¯m not sure about that detail. It also has an effective range of at least 600 meters, most likely much farther. ¡± ¡°... Give me a second.¡± I waited as Jasmine processed everything. After several seconds her voice came back. ¡°Alright, Liaison, I can¡¯t recall any monsters of this description. I think we might¡¯ve found a new species, and it seems powerful. I¡¯m sending this back to Polly so she can send it up to the Marshal. If you can, draw something up and turn it in when you get back. We¡¯ll come up with a full report after that.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Stay safe. Check in one more time before leaving communication range.¡± ¡°Will do. Liaison out.¡± I set down my Aerial with that before taking out a sheet of paper and the closest thing I had to a pencil. Then I started drawing. I had extra papers from when I was writing for Umara so I just used one of those. Given another hour or so I had a good drawing of it. It was only in one color but that was fine. The shape, size, and proportions were all correct. I held it up for one last look before handing it to Pollux. ¡°How does it look, Commander? Am I an artist or what?¡± ¡°Hm, it¡¯s actually good.¡± Pollux inspected the drawing, impressed. Some of the others leaned over to look at it too. ¡°Yeah, what the hell was that thing?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know. Cooper, what did Colonel Jasmine say?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t recognize it either. It¡¯s most likely a new species.¡± ¡°Shit, as if this war wasn¡¯t getting hard enough.¡± One of the others let out a long, irritated breath. I agreed, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I pulled up my map and found our location on it, referencing that with the location of that thing. It was almost morning, so we were about half a day away from the base and our target area. It wasn¡¯t yet far enough to lose contact with Jasmine, which was the only reason I could even squeeze out a report. What I was worried about was why these behemoths hadn''t been encountered at the base yet. Why hadn¡¯t the Scourge moved in the heavy artillery? They could bombard the base and their siege would demolish us overnight. Dropping a volley of those while we were sleeping, completely unaware of what was coming? The walls would fall in minutes; the base within the hour. The answer I came up with was because they didn¡¯t have enough. One of those things was just a big walking target for a Brigadier like Alois to go in and take out. But if there were a dozen? Three dozen? A hundred of them? And all of them were launching those explosive projectiles from perhaps miles away? Even a single volley could obliterate the infrastructure in the base, killing hundreds. So if they were accumulating, then we needed to get ahead and do something before they gathered en masse and launched another siege. I wondered if the Snow Doves had found any of those things yet, and whether they killed any. I¡¯d have to ask, and perhaps write up another operation plan to check other places for those things and take them out. The Snow Doves were a powerful group of people at the height of the military, but I was the one with the intelligence. I might actually be able to get them to follow along. As our healer went and tended to the injured knight, I quickly started scribbling down a plan of action. If we were going to run another operation, then it needed to be signed off by Polly at least. Might as well start making my case. That kept me occupied for a long while. We still had a lot of time before we got to the Snow Doves¡¯ last known location. The only thing I had to do during this time was make sure to check in with Jasmine one last time before I no longer could, which would be in a few hours. I checked in, and 10 minutes later, my signal was lost as we went beyond the furthest Aerial repeater. Now we were completely on our own. It made me feel nice. I finally felt like I had full control over this operation. Whatever happened now would be completely up to me. I smiled and shut down my Aerial. Anything I needed to know was firmly inside my mind. I lounged back while having a sudden thought regarding the mind. It had been a while since I started making good progress with my advancement formation. I was close to completing the first formation, and, as I studied it and remembered my past formations, I couldn¡¯t help but think about some things from Earth. Granted by the power of Psyka, my mind had something like an internal space that I could see. It was where I accessed my Stars and brought out spirits. Right now, it looked like a starry sea with a rushing river going around in circles. This rushing river of my knowledge and power also represented my increased speed of thought. It had turned the stagnant ocean of my mind into something that churned with rapid currents, with which my thoughts flowed. However, I wondered whether or not that visualization was merely that, just a visualization of what the Call of the Fallen Angel did to me through my advancements, or if it was a very real form that my power took on. Basically, I wondered if it was just a figment of my imagination or the real sight of my power. I wasn¡¯t exactly concerned with figuring out the answer to that question though. What I thought of whenever I saw this mind space of mine was one of the most popular and effective memory techniques from Earth. The Mind Palace. Also called the method of Loci, the Mind Palace was a mnemonic device used to visualize the information within the mind. By associating your knowledge with things like pages in a book on a shelf within a library, or as a cup on a counter within a kitchen, or as a poster on the wall of a hall, you could easily codify and strengthen the memory itself. And by going through your palace and doing something such as opening the book and flipping to the page, you could remember the information you stored there. It was something I had found interesting and tried once back on Earth, but I never really took to it, probably because I never cared too much. I never really had issues with memory and never found it necessary. But now, when my mind was giving me such grand visualizations as if they came from an actual space within my brain, I couldn''t help but think that this memory technique could become a good way to codify everything and strengthen my mind further. It would give my mind more shape. Question was, how would I go about doing that? Was it as simple as imagining it? Or would I have to utilize things like the advancement formations to change the space? I¡¯d have to ask Maxwell about it when I got the chance. In the meantime though, I started brainstorming. After all, I understood the previous formations and their functions. If I started taking things into my own hands, perhaps I could develop a formation of my own and see if it did anything. So that¡¯s what I did. While relaxing in my seat, I brought up my hand and let my Aura loose. Psyka bloomed in the form of light blue lines that formed into the circuits of all my advancement formations so far in the air before me. Then, I started picking out the formations that I thought would change the shape or visualization of what was in my mind. I put them together in familiar and novel ways, using my understanding of each and every building block of my advancement formations to test and create different arrangements that served different functions. Before long, I had a few prototypes, as well as a reason to use that Orb I bought a while back. It appeared from my storage in my hand, and my prototype formations were quickly inscribed within, taking but a few seconds to do so. Then, I tilted my head and dumped a chunk of my Psyka into the air around those formations. I used that to mimic my mind space, activating the prototype formation and seeing what it did to the environment around it. The first formation I made was supposed to merely cause a sea of Psyka to churn a bit, like adding slow currents to a pool. And when activated, there was indeed turbulence. But my formation wasn¡¯t right. There were obvious errors, so I quickly tweaked them and tried again and again. It took a while and a couple hundred retries, but eventually, I managed to do it. The environment of Psyka around the formations started slowly rumbling, almost like it was boiling, all centered around the formation floating in the middle, pulsing with a gentle white light. Getting the Psyka to move wasn¡¯t as simple as adding some energy to a liquid. Psyka was a magical energy unlike anything in the physical world. A knight had Vigor, which was of the body. A warlock had mana, which was of the elements and material around them. A summoner had Psyka, the power of the mind. There was no doubt that it was the most elusive of them all. After all, the mind, intelligence, knowledge, wisdom, and all other aspects of what could be considered the ¡®mind¡¯ weren¡¯t so easily grasped. It was no different from Earth¡¯s scientists trying to understand the brain. I could certainly understand why summoners had a hard time achieving the highest level of power. It was a daunting task to understand the mind. But I was sure that there were many more before my time that were far smarter and had been capable of elevating their minds with Psyka to unbelievable levels. The fact that even those people were unable to crack the code left me feeling like it was impossible for me to do so. I was no genius, just someone who was able to take perfect advantage of the sheer power of Maxwell¡¯s Call. Well, those dilemmas were for another time. The issue right now was that it was difficult to get Psyka to do anything. The instructions had to be very specific. Two symbols that looked almost identical could have very different outcomes, and instruction sets needed to be both perfect and all-encompassing. If there were any missing instructions that failed to complete a proper formation, then it simply collapsed, wouldn¡¯t function, or act all wacky. Thankfully, summoners were good at paying attention to detail. Every formation I¡¯d completed and perfected required that. If I couldn¡¯t do that much, I wouldn¡¯t be where I was now. Unfortunately, creating something new was very different and much harder than understanding an established concept. Fortunately I had the full power of mind enhancement afforded by my accumulated power up to this point. I was at least able to do things quickly, changing up formations on the fly and testing them just as rapidly. Before long, there were three dozen formations in front of me, all of them almost completely unique beyond a shared memory glyph. I used what I knew, but ultimately I was shooting for something very different than anything I¡¯d done before. At some point though, I latched onto one particular success. One formation I activated, one that was by far the largest and most complex, suddenly solidified the surrounding Psyka into a barely identifiable shape. Its function was off and didn¡¯t make the cube I wanted, but the fact that it could form a shape at all meant that it was a success. For this formation I utilized some of the principles that allowed me to form my Spark. The Spark was the most significant solidification of Psykic power in my mind, and the perfect guide to forming something tangible like a mind palace. It looked like I was on the right track. I did a few more tests and eventually, after draining a good amount of my Psyka and tiring my brain a bit, I managed to get it to form a cube like I wanted. Then I created a few formations to make other shapes, attempting to piece together larger and more varied forms. Even more importantly, I wanted to be able to inscribe information into what I built. A mind palace was nothing without the knowledge that would fill it. I wanted to make sure that it wasn¡¯t just a cool shape my power took, but something that could bring together all the memories that constituted who I was. Before I could even start on doing that though, I felt a tap on my outstretched leg. My eyes snapped away from my formations, quickly inscribing everything within my Orb before diverting my focus and looking at one of my squadmates across from me. My few remaining formations vanished so I could see him. Then I heard another voice. Pollux¡¯s. ¡°We¡¯re here, Cooper.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Chapter 168: Brigadier Nonnen The formation dissolved in front of my eyes. I had caught a few eyes while doing my work, those with sensitive Auras faintly picking up the intricate patterns I was combining and recombining, but I was too engrossed to care much. In fact, I had been sitting, unmoving, for so long that when I stood up, my head felt blank for a moment, and I almost fell back onto the seat. My head had heated up a bit like it usually did when I concentrated hard, and the feverish feeling only made my head feel worse. But everything was okay now; I steadied myself against a handle and hauled myself through a hatch onto the roof of the now-stationary Steed, perched just below the crest of a hill. The last known location of the Snow Doves should be in view ¨C a little valley just a few hundred yards ahead, according to my map. However, there was nothing but the faint signs that a large group of people had once camped in the place. The Scourge had been spreading a red, moldy, thick fungus everywhere it went. On my first trip to the Treehouse, when I had reconnoitered that vanguard camp, it was spreading via flesh trees from hell. Of course, that was just one tree and one encampment. Now though, there were hundreds of encampments and many thousands of those trees spread across the land. Everywhere was smothered in a deathly, gut-churning odor, meaning that my mask was glued to my face. The place where the Snow Doves had settled was clear of that fungus though. The ground had been charred before the soil was turned, creating a circle of brown surrounded by that red fungus, as well as some snow. They had carved out an area for themselves and had fairly recently moved out. I could see the slightest smoke coming up from a small wood fire that had gone out, as well as still-visible trails in the snow and alterations in the fungus. Based on the snow fall, they couldn¡¯t be more than three hours away. I looked around for any other hints ¨C disturbed snow, leaves with light coatings of snow, the hastiness of cleaning ¨C and referenced the trails I had memorized from the map, eventually identifying a suspicious-looking gulley that matched all my criteria. All that took about six seconds. ¡°They¡¯ve headed northwest. There¡¯s a large Scourge encampment about half a day away. They left later in the morning and probably want to strike it, most likely at nightfall. Either way, I think I know where they¡¯re going, and they¡¯re relatively close.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± Pollux asked, making me nod. ¡°Pretty sure. I¡¯ve got no clues otherwise.¡± ¡°Alright then. Do we have time to set up camp for a bit or should we go now?¡± ¡°I say we continue. I want to verify their trail. It¡¯ll disappear if we wait.¡± ¡°Then jump in the front seat and navigate with the driver. Gabe! Move to the back!¡± Pollux shouted while climbing into the back again. I jumped off the Steed and threw open the passenger door, climbing in the warm seat as Gabe climbed into the back with a grumble. After that we continued. Nobody was happy to keep driving, but I wasn¡¯t about to lose our only lead, otherwise I¡¯d risk never finding them. While giving directions, I also tapped my Aerial and started sending out broadcasts, looking for any channels to latch onto. I picked up nothing, for now. We continued tracking the trail, which became more and more obvious as they went. At one point, I even had the driver jump onto the trail so he could just follow it, driving as fast as he could. That went on for about four hours as the sun dipped ever closer to the horizon. Then, as we crested a large hill, I managed to pick up on a channel. I tapped into it and quickly sent out a message. ¡°Pathfinders to Snow Doves, come in. I say again, Pathfinders to Snow Doves, come in.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Stop the car.¡± I tapped the driver, having him stop on top of the hill. I then pulled myself onto the Steed¡¯s roof, scanning the darkened forest hollows. I could see an obvious trail, as well as the faintest dots of something moving across another distant hill. ¡°Snow Doves, come in Snow Doves. I say agai-¡± ¡°...is Chief Reginold of the Snow Doves.¡± ¡°Liaison to Chief Reginold, come in.¡± I spoke again when I heard the other voice, making contact. At the same time, those dots in the distance stopped moving. ¡°This is Chief Reginold, I copy Liaison. Who is this?¡± ¡°Captain Cooper from the Pathfinders, First Squad.¡± ¡°Pathfinders? What the hell are you guys doing out here?¡± ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve come to find you guys. Orders have come down, and we need to bring a few of your men back to base for a mission brief.¡± ¡°... Understood, Liaison. Let¡¯s make contact. Where are you?¡± ¡°Currently behind you, on your trail, sir.¡± I spoke while stressing my eyes to see as far as the Snow Doves were. I could make out 7 Steeds. ¡°Copy. We¡¯re going to backtrack to the bottom of our hill. Do you want directions?¡± ¡°Negative, I have eyes on your location. We¡¯re coming now. We¡¯ll be there in about two hours.¡± ¡°... You¡¯re 2 hours away and have eyes on us?¡± ¡°I have good eyes, sir.¡± ¡°Well alright then. See you in two.¡± Communications ended, and I pointed. ¡°Step on it.¡± ¡­¡­ Two hours later, we rolled over a hill and to where the Snow Doves had stopped to wait for us. I could feel their presence from miles away. They were incredibly strong, the platoon¡¯s collective Auras towering above even some Scourge armies. The sun had set, and night had fallen. I was worried they¡¯d be pissed we made them miss their night raid window, but I was here on orders, so didn¡¯t mind much. A few people approached as we rolled up. They had formed their Steeds in a circle, creating something like a camp. We shimmied into a spot they had left from our singular Steed. Pollux and I were quick to jump out. My feet met brown dirt. They had gotten rid of the fungus, like at their last camp. It seemed like they wanted to camp out for the night. Change of plans, no thanks to us. Pollux walked in front of me, meeting with the leader of the trio who approached. I could feel the oppressive power of an Authority 10, though it was fairly discreet, meaning the guy was skilled. ¡°Commander Pollux. You¡¯re the last person I thought I¡¯d see out here.¡± ¡°Brigadier Nonnen. It¡¯s good to see you well, sir.¡± Pollux and Nonnen shook hands before Nonnen turned to me, his eyes glancing down to find the name patch on the white camo coat I wore over my normal coat. ¡°Cooper? You¡¯re the Captain who brought us to a screeching halt.¡± ¡°Yes sir, you have my apologies.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You gave me a good excuse to do nothing tonight. Commander, have your squad set up camp with us. We¡¯ll talk business once everyone is settled.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Understood.¡± Pollux nodded as I glanced at the two people beside the Brigadier. One was that man I talked to, Chief Reginold, a warlock. The other was a girl I didn¡¯t recognize, a knight sitting at Authority 9, Chief Cynia from her nametag. Pollux and I got ourselves situated along with the rest of the squad, unloading supplies and pitching tents inside the circle. They made room for us, and despite being in the middle of what could be considered enemy territory, I¡¯d be hard pressed to feel safer being surrounded by exceptionally powerful soldiers like these. It was only a bit weird knowing I was the only summoner out here. After getting ourselves situated, we found the command tent where Brigadier Nonnen and another Authority 10, Brigadier Miron, were, someone I¡¯d met before. He was one of Alois¡¯ buddies, so I should¡¯ve expected that he¡¯d be out here. Aside from them, only Chief Reginold and Chief Cynia attended. We sat down at a table with them, and I quickly came under scrutiny when Miron recognized me. ¡°Captain Cooper. I remember you from that reconnaissance mission some months ago.¡± ¡°I appreciate the thought, sir.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to forget a summoner who actually has the balls to go out into the field like that. You were just an officer back then too. Seems someone up at the top is helping you along.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just doing what I can, sir.¡± I gave a neutral response, thinking how Miron was much more restrained than Alois was, at least outwardly. I had a feeling that the presence of Brigadier Nonnen had something to do with it. Sure enough, Nonnen took control of the conversation soon after my response. ¡°So, Commander Pollux. I hear we¡¯ve got new orders. Something must be important if they sent you all the way out here to find us instead of just letting us return in a few days.¡± ¡°Yes sir. More specifically, it¡¯s only some of you that these orders concern. My Liaison here knows the details. He¡¯ll explain.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Nonnen turned back to me. Despite me being taller than just about everyone in this room, the pressure he mounted made me feel like shrinking down. I didn¡¯t, but I felt like it. Either way, I pulled out a few sheets of paper prepared for this briefing and passed them over. ¡°Over the past two months, given some analysis on the recent Scourge activity including operations ongoing over here, we¡¯ve concluded that the Scourge is making big enough moves to warrant investigation into their situation beyond Hare¡¯s Pass. Putting it simply, we¡¯re forming an infiltration team to make their way across the eastern crossing, into Scourge territory beyond the Pass, and collect information on all Scourge activity over there. For this, we¡¯ll need three Snow Doves, all of them Authority Nine. One of them is Chief Reginold, in fact.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Realizing that this was something big and that it involved him, Reginold leaned over and started reading the papers. I continued. ¡°We have multiple candidates, but Colonel Polly has her 3 picks if they¡¯re all operational. They are Chief Reginold, Chief Vipul, and Chief Prasanna.¡± ¡°... All of them are perfectly operational.¡± Nonnen muttered, reading the report Polly and I prepared specifically for him. After a few seconds of silence, I continued. ¡°We need to bring them back with us to the Treehouse. Once there, and once the rest of the Pathfinders are ready, we¡¯ll launch the mission.¡± ¡°... Why can¡¯t the three stay here, and your Pathfinders come pick them up on your way over to the crossing? Seems to me like going back and forth while depleting my Platoon of three powerful Chiefs is wasteful.¡± ¡°Because this mission needs to be covert.¡± I spoke plainly. This was my mission, and I knew exactly why everything had to go the way I stipulated. ¡°We are inserting three people deep behind enemy lines, and we need to make sure that nothing knows they¡¯re out there. They will be unable to communicate for potentially months, running off of nothing but the supplies they have on hand, and will need to collect as much information as possible. This entails extreme risks if their presence is even rumored. So from the moment we leave base, we¡¯re going completely dark until the moment the team is beyond the crossing. It was decided that taking them from your platoon while in the field and going straight to the eastern crossing is too obvious. We have to assume that you¡¯re being watched even now.¡± ¡°...¡± Nonnen stared at me while I spoke, only looking down at the paper some time after I finished. The next to speak was Miron, his words annoying me slightly. It wasn¡¯t him who I was dealing with, but I couldn¡¯t just ignore him. ¡°Why only Authority Nines? You could¡¯ve sent at least one Brigadier over there.¡± This question I was well prepared for. ¡°We determined that Authority Nine is the sweet spot. Brigadiers are powerful, but they can also be obvious. We want to keep the team¡¯s presence minimal while also making sure they can sense and avoid the strongest enemies they may encounter while being able to fight against anything lesser they may need to. The top three candidates Polly selected have skills that fit the mission parameters.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Brigadiers are obvious? You think we don¡¯t have control over our Auras?¡± Miron frowned in offense. It took everything I had not to look at him with disdain. While it might not be true for all Authority 10s, it was especially true for Miron. His Aura was towering like a beacon. In my eyes, he was basically screaming to the world that he was here, especially when he got agitated. Compared to him, Nonnen was far more collected. The one with the weakest Aura was taking offense when I didn¡¯t even point him out. I¡¯m sure he was self aware, but he was also too stupid correct his flaws, so he got pissed instead. Thankfully, Nonnen was here to help me out. ¡°Pipe down, Miron. You think the entire mountain range can¡¯t see you right now? If they sent you over there, you¡¯d have every Royal in that territory hunting your ass down the first day.¡± ¡°I highly doubt there¡¯s anything I can¡¯t either fight or run from over there.¡± ¡°The point isn¡¯t to fight, it¡¯s to collect information. The fact you can¡¯t see that is exactly why we leave the thinking to the summoners.¡± ¡°Yes, the weak cowards who can only sit behind desks all day. How happy am I that I have to take orders from them.¡± Miron rolled his eyes and kicked his feet up, his words chunking away at the already minimal respect I held for him. I somewhat agreed, actually. But that was exactly why I was out here. He just didn¡¯t want to admit that his ideas were stupid. The guy was a meathead. I just kept my composure as Nonnen read through one more time. I watched him, and at some point I looked at his arm to find the two arrow insignia of a Lieutenant Colonel. It seemed Brigadier Nonnen was smart. It was obvious then why he led the Snow Doves and not a dumbass like Miron. ¡°... Okay. You have my permission to take Chief Reginold and the others. Reggie, be ready to leave with them in the morning. Inform the other two as well. I¡¯ll let you take a Steed back, on one condition.¡± Nonnen looked back at me, his tone dropping. ¡°We lost First Commander Niko. I want his body to be taken back to the Treehouse and sent to the Stronghold as soon as possible. Can you get that done for me, Captain?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± He nodded at my quick affirmative. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Actually sir, I wanted to discuss a new enemy that we spotted on our way here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about that behemoth? The one that launches explosives at you?¡± ¡°Yes sir. I wanted to discuss the possibility of running some hunts to kill them off. I have a feeling that they¡¯re gathering en masse in order to siege the Treehouse, which may happen not long from now if they¡¯re allowed to accumulate. More importantly though I¡¯d like any information you have on them, such as sightings and counts you may have come across.¡± ¡°Hm, we can do that.¡± He nodded again and looked at Chief Reginold who had leaned forward. ¡°You two can talk about that. All I¡¯ll say is that we¡¯ve already struck a few encampments where we found those things. My thoughts were the same as yours. We shouldn¡¯t let them gather, but we don¡¯t know how many have already slipped past us. If you draw up something when you get back and relay it to us, then we¡¯ll move. Until then, we¡¯ll focus on our current mission.¡± ¡°Understood. There is one more thing that I was told to ask you about.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°How many days left of supplies do you have? If possible, we wanted you to remain out here for an additional objective regarding the infiltration, an additional two days specifically.¡± ¡°... We can¡¯t do that.¡± He shook his head, making me nod. ¡°That¡¯s not an issue then. Once you get back to the Treehouse and restock though, you¡¯ll be sent out once more with a Pathfinder squad. The overall mission will take another three or so days, but that¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°Is there a schedule?¡± ¡°Kind of. We need to insert during this time of chaos. We can¡¯t let it cool down before we get our team through. Right now, we¡¯re theorizing that most of the Scourge is already beyond the crossing. We may only have a couple weeks before things either settle or the Scourge sends some high level combatants over. We can¡¯t know, which is why we want to get the team over there as fast as possible while the crossing is likely the safest.¡± ¡°Okay. And what would we be doing to help?¡± ¡°Creating some more chaos near the crossing. Jasmine will be at the base to brief you with the details when you return.¡± ¡°Mm, fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I have then.¡± I stopped my rambling there, having said everything I needed to. Nonnen nodded, standing. ¡°Then we¡¯ll retire for the night. Your squad can leave in the morning with that Steed. We¡¯ll leave around the same time.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± We stood, Pollux and I giving a salute before we all dispersed. We walked out of the command tent and back to our area with the rest of the Pathfinders. They had made themselves a tight group away from all the intimidating Snow Doves, it looked like. Pollux pat my shoulder, speaking with a low voice. ¡°You handled that well. I¡¯ve seen summoners stumble over their words in front of Authority 8s, let alone Brigadiers. Polly is one of the few who can stomach them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too bad. I¡¯ve talked to several others before on more than one occasion, many who were more powerful.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± ¡°Well, the Magisterium is chock full of their children.¡± ¡°I suppose.¡± Pollux shrugged as we arrived in camp. Everyone was tired from the long ride and some were already sleeping. I was also tired from my formation study in the Steed, so it wasn¡¯t long before I got my tent set up and climbed in. I quickly fell asleep, comfortably ensconced in my luxurious pillows and sheets. Chapter 169: Bombardos I stood before the open hatch of a Steed. Before me, laying on the floor, was the bagged corpse of First Commander Niko. My new payload, under my personal responsibility, that I needed to get back to the Stronghold. I¡¯d probably have to get a transport to go back alone and early to take care of it. A waste of a transport, unless I arranged some other goods to travel and make it somewhat worth it, but either way, I wasn¡¯t going to disappoint Brigadier Nonnen. If I fucked this up in any way, he¡¯d be livid, so I¡¯d take care to carry out my task reliably and quickly. Even beyond this task though, I found myself staring at the corpse with an undesirable feeling in my gut. I didn¡¯t enjoy looking at these. When I was killing people in the Trenches, I was more detached; they were trying to kill me too. I was very good at staying alive, I learned, and that made corpses a familiar sight. But this was a soldier killed by monsters. The situation was different, and while I understood that sacrifices were inevitable, especially given the enemy, I always got flashing thoughts of the sorrows those intimate with this person would feel. My ear twitched when I heard the crunch of some snow. I turned and saw a woman approach, a warlock guessing by her robes, with the power of an Authority 9, a level above what this man was. A pale, sickly face, shrouded in the shadow of a drawn hood and robes, still couldn¡¯t hide her puffy eyelids or bloodshot corneas. ¡°Can I say goodbye?¡± ¡°... Of course.¡± I nodded and stepped away, walking to the side of the Steed where I couldn¡¯t watch. I hated this. My thoughts flashed with images of Umara, the speed of my mind not allowing me to force them down in time. I imagined her, or me, in this exact situation. All it did was piss me off. Pollux approached as I waited, my mask hiding my tense face. ¡°Are we ready, Cooper?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± I pointed, to the back of the Steed. ¡°She¡¯s saying goodbye.¡± ¡°... Oh.¡± Pollux sighed, lingering by my side. ¡°The Chiefs are ready to go. We¡¯ll go straight back to the Treehouse from here. I¡¯ve forgotten though, so remind me what we¡¯re doing after we get back.¡± ¡°Our mission will split from then on,¡± I leaned against the wall of the Steed, ¡°You¡¯re going to leave with Squads One and Three as soon as you¡¯re ready to go. You¡¯re going to take a much longer route to the eastern crossing, set up camp, and start doing daily recon on everything coming out of the crossing and around the area. Do not reconnoiter the crossing itself. You¡¯ll collect information, and I¡¯m going to head out with Squads Two and Four as soon as we¡¯ve prepared our infiltrators and have briefed the returning Snow Doves.¡± ¡°... Alright.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to talk more about it on our way back.¡± ¡°Good.¡± He nodded in relief. This was a complex and dangerous mission for the Pathfinders, and I hadn¡¯t given him all the information. I was the one with every little detail on it, and it was my job to make sure that everyone involved was completely informed of their parts and prepared to do their jobs properly without also bogging them down with excessive detail. I hadn¡¯t bothered explaining things earlier because people would just forget or get confused, like Pollux had. Or he was just using that as an excuse to get more information out of me, probably because he was getting anxious with the second phase of the mission coming up. Either way, the in-depth briefings would come later. After a few more minutes, the girl stepped out in front of us. ¡°Thank you. Please, take care of him.¡± ¡°We will. I¡¯ll make sure he gets back to the Stronghold quickly.¡± I stepped up and gave my response, the girl shakily nodding before walking off. I watched her for a bit before closing up the Steed. Then, Pollux and I gathered our people and got ready to leave. During that, we had one final word with Brigadier Nonnen. ¡°Since we can¡¯t stay, we¡¯ll try and finish faster. Get back to base safe.¡± ¡°Thank you, and we will.¡± I shook the man¡¯s hand. He was a couple inches shorter than me. Power did not equate to height. So despite the power he contained and my comparatively pitiful rank, I always managed to maintain some level of my own superiority. I couldn¡¯t help but think about it every time I encountered someone like this, someone who sat at the pinnacle of the world¡¯s hierarchy. It was mainly because, despite my rank and Authority, I still managed to develop relationships and garner some level of respect. It was always nice meeting powerful people who didn¡¯t think I was some maggot on the road or some nuisance to get rid of. I was working hard, getting stronger, and doing well. I liked when people recognized that, or at least didn¡¯t default to treating me like shit. Our three infiltrators boarded the Steeds not long after. The camp had been completely cleared, all the Snow Doves prepared to depart for their strike. We were going the opposite way. Before long, we were on the move. There were only a few people in the second Steed with the body, with everyone else in the first Steed. I was with Pollux in the first, and, after settling in for the drive, we talked business. The infiltration plan was three pronged. We needed reconnaissance, a diversion, and the insertion itself. The Snow Doves were in charge of the bulk of the diversion, given that they were so powerful, while Pollux would be doing reconnaissance. I would prepare our infiltrators for the insertion. We had a couple of neat toys at our disposal for this mission, particularly the vehicle that the we¡¯d be using to drop the infiltrators off in. It was called the Falcon, a land vehicle that was fast but with a short battery life. The infiltrators would use it after getting over the crossing, its speed making it ideal for disappearing. However, these toys weren¡¯t why we needed to get the infiltrators back to the base right this moment. Since I wasn¡¯t going, I needed to make sure that they could do my job, or at least as best they could. This mission was all about gathering as much intelligence as possible, and while they knew how to do so, I needed them to stay organized in my specific way. After all, I couldn¡¯t expect them to catalog everything they did and saw over a period of weeks and expect it to be usable. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. I had a specific but simple system for them to use, and I was going to teach it to them. It was nothing they couldn¡¯t pick up quickly, and so long as they followed it, we¡¯d have more than enough usable intelligence to get a good idea of what was over there. Of course, I was expecting the worst anyway. I was still pissed that I couldn¡¯t go myself. I didn¡¯t trust anyone except an actual intelligence agent to collect detailed information reliably, and only one infiltrator, Chief Reginold, had an intelligence rank. He was only an Officer, a rank below me. It was enough to get the gist, but far from enough to understand why certain pieces of intelligence were important, which might lead him to focus too much on not as useful intel. I didn¡¯t blame him, that was the job of a Colonel. But regardless, I was mad about getting rejected and could only hope and pray that they did what I told them to. ¡­¡­ ¡­ Another day and a half passed and most of it was spent working. I spoke with Chief Reginold and collected as much data about those new behemoth artillery monsters that we encountered on our way over. They had apparently encountered five others, killed four of them, and suspected several in other locations. I went and plotted all of the locations that they discovered or killed the behemoths while using what I knew of the recent Scourge movements to plot out where others might be and where they may be going. I wanted to know where they would move to accumulate, somewhere near the Treehouse to be ready for a barrage but far enough not to get easily discovered or decimated by our forces. Big targets were tough but they were also just that, big. I was sure they could survive a lot, but unless they could weather the firepower of an entire platoon, they needed to be smart about their movements and their escort. These behemoths didn¡¯t move alone. All of them were surrounded by hordes ready to protect them. When they finally decided to emerge and attack, there would be more than enough cannon fodder for our mages and knights to focus on. And unless the Brigadiers were willing to step out by themselves in an attempt to kill them amidst the hordes, they would have free reign to obliterate the Treehouse. If we wanted to avoid that, we needed to find them and kill them one by one, group by group. It didn¡¯t take long for me to get a grasp on most of the possible locations they could be hiding. There was a lot of land and neither the Stronghold nor the Treehouse had much in the way of sheer manpower. We had sheer strength, but we needed numbers if we wanted to recon every area of interest, numbers we didn¡¯t have. I was suddenly keenly aware of our weakness in this battle. The Snow Doves were going around destroying everything they came across. That was fine, except there had to be even more slipping through. The lands around the Treehouse were not as rough as around Stronghold Charlie. Less mountains, less hills, more valleys, and yet it was more than enough to hide an army. The Snow Doves were one platoon. I would need a dozen more to run recon around the clock if I wanted to make sure that our enemies weren¡¯t hiding in nooks and crannies waiting to launch a massive offensive. At least, that¡¯s if I was the commander of the base. I wasn¡¯t, and it was clear that Alois had no intentions of being so thorough, nor did he have the bodies necessary. Still, I wanted to try to compensate with a bit of strategy. By the time we rolled back into base, I already had a large diagram of a map and all the target areas I had suspicions about, based on their routes, sightings, and existing encampments. I had memorized the map in the war room with Jasmine, so I had no issues piecing things together. Thankfully, there wasn¡¯t an ongoing siege, so we slipped into the base just fine after returning. I jumped out of the Steed and waited for Pollux. ¡°I need to report to Jasmine.¡± ¡°Go ahead. What about the Doves?¡± ¡°They can get situated here. We aren¡¯t leaving for a few days at least.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Pollux nodded, taking my orders while I walked off. I didn¡¯t forget about the body I needed to handle, but that would have to wait for an hour or so. I was genuinely worried about this new behemoth and the more I looked at the map, the more I realized that the Scourge was probably more set up for an offensive than anyone realized. More than that, I had a gut feeling, and I trusted my gut feelings. I had already called Jasmine beforehand, so she was in the war room when I walked in. Shedding my snow coat, I walked around the large table and shook her hand as she stood from her seat. ¡°Good to see you in one piece, Cooper.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± ¡°You had some concerns about those behemoths? Let me hear them.¡± Jasmine was quick to get to the point. I had made it pretty clear that my information had a certain level of urgency attached. I wanted her scrutiny though, because I didn¡¯t necessarily trust my analysis completely. My gut feelings didn¡¯t make me a prophet, at least not in the matters of wartime strategy. Not yet, at least. Either way, I was quick to get to the point. I handed her my Orb, with positions, trails, and encampments all marked out. She took it, and it flashed the moment it touched her hand. She was already sifting through information. ¡°It turns out that the Snow Doves have encountered several of those Behemoths. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s been going on here, not completely, but I¡¯ve surmised over the past day or so that the Scourge already has a sizable group of those behemoths ready to deploy for a siege. For now, I¡¯m going to call these behemoths ¡®Bombardos¡¯.¡± ¡°Interesting name. Go on.¡± ¡°The Snow Doves, even being as nomadic as they are, have encountered 5 Bombardos along with several suspected Bombardo sites. Now, assuming that even more have slipped by in the prior month or so, we can assume that there are at least a dozen, probably two dozen. On that map, I¡¯ve marked out potential locations where they might be hiding. If they¡¯re getting ready for a siege, then they need to be close enough to act quickly when the time comes and yet far enough not to present an easy and obvious target. Not only that, but each one of them has an army around them. We encountered one on our way out, which means that if we want to make sure this place doesn¡¯t get caught off guard, we need to find them and start picking them off.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Jasmine went through the Orb before looking back at the map in the war room. It had more updates and she knew more about the ongoing battles here than I did. My concerns lay in just how little information we had on these Bombardos, though. The fact that we were only just starting to discover these things meant that they¡¯d either just started coming over the crossing, or they¡¯d been gathering for a long while. I wouldn¡¯t bank on the former, so I was preparing for the worst. Jasmine spent a couple minutes simply looking and thinking. Then, she nodded. ¡°Your analysis has some merit. I¡¯m not inclined to believe that they¡¯ve managed to get a large amount of those things all the way here yet, but no matter what, they¡¯re a problem that needs solving. Whether it''s a new one or an old one doesn¡¯t matter. The Snow Doves have been out there for about a week, and the fact that they¡¯ve encountered five means that there are plenty more¡­ Alright Cooper.¡± She clapped, turning back to me with a small smile. ¡°Time to draft an operation plan.¡± ¡°Roger. I¡¯ve only got a few days though. As soon as the Snow Doves get back, I¡¯m leaving. Plus, Pollux is going to be taking his two squads out to begin the first phase tomorrow. If we want to use them for a quick confirmation, we need to draft something now.¡± ¡°Then we should get on it. I¡¯ll start compiling data that we can present to the Brigadier General.¡± ¡°Got it. I have something I need to take care of first though. I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She nodded, the two of us splitting off with tasks in mind. Heading to our Steed, I hoisted the body of the late First Commander Niko. He wasn¡¯t the first who had died and this base, like all others, had a place for the dead. I went over to the warehouse where several transport trucks were sitting around. I talked to the clerk there and arranged transport for the body back to Stronghold Charlie. Thankfully they were about to send some trucks back so they could bring in more supplies. It wasn¡¯t an issue to send orders and add a body to the nearly empty trucks. For good measure I sent Polly a message notifying her about the shipment. With all that, I covered all my bases and took care of my tasks. A simple followup the next day would ensure everything went smoothly. Then, I went and talked to Pollux, as well as the three infiltrators. Pollux needed to get his squads ready to head out for recon tomorrow. They would be out there near the eastern pass for up to two weeks, so they needed to pack accordingly. Finally, with everyone moving, I was able to focus on helping Jasmine draft up a plan. It didn¡¯t have to be nearly as thorough as the mission I was here running now. We just wanted to recon and make sure we weren¡¯t crazy. If we were, then nothing would come of it. If we weren¡¯t though, Alois and his generals would have no choice but to do something about it. And so we readied our presentation. The only tricky part about this was the fact that we were going to use the manpower and resources of another base, not our own. We¡¯d have to convince them to muster up the soldiers and act on our analysis using their own intelligence. Not to mention the fact that, while Jasmine was a Colonel, she was below the higher intelligence agents in this base. Hopefully, they would listen to us. I had a feeling that we¡¯d have to avoid getting Alois involved to that end. It¡¯d have to be a private summoner-to-summoner chat. Chapter 170: Wiped Out "Are you sure that the discretion is worth the extra time?" "Pretty sure. And if the charted course is somehow compromised, you guys will be able to let us know." "Tsk, you''re becoming a true intelligence agent, using us as bait." "I''m trying to do the opposite, but I won''t deny that you guys getting attacked will give valuable intel on Scourge operations. Still, don''t be too obvious. We still have a mission to carry out." "Of course. It''s not my first mission, kid. Don''t worry about us." Pollux waved me off. I could understand his concerns but regardless, his route would either succeed in staying subtle or draw out anything that might compromise the actual task force. His route to the surrounding areas around the eastern crossing would take around 4 days to traverse. They would be going even deeper than the Snow Doves did, and he would be out there for weeks. On one hand, spending so long traveling increased the chance of getting seen in general. On the other, the route I chose was discreet, never used by the Scourge nor our soldiers, and should be completely safe. If all went well, when I left with the infiltrators, we''d use that route as well and slip through with just as much subtlety. I watched as Pollux and two of the Pathfinder squads made their final preparations. Pollux was good at collecting information since he would usually work with Polly before I arrived. I didn''t believe he''d have any issues collecting more than enough intelligence while he was out there awaiting our arrival. They were armed with three Steeds as well, giving them plenty of food, supplies, and space. They weren''t supposed to fight anything. If they encountered anything, they would collect intel and go the opposite way. All they needed to do was observe. I had already briefed everyone thoroughly. They all knew that this was a pretty dangerous mission despite merely being recon. However, there was a lot at stake. With every day, my bad feelings grew, especially as more intel was brought into the Treehouse. The Scourge wasn''t here to mess around and I had a feeling that they were rather confident in bringing the base down. Polly was right. This was rapidly becoming a war of intelligence. We needed to be able to see what they were trying to do ahead of time, or risk falling to sudden attacks of overwhelming force. Anarchy was an extreme example, but it was also only the tip of the iceberg. What Anarchy did for me though was help me understand just how extreme things could get, and the conflicts befalling the Treehouse were far from hopeless. Any upcoming attacks could be thwarted, with relative ease, so long as we could collect enough intel. I had slated Pollux to check out a few key areas on his way, not to mention how his route would ensure that the route itself wasn''t being used by the Scourge in the same way that I was about to use it. Jasmine and I had already drafted more missions for both him and the generals at the Treehouse. There were several moving pieces in play, and I felt like I was at the center of it. Under normal circumstances I''d feel a bit overwhelmed. I''d never taken on responsibility like this before where my words could dictate the lives and deaths of entire platoons. I was putting the Pathfinders at stake with my main mission while pulling on the manpower of the Treehouse, putting them in precarious positions in order to find more of these Bombardos. There were chances that they could be wiped out if I sent them into the wrong places in the wrong ways. I was being cautious, but this danger was a part of the job. I had to accept what could and would happen. It was necessary. I was being thrown into the deep end with the authority that Polly and Jasmine were giving me, and while Jasmine had repeatedly approved of my thought processes and mission plans, I still didn''t feel entirely confident since this was my first time doing any of this. Still, nobody else was making the effort, so I took it upon myself. I''d do what I could. With all that in mind, under the cover of darkness, Pollux along with Squads 1 and 2 deployed. The three Steeds sped through the gates and disappeared onto the route I gave them. Now, everything was in their hands. I glanced to my side as someone approached. It wasn''t Jasmine, but Amary. She had been with the other squads and only recently arrived from the Stronghold. "Hey John." "Hello." "You''ve been mighty busy lately. Is everything going alright?" "For now it is. Unfortunately I have a feeling that my work won''t ease for a while. How are the other two squads?" "Getting comfortable over in the tent area." She glanced over at another side of the base where they had set up camp. I nodded, opening my mouth to speak again before getting interrupted by another call. "John!" It was Jasmine, who flagged me down. I waved to Amary. "I gotta go." "Mm. See you¡­" I left her side and jogged over to Jasmine. It was apparent that Amary wanted some of my attention the way she sought me out, but my focus was elsewhere. I didn''t need to make good friends just for it to turn into a one sided thing. My busy schedule aided me in keeping my distance. Jasmine and I walked into the headquarters. After having some meetings with Brigadier General Hristo, Alois'' cowed aide, we managed to get the green light for two recon missions. If they yielded any fruit, we could continue based on the collected information. If not, they wouldn''t waste any more time with it. That meant I had to choose two locations to get looked at, and choose wisely. Thankfully there were a few locations that I had a good feeling were housing those Bombardos. So we were quick to give him those locations and arrange the missions. Now, we just had to brief the two squads who would be carrying the missions out at the same time. I wanted to launch the missions as fast as possible because every day that passed was another chance that Alois would find out about them and interfere. Not only that, but our intelligence wouldn''t remain valid forever. Since both Jasmine and I were here, we could monitor both recon teams side by side. The two of us walked into the briefing room where both squads resided. I could sense their power level before even opening the door. Each squad only had one Authority 6 soldier. The rest were either Authority 5 or 4. Pretty weak. Hristo wasn''t giving us much to work with but since this was just a recon mission, any set of eyes that could look around was good enough. And while I was concerned about them getting back alive, that was lower on Hristo''s priority list. I felt everyone''s eyes land on the two of us. There were 7 people in each squad and I seemed to attract most of them. My Aura was able to catch the multitude of thoughts and feelings, including scrutiny, intimidation, and a bit of lust going Jasmine''s way. Hristo wasn''t here. He had better things to worry about. So for now, these two squads were under our sole control, answering to us. Jasmine also wanted me to lead this operation. I stood before the front podium, operating the Orb and projecting an image of a map on the sheer white wall next to me. "I am Captain Cooper, and this is Colonel Jasmine. We''re going to be your Handlers for this mission. Your objectives tonight will be simple, yet potentially dangerous. First, who are the squad leaders? Raise your hand." I saw two hands go up after a moment of inaction. They were the two Authority 6s. I already knew who they were but wanted to address them anyway. "Alright. First, Squad 1. Your target area will be a westward valley about 38 miles from here." I pointed to one of the highlighted routes, "You will proceed to this location with two Hummers, four of you in one and three in the other. After arriving at the first checkpoint at the base of this hill, the squad leader along with the next two strongest knights will disembark in order to travel, on foot, to the recon site. You will ascend this hill and stop at the top once you can see the valley below. Then, you''ll relay what you can see and wait for the sunrise, unless ordered otherwise. After I''ve collected enough intelligence from you, you will turn around and head home." I paused and looked toward the squad. "Any questions?" "What are we looking for?" "I''ll get to that. Any other concerns about your objectives up to this point?" "..." It was silent, so I nodded. "Alright. Now, Squad two. Your objective will be identical, except you have another location, here." I pointed to another route, one that took Squad 2 about 53 miles away. "With the trail and the location, you should be able to conduct this mission within the day. I''m certainly not going to have you camp out. Get to the checkpoint, proceed to the recon site on foot, and collect information. Any questions?" "..." More silence. This mission was easy. The hardest part about it was reading the map to get to the right place, which they shouldn''t have issues with. I nodded. "Alright. Now, allow me to describe to you exactly what you''re looking for." I operated the Orb again and projected an image. After extensive work on my part, I managed to create an image of a Bombardo, to scale, based on what I saw earlier. It was colored and everything, with textured details and all the menacing looks I remembered. There were some shocked murmurs as I explained. "This is a Bombardo. It''s a newly discovered Scourge species that''s as massive as it looks. These Bombardos can launch explosive projectiles across vast distances and pose a great threat to the safety of the Treehouse. I couldn''t give a damn about anything else. Your job tonight is to search for any sign of these things. Since they''re so massive you should be able to spot them from safe distances. Now, while they''re laying down they can look deceptively like hills themselves. It''s only when they stand that they are obvious from ground level. Squad 1, since you''ll be on a hill, it should be easy for you to pick them out when the sun rises and daylight sheds some light on them. Squad 2, you won''t have it as easy since you''ll be on a plain. Still, I want you to do your best. Look for anything, even the slightest hint that might indicate that a Bombardo is present. Any questions?" I finished my monologue, everyone in the room intently focused on the image of the Bombardo. I wouldn''t have to worry about them forgetting what it looked like, especially since they''d know when they saw it out in the field. These things were very obvious. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. After some minutes though, nobody had any questions. The mission was simple, as was the target. I wasn''t asking them for particular details about the amount of troops or royals, or what the present royals looked like, nor details about the encampment they set up. I just wanted to know how many Bombardos there were. That was it. I continued. "Keep in mind that these Bombardos are surrounded by an army. You''ll keep your distance, but the danger of being spotted by a Scout is still present. Squad 2, it''ll be up to you guys to find a more elevated position in the plains you''ll be on, anything that might help you stay out of sight yet get a good view of anything in the area. Still, safety comes first. Don''t go rolling in just to get spotted and chased by an army. Squad leaders, is everything I''ve said understood?" "...Yes sir." The two leaders nodded, eyes still on the image of the Bombardo. I turned the Orb off, catching everyone''s eyes again. ¡°Alright. Each squad will operate two hummers. Pack a day''s worth of rations. Both squads will deploy in half an hour by the front gates. If there are any concerns or clarifications that I need to address, whether that''s directions or otherwise, come up now. Otherwise, you''re all dismissed to prepare." With my word, the two squads rose from their chairs. Most of them headed out, but the map readers for each squad had questions about directions so I clarified things for them. Before long everything was clarified. It was when they left that Jasmine finally spoke, the two of us alone in the room. "Good job. You''re a natural at ordering people around." "In what way am I ordering them around?" "It''s in your tone." She smiled when I glanced at her, standing and stretching. "The hardest thing about these briefings is getting a bunch of shit from the soldiers that don''t want to be told what to do by a summoner. Ironically, the more powerful the soldier, the less likely they''ll care. It''s the weak ones that get butthurt taking orders from a summoner. That''s why we need to talk and carry ourselves a certain way. Give them no room to complain or challenge you. Own the room, take charge, show no weakness. You''re really good at that." "Hm, thanks I guess. Not that I''m really going out of my way to do so." "Yes, it seems to come naturally to you. You''re tall and built like a brick house, not to mention how powerful you are, so I''m sure it''s easy to carry yourself as such." "Heh." I chuckled when she walked over and knocked on my abs. I followed her out when she exited, the two of us emerging from the headquarters to see our two squads packing their hummers. Jasmine fell behind me as I strode in front of her, heading to the garage where I grabbed a bike. Those squads weren''t the only ones deploying. In order to maintain communications with them and Jasmine, I would be heading out there to station myself between the three parties. Jasmine spoke while I took my seat. "Be careful out there, Cooper." "I''m the last person to worry about on this mission." "You''re going out there alone. Usually the only people who do that are Chiefs or Brigadiers. And if Polly had anything to say about this, you wouldn''t be going anywhere without at least a full squad to your back. I''m trusting that you''ll keep risks to a minimum and stay invisible. Don''t make me regret giving you this independence." I powered on the bike before turning to her and smiling. "Don''t worry so much. If I were any dumber I would''ve died a while ago." "Yes, that''s what I''m betting on." She smirked before we both turned our heads. The two squads were ready to go. The half hour passed quickly. Soon enough the two hummers were by the gates ready to deploy. Jasmine retreated to headquarters, connecting to my Aerial and allowing me to link to the other two squads as well. With some quick checks we were ready to go. I gave the signal. "Deploy." With that, the hummers drove off. I followed behind soon after, heading to my own target area. While I wanted to be out there to facilitate communications, this was also a fantastic chance to recon yet another area I had suspicions about. There was no reason I couldn''t do both. ...... Some hours later, a little while before the sun peeked over the horizon, I approached my personal recon area. Comms had been quiet while the squads made their way out and with how fast my bike was, I made it to my area first. My third target was a ravine to the west near the mountain range that separated the Treehouse from the Stronghold. This ravine was long and was one of the routes I had thought about taking to sneak the infiltrators past the battlefields and get them to the eastern crossing. However, I had reason to believe that the Scourge was probably using it for transportation purposes as well. I just wanted to verify. "Liaison to Handler. I''m approaching the target area." I chimed in on Jasmine''s line. This recon of mine was exactly why she had been worried about me going out alone. It was dangerous but I was smart and my Crown was uniquely suited toward these kinds of tasks. "Copy Liaison. Stay low, please." "Will do." I continued up the hillside that would lead to the ravine. At some point I ditched the bike as well, going the rest of the short way on foot. Out here, I smelled none of the rotten odor of the fungus the Scourge was spreading everywhere. The air was crisp and the flora was dense. However, I had an eerie feeling as I walked over the hill. After some time, I realized what was giving me that feeling. The forest around me was dead silent. Not a good sign, especially during the morning, so I activated my stealth and maintained it while cresting the hill. I soon had a fantastic view of the ravine. And there, at the bottom where the hill across from me descended into the bottom of the hill I was on, I saw a legion. There were easily tens of thousands of monsters, along with several camps that contained Royals. None of these camps were spreading that blight on the land, likely to maintain their secrecy up to this point. This army was using the rest of the war to distract the Treehouse. More importantly, the army was moving. Off into the distance I could see 14 Bombardos moving across the ravine with shocking silence. They were moving slowly, but they were moving. The rest of the thousands beneath them were stationary but the Bombardos cared not for what was beneath their insectoid legs, so entire crowds scrambled to move, yet some were still crushed. I could barely feel or hear the slight quakes from their stomping. Not that it mattered. That wouldn''t be what gave their position away. What mattered was that I was right. They were gathering troops and preparing for an offensive that would level the Treehouse as a whole, built entirely around the newly introduced Bombardos. While this wasn''t the largest army I had seen from the Scourge, the aura radiating from it was quite harrowing. There was an Authority 10 here. However, the danger I sensed was greater than that produced from a single Authority 10. In fact, not even 5 minutes after I crested the hill, I looked toward one of the tents and saw a Royal walk out. Its body was purple, with two digitigrade legs and a faceless head. What substituted its face was a ring of teeth that protruded from the front of its oval head. Within that ring of teeth was a void of nothingness. What I felt when I gazed upon that hole was sheer hopelessness. Not the same hopelessness that Anarchy instilled, but one fueled by despair and nihilism. It was relatively weak, not enough to affect me. I managed to wash away those feelings pretty quickly. However, what I immediately realized was that this thing had a powerful Aura rather far above mine and fueled by power I couldn''t yet fathom. If its Aura could affect me at all from a distance of at least two miles, I had to not only be within its area of effect, but it had to be at least Authority 10 like the other Royal not far from it. And the fact that I actually couldn''t sense its power meant that I had no business being here. So after merely 5 seconds of staring at it, I turned and darted off in the opposite direction. I activated my boots on top of that, making me fly down the hill and to my bike. Once I reached it and powered it on, I spun out and shot off into the distance, not so much as looking back. Gradually, my stress diminished. In fact, it was only after I relaxed that I realized just how scared I was. My heart pounded in my chest even after I put miles between us. More than that, I realized what it meant for me to not even understand how risky that had been. That thing''s Aura was so powerful that I hadn''t been able to sense the danger it posed. It was only from its looks and the faint feelings of despair I got that I surmised how powerful it should be. I didn''t actually get an accurate read on its power. I only guessed. That was fucking dangerous. After I had traveled 10 miles, I finally heard some words from my Aerial. "Squad 1 to Handler, we are approaching the checkpoint." Those words helped me calm down a bit more. I pulled off to the side and clicked into the channel. "Copy Squad 1. Continue on, but be advised. Things may be more dangerous than initially assumed. Be careful when cresting your hill, make your observations quick, and get out." "...Copy." I got my response before switching to Jasmine''s channel. "Come in, Handler." "I''m here Liaison." "I''ve got some bad news." "I''m listening." I took a few more breaths to calm my heart. My blood pressure must''ve hit a new high score because now I had a headache. "There''s a massive army in the ravine. From my rough guess, there''s around 40 thousand troops. There are also 14 Bombardos, all of them currently making their way down the ravine at a slow pace. There may be more beyond but I''m not daring to check." "...Copy Liaison. Is it that dangerous?" "Yes. There are also at least two Authority 10s down there." "...Fuck." Jasmine went silent for a little while after cursing. "...Copy. Did you see what they looked like?" "I only saw one. It had a purple body, digitigrade legs, and a face with a black hole on it surrounded by a ring of spiky teeth." "You''ve gotta be fucking kidding me. Liaison, repeat that description." "...Purple body, digitigrade legs, a face with a black hole on it surrounded by spik-" "Fuck!" I was interrupted by another curse, my face falling. "What is it, Handler?" "...I''m not saying here. We''ll talk more about this when you get back. Just know it''s not good. You should also seriously consider calling the mission off." "Squad 1 is already at their checkpoint, and Squad 2 will be arriving soon. Are you sure? If this is as bad as it''s looking, we may need more information in order to convince the Brigadier to move." "..." "I''ll defer to you, Jasmine, if you think it''s too risky. I don''t mind taking responsibility but I want your experienced advice." "..." She was silent, hesitating. We needed more information but now the lives of two squads were seriously at risk. Question was, did we take the risk so we could better convince someone as stupid as Alois, or did we preserve the two squads and rely on my sole observation lasting approximately 5 minutes. "Come in Handler. We''re crested the hill." I switched channels as soon as I heard the voice. That was Squad 1. "Go ahead, Squad 1. Tell me what you see, quickly." "I see... There''s a large army. Several thousand. I also see one of those Bombardos... Make it 4, actually. No, 5. There''s also a few tents, I think." "Copy. You can confirm the presence of Bombardos?" "Yes, those are definitely Bombardos. One of them is a different color though. Instead of green, the fifth one is red. It also looks bigger." I was silent for a bit. I wasn''t sure what that meant but bigger and meaner wasn''t a good sign in any of my books. "Copy that, Squad 1. Tha-" "Shit, there''s a Scout." I heard him curse, the channel going quiet for several seconds before coming back in full force. "It''s a cyclops! Get back to the hum- shit!" "Squad 1, what''s going on?" "It destroyed the hummer!" "Fuck..." I cursed under my breath. They were dead. "Marley is dead... Fuck! Not like this!" "..." "Hurry up an- Agh! Handler! We need help!" "..." I was dead silent, the silence in the forest around me contrasting against the screams in my mind. "There''s a Royal... We''re dead..." "Take the Overkill pill." "I... Dammit! Damn you!" "..." The channel went silent again, and then remained that way. Like I had during my first recon mission with the Treehouse, both squads recieved Overkill pills. It was standard issue for such missions. It would burn their life for unbelievable power. It was suicide, but that was better than being Corrupted. After about a minute of silence, I switched channels. "Handler." "Go ahead." "Squad 1 has been wiped out." "..." "I''m pulling Squad 2 out." With that I switched to the other channel. "Handler to Squad 2, come in." "..." I waited, and got nothing but silence. "Handler to Squad 2, come in." "..." More silence. Putting my Aerial down, I leaned back into the bike and drove off. I sent one last message to Jasmine. "Handler, Squad 2 is dark. I''m going to move a bit closer and try to hail them for a bit longer. If I don''t get anything within two hours, I''m going to come back." "...Copy, Liaison. Just don''t get yourself killed too." I didn''t respond, simply rolling along my trail, continuing to hail Squad 2. That went on until the sun rose, well beyond when they should''ve checked in. Even after 4 hours, I heard nothing. So I went back to the Treehouse, my heart heavier than lead. Chapter 171: Apple I rolled silently through the gates of the Treehouse, only breaking my vigil briefly to notify Jasmine that I had returned before trudging through the muddy snow, bike in tow, to the garage. Jasmine was already there, waiting for me with a downcast face. She gave me a halfhearted flick of a hand and turned toward the adjoined briefing rooms. We passed by room after room, each dark and empty, until we finally arrived at one that somehow seemed more solemn than the rest. Jasmine just stood there, massaging her temples. I tried to speak, but Jasmine started first. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you about that Royal first. Purple body, digitigrade legs, face with a black hole on it surrounded by spiked teeth. That¡¯s what¡¯s known as a King Blood Royal, descended from a specific bloodline, higher than a normal Royal on the hierarchy.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m guessing there are different levels of bloodlines for Royals.¡± ¡°Yes. King Bloods descend from the Kings. What you saw out there was a Royal of Despair¡­ that you survived alone speaks to the sheer power of your Aura. Most would kill themselves on the spot under the influence of that hopelessness.¡± ¡°...¡± I nodded quietly. It made sense, given what I had felt. Thankfully, I had also been far away, so I didn¡¯t have to test whether or not I could actually resist that Aura. I probably could, but if I was that close in the first place, I would have bigger problems. My decision to book it right when I saw that thing was also wise. It probably saved my life. ¡°The concern is that there¡¯s a King Blood Royal nearby. They are always extremely powerful even for their Authority, so unless Alois, Miron, or Nonnen are exceptional, or unless they can team up, they will die in combat against it. That¡¯s not to mention the other Authority 10 you felt, or if there are any others in the area, on top of their sheer numbers.¡± ¡°We need a Marshal.¡± ¡°That, and a brigade of soldiers. They¡¯re mounting an offensive fit for a fortress against some forward base. As it is, Treehouse is going to fall, and I don¡¯t want to be here for that.¡± She paused for a moment, wrangling with a decision of some sort. ¡°I¡¯m going straight to the top. Neither Alois nor I should have jurisdiction over this anymore. I¡¯m either going to get reinforcements, or we¡¯re leaving. Besides, even discounting that, the base isn¡¯t producing syrup in any significant quantities anymore. The nearby land¡¯s too corrupted. If no reinforcements come, I¡¯m not staying behind to get killed for no reason.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I nodded. Her thoughts were logical, but I didn¡¯t see the Kingdom letting this base fall. The Scourge shattering Treehouse would give them a foothold in our lines. The Stronghold would soon come face to face with the same issue, but it would be even worse that time. They could surround us and starve us out while funneling armies around our flanks, straight into all the other frontline bases. However, neither the Treehouse nor Stronghold Charlie had the manpower necessary to defend against these offensives. But even if they did want to reinforce, could they even do it in time? And would the infrastructure here support so many more people? It would be a logistical nightmare. Either way, things were about to get very busy and very dangerous. ¡°About those squads¡­¡± Jasmine mumbled, wiping her face. ¡°You can¡¯t dwell on those things¡­ too much. I¡¯ve been in your shoes before. I¡¯ve gotten people killed by my direct orders. For all our smarts, sometimes we just can¡¯t avoid sacrifices. At the very least it wasn¡¯t for nothing. The best we can do is make the most of it. Take a bit of time if you need to, but know that the longer you brood, the worse things will get. You managed to pick out two confirmed and one possible Scourge hideout just based on their general movements. One of them is a massive track for armies to pass through. This is big intel, and we need more smarts like those if we want to survive the upcoming hell.¡± She walked over and patted my shoulder before turning and walking out of the room. I remained in place for some time, simply letting my thoughts churn with no particular direction. Sometimes, I just needed to let my own mind sort things out. Eventually, it came to its own conclusions as all the thoughts ran their course. I finally shifted again from my silent vigil, leaving the briefing room and headquarters. Jasmine was off to inform Polly about everything, who would then inform the Marshal, who would then inform whoever she needed to get a plan of action. After that, we¡¯d probably get reinforcements on a massive scale. If they were going to defend this place, they wouldn¡¯t do it half-assed. Significant fortifications would be necessary. I just hoped that we¡¯d be able to do something about the Bombardos before they leveled this place. Massive numbers of soldiers wouldn¡¯t do much good if they didn¡¯t have any infrastructure backing them. They would either starve or linger around like sitting ducks. As for my part in all of this¡­ Well, I had already done my part. Any new plans from here on out were beyond me. That meant the only thing I could do was to make sure the ongoing mission ran its course smoothly. Pollux and half of the Pathfinders were already heading out to the eastern crossing to do recon. I had another day or so to make sure the other half and the infiltrators were prepared to head out there. Once the Snow Doves returned, we¡¯d be leaving once more. Nothing much changed, because unless Pollux¡¯s squads got wiped out, they would''ve hailed us with information on any enemy activity. The fact they didn¡¯t meant it was either clear or they were dead. I was leaning more toward the former conclusion. So, until I was proven otherwise, we would proceed as planned. I would catalog gear and vehicles, finish briefing everyone on the plans for when we were out there, and continue collecting as much intelligence as possible on the surrounding battles¡­ All the pieces were in place and most of my to-do list was checked off. While part of me just wanted to lay down and quit everything, the other part of me knew that in order to get over the deaths of those squads, I needed to get out there and get busy. Being idle was dangerous right now, as it usually was. We¡¯d be leaving soon. I just needed to keep myself going until then. Suddenly though, I looked down at my Aerial. I was getting a call from a friend I hadn¡¯t spoken to in quite a while. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Come on! Use that speed we all know and love! You¡¯re almost there!¡± Brigadier Gurns shouted from the side of the training ground. The obelisk was bearing down on the surrounding gravity and the kid inside of it was struggling to stand. The weekly test was rather hellish, considering it was weekly ¨C Gurns would¡¯ve much preferred it daily, but alas¡­ it was at least practical, and a great gauge for improvement. Under the influence of multiplied gravity, the trainee would utilize dull weapons to destroy waves of automatons. These automatons were segmented and held together by attraction magic, so if you hit one hard enough, it would fall apart like a toy. These were metal toys, of course, and it took extreme strength to break them apart, but that¡¯s what made it a great workout. Feiden, after having fought through four waves, was facing the fifth. The glossy metal segments, scattered densly by the flagging force of his blows, reanimated themselves into another squad of five. This was the farthest he had ever gotten though, and it was clear that he was reaching his limit. What Feiden lacked in strength he made up for with speed and precision. His spear could accurately target weak spots, and Emission more than made up for what power he lacked. Gurns was often impressed with how deft his technique was and how honed his Aura showed itself to be ¡ª not that he let him know. The kid was tough as nails. He had proven his words to be true and had yet to be really broken. He just kept going. Of course, Feiden was not without downsides. ¡°Come on! Three more! Don¡¯t fucking fail!¡± Putting it bluntly, his stamina sucked. Speed was definitely his specialty. He could concentrate a massive amount of power in small instants, and his body could weather that extreme stress. That made his average strength shine, especially when backed with his technique. He had no issues fighting Gurns¡¯ Authority Seven soldiers to a standstill. Depending on who they were, he could even put them on their back foot. That was saying a lot, considering all of them were already special operators. During many battles, it looked like Feiden would come out on top. Only for a handful of minutes, however. By now it was common knowledge that Feiden didn¡¯t have much stamina, and many of the soldiers understood that surviving longer was the way to win. Since they were a full Authority above him, they had no issues doing that, even if they were worse than him in other aspects. Gurns didn¡¯t appreciate that. He appreciated how Feiden could fight so far above his own level, but only being able to do so for short bursts was asking to get killed. Thus, he set out to change that. It had been months already and Feiden was definitely improving, but he wasn¡¯t satisfied. There was one thing that irked him though. ¡°Huuhh¡­¡± He heard Feiden heave for breath as if he were drowning, his spear snaking around the arm of another automaton and taking the limb off at the shoulder. Another couple thrusts and the thing went down, at the cost of almost all of Feiden¡¯s remaining energy. The last Automaton came swooping in with the gap, punching Feiden in the gut with its oversized fist. Feiden was tossed a short distance, but he stayed on his feet, going silent. After a few seconds, he gasped. ¡°Huuuhhh!!¡± He had the wind knocked out of him, but he continued to defend against the lifeless enemy. Unfortunately, the hunk of metal couldn¡¯t get tired, and it continued mercilessly pummeling him. He got knocked around, a few wounds appearing on his body before he was thrown out of the battle circle like a wet rag. With that, he lost. ¡°Fuck! You had one more fucking enemy to beat! Stand the fuck up!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Feiden grunted, using his spear as a crutch to raise his body. He barely had the presence of mind to look up at Gurns, who grabbed his sweat-soaked shirt and pulled. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°What the fuck is with you?! Even disregarding your shit stamina, your energy management makes me want to puke! You can¡¯t seem to slow the fuck down! Even during the first wave you¡¯re flying around like your life depends on it! By the third wave, your form falls apart, you move like a damned drunk! Then you¡¯re dead by the fifth! I refuse to believe that your stamina is that atrocious! So what the fuck is with you?!¡± Feiden was silent as he received his criticisms. From Gurns¡¯ perspective, he should be lasting over eight waves. But right now he couldn¡¯t even last a full five. Something was going on, and he wanted to know what. Feiden caught his breath, barely muttering when he no longer felt like he was suffocating. ¡°I¡¯m trying¡­ to figure out¡­ my Aura.¡± ¡°Figure it out? Fuck does that mean?¡± ¡°My¡­ technique.¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to make a technique?¡± Gurns¡¯ brow raised, taking the edge off his voice. Making an Aura technique was no small matter. It would essentially determine your martial path, for better or worse. The fact that Feiden was even considering making one meant he was either an idiot or far more talented than he initially realized. He was inclined to believe the latter. He had already shown extraordinary skill. He had learned Emission at merely Authority Five. That alone placed him at the highest levels of talent. He was effectively guaranteed to hit Authority 10 or 11. But an Aura Technique? That wasn¡¯t something you made unless you were both talented and were already pushing Authority 9 and 10. That was something you figured out in an attempt to surpass the Great Barrier. To do so at Authority 6? Gurns almost didn¡¯t want to believe it. However, it wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t noticed peculiarities in Feiden¡¯s Aura as he used it during battle. He was doubtful, but wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Just in case. Feiden nodded. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ almost there.¡± ¡°Is that right? How close is almost there?¡± ¡°...I want to call someone¡­ They might be able to help me. Just a little bit, and I think I can figure it out¡­ within the week.¡± ¡°Hm, fine then, I¡¯ll bite. I¡¯ll let you have your Aerial back for one call. Tomorrow.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Feiden nodded again before suddenly falling to his knees. Gurns watched as fell on his face and passed out on the metal ground. He rolled his eyes, ordering someone to carry the body. ¡­¡­¡­.. Once Feiden was functional, he went to Gurns to retrieve his Aerial. It had been taken away for the duration of his training. This was the first time in months that he had been able to use it and talk to someone beyond the walls of Stronghold Beta. So, within his room, he made his one call. There was some silence before the person on the other end picked up. ¡°Feiden? Holy shit, man, it¡¯s good to hear from you.¡± ¡°Hey, John.¡± Feiden couldn¡¯t stifle a wide smile. He had missed the sound of his friend¡¯s voice. ¡°How are things over there at Stronghold Charlie?¡± ¡°All things considered, I¡¯m doing alright. We might have some strategic complications soon that I¡¯m going to do my best to get through, but otherwise, I¡¯d say my military career is getting off to a relatively good start. What about you man? You¡¯ve been in the dark for a while now.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve managed to fulfill my end of our goal. Now I¡¯m just waiting on you guys.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re in Spec Ops? Hot damn¡­ How is it?¡± ¡°Hell, for now.¡± Feiden chuckled to himself. He had never been in so much pain and agony. Every single day was another harrowing battle to fight. There was no reprieve, and the only reason he was getting this call right now was because he had managed to earn some of Gurns¡¯ approval. Months of blood and sweat just for a single talk with his friend. It was worth it though. He hadn¡¯t realized how much he missed his friends. Talking to John now made him feel rejuvenated, in a way. John chuckled from the other end. ¡°Heh, I bet. I¡¯m surprised they let you call me. Was it just to say hi?¡± ¡°No, actually. I wanted to ask you about some things. Do you have time?¡± ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t, I¡¯d sure as shit make some. Go for it, man. What do you want to know?¡± Feiden smiled again before his mind started churning. ¡°Right now I¡¯m in the process of making my Aura Technique. It¡¯s¡­ complicated to explain, but I¡¯m trying to make myself faster. Not in the normal sense, either. I¡¯ve realized that my body has limits and I want my Aura to allow me to traverse distances in ways that running can¡¯t do. No movement technique has helped, so I¡¯m searching for something else. Something to bridge those gaps.¡± ¡°... Spatial folding.¡± John blurted out, making Feiden tilt his head. It seemed to be said without much thought, but he knew that the things John said weren¡¯t without purpose. ¡°What¡¯s that? Folding space?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a theoretical concept. I¡¯ve thought about how teleporters work across the Kingdom amd although I¡¯m no warlock, there are really only two ways that it can shoot someone across such vast distances instantaneously. The first is by folding space, the second is by poking holes in space and making wormholes. Either way, since it¡¯s possible for warlocks to make impossible teleporters and create spatial devices like pocket rings and such, then I see no reason why you couldn¡¯t apply the same concepts to your Aura.¡± ¡°I see. Can you explain them?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± John confirmed before pondering for some seconds in silence. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll start with the easiest explanation for wormholes, even though its not really accurate to how they would actually have to work. Imagine a piece of parchment, a flat surface and plane.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Now imagine you push two sides of the parchment together. You get that elevated part that curves.¡± ¡°Uh huh.¡± ¡°Now imagine a quill in your hand. You could trace that quill across the surface of the parchment, around the curve to the other side of the parchment. You¡¯re traversing all that distance regardless of the curves of the surface.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Now, Wormholes bypass that simply by stabbing through the paper, going from one side to the other without traversing the entire curve. Do you see what I mean?¡± ¡°...Interesting.¡± Feiden nodded, smiling. ¡°Wormholes. Traverse vast distances without traversing them at all. Basically, they punch through space in order to simply arrive at their destination. Of course, the space around us isn¡¯t a flat piece of paper to easily fold and punch through, but three dimensional and awfully resilient. I couldn¡¯t begin to tell you how warlocks do it but that¡¯s how it would work conceptually.¡± ¡°... It¡¯s certainly not easy to understand. What about spatial folding?¡± ¡°Well, folding space is a simple way of putting something extremely complex. And it¡¯s not so much folding as it is compressing or expanding. Basically, if you contract the space in front of you and expand the space behind you, you¡¯ll create something like a wave that you can ride in a particular direction without even moving. Almost like a wave of water. You¡¯d be riding down the wave but so long as you continue to generate the wave in front and behind you, you¡¯ll keep moving. Of course, this method of travel could be likened to moving the planet instead of yourself in order to cover ground, but with magic, apparently anything is possible. Teleporters sure as hell shouldn¡¯t be possible but hey, fuck science, right?¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Feiden scratched his cheek. John seemed irked, but he wasn¡¯t sure why. He was more focused on his words. Contract the space in front and expand the space behind. He could certainly imagine it with the wave analogy. It would create a current of space, and if he could channel it, he could cross distances without even expending energy. Well, it probably wouldn¡¯t be that nice, but it would no doubt make him much faster and decrease his energy usage significantly per unit of distance traveled. ¡°Are there any other methods of traversing space?¡± ¡°Other than those? Not really, at least none that I can think of conceptually.¡± ¡°What about in regards to plain movement? Sometimes I have trouble finding grip on a surface, something that if solved, would allow me to stop and go with far greater speeds.¡± ¡°You mean traction? Well, unless you can use Aura to magically create more friction between your shoe and the ground, I can¡¯t see you solving that problem. Of course, you could also use Aura to just give you speed or reduce your momentum, but I couldn¡¯t tell you how that would work either.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Feiden pondered in thought. It seemed that if he wanted to really wanted to achieve another realm of movement, then he¡¯d have to utilize the same techniques that warlocks used to make their teleporters. Shift the world under your feet, contract space to simply shorten the distance, pierce space to simply arrive at your destination. Feiden looked around him. Space wasn¡¯t some kind of atmospheric thing like air. It was ever present and was the very fabric that they existed upon. However, it could be bent and manipulated. Warlocks were proof of that, and from John¡¯s words, there were at least theoretical ways of doing so scientifically. Question was, how would he bend it? He didn¡¯t know, so he asked. ¡°How would one go about manipulating space?¡± ¡°Magically? No idea. Scientifically? Space is bent all the time by gravity. Objects with mass, like a sword, a person, or an entire world generate what¡¯s known as a gravity well. Imagine a blanket that¡¯s stretched apart by its four corners and lifted into the air. If you were to drop an apple onto that blanket, it would sink and create a sloped curve downward. That¡¯s what gravity looks like around objects. By that logic, all objects are attracted to each other because of this. If you were to place another apple at the edge of the blanket, it would gradually roll toward the first apple at the bottom of the well. That¡¯s what gravitational attraction looks like, and the heavier the object, the deeper and stronger the gravity well. That¡¯s why the world pulls us down toward it, because it''s massive, whereas you won¡¯t feel another person attracting you to them because they have comparatively minuscule mass.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± He didn¡¯t see, not completely at least. He certainly understood the visualization, but that was with a blanket and apple. Like with the wormholes, the difference in dimensions demanded a different way of seeing things that he couldn¡¯t quite wrap his head around. However, he knew that gravity could bend space. Space was bent around him. When he thought about the obelisk at the training ground, he understood how it could bend space like a well and pull them harder into the ground. Gravity and space were linked. If he went back and thought about the blanket and apple analogy, he figured that in order to expand space, he needed to apply more gravity. Like the apple stretched the blanket, gravity would stretch space. That¡¯s how he would expand space, by stretching it. In order to contract it, he¡¯d need to do the opposite. Eliminate gravity, perhaps even reverse it. He imagined an apple that had not just zero gravity, floating on the blanket and keeping it from stretching, but negative gravity, where the blanket would be pulled toward the apple. It would bring the rest of the blanket to it, allowing it to move a greater distance easily. 10 steps in the distance of one. He just had to imagine himself as the apple. ¡°Hey John, is there such thing as negative gravity?¡± ¡°Not really? I think the term you¡¯re looking for is negative mass, or negative energy. I don¡¯t remember specifically but that¡¯s one of the reasons bending space like I¡¯ve mentioned is impossible. If mass generates gravity, negative mass would expel gravity, or create an anti-gravity field. If that were possible then bending space willy nilly would be easy. Of course, who¡¯s to say you couldn¡¯t get magic to do that? Maybe magical energy comes from some sort of exotic matter? Either way, it fucks science, so why do I care?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± There he went again. Righteous anger toward magic. He must really like science. Still, his words all but confirmed Feiden¡¯s theory. ¡°Thank you, John. Your advice was very helpful.¡± ¡°Well I¡¯m glad. Anything else you want to know?¡± ¡°No, I think I¡¯m alright for now.¡± ¡°Very well. If you want to know any more, please give me a call. It¡¯s good to hear from you regardless.¡± ¡°Mm, you too. I¡¯ll talk to you later, John.¡± ¡°Talk to you later.¡± Feiden clicked off his Aerial, the room going silent. ¡°Apple, apple, apple¡­¡± He muttered, standing from his chair and pacing around the room. He looked around, his Aura reaching out and touching the air. An omnipresent fabric called space. He was the apple that could bend it to his will with the tool known as gravity. It was already bending around him, rooting him to the floor. Now, he needed to use that. Redirect the energy, like redirecting the oncoming strike of another blade, utilizing it for another purpose like a follow up attack. And direct it like a current. Generate a wave to carry his body. Gravity and antigravity, a pair of opposites, pushing and pulling against each other. Feiden found himself outside. There were people around him but he didn¡¯t pay them any mind, not even when they yelled. He looked across the base toward the gates, which were swung wide open. He could see off into the distance, a large desert of parched mud and emaciated flora. Suddenly, the area around him fluctuated. Like the obelisk, the field within his Aura generated an oppressive gravity. Yet Feiden stood tall, not even his hair affected by it. Then, his feet lifted slightly off the floor, unnoticed by all except him. He felt his body turn weightless despite the surrounding gravity multiplying. Push and pull¡­ ¡°Be the apple¡­¡± He muttered, all the people around him hearing his words within their minds, their Auras drawn to his. Then, he leaned forward, his body flickering before shooting off into the distance faster than the eye could follow. One moment he was still. The next he was gone. Those previously around him thought he had vanished. When he stopped moving, his face twisted as his Aura vanished. He fell to the floor, his skin red, his mouth opening wide as he vomited up a stream of bright red blood. Trembling all over, every bone screaming as if fractured, and organs feeling less like concrete entities and more a soup, Feiden¡¯s consciousness flickered in and out. But he had to make sure of something. Barely managing to wrench his head around with seized-up muscles, he spotted the base, now just a little blotch in the blurred horizon. He had covered six miles in but an instant. The stress it put on his body was unaccounted for, but that was inconsequential compared to what he had just achieved. He was the apple¡­ and the apple could bend space to its will. With that thought, he slumped against the ground and passed out. Chapter 172: Idiocy November 18, 623 When the sun dipped over the horizon, the Snow Doves ¨C recently returned, debriefed, and briefed yet again ¨C went out on their Steeds back into the cold and darkening forest. Already in the field, Pollux and his half of the Pathfinders were busy gathering information for us when we rendezvoused. As for me? I would lead Squads Two and Four, as well as our three infiltrators, to finally kick off the insertion. The three Chiefs, two knights and a warlock, had been taught exactly what I needed them to do and how to do it for every day that they were behind enemy lines. Analysis was unneeded. They just needed to log everything they saw in a somewhat organized way. Intelligence could crunch the numbers, but we needed the crucial raw data to even begin. Both the fact they could somehow still not provide information properly and that I even had that thought at all irked me to no end, but we were beyond the point where I could shove myself into the infiltration team. It was too late to even complain out loud; my concerns only echoed in the confines of my mind. I could only make sure things went as well as they could. ¡°You¡¯re leaving at a bad time.¡± Jasmine muttered beside me, face scrunched. My two squads of Pathfinders were packing what little remained to be packed. We would be deploying in less than 10 minutes. ¡°I¡¯d prefer if we could receive word from base before you left. If the order to retreat from the Treehouse came down, we might not be able to ensure your safety.¡± ¡°We can make it work. I tripled our ration supplies. We could spend the next month out there and be completely fine.¡± Jasmine still didn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°Just make sure you get out there safely. Err on the side of caution. If things are too risky, pull out and preserve lives.¡± ¡°If things at the entrance to the crossing are really that bad, then I can¡¯t imagine how things are beyond it. We need this information. I¡¯m going to get it one way or another if it means the generals will act on it.¡± I thought about what might be happening with the newly discovered Scourge armies and Bombardos. While this was a matter of life or death for Treehouse and Stronghold Charlie, I had no idea what other, possibly worse, issues the Kingdom was facing at the moment. I wasn¡¯t expecting lightning fast strategic responses, but the Kingdom at least had instant communication. A decision had to be reached quickly, but whether that resulted in an equally rapid mobilization was up in the air. The issue here was that the Scourge was sending an army that it shouldn¡¯t have bothered to send. The reason Stronghold Charlie, and by extension, the Treehouse, was so understaffed was because the Scourge never bothered to send massive armies due to the complex terrain. It was too logistically difficult. And yet, here they were, scrambling over the harsh terrain with heavy artillery and a hundred thousand monsters to boot. The ¡°how¡± was certainly important ¨C I had a suspicion that would be how we might repel their incursion ¨C but the ¡°why¡± was equally important. Did they really have that many lives to throw away on the harsh terrain? Or did they have some form of superior logistical magitech? Whatever it was, we needed to know. This mission would be the biggest step toward that end. Once the Pathfinders were done loading, I walked over and grabbed onto a metal handle on the Steed. ¡°I¡¯ll check in before we go dark.¡± ¡°Mm. Stay safe Cooper.¡± I gave her a salute in response, which she returned before heading into headquarters. I looked around at the four Steeds that comprised our convoy, all of them ready. Then, I spoke into the Aerial. ¡°Green light, Pathfinders. Let¡¯s roll.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ November 20, 623 Thankfully, the route I picked was just as clear as I hoped it would be. I had been worried ever since finding that Scourge army in the ravine, but since this one was on the other side of the map, Scourge presence was nearly nonexistent, as I figured it would be. I was happy to be right. Unfortunately, I should¡¯ve rethought which squads I gave to Pollux before he left. I hadn¡¯t been worried before but now it was coming back to be a pain in my ass. That irritating voice came through the general channel on my Aerial. ¡°Hey pipsqueak, can we stop for the night already?¡± ¡°Negative, First Sergeant. We¡¯ve got a schedule to stay on.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really forcing us to drive for 20 hours at a time?¡± ¡°Please keep this channel clear for any emergencies. Thank you.¡± I kept my voice as professional as I could, despite how incredibly annoyed Eric¡¯s voice made me. I found some solace in ignoring his subsequent comments and complaints. It wasn¡¯t like I was comfortable either, but a knight like Eric had no right to bitch and complain. He was lucky that he was still a rank higher than me. Even though I had operational command, I couldn¡¯t just shut him down. I¡¯d be putting in for another promotion when I got back to the Stronghold, whenever that would be. The first two days of the trip passed uneventfully. Nothing to fight, nothing to hide from. Boring was just the way I wanted it to be. We had gone dark not long into the first day, and would stay that way for the duration of the mission. We had no connection to base; there wouldn¡¯t be reinforcements if something went wrong. I didn¡¯t mind that either. I enjoyed this kind of independence. I frequently reminded myself that this was my mission. I wasn¡¯t here to just follow along, I was leading¡­ and needed to act like it. Of course, I was acutely aware of my position as the ¡®commanding officer¡¯. I was the lowest ranking man here, and, like with Eric, I couldn¡¯t pull rank on anybody, nor could I expect to be treated as if my position was a given. Our position (Eric discounted) was one of equal exchange though. The Pathfinders tended to trust my plans; I had served well as Liaison and impromptu tactical advisor. If I didn¡¯t act like a prick, lording my position over these soldiers, they too would trust my commands and think before acting. I didn¡¯t have to wrangle them. On the contrary, all I had to do for the duration of our travel was make sure we were on the right course and pick out good camping spots. Otherwise, I was spending most of my day working on my formations and projecting through my 5th Star in search of more weapons. My primary focus was on my advancement formation, but I was also spending energy on developing the Mind Palace technique. I had made some headway, but it would be a drawn out process until I could run the idea by Maxwell, perhaps even enlisting him to help. That required me to get back to the Capital though. I wondered if the military knew the concept of vacation days. There was no way they were holding soldiers in these bases for decades at a time. There had to be some opportunity to visit home. Not that I had a home to visit. I just wanted to see Umara. Either way, it wouldn¡¯t be soon, so I focused on training instead. We had three more days until we arrived at our target area. Besides the ass-numbing drives, this was a nice break from the normal bustle of the bases. Peace in the middle of nowhere. The calm before the storm. ¡­¡­ Two more days passed, and we settled for the night. Camp was set up, dinner was made, and it was almost time to retire. I called out. ¡°Dennis and Smithson, you¡¯re on night watch tonight.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I received two unenthusiastic replies. ¡°Hey summoner, why don¡¯t you take watch instead of making everyone else do it? Aren¡¯t you the one with good eyes?¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Plus one nuisance. I sighed. ¡°Same reason I¡¯m not making our drivers take watch, First Sergeant. We need our sleep. You all can sleep in the Steeds. I need to navigate.¡± ¡°Please, not like you don¡¯t just sit on your ass all day doing whatever you want. You think you get full authority just because you¡¯re the ops commander?¡± ¡°I get enough to ensure that we don¡¯t stray from the mission objectives.¡± I looked over at Eric, who was quickly getting on my nerves. He had a knack for pissing people off. ¡°Do you question Commander Pollux this much, First Sergeant?¡± ¡°No, bu-¡± ¡°Then I expect you to do what¡¯s necessary in order to carry out this mission, especially listening to me. Contrary to what you might think, I¡¯m not stupid. I only put together this whole mission and all. And we will not stray from the plan just because you don¡¯t care for me giving out night watch duties, or because you don¡¯t care to listen to a summoner.¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t care to be interrupted, fucking smartass. Since you seem to know fucking everything, why couldn¡¯t you guess that? And how about you pipe down when your superiors are talking, since now you do know!¡± ¡°...¡± I stared at him blankly, hardly dumbfounded. I probably should¡¯ve left him behind¡­ or put him with Pollux. I guess I was stupid for not thinking of that. I¡¯d take care not to make that mistake again. The depths of his idiocy were infinite, and his penchant for making problems equally vast. So it made perfect sense for him to mistake my silence for slack-jawed stupidity. Projection and all that. ¡°The fuck are you looking at, summoner?¡± ¡°... First Sergeant.¡± I had opened my mouth to speak, but it wasn¡¯t me who had called Eric. Chief Reginold, a scowl on his face, flanked by the two other Chiefs, had raised his cool gaze to Eric. Eric turned around to Reginold. ¡°... Yes?¡± ¡°Come here. Now.¡± ¡°...¡± Eric was silent as he stood and walked over, leaning on one foot once he stood in front of Chief Reginold. ¡°Yes si-¡± ¡°Salute your fucking superiors, and present yourself correctly.¡± ¡°...¡± Eric stood there silently, stunned for a moment. He looked around, everyone else dead silent and watching him. Reginold barked. ¡°Now, First Sergeant!¡± ¡°Sir! Yes sir!¡± Eric snapped off a salute, back ramrod straight. ¡°Now what the fuck are you doing in front of me, First Sergeant?!¡± ¡°Sir, reporting as requested!¡± ¡°Alright then! Listen closely.¡± Chief Reginold glanced at me before continuing. ¡°This mission that we¡¯re currently conducting has been created with very careful planning, because even the smallest mistakes will mean that I, as well as the two Chiefs beside me, will face far greater danger within enemy territory once we insert. And the only person who¡¯s taken consideration of our lives here is our Operational Commander.¡± He fell silent for a moment. Eric let his jaw hang open, in the middle of aborting a remark better left unsaid, when Reginold finally raised his voice. ¡°I will NOT let some sniveling First Sergeant endanger our lives! You will listen to EVERY word and command your Operational Commander gives to you from now on, without question nor critique, because he knows more about what¡¯s required of everyone here than you ever will. Is that understood?!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Eric continued saluting. He had no choice before the sheer might of an Authority 9 Chief, someone he could never hope to match up against. However, despite being face to face with an Authority Nine warlock, he wasn¡¯t sufficiently cowed. I could feel the sheer rage in his Aura, as if he were trying to kill Chief Reginold with his mind. And if I could feel it, so too could they. Chief Reginold stood, looking down at Eric. It seemed like Eric¡¯s own anger had pissed Reginold off. I was sure that from Reginold¡¯s perspective, Eric was acting defiant because he didn¡¯t understand why he should fear, or respect, the power of a Chief. ¡°Are you sure, First Sergeant? Would you salute your Ops Commander in apology, then?¡± ¡°... No sir. We don¡¯t salute our inferiors in the military.¡± ¡°Well then, today we¡¯re going to step out of our comfort zone. I¡¯d bet my life that Captain Cooper will rise to your rank equivalent and soon surpass it long before you could ever hope to rise to the rank of Commander. And since he has command of this operation, I want you to act like it. Go over there and salute him.¡± ¡°Sir-¡± Eric was about to speak in protest when Reginold raised his hand with lightning speed, backed by the power of water and earth. He grabbed Eric¡¯s neck and then brought him down, slamming his face into the dirt. I could feel the tremor under my feet. I kept watching without a word, thinking about how this would both help and hinder me. Reginold bellowed. ¡°I will not hear the slightest hint of protest from you, especially against me! You are nothing more than a liability to us! If you dare to threaten the integrity of this operation with your sheer retardation, then I will find a Scourge encampment and let them skin you alive! I would sooner kill you myself than risk my life by letting you step out of line! So do as I say, how I say it, and when I say it! Do you fucking understand?! Or do I need to engrave this in your skull?!¡± ¡°I understand, sir!¡± Eric yelled his response, his face half uncovered by dirt. Then, Reginold stood with him in hand and threw him to the ground at my feet. ¡°Then salute your fucking Ops Commander, and apologize!¡± ¡°...¡± Eric crawled to his feet, looking at me with sheer hatred before saluting. ¡°Sir! I apologize for my actions!¡± ¡°Mm. Thank you for the apology, First Sergeant.¡± I didn¡¯t smile, but I did salute him back lazily. Another thing I did was transmit the amusement I was feeling in my Aura straight to Eric while withholding it from everyone else. I wanted him to know just how happy I was to see him getting treated like this. I wanted him to know that I would revel in this. I wanted him to hate me with every fiber of his being. ¡®You¡¯re a fucking pussy.¡¯ I muttered that in my mind, sending those words straight to his. Nobody but him could hear it, and it made him positively livid. His hand moved in the direction of my neck, quickly, but not quick enough. I soon saw his body go flying toward a nearby boulder, hitting it so hard that he went through it and tumbled into another, cracking it. I could see blood stream out of his mouth. ¡°Haah¡­ Healer, don¡¯t bother healing him. He¡¯s a knight. He can tough it out.¡± Chief Reginold let out a sigh and straightened his clothes out, cooling down his brief anger. He nodded to me. ¡°Captain Cooper, please continue with what you were saying.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± I gave him a quick salute as he went to go sit back down. Then, I continued with my orders for the night. ¡°Dennis and Smithson, you¡¯re on watch tonight. Like the last few nights, if you see anything at all, especially indications of a scout, come get me. We¡¯re getting close to Commander Pollux but I¡¯d still like to remain concealed for a bit longer. As for sleeping tonight, we need to be up in nine hours. Be fully rested. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll be getting close to a lot of Scourge activity. We need to be battle ready. That¡¯s all. I¡¯ll be in my tent if anyone needs me.¡± I quickly wrapped up my orders for the night and walked off before anyone could formally respond. Everyone was on edge after Reginold made a First Sergeant grovel at my feet, and I didn¡¯t want them to think that such treatment was for anyone else beyond Eric. While I wasn¡¯t necessarily trying to make friends with everyone, I didn¡¯t want people to avoid me either. Not for matters of socialization, but because I wasn¡¯t some tyrant. I needed to know if anything was going on with my soldiers, or risk overlooking details that would jeopardize our mission ¨C and our lives. If they feared even talking to me, it wouldn¡¯t end well for any of us. Still, this little display would definitely affect how people treated me, at least in these squads. Although I didn¡¯t mind that Eric wanted me dead. If he really stepped out of line, I¡¯d have every justification to put him down, whether that was by ejecting him from the Pathfinders altogether or actually riding him from life. I wanted this flight risk gone. This situation could be twisted to my advantage. As I walked back to my tent, brushing the heavy rainproof flaps out of the way, I sighed. Navigating the trails and projecting into my dimensions simultaneously was incredibly tiring, and I wanted at least eight hours of sleep. With all the analysis and planning work recently, the past week had been four or five hour sleeps a day with catnaps in between, interrupted by urgent reports of a Scout troop or Bombardo prints being spotted that left me, Jasmine, and Hendrix ragged. That was all to say that I was out not long after I hit my pillow. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°C-Captain Cooper¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± My eyes opened, someone just outside my tent and calling my name. I looked at my Aerial. It had only been seven hours. It would have do. ¡°Captain Cooper?¡± ¡°What? What is it?¡± I got up and considered throwing my flap open in irritation, but settled for plushing it a little more forcefully than necessary. Having to wake up just an hour before departure pissed me off, but the memories of last night were still vivid in my mind, not that they ever weren¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t take out my anger on people. Other than Eric. Smithson, his hand resting uneasily on the pommel of his sword, was nervously glancing around outside. His gaze settled on me, and, although I felt a flicker of fear, there was more relief and assurance. ¡°I think you might want to see this. There¡¯s movement on that cliff.¡± ¡°What kind of movement?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± I marched off with him to a Steed surrounding our camp, donning my mask and hood to keep out the bitter cold. He pointed off at some flickers of light on a clifftop silhouetted by trees. My eyes widened. There were four Cyclops Scouts, and a sizable escort of spiked wolves. Under normal circumstances, our Chiefs would¡¯ve been able to wipe them out easily, but not before they exposed our position. But these weren¡¯t normal circumstances. A large group of Flickers, ephemeral flashes of light among the dense tree trunks, were tearing the Scout troop apart, grappling with hesitantly backpedaling wolves and pouncing in packs on the larger Scouts. Since they weren¡¯t far though, I took a knee and brought out my Springfield, scope mounted and silencer threaded. Even with empowerment, the silencer didn¡¯t do too much to muffle the sound. But it would prevent the loudest of the noise from attracting anything in the surrounding area. It would be the best I could do. I started picking off enemies, helping the Flickers best I could. A Scout, covered in vicious blurs of light, charging a beam attack. A wolf behind a tree trunk, ready to pounce on the creature tearing apart its comrade. The battle was over quickly and I only let off eight rounds, killing just as many, but it was something. A few stragglers still struggled, but they were quickly dispatched by overwhelming force. The Flickers settled down, walking around the carnage they had so effortlessly wrought. A few turned to look at us. From 350 meters away, I stared at the graceful amalgamations that served as their bodies, and felt them looking right back at me, deeper than most ever had. I had a feeling their Auras could make do in place of their eyes. The last Flicker to have turned to me let out a whistle of sorts, and the group turned and trotted off, pulling their dead, and leaving my line of sight. I sent my gun away and rubbed my chin. Chapter 173: Test November 23, 623 Flickers. Nemesis of the Scourge. Or perhaps the other way around. Either way, they were known to travel in groups and hunt those monsters. I had just witnessed one of their battles. Nothing extraordinary, but it was still amazing to see something so rare. Finding Flickers at all was rare, let alone seeing them do battle. It seemed they didn¡¯t want anything to do with us though. They had left after finishing their work. In a way though, I wished I could thank them. They took care of a scout troop that could¡¯ve compromised our position. It was lucky. More than that though, I felt something while looking at them, feeling their group Aura with my own. They were precious beings, something I felt like I wanted to protect. I wasn¡¯t sure why that was, but they seemed pure in a way. I hadn¡¯t felt that the last time I encountered them but my Aura also wasn¡¯t nearly as developed then. Plus, I had gone in intending to hunt them. Part of me regretted doing so now. It had gotten Umara a trusty companion though, so I wasn¡¯t complaining. I wondered how well the weird wolf thing was doing. With Umara getting so powerful so quickly, it would be hard pressed to keep up. The process seemed automatic though; that would help it a bit. Hopefully it would grow to become a companion worth having, something that could protect her. I looked over at Smithson, waving. ¡°They¡¯re gone.¡± ¡°What happened up there?¡± ¡°Flickers killed a scout troop for us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ rare.¡± ¡°I know. We need to make sure to keep our eyes peeled though. We¡¯re obviously in enemy territory now.¡± I jumped off the Steed and walked back into camp, waving off those who had woken up from the sounds of my gun. ¡°I¡¯m going back to sleep. We wake in three hours, and that¡¯s three more hours of rest I need.¡± I climbed back into my tent with those words, slumping down into my pile of blankets. It was four hours later that we finally got on the road. Today, we¡¯d be attempting to meet up with Pollux and the rest of the Pathfinders. ¡­¡­ ¡­ Another day passed, and with the help of the Chiefs and our sensitivity to Aura, we were able to completely avoid the Scourge and make our way to our target area. It took longer, but we made it. However, even after an entire day of travel and searching, we were unable to find the Pathfinders. Of course, there was a lot of land to search and I¡¯d told them to scout around, but I had also told them that we¡¯d be at this target area within a certain range of days. They should¡¯ve been there to meet us. Not that it changed our plans. We¡¯d wait at least another day or two for them to show up. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t have to think about what to do if they didn¡¯t. It was halfway through the next day that they arrived at the rendezvous. Their Steeds looked battered, so it was apparent they¡¯d gotten into a battle. All vehicles were accounted for though, so it didn¡¯t seem to be anything major, certainly nothing that would¡¯ve killed them. We met up and I jumped out to meet Pollux. ¡°Commander. Good to see you in one piece.¡± ¡°Likewise, Cooper.¡± ¡°How has it been out here? Anything out of the ordinary?¡± ¡°Not particularly¡­¡± Pollux walked with me, the two of us moving to a spot behind one of the Steeds to talk. The rest were setting up camp. ¡°Being away from base for so long certainly isn¡¯t fun, but it¡¯s doable and we haven¡¯t been getting into too much trouble. As for the Scourge, I have your report but putting it simply, it¡¯s not looking amazing. There are a lot more troops coming out of that crossing than you¡¯d thought there would be, and a good amount of those giant bug things. I¡¯m hard pressed to find a sneaky way to infiltrate.¡± Pollux lifted his hand, a stack of papers appearing in it. I took them and quickly read a few. There were several reports of armies marching through routes by the thousands. Mostly low level grunts but from the numbers it looked like the Scourge was only ramping things up, not slowing down. I¡¯d predicted that they would have sent most of what they had over already. I felt that was the case especially when I saw that massive army in the ravine. But now, I wasn¡¯t so sure. The Treehouse was close to the Stronghold, but it was still relatively out of the way. Behind it there was another Stronghold ¨C Alpha if I wasn¡¯t mistaken. The Scourge wouldn¡¯t be able to penetrate too far into our lines before being met with even more resistance. However, Stronghold Charlie was still up there. Were they trying to establish a route behind us to avoid the technical terrain? Why were they investing so much into this attack? I thought this was going to be a short little skirmish that would return to normal within a couple months. From everything I was seeing, this was about to turn into a full blown warfront that would take years to resolve. I sighed. ¡°Thanks for the report, Commander. I¡¯m not looking too optimistic either.¡± ¡°Are you sure that they¡¯ll be safe to continue? They¡¯re Chiefs, but I can¡¯t help but feel like this is fruitless.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, this comes down to a matter of principle.¡± I looked back down at the report and imagined the map and numbers in my mind. ¡°Its looking like to me that our military has been doing nothing but defending against the Scourge all this time. They¡¯re doing nothing to fight back. They¡¯ve collected no intelligence on the Scourge¡¯s bases and camps while they continue to send scouts and gather every detail of our lives without consequence. Then they keep launching attacks and we do nothing to divert or dull those attacks at all. This is the first attempt in too long to try and get a glimpse of their core operations.¡± ¡°The issue is that we don¡¯t throw away lives like they do. They just keep tossing mindless soldiers at us. We don¡¯t have mindless soldiers to do the same.¡± ¡°I understand that, but something has to be done, even if risks need to be taken. If we continue to just sit back and take the hits, eventually we¡¯re going to be the ones to fall, not them. That¡¯s why I worked so hard on getting this mission ready. We need more information so we can start being proactive. Otherwise, one day they¡¯re going to march over with insurmountable numbers, and we won¡¯t know about it until its too late. That¡¯s how bases get destroyed.¡± ¡°Like Purple Sky.¡± ¡°Yes. You of all people would know that I have personal experience in this department.¡± I smiled a bit as he scratched his head, looking discontent. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll get no protests from me. I¡¯ll leave the strategy to you. So long as I can trust that you¡¯ll keep my soldiers safe, I have no issues.¡± ¡°Well, seeing that I¡¯m part of your soldiers, I give you my word.¡± ¡°That¡¯s technically true¡­ but you¡¯re rapidly turning into something else. With Polly taking you under her wing, it won¡¯t be long until you¡¯re commanding these soldiers instead of fighting with them. Actually, scratch that. You¡¯re already commanding soldiers, both us and Snow Doves. I can hardly order you around like one of my soldiers when you¡¯re in charge of the damn mission. Which is fine. In fact, I like having someone around who actually knows what the hell they¡¯re talking about.¡± Pollux let out a sharp breath and looked back toward the rest of the Pathfinders. We were camping out for the rest of the day so everyone was busy clearing the fungal mat from the area. Not that long ago I was curious as to why someone like Pollux was only a Commander when he was an Authority 8, deserving of the rank First Commander. Perhaps he had just recently advanced but I was beginning to understand a bit. He was passive. He was powerful, but when he so easily deferred to me, I got the feeling that he either didn¡¯t care enough to or wasn¡¯t able to take true command of his soldiers. The missions the Pathfinders did were often simple and repetitive. Sure, he had to bring back mission reports to Polly, but as far as I knew, another warlock was doing that before I came in. Since I was the summoner, I quickly got that job. I remember him giving it to me my first day there. That was a bit too fast if I gave it some scrutiny. Granted, there were few, if any, summoners that went out into the field. I was the perfect guy for the job of collecting intelligence from everyone¡¯s perspective. But still. Pollux was great from my perspective because he cared about his soldiers and let me have an amazing level of autonomy. That didn¡¯t mean he was the sharpest commander in the shed, though. As one got more powerful and rose ranks, they also had to take on more responsibility, which included being a part of the strategizing process. If he was a bit dull on that end, then it was no wonder he struggled to get a higher rank. They wouldn¡¯t put him in charge of more soldiers if he couldn¡¯t handle it. Now, he was just letting me take the lead. I enjoyed the lack of barriers, but it changed my evaluation of him a bit. He was a good man and a good soldier. Not necessarily the best commander. Well, it was either that, or I was totally misreading him. Maybe he really just didn¡¯t care and didn¡¯t mind me coming in to take charge. Maybe he just really trusted intelligence agents like me and Polly. Maybe he simply didn¡¯t care to get promoted and had little ambition beyond what he had. I was fine with that too. After a bit more conversation, I took the rest of the reports and went to go do my job. I had to read every word and get an overview of what this place was looking like without actually seeing it for myself. Then, I¡¯d dish out recon assignments and get a more precise grasp on the situation at the eastern crossing before figuring out how we¡¯d insert our Chiefs behind enemy lines without them attracting the attention of the entire Scourge army back there. The process should take about a week. Thankfully, we had stocked up on food, and magic would provide us with water. We wouldn¡¯t be lacking for the time being. With the information in hand I buckled down. There were no Colonels here to tell me what to do or how to do it. I was in deep and this was my operation to run. Everything that happened from here on out was on my name, and I¡¯d take this opportunity for everything it presented. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Dear¡­ I agree that his punishment should be severe¡­ but this is rather incessant.¡± ¡°I agree. Which is exactly why I¡¯m letting it happen.¡± Ignatius Verga gazed down at the massive arena, his wife Willow standing beside him. This was just one of several tests, but the exceptional part was the fact that his son was about to take it on right now instead of another year or two from now. The Templars were no ordinary military force. They were soldiers that stood above the rest, devout followers of Christ who would give their lives, should it be necessary, to vanquish the evil, the Scourge, of this world. Even beyond their loyalties, their will was unquestionable, and each one was expensive to train. They were skilled, backed by a nigh-endless budget, and forged through the fires of constant war. The Church never once let up in their fight against the enemies of mankind, and, unlike the Kingdom, refused to merely defend. They took the fight to them, and to do so despite the sheer difficulty took high discipline from the soldiers carrying out those operations. But the Templars were only the surface level force. The war against the Scourge was not won with numbers, but with sheer, strategic power. That¡¯s what the Paladin¡¯s Order was for. The Paladin¡¯s Order was a semi-secret group of special purpose behemoths. If the Templars were a spear, the Order was a dagger¡¯s tip. Roughly divided into three tiers of soldiers, each vocation had a separate purpose. Tier 3, the Squires, low Authority but still well trained soldiers, were responsible for logistics and support operations for the rest of the Order. They were smart but generally combat incapable. Tier 2, the Field Observation Group, or colloquial Fogs, were intermediate Authority soldiers who were skilled at disappearing into enemy territory and coming back with intelligence on the enemy. They were the Order¡¯s intelligence sector. Finally, the Tier 1 Raiders were the special tactics and combat division of the Order. Known widely (in the areas that knew they existed at all) as the most lethal group of soldiers to exist, they were responsible for killing the most dangerous enemies the Scourge had to offer, as well as handling the circumstances that often came with placing themselves in such precarious situations. There were various levels of power within the Raiders. Some of them stood on top of the world while others couldn¡¯t boast anything more than Authority 7 power. No matter what though, every single one was a force of nature, an inhuman killing machine with traits that placed them far beyond an ordinary powerful soldier. Oftentimes, they were lethal despite their power. To become a Raider, the bare minimum prerequisite was to kill an Authority 8 Royal. And the son of Ignatius Verga, Vetsmon Verga, was about to attempt to become one. It had been months since he started training. He had been put through conditions akin to nightmares, and dragged through even worse. He had suffered mind-breaking strain, mental fatigue overlapping with his struggle with Anarchy. But instead of sympathizing, Ignatius allowed the instructors to use everything in order to bring his son to his lowest possible point. He had been broken, there was no doubt about that. When he looked at his son, even he felt pity. His wife had almost cried watching him waiting his turn, his beaten body and soulless eyes telling little of the harrowing Aura around him, painting a most dreadful display. He looked like a husk, and it was clear that he would never be the same Vetsmon ever again. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. However, Ignatius believed in his son. This was no longer about some punishment. It hadn¡¯t been for a while. He watched Vetsmon step into the arena. Once he was in the center, an instructor dragged in a bound Royal. If John had been there, he would have recognized it. A King Royal, descending from the King of Despair. A purple humanoid with digitigrade legs and a black hole on its face surrounded by spiked teeth. Not only that, but it had its armor and weapons. It wasn¡¯t even hurt after having remained in Church captivity. It was at its prime, and it was ready to kill. It held power in the middle levels of Authority 8, to say nothing of its innate control over Aura and monstrous physicality. Everyone watching could feel the hopelessness it exuded, the nihilistic pull of its mere existence. But nobody there was capable of being affected by it. For the most part, anyway. One man could, and he was about to face it. Vetsmon, in comparison, was around the height of Authority 6. After having been pushed like he was, it was no wonder his already talented body was able to climb in power with unreal speeds. But he wasn¡¯t yet Authority 7, and all that strain was reaching a point where, if it kept up, he would break before he improved. And not just mentally. ¡°... Will someone save him if it really comes down to it?¡± ¡°...¡± Ignatius didn¡¯t respond to his wife. Would he let his son die? He didn¡¯t want to. But he also knew that he needed to allow his son to be pushed to the limit, to the edge of death. By that time, a single wrong move could determine his life and death. There would come a time when he would face the same thing, just in a situation where nobody could help him. When that time came, would he have the luxury of having a protective father? No, he needed to push his son now so that he could trust in his ability to preserve his life later. He knew there were safeguards in place to protect Vetsmon if he was really going to lose his life, as well as the most powerful healers the Church could find. But even those contingencies weren¡¯t perfect. What happened would remain to be seen. The Royal turned its head, observing everyone around it. It was clearly surrounded by obscenely powerful individuals in a place it could never hope to escape. And it was given one task: to kill the trainee in front of it. If it did that, it would live to see another day. That was the promise. If it failed, it would be killed by the trainee anyway. Its path was obvious. It looked at Vetsmon. He wasn¡¯t wearing any armor and only had a greatsword and shield. He also looked half dead. Easy prey, but his Aura made it hesitate. He was clearly a man on the edge. The edge of what, though, it didn¡¯t know. Couldn¡¯t know. Vetsmon stood, frozen but relaxed, until suddenly, the instructor gave a command. ¡°Kill it.¡± Once heard, Vetsmon stepped forward, raising his shield while slowly approaching the Royal. It held its own weapon, a curved sword, and watched for a few seconds. Then, Vetsmon lunged out. Despite the size of the greatsword, he moved it like a rapier. The Royal dodged before slashing upward, knocking the sword away like a toy. The greatsword was incredibly heavy, with the touch of a master craftsman. Vetsmon would break before it did, but that was the only notable feature. It didn¡¯t have any special functions; it was just a metal blade. But to the uninitiated, one would¡¯ve thought it enchanted with the highest grade of lightness and speed. Its Aura exploded before it bore down on Vetsmon with its full power. It attacked his mind ruthlessly, its spiked teeth fluctuating as its face spewed out an unholy cloud of abyssal fog. It didn¡¯t obscure vision, but any who gazed on it felt their minds get pulled into the mind of the Royal. Within it, they saw the endless suffering of hell, the fear of the darkness, and the hopelessness of the void. They could see death and the nothingness that came after. They could see the worthlessness of their lives, their self-loathing, the un-desire. They saw the End, and it spurred nothing but the desire to end themselves in turn. Its Aura was comprehensive, but most importantly, it found all the cracks in the minds of others and sought to infect them using their deepest insecurities. It would twist their memories, using even the happiest moments of their life against them, defiling them, corrupting them with visages of hatred, sorrow, pain. Vetsmon visibly struggled when he was hit with the full brunt of the mental attack. His responses slowed, his shield struggled to even block the casual attacks of the Royal. It played with him, occasionally leaving injuries and watching him bleed. Vetsmon continued to attack, yet he never made a sound even when he got hurt. He was silent, his face flat, emotionless. The fight went on for several minutes. Vetsmon never had the upper hand. He was defending more than attacking, the power difference clear as day. Then, the Royal spoke. ¡°EEEeeennd it¡­¡± Its voice started as some unholy amalgamation of several voices, male and female. But it sharpened into one, the voice of his father, Ignatius. ¡°Just give up already¡­ You¡¯ve already failed¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Vetsmon was silent, simply continuing to battle. The difficulty he had though was clear. The Royal was getting to him. ¡°You¡¯ve not only failed to protect your friends¡­ but you hurt them. You let yourself get stupid enough to even dare lay your hands on them. Worst of all, I know you did it on purpose!¡± It screamed while laying into Vetsmon even harder, as if delivering the wrath of a father. ¡°You knew you could never be as talented or skilled as them! You knew you would fail to live up to their glory! So you took your chance and ruined any opportunity to ever fight by their side again! You got yourself out of comparing yourself to them, escaped the fear of ultimately failing. I know more than anyone how you¡¯ve completely blasphemed the title of a knight and the ability to call yourself a man by attempting to meet that standard. You were a worthless child to raise, a disgrace to your peerage, a bastard to your friends. Any father would be ashamed to have such scum come out of the womb of his wife, and no woman would take a revolting reject like you as husband, especially not someone as amazing as Tana.¡± The final blow dropped with the name, and Vetsmon¡¯s shield arm dropped with it. He stumbled back, the shield clattering to the stone floor beneath him along with a long stream of blood. Up in a booth, Willow stared. Ignatius looked at her and saw tears going down her face, yet they didn¡¯t stop her from watching, from listening. Despite her neutral face, he could feel the rage within her. Even he wanted nothing more than to go down there and flay that Royal alive. But he refrained from doing anything, even when his son¡¯s arm was taken off. Vetsmon raised his sword, his eyes glued to the Royal. It circled around him. ¡°You disgusted her. You harmed the person she admired, the person she actually wanted to be with. If not for the other one, she¡¯d be the one getting fucked raw by him. Perhaps she was, despite that. It would explain why she had little desire to get anywhere close to you until much later. Perhaps he got bored of her since Umara was so much better. So he left you with the second-hand goods, and you couldn¡¯t even do anything with that. ¡°So come to me.¡± The Royal put out its hands, and then the black hole on its face, eternally dark, suddenly changed. It sprouted the face of Tana, its teeth chittering as her voice came out of the face. ¡°Come here, my darling. Away from them, from the constant pain. I will give you relief. In my nothing, you will find everything. I will give you the world.¡± It offered, putting out its hand for Vetsmon to grab. His body bled from every limb, blood continuing to fall from his severed arm. His sword arm went limp, the greatsword¡¯s tip falling onto the stone under him with a ring. He stared at Tana¡¯s face. The Royal waited, urging Vetsmon to come to it. It¡¯s Aura was wholly concentrated on his mind, already well entrenched within. Willow, watching from above, grit her teeth. ¡°Ignatius, if my son becomes a monster, I will be lost to you alongside him.¡± ¡°... And I would be every bit deserving of it.¡± Ignatius muttered, watching, his hands cracking the stone ledge underneath them. Then, in the silent arena, he heard a sigh. ¡°... It¡¯s amazing¡­ Oh Lord, I think I get it now.¡± Vetsmon straightened his back, his greatsword twitching off the ground before swinging around with blinding speed. The Royal barely raised its own weapon in time, yet was still blasted across the arena, slamming into the enchanted bricks. Wiping his face with his remaining arm, Vetsmon looked over and found his severed limb. He walked over to it, casually stabbing the greatsword into the ground before lifting the limb to the stump. Then, like magic, it remained in place. After some seconds, he lifted his new-old arm and twitched his fingers. Ignatius¡¯ eyes widened. Not only had Vetsmon stopped bleeding, but his blood now had shimmering gold within it. He didn¡¯t know what it was, but when he saw the same shimmering gold in Vetsmon¡¯s Aura, he knew something big had just happened. Then, Vetsmon kneeled, letting out a long breath. ¡°... I don¡¯t enjoy the pain it took to get here. I¡¯d rather that Royal tell my instructors to kill themselves instead.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± An instructor to the side scrunched his face, brows furrowed, as if not comprehending the audacity to say such a thing. Vetsmon continued. ¡°But, I think I get what you were telling me. I¡¯m still pissed off though. I¡¯m not gonna thank you until later.¡± With those words Vetsmon stood again, looking over at the Royal as it pried itself from the reinforced wall. ¡°You¡­ thing¡­ that perverted the face of my future wife. You don¡¯t realize that your words do nothing but make me even more certain. With or without them, I need to devote my life to eradicating every last one of you.¡± Vetsmon¡¯s body bulged before he suddenly threw himself at the Royal. He sped across the ground like a meteor, the air whistling around his body as he thrust his sword straight toward the Royal. It was barely able to deflect the greatsword, the weapon stabbing into the stone wall as Vetsmon slammed into it. He snarled in its face. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve faced a lot of shit in recent months. I don¡¯t appreciate you trying to corrupt the few good memories I have left! They were the only fucking things getting me through this hell! And now I¡¯m going to have your disgusting sight in my mind alongside them!¡± Vetsmon grabbed the Royal¡¯s neck before backing up and chucking it across the arena once more. It skidded along the ground a couple times before catching itself and righting itself on its feet. Vetsmon approached, a deep gold light spreading across his greatsword, his rage palpable. ¡°I don¡¯t like the things you said. And those things you said come from the disgusting, sinful, twisted, and perverted nature of your race. That means, if I want those things gone, then I need to get rid of its source. You.¡± He pointed, the deep gold glow of his sword gradually brightening into a white gold color. When the sword so much as nicked the ground, it left smooth slices as if it were a scalpel on flesh. Then, he launched himself forward, swinging around the greatsword. This time, it looked like he was straining to move its weight, like he should. But that only told the Royal about the kind of obscene power behind it. This time, its armor flashed with veiny lines of power, its purple body bulging in size as the black hole on its face started to tremble. Its weapon met Vetsmon¡¯s greatsword, and the two came to a standstill. It was still an Authority 8. It didn¡¯t forget that. Vetsmon smiled. ¡°You know, I never thought myself too much of a pious man, certainly far from many others. But something about fighting filthy beasts like you really makes me feel like I¡¯m the fucking Pope.¡± Vetsmon grit his teeth before urging even more power into his body. He used his interlocked sword to throw the Royal once more. This time though, it didn¡¯t go far. In fact, it shot right back to him. They exhanged a few quick strikes, and that¡¯s when Vetsmon saw its sheer speed. It was faster than him, and after the seventh strike, it suddenly spun around, its sword cleaving through both of his legs. It created some distance after that, watching him. However, he didn¡¯t fall. Instead, he smiled and stomped down with his foot, launching himself forward and unleashing a barrage of heavy handed strikes with his white-gold Aura, Vigor amplifying his strikes several times over with every hit. ¡°I don¡¯t care if I can¡¯t become as amazing as they will! I will do what I can! I don¡¯t care if I¡¯ve disgraced my Peerage! I will do what I¡¯ve been called to do! Depraved evils like you are an infection on this world that must be excised! I can hardly fathom the sheer depravity that you worship¡­ and yet it so clearly engraves itself into my brain! I will eradicate your degeneracy! I will slaughter every one of you like pests as you deserve to be treated as nothing greater! And I will not allow you to beat me with something as stupid as hopelessness!¡± Vetsmons bellows increased with every word, his strikes becoming heavier every swing. The Royal continued to beat Vetsmon in combat despite the wounds it was taking. It would slice through his limbs while skewering him through the chest. His bones should¡¯ve been broken, his lungs, heart, and organs sliced apart, tumbling from the cavity that should¡¯ve been his chest. He shouldn¡¯t even be breathing, let alone fighting and screaming. But he continued on like he was never injured. He refused to bleed anything more than a few drops and no amount of broken bones was enough to hinder his movement. But the wounds the Royal was dishing out weren¡¯t fake. It wasn¡¯t being tricked. That was impossible. No, Vetsmon was holding himself together. His bones were actually breaking and his organs were actually getting sliced apart. But something was repairing them. The Royal got flung away once more. Vetsmon¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t increasing, but it seemed that without the threat of his body falling apart, he could afford to push it beyond its limits. Feats of strength that would tear his own tendons and crack his own bones before were now performed with wild abandon. His palms would split open from every impact of the blade, but he simply refused to care, his skin closing itself so he could do it again. The Royal analyzed, and then came to a startling conclusion. He wasn¡¯t healing either. There was no level of healing that freakish, at least not that a human should possess. So he wasn¡¯t necessarily repairing himself either. He just didn¡¯t let himself fall apart. His Aura held him together through sheer force of will. Even through blinding pain, Vetsmon roared. ¡°I will fight for life simply because that is what we must do! And no matter how small, I will have my place in this world! I refuse to accept anything else, and I especially refuse to believe in the words of some purple skinned teethy freak as disgusting as you!¡± Vetsmon slammed down, his Aura emitting Vigor across the blade of his greatsword and slicing off the Royal¡¯s sword arm. Then, Vetsmon dropped his sword and dove at the Royal, grabbing its neck before pummeling its face with his fist. Its oozing black blood sprayed everywhere as he bludgeoned it to death. No matter how it fought back, it couldn¡¯t kill an undying monster. After ripping the rest of its limbs off and reducing it to a pulp, Vetsmon stood above the Royal¡¯s corpse and looked around. Then, he looked up, finding his mother and father in one of the booths. Without permission, he jumped and crossed the distance in a single bound. He landed in the open window, climbing in and standing before his parents. Then, he fell to his knees. ¡°Mother, father¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve brought shame to this Peerage with my actions, and have forced your discipline. I will do what I must to atone¡­ I just hope that someday, I will be given a chance to once again stand with the pride of our Peerage, the Verga name.¡± The two parents were silent. Willow rubbed her eyes a few times before she started crying again and embraced her son. ¡°C-call us how you used to¡­ please¡­ You¡­ will always be my beloved baby, Vetsmon. I¡¯ll kill you myself if you ever forget that. And this will always be your family to come back to.¡± ¡°... Understood, mom.¡± Vetsmon continued to kneel even as his mother wrapped him up. He instead turned his head to his father. ¡°... I wish I never had to do it, son.¡± ¡°I know why you had to, father.¡± ¡°... Don¡¯t ever forget that you will always be our child. You¡¯ve come a long way¡­ I¡¯m proud to call you my son. I would never ask for anything else.¡± ¡°...Thank you.¡± Vetsmon lowered his head and let out a heavy breath. The weight off his shoulders was clear as day. Eventually, Willow pulled herself away, letting her son stand and wiping her tears. ¡°Thank you for killing that Royal, son. Now, I don¡¯t think you should keep your instructor waiting much longer. He looks like he¡¯s about to explode.¡± ¡°...¡± Vetsmon slowly turned around, seeing his smiling instructor in the window. ¡°Hey, trainee, what was that about telling me to kill myself?¡± ¡°... I refuse to give in!¡± Vetsmon shouted and took up a stance, the instructor looking amused. ¡°Heh. You might be some kind of undying freak, but you can still feel pain.¡± The instructor suddenly appeared in front of him, grabbing Vetsmon¡¯s neck. He looked at Ignatius with a wide smile. ¡°I¡¯m going to find the limits of your son¡¯s new technique.¡± ¡°Just keep in mind my desire to continue my lineage. The Peerage needs at least one who can pass down the name.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll try not to neuter him.¡± ¡°I refuse to give in!¡± ¡°You think you can fight me, boy?¡± The instructor threw Vesmon through the window, his body flying into one of the walls of the arena. Willow smiled. ¡°My baby¡¯s all grown up now.¡± ¡°Mm, yes, I never had any doubts.¡± ¡°You and I will be having a conversation later. Dare to ever pull a stunt like this again and I will be neutering you.¡± ¡°...¡± Ignatius was silent. He understood his wife¡¯s anger but he was too happy for his son¡¯s achievement here to let it douse his mood. It was a risk, but he knew that his son was destined for something more, that God had greater plans. This proved it. He almost couldn¡¯t wait to see how far he went. Chapter 174: Infiltrate December 2, 623 I shoved the last of the dried meat from my ration into my mouth, discontentedly chewing for what felt like an eternity before swallowing the chunk that still felt tough. It would only be mildly annoying to eat the same thing ad eternum, but eating the same horrible thing? I was starting to wish we hadn¡¯t brought food at all. Starving would¡¯ve been better than the ¡°meat¡± we had to eat. Even when we made the good meals though, the knights were always quick to gorge themselves. Stupid knights. In front of me sat a new map, complete with every little detail of every single timed Scourge movement and troop concentration we had discovered. I now had a good overview of everything happening around the eastern crossing, and an entry plan was already taking shape in my mind. While collecting and organizing data, I had also figured out how Scourge logistics worked. The fungal biomats. While clearing out a small encampment that was a bit too close for comfort (with extreme prejudice, given I brought all three Chiefs), we uprooted one of the Gut Roots and figured out exactly what was going on. It served two purposes: by outcompeting flora and driving out fauna, it cut off a significant food supply for us humans and devastated the ecosystem behind it; more importantly, it itself served as an endless supply chain. The Gut Root was capable of producing nutrient paste and if the nutrient paste wasn¡¯t consumed, it would either fester and grow that fungal biomat or would get eaten and recycled by the biomat. The nutrient supplies to carry out this process seemed to ignore distance and terrain; it didn¡¯t arrive in bursts like our supply convoys did, but gradually and continually; and anywhere the Scourge went, so too did the fungi. As long as their depots had enough to spare, Scourge offensives were only limited by how many troops could crowd around a Gut Root for food. That meant without taking measures to eliminate the biomats and Gut Roots, we would be crushed by an endless army of freshly supplied monsters. That was very bad news and I sincerely hoped that the Kingdom¡¯s military knew about this. I knew they wanted to get rid of Gut Roots and Pustules ¨C most likely what spread the infection ¨C but I didn¡¯t know how much importance they placed on it. But something didn¡¯t add up. I had my misgivings that the fungus was the only supply factor. This infiltration would confirm my doubts. Well, I just needed to do my job here and hope the military was at least semi-competent. I observed the map projecting from my Orb, marked with just a few paths of many hundreds that once covered the map like some conspiracy theorist¡¯s pushpin map. On top of the Pathfinders and my few Chiefs, I also had the Snow Doves close by. They had left when we did and had been wreaking havoc on everything Scourge-related nearby. They were definitely attracting attention, and I, along with the Chiefs, had remained completely unobtrusive. Now though, it was time to utilize my cards. All I needed was an in, and on my map, I could see it. A little chink in their armor that I could use to breach their lines and insert my troops. I tapped my Aerial, gathering some people for a quick conference. The three Chiefs, along with Pollux, arrived before long. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve figured out how we¡¯re going to infiltrate. If you would direct your attention to the displayed images¡­¡± I pointed to some newly projected images of the eastern crossing. The crossing wasn¡¯t active at all the time, but it did host regular patrols and guards to monitor everything. These patrols and guards were fallible though. The portion of Hare¡¯s Pass that I knew near Stronghold Charlie was tall and deep, with the massive earthwork bridging the gap. However, the Hare¡¯s Pass in our current area to the east sloped down toward the ground, cleanly revealing the river that had cut away at the Pass over hundreds of thousands of years. Eventually, the Pass would completely level with the rest of the ground, bracketing a river that ran into a distant lake. The eastern crossing that we were looking at took advantage of the lower cliffs. It was an artificial land bridge that still went over the Pass but had no more than 100 meters of distance between it and the river. In my book, that was an easy cliff to climb and gave us several options for crossing that didn¡¯t involve taking the actual bridge. Still, the main issue was avoiding the river. It was rapid and turbulent, and even Authority 9 sturdiness didn¡¯t mean much against the force of a million gallons of water a minute. I laid out my plan. ¡°We¡¯re already on the external side of the crossing, so there¡¯s no need to make things more difficult by cutting across. Chiefs, your objective is to cross the river without getting spotted. You simply have to make it from one side to the other. Now, I don¡¯t know your full capabilities myself, so do you have any ideas?¡± ¡°I can handle that.¡± Chief Reginold raised his hand. ¡°I can create a physical bridge for us to cross. Anywhere.¡± ¡°Oh? Well that certainly opens up more options¡­¡± I looked back at the map and pictures, tracing the new routes that opened for us, nodding and smiling. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do that. We¡¯re going to move a bit farther east and have you three bridge across. However, there are patrols along the length of the crossing. We¡¯re going to need to divert the Scouts so that you can slip by undetected.¡± ¡°That should be pretty easy for them, not to mention with you there, Liaison.¡± Pollux smiled at me. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the ranged master here? Can¡¯t you just kill them?¡± ¡°I am, but not only do I make a lot of sound, but I¡¯d prefer to not kill a single one. If we kill them far from the eastern crossing, they¡¯ll assume that we did something over there and start suspecting the presence of infiltrators, which is exactly what we don¡¯t want.¡± ¡°You think they¡¯re that smart?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to assume they¡¯re stupid and then get proven wrong in a spectacularly tragic fashion by losing the Chiefs. We need to assume the worst and operate accordingly.¡± ¡°We appreciate that.¡± Chief Reginold chimed in again. I looked over at him and received two nods from the other two Chiefs as well. I wasn¡¯t being lax with their lives and was making sure that they would have the easiest time while behind enemy lines. Even the slightest rumors of them being there would make this mission far more dangerous. I couldn¡¯t take that chance, and they didn¡¯t want to either. Pollux went quiet while I continued. ¡°So, we need a diversion. I have one decent idea. We should attack and destroy the eastern crossing. Demolish the bridge, attract all their attention, and hopefully divert all the Scouts away from where the Chiefs are trying to sneak in.¡± ¡°... That¡¯s a good idea. We¡¯ll need some more firepower though. We should call some of the other Snow Doves.¡± Reginold gave his advice, making me nod. ¡°Yes, I was hoping I could do that. In that case, we¡¯ll head out tonight to go talk with them. Once we secure their help, the mission is a go.¡± ¡°What if it doesn¡¯t divert the Scouts though?¡± Chief Vipul softly objected. She was a knight, but generally kept to herself, despite her power. I shrugged. ¡°I was thinking, since Chief Reginold can manipulate earth, that he could tunnel you three through the cliffside, perhaps underneath the river, and then dig your way behind enemy lines directly. If that can¡¯t happen, then I¡¯d have to think up some other plans. Maybe we would just need to go so far east where Scouts don¡¯t bother patrolling, but I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s even viable if their territory goes that far.¡± ¡°... I should be able to handle tunneling. How far is debatable but we should be fine if we need to resort to that.¡± Chief Reginold gave his assurances, making me relieved. I didn¡¯t know how far the Scourge had spread east and I didn¡¯t want to have to find out after we¡¯ve already done so much recon. It would take much longer and we didn¡¯t have the resources to be out here for much longer than we had been already. I stood straight and crossed my arms. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re going to move forward with those two plans in mind. Unfortunately, if both of those fail, we¡¯re a bit screwed. Unless we get lucky, we¡¯d have to regroup and figure something else out which will probably require us to return to base for more supplies. So let''s make these two plans work. Now, before discussing more, we should get the rest of the Snow Doves involved. Commander Pollux, I can take Chief Reginold there with me. Tonight, we need to make preparations for tomorrow. I¡¯ll leave that to you.¡± ¡°I have a question, before you leave.¡± Pollux waved his hand. ¡°What part will the Pathfinders play in the destruction of the crossing?¡± ¡°Once we get the Snow Doves operational, primarily support. All of you will be focused on the bridge in order to provide more numbers. If we can¡¯t get the Snow Doves to move, or at least get some of them to help us, then you¡¯ll have a more active role, obviously. But prepare for a support position for now.¡± ¡°So in the best case, we¡¯ll be taking a back seat.¡± ¡°Yes. No insult to everyone, but this isn¡¯t something I want to take on without higher Authorities. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ve bothered to station some powerful guard on the crossing in secret, but I don¡¯t want to take that chance, nor do I want to be unlucky. We¡¯ll bring out everything we have, do it right the first time, and get our infiltrators across without notice.¡± ¡°Mm. Sounds good to me.¡± Pollux nodded. I wouldn¡¯t put his people in danger simply because I didn¡¯t want to risk coming across something that they couldn¡¯t handle. They weren¡¯t powerful enough to completely disregard the risk of the unknown. The Snow Doves were. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. With that, Chief Reginold and I left for a distant camp. The place we left from wasn¡¯t the main camp with the other Pathfinders. I had created two separate camps, one for myself, the Chiefs, Pollux, and his first squad. The rest of the Pathfinders were off somewhere else, there to draw the attention of any Scouts that might be lingering in the area. On the other hand, we were completely hidden, and I intended to keep it that way until I got my infiltrators over the Pass. It didn¡¯t take too long to find the Snow Doves since I had told them to stay in the area. Once we arrived, Reginold and I stepped out to greet Brigadier Nonnen. Miron was somewhere else, and I was glad his ugly mug wasn¡¯t there to ruin my night. ¡°Brigadier Nonnen. Good to see you.¡± ¡°Hello Liaison. Reggie. Let¡¯s head to the tent.¡± After we shook hands, we entered the command tent. There, we sat down, nobody else to disturb us at the table. I looked around the tent. Last time I had been on edge so I didn¡¯t get a good look, but this place was actually pretty nice. It must be a singular structure that Nonnen could take out of a pocket ring or something. While portable structures seemed crazy, they were more than plausible with magic, and there was no reason rich Brigadiers couldn¡¯t cart them around for the ultimate field comfort. I got down to business after a few glances. ¡°I¡¯ve got our plans for insertion. Now, I just need the help of the Snow Doves.¡± ¡°What kind of help?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to destroy the eastern crossing and annihilate every monster there.¡± ¡°... Ballsy, summoner.¡± A grin grew on Nonnen¡¯s face as he leaned forward, subtle battle lust seeping from his Aura. ¡°Tell me more.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°What the hell have you gotten me into, Liaison?¡± ¡°Nothing too crazy, Commander. So long as you don¡¯t get caught in the crossfire.¡± ¡°... I¡¯ve never seen the Snow Doves so excited. What did you tell them?¡± ¡°I just gave them their objective. And then gave them no rules.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to be the death of me.¡± I chuckled to myself while looking into the distance, watching the moving convoy. They were just two platoons, but their collective Auras projected a skyscraper¡¯s worth of noticeability, one bristling with weapons and defenses and pure bloodlust. They held nothing back, broadcasting to the entire Pass that they were there and that there would be a battle, of which the likes nobody had ever seen before. The Snow Doves were definitely the brunt of the muscle, but the Pathfinders weren¡¯t inept. They might not be able to handle the worst, but they could do more than enough damage to everything else. Besides, nothing that I asked of them was beyond any of their capabilities. So long as nobody threw themselves off the bridge during the battle, odds were that we would come away unscathed. Still, this wouldn¡¯t be safe. I could see the eastern crossing from my position on a hill and there were more than enough enemies to give us a run for our money. Our goal wasn''t to kill them all though. In fact, the more enemies left, the better. I clicked my Aerial. ¡°Just have fun, Commander. Liaison out.¡± With that, I turned my Aerial off. It was about time to start and, for the sake of secrecy, I didn¡¯t want to broadcast the fact that I was about to sneak off with the Chiefs. Who knew if the Scourge actually could tap into Aerial communications? I wouldn¡¯t risk it. In fact, I had been thinking recently about incorporating some operational security measures. Well, one problem at a time. I turned my head and looked at the Chiefs beside me, my three infiltrators. It was just us four, and we¡¯d be making our way to our target area on foot, completely dark. They weren¡¯t unequipped though. Not only did each of them have spatial devices full of supplies to last them the next two months completely isolated and comfortably, but they were equipped with some special tools that very seldom got used. Things like advanced sensors, powerful magic cameras and video recorders, even a distress relay that could send out one massive burst signal across the land and back to us at base. Such a thing was only supposed to be used if they were going to die though, so I was hoping it¡¯d never get used. On top of that, they had some particularly special vehicles, speedster motorcycles faster than anything else in the military¡¯s arsenal. Their speed was only matched by their relatively short charge. They could get them out of danger quickly but couldn¡¯t necessarily sustain long distance travel. It would be up to them how they used it. I had to say, spatial devices made operations like this incomparably easy to run. They didn¡¯t have to worry about hauling massive amounts of food or handling its weight or bulk. They could also carry entire vehicles with them. Granted, those devices were prohibitively expensive, even more so than my own, and they also had several each. But still, just a couple arm bands and these guys had enough to get them through complete isolation for months in enemy territory where they couldn¡¯t forage a single scrap of food or water. It was almost too easy. I adjusted my coat, completely covered in the rooty, red fungus. The Chiefs sported the same gear, gear that would allow us to blend in with these landscapes now covered in the stuff. There was no better way to blend with your environment than to take directly from it, although I wasn¡¯t a fan of having potentially poisonous fungus near my body or on my gear. Better than getting spotted though. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s move.¡± I spoke and we started our trek. All of us were silent and tried to maintain our secrecy as much as possible. Not long after we started, we heard the sound of explosions and fighting in the distance. The battle had started. I glanced over in that direction, vision only hindered by the massive dust clouds raised by incredibly energetic spells churning the land across the crossing. Scourge Aural signatures converged on the battle, first as a trickle, then faster and faster until it felt like a flood, ready to meet the Snow Doves and Pathfinders in battle. And our side was ready for them too. The firepower I witnessed was a perfect reminder of why quality mattered much more than quantity in this world; Knights pressed forward in explosive cohesion, sending masses of monsters hurling back to their side, or to a gory doom at the bottom of the still-deep canyon, and Warlocks, with colorful almost-tangible magical energies flowing around them, carved holes in the endless tide pouring from the red-covered trees. That individuals could wield the power of entire armies¡­ I took but a moment to appreciate the carnage once more before taking a more critical eye, scanning for something specific this time. I had spotted several Scouts and monsters patrolling the ravine earlier. Their patrol routes covered just about everywhere beyond the Pass, so I wasn¡¯t surprised that there were enemies occupying every inch of it. Even now, I could see them patrolling the edges. But as soon as the battle started, their attention was diverted. Some of them close to the battle moved to reinforce their forces while others further away hesitated, weighing the cost and benefit of changing positions to provide fire support. I waited patiently while continuing to sneak, hop, and clamber our way down the Pass, making our way to the divot three miles from the crossing I had identified previously. The battle in the distance only got worse as we continued. We continued walking for half an hour before we finally felt the ground beneath our boots slope downward for the last time, marking our arrival in the gulley. Once there, I stopped our march and looked across the Pass. A dozen scouts were within line of sight. Each one could end our plan. However, half of them were now heading to the battle, while the other half was standing around, watching. A couple more got swept along with the others, joining them as their troops intersected, but a few still remained. I pointed. ¡°Those three. Those will be the only ones of concern.¡± ¡°Seems like it.¡± Chief Reginold nodded from beside me. ¡°How should we deal with them? I know you didn¡¯t want to kill any, but even one is a problem.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s really necessary, I¡¯ll handle one of them. You guys won¡¯t be getting your hands dirty though. Let¡¯s wait a bit longer.¡± With that, we sat down and watched. The battle in the distance only raged harder, but my eyes were on the Scouts across the Pass. I watched as most of them left, as I thought they would. One of the ones I thought would stay also left. In the end, after another 20 minutes, there were only 2 Scouts left, separated by less than a mile. We were almost perfectly in between them. I thought for a bit before pointing. ¡°Let¡¯s move over there.¡± After giving the command we marched a bit farther, until we were right in front of one Scout. Chief Reginold looked at me weird. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If I handle this one, there won¡¯t be any others around for a mile.¡± ¡°You sure we should kill it?¡± ¡°Yes, but I want you to do something for me when I do.¡± I gave him some quick instructions. At first, confusion crossed their faces, but as I explained the rest of the plan to them, devious grins replaced concern. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s get this party started. Chief Reginold, go with Plan A. Start from here.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Good luck, guys.¡± ¡°You as well, Liaison.¡± I went around and shook their hands. I was under no impression that they would be safe while carrying out their mission. We had equipped them with the best we could get and prepared them with all the intelligence we could give. But it would still be up to them to navigate enemy territory and brave its dangers, including the threat of the most powerful that the Scourge had to offer. Memories of the other two squads flashed in my mind. I sincerely hoped I wasn¡¯t sending yet another squad to die. Despite my best efforts, I wasn¡¯t sure if it was enough. I would feel better if I were going myself, but that wasn¡¯t an option. After a quick goodbye, Chief Reginold got to work. The other two Chiefs took up positions beside him, and then, he started tunneling. The ground opened up beneath him, the three of them vanishing into the ground like they were moles. The dirt and stone piled back around on top of them once they passed, and before long, they had disappeared from my view, their Auras seeping in and following them as they vanished. Now, it was my turn. I got comfortable on the ground, using a nearby rock to prop my gun on as I took aim. The Scouts were clear in the distance, and the one in the further away only got more so as it inched closer to the battle. It wouldn¡¯t completely abandon its post, but I would take what I could get. In the opposite direction of the one in front of me, there was the other Scout. It was nearly a mile off though, with no intentions of getting closer. These Scouts in the distance wouldn¡¯t make a difference in the battle when so many had already left to reinforce. Instead, they had to maintain surveillance and likely a communication line between them. I watched the one in front of me intently. Then, after some time, I saw something. Chief Reginold emerged from the opposite wall of the Pass. He had tunneled down through the cliffside and then under the river, coming out at the bottom of the opposite cliffside above the river. After doing so, I saw the three of them scale its face, rising up right below that Scout. Chief Reginold created a rock platform that simply rose up the cliffside, making it exceedingly easy for themselves. Then, once they got close to the top, they slowed. I saw them look in my direction, but I waited. I readied my rifle, my silenced Springfield. It was a bit weaker than other guns, but I didn¡¯t need strength here. I steadied the scope¡¯s reticle on the Scout¡¯s head. Then, just as the three were about to reach the top, I fired. My bullet shot straight through the Scout¡¯s head, dropping it and giving the signal. The Chiefs shot up from their platform and stormed the area, killing off all of the wolf escorts within seconds. They kicked all the bodies off the cliffside once they were done, dumping them into the rushing rapids below. Reginold even went so far as to shift some of the dirt with blood in it as well, sending incriminating chunks of earth tumbling to the water. With that, they seemed to fade into the treeline, ready to disappear into enemy territory. Chief Reginold snapped a salute in my direction before he joined the other two on the mat. I stood and returned it. He couldn¡¯t see me, but that wasn¡¯t the point. After that, I watched them shoot off into the distance, one of the knights carrying Reginold. It wasn¡¯t even half a minute later that I could no longer pick them out in the dark night. Their mission had begun, and mine had ended. I sent my rifle back, glancing at the other two scouts. Neither of them were suspecting anything and neither of them were within line of sight of the one I killed. While my gun had made a sound, the battle in the distance continued to rage and sent quakes through the Pass. It was enough to mask my shot. Knowing that they would be safe, I turned and started marching back to my rendezvous point where I would get picked up. Along the way, I did my best to clear my mind of any worries. It was no longer in my hands, and I couldn¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t do my best to prepare. That would have to be enough. I hoped it was. It was just a matter of waiting for them to prove me right. On the other hand, I was curious as to the situation over at the Treehouse. If a decision had been made, it would already be implemented. The base would either be deserted, left to be consumed by the rot, or teeming at the trunks with reinforcements when I returned. I wasn¡¯t sure which one I should hope for. Either way, I¡¯d make do with the cards I was dealt. And no matter what, things were going to get a lot more intense from now on. Chapter 175: Reinforce ¡°You¡¯ve included one of his reports?¡± ¡°Yes, second bundle.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Talexia reclined in her seat, raising the first of three bundles of papers. They were military reports composed by the generals underneath her and gave an in-depth overview of the ongoing situation across her domain. Of course, there was nothing stopping her from retrieving reports from elsewhere. Even though John wasn¡¯t under her authority, all it took was a few calls to get what she wanted. She skipped the first bundle of papers and looked at the second noticeably thinner one. Although, the fact that it was as thick as it was told her that there had been no shortage of notable events there. Normally reports from the Strongholds, especially Charlie which was stationed in the middle of nowhere, were sparse. Now though, she had been hearing news. A few key pieces of intelligence had been passed around and suddenly she was being inquired. They were asking about numbers, and that never meant anything good. She read through the introductory page before skipping a few, getting straight to the meat of the subject. Summoners loved to fluff up their reports to make it seem like they were doing more work than they were. She had long since gotten skilled at figuring out where the real information was. Soon enough she found it. Her eyes scanned through every word one by one, an image being painted in her head regarding the most important news coming from Stronghold Charlie and its forward base, the Treehouse. There were only two names plastered on this report. The first was expected, the second was an anomaly. Colonel Polly was famous enough and had been vying for the endlessly coveted position of General. Her name had been getting passed around everywhere despite several attempts by other summoners to keep her out of the light. She was good, a valuable asset, even if she was pulling strings and setting up a retinue full of bootlickers to pass along their achievements. Now though, she was unable to take all the credit. That was rare, and the name that intruded upon her fame was one she hadn¡¯t expected to see in a long while. ¡°Captain John Cooper¡­¡± Talexia muttered, a small smile on her face. He was certainly smart. It was no wonder he was able to achieve the rank of Captain so quickly. More than that though, he was being proactive. That seemed to be something he was good at. That and sticking his name into situations he shouldn¡¯t be. Only problem was that in the military, such things got you killed. Taking on too much would land one in positions they couldn¡¯t handle, and in missions that they couldn¡¯t fight their way out of. If you weren¡¯t killed though, it was a surefire way of getting promoted. John seemed to be playing his cards right. She knew the military would be a good place for him. He seemed like the type to fit in there. But this was a bit more than she expected. She had read about a few of his exploits. He had somehow managed to get his name plastered right beside Polly¡¯s; he wasn¡¯t going to stay hidden forever. Plus, there were probably a few Generals who would use John to knock her down a peg. Promote the newbie and keep Polly down. More politics. She read his reports, including a particularly dangerous reconnaissance mission and a close second around the Pass. Details were vague and rather unattributable, given everyone who had a Colonel rank was plastered on it, including a few Snow Doves. It was probably a more secretive mission, and likely ongoing if her thoughts were correct. There had been many such attempts to recon enemy territory. They never ended well. However, during this mission, John seemed to collect a few key pieces of intelligence. It came at the cost of two entire squads, one wiped out, the other missing in action¡­ but still better than what historically happened. The Scourge was moving in with a massive army and a new species to boot. John dubbed it the Bombardo. A peculiar name, but she didn¡¯t pay it much mind after an initial thought. An image had been attached ¨C surprisingly detailed, with a person-sized scale attached ¨C that portrayed precisely how large it was. She had never seen anything like it. Behemoths were common enough, but when their size was a consequence of some special purpose, it became far more worrying. And there were dozens of them moving in on the Treehouse. Talexia subconsciously leaned forward, reading the numbers, their movements¡­ There were excerpts taken directly from Captain Cooper¡¯s personal reports, including maps and analyses on past movement histories, and all of them painted the picture of a disaster waiting to happen. The noose being tied around the Treehouse¡¯s neck was almost tangible, and she couldn¡¯t even chalk this up to faulty logic, as some summoners were often to do. She knew John. She had watched him, seen him with her daughter, seen him as a stranger, seen him personally, and seen him professionally. She often challenged his views, quietly or explicitly, and questioned his decisions. She had a decent grasp on his character because of this, as she should, considering he wanted to marry her daughter despite everything they were facing. He could definitely be emotional. It could be said that everything he did was driven by what he felt to be the correct course of action. Perhaps it would be more apt to say that he had certain unyielding principles, but they were often masked by his casual visage. He both seemed to brush off everything that came over him and take on every challenge he was faced with. When it came down to it though, he was far from illogical. At some point, Talexia understood that he could only be emotional, or seemingly so, because he had already rationalized everything he did, and why. But these reports didn¡¯t have a hint of what could even be called emotion. Only cold facts, figures, and logic stared back at Talexia. If he was trying to scare people, these reports would do just that. Perhaps if he were emotional, he¡¯d be painting this kind of picture to make himself stand out more. There were plenty of summoners who did that. Some even dropped ¡®errors¡¯ into their counts, exaggerating the true danger while trying to downplay it as if they were being purely analytical the whole time, like some kind of reverse psychological tactic to legitimize themselves. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. However, this report did quite the opposite. It was the numbers and pictures that scared Talexia precisely because they left no room for doubt. Everything was so detailed, from the pictures of army camps and formations, charts of locations, targets of interest drawings, analyses based on past and present data, extrapolations¡­ It led everyone who read it to but one conclusion. The Treehouse was screwed, and if it fell, the Stronghold would fall not long after. The Scourge had introduced another chess piece from nowhere and figured out how to move armies through rough terrain while completely ignoring the logistical challenges it posed. None of the things that implied were good. The entire military had been on edge with Anarchy¡¯s recent attack. Everyone was paranoid, wondering what would be the next to fall, and when. Some were even talking about calling the Church in to reinforce. They doubted the Kingdom¡¯s ability to defend itself. Nobody felt safe. Whoever read this would only feel worse about everything. More than that, they¡¯d realize that they needed to fight back. With just the loss of a single base, it felt like every wall that they had erected so proudly, confident in its ability to stem the tide, had come crashing down, washed away in a flood of terror. Even Talexia found herself coming to the conclusion that so many others had already decided on. They needed to reinforce and hunker down. They needed to save the Treehouse and prevent the Scourge from overrunning a critical defensive line. If they failed to defend against the oncoming army, their flank would be wide open, giving the Scourge an easy opportunity to carry out pincer attacks and wipe out their front line. Even more than that though, they needed a victory. There was more bad news spreading than anything good, and with this report, both generals and Sovereigns alike were left wanting. This was one of the few times that they were ahead in the intelligence game, and, despite actions suggesting otherwise, nobody wanted to remain defensive forever. Attrition was wearing the Kingdom down far more than it was wearing on the Scourge. They would fall first if this continued. ¡°Oh John, you always know just how to stress me out.¡± Talexia set the papers atop her desk, massaging her temples. She¡¯d have to send out a division worth of warlocks, at least. The Lancers, maybe. A couple of platoons of support and special combat personnel. She had seen the transfer requests for healers from Stronghold Charlie get denied so many times already. Suddenly all the questions she had been getting made sense. ¡°What¡¯s the minimum garrison here¡±, ¡°how many can you move from there?¡± They were going to pull on other bases. They were going to pull on reserves. They couldn¡¯t reinforce halfheartedly. It would have to be overwhelming, more than enough to deal with the inbound army and not let the victory turn pyrrhic. She, being the head of the Warlock training programs, and having a major say in where their reserves and fresh recruits went, would be taking on the brunt of these reinforcement requests. She had more power than most knew, though. Their reserve forces weren¡¯t just weaklings. In fact, a large portion of the Kingdom¡¯s military was in reserve, including many powerhouses that could turn tides. The reason they haven¡¯t been moving was because, before Anarchy, things had been stalemated. There was no reason to mobilize everything all the time. Soldiers needed breaks, vacations, and slotting them into the reserve forces for a year or two at a time was a good way to keep their troops fresh and let the strong soldiers make families. That¡¯s how powerful lineages were created and prolonged, how they got more Magi and soldiers. It was only after Anarchy that they started readying for total war. The Kingdom was primed. Like the Scourge, they had been accumulating, both numbers and power. Until now though, there hadn¡¯t been a major reason to mobilize so many forces. Anarchy had attacked, but that had been a sudden onslaught, one that didn¡¯t have any significant follow up. They had been blindsided, and instead of retaliating with everything at once, they had taken a step back to recuperate and analyze the situation, waiting for the Scourge¡¯s next moves. Now, this was a clear signal to stand up and counterattack. Or, it was more like John had provided the military with an opportunity, an opening to fit in one of their own swings. Talexia couldn¡¯t help but see this as the precursor to much more. She just didn¡¯t think it would come from John, of all people. Sure enough, in the military, those bullheaded smarts of his had found their place. It was his natural damned habitat. Unfortunately, he was also alone. He didn¡¯t have a trustworthy squad to keep him safe, making these recent happenings that much more dangerous to him. She was worried, but she couldn¡¯t send Umara over there. It had been six months since they separated, and things were going well. They were all progressing with amazing speed. Her daughter was especially outstanding, certainly doing far better than she had at the same stage in her life. She wanted to maintain it, and besides, her daughter had Tana with her, a partnership that had already proven to be lifesaving. ¡°...¡± Thinking thus far, Talexia reached over and grabbed another sheet. This one was also a request, but not for any amount of normal troops. It was for her daughter and Tana. The name at the top spelled ¡®Gurns¡¯. ¡°Already getting scouted¡­ I suppose I have Feiden to thank for that.¡± Another source of stress. She didn¡¯t want to send her daughter into special operations so quickly, but if this kept up, she might not have a choice. Umara would just leave herself, especially if Gurns approached her personally. Before that happened¡­ ¡°... Dear.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Ikhor looked up from his paperwork when his wife called. ¡°Can you retrieve my Black Tome tonight?¡± ¡°... Are you sure?¡± Ikhor was surprised, setting his pen down. Talexia nodded with a sigh, resting her chin on her fist. ¡°Yes. I have a feeling our daughter will need it.¡± ¡°The other nobles will question us.¡± ¡°The other nobles are doing the same exact thing, and they¡¯ll think twice about pi- provoking my anger lest I leave their children and prized troops stranded without competent support.¡± ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll have it for you in the morning.¡± ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t feel like dealing with the Ancestors right now.¡± Talexia sank back in her seat. She had caught herself before letting loose a very John-like outburst. He was rubbing off more on her than she had thought. The stress of reading those reports and thinking about all the trouble tomorrow would bring certainly didn¡¯t help either. John¡¯s knowledge was apparently working wonders for her daughter, but the spells in the Black Tome were more than theory or works in progress. They were developed killing spells, and their might, lethality, and efficiency was proven time and again, passed down through the family for generations. They were not handed out carelessly because, although they worked so well, they could put the warlock that used them in even more danger, whether that was by complacency or by danger to themselves. It was not uncommon for warlocks to learn one good spell and then morph their entire battle style around it, making it their only trick and turning them predictable. That, or it would just kill them when they screwed up the spell. She had a feeling Umara was smarter than that though. Those spells would compound with her already obscene ability to manipulate the elements. She would turn them into her own, not let the spells turn her into something she wasn¡¯t. It would be one of the only things that she could do for her daughter to directly help her become more powerful. The rest of her support would come from the shadows, making sure her future wasn¡¯t ruined prematurely, or placing her in positions she could learn from. She would make sure Umara had enough time to grow and thrive before getting thrown into the deep end to fend for herself. Whether her daughter would appreciate her or not would be inconsequential to preserving her life. Nothing mattered past that. Chapter 176: Major December 6, 623 The Pathfinders and Snow Doves left a cloud of snow a mile high and an army¡¯s worth of confused Scourge as we hightailed it out of the area. With our infiltrators infiltrating, we had no reason to stay out in the boonies. Our next objective, if you could really call it one, was to get back to the Treehouse and figure out our next step. Thanks to the Snow Doves, we could move just about however we wanted. Their overwhelming aura chased away anything that might¡¯ve picked a fight, and they could handle anything that came at them with ease. With no worries about combat, we actually rushed back to base, forgoing subtlety for speed. I had wanted to take a more subtle trail back to base but Brigadier Nonnen wasn¡¯t having any of that. Everyone was sick of being out in the field, so I had to resort to a faster path that chunked a few days off travel time. With the completion of this mission, I had no more obligations. No more navigating, no more managing, no more giving orders. It felt nice to relax and turn off my brain for a few days without the constant stress of making sure every bit of the mission went right. Once we got back within the vicinity of the Treehouse though, I was in for a rude awakening. I had stuck my head out of a turret, eager to see the reassuring trees of the Treehouse, when we hit a rock while cresting the hill. When my head snapped back down, my eyes were met with not the familiar trunks, but a veritable fortress with two smaller walls wrapping around the original base. The Treehouse had tripled not just in size, but population too. The outermost wall was still being built as earth warlocks lifted and compacted the ground into what could be considered a mountain, at a rate that made modern machinery seem infantile. That was something I had forgotten about, and suddenly I wondered why Colonel Jasmine ever thought they wouldn¡¯t try to hold their ground and fight. Well, I could now guess what my life would look like for the foreseeable future. I didn¡¯t know if we would even be allowed to go back to the Stronghold, especially if the Scourge wasn¡¯t sending any monsters there. This was the battlefield now. I definitely didn¡¯t prefer this though. Granted, I was glad that the Kingdom was growing a pair and fighting, but I could already imagine how much work I was about to get shoved down my throat. I would no longer be operating in a small base where things were nice and orderly. We were diving head first into a newly minted war machine. The ecosystem of this place had been turned on its head with all the tens of thousands of troops that were flooding into the walls even now. In fact, there were so many people that they had to march a lot of them here, trails of soldiers stomping in the distance. I liked it better when I was a bit more than just a cog in a machine. Smaller bases did that for me, and I was about to lose my half-decent position. I sighed as murmurs sprang up inside the Steed, people poking their heads out to take a look at the ongoing construction. I was mostly quiet as we rolled up to the greatly expanded gate, clicking my Aerial and finding a familiar channel. It was still live. ¡°Liaison to Handler, come in.¡± ¡°... Liaison! It¡¯s good to hear from you.¡± ¡°Likewise, Handler.¡± I smiled when Jasmine¡¯s voice chimed in. ¡°We¡¯re approaching the base. Can we still call it the Treehouse?¡± ¡°Affirmative, it hasn¡¯t gotten a new designation yet. Probably due for one soon if this keeps going. I must say though, I¡¯m not happy about getting kicked out of my room. There was an influx of intelligence agents and, unfortunately, a Colonel is still only in the middle of the hierarchy.¡± ¡°You have my sympathies. How many are slated to reinforce?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve received about 28,000 troops. We¡¯re supposed to be expecting double that over the next couple weeks.¡± ¡°Fucking hell.¡± I whistled. Those were big numbers, and since most of them were likely coming through the Rails over at Stronghold Charlie, I could imagine how hectic it was over there. I let out a breath. ¡°We¡¯re rolling in, Handler. Would you mind coming to say hi?¡± ¡°I think you should come find me, actually. I¡¯ve got something for you from Polly, courtesy of your recent successes.¡± ¡°Is that right? I guess I¡¯ll be there then.¡± I smiled, having a feeling what this was. Jasmine checked in with the Snow Doves after talking with me. Out here, and without Polly to take her place, she was the Handler for both our platoons. We technically formed one small company while we were active together, but that name didn¡¯t get used very often. Along with all the intelligence agents and logistics troops, our company was known as Charlie Company, from Stronghold Charlie, obviously. Half of our company was still back at the Stronghold, unless they had also made their way over, which was unlikely. Our company was also the only company that manned the Stronghold and us Pathfinders, along with the Snow Doves, were its only combat force. We were responsible for the Stronghold, only occasionally helping out the Treehouse. Now that the Treehouse was getting reinforced though, I wondered if we were here to stay, or if they would let us go back to our home base since we were obviously no longer needed here. A few hundred sentries, only those I could see, were posted on the progressively higher and thicker walls. A couple eyed us as we rolled in, the rest vigilantly scanning the snowy forest for any sign of Scourge. We slowed down as we encountered more people, rushing to and fro to get settled in. There were a few dozen buildings being built from the ground up, and quite a few of them seemed to be almost permanent installations. Finally, we made it to the main base, the original base still surrounded by massive trees. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. I jumped out and stretched, allowing my body to adjust. ¡°Cooper.¡± I got called, turning to find Brigadier Nonnen. He waved me along, Pollux following behind. ¡°Let¡¯s go check in.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± I nodded and followed, feeling like I had just risen in the world while walking beside Nonnen. I was being acknowledged, and that didn¡¯t often come from a Brigadier. The three of us entered headquarters to be met by a beaming Jasmine waiting by the door. Nonnen returned her smile. ¡°Jasmine, it¡¯s good to see you without any bags under your eyes.¡± ¡°I may have lost my cushy room but they haven¡¯t been giving me that much work. It¡¯s good to see you all in one piece.¡± She let out a breath of relief. ¡°You were dark for well over a week. At some point, one has to worry, especially with the recent recon losses. Let¡¯s move to a room. We¡¯ve got some things to talk about.¡± We followed her lead, finding ourselves an empty briefing room. Once the door was closed, she took a seat, waiting while we did the same, silence pervading for a minute or so. She organized her thoughts. ¡°Alright, here¡¯s the deal. They aren¡¯t letting us go back.¡± ¡°Of course they aren¡¯t.¡± Nonnen scoffed. ¡°They want us here so that we can ¡®assist¡¯ their intelligence efforts, given that we, or more specifically, John, have had recent successes sniffing out the Scourge¡¯s positions and movements. That, and there¡¯s been absolutely no movement over at Stronghold Charlie, so they see no reason to let perfectly good soldiers go. However, not all is horrible. Our job descriptions have shifted. Both the Snow Doves and Pathfinders will be supporting forces for the Divisions that are being moved here. There are more than plenty of soldiers to take on the combat roles in our stead.¡± ¡°Well, silver lining, I guess¡­¡± I sighed, rubbing my face. I was indeed about to get busy. Thankfully, I wouldn¡¯t be doing too much grunt work, especially if Jasmine was about to do what I thought she was. She looked at me. ¡°Congratulations John, us two are now some of the top intelligence agents in the Treehouse, despite a Marshal, General, a Major General, and two Brigadier Generals all showing up. Let¡¯s just say that your name has been passed around since your achievements this time were too big to ignore, even with Polly there to try and take the credit. They¡¯ve obviously responded to your reports with great enthusiasm, so you and I will be essentially teaching the top brass about everything there is to know about this place and the ongoing events. We¡¯ve been officially positioned as their advisors.¡± ¡°Is that a good thing?¡± ¡°Depends on how you look at it, though for you, it¡¯s nothing but the best opportunity you¡¯ve ever received. Polly is currently on her way to insert herself, but that doesn¡¯t change what¡¯s already happened. You¡¯re about to gain a lot of attention. Do well, and it won¡¯t be long before you¡¯re sitting at the same level I am. To that end, I¡¯ve got something for you.¡± Jasmine waved her hand, a bundle of papers appearing. She set it down on the desk in front of me, my eyes scanning the front page. It was the test to become a Major. ¡°Once again, congratulations. Your application for the rank of Major has been accepted. Take this test, and I¡¯ll grade it. Once that¡¯s done, you¡¯ll officially be a Major.¡± ¡°My, this is so unexpected.¡± I smiled and looked at the test. I hadn¡¯t put in an application, which means it was Polly who did it for me. If Jasmine¡¯s words about my reports going around were also true, then I could imagine why it got accepted. I was still a bit surprised though. I knew I had people watching me and all, but it had been all of six months since I had left basic training. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d become a Major so soon. Although it was technically at the level of Authority 5, the Intelligence ranks didn¡¯t work like the Infantry ranks did. They scaled with intelligence, not strength. That meant there were far, far fewer intelligence agents at every level, and it tapered off exponentially the higher the rank got. There could be dozens of Brigadiers for every General, thousands of Commanders for every Colonel. Now I was becoming the advisor to the newly arrived generals. I would be interacting with people who controlled the tens of thousands of soldiers here. Sure, what I could do would be limited, but to interact with them at all was a rare thing few ever even got to brag about. ¡°Do you have a report ready for me, John?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± I nodded and snapped out of my thoughts. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll take it, then you can go take your test.¡± ¡°Mm. Right here.¡± I pulled out a small stack of papers. Given some days with nothing to do, I obviously had the report drawn up already. She took them, and then turned to Pollux and Nonnen while I grabbed the test and sat down. ¡°Thanks. As for you two, get the Snow Doves and Pathfinders situated within Layer Two. That¡¯s the area between the Treehouse and the second wall. There are fresh barracks there. Nobody will care that you¡¯re here for a while, so take the next few days off. It¡¯s certainly nothing you don¡¯t deserve.¡± ¡°Many thanks, little lady.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me little, fatty.¡± Jasmine poked back at Nonnen, who let out a deep chortle. Nonnen wasn¡¯t fat, but, like all knights, he ate like a pig. I quickly started the test as they talked a bit more. I had memorized the books that would get me to at least Lieutenant Colonel, so this was easy. I even cited my answers like last time. I couldn¡¯t possibly get anything wrong. Summoner smarts were busted. Still, the test had 220 questions. I found it amazing how they could come up with so many questions, and most of it was bullshit too. I wondered how anyone could ever rise to the rank of General if this shit only got more and more capricious. Whatever. At least I wouldn¡¯t be hampered. The only challenge that I might ever face would be becoming a general. I didn¡¯t know if that was something I ever wanted to do though, so it wasn¡¯t something I worried about. As far as I knew, I¡¯d have little to no obstacles to my goals beyond personal power. Pollux and Nonnen left before long. Jasmine stayed behind though, perusing reports nearby and occasionally glancing over at me working on the test. It took almost two hours, but I finished before the sun set. Once done, Jasmine took the test, looked at the first and last page, then nodded. ¡°Congratulations. You¡¯ve passed.¡± ¡°Have I?¡± ¡°Please. I¡¯ve never seen someone actually cite the book in their answers. If you can do that, then you¡¯ve obviously memorized every word of those damned books, you freak.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± ¡°So stand up and receive your new insignia.¡± Jasmine waved, making me stand. I stood ramrod straight, at attention, and allowed her to swap my insignia. Thankfully I had put on my fatigues. I didn¡¯t know what or who I¡¯d encounter when I arrived on base so I at least put on the shirt underneath my coat, especially since I had a feeling this would be happening. Like that, I was given the single Arrow insignia of a Major, pinned on the collar opposite to my Master Sergeant insignia. She patted the Arrow when she was done and straightened my shirt. ¡°Congratulations, Major Cooper.¡± She gave me a salute, which I returned properly. ¡°Many thanks, Colonel Jasmine.¡± ¡°You deserve it. It may have come fast but you¡¯ve definitely earned it. You¡¯re smart, Cooper. Don¡¯t let it get to you, but trust that head of yours. It¡¯s saved the Treehouse already; everyone inside owes their life to you.¡± She pat my shoulder as I relaxed. Then, the two of us walked out. ¡°I¡¯ll go file this report. Go get some rest. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll have you meet your new superiors. Remember to look respectable.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± We separated after that with a brief goodbye. I sauntered off, now a Major, and not so daunted by the weeks and months ahead of me. Chapter 177: Their Nature December 7, 623 ¡°Alright, do as I do and generally, we shouldn¡¯t be speaking unless spoken to. You can¡¯t treat these people as any ordinary intelligence agents. You need to look proper, talk proper, act proper, and don¡¯t step out of line.¡± Jasmine rattled off her advice as we walked into headquarters. Both of us were in our Glimmers, yet thankfully weren¡¯t sticking out since there were triple the amount of summoners in headquarters after the reinforcement. We were going to meet our new superiors who we would be advising. They were Generals, and they stood at the top of the military¡¯s hierarchy. ¡°These Generals may be despotic but they¡¯re in their position for a reason. They¡¯re some of the smartest people in the world and have decades of experience in battlefield strategy, as well as more influence than any Brigadier will ever have. These people operate directly with Sovereigns and Marshals, making decisions that can end the lives of numerous thousands. They aren¡¯t people you want to be on the bad side of. Do your job well, and let them do theirs. Maybe by the end of this, you¡¯ll be a Lieutenant Colonel.¡± ¡°Mm. That would be nice.¡± I smiled, the two of us pausing outside a door to the war room. Jasmine took a deep breath. Our positions now were rather unique. Neither of us held a high rank compared to the people in the room, yet we were chosen as advisors because we were at the center of this new war¡¯s intelligence game. There was a lot of information that they wanted, which we had analyzed and parsed for a while now. Part of me was worried about outliving our usefulness rather quickly. I didn¡¯t want to lose this advisor position anytime soon, but we also couldn¡¯t withhold what they wanted to know. That would only ruin this opportunity. However, I had something even Jasmine couldn¡¯t take advantage of. I was a field agent. I might have limited knowledge, but I could go out and collect more, a task that would remain crucial in the coming months. If I were reporting directly to one of the Generals as a result of my abilities, I¡¯d have no issue getting the recognition I wanted. For a brief moment I was worried about Polly. My achievements were supposed to be going under her name, but with the top brass involved, she wasn¡¯t able to make that happen. I hoped she wouldn¡¯t be butthurt about it and try to knock me down. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I nodded, Jasmine pushing open the door. We entered, immediately seeing all of the highest ranking people in this base. Alois, Miron, and Nonnen were here, along with the new Marshal. The four of them radiated harrowing power. Being so close to it was rather suffocating for me since they didn¡¯t bother reigning in their Auras. Sometimes being so sensitive to it was a curse. Then, there were the Generals. One General, one Major General, and two Brigadier Generals alongside Brigadier General Hristo who originally manned this base. I saw a lot of dragon wings around the room, reminding me what kind of place I was in, as well as the kind of weight my position held. Very few ever got the chance to advise people this high in the ranks, let alone do so at the rank of Major, not to mention that I was just promoted yesterday. I looked between some of the Generals. They were all summoners, naturally, and surprisingly I could feel the power of a low Authority 8 from the General. His power was well above mine, which was an interesting thing to experience. I had gotten so used to being the best summoner around that I could hardly imagine another summoner being able to compare. He was a rather short man though, clean shaven with slicked back hair. When he glanced over at me from his chair, I had to look down on him. I often forgot that I could be much taller and bigger than other people, and that didn¡¯t always leave a good taste in their mouths. Only one person, a Major General, could match my height. The other Major General and the two Brigadier Generals all sat shorter in their chairs. Jasmine and I snapped off salutes, waiting until we were acknowledged. The General turned and faced us, any conversations coming to a halt. ¡°Colonel Jasmine and Major Cooper reporting to General Viskar.¡± General Viskar still wasn¡¯t the highest ranking man in the base. He was technically a step below a Marshal, but he still sat in the highest rank a summoner like him could get, being one of the smartest strategists in the Kingdom. I was sure that people like him weren¡¯t allowed to rise to the rank of Marshal or Sovereign not just because of the lack of power, but because the Kingdom wanted to keep such smart people under control. By keeping them a rank or two below the highest, they could be wielded like a tool. They would never be allowed to step out of line. I found it unfortunate. At the same time, I could also understand why Summoners kept a tight hold on who could rise past the rank of Colonel. It would dilute the influence the generals could wield against others, including the Marshals and Sovereigns. General Viskar nodded back. ¡°At ease, Colonel Jasmine. Major Cooper, I¡¯ve been hearing your name frequently this past week. I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve made it back from your recent mission in one piece. I hope you¡¯ll be able to clear up some questions we¡¯ve had in recent days.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir. I¡¯ll answer to the best of my ability.¡± ¡°Mm. Come sit. We¡¯ll get right to it.¡± He waved us over, Jasmine leading me to two open seats for us around the table. The map was already up, everyone¡¯s attention turned toward it as we sat down. General Viskar operated an Orb and modified some of the images on the map. ¡°It was made clear by your reports, including the mission record where those two squads were wiped out, that the Scourge is making some massive moves and that your guesses as to where they would me moving were correct. They¡¯ve also introduced a new species which you¡¯ve dubbed the Bombardo. However, what some of us are having an issue with is understanding the thought process that led you to guess where more of those Bombardos would be. I¡¯ve heard from Brigadier Nonnen about your work with him in locating some more of their hiding spots, and I¡¯ve seen the map you have to Colonel Jasmine displaying your suspected Bombardo sites. Can you explain that thought process to us? Why were they there?¡± ¡°...¡± I was silent for a second, pondering his question. I knew exactly why my guesses were accurate, but explaining certain pieces of modern knowledge was difficult. I was more than familiar with the concept of artillery. This world wasn¡¯t. Artillery was the cornerstone of warfare as soon as it was introduced through the catapult, turning into the cannon before evolving into pieces like the Howitzer. It could demolish fortifications from over the horizon, making it a strategic tool. This world had yet to see such things. The closest example to artillery they had were powerful warlocks, but even those comparisons were limited. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Either way, I understood the nature of artillery and how it had to be handled on a battlefield. That¡¯s why I could make some decent guesses regarding where the Scourge was going to move their artillery, the Bombardos, and the kind of circumstances that could be expected surrounding them. I decided to divulge some of this knowledge. After all, most of it was simply logic. ¡°...In order to explain my thought process, I would like you to think about the nature of what a Bombardo is. A Bombardo is a slow moving, massive species that can dish out heavy attacks from long range. Like many Scourge species, this makes it very specialized. That means it has clear strengths and weaknesses.¡± ¡°Can you explain those to us?¡± ¡°Sure. First off, the slow moving and massive aspect, two major weaknesses. Second, it¡¯s capable of firing powerful projectiles over long distances, two strengths. However, those projectiles are also slow, as in they can¡¯t hit small targets reliably, and especially not nearby. Another weakness. Now, this makes it very predictable in how it has to move. The thing can¡¯t defend itself against small groups, so it relies on an army to protect it. That means it needs to be escorted by a sizeable force, which needs sizeable logistics behind it. This limits its avenues of advance, and if we think about what the Scourge has been doing recently in this little war, we can infer where they would station the Bombardos and their escort forces. Mind if I use the board?¡± ¡°Very well.¡± The General rolled the Orb over to me so I could operate the map. With it, I cleared the map and started drawing on it. ¡°The Scourge has moved the majority of its forces through this nearby ravine, which I checked personally. One thing I noticed was that the ravine was free from the red fungus that blankets everywhere else the Scourge advances. This means the Scourge was attempting to hide its advance from us through this secluded route. Why? Because they wanted to keep the Bombardos secret from us for as long as possible. They knew we would understand their threat, and they knew that we could easily form missions to kill them off bit by bit. Bombardos can¡¯t relocate fast or hide, which makes them easy targets if you know where they are. Raids against them are effective, as I¡¯m sure the Snow Doves can attest to.¡± ¡°Indeed. They make great target practice.¡± Brigadier Nonnen nodded in agreement, earning a bit of my appreciation. ¡°So, the Scourge wants to move them discreetly. That makes obvious routes null, leaving the unassuming routes left. Now, because Bombardos are slow to move, they can¡¯t amass many of them quickly. They need to hide them as they come in batches, so they station them in pockets of land where we either couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t recon since it would be too out of the way. Then they simply keep them there and wait until more arrive. Once they¡¯ve gathered enough, they move them all at once. But you can¡¯t move them in from one direction, so you spread them out, which requires more hiding places and most importantly, more logistics. ¡°In essence, I sought to understand the challenges the Scourge would face trying to utilize the Bombardos. Then, I simply thought about it from their perspective. If I wanted to level the Treehouse with these new troops without them getting decimated either beforehand or in the process, where would I need to hide them, and from where could I use them? That¡¯s what led to my inferences. I picked some hideouts that fit the requirements as well as points of attack the Bombardos could use to great effect given their range. After some process of elimination, there weren¡¯t many places left, and I was able to recon three of the most suspicious spots, two of which were confirmed to have Bombardos.¡± ¡°...¡± Everyone was silent as I finished. Utilizing artillery demanded that the artillery be safe above all. They couldn¡¯t be attacked, otherwise they¡¯d be useless. More than that, their range afforded them certain advantages that, while deadly, also made them predictable. I knew that, and simply used the knowledge at hand. That wasn¡¯t even mentioning the fact that I was being safer than normal when guessing their points of attack. These Bombardos didn¡¯t have the range that modern artillery did. That limited their use cases even more, making them even easier to predict. By now, my drawings covered half the map, arrows and circles dotting the area. I had basically redrawn the map I gave to Jasmine that had my other points of suspect. I¡¯m sure all of these generals had seen it already, and this was nothing new. Now though, they got to hear about some light tactics that they¡¯d never encountered before. Artillery was a new piece on the board, and I was capable of exposing all its secrets to them, negating any surprise advantages it may have afforded the Scourge. It wasn¡¯t hard to understand though. Sure enough, there were several nods around the room, General Viskar speaking up. ¡°It¡¯s sound logic. Impressive, for having just encountered this new enemy in the field. However, I have some doubts as to your estimation of the Bombardos threat.¡± He leaned over a bit, facing me directly. ¡°How dangerous do you believe these Bombardos will be to us?¡± ¡°I have no doubts that the Bombardos will be extremely dangerous to the Kingdom as a whole if not countered properly. Those monsters will be able to engage targets well beyond the target¡¯s ability to retaliate. You would see projectiles flying over from halfway to the horizon, firing constantly. You may be able to defend against some with shields or the like, but I can assure you that the defense would tire out faster than the Bombardos will. Volleys will come unceasingly, and those monsters will force you to come out and attack them while being defended by entire armies. Give them room, and the base will be leveled, its inhabitants leveled with it and forced to scatter, making us prime targets for their follow up attacks.¡± ¡°Do you believe that they are difficult targets to kill?¡± ¡°It depends on the tactics employed. Powerful but small squads will be the most effective weapon against them, but even then, we need to find them first. We need lots of information in order to make sure that they can¡¯t hide any in the surrounding terrain and strike us when we¡¯re on the back foot. That will be the key to making sure that these Bombardos don¡¯t turn the tide of this war.¡± I finished my words before rolling the Orb back to General Viskar. He grabbed it and pondered, gazing at the Orb. ¡°...You speak as if you completely understand this enemy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t, sir. These are my inferences given the information at hand, but if they are indeed more than meets the eye, then they can only be more dangerous than I¡¯ve assumed. However, I don¡¯t have the whole picture. The Snow Doves have real experience fighting them, so if you want to know more about the battlefield tactics, I would refer to Brigadier Nonnen. What I¡¯ve posited is just the overall picture regarding their nature and use philosophy.¡± ¡°Mm. I will be doing that.¡± He nodded, glancing at Brigadier Nonnen before looking back at the map. ¡°And I agree with your statement regarding information. If we want to find where the dozen or two that they¡¯ve sent are hiding, then we need recon. Ever since our reinforcement, the Scourge seems to have backed off in order to wait and watch. Anything they throw at us right now will be decimated, so they want to muster up more forces. We can also assume that they¡¯ve realized we know about their major movements. If they really do want to hide those Bombardos, then they will have moved them. However, my major concern right now is both the army and the Royals they¡¯ve sent. The sighting of even one King Royal is grounds for high alert. That means we¡¯ll soon need to mobilize our high combat forces so that we can start moving low combat troops into the field¡­¡± General Viskar went on to start outlining his plans. Since this conversation obviously went out of my control, I leaned back and went quiet. However, one thing nagged at me. A dozen or two Bombardos? Why would he assume that¡¯s all there were? Sure, that might be the number right now, but give it a week and that number would have quadrupled at minimum. There should be hundreds flooding toward us right now. Another thing about artillery was that, unless it was precise, it was generally useless against an army unless there were numbers. These Bombardos wouldn¡¯t be killing high level combatants. They would be killing masses of people and obliterating infrastructure. That couldn¡¯t happen unless there were a lot more than there were right now. And since we just gave them a much bigger target with this recent reinforcement, they would be sending that much more. Screw the King Royal. My major concern was the new artillery. I wasn¡¯t interested in getting my living quarters leveled. Not like I could bring that up though, and General Viskar couldn¡¯t be that stupid. Underestimating your enemy was just about the number one mistake to make in any battle. Thankfully he at least understood the importance of information. Over the next three hours, I listened to the man talk with the other generals. He led the discussion most of the time since he was basically the highest decision maker here. Not even the Marshal could so casually disregard his thoughts or tactics. Smart generals won wars, and lots of power often merely supplemented their strategies, not outright replaced them. That was especially true when your enemy could bring out just as much power. Instead of worrying about it, I just listened in and took note of his thought processes. I wanted to know how these generals thought personally instead of trying to judge their thoughts based on the broad movements across an entire theater. Eventually, General Viskar gave out his orders. He wanted recon to begin as soon as possible. Gathering information meant that we would be able to start carrying out missions on a large scale, given so many reinforcements. And perhaps unsurprisingly, Jasmine and I were to be involved in the formation of the recon operations alongside one of the Major Generals. We would be the advisor to Major General Quill, and he would be leading all intelligence operations here for the foreseeable future. After giving out all those orders, General Viskar left the rest of us to figure things out ourselves. We knew what had to get done, and it would be up to us to figure out the details. Chapter 178: Where The Hell December 9, 623 Over the next couple days, Jasmine and I were swamped with work. Despite being a Major General¡¯s advisor, or perhaps because of that, we were pulled in every direction in an attempt to orient all the intelligence agents within the Treehouse. It wasn¡¯t enough to just give the Major General some information whenever he needed it. By his order, we had to make sure that everyone below him was capable of carrying out his orders when he gave them. That meant filling all the intelligence agents in, which was an incredibly comprehensive job. Jasmine and I did nothing short of creating an entire curriculum designed to teach every intelligence agent, from two-rank Knights and Warlocks to even our direct peers, anything that had to do with recon and mission planning. It was a lot, to say the least. But that wasn¡¯t all. The lessons, pamphlets, and booklets we created for the intricacies of intelligence work didn¡¯t cover what we needed from people right now. So we had to put together even more things, covering the theater¡¯s strategic situation, current patrol routes, reactions to Scourge movements, and geography. That also meant that we had to update maps and synchronize the data between intel and infantry. To do that though we had to check in with the generals, which inevitably resulted in either more work from them to do or more information to add to our list of updates. After two days and an all-nighter, I felt like I was going to have an aneurysm. Jasmine was from this world, so she handled sleep deprivation much better than I did. I still didn¡¯t forget that in exchange for not having dreams at all, people in this world got much faster sleep, resulting in shorter necessary rest hours. I, on the other hand, was in for a treat when I learnt about what it meant to keep up with an overworked Colonel. There was an endless list of things to do and the deadline for it all was ¡®right now¡¯. These generals wanted everything done yesterday, and since the entire intelligence force at this base was fresh, Jasmine and I couldn¡¯t use them to get things done without training. We had to teach them so they could start picking up the slack, which took time that the generals couldn¡¯t afford to give. Not that they had a choice though. There was only so much we could get done, even though that didn¡¯t stop us from working ourselves to death. After those two days though, our saving grace finally returned. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever say it, but seeing Polly arrive was rejuvenating. Just her presence lifted a burden off my shoulders. Jasmine and I were there to meet her when she walked in with a thousand other soldiers. ¡°Miss Polly!¡± ¡°That¡¯s Colonel Polly to you, Major.¡± ¡°Miss Polly get hug now.¡± ¡°Hey-¡± Polly stiffened a bit when I wrapped her in a hug, letting out some of my stress with my breath. ¡°Can I die now?¡± ¡°Not before I get a report.¡± ¡°Dammit¡­¡± ¡°Alright, I know you two are probably exhausted but I need to get filled in before I can get back to working, so more talking and less smothering.¡± She tapped my face, prying me off her before the three of us walked over to headquarters. ¡°So what did I miss on my way over?¡± ¡°Cooper and I are the advisors to Major General Quill. He¡¯s in charge of recon operations, and we¡¯re responsible for getting just about every intelligence agent in the base updated so we can start using them for missions.¡± ¡°I see. The bags under your eyes make sense then. First, I¡¯ll meet with Quill. Once I¡¯ve got a grasp of this mess, I¡¯ll be able to help out.¡± We walked Polly to Major General Quill¡¯s office. Polly turned around when we got to the door. ¡°Go get some sleep, Cooper.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Mm. I¡¯ll have Jasmine fill me in today. You and I will work tomorrow.¡± ¡°No objections from me.¡± I smiled and saluted. Polly snapped off a quick salute and an even quicker smile as I turned off and skipped to the barracks. Bed time! My favorite time of the day! I was housed with the rest of the Pathfinders and Snow Doves, our technically unified command warranting just one bare-bones residence. There weren¡¯t even proper beds yet; most people were using their camping kits, never returned to Requisitions. I, thankfully, got to sleep on the floor with my piles of blankets and any applicable camping gear. It was enough to at least give me some cushion, but I was starting to think that I¡¯d need my own personal bed to carry around in my spatial device on top of everything else. I at least had the space for it, but there was no way I was getting one anytime soon. It wasn¡¯t like I had expected any of this to happen. Right now though, I¡¯d sleep on a boulder if it meant I could actually get some rest. Diving into my nest, I wasted no time in getting to sleep. The one good thing about this prison cell of a room was that it at least blocked out the sounds outside. Not completely, but enough to make it relatively peaceful. Plus, I didn¡¯t have to deal with the barracks like most of the others did. I was on the second floor of this building, not the first floor which was one huge wide open space with cots scattered throughout it. Thanks to Jasmine, I was able to grab one of these rooms, so that I didn¡¯t have to stay down there. My room was right next to hers, much to the envy of all the Pathfinders down below. I passed out given a handful of minutes. I didn¡¯t even set an alarm, a luxury I seemed to seldom have these days. ¡­¡­ ¡­ Polly was quick to insert herself between me and Jasmine and the generals, just as I knew she would. Although we had the experience at this base and had the right to take the lead in the eyes of these generals, we deferred to her. That was our deal with her, and neither of us were interested in reneging just for a little more power. She took control of the things we were doing and started organizing the operation. We filled her in on everything she needed to know and then let her loose. The first week was spent preparing. Both the Treehouse and the Scourge were regrouping and planning. All hell would break loose only after everyone had their bearings. That only took a week though. Before long, we started getting reports of Scourge ambushes on inbound convoys. The ravine full of Scourge army, even with a set of rather obnoxious mountains in the way, was still close to the route between Stronghold Charlie and the Treehouse. It wasn¡¯t that difficult to send over some small units and utilize rudimentary guerilla tactics. By the middle of the second week though, they started mobilizing, as did we. Recon was first priority, so dozens of these missions were drawn up with Polly, Jasmine, myself, with Major General Quill and Brigadier General Hristo at the helm. Hristo had plenty of experience running operations at the Treehouse, and his knowledge of the nearby terrain was unparalleled. We picked his brain as much as he used ours. Despite that though, all of us were swamped with work. It was no longer about teaching intelligence agents to formulate plans. After going full force on recon operations, the objective shifted to parsing data. We would receive reports from the intelligence agents we trained concerning the missions that we planned, sift through useless data, and present it to the generals in a digestible and convenient way. Layers and layers of data, all of it gathering in our hands. If we weren¡¯t summoners, there was no way we could get through so much. The amount of information we were going through couldn¡¯t be analyzed by normal humans, and I meant that in a most literal fashion. Without the ability to memorize the amount we could, there would be no way to get through dozens of reports in mere hours. Each of us parsed weeks and months worth of data in a day before compiling it all between us and making it comprehensible. After all, the Major General was a summoner too. He wanted details, but not the useless details, and left us to filter it. That meant that, while he was going through our daily report, it was only several pages long instead of a stack of papers taller than he was.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. It was enough for him to pick up subtleties within the bigger picture without getting bogged down by the tunnel vision of individual missions. Fortunately for me, so much thinking did a good job of consistently draining my Psyka. That meant that I had good sleeps at night, and good sleeps were conducive to good dreams. In short, I was making good progress with my advancement formations despite barely touching them. I was probably close to a third finished, almost ready to form the first of three clusters. Progress had been gradual, bits and pieces coming together over many days, and it was all beginning to coalesce into something greater. However, after the second week came to a close, my concerns briefly shifted. One snowy cold night, I made my way to the top of one of the walls and looked off into the distance. I liked to find secluded areas on these walls and spend some time thinking. It was also a good place to exercise my eyeballs since I hadn¡¯t been getting out much, cooped up in war rooms crunching data. December 25th. What had been Christmas on Earth was now just a prelude to the end of the year on this world. New years here were both a celebration of another revolution around the sun and a celebration of the birth of Christ. This time, I wouldn¡¯t be going home ¨C either back, or to Joffrun ¨C for it. It was my second Christmas on this world, and fast approaching my second year, at almost 21 months¡­ So many things had happened in such a short amount of time. I felt like a completely different person, not totally unrecognizable, but certainly far from the man I used to be. I had been tested, the burden placed on my shoulders incomparable to anything I¡¯d ever faced on Earth. To think that I was now in the position to both save and end countless lives here in the military. My judgment could mean the difference between an entire squad of people coming back or¡­ not. And yet somehow I didn¡¯t feel so daunted by the task ahead of me. Was it because I was getting used to it, or because I had much worse things to think about? I let out a long breath, watching as it turned to fog, and enjoyed the snowflakes slowly piling up on my head. My Aerial chimed. The Treehouse had its communications developed a bit more. Now there were clear lines not just back to Stronghold Charlie, but to the rest of the Kingdom¡¯s Aerial network. People like my girlfriend could contact me now even out here. I checked her message before tapping the device and making the call. ¡°Hi John.¡± ¡°Hello, darlin¡¯. It¡¯s good to hear your voice.¡± I smiled a bit, Umara sighing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t realize it would matter that much, but they¡¯re really not letting anyone leave. My mother couldn¡¯t get the request approved.¡± ¡°I told you that would probably happen.¡± ¡°I know, I just thought my mother¡¯s word would be able to bend more people than it did.¡± I shrugged internally. Umara had been trying to get me some leave so I could be with her for Christmas. Unfortunately, this place was on lockdown. There was no way anybody was getting granted leave, let alone someone like me. I wasn¡¯t massively important but I had a role that few could fill, not to mention that I was basically the culprit of this whole mess. Still, she tried, and predictably failed. It wasn¡¯t anywhere near her fault. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even go to you either, though I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s just my mother refusing to put in the transfer order.¡± ¡°Again, it¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll make it up another time. It won¡¯t be that long before I get some vacation anyway. Hopefully things will be settled by then and there won¡¯t be any objections.¡± ¡°Unlikely, which is why I¡¯m fighting so hard. I want to see you.¡± ¡°I know. So do I¡­¡± A sigh escaped as I leaned on the wall. ¡°How are things at the Treehouse? Dangerous?¡± ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m doing my best to make sure it doesn¡¯t get to that point. How effective my work will be remains to be seen.¡± ¡°You know what to do if things get too risky though. I don¡¯t care if you get branded a traitor, don¡¯t let them get you killed.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t allow myself to get put into that position. I¡¯m doing pretty damn good already, so I¡¯m not worried. I¡¯m actually able to make something of a difference.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say, you¡¯re the one to thank for that whole reinforcement. I¡¯m just glad they actually did something instead of leaving you guys there to get trampled.¡± I smiled a bit, knowing that this was all pretty much my doing. I didn¡¯t expect such an impassioned response, but it was welcome. If they hadn¡¯t done this, I¡¯d be doing everything in my power to get the hell out before the Treehouse got bombarded to hell. Well, the cards had been shuffled and now we were playing with a new deck. More players with more money were at the table now. I just had to make sure I didn¡¯t get drowned in the middle of their war. However, bigger games moved slower. The time spans just got bumped from weeks to months. Polly, Jasmine, and I were laying the groundwork for the next several months. Unless another King showed up, there would be nothing that could accelerate that timeline. I was stuck here for a while whether I liked it or not. With those thoughts I continued my conversation with Umara for a little longer. We were talking seldom these days, perhaps getting a call in once a week. It wasn¡¯t rare to go a month without any communication. I wasn¡¯t worried though. A bit lovesick, maybe, but not worried. It could be said that my love for her was blind, so a bit of time apart was nothing but an annoyance. Both of us were just that busy. Umara was fighting more and more often, while I was getting swamped with work. We just had to make do with what we could get. It just sucked that we would be missing out on this Christmas together. After some time we ended the call. Both of us needed our sleep, me more than her, and I had no intentions of staying up longer than I had to. I was always punished for not getting good hours. Taking one last look at the lands beyond the wire, I went down the wall and went back to my residence. For a while, I¡¯d be going through the tedious part of this whole military thing. ¡­¡­ ¡­ Christmas came and went. It was the most exciting thing that happened for a while. My birthday came in January, making me a whopping 24 years old. I don¡¯t know how I managed to live that long, but apparently I was doing something right. After that, it continued to be nothing but mind numbing work at the Treehouse. Battles began to escalate beyond the walls. Through the month of January we received another 20,000 soldiers, putting the population at nearly 50,000 troops. It was crowded everywhere, and apparently they had started building a Rail to Stronghold Charlie. They were turning the Treehouse into a full fledged stronghold of its own. More troops meant larger battles though. Thousands would go beyond the walls every day to do battle, and entire companies were sent out just to do recon. Giving briefs to Company Commanders was now a part of my daily workload, and reports were flowing in by the dozen. Thankfully I wasn¡¯t only one of three to parse through them anymore. Our training in December paid off as many more intelligence agents were able to pick up the slack. However, because I was below the Major General and Colonels like Polly and Jasmine, but was also above First Sergeants and even Commanders due to chain of command, my position became curiously unique. I was basically responsible for facilitating communication between the highest ranking infantry in the base and the highest ranking intelligence agents. I would go to the infantry, most often Commanders, Chiefs, or Brigadiers, and give them their missions and assignments from above, while they would supply me with what was requested of them, most often reports. I was an intermediary, but most importantly, my words came from the Major General and his Colonels. At some point, people started calling me the Envoy. My words came down from above and they would mobilize thousands. I usually wasn¡¯t one to delegate my personal tasks, so there were no other intelligence agents to deliver my words for me. The reason I often did things personally though was because I had no issues talking on equal grounds with the strongest combatants on this base and getting what I needed, whereas many summoners did. Apparently that was a major reason why my name had spread around so much, according to Jasmine. We had the conversation before, and she said I was good at commanding attention. Either way, I was Major Cooper, the Major General¡¯s Envoy, someone who sent out thousands of people every day to do battle with the Scourge. Many often died, as was normal in these battles, so perhaps my small bit of fame wasn¡¯t as spotless as I¡¯d initially thought it might be. Either way though, given some time I never had any issues getting the respect I needed to get things done. It was nice not having to kick people¡¯s teeth in just to get them to listen. January passed. More recon, more information, more unease due to the Scourge¡¯s movements, and more battles. I watched from within the walls as the Generals played their grand game of strategy. I analyzed, picking at their tendencies, seeing the results of their orders. I did what Jasmine told me to do and didn¡¯t step beyond my station. I did my job, did it well, and didn¡¯t bite off any more than that. But that didn¡¯t mean I was passive. I was learning exactly why these Generals had earned their positions. Many times I had questions, and I almost always held them in, waiting to simply see the answer. I formed my own hypotheses and came to my own conclusions. What would happen here? How would that affect the battles there? How would this diversion affect the Scourge movements over there. What would happen afterward if this battle was a victory or defeat? How did the degrees of victory and defeat affect how each side responded, and how could that be used for and against our goals? Subtle questions and answers floated all around. I just had to pick up on them, and I wasn¡¯t half bad at it. All the while, I continued to accumulate power. I worked on my advancement formation, progressing by the day. After the first cluster was finished, I got the hang of it and my progress accelerated. By the end of February I had almost completed the second cluster. While it was unfortunate that I couldn¡¯t use it partially like I had the other advancement formations and start cultivating it early, the quick progress was nice. Months of constant analysis finally culminated in explosive growth. My power at Authority 5 wasn¡¯t good enough. It had never been, and my friends were advancing faster than I was. I needed to keep up, so I never forgot that advancing was a higher priority than simply learning strategy or even climbing ranks. It wouldn¡¯t be long before I hit Authority 6 though. I hoped to do it while I was on vacation so Maxwell could temper me and give me the next formation. Thankfully, my workload went down gradually with every week that passed, and I got more time to myself. My personal progress only got faster. March came and went, the conflict escalating during that month as well. More battles, but more importantly, more deaths were what caught my attention. That would usually be normal considering there were far more people getting sent out. However, when I started doing investigations, I got an eerie feeling. The month of April came, and a new variable was introduced into the field of battle. In the back of my mind though, despite everything going on, there was still one question in my mind. Where the hell were my infiltrators? Chapter 179: CBRN April 3, 624 ¡°... FIve Bombardos were killed during combat, with more than half casualties inflicted to four platoons. Respective Scourge escort formations were killed or routed.¡± ¡°I understand. Thank you, First Commander. Take care of your soldiers. I¡¯ll slot you in for a longer R&R period.¡± ¡°Thank you, Envoy.¡± I shook hands with the First Commander, his Aura tired but appreciative. This interaction was representative of what I had worked hard to get to: I treated the troops I commanded with respect and care, doing what I could and keeping my promises, and they gave their respect and trust to me. The loss of three platoons ¨C 120 people, I reminded myself ¨C might not have mattered to someone like Alois. He most likely would¡¯ve consolidated the platoons, padding their numbers with people torn from fresh reinforcements, and sent them right back out into the fray. But sometimes people needed a small break to process a slaughter like that. I could give them that time, and commanders appreciated that greatly, especially when I actually stayed true to my words. It was the least I could do for sending them out there to begin with. I gathered up the report the First Commander gave me. It had tallies on casualties, from differing severity of wounds to bodies recovered. There were many that would never make it home, even in a box. And even if the report didn¡¯t specify, all of us knew exactly what was happening when a corpse was marked ¡°missing¡±: they would simply disappear into the sickly forest, dragged off by some Scourge beast, and never be seen again. We were nothing more than food to those monsters. I heaved a sigh, stowing the report in my storage. I¡¯d need to hand this in and get it filed eventually, but there was someplace I needed to go to first. ¡­¡­ ¡­ The medical bay was crowded as it always was these days. Soldiers groaned in pain, unable to muster the energy to even scream, as their missing limbs were healed by healers with dead eyes. The lucky ones were asleep. But today wasn¡¯t a normal day. I pulled on my mask to dampen the scent of iron and shit before walking through, eyes peeled. Trauma wasn¡¯t the only thing the healers dealt with, but it was usually the most common. Not today. Almost half of the patients here had either horribly infected wounds or were afflicted with some sort of disease¡­ or both. This was a new disease, something I hadn¡¯t seen or heard of before. It manifested as a necrosis around the wounds, turning black and oozing fluids as it developed. The worst ones also caused thin black blisters to form on top of the skin. The entire bay smelled of rot. My first thought was gangrene. However, it had already become clear to me that normal sicknesses and diseases didn¡¯t work on magical humans, especially knights. In this medical bay though, knights were the majority of the population. It was affecting them as it would any ordinary human, and that made me think that even if this was gangrene, it was boosted by magic. That made it extremely dangerous. I had refused to even enter this medical bay at first, simply observing from afar. However, after some watching, I noticed that none of the medical staff caught anything from the patients. It was probably only bloodborne, which was reassuring. Eventually I would walk through the place while holding my breath, purposefully keeping my trips brief. Then I started observing more closely and talking to the staff, using my mask more often for what I bought it for. However, it wasn¡¯t perfect. The fact that I could smell anything at all through it meant that it wasn¡¯t perfectly scrubbing the air. Stuff was still getting through, which meant that if something really did get airborne, I¡¯d need better precautions. Safety equipment aside, this was a new magical disease that was affecting almost every wounded soldier. More wounded were coming in with infections than without. I needed to know why. I also had a feeling that the odor in the air had something to do with it. The entire base, even the land around it, was filled with a stench, despite the lack of a single fungal growth in sight. Normally, the scent would only be noticeable in the badlands, like on extended patrols and the infiltration mission, when we operated for longer times deeper within the mats. I was pretty sure that the Scourge was really trying to spread the fungus and Gut Root trees. They were corrupting the terrain, turning it into a biological wasteland, and, by extension, their territory. Even if we won this war, the land wouldn¡¯t heal for ages. Just the fungus was an ecological disaster, to say nothing of God-knows-what-else they grew. However, there seemed to be more to this now. After getting a good look at the med bay, I went back to the office Polly, Jasmine, Hendrick, and I shared in headquarters, making my way immediately to the map we had sketched of our operations. New missions had started just last month to try and restrict its spread, but showed little progress. The fungus didn¡¯t burn that easily and seemed to grow faster than we could get rid of it. Worse, the top brass didn¡¯t think of it much, and so allocated very few troops for us to handle. It was treated purely as busywork to occupy the troops when idle, and only existed because I had advocated, hard, for it at a meeting a few weeks back. I threw an occasional glance at the red thatched areas of the map as I went through mission reports, matching areas of operation and medical casualty numbers. Eventually, the amount of data had grown to so much I pulled out my Orb, marking numbers and locations and dates and calculations. After about an hour, I had a conclusion. The vast majority who had gotten infected were wounded on top of the fungus. Those who didn¡¯t fight atop the fungus almost never had infections, those who did almost always did. And there was my answer. The fungus was somehow distributing this disease into the wounds of the soldiers who fought atop it. I didn¡¯t know if it needed direct contact, but it didn¡¯t matter either way; it was almost conclusively the reason why. This would increase mortality rates significantly if not dealt with. With that in mind, I called up Polly and Jasmine for an urgent meeting. Once they arrived, I presented my findings. The two women took the information in stride and shared a nod afterwards. ¡°Makes sense. This is dangerous.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard from the healers that a majority of those who get infected are dying. The only ones that have survived are those who are getting amputations early enough. Limbs have started to fly since normal healing doesn¡¯t work on the infection.¡± The two gave their input. I wasn¡¯t the only one looking into this. It had probably already been brought to the attention of the Generals. Now though, it was time to formalize it. Polly chimed. ¡°Let¡¯s draw up a report. I¡¯ll hand it off to Quill.¡± ¡°I already have most of the data here. You can reformat it.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± Polly took the Orb, going through its data before scribbling down the report in the more formalized (and gilded) official report formats. Once that was done, she left with papers in hand. Jasmine and I lingered behind. ¡°What do you think of this?¡± She asked as I stared at the map. My opinion seemed to carry more weight recently, and unfortunately, I was right more often than not. Usually that meant bad things to come. I scratched my head. ¡°It¡¯s a magical disease that the Scourge developed.¡± ¡°Really? That would mean they can develop that stuff.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Indeed. The only other thing I can think of is that the fungus is rotting and infecting them because of that. I¡¯m not sure about that though. I¡¯m more inclined to believe that this is a weapon of theirs. I mean, think about it. I reached out to a nearby board and started using Psyka to draw on it, numbers and diagrams appearing under my finger. ¡°Our normal mortality rate for wounded is around 15%. Of the surviving 85%, 97% are able to return to duty. However, with this infection, that number is cut down massively. All the infected are either dying or getting amputations. Even if we can reduce deaths to zero, almost everyone who gets infected will lose a limb, which means they¡¯re dead weight unless they can get the limb regrown. We don¡¯t have the healing capacity for that.¡± ¡°So even though the mortality rate may not necessarily rise, soldiers will still be rendered combat incapable. In the end, we¡¯re actually losing a lot more of our combat force with every battle.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I nodded and drew some more numbers. ¡°If we take the general rates as I¡¯ve seen them, consider all amputees as dead, and assume that only bleeding wounds get infected, then wounded mortality rates will rise to around¡­ 68%.¡± ¡°Over half of all troops who even get hurt will be incapacitated. Casualty rates per battle are sitting around, what, 24%?¡± ¡°We¡¯re losing around 16% of every force we send out to battle.¡± I stopped and looked at the number for a few seconds before turning back to Jasmine. I had detailed this in my little report that Polly had gone through. Jasmine hadn¡¯t seen it, so she was as shocked as I was when I first calculated that number. It was massive. With how often battles were being fought, we couldn¡¯t afford a 16% mortality rate. That was 160 deaths for every thousand people we sent out to fight, and that was being conservative; the numbers would only get worse the longer we didn¡¯t change anything. Of course, those weren¡¯t all deaths. But being amputated wasn¡¯t any different from dying. It was another soldier that couldn¡¯t fight, and from a strategic perspective, no different from a death. They couldn¡¯t be used, only cycled back to the rear. That wasn¡¯t to mention the fact that this infection was affecting everyone. The strongest person I had seen infected was an Authority 8, and I¡¯d bet that Authority 9s would get infected all the same. Maybe not Authority 10s, but I didn¡¯t know enough about that level of power to guess. Not all casualties were equal in this world, which meant declines in combat power would be even steeper than pure 16% rates. And if I considered the fact that the Scourge could possibly weaponize biological agents¡­ None of this left a good feeling in my stomach. We needed to develop new plans to combat this issue. That meant a lot of reports, shifts in policies, more briefings¡­ I was in for another major workload, especially if I was as capable of helping as I was starting to think I was. I sighed. ¡°Ready to get busy again?¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t wanna.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t either¡­¡± I rubbed my temples. Jasmine muttered in response, ¡°We still haven¡¯t heard back from the Chiefs, have we?¡± ¡°... No.¡± My mood fell even more. The Chiefs, the Doves that we had sent behind enemy lines. They shouldn¡¯t have been over there for so long. It had been well around five months and they could¡¯ve returned at any point during the last three. The fact that they hadn¡¯t meant that, most likely, they had been killed. ¡°... I hope I didn¡¯t end up killing another one of my squads¡­ But they should¡¯ve been completely prepared¡­¡± ¡°You did everything you could, John.¡± Jasmine cut in. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have prepared them any more than you did for that mission. Everything after that was up to them. You can¡¯t blame yourself for what might¡¯ve happened.¡± ¡°... It sounds like an excuse.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She stood and reached over, rubbing my back a bit. ¡°Unfortunately it comes with the job. We can only sit behind these walls and wait, hoping we didn¡¯t send out our soldiers for the last time¡­ But it needs to be done. You know the kind of enemy we¡¯re fighting. And you know that somebody has to send them out. At least you care enough to worry. That¡¯s more than I can say for many others in your position.¡± ¡°... The only difference is that I can do more.¡± ¡°...¡± She didn¡¯t respond, because she knew I was right. I was in a unique position of danger every time I did battle, but I was more than capable of fighting. I was no stranger to it and there was no reason why I shouldn¡¯t also be out there. I wanted to go on that mission in the first place. I didn¡¯t like letting jobs that I could do get put on other people¡¯s shoulders. I couldn¡¯t ask someone to do something that I wouldn¡¯t do myself. That¡¯s how I approached every mission I created. I tightened my body before standing, walking out with Jasmine. ¡­¡­ Polly¡¯s report was received well. That meant they were paying attention to this issue and would do something about it knowing it was a significant enough problem to warrant sweeping changes. If left uninhibited, the entire base would soon be riddled with infected persons. Disregarding the potential danger to the uninfected, the mortality rates were high and if left alone, our forces would be decimated. We didn¡¯t have the numbers to sustain those death rates. Multiple emergency meetings were called in order to brainstorm solutions. Healers were brought in and interviewed. Once we got their input, they were let go with the task to run tests and experiments. The Generals wanted to conquer the disease, which meant a bit of alchemy and voodoo magic. I didn¡¯t know how the hell healers did what they did but I¡¯d trust that they knew what they were doing. On the other hand, the only reliable plans that could be put into motion were preventative. In that arena, I actually had a lot of useful input. I didn¡¯t hold back a lot of my knowledge because this was my life on the line too. Biological contamination was something Earth was no stranger to. I called upon this knowledge to draw up a whole list of policies to mitigate the chances of infections in a variety of circumstances. From changes to apparel, to the protocols used by healers, I thought of everything I could in order to provide the common soldier a better chance of remaining uninfected should they get wounded. That meant sealing, sterilizing, or isolating the wound as soon as possible while putting off treatment until they were outside the fungal area. Even something as simple as covering the wound with cloth could help. Anything to prevent the wound from coming into contact with either the fungus or possible contaminants that it emitted into the atmosphere. I likened this infection to a parasite so the others could understand. If they thought that the fungus was basically attempting to burrow into them anytime wounds got close, then they would understand the need for isolation. And I wasn¡¯t disregarded. Although I was a low rank and nobody knew where I got this information from, it wasn¡¯t like they were stupid either. My ideas were logical and easy to implement, and far cheaper (both financially and in terms of manpower) than what would be needed to develop antidotes or cures. Because what I was saying wasn¡¯t so outlandish, they also didn¡¯t have any issues with considering the need for decontamination and medical isolation. We had to assume anything that went over the fungus was carrying the disease, and so everything from vehicles to the armor soldiers wore would carry those contaminants and needed to be washed every time they wanted to enter the base from the outside. How through the wash would be remained to be seen, but it wasn¡¯t like I could properly determine that anyway. I had neither chemicals nor devices to measure contamination, so there was no way for me to mitigate that issue beyond my suggestions. Still, even a simple spray down with water might make the difference, and they had no issues with a cheap and possibly effective solution. Of course, it all had to be put into formal writing, and since it was my idea, I was given that job. More reports, more meetings. That was my life now, it seemed, and unfortunately, I was competent. None of it would end anytime soon. I just got to work. Within the week my reports and protocols were developed. I detailed not only the protocols themselves but how to implement them and who to brief with what information in order to get it going. I detailed every plan for base wide decontamination, biohazardous personnel and material handling, and improved field medicine. By the end of it all, because I had written so much, I formatted it into a book. It contained almost everything necessary to deal with biological and chemical hazards on the personal and strategic levels, at least as it pertained to this world. This was far from a CBRN handbook. Still, it was organized and easy for people to understand. Once it was done, I handed it off to Major General Quill. I didn¡¯t hear from him for a couple days after that. When he did finally come talk to us again though, orders were given to implement just about all the suggestions I gave. I was also ordered to teach everything in my book to every First Commander, Chief, and Brigadier on base. On top of that, I heard the book was sent up to the brass beyond the base. Well, I didn¡¯t mind whatever they did with that information. I was just glad that they were actually doing something about the issue. Still meant more work for me. From then on I was swamped. Hour after hour, I filled briefing rooms with First Commanders, Majors, Chiefs, Lieutenant Colonels, and Colonels. Everyone who led at least 500 people came to me for education. Thankfully the summoners were easy to teach. The others took a bit more time, and most had to come back or ask me questions. It felt like I was teaching damn near everyone. I tried to do my best to get the other intelligence agents to help, but most weaseled their way out of more work. They were damn good at that, a skill I should probably learn and practice as well. Unfortunately, the demand for my protocols only increased as the disease only got worse over time. More and more people were either dying or getting amputations because of it. It was hitting just as hard as we predicted it would, and so the Generals, understanding that this could turn the tide of the war, started implementing every change they could. Not just using my suggestions either. Their attacks went on the defensive. Fewer people were sent out to fight. They wanted to keep as many people as possible from getting hurt, hold back the Scourge and lose the least trying to do it, and the soldiers had no issues with that. The only issue was that combat effectiveness went down significantly. Everyone was scared of getting infected, and the Generals were just buying time until prevention measures could be rendered effective. Thankfully, my efforts weren¡¯t for nothing. After another week or so, infection rates went down. The healers had some successes, and when paired with my prevention measures, mortality rates dropped back down to manageable levels. Combat effectiveness didn¡¯t necessarily rise back up with it, but that wasn¡¯t my issue to fix. I did more than enough. It was up to the Generals to make their decisions and moves. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t like the Scourge would wait for them. One day near the end of April, I looked up at the sky, and found a bird. Chapter 180: Trap April 27, 624. I saw a bird high in the sky, almost obscured by the shining sun. It had been getting a tad bit warmer, so the skies occasionally cleared from the dull gunmetal gray they nearly always were. This was one of those days. However, the odd thing about the presence of a bird was the fact that I hadn¡¯t seen even a single wild creature in months. The Scourge was wreaking so much havoc that no wildlife could possibly survive in the area. They had either migrated south or had died. There was no way a bird would be here. My eyes narrowed, my vision zooming to get a better look. Soon, I had a detailed view, and found that this wasn¡¯t some normal bird. It had feathers and wings. Bird characteristics. When I looked at its belly though, I found a huge eye that twitched around, taking in the details of the base below it. It looked like the eye of a Scout, like they had copy and pasted one onto the belly of an oversized crow. ¡°It¡¯s a fucking flying scout. Kinda genius in a way. Why haven¡¯t they done that earlier though? Whatever.¡± I shook my head before looking around. I could try my hand at shooting it but I wanted help just in case I couldn¡¯t. ¡°Hey! I need a warlock! Where¡¯s a fire warlock?!¡± I walked over to a large group of soldiers, most of them hanging out around a campfire. ¡°It¡¯s the Envoy¡­¡± ¡°Any fire warlocks?¡± I asked again, one of the men raising his hand. I waved. ¡°Come here. You see that bird up there?¡± ¡°... Yes?¡± He squinted, trying to get a view of the bird without getting blinded by the sun. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a Scourge monster. It¡¯s a Scout bird. I need you to blast it out of the sky.¡± ¡°Wait really?¡± ¡°Yes really, now hurry up! That thing¡¯s a fucking enemy!¡± ¡°R-Right.¡± He finally listened and brought out his Foci. Then, he started casting a spell, fire coalescing above the Foci before being flung out at high speeds. It blew up a fraction of the distance there, not even close to the bird, probably only alarming it. I looked at him disappointingly. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only Authority 5!¡± ¡°Excuses.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± A few people ran over, the explosion spooking several. Some of them were powerful, so I explained. More people gathered as I did so, everyone''s attention being drawn to the bird. Thankfully it was still circling, but I had a feeling it wasn¡¯t going to be here for long. I wanted to down it. ¡°We need to get that damn bird! It¡¯s a monster!¡± ¡°Go get some fire warlocks!¡± ¡°Air warlocks too! Hurry up and mobilize!¡± ¡°Go grab the 4th W Company! They¡¯re nearby!¡± Everyone started scrambling around, air and fire warlocks alike all gathering, some of them beginning to sling spells. Dozens of them soon flew into the sky, most not reaching the bird, but some getting close. Explosions of fire and gases went up around it. The bird got spooked. Soon enough, people from all over the base, prompted or not, started throwing spells into the sky, all of them trying to hit the bird. Hundreds of them filled the air, a vast majority doing nothing but making noise. The bird wasn¡¯t getting downed though, so I quickly brought out the M28/30, the White Death¡¯s rifle. I had been getting bogged down with so much desk work that it had been neglected for months now. ¡°Sorry buddy. I need a favor right now though¡­¡± I muttered while taking aim, aligning my sights with the bird. It was now close to 600 meters away. It was beginning to leave. I took some deep breaths, my heart slowing as I felt the rifle and its trajectory. I waited, the window of opportunity closing, but my aim closing with it. I would only pull the trigger when I knew it would hit. And that time came¡­ Now. My finger twitched, the explosion startling everyone nearby. And I watched as my bullet tore through the bird, its eye nearly exploding and its body going limp, falling. ¡°Fuck yeah¡­¡± I smiled and got up, running while hugging the rifle. I didn¡¯t have to go far; a lucky gust of wind hit the body and the bird splattered on the floor at my feet. I lifted my hand, preventing any blood from spraying into my face. The bird was deformed from both my bullet, the landing, and some stray spells that hit it on the way down. It was intact enough though, and clearly a monster. Yet another new species. I might have to start a collection. I grabbed the corpse with an outstretched hand, everyone watching as I carried it back to headquarters. I walked in with it, making my way around, intelligence agents all backing away like I had the plague. I arrived at our office, flinging the door open and catching Jasmine¡¯s attention. I presented the corpse with a smile. ¡°Look what I found!¡± ¡°What the fuck is that?! Why would you bring it here?!¡± ¡°A new species! You wanna name it this time?¡± ¡°Ew no! Get it the hell out of here!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Jasmine started throwing books before I could approach, so I left with a smile. I ended up dropping the corpse off right outside headquarters. A new species still had to be studied and logged, so it wasn¡¯t like I could trash it. I just wanted to mess with the little Colonel. After snapping a few pictures and logging some information for another inevitable report, I grabbed some intelligence agents lying around and had them take the corpse somewhere for storage. I went back into the building while they did that and went to find Polly in the war room. Before I could open the door though, I paused for a handful of seconds. I had a bad feeling. I flung the door open, staring inside from the doorway. People turned around, among them Polly, Major General Quill, even General Viskar. I spoke. ¡°I think we might be getting attacked.¡± ¡°Right now?¡± General Viskar asked, making me tilt my head. ¡°Soon?¡± ¡°... John? Are you oka-¡± An explosion interrupted Polly, one that sent a quick shockwave through the building. Everyone braced from the surprise. A few seconds later, an alarm sounded, the alarm for a Siege. We usually knew about those in advance though. Why was this one so sudden? More importantly, what was causing those explosions? I had a feeling I knew exactly what. Everyone ran outside, looking off into the distance. I looked to the sky, finding a streak of red gas drawn through the air in an arc. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Then, we all watched as three dozen more streaks of gas appeared, drawn from flying projectiles, launched from miles away. They curved through the sky, their targets clear as the daylight around us. ¡°Bombardos¡­¡± Polly muttered, probably realizing exactly why I feared those things. Indirect fire. A simple yet effective concept. It rendered normal fortifications completely ineffective at a range impervious to halfhearted counterattacks, and easily sowed chaos. We were finally getting a taste of artillery, and I, for one, was not enjoying it. I thought we had been doing a good job, locating and striking Bombardo positions and killing them off. I was either wrong, or they were using everything they had right now to strike back. I remained still, watching as the three dozen shells landed all around us. They struck buildings and leveled them in one go, releasing massive plumes of red gas in the process. That was probably some kind of biological agent, definitely not something I wanted to breathe in. I tilted my head, looking at where the bird corpse once was. ¡°Now that I think about it, a bird would be the perfect designator for artillery. How coincidental.¡± ¡°John?!¡± I heard Jasmine¡¯s yell as she scrambled outside. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°Bombardos! Doesn¡¯t that look fun?¡± I pointed just as another volley appeared over the horizon. Those Bombardos were probably three or four miles out. It was amazing how far a biological organism could launch a projectile so large. Stupid magic. Jasmine¡¯s face fell. ¡°Shit!¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t panic.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic?!¡± She yelled back as the shells landed. More explosions, more gas. One got pretty close to us too. I shrugged. ¡°Nothing you can do if you¡¯re unlucky enough to get hit. Go to the basement in headquarters. It¡¯ll be relatively safe there.¡± ¡°... What about you?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna guess that we¡¯re getting sieged-¡± ¡°Brigadiers! To the walls!¡± An ear-piercing shout ripped through the base. I looked over and found the Marshal bounding over buildings. Brigadiers soon followed, all of them lining up on the walls before quickly shooting off into the distance, probably to kill those Bombardos. He left some orders as they left. ¡°Prepare for a siege!¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s that.¡± I slipped on my gloves. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go fight.¡± ¡°Seriously? You should come back with us.¡± ¡°Hey now, I can fight just as well as everyone else. Besides, I¡¯ve got some new toys to try out.¡± I smiled a bit, reaching out into my Fifth Star, feeling the reassuring warmth of a few communed weapons. Jasmine glanced between me and yet another incoming volley. ¡°Alright, fine. Stay with the Snow Doves though. Don¡¯t go running off on your own.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll go.¡± Jasmine and Polly left with that, retreating to the lower levels of the headquarters with the other generals. Unlike the rest of the base, the headquarters building was well established and enchanted with defensive formations, making it more resilient than any other structure around. It could take a few hits, even more considering that these projectiles weren¡¯t bunker buster shells. If I was right, they were more akin to gas. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t trust my mask to really keep me safe. That meant I had to go find something of my own. Thankfully in recent days, with all this talk about biohazards and magical diseases, I had found myself some useful gear. Since I didn¡¯t know about the reliability of WW2 era gas filters against biomagical agents, I decided to forgo the risk and find myself the M9 protective mask combined with the M15 compressed air breathing apparatus. Two large steel tanks appeared with a harness, which I threw onto my back and strapped down. Then I grabbed the M9 mask and slipped it over my head, adjusting the hose around my arm and setting everything in place. I then cracked everything open and took in a deep breath of air, breaking the seal. Sweet fresh air flowed through. The only downside was the narrow field of view. Ever since I got the Crown for my eyes I had enjoyed both better vision as well as a larger field of view. That was instantly cut down by the mask, not that I couldn¡¯t work with it. Once all that was situated I threw on some snow gloves, tucked everything in with the sleeves of my coat, and made sure I was generally isolated from anything that might try to come in contact with my skin. I didn¡¯t have any HAZMAT or MOPP suits so this would have to do. When everything was comfortable I started jogging over to the walls along with hundreds of other soldiers. Oddly enough though, as I approached, I noticed that nobody was slinging spells. I crossed through plumes of red gas and the occasional strikes of Bombardo shits before climbing the wall and getting a good look at what was out there. There was no siege, it seemed. The Bombardos had perched themselves on top of a huge hill about 3.6 miles away. I could see their bodies glowing, and some still launched projectiles. However, the Marshal and Brigadiers had all gone out to do battle, and several Bombardos had already been killed by large scale spells. Either way though, the escort armies were sticking with the Bombardos. There wasn¡¯t a single monster for miles around. No siege, just a quick strike to spread something dangerous. We had only just started to implement prevention protocols as well. I really hoped that whatever this stuff was, it could be handled relatively easily. Otherwise this base was done for. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t be testing out my new toys¡­ Unfortunate¡­¡± I sighed before turning to leave. Before I did though, I felt a shockwave from the battle in the distance. I turned back and watched. I could see the Marshal and Brigadiers locked in battle. Then, I had a thought. The Scourge knew that these Bombardos would draw out only the most powerful. An army wouldn¡¯t make it across that distance in time to stop the shelling. That¡¯s why the Marshal, a knight, took the liberty to charge over there himself with a few strong individuals. They could quickly handle them. But why send the Bombardos to die? Why not make it a trap, given such an obvious reaction? Sure enough, powerful Auras rose into the sky, the Brigadiers were thrown around for a bit, and the Marshal was occupied with one particularly strong monster. I recognized the dark body. A King Royal. Maybe it was the one I saw. Regardless, it was powerful enough to fight the Marshal to a standstill, at least for long enough to threaten the lives of the other Brigadiers. Not even half the Bombardos were killed either. Of the few dozen, only eight or nine were killed, the others scurrying away in time for the others to support. A few minutes passed, their strikes sending waves of power across the nearby land. Some of them drew trenches in the hillsides, kicking dirt and snow into the air. It was another level of battle that I couldn¡¯t yet fathom. But when I felt one of the Authority 10 Auras, one of ours, wink out, I knew that it had taken a turn for the worst. Before long, I saw the Marshal retreating with one less Brigadier than he left with. ¡°Shit¡­¡± I let loose a curse before turning around and leaving for good this time. I went down the wall. Some air warlocks nearby had used their heads and started blowing the red gas up and away from the base. It helped a bit, but it wouldn¡¯t be nearly enough to mitigate what was to come. I went back to headquarters, which was almost completely surrounded by the red gas. It was floating around and disappearing with the wind, thousands of people running through it without a care in the world. They knew it was probably dangerous, and it seemed to irritate the orifices of anybody who inhaled it, but they didn¡¯t have any other measures against it. Like poison gases being introduced for the first time in WW1, there would be a period of shock before countermeasures could be developed. Unfortunately, I had to be in the middle of the debut. I threw the doors to headquarters open, marching through the mostly empty first floor and down to the basement. The doors were open, most of the intelligence agents hiding away within the archives, including the Generals. All eyes fell on me as I looked around, facing Polly and Jasmine. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Major General Quill asked, so I took off my mask, exposing my face. ¡°Cooper?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on out there?¡± ¡°The Marshal is retreating right now. One of our Brigadiers was killed.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Several people stood up. The generals exchanged fearful looks. The Brigadiers and Marshals were the weapons that these Generals used to protect them. If they died, the powerless summoners would come next. It was rather pitiful in my eyes. Yet again I wondered how the smartest class of Magi could also turn out to be the most powerless. It made them cowards, not that I didn¡¯t understand why. I¡¯d be a coward too if I hadn¡¯t the power to do anything in this freakish world of monsters, warlocks, and knights. Still, that affected how they did things. Polly approached. ¡°What about that red gas? What is it?¡± ¡°Not sure. We won¡¯t know until it affects the people breathing it in outside. It¡¯s nothing I want to take my chances with, though.¡± ¡°Does that thing you¡¯re wearing protect you?¡± ¡°It does. Unfortunately I can¡¯t give it to others. It¡¯s one of my summons.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Polly sighed. I didn¡¯t need people on my ass thinking I could give away protective gear. Still, countermeasures needed to be developed fast. ¡°We need to figure out how to protect against that gas though. If we don¡¯t, those Bombardos will be free to gas us from afar, especially if they protect them with King Royals. Remember that King Royal I saw in the ravine, Jasmine?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Well, it showed up again. It fought the Marshal to a standstill.¡± ¡°Shit¡­¡± She bit her thumb, Polly thinking for a second before turning her head back to me. ¡°... Do you think you can help develop protections?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an enchanter, and I have no idea what that gas is, whether its just an irritant or some deadly disease. The only thing I can recommend is to keep the Bombardos from striking us in the first place.¡± ¡°Which means killing them first.¡± General Viskar suddenly spoke up. ¡°Infections be damned, we need to kill those behemoths or risk losing thousands within the walls of this base. They will turn this place into a tomb.¡± ¡®No shit, Sherlock.¡¯ I mumbled inwardly. I had been saying that for months but nobody wanted to pay attention to my warnings until they were punched in the face. Sure, they were still carrying out raids to kill the Bombardos, and it had been working to some extent, but they hadn¡¯t devoted nearly the amount of resources they should¡¯ve been. We should¡¯ve been hunting down every last one, but they were more concerned with fighting straight engagements with the hordes that descended down the hills. For some reason, they still thought they could salvage the value of this base. I didn¡¯t care so long as they kept the really dangerous threats at bay, but it was obvious we hadn¡¯t done enough. At least now they were properly scared. Suddenly, General Viskar looked at me. ¡°Major Cooper, you seem to be good at weeding those Bombardos out. From now on, that¡¯s your top priority. Leave the poison and disease stuff to us. You will work with Major General Quill and find every Bombardo from here to the eastern crossing. Pass that information to us and you¡¯ll get the strike teams necessary to kill them all. Make sure nothing like this ever happens again.¡± ¡°... Can I file for a promotion?¡± I raised my brows, taking a bit of a gamble. General Viskar crossed his arms. ¡°Show me results, Major, and then we¡¯ll talk.¡± ¡°Understood, sir.¡± I gave a sharp salute while smiling. Jasmine snickered. After that, since the bombardment stopped, everyone emerged and started damage control. The Marshal returned before long with the Brigadiers, most of whom were wounded in some way. The trap was effective, if not for the sole fact that it killed one of our highest combatants. Normally I wouldn¡¯t blame the Marshal for the quick response, but this time he had fucked up royally. Unfortunately it wasn¡¯t Alois that had died. Surprisingly, the death this time was Miron. I wasn¡¯t too heartbroken over that, but he was also one of the Snow Doves, which meant that the forces directly related to me had been weakened massively. Nonnen wouldn¡¯t be happy. The battle hadn¡¯t even lasted 10 minutes. It was amazing how wrong things could go in that short amount of time. I emerged outside with the rest of headquarters, slipping on the mask as I slipped into crowds of despondence and chaos. Chapter 181: What Did He See April 30th, 624 I sat on my bundle of blankets and sheets, leaning against the wall with a cradled Orb in front of me. On it was my advancement formation, all of its headache-inducing complexity on full display. I stared at it for a bit longer before waving it off and closing my eyes. I dragged my hand through the air, moving it with a weight greater than the resistance the air would¡¯ve offered, and opened my eyes to watch lines, runes, and circuits flow into existence before me. It shaped itself into a vaguely circular formation before the edges started stretching, hundreds of tendrils reaching for as-yet nonexistent connections. I repeated the process again, less pressure against my hand this time, and drew the tendrils, one by one at first, then by the bunch, together, binding the two into something triangular. Hundreds of tendrils still wavered before me, eventually bound by the third formation I summoned. With that, I finished a disconcertingly non-cubical structure, interlaced in a thousand different ways. Leaving it to the side, I formed another one, practiced motions coming to me smoothly. It only took a couple minutes, and the third took less. Now came the hard part. I took the shapes, shining with Psyka, and brought them together. They fought against me, repelling and slipping against each other like magnets, only bending to my will after I injected more Psyka into the gaps. Tens of thousands of connections reached across the highly-concentrated Psyka filling the gaps, finding their pairs naturally, like they were merely rejoining the same whole rather than forming a completely new joint. It all amalgamated to form a single, 3 dimensional structure of overlapping circles, runes, and geometric formations. I sent a pulse of power through it. It came back cleanly, amplified, after flooding through the innumerous connections in a giant whirl of energy. Nothing hurt. Nothing felt off. There wasn¡¯t the slightest hint that something was wrong. It was as it was meant, and when I plugged in my advancement crystal, I could feel that power stream through my mind. My mind was empowered, the complex formation working to change the way my Psyka worked, making it denser, faster¡­ More than that, I felt other changes. Shutting my eyes again, my vision shifted until I could ¡®see¡¯ the inner spaces of my mind. The Spark, a most luminous king reigning over the sea of stars scattered about it in the dark aether, floated in a foggy mist ¨C my Psyka. Lines started tracing themselves between some of the stars, thin and spidery at first, then thicker and thicker, jumping from one node to another, forming a lattice of infallible memories. From just one point, I could access every other node simply by following the bridges, tracing memories by whichever mechanism my mind determined most effective. Memories I would never forget. The sea of Psyka in the middle sped up with my heart rate, turbulence briefly misting up the Spark before its radiance sucked in the white mist. This advancement, at least until I formed the next Spark, would make my memories perfect, my mind eidetic. Unfortunately, now wasn¡¯t the time for advancement work. I was finally capable of completing the advancement formation, and now I could begin cultivating power for the actual advancement. It was morning right now, though, and I had obligations. Shutting everything down, getting dressed, throwing on my gas mask, and hoisting the air tanks, I left my room and ventured out into the base. I wasn¡¯t fucking around with that red gas, and as I had guessed, it was wreaking havoc on those who had exposed themselves. Symptoms ¨C blistering, vomiting, weakness, and a whole host of other miserable afflictions ¨C had started manifesting. Whatever this disease was, it was at least in the same family as whatever had been inflicted on the wounded in sickbay. However, the most seriously affected were the ordinary people in the base, which was a small portion, and the warlocks and summoners. Knights were generally able to fight off the disease with their vitality. It didn¡¯t affect everyone exposed either. The base was filled with newly sprouted medical tents to care for the thousands of people who had started suffering, but there were still plenty of soldiers to fight the war. That wasn¡¯t to mention the fact that we continued to receive trickling reinforcements. Quarantine areas were set up within the outer walls and kept away from high traffic areas. My knowledge was being spread as fast as the disease, and some people would occasionally call me up to get some help or advice, mainly the healers in charge. They had it the worst, and I didn¡¯t mind helping them out. I made a lot of valuable friends that way. However, my attention was ordered to solely focus on hunting down Bombardos. The best way to fight chemical and biological attacks was to avert them entirely, and that¡¯s what I was in charge of ensuring. Well, I wasn¡¯t in charge. Major General Quill was, and Polly and Jasmine were still senior to me. I wasn¡¯t disregarded though and was allowed much more leeway in the missions I drew up. Every recon mission I proposed was accepted and carried out as soon as our troops were able, and whenever there were confirmations of Bombardos, strike missions were quickly assigned. However, I still maintained a certain degree of caution. ¡°Another confirmation. Five Bombardos, sector seven. Nice predictions¡­¡± Major General Quill commented, leaning back in his seat. He was no longer so elusive to me, deciding to interact with me directly instead of letting Polly mediate. She was still there, of course, but I was no longer so hidden in the background. I was definitely stealing some of her thunder, but this wasn¡¯t about me becoming popular. I was trying to keep this base from getting bombed to hell so I wouldn¡¯t go down with it. Thankfully, she understood that and decided to work with me. I nodded. ¡°A good target.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s draw up another mission then. You said the Snow Doves were ready to deploy? We can send them and the Sixth Warlock Company.¡± ¡°... Hang on.¡± I paused his hasty writing, checking out the map. ¡°Something wrong?¡± ¡°... It seems too easy.¡± ¡°What does? Finding them?¡± ¡°... I¡¯m not sure exactly, but if anything left an impression, it was the fact that the Scourge used the Bombardos a few days ago to bait in the Marshal. This terrain.¡± I pointed at the area around the confirmed sightings. ¡°Messy, isolated, with no easy retreat routes. Too convenient for them.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t let a little difficulty get in the way of killing five Bombardos.¡± A hint of bloodlust leaked from his grimace. ¡°We also don¡¯t want to lose another Brigadier. We don¡¯t have to walk ourselves into a trap. Instead¡­¡± My finger moved down dozens of miles, finding another area, a relatively flat path that led southward. ¡°We¡¯ve been getting a lot of reports about Scout activity in this area. I¡¯m thinking they¡¯re trying to hide something since they haven¡¯t been attacking. They want to bait us in and draw our attention away.¡± ¡°Away from what?¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s the million dollar question, isn¡¯t it?¡± I smiled a bit, thinking I was onto something. That southward path led into a mountain. It went nowhere, so I couldn¡¯t be sure what they were hiding over there. There was no way they could pass Bombardos through without getting spotted, but at the same time, I refused to believe it was nothing. I tapped the mountain. ¡°This place. We should check it out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s directly west from here. You think they could¡¯ve moved their troops that far down without getting noticed? We¡¯ve already scouted that northern area three times.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve already done it once. I see no reason why they couldn¡¯t do it again.¡± ¡°Hm, very well. We¡¯ll get a knight platoon to do it.¡± ¡°Actually, I was thinking we could send a small team. Three or four people, just to get a look. We¡¯ll have them circle around the mountain and check everything out, make sure the Scourge isn¡¯t setting up some secret base or something.¡± I rubbed my chin, Major General Quill shrugging. ¡°Just make sure they don¡¯t get killed. As for the five Bombardos, we won¡¯t ignore them, but we¡¯ll remain cautious for now and watch. If that is indeed a trap, they won¡¯t be moving anywhere for a while. We¡¯ll just keep an eye on them and let them sit on their asses. Draw up a few plans for if and when they start moving.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Wise decision, sir.¡± ¡°Damn right it is. Get your team formed tonight and send them out by morning.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± I saluted as Quill got up to leave, leaving us to work. Once he was gone though, I went over and plopped down into a chair, sighing. Jasmine scooted over in her chair. ¡°Alright there, Envoy?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± ¡°What¡¯s got you down?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m close to Authority 6¡± ¡°Oh, congratulations!¡± She clapped a few times, making me smile. Her enthusiasm was infectious¡­ although maybe that wasn¡¯t the best way to describe it. ¡°Thanks. I wanted to be in the Capital for the advancement though. That requires me to take some leave. Disregarding the likelihood of that request being accepted, I don¡¯t want to leave when I¡¯ve been given a big job like this. I¡¯m seeing no good ways to go about this advancement.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t delay it?¡± ¡°I can, but I¡¯m wondering for how long I¡¯ll have to. I want to advance as soon as possible so I can start on the next formation.¡± ¡°Makes sense¡­¡± She nodded, thinking for a bit before sighing as well. ¡°Sorry bud, I got nothing.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°I mean, nobody could¡¯ve predicted that all this shit would happen. It¡¯s just bad timing. They¡¯re getting the Rail set up though. Once it¡¯s finished you¡¯ll have a better chance of getting leave.¡± ¡°True¡­¡± I shrugged. I had some time but I knew the cultivation period wouldn¡¯t take that long. Depending on how much effort I put in, there was no reason why I couldn¡¯t reach the cusp within a month. And this shit show going on definitely wouldn¡¯t be over in a month. Still, I¡¯d try my luck and see if I couldn¡¯t get at least a week back at the capital. Even a day, just to do the advancement and get the next formation. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d understand that reason. Investment was important. Besides, after serving for a year, everyone was supposed to get some vacation. My first year was about to conclude, so if nothing else was enough, that would have to be. We sat around for a bit, mentally processing everything before starting another batch of work. When we were about to begin filling out papers though, I suddenly got a ring on my Aerial. It was from one of the wall guard agents responsible for handling all the sentries. I had talked to him multiple times before so having him in my Aerial was good for quick communication. His words made my eyes widen. I shot out of my chair, and after letting Polly and Jasmine know the situation, threw on my gas mask and sprinted out of headquarters. ¡­ ¡°He¡¯s right here.¡± ¡°Chief Reginold!¡± My legs carried me across the dozen meters between me and the Chief. One of our infiltrators was back! One of them¡­ But where were the others? I slowed down as I approached, thoughts running wildly through my head. As I reached out with my Aura, I almost recoiled and withdrew it. Some miasma hung over Chief Reginold, itself invisible to the eye, but its effects were telling: his emaciated arms, sunken eyes, and dead gaze whispered of malevolent trials. He was almost unrecognizable. My excitement was quickly doused. He looked at me, as if I weren¡¯t even a person, before reaching out with a shaky hand. He slipped off the ring on his finger and handed it to me. It was unbonded, so I could access it. A quick glimpse inside returned almost a hundred pages of reports, filled to the margins with scrawled text. They started neat and mundane, but grew more hurried, to the last page, which looked as if a madman had scratched it on the walls of his asylum. There was also an Orb with pictures on it. They had brought the intelligence back. Chief Reginold mumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ if they¡¯re dead¡­¡± ¡°...¡± I remained silent. For a moment I had forgotten. Death was the preferable end. If they weren¡¯t killed, then they were captured. I didn¡¯t want to imagine it. I clenched the ring in my hand. This information had come at the cost of two Chiefs. Whether Chief Reginold would ever be combat ready again was up for debate as well. It looked like he had trekked the entire distance back from the eastern crossing, without enough food to sustain him for most of it. ¡°Do you think it was worth it?¡± I asked him, looking into his eyes. I had to know. He thought for some time before muttering. ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°...¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that. I didn¡¯t think it made me feel any better. ¡°...You were right¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t speak¡­¡± Reginold suddenly started gasping for breath, his Aura darkening, filling with fear. ¡°It¡¯s an invasion¡­¡± ¡°Get a healer! Reginold, stay with me. Focus here.¡± I grabbed his arm, sending out a few orders to the guards around me. Some of them ran off. Before I could do anything more though, Reginold passed out. ¡°Shit.¡± I cursed and put my fingers against his throat. He still had a pulse, but it was weak and fast, his breathing shallow. Thankfully the medical tents were nearby. A healer arrived and started casting spells, stabilizing his condition. Polly and Jasmine arrived not long after, gathering around. Jasmine ran up to Reginold, and Polly stopped by my side. ¡°... What the hell happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± I looked down at the ring. ¡°But it cost two Chiefs¡­ I¡¯m going to go through this report.¡± ¡°... Go ahead. I need to talk to Nonnen.¡± ¡°...¡± Another thing I didn¡¯t want to think about. I had killed two of his Chiefs, and one looked like he was on the brink of insanity. I needed to know what he saw. I needed to know why, despite everything, he thought it was worth it. ¡­¡­ ¡°Fuck, Polly. What the fuck happened?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. John is going through the reports.¡± ¡°How long ago did he arrive? ¡°About 15 hours ago.¡± ¡°Dammit. I just had to be gone¡­¡± Nonnen stomped out of the room, Polly following as he made his way to the medical tent. He directly entered and found Reginold. No, he found his corpse. His fist clenched. Veins bulged on his arms. ¡°Reginold showed up at the wall, handed off the ring, and then passed out. He died four hours later, despite what the healers tried to do for him. Nothing worked¡­¡± ¡°... He should¡¯ve died long ago.¡± Nonnen concluded as he scanned Reginold¡¯s body. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how he got back¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen something like this before. The healers said something similar. He got here on sheer willpower.¡± ¡°... What the fuck did he see¡­¡± Nonnen muttered, turning. ¡°Where¡¯s John?¡± ¡°At headquarters. He¡¯s been going through the report ever since he got it.¡± ¡°Take me there.¡± ¡°Nonnen-¡± ¡°Take. Me. There.¡± Nonnen commanded, Polly¡¯s half-opened mouth shutting as she led him out of the medbay. The two walked to headquarters, entering and finding the office. John was inside, his face buried in a pile of papers, another neat stack in front of him. Jasmine was curled up in a chair in the corner, breathing lightly. It was a full report, and his Aura was practically radiating Psyka. Nonnen walked over, looking down at the completed report, seeing John¡¯s bloodshot eyes. ¡°Tell me what happened.¡± ¡°...¡± John was silent, like he wasn¡¯t acknowledging Nonnen¡¯s existence. However, Nonnen could feel his thoughts compile through his Aura. It was an open book, and the mental power behind it was incredible. His mouth opened. ¡°Chief Reginold, Chief Vipul, and Chief Prasanna all proceeded from the eastern crossing to the north, traveling until they reached the first Scourge establishment. It was a farm nest, a small forest of Gut Roots and Pustules, all of them at least 50 times larger than anything previously seen on our side of the Pass. It was theorized that the Scourge is passing a form of nutrient paste through these Gut Roots and the fungus they spread across the land. ¡°From that farm nest they continued to travel north until they picked up on large concentrations of Aura. They evaded hundreds of thousands of troops in the process, finding dozens of camps, bases, and nests. Some nests were for breeding, some for processing food, some for performing cannibalistic battle. One thing of note though was that not a single Royal was sighted. ¡°Not until they reached the epicenter about a month into the mission.¡± John grabbed an Orb, projecting an image. It showed a picture from the top of a mountain, and across the image that spanned a small mountain range, they saw a massive fleshy intestine sprawled between these mountains. It had to have been hundreds of meters in diameter to fill the image like it did. ¡°They found two of these gargantuan intestines and followed them. Eventually, they converged on a single structure.¡± He changed the image, revealing a mountain of not rock, but flesh. It was an unholy construction of bone and amalgamated muscle and organs. It was alive, and it was massive. ¡°They called this the Epicenter. Five of the gargantuan intestines converged here, the other three spreading eastward, likely reaching to other epicenters northward of other human bases. This Epicenter contained thousands of Royals, the collective Aura so powerful that they couldn¡¯t estimate how many high Authority Royals were there. They believed that the presence of a Sovereign-level Royal was likely. ¡°After encountering this Epicenter, they felt in danger so the three decided to make their way back. However, they were discovered only a week after leaving the Epicenter. It was during a battle with an Authority 10 Royal that Chief Vipul and Chief Prasanna sacrificed themselves in order to let Chief Reginold burrow and escape with the information they had collected. It was suspected that they had been spotted long beforehand, though they don¡¯t¡­ didn¡¯t know how.¡± John changed the image once again, showing the eastern crossing. Back when the Chiefs had been sent over it was generally clear. Now though, sprawled across the ravine was a growing gargantuan intestine. ¡°On the way back, Chief Reginold got this picture. It was his last, and shows the gargantuan intestine making its way into our territory via the eastern crossing. He said that there were feeders growing off the intestine and dipping into the river below. It¡¯s theorized that the intestine is the primary method of supply to the frontline armies of the Scourge, capable of feeding entire armies using the stuff produced by Gut Roots. I have a theory that the fungus growing across the land is actually laying the foundation for that intestine to grow, perhaps a sensory network to determine where the best growth path would be. Either way, it''s coming toward us, and along with it, millions of monsters. Chief Reginold estimates between 2 and 6 million based on what they had encountered going there and back.¡± John set the orb down, brushing his fingers over the small report he had formed. ¡°This report is a summary of everything in the collected intelligence. Chief Reginold believes that this is an invasion we can¡¯t stop. It¡¯s clear that the Scourge has infrastructure capable of supporting millions on hostile territory. And in my opinion¡­¡± John turned his head, Nonnen meeting his eyes. He could sense Anarchy. ¡°If the Kingdom doesn¡¯t mobilize far more than it has here, it¡¯ll lose this base and the entire western front beyond the River of Desolation before two years have passed.¡± Chapter 182: No Apologies May 1, 624 ¡°Polly will present your report to General Viskar.¡± Jasmine muttered, her hand around my arm as we walked to my room. She was just comforting me, but it was welcome. ¡°They¡¯ll have their minds on things for a while so your workload will lessen. I¡¯ll also take care of that recon mission around the mountain. Just rest. You¡¯ve done more than enough.¡± ¡°... Give me two or three days.¡± I turned my head, looking down at Jasmine after opening my door. ¡°I¡¯m close to advancing.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Alright, I¡¯ll tell them.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I nodded and entered my room. Jasmine gently clicked the door shut behind me. Once inside, I popped down on my bed and passed out. My Psyka was drained and my mind lethargic. I¡¯d need more energy for what was to come. Not just for the advancement either. If I wanted to survive the battles that would come many months from now, I¡¯d need more personal power. There was probably an army the size of the one that toppled Purple Sky marching its way over. Several hundred thousand at minimum, all of them supported by that gargantuan intestine snaking its way through the mountains, acting as a conduit of food, supplies, poisons, and anything else the Scourge needed to thrive and overrun its enemies. At some point, it would be every man for himself. The Treehouse was sure to fall and Stronghold Charlie likely wouldn¡¯t be far behind. If the Generals in charge didn¡¯t have the foresight to reinforce even further, or retreat before everyone got massacred, then it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if I had to fight my own way out. I wouldn¡¯t be dragged down with them. If I had to bail, then I would do so. I refused to die meaninglessly, and I didn¡¯t give a damn about being branded a deserter or something of the like. My thoughts spun as I slept. The night was not uneventful. Hours passed and the advancement formation filled my mindspace, my dreams filled with nothing but the thought of accumulating power. The formation pulled in the surrounding Magika like a vortex. I recharged my Psyka ravenously. While that happened, the stars within my mind started weaving webs, drawing thin connections, weaving a network composed of facets of my being and the memories I had made. While that was happening though, I put my own little twist on things. This advancement formation made things malleable before reshaping them. I used that in order to insert my own visualizations. This was where I started utilizing the memory technique: The Mind Palace. The stars shifted with an application of my will, several more formations lighting up around the mind space. I had been working on the Mind Palace technique for a while, finding a way to shape everything and realizing that the shape wasn¡¯t necessarily as important as what it meant to bring everything underneath one singular technique. The Mind Palace was all about associating memories with things, like books, drawings, even decorations. Memories were more than just a piece of information. Something as simple as a number could be tied to a smell, or a sight. By associating one thing with multiple other details, that memory became stronger. I wanted to do that to my mind, especially because everything in my mind was far more tangible than it had been in the past. I could literally reshape my mind in this world. That capability was practically begging to be taken advantage of. So I used this advancement, one that was all about perfecting and enhancing my memory and processing abilities, to tack on another beneficial system. The stars began to morph inward, drawing in my Psyka as I continued pushing them. At some point, it felt like hours had passed, yet I was still in dreamland. Everything came to me so fluidly. The only downside was that because I was spending all the Psyka on reforming my mind instead of accumulating power, I was delaying the actual advancement. Such was necessary since I wanted to be in the Capital for the advancement, but if my request for leave was approved, then that wouldn¡¯t be long from now. I¡¯d have to be diligent. I had a feeling that it would be rather easy though. As my mind morphed into my envisioned Palace, I could feel changes in the way I thought taking place. As if I were multiplying the amount of neural connections in my brain, the ideas flowing through my mind multiplied with them. There was much more activity, and not just by virtue of speed. My mind was processing more with the same amount of energy, conclusions coming to me in seconds when normally they would¡¯ve taken minutes, yet things hadn¡¯t actually physically sped up. My hardware was becoming more efficient while expanding its resources, and more resources meant more details. I was able to improve my enhancements in real time as well. All of it compounded together, my mind space morphing until it was nearly unrecognizable. The stars and the connections between them formed the spider frame of a Palace, and in its center was my Spark, around it a vortex of Psyka. Finally, after I felt like I had been working for a day, I could no longer make any more changes or upgrades. With renewed energy, I opened my eyes. I was still in my room. Nobody was there, but the increased tension was almost palpable. It was the Treehouse. All the soldiers were anxious, and I could imagine why. I looked at my Aerial, finding that about two days had passed. I felt it too. I was parched. My head throbbed with the dehydration, so I took out a canteen and downed the entire thing. After that I simply laid down, letting my body absorb. I gradually felt better. It was probably thanks to the smidge of Vigor in my body that I wasn¡¯t withering at the moment. With that thought I sent a message to Jasmine. Then I left my room, finally getting a breath of fresh air out amidst the buildings and bustle of the base. However, that¡¯s when I saw something odd. I squinted my eyes, looking toward the sky and finding a massive slight golden wall along the horizon. It was hardly visible, even to my enhanced eyes, but its distance didn¡¯t limit the overwhelming oppressiveness it emitted. It didn¡¯t feel hopeless; quite the contrary, I had a sudden motivation to overcome it, to break through. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I tilted my head, remaining in my spot until Jasmine found me. ¡°John?¡± ¡°... What is that?¡± I pointed to the wall, Jasmine looking to the sky like I was. ¡°... What?¡± ¡°That wall.¡± ¡°What wall?¡± ¡°Along the horizon. It¡¯s kinda golden, translucent¡­¡± ¡°... John, there¡¯s no wall. Wait, are you¡­¡± She suddenly looked at me with wide eyes. ¡°You¡¯re seeing the Great Barrier?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Let¡¯s go sit and talk.¡± ¡°And eat, please.¡± She sighed and waved me along. The two of us went to the mess hall and grabbed food. Once we were at a table, we took a few bites. She then went on to explain while I continued eating. ¡°First off, your report was passed around. It was even sent back to the rear. More requests for reinforcements were put in, but whether they¡¯ll get accepted is a toss up. They¡¯ve already sunk a lot of resources into this base, so we can¡¯t know if they¡¯ll invest more.¡± ¡°That leaves us in a precarious position.¡± ¡°I agree, but we can only wait and see for now. Needless to say, your report sparked fear in the right people. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be left hanging. By the way, you¡¯re really good at scaring people with those.¡± ¡°Its easy when there¡¯s actually scary stuff coming our way. It¡¯s nothing but the truth.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She took another bite before looking up. ¡°So you¡¯re seeing the Great Barrier, huh?¡± ¡°I suppose I am.¡± ¡°The Great Barrier is a barrier to the pinnacle of power. It¡¯s said that only people with a certain level of potential will ever be able to see it. Even then, I¡¯ve only ever heard of people seeing it at Authority 9and 10, maybe 8 if they were exceptional. But you¡¯re still Authority 5.¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°... Well, putting that aside, you should understand that the Great Barrier is a divider of sorts, filtering out the worthy from the fodder. If you ever want to reach Authority 12, then you need to break through it during Authority 10. If you advance to Authority 11 before breaking it, then you¡¯ll forever be stuck at that level.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­¡± I nodded, thinking about what that meant for certain people. Perhaps Duchess Talerria was stuck there, too little talent to break the Great Barrier, but enough to still get to Authority 11. I was sure that very many people hit that barrier. It definitely wasn¡¯t an easy obstacle to breach. The question was though, what did it mean for me to see the Great Barrier at Authority 5? I was about to jump to Authority 6, but still. It seemed too early. Was I just that talented? I was sure that Umara had even more talent than me. Has she seen it yet? ¡°Seems like I won¡¯t be breaking through it for a while.¡± ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s the thing.¡± Jasmine looked a bit apologetic. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the main reason summoners are so weak is because none have yet to break through the Great Barrier. It¡¯s forever remained the single greatest obstacle to our power.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± I nodded, wondering for how much longer that would remain true. Could I be the first? Considering I had four Authorities to figure out how to break it, I would say my chances were pretty high so long as I didn¡¯t die before then. Though, I couldn¡¯t imagine just how someone was supposed to break through the barrier. It wasn¡¯t a physical object, and no matter where I went, it was always on the horizon. A metaphysical boundary, never touchable, but somehow breakable. I¡¯d have to ask Maxwell. I was sure that he had seen the Barrier, perhaps even tried to break through it. If anyone could give me guidance, it would be him. I changed the subject. ¡°So what¡¯s the next plan of action? Are we just waiting for the Generals to do something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal for now. We¡¯re going to continue collecting intelligence, continue fighting off the Scourge, continue developing countermeasures for their diseases.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to guess that there are no plans for making any meaningful counterattacks?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have nearly enough troops to do something like that. Plus, that¡¯s not our job.¡± I shook my head at her words. ¡°Yes, I know. Stronghold Charlie and the Treehouse are only meant to hold the western front down. But for how long? We¡¯ve allowed them to develop beyond Hare¡¯s Pass for years. Now they¡¯re moving their war machines and are about to overrun us. If we actually made efforts to push them back and pull them up by the roots, none of this would be happening.¡± ¡°John, I don¡¯t know what to tell you. Those are issues well beyond my pay grade.¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± I wiped my face, feeling the oncoming stress of the future. The Kingdom was passive in this war, and that only let the Scourge run rampant over them. They wouldn¡¯t do anything meaningful until they panicked, which wouldn¡¯t happen until the Scourge started marching into their cities. Nothing I hadn¡¯t already concluded before, except now I was feeling just how overwhelming the Scourge could be, on top of the fact that they likely could bring much more to bear. I still hadn¡¯t forgotten that they occupied another continent entirely. Jasmine and I finished our lunch, leaving the mess hall and heading to our office inside headquarters. Polly and Brigadier Nonnen were there. My mood fell when Nonnen looked at me. The two women were silent as we stared at each other for a handful of seconds. Nonnen broke the silence by standing and walking over to me, meeting me face to face. ¡°You have something to say to me, Major?¡± ¡°... I can¡¯t give you an apology.¡± I had a bit of time to process the deaths of Chief Reginold, Vipul, and Prasanna. The conclusion I came to was the fact that there were no apologies to be given. Nonnen¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Choose your words carefully.¡± ¡°I always do. Their deaths aren¡¯t something I can apologize for. I didn¡¯t want them to die, and I did everything I could to make sure they would get back safe. But they didn¡¯t. Regardless of why, I sent them knowing full well that their death was a possibility. Now, their deaths rest on my shoulders. It¡¯s a tragedy, but I won¡¯t apologize for it, because they didn¡¯t die meaninglessly. If it were up to me, I would¡¯ve been on that mission, and I¡¯d do it all again regardless, because the information they brought back may very well save hundreds of thousands of people. Either way, It¡¯s my burden and I¡¯m going to bear it.¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t feel Nonnen¡¯s anger. There didn¡¯t seem to be any. He wasn¡¯t mad at me. He had also sent soldiers to battle, and had gotten them killed as a result. He had been in my position several times before. I had seen his battle records. He muttered. ¡°As long as you understand what it means to do what you do. You hold more lives in your hands than you understand.¡± ¡°I understand perfectly well what kind of power I wield.¡± ¡°... Good.¡± He took a step to my side. I spoke before he could leave. ¡°Chief Reginold said that it was worth it.¡± ¡°... Let¡¯s make sure it is so.¡± He left with those words, leaving the three of us together. Polly¡¯s eyes drifted toward me. ¡°Cooper.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Your request for leave was approved. We¡¯re in a bit of a lull so they¡¯ve decided to let you head back to the Capital.¡± She handed me a letter. I opened it and saw the dates listed. I was getting a whole week, and I would leave three days from now to head back. Despite the previously gloomy atmosphere, I smiled. I was finally going to get some respite from this hell hole. I quickly sent a message to Umara with the details before looking back at Polly. ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. You deserve a break. Although I forget sometimes, you¡¯ve only been doing all this for a year. I know you¡¯re stressed out, so take the time to relax as much as you can.¡± ¡°I sure as shit will.¡± ¡°And until then, you get to work overtime.¡± ¡°Well, shit¡­¡± Polly chuckled ¨Ca tint of the Brigadier¡¯s darkness was present, but only a note ¨C while straightening out some papers. I¡¯d have to tie up a few loose ends before leaving, because even in just a week, a lot of things could happen. I wasn¡¯t that essential, but there were still some things under my supervision that they¡¯d need to become familiar with in order to fill my shoes for a little while. Still, nothing could get me down with the thought of vacation in mind. Since I knew when I would leave, I scheduled myself accordingly and made sure that I was primed for my advancement when I arrived. I also sent a message to Maxwell, making sure he had plenty of time to prepare. It was finally time to get to Authority 6, and perhaps see my girlfriend for the first time in a year. Chapter 183: Authority 6 May 8, 624 The rail slowed into the terminal. I had already pried myself from the divot in the seat left by my sleeping form, sauntering up to the doors empty-handed as they started to slide open. I couldn¡¯t help myself. As I took in the familiar terminal of the Capital, a bright smile forced itself onto my face. It was summer and a nice warm breeze was making itself known, heating up the cold atmosphere the Rail carried from Stronghold Charlie. I stepped out. ¡°Man, FUCK the snow! I didn¡¯t realize how much I could miss warm weather¡­¡± I took in a deep breath, expelling the air of the Rail and filling my lungs with the familiar scent of the magical city. ¡°John.¡± I heard my name, turning to the one person able to greet me at the terminal. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t the person I wanted to see most. I pressed down those thoughts before they could surface, waving to Maxwell. He was dressed in his normal royal blue robes gilded with golden runes and symbols. It was probably powerfully enchanted. ¡°Heyo! Long time no see.¡± ¡°Indeed. You look like you¡¯ve aged a decade.¡± ¡°Well, you certainly aren¡¯t looking youthful yourself.¡± ¡°Hm. I trust the military has treated you well?¡± ¡°Better than the Magisterium, which is saying a lot.¡± Maxwell led, taking us to a rather plain carriage he had prepared. But most telling was its lack of a driver entirely; it was just the two of us on the trip to the Black Spider Hotel. Along the way, I took another look outside, confirming that the golden barrier was still there on the horizon ¨C not that it had ever disappeared, no matter where I went. I decided to ask the same questions I asked Jasmine. ¡°Hey Maxwell, what¡¯s that giant golden wall way off in the distance.¡± ¡°Golden wall?¡± He turned to stare at me, eyes like an Owlykat¡¯s. ¡°Is it tall? On the horizon?¡± ¡°Yes. It appeared a little while ago, always out there no matter where I go.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± He massaged his forehead with a groan. ¡°You aren¡¯t messing with me, right? This is no kidding matter.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. It¡¯s not like I can prove it to you though.¡± ¡°I understand that. More than anyone. That is the Great Barrier, the literal barrier to greater power¡­¡± He said the same things Jasmine said regarding its limitations. But then, he spilled a couple other details. ¡°Before I lost my power, I had been working to break past that barrier. I almost succeeded, but¡­ God did not have those plans in store for me. Regardless, no summoner has ever broken past the Great Barrier. Because of that, it¡¯s much more difficult to break through than normal. The first time is always the hardest. However, if you¡¯re seeing it before you¡¯ve even reached Authority 6...¡± His wisened old eyes stared straight into my soul. ¡°You may just be able to. You¡¯ll have the time. I¡¯ve already given you the necessary tools, and your Summons make you suited for doing it. The only factor left is Aura, but¡­¡± He left the words unsaid, but I knew exactly what he meant. ¡°How exactly do you break past the Great Barrier?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no certain way. All we know is that one needs to overcome all their weaknesses. It can¡¯t simply be broken down with one¡¯s strengths. That¡¯s why you¡¯ll never see an Authority 12 with a weakness. They may have aspects that are lacking compared to others, but what they¡¯ll never have is a weakness.¡± ¡°So, what, does it require Summoners to be as strong or resilient as knights?¡± ¡°Not necessarily. However, it may require your summons to be. Regardless, that¡¯s why Aura will become so important. It can make up for your weaknesses, even if it doesn¡¯t truly solve the problem.¡± We arrived at the Hotel, but Maxwell stuck out an enrobed arm, blocking me from walking forward. ¡°Don¡¯t go blabbing about all this. Especially to the Key Master.¡± ¡°Why? I trust the Key Master.¡± ¡°He¡¯s obviously not what he looks like. He¡¯s a very powerful individual, and even I have yet to ever discover his true identity, so if you don¡¯t have to, don¡¯t flap your lips. It¡¯ll extend your lifespan.¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± I agreed as we walked into the lobby, smiling when I saw the Key Master. ¡°Key Master! It¡¯s been a year!¡± ¡°Ah, John! It¡¯s good to see you well. You as well, Sir Albarain.¡± ¡°Key Master.¡± Maxwell gave a nod, standing to the side as I approached the desk. I shook the Key Master¡¯s gloved hand before leaning on the edge. ¡°How does it feel to be back in the city, Major Cooper?¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve heard. It honestly feels pretty damn good. It¡¯s weird though. I usually have so much to do. It feels off, not working on something.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s a sign of overwork. Unfortunately, that¡¯s also often the indicator for competence in the military. At least you¡¯re doing well.¡± ¡°I am. And I assume everything is as usual here in the Capital?¡± ¡°Generally, yes. The King¡¯s been appearing in private, making rounds to various noble houses. Some are agitated, and others are getting bolder.¡± My brows raised. ¡°The King? You know, I¡¯ve never thought much about him since he¡¯s hardly ever talked about. For some time I almost thought he didn¡¯t exist. Since he¡¯s real though, would he be the strongest person in the Kingdom of Dragon Tongue?¡± ¡°Hoh, far from it.¡± The Key Master chuckled as if that were a joke. ¡°King Distrion Jealven Alphon is an Authority 11 warlock and, according to the hushed but prevailing opinion, nothing but a puppet to the nobility. The Royal Family has been in decline for decades now, propped up only through inducting other stronger noble bloodlines through marriage. However, their wealth and heritage are indeed among the deepest in the Kingdom and a major reason why they are still the Royal Family.¡± ¡°Huh. I wonder what they have stashed away, seeing as it keeps the other noble houses in check.¡± ¡°Well, the Kingdom¡¯s name should give you some hints.¡± ¡°They have dragon tongues stashed away?¡± ¡°Among other things.¡± ¡°Interesting. They must¡¯ve made bank killing dragons, considering they¡¯re here and dragons aren¡¯t. Built on the shoulders of giants ¨C well, corpses ¨C and all that. They probably turned all those dragons into weapons.¡± ¡°...¡± The Key Master and Maxwell were silent. I glanced between them, surprised. ¡°Did I guess right?¡± ¡°Boy, stop guessing the darkest secrets of the Kingdom. It¡¯ll shorten your lifespan.¡± ¡°Hey, I can¡¯t help the fact that I¡¯m a genius. Even then, I seem to learn something new everytime I talk to you, Key Master.¡± ¡°I aim to please.¡± The man bowed a bit, making me smile. ¡°Well, it was good talking to you. Now, I get to go advance.¡± ¡°Authority 6 is here so soon?¡± ¡°Rather than soon, it felt like an eternity trying to figure out that formation.¡± ¡°A year is very good time.¡± ¡°I suppose. I feel like I don¡¯t have that time though.¡± ¡°I can understand that. Then I wish you a successful advancement.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± We said our goodbyes, Maxwell and I walking off and heading to his place in the Polaris Family headquarters. Once inside his office, Maxwell sighed. ¡°It baffles me that you two talk like old friends.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a cool guy. I bet you¡¯ve never held a conversation with him before.¡± ¡°I have. Let¡¯s just say he¡¯s not that hospitable to everyone. Now, before we get on with your advancement, we need to discuss the Mind Palace technique.¡± He sat down behind his desk, on top of which was a larger than normal Orb. I sat down nearby, not far away from the tempering chair used during my last few advancements. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. He activated the projection cradle, sending a few dozen images of formations into the air. ¡°I¡¯ve developed a few prototype formations for arranging what you¡¯ve described to be the Mind Palace. I quite like the idea. In fact, one might think it excessive. Summoners like us already have a vast capacity for both fast and thorough thought. To bring it all together under one technique would amplify those strengths further, even more than what your next advancements will provide. However, a technique this complex will require the reformations that Authority 6 through 10 provide. It will require you to reshape your mind alongside the normal changes my Call will impart.¡± He looked up at me. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t test this technique myself. You¡¯ll have to do it. Didn¡¯t you say that you had already started working on it?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve already reformed the stars in my mind a bit while making those connections between them. I¡¯m figuring out how to reshape my mind using the advancement formation and certain visualization formations. We can compare notes.¡± I brought out my own Orb, handing it to Maxwell for him to parse. He nodded after a handful of seconds. ¡°Indeed. They aren¡¯t too different from my own. Hmm¡­ forcing what would normally be the results of long-term training¡­ reshaping the mind, making information access easier and using memory associations to multiply memory retention. The technique is relatively simple for the benefits it provides. It won¡¯t take long to implement this. Are you prepared to make these changes during the advancement?¡± ¡°Somewhat? It¡¯s not like it''s a finished product, but I know what I¡¯m going for. I¡¯ve already started working on it.¡± ¡°Good. Then we¡¯ll sharpen up the technique, divide the formations into different sections, and then have you implement them¡­¡± He rubbed his chin, looking at me for a few seconds silently before waving. ¡°Come.¡± I followed him into another side room of the office, one I had never been in before. A single table, fuzzy with a coating of dust, and a straight-backed wooden chair dominated the room. Maxwell snapped his fingers, summoning a rag into his hand, before he haphazardly wiped off most of the dust, sending motes scattering into the cone of light cast from the singular window. With a single swipe of a finger, the table started glowing, formations surging with magic across its surface as thousands of runic lines unfolded in the air. Impossibly complex formations flashed for a few seconds before being replaced by even more intricate ones, far beyond my capability to even begin to figure out. ¡°This is my research desk. Don¡¯t mess with anything you don¡¯t understand. Now, work with me on these Mind Palace formations.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I walked over and lifted my hands above the table. It was enchanted with runic work that condensed the Psyka above it, making it incredibly easy to use Aura and draw formations. It behaved a lot like an Orb, but the runes let us physically interact with the patterns we were drawing. It was really convenient, especially when I saw some of the tools. Copy and paste functions, testing functions. You could even reprogram it to make corrections on its own, supposing you knew how to reprogram in the first place. I quickly familiarized myself with its functions as we started developing these formations properly. All I had were scattered fragments of a whole; he had progressed further than me, with entire sections and assemblies completed, but we still had to bring it under one definitive system, usable by everyone who followed the Call of the Fallen Angel. It became clear after a while that Maxwell had put a surprising amount of thought into my thoughts; I hadn¡¯t expected a working technique anytime soon, thought I¡¯d be making things together as we went, but within a handful of hours we almost had a finished product. I scanned at the stacks of formation circles and arrays above the table, my eyes slightly bloodshot. Another thing I realized was how powerful Maxwell¡¯s mind was. Despite being far from his prime, he easily outclassed me in thinking ability. He was faster, smarter, and generally more oriented. He seemed to already see the end goal and was just working toward it while I was still figuring some things out in my mind. It was rather amazing watching him work, but at some point, he had to slow down. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop here for today.¡± He shut down the table, staring at its blank surface for some time before blinking and pulling his gaze away. I could recognize the signs of mental fatigue and a nasty headache when I saw it. I had been subject to those constantly at the Treehouse. Maxwell wasn¡¯t young and spry anymore though. He couldn¡¯t stress himself so much. ¡°We¡¯ll come back tomorrow, finish this, and then start your advancement. Go rest for now.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I was a bit tired as well. This week would be a short period where I could get good sleep, so I intended to take full advantage of it. With that, we wrapped up and I went back to the Hotel. A quick wave to the Key Master and I was up in my room. I took a deep breath inside. I suddenly felt like living alone sucked, even though the room was wonderfully familiar and comfortable. I wanted Umara here. Unfortunately, though it pissed both of us off to no end, she wasn¡¯t able to get her leave approved. Neither of us knew why, but we had plenty of ideas, especially if the mother wasn¡¯t keen on letting us have a reunion without supervision. With a loud sigh, I went and drew a bath, deciding to thoroughly enjoy the luxuries I had lacked for so long. After a bath was dinner from the Hotel. Delicious, as always. Then it was bedtime. I threw all my nice blankets onto the huge bed and jumped in, laughing a bit as I felt the heavenly comfort of an actual mattress. It didn¡¯t take me long to fall asleep after that. ¡­¡­ 14 hours later, I finally crawled out of bed. From then on, I was working with Maxwell. It took us the first half of the day to finalize the Mind Palace technique, almost unrecognizable compared to anything I had initially developed for it ¨C with four different levels with four layered formations each, it needed the malleability offered by an advancement to even properly form in the mindspace. It was even tailored to my specific advancement. With this one, I would be on the road to fully developing it, advancement by advancement. However, this technique wouldn¡¯t be entirely incomplete just because I was only on the first or second level. No, it would be completely functional; only its efficiency and power increasing with each level. After this advancement, the technique would be active. I was a bit excited to see the improvements it gave. With that, it was finally time. Authority 6. I sat down in the tempering chair, surrounded by three Authority 8 White Crystals. Over the days prior to arriving in the Capitol, I had already accumulated as much Psyka as I needed. Now, I merely needed to finish the effects of the advancement formation and break into the 6th Star. ¡°You know, my time at Authority 5 felt relatively underwhelming. I feel like I¡¯ve been doing nothing but desk work for the past year. I hardly got to use my summons and fight.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a summoner. Such things should¡¯ve been expected, especially if you¡¯ve been as competent as you¡¯ve told me.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m apparently really good at my job. I like fighting though.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy, so do yourself a favor and stick to the safe jobs until you can hold your own against at least Authority 8s.¡± Maxwell activated the chair, the White Crystals glowing as Magika condensed around me, forming a visible fog. I could feel the pressure on my mind, like I was deep in an ocean of Psyka. ¡°Begin.¡± I closed my eyes, the advancement formation manifesting within my mind. With its direction, Psyka started to flow. It¡¯s power was supplemented by the incredibly dense Magika around me, amplifying its effects further. By now, all the stars within my mind, those kernels of memory and being, had all been connected to each other in a vast spiderweb of lines and runes. However, when I started morphing everything according to the new Mind Palace Technique, the stars, previously only in the brief shape of a palace, began to transform. My Spark sped up, controlling the technique in my mind¡¯s stead. It became the center with the stars circling it in almost-familiar orbits, concentrating power into that area. Then, something more than just darkness, stars, and my Spark appeared in that space. I started seeing things. Not just magika energy flows, but tangible objects. Walls were constructed from the spiderwebbed stars, hexagonal patterns taking form over its surface and composed of pure Psyka. A foundation was constructed in tandem, made not of stone but solid diamond, the hardest, most pure material I could imagine. The Palace was massive, spanning almost my entire Mind Space. I felt tiny standing within it, not that the emptiness was helpful. So, with a thought, I began to reshape things. I closed off the Palace. It was more than just some pretty building. It was a fortress. This would be the structure that both stored all of my memories and protected them. It couldn¡¯t have gaps. It had to be made of the strongest materials I could think of and armed with my most core aspects to combat anything that might attempt to hijack my own mind. Case in point, Anarchy. On the roof of the Palace, an image was carved in the diamond and Psyka. There I inscribed not the evil that had prompted my need for a fortress, but my triumph over it. I may not have been able to kill that monstrous being, but I was able to conquer the influence it had on my mind. I was able to overcome it. The image depicted this victory of mind in a most grand fashion, a knight overcoming that monstrous beast with spear and shield, skewering it through the chest as it screamed helplessly. Once it was finished, I nodded in grim satisfaction and moved on. The inside of the Palace was renovated, looking a bit more comprehensible than a structure made out of solid diamond and Psyka. After all, this was the palace in which my memories would be visualized and stored. By imagining things I was familiar with, the technique would become more effective. So the palace morphed into a home. Not just any home, but the home I had spent the longest time in, my home on Earth. It was a sizable house with two stories and a rustic theme. It filled with everything I remembered, from the living room to my siblings¡¯ bedrooms. But I wanted the master bedroom and didn¡¯t care about filling this place with my other siblings¡¯ things, so I swept through the place and got rid of things that weren¡¯t mine. This place was mine and mine alone. It had to be familiar, but it wasn¡¯t like other people would be taking a tour. I tailored it specifically to me. Like that, the general shape of the home was kept while the main bedroom was made to look similar to my room at the Black Spider Hotel. It had become my new home, and was arguably the most impactful place in my life, the one place I found refuge in this brand new world. After filling it with some small pieces of furniture and stuff to match what I knew, I started forming the other facilities. A grand library was created in the central part of the Palace. In there, I stored all of the miscellaneous knowledge in books and papers. Thousands of books floated to their shelves, categorized according to a thrown together organizational system known only to my mind, filled with images and facts and concepts and equations. It took some time to do this. I was reshaping my memories, after all. I had to process everything. While it was getting close, my mind had yet to become infallible. I still couldn¡¯t recall every small and insignificant detail of my life. I could get damn close though. That¡¯s what the library was for. A store of my knowledge. However, I also had aspects of my mind that couldn¡¯t be categorized as simple knowledge. Certain philosophies and principles and such that I had formed my being around. With a thought I created another room in the center of the grand library. There, I manifested my Spark. A pulse rippled through the entire Mind Space as it manifested. Not only had my Psyka reached a tipping point, primed to break through to the Sixth Authority, but all of the stars that composed my Mind Palace suddenly twinkled, their spiderwebbed lines all forming, connecting to the Grand Library and, most importantly, the Spark that served as the core of this entire Palace. The room around the Spark flashed with countless lines and runes. I could see formations manifest along the walls, floors, and ceiling. I didn¡¯t really create them. They simply formed based on my knowledge, a fluid occurrence taking place as if it were simply breathing, speaking, or thinking, in this language of runes had become natural to me. I could whip up any formation I wanted to suit my purposes. I simply had no reason to until now. Thus, throughout the entire Grand Library, thousands of formations engraved themselves on the structure, every shelf and table and chair covered in these runes. I could feel all of my knowledge seamlessly connecting, as if it hadn¡¯t already been before. And the core of it all was the Spark. A pedestal raised underneath it, cradling the precious crystal of pure Psyka and intellect. Along the pedestal, tens of thousands of those runic lines traveled up, connecting the Spark with the rest of the Palace. My thoughts suddenly became coherent, as if I had been living my entire life in a haze up until this point. It was a full transformation, my entire mind completely restructured around this Palace. My mind was the Palace and the Palace my mind. At some point I didn¡¯t even have to think anymore. All of my knowledge and memories were simply cataloged into the Grand Library. That library composed a vast majority of the Palace by the time everything had been logged. Then, my accumulated Psyka reached the threshold. Up in the sky, beyond the transparent rooftop of the Palace, I could see the 13 Stars of my Crest. The first five Stars had been opened, leading to the dimensions. Now though, the sixth was broken down. That barrier shatter like a thin pane of glass, fragile before the overwhelming force of my power. I peeked into the next dimension, curiosity overtaking me. The sight of those weapons, many of which were familiar, filled me with glee. This next dimension wouldn¡¯t simply provide me with better weapons. Nay, when I returned, I would thoroughly enjoy introducing the Scourge to the concept of modern warfare. Of course, I¡¯d have to get myself on some missions, but that should be easy enough. I was involved in planning many of them, after all. There was no reason I couldn¡¯t simply put myself in one, especially if things were going to get as hectic as I thought they were. With the Sixth Star open, power flooded my mind. It solidified my Mind Palace. It was no longer so open to change, but that was alright. It was well on its way to completion, a proper visualization of what a Mind Palace should be, even if it was relatively bare bones. I opened my eyes, suddenly feeling the condensed Magika around me seeping into my body. Mana and Vigor took root. It was a slight amount, but I couldn¡¯t complain. All of it would amplify my capabilities further, and I always appreciated extra boosts in physical power. At some point, when my body could no longer be saturated, Maxwell shut down the tempering chair. I felt the dense energy disperse, my body and mind feeling extraordinary. Maxwell nodded. ¡°Congratulations.¡± Chapter 184: Environment May 9, 624 ¡°Finally. Authority 6¡­¡± I let out a long, comfortable breath. My eyes opened, having unconsciously let my eyelids fall at some point. Even with my eyes open, the entirety of the Mind Palace was visible to me. Everything I saw with my eyes, every instant, was projected through the palace and stowed away on film. Every single detail was immediately available to me on request, coming to mind the moment I thought I might have needed it. It was awesome and terrifying all at once; everything I saw from this day on I would recall years from now in perfect clarity. The benefits of my recent advancement went beyond eidetic memory; everything else improved too. Faster speed of thought; a multiplied Psyka pool; a Spark that eerily seemed almost capable of independent thought. Now though, my enhanced memory was directly tied to greater integrity of mind, tied to the strength of my Aura. Anarchy was something that had heavily tested not just my convictions and philosophies, but placed pressure on my sense of self. Falling into anarchy at Purple Sky back then was primarily because I lost my mind. I was overwhelmed. If only my mind had been harder, stronger, more cohesive, I would have been able to resist its malevolent chaos. But now, my mind was my Mind Palace. The two were synonymous. The solidity of my Mind Palace, taking on the natural immalleability of Psykic formations, was also the strength of my mind, my Aura. A pen appeared in my raised hand, a simple tube of Psyka at first, but increasingly present, physical. Details slowly manifested on its surface until it looked no different from a ballpoint pen from Earth. Maxwell tilted his head. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°A writing utensil. How does it look?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He scrutinized it. The pen¡­ wasn¡¯t. It was merely an image composed of Psyka, and had I not been the one projecting it, I wouldn¡¯t have known it wasn¡¯t real. He looked at it for almost a minute, and it was only when he started to sweat that he stopped. ¡°A very thorough illusion. I almost couldn¡¯t see through it.¡± ¡°But you could see through it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re five decades too early to be tricking my mind, boy. Nevertheless, your Auric path is developing nicely. As expected. See it to its very end. It will be your greatest weapon.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± I nodded and climbed out of the tempering chair, the pen disappearing from my hand. Now, my mind was bolstered by my Mind Palace. And what was the Mind Palace? It was the best visualization technique there was. Well, maybe not the best, but I didn¡¯t know of anything else. Either way, my illusions were now that much stronger. My imagination solidified as easily as I thought in the Mind Palace. I merely had to apply the Psykic images that appeared in the Palace to the projections I cast. Unknowingly, the Mind Palace proved incredibly synergistic with my Auric technique even beyond just solidifying it. Even that wasn¡¯t the greatest benefit though. I closed my eyes again, looking through my Mind Palace and finding the Grand Library. Within that little building in the center was my Spark. However, another kernel had appeared beside it, floating around the first Spark like a tiny satellite. That kernel was my second Spark. It was but a small fragment in its infancy, but that was precisely the goal. In order to get to Authority 7, I¡¯d have to cultivate that Spark until it was just as powerful as the first. One Spark was strong; I couldn¡¯t imagine two. I opened my eyes once more to meet Maxwell¡¯s frown. At least it wasn¡¯t a scowl. ¡°Are you finished?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to project through my sixth Dimension at some point, but yes.¡± ¡°Good. Behold, the next advancement formation.¡± ¡°Oh jeez.¡± I took my Orb back in hand from where it was cradled, its milky white interior once full of all the developed Mind Palace formations. Now, it contained the next advancement formation. It was about as complicated as I expected. The previous one had three clusters of four formations each. This next one had eight clusters of six formations each, tens of thousands of connections easily visible in the final product. Thankfully, a quick glance told me that the ¡°language¡± wasn¡¯t all that different. In fact, it wasn¡¯t much different from the first Spark I constructed structurally. There were some new things, mostly incorporations of the new 3D runes I had used this advancement, but there wasn¡¯t anything ridiculously difficult. However, this next Spark would be composed differently. It¡¯d be more efficient, faster, more powerful, paving the way for future advancements. It seemed Maxwell incorporated all of that forethought into the Mind Palace formations as well. I could see remnants of it in this advancement formation. ¡°Here. You¡¯ll need this as well.¡± Along with the Orb, Maxwell handed me an Authority 7 White Crystal. I¡¯d need it to use alongside my advancement formations to cultivate power. It was a rather large crystal too, easily the size of a basketball. It took some effort to hold it. ¡°That came from a behemoth. It¡¯s rather expensive and contains a massive quantity of power as opposed to dense power, perfect for advancing. Keep it hidden.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Also, I have a message for you. From your friend in a high place.¡± He handed me a simultaneously ornate yet plain letter as I stowed the Orb and crystal away. I opened it and scanned it. There was but a single line on it. ¡°Contact me when you get this. - Sawn¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± ¡°Enchanting work is a great way to make money. You should pursue it.¡± ¡°Did you work in that industry?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m the reason magic vehicles like Steeds and the Rails exist.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± That must be why he¡¯s so rich. I nodded, impressed. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been dabbling in it but since I¡¯ve been stuck at another base for so long I haven¡¯t been able to study enchanting much. The workstation Sawn gave me has been out of reach.¡± ¡°Then make sure to keep it on you when you go back, and start working with it as soon as possible. Money will start becoming more important to you as you grow. I won¡¯t be handing you gear forever. At some point you¡¯ll need to fend for yourself.¡± ¡°I know, I know. Baby bird can¡¯t stay in the nest forever.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too fat to be a baby bird.¡± ¡°Am not!¡± I cried out in mock offense, Maxwell rolling his eyes and walking behind his desk. ¡°See yourself out. I forgot how tiring you can be. I need my rest if I¡¯m going to explain the basics of this next advancement to you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. Can¡¯t hold up the old man when he needs his nap time.¡± ¡°Old but not dull, boy. Don¡¯t forget who made those advancement formations you struggle to comprehend.¡± ¡°Hoho.¡± I chucked as I left, admitting my temporary defeat. It was hard to come up with a counter to that. After walking through the Polaris Headquarters a bit, I suddenly had a thought and made my way to the central building. Using my pass, I found my way to Luna¡¯s office. She was slouched back on her chair when I got there, feet kicked up on the desk and half dozed off. I could see a bit of drool on her chin, making me laugh. ¡°Pulling overtime, huh?¡± ¡°Huh?! John!¡± She snapped to attention, wiping her chin and straightening her clothes while adjusting in her chair. ¡°You sure know how to catch someone at their most indecent time.¡± ¡°Nonsense. You¡¯re still positively glowing, even while half asleep.¡± ¡°Haah, I don¡¯t have the energy to even be shameful.¡± ¡°That busy, huh?¡± I took a seat in a nearby chair, Luna slumping a bit. ¡°Indeed. Your reports aren¡¯t the only thing setting off alarms around here. The Templars have been having challenges of their own in recent months. The Scourge is increasing the pressure.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Is it really that bad? I had some hope that my issues were small compared to the bigger picture¡­¡± ¡°They may just be, but those small movements can also reflect the bigger picture. Either way, I¡¯m not enjoying the paperwork. The Kingdom has been all over us for more of our enchantments and gear. I may be getting rich because of it, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not up for days straight.¡± ¡°Ah, the woes of the wealthy.¡± ¡°Rich may I be, woes they still be. Enough about me. Tell me, military man. What are your predictions for the next year or so?¡± She leaned forward, smiling at me with her bright blue eyes. A certain incalculable depth drew me in, the densely swirling Mana offering but a glimpse into the extent of her power. I leaned back and waved. ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ve already read my reports. The Scourge is mobilizing its weapons of war, and if the Kingdom doesn¡¯t respond appropriately, they¡¯ll be overrun. I¡¯m sincerely hoping I don¡¯t get swept away with everyone else when that time comes.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think the Kingdom can respond appropriately?¡± ¡°I think they can. But will they realize how dire the situation is? I¡¯m not sure. I think they¡¯ll try, and I have a feeling they¡¯ll fall short. Then again, I¡¯m not a huge fan of anybody associated with the Kingdom, so it could just be my bias or inexperience. I don¡¯t know the Kingdom¡¯s true depths. Maybe they have a Dragon stowed away somewhere they can bust out when they get in real trouble.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Her grin took on a mischievous quality. My face fell. ¡°I need to stop hypothesizing.¡± ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m not sure where you get such ideas, but you really do sound like you know a thing or two about the Royal Family.¡± ¡°I thought these things were nothing but fairy tales.¡± ¡°I suppose all tales are founded in reality, hm?¡± I shared a chuckle with her. If only she had any idea. These kinds of things were fantasies on Earth. I should¡¯ve known better, but such fantasies were the reality here. I really had to stop making guesses. Now I knew that whatever it was, the Kingdom had some powerful weapons hiding in reserve, almost definitely draconic in nature. Well, at least the Kingdom wasn¡¯t as weak as I had been thinking they were. Still, they wouldn¡¯t bring those weapons out until shit really hit the fan, and by then, who knew how bad of a situation I would be in? I couldn¡¯t let myself get killed in the meantime. I still had things to do. After thinking for a second I saw Luna take a glance at the small stack of papers to her side. I took that as the cue, standing from my chair. ¡°Well Miss Luna, it was great talking to you. I¡¯ll get out of your hair.¡± ¡°Oh, nonsense. I don¡¯t get much company, so I appreciate your visits. You should bring Umara next time.¡± ¡°I wanted to, but she couldn¡¯t get her leave approved. Believe me, I wanted her here too.¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m sure you did. Nevertheless, I thank you for the visit, and congratulations on your advancement! I look forward to your next ones.¡± ¡°As do I. Thanks.¡± The two of us exchanged a quick hug, a bit of surprise going through my mind when she stepped out from behind her desk to offer one. She only hugged Umara last time. After that goodbye, I left the Polaris headquarters to the bustling market under the darkened sky. My advancement had taken quite a bit of time, but despite everything I had done, I was feeling positively rejuvenated. I decided to go make another visit, perhaps check in on an acquaintance. I made my way into the Founder¡¯s Market, passing by Chef Black on the way in. The man handed me two kebabs. A great honor. I chewed on those while passing through familiar streets to the Tavera Family. Once at their headquarters I noticed how relaxed the security was compared to the last time I came. With their position having solidified as the de-facto rulers of the Founder¡¯s Market, I was sure there was little to worry about. They didn¡¯t have to be so uptight. Soon enough, I was in the presence of the Tavera Patriarch. However, it seemed that in the time I was gone, the transition to the new Patriarch had concluded. The one I found in that head seat wasn¡¯t the old man I knew. It was his grandson, Emmerich, the one who had eaten that Authority 11 heart for a Crown. I could sense the pounding vitality within his knightly body, his Aura reflecting the sheer power of life within each heartbeat. ¡°Ah, Mr. Cooper. It¡¯s been some time.¡± ¡°Indeed, Patriarch. Congratulations on the succession.¡± ¡°You have my thanks. Please, take a seat. My grandfather isn¡¯t here at the moment, but that¡¯s no reason we can¡¯t have a drink.¡± Emmerich said that while grabbing a nearby glass and two cups. He poured two drinks, handing one to me. We clinked our glasses before taking sips. It certainly tasted like alcohol. I hadn¡¯t drunk any in so long that it almost felt foreign. Cigars were my self-medication of choice. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve been doing well in the military. Have you found your niche?¡± ¡°I think I have. Field intelligence. An intelligence agent who can fight seems to be favored by many.¡± ¡°Indeed. I¡¯ve encountered extremely few summoners who are even willing to take a step beyond their base, let alone venture out onto the battlefield. And those who can fight are even rarer, almost nonexistent.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve seen any. I have yet to come across one besides myself.¡± I thought back to my time at Stronghold Charlie and the Treehouse. Summoners were exclusively intelligence agents because, normally, the enemies that were fought in those places were few in number but high in strength. It was the worst place for a summoner to fight, if there was one there to begin with. I always knew I was the exception, but I wondered when I would come across a summoner who actually had the balls to step out into a battle. It would be rather refreshing to see, and I was honestly shocked that Emmerich had seen any. He shrugged. ¡°There are always the exceptions, those that stick out from the rest. Even then, those summoners were¡­¡± ¡°A liability?¡± ¡°I was going to say accommodated, but putting it bluntly, yes. They had no real presence on the battlefield even if they were a surprise to see. They often required protection. I will admit that they had guts, but that didn¡¯t make them any better of a fighter, just more respectable as people.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can understand that. As much as I want to see summoners stepping up, if it¡¯s just going to cause problems, I¡¯d rather see them stay behind the desk. At least that way they provide some value.¡± ¡°You speak rather harshly about them considering you¡¯re one yourself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly the reason I do. Then again, I don¡¯t often think about it. I hardly consider myself a typical summoner, and those around me often forget that I am when we¡¯re out in the field. I just do my job and do it well. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡± I shrugged, leaning my cheek on my fist. I certainly wasn¡¯t grouped in with all those normal summoners. I wasn¡¯t exclusively an intelligence agent even if that¡¯s the only work I¡¯ve been doing in the past half year. The ones who mattered knew that I could fight, and the ones that didn¡¯t matter weren¡¯t relevant to me anyway. All I needed to do was do the job that I was given well. Of course, I¡¯d be making sure I got some fighting in when I got back to base. I needed to exercise some of my new guns. I was tired of drawing up reports day in and day out. I looked over at Emmerich, noticing how he glanced at his aerial a couple times. I wondered if I should excuse myself, but then he spoke. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I¡¯ve called one of your friends.¡± ¡°Friends?¡± ¡°Aria.¡± ¡°Aria¡­ Oh.¡± I suddenly realized. The girl who I had saved after raiding a trafficking warehouse. She had tried to pledge her fealty to me right before I left for the military. I didn¡¯t know what that entailed formally but it was definitely a big deal and I had turned her down since I was leaving. Soon I heard a knock on the door. It sounded slightly hasty, a mere symptom of the veritable mess of anxiety on the other side. ¡°Come in.¡± Emmerich spoke, Aria entering the room. Her eyes fell on me as I gave her a one over. A brunette girl in a black coat similar to my own. I couldn¡¯t help but think she was trying to mirror me, but the massive axe on her back made her stand out in her own unique way. The Bloodsworn, she had called it. It was definitely a quality enchanted weapon, since it had apparently been the heirloom of her family. If Umara was right about her being a noble as well, then it was a fallen noble family, and that axe held immense value. To think she had tried to pledge herself to me with that axe as the offering when we had only met once. It was beyond me. ¡°Sir Cooper, it¡¯s good to see you well.¡± She stiffly bowed toward me. I returned a wave. ¡°Hello, Aria. I see you¡¯ve been doing well with the Tavera Family. I¡¯m glad that the arrangement worked out.¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯ve provided me with good work. I greatly appreciate your recommendation.¡± ¡°Aria has been working with some of our Saber squads on their quest to clear out any remaining remnants of our rival groups and unsavory gangs within the market.¡± Emmerich spoke, ¡°It has become a much cleaner space since you left.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°And yet we are still far from eradicating all the filth here.¡± Aria muttered, and that¡¯s when I noticed her Authority 7 Aura. Her convictions still made themselves solidly known, seemingly towering above even her Aural presence, and her strength was growing accordingly. I was glad that she was able to carve out a place for herself and fight for something good with the Taveras. To that end, I thought about the shadowy relations between the Taveras, the Polaris, and the Church. If my conjectures were right then the Church was at the head of it all, effectively controlling the entire black market. I didn¡¯t know what the Kingdom thought about all that, or if they even knew. There was no way the Kingdom didn¡¯t see an issue with another entity controlling such an important piece of their economy and territory, even if they didn¡¯t realize it was the Church. Honestly, I felt weird being privy to such secrets, even if some of them were only educated conjectures. After holding the conversation a bit longer I stood from my chair, feeling a bit of fatigue wash over me. The advancement may have filled me with energy but it seemed like it was starting to settle. Forming my Mind Palace wasn¡¯t exactly an easy venture. ¡°I should go. A recent advancement has finally started to take its toll.¡± ¡°I noticed. You have my congratulations. How should I address you, now that you¡¯ve been in the military for some time?¡± ¡°Well I¡¯m just a Major at the moment, if you want a proper title.¡± ¡°A Major after a mere year? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen such a thing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made some good friends.¡± ¡°Apparently. Well, good luck in your military endeavors, Major Cooper. I look forward to the day you become a Colonel. Perhaps a General?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see if I even want to fight those battles.¡± I chuckled a bit, shaking Emmerich¡¯s hand before glancing at Aria. Her anxiousness spiked again as she asked me a question. ¡°Uh, M-Major Cooper? If I may ask, that proposal I gave you back then before you left¡­ I was wondering if you perhaps knew when I could make true on it?¡± ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s a difficult answer to give.¡± I rubbed my chin. I was surprised she still wanted to pledge her fealty. I still wasn¡¯t sure about it since it really was just a foreign concept to me. I didn¡¯t want to take responsibility for something I knew nothing about, not to mention the fact that it wasn¡¯t like I would be here to interact with her. ¡°I¡¯m still in the military, Aria, and I won¡¯t be leaving for some time. That makes your proposition difficult to fulfill.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ it does. I understand you¡¯re under contract for the next 11 years? Will it really take that long?¡± ¡°Oh Lord, I can¡¯t imagine what things are going to be like in 11 years. If the Kingdom still stands and I¡¯m still alive by then, I suppose fulfilling your proposition will be more than easy.¡± ¡°What do you mean, if the Kingdom still stands?¡± ¡°The Scourge is starting to make substantial movements that won¡¯t end with mere skirmishes. We¡¯ve already lost Purple Sky and, from the projections, it won''t be long until we lose another base, even without facing an icon of Hell. They have unfathomable engines of war and I¡¯m only becoming more pessimistic as time goes on. Don¡¯t be surprised if you start hearing bad news within the next year.¡± Aria frowned at my words, thinking for a moment before giving a suggestion. ¡°Should I join the military as well?¡± ¡°That¡¯s entirely up to you, but the unity of the human race is just as important as our fight against the Scourge. If we fall from within, then it won¡¯t matter what the Scourge is doing. Your work here is good and valuable, and no matter what, you¡¯re getting stronger. That¡¯s most important, because only then can we actually make a difference. You just have to decide which environment is best to do that in.¡± ¡°I understand¡­¡± She nodded. Emmerich silently nodded as well, expressing his approval. I still maintained that strength was everything in this situation. There was little else that could trump that. With that, I decided to say my goodbyes. I left the Tavera Family headquarters and sent Sawn a message as I made my way back to the Hotel. After passing by the Key Master, I got a response. He wanted to meet me. Not in his usual van, but in his office. His office within the Magic Spire, the most prestigious magical development complex in the Kingdom. Chapter 185: Swept Away May 10, 624 After a good night¡¯s rest that solidified my advancement from the day before, I went to visit the Magic Spire, the nexus for the Kingdom¡¯s magical research and development, for the very first time. For summoners like me, it would usually be the next step post-Magisterium. Those who were subpar were instead sent to the military to become intelligence personnel. The Magic Spire was perfectly named ¨C a monolithic spire towering hundreds of meters in the air, dwarfing all other buildings around it besides perhaps the Royal Palace, every brick humming with enchantments, pieced together into a singular device instead of an already colossal construction. The money that went in and out of this place was responsible for a large portion of the entire Kingdom¡¯s economy, and also a major reason why Magi held the vast majority of the monetary supply. Sawn worked here. Since he ran Sawn Industries, perhaps the biggest magitech business in the Kingdom, if not the world, he naturally had a major place in the Spire carved out for himself. I felt kind of bad walking up to the Spire; I hadn¡¯t done anything for the man over the past year. I had gotten so caught up with issues at the Treehouse that I neither studied nor worked on enchanting. Even then, Sawn kept sending me money every week, even more than what the military paid me. Well, I¡¯d finally be meeting him in his natural habitat instead of a van on the side of the road. Our relationship was kind of weird considering how we met and how we interacted, but I couldn¡¯t complain since it resulted in a relationship at all. I was just grateful that he thought highly of me. I craned my neck to scan the first floor as I entered. It was wholly devoted to a lobby; floating crystal platforms brought people and groups to and fro the upper floors of Spire as even more people gathered in small groups ¨C or in one case, a rather agitated forum off bracketed by pillars ¨C all across the inlaid floors. I was given instructions to head to the 76th floor and check in, so I went over to an elevator and took a glance at the list of numbers. That seemed like the highest it¡¯d go, so I punched it in, catching a few surprised glances from other people on the platform as they too walked up to the array of buttons. It took a while to actually get to the top floor, and by the time I did, I was the only one on the platform. I waited until it drifted to a stop before stepping into a nearly empty lobby with only a single desk at its helm, a young warlock girl scribbling away at some papers behind it. I walked up to her, her head rising once I stepped up to the desk. ¡°Hi, I have a meeting with Sawn.¡± ¡°Name?¡± ¡°John Cooper.¡± ¡°C¡­ Cooper¡­ Ah, yes, we¡¯ve been expecting you. Head into the teleporter and go to the 88th floor. He¡¯ll be waiting for you there.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°My pleasure.¡± She gave me a smile before going back to her work. I went past the desk and found the teleporter. It was big enough for a small group of people, and inside its bulk I punched in the 88th floor. To be so extravagant as to use a teleporter to traverse a handful of floors. These people really were rich. It was simultaneously an indeterminably short and unfathomably long time until I remanifested on a similar-looking pad, another hall laid out before me. Bare walls and minimal decoration were my only accompaniment as I walked to a small pair of double doors I pushed open. The smell of paper, ink, and metal instantly flooded my nose as soon as I crossed the threshold. Sawn¡¯s office was a combination of an impressive library and an even more impressive array of enchanted devices. Multiple Orbs sat in cradles projecting their contents onto folding or rolling screens or, in one noteworthy case, a massive unfurled sheet of parchment, corners pinned with magic. Behind all these devices were people, so many people even the vast room felt small, behind desks, projectors, and piles of books as tall as they were, manipulating the Orbs or hastily scribing away on ever-growing stacks of paper. Sawn was one of them. I recognized the lanky warlock instantly. I took a few strides in before coming to a halt, simply looking around and not wishing to interrupt anyone with my presence. I didn¡¯t exactly feel like I belonged, but I was called here, so I couldn¡¯t make myself scarce. I watched Sawn work on a massive workstation, and once I found a lapse, I moved in. ¡°Excuse me, sir.¡± ¡°Hm? Ah, Cooper. Congratulations on your advancement. Sit in that chair and give me 12 minutes.¡± ¡°Alright. Thanks.¡± I did as he said and sat in the chair, remaining silent as I watched him work. It looked like he was putting the finishing touches on a design. I couldn¡¯t even guess what it was for, but almost exactly after the promised time had passed, he swiped it away and turned his attention to me. ¡°Come. We¡¯ll talk in here.¡± I followed him into another room. Sawn¡¯s ¡®office¡¯ seemed to occupy the entire 88th floor, so it was massive enough to hold a dozen other rooms on top of the complex everyone worked at. The room he led me into was somewhat bare, looking like a meeting room, but with a table that could act as a workstation. The two of us found seats as Sawn brought out a bottle of something. He poured two glasses, handing one for me to drink. It tasted like pomegranate juice, not a hint of alcohol inside. As he took methodical sips from his cup, he spoke. ¡°How has the military been? You¡¯ve been there a year. I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s been some problems on your front.¡± ¡°I¡¯m making do. I actually wanted to apologize in regards to that. I¡¯ve been off base for so long that I haven¡¯t even had access to the workstation.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Your life is more important than anything else. However, I will extend my offer to you once more. You should leave the frontlines and come join me here. I¡¯ll teach you, and you¡¯ll help me develop weapons that can assist in the fights against the oncoming Scourge armies.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s certainly tempting.¡± I gave it some actual thought. I wanted to go out and fight a bit more, but I was also getting tired of the frontlines. It had taken a bit of a toll after a whole year. I hadn¡¯t rested well at all for the past seven months, my days filled with constant analysis and management. While having that responsibility was nice, I also wanted a break. Not to mention, enchanting would be a good way to educate myself on something valuable. I¡¯d finally be able to put together some devices that could help both people and soldiers alike. Just as I was about to respond with a weak refusal, Sawn waved his hand. ¡°Before you say anything, I¡¯d like to change the terms. I understand that you want your place in the military. You¡¯ve done great things in little time. I¡¯ve been hearing a lot about you. So I¡¯ve made some calls, including one to your superiors. I¡¯m prepared to devise a special schedule. If you would look¡­ here.¡± He pushed forward a paper, which I quickly read. ¡°You will work for me in an on-and-off fashion. One month, you¡¯ll be on the front lines. The next month, you¡¯ll be working here. With things the way they¡¯re going now, you can¡¯t possibly focus on enchanting work. Even I understand that the Scourge is picking up the pace. But with this, you¡¯ll be able to devote your time and effort properly. Not only that, but you¡¯ll be able to avoid much of the danger since you¡¯ll be gone half the time.¡± ¡°Indeed¡­¡± I gave it some thought. There were a few upsides and only one substantial downside. He was right in that I¡¯d be avoiding a lot of danger and that I¡¯d finally be able to work on enchanting, also getting more time off. But on the other hand, being gone for so long would reduce my presence and shift a lot of my work to other people. My value would fall, especially after all the effort I¡¯d gone through to increase my contributions. I¡¯d probably get sent right back to the sidelines since I¡¯d be playing catch up every time I left and came back. Question was, was it worth it to even care about that? My goal in trying to stand out was to get noticed by special operations and meet my friends there. But if I was being honest, intelligence work wouldn¡¯t be the thing that got me noticed, at least not by those people. They cared about whether I could kill well. Analysis and such was secondary. I only had to worry about lethality. To that end, perhaps it would be good to be sidelined. I wouldn¡¯t be stuck behind a desk and could get out into the field more. Instead of giving the orders, I would be taking them. I trusted Polly and Jasmine enough to know they wouldn¡¯t knowingly throw me into danger. Not only that, I had a feeling that Polly would appreciate me getting out of her way. I wasn¡¯t doing it maliciously, but my reports and recent contributions to issues regarding the Bombardos and diseases weren¡¯t helping her in any way. That was contrary to the deal we made, so I was thinking that I needed to change course. Maybe this was actually the perfect opportunity. Maybe taking the back seat was exactly what I needed to do. However, I wanted to maximize my advantages while I had them. Since I was going to be taking a back seat, I might as well get everything out of the front seat while I was there. I looked back up at Sawn. ¡°I¡¯ll take that contract. However, there¡¯s something I want to do first.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to get promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. I want to do that before starting up that schedule.¡± ¡°Hm, that seems like a good idea. Do you think you can get promoted in a timely manner?¡± ¡°I think I can. I¡¯ve been talking to a General about it, so I¡¯m more optimistic than otherwise.¡± ¡°... Six months.¡± He tapped the table. ¡°I¡¯ll give you 6 months to do so. Otherwise, the contracted schedule will go into effect anyways.¡± ¡°That¡¯s reasonable. Then¡­¡± I reached out my hand. Sawn grasped it hesitantly, then squeezed with his hand. ¡°We have an accord.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ After clarifying some more details and signing a couple papers, I left Sawn¡¯s office and headed toward the Polaris Headquarters to talk to Maxwell. These advancement formations were getting to the point where I needed to understand more than just the bare definitions of the symbols and arrays. I needed to know why things were working the way they were. Maxwell had no qualms filling my head with everything, even things I didn¡¯t understand. He said that so long as I could recall it, I¡¯d be able to use it, if not now, then in the future. I agreed with him on that point, but it was still a bit overwhelming, even with my new and improved mind. No amount of intelligence work could compare to the complexity of the fruits of Maxwell¡¯s intellect. If there was ever a genius, Maxwell was the perfect picture. The goal of this next advancement was to create the second Spark. However, the Spark had to be based on something. The first Spark could be said to be composed of what was considered my computational ability, or at least a portion of it. It simply drew on the natural abilities of my mind, which was why the formations to make it weren¡¯t that complex. However, this next Spark would be taking my memories, my being, and condensing it into another Spark. It would be the other half of the coin, and it would be what truly made my memory infallible. The trick would be doing this while also accommodating the new structure of my mind, courtesy of the Mind Palace. It shouldn¡¯t be that hard but I¡¯d definitely have to improvise a bit. At the very least, the second Spark was already started, its kernel sitting in my Grand Library. In fact, depending on how I used this, the Mind Palace might actually make this next advancement easier. It would still take considerable time to get through the advancement formation, at least as long as the previous, but the Mind Palace¡¯s visualization would make comprehending things much easier. I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with potentially progression-hindering abstractions. This advancement formation, that might otherwise take years to not just study but implement, may take but one or two years to complete. I already had ideas, but this wasn¡¯t something to tackle overnight. Ironic, because it was often during my dreams at night that I made the most progress. ¡­¡­ Things were annoyingly uneventful for the rest of my time in the Capital. I would spend my nights simply looking out the window of my hotel room, overlooking the entire city beyond with a hint of melancholy. The only reason I did that was because I didn¡¯t have anyone else to do it with. Umara and I were still pissed about her being unable to get leave. Her mother was keeping a tight leash on things, and, if I was being completely logical, I could begrudgingly admit I understood why. That certainly didn''t mean I liked it. My first break in a year was supposed to be a bit nicer, not lonelier. Sooner rather than later, it was time for me to leave again. After giving my goodbyes to friends, I was on a Rail and heading back to Stronghold Charlie. I was in contact with Jasmine since I had nothing better to do most nights. It felt wrong to completely waste away so I kept up to date with some brief reports that she collected. She took on most of my responsibility while I was gone and was eager to have me back. That would have to change before I went under Sawn¡¯s special schedule. Turns out, big things could happen in a week. It seems my report compiling all of Chief Reginold¡¯s intel scared the right people, because we were getting even more reinforcements for the Treehouse. More base expansions were underway, and tens of thousands of soldiers were slated to arrive in droves. It seemed they really didn¡¯t want to lose the Treehouse, using it as an example in a way. They wanted to prove that they could handle the things coming their way. Truthfully, I still didn¡¯t think it was enough. From my perspective, throwing bodies and numbers at the problem wouldn¡¯t solve it. Perhaps it was just my perspective on modern warfare, but at some point numbers meant nothing. It was all about sheer strength. In Earth¡¯s case, that was money and weapons technologies. Here, it was high Authority warlocks and knights. I hoped we would be getting more strategic reinforcements soon. I didn¡¯t know what was going on at other bases but it wasn¡¯t like they were my responsibility so it was difficult to care. There was a very real threat on my doorstep and I wanted the tools to deal with it now, not later when it would already be too late. Whether that was a special operations team or more Brigadiers and Marshals, we needed something to secure our spot on the map. The Scourge was moving in the heavy hitters and we weren¡¯t responding in kind. I knew the Generals were aware of that, but whether the others beyond our base would accommodate them was another question. To me, it seemed like the Kingdom was stretching thin. Perhaps I was wrong and they really were hiding a massive amount of strength. Until they proved otherwise though, I¡¯d err on the side of caution. I was thinking in more defensive terms and that usually wasn¡¯t a good sign, simply because that meant there were extremely few avenues for offense, even with more reinforcements. I arrived back at the Stronghold with those thoughts in mind, watching as hundreds of people gathered into the car around me, all headed for the Treehouse. I was but one in a sea of many. As the gentle swaying of the train rocked me to sleep, I hoped that I might not be swept away like so many of those around me would. Chapter 186: Space ¡°I¡¯ve been approached.¡± ¡°Oh? Another confessor?¡± ¡°Please. It was someone from special operations. I recognized the uniform.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Umara lifted her eyes from one of her many Grimoires. Tana recognized it as yet another one of John¡¯s texts from the words within. He wrote in a very distinct manner, to say nothing of the almost completely unfamiliar vocabulary. Umara tilted her head, ¡°Are you being scouted?¡± ¡°Pretty sure,¡± Tana shrugged, ¡°My concern is with you though. You would think they¡¯d approach both of us, not just me. He made the effort to catch me alone.¡± ¡°Well you can probably imagine why. I¡¯m sure my mother has made efforts to ensure that I can¡¯t run off into something so dangerous so soon.¡± ¡°I guess, but I was also under the impression that they also ignored any protestations.¡± ¡°From who, nobility?¡± Umara smirked a bit, ¡°Military or not, the nobility still run everything. As John said, they aren¡¯t nobles just because they¡¯re born into it. They¡¯re nobles because they¡¯re strong enough to keep their titles. My mother isn¡¯t just a Duchess. She¡¯s a Marshal and one of the strongest Warlocks in the Kingdom. Not even special operations would so easily walk over her unspoken commands.¡± ¡°I guess. Issue is, I¡¯m not leaving unless you are. We need to stick together.¡± ¡°I agree, but¡­ don¡¯t be so quick to discard the opportunity,¡± Umara finally sat up, leaning against the wall next to her bed, ¡°I think you should go in. You can find Feiden and you two can help pull me in.¡± Tana hesitated for a moment, ¡°You¡¯ll still be left alone for however long it takes for me to get through their training, not to mention that¡¯s assuming they¡¯ll even listen to us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet that Feiden has something to do with you getting scouted right now,¡± Umara suddenly smiled, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t take care of myself. If you need more convincing, we can spar.¡± ¡°No thanks,¡± Tana cringed a bit, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to get a limb blown off.¡± ¡°Hehe, I wouldn¡¯t go so far,¡± Umara chuckled coyly, ¡°You¡¯re the Ghost anyway. I¡¯d have to find you first.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me, Witch,¡± Tana snapped, ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can find me, besides the Marshals and Sovereigns. I don¡¯t know how the hell you so easily nullify my invisibility, but I¡¯d say that¡¯s the one thing you do that pisses me off.¡± ¡°Hey now, all it does is teach you how to be better. The day you figure out how to hide from me is the day you figure out how to hide from the Sovereigns.¡± ¡°Your spells are bullshit, Witch.¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± Umara chuckled as Tana rolled her eyes. Umara was a devious girl and her spells always seemed to be able to pick Tana out, even though Tana¡¯s Auric Technique was supposed to hide her from everything. Umara shouldn¡¯t even be able to know she was invisible in the first place, let alone attempt to pick her out. She both vanished from sight and attention, becoming an unnoticeable void in the minds of others. But no, Umara¡¯s Aura didn¡¯t seem to care about that. It frustrated Tana to no end when they sparred, but she could begrudgingly admit that it was nice to have someone who could still go toe to toe with her. ¡°Anyway,¡± Tana sighed, ¡°If you think I should go in, then I will. I¡¯ll talk to the recruiter.¡± ¡°Mm. I see no reason why you shouldn¡¯t,¡± Umara nodded, ¡°As for me, a little pressure on my mother should get me in there soon enough, along with your help. After that I just need to figure out how to get John in.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say he¡¯s been having problems?¡± ¡°The situation at the Treehouse is getting dangerous, yes.¡± Umara looked down at her Grimoire, some of her long gray hair dangling across the pages. ¡°I¡¯ve actually read some of his reports. The Scourge is launching large-scale offensives on that little forward base. It¡¯s not looking good.¡± ¡°You think you can get him out?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I still haven¡¯t forgotten the fact that my mother wasn¡¯t able to get control of him in the first place. That power dynamic hasn¡¯t changed. That¡¯s why we need to get into special operations and pull him in. My mother won''t matter at that point. Nor will anyone else, except a Sovereign.¡± Umara flipped a couple pages, Tana pondering while combing her fingers through her recently washed blonde hair. After some silence, Tana changed the topic. ¡°You leave tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And if I end up going with the recruiter while you¡¯re gone?¡± ¡°Then you end up going with the recruiter. Don¡¯t worry so much about me. I¡¯m about to advance a level beyond you. I can keep myself safe.¡± Umara smiled as she lifted her eyes. Tana replied with a sigh from her bed across the room. ¡°Yeah, yeah. You¡¯re freakishly talented and don¡¯t need me with those fancy spells of yours.¡± ¡°Well, I might not need you, but there¡¯s only one other person in this world that I¡¯d rather have by my side over you.¡± ¡°Ouch. I thought I¡¯d risen higher than that.¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t have sex with you, so that¡¯s a pretty big card in his favor.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to sleep now.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Umara chuckled as Tana turned over, throwing herself into her sheets. The lights dimmed automatically in time and Umara decided to get some sleep too. ¡­ When the next day came, Umara was packed and standing in a terminal. She gave a hug to Tana. It would probably be the last one for a while. ¡°I¡¯ll see you on the other side. Say hi to Feiden for me.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± They separated. Tana nodded as Umara boarded, sharing one last wave through a window as the Rail accelerated away. Like that, she was on her way to home. Like last time, her advancement to Authority 7 came quickly. With this advancement, she would perfect her affinity for the Fire element, perfection that was three advancements in nthe making. She already had several truly massive destruction spells in mind for when that perfection came. The most complex spells still flummoxed her with her imperfect affinity, and she often had to compensate with her still compatible (but ultimately inadequate) Air element. Now though, another section of her knowledge could finally be unleashed. She wondered how long it would take to achieve enlightenment for the Fire element. She had been studying it for so long. Perhaps she would finally have to answer the big question surrounding the Fire element, the one that John had posed in one of her Grimoires. What was Fire? She had long understood what fire was scientifically. But magically? That knowledge wouldn¡¯t truly come to her until her affinity was perfected. She couldn¡¯t make conclusions right now because the element was still blurry to her. It wouldn¡¯t be long before she was able to unearth those secrets. A day later, when the Rail pulled into the City of Joffrun, Umara stepped out and made her way to her home. A carriage had already been arranged for her by the head butler. Once at the door of the estate, Umara stepped out to find her family there to greet her. She smiled at her sister Faey before glancing at her parents. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, kid.¡± ¡°You too, dad.¡± She shared hugs with her father and sister, finally approaching her mother, who had hung back a little. Talexia nodded her head toward the door, ¡°Would you like dinner? We were going to have some made soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯d actually like to get to my advancement, if that¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Sure. Ikhor, please, take Faey to dinner.¡± ¡°Very well. Good luck, dear.¡± Ikhor planted a kiss on Umara¡¯s forehead before retreating into the house, going to the dining room with Faey. Talexia and Umara went to the back of the estate, finding the secondary building used for storage and important affairs such as advancements. Inside, there was a tempering device and a dozen powerful White Crystals, all of them sitting at Authority 8. ¡°Your advancement this time will be pivotal compared to the others before. From now on you¡¯ll be fighting for your place in the top levels. Your development up until now will determine your future. This is but the last step, the last major improvement you can make to your foundation before your ascent to Authority 10. You won¡¯t be able to acquire another perfect affinity until then.¡± Talexia spoke while bringing out a Grimoire of her own. After looking through it for a short time, she snapped it closed and gazed at her daughter. Umara seemed unimpressed, and hardly nervous considering the situation. If anything, she seemed impatient. Even then, Talexia couldn¡¯t hint at her emotions through her Aura. It had apparently gotten too powerful for her to easily see through. ¡°You seem ready.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been ready for about a month now.¡± ¡°Very well then. Let¡¯s begin.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Umara interrupted, facing her mother, ¡°Do you have a better Foci? I want it for the advancement.¡± ¡°You know you can¡¯t use one for it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then why do you need one?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve got spells to test once I advance. I don¡¯t want to waste time.¡± Talexia paused, skeptical. There should be no reason for Umara to need a Foci. The advancement formation had to be made personally. It wasn¡¯t an absolute rule, but a precaution to ensure the warlock didn¡¯t use a Foci as a crutch. It could ruin their advancement entirely should things go wrong. But Umara pleaded. ¡°Please, mom. I¡¯m not going to use it for the advancement formation.¡± ¡°... Fine. Use mine.¡± With a sigh, Talexia brought out her personal Foci, easily the most expensive and rare item the Talerria family had. An heirloom that had been maintained and passed down through generations: the Calophic Array. Umara took it in her hands, the object naturally floating above her palm. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. It was a collection of geometric nodes formed from pure White Crystals, all of them sitting at the peak of Authority 11. It wasn¡¯t a proper Authority 12 White Crystal, but these synergized together in such a way that they could display a power close to a proper Authority 12. More than that, each held nigh unlimited power, inexhaustible by any normal warlock. There were eight of those White Crystals in the Array, all of them floating around each other as if they defied the laws of physics simply by existing. More than that, when Umara streamed some Mana into it, she found a nearly infinite buffering space. Going further, her power was naturally amplified by simply moving through the Array. It was an amazing device that she couldn¡¯t even tap halfway into with her power. But that unlimited buffering space was exactly what she needed. She smiled and walked with the Array. It stayed above her hand as if it were a part of her body, moving with her while she sat in the tempering chair. Umara had her own Foci, one that had replaced her broken one months ago. But it was a temporary one that she thought wholly inadequate, even though it was actually better than the one she had before. Her standards had risen significantly, and Talexia had been working to get her an even better one. For today though, she got to use the family heirloom. With that, they were ready. Talexia turned on the tempering device as Umara sat within its sphere of influence. They could both see the Magika condense like vapor, all of it being concentrated on Umara¡¯s figure. Umara closed her eyes. Like dozens of times before, she formed her own advancement formation, Mana glowing in the atmosphere and releasing a distinct heat wave. The temperature plummeted as quickly as it rose, settling back into something resembling normal after just one cycle. Talexia could see the Fire element so concentrated within the formation that not the slightest hint of it could escape. The only reason she even knew the element was there at all was because she had been projecting her own Aura to touch it. Soon after, Talexia¡¯s Aura was gently pushed away as Umara exerted full control over absolutely everything in her space. There was even a hint of discontent, as if she was displeased her mother was trying to monitor her. Umara¡¯s formation glowed. Talexia sighed before standing back and watching its color. The color of the final formation to develop the final Fire affinity almost always determined how perfect it was. Generally, the brighter the better. However, she immediately found a peculiarity in Umara¡¯s color. It wasn¡¯t a bright red or yellow like most. Hers was such a bright blue that it bordered on white. Talexia had to squint, the luminosity straining her eyes. She wanted to use her Aura to peek at the element too, but Umara¡¯s own Aura continued to bear down on the area. She couldn¡¯t pick up on anything. The formation completed, flashing even brighter before collapsing in on Umara¡¯s body. Despite disappearing into her flesh though, it continued to glow so brightly that it could almost be seen as it inscribed itself. The knights infused Vigor into their body, the summoners infused Psyka into their mind, and warlocks infused Mana into their blood. Each type of Magus held power over the three major aspects of the human body. This is also why warlocks, should they develop the fire and water affinities, could heal others. However, it was also precisely this fact that gave Umara trouble when trying to understand what exactly the fire element was all about. In her pursuit for the answer to the question of what the fire element held jurisdiction over in the world of science, she questioned even the smallest details of what everyone else took as the norm. The advancement formation fell into her body, engraving her heart and blood vessels with the final Fire elemental affinity. It combined with the others seamlessly, and the three affinities combined, reacting and causing widespread changes. Umara felt her soul open itself, her heart rate skyrocketing, blood pumping as all the Mana from the Magika around her flooded her system. It was so dense that it overwhelmed Umara¡¯s mind, yet her body sucked it down like a thirsting man in a desert. Her Fire affinity achieved perfection with a flash of white. Umara¡¯s vision cleared. Fire appeared, all around her, in perfect clarity. It intermingled with the Air element around it, not stifled or stifling, but with perfect balance. It was impossibly easy to not just pick out the Fire element, but also experiment and begin to understand its secrets. Talexia watched as Umara activated the Calophic Array. It was silent for a minute eternity before nearly 100 spell formations bloomed around Umara¡¯s body at the same time. Talexia couldn¡¯t recognize any of them, even though she could understand the language that was used. She wasn¡¯t sure what Umara was trying to do, but then, all of the spell formations collapsed. Then, a line of Fire mana was drawn around her body, twisting and turning several different ways before blooming into thousands of runes and symbols with no coherence to them. It was like Umara was trying to put the entire Fire element on display. That¡¯s when Talexia noticed Umara smiling. She looked quite gleeful, like a child receiving bags of their favorite candy. ¡°I think I¡¯m getting it now¡­¡± She muttered, and with those words, Umara¡¯s soul opened even wider. Talexia¡¯s eyes dilated in shock. Umara was actually going through her enlightenment at the same time as her advancement. She had been enlightened after a quick glimpse into the true Fire element. Talexia didn¡¯t know if something like that had ever happened before throughout history. Even if it did, it wasn¡¯t in recorded history, and certainly something only the most talented warlocks to ever live could pull off. Question was, how the hell did she do it? And in such a short time at that. Umara had advanced to Authority 6 less than a year ago. There wasn¡¯t that much time to study an imperfect Fire element, certainly not enough to achieve an instant enlightenment. It was like she already knew what she was searching for, like she already knew where the deepest secrets of the Fire element were, like she just needed to walk up to them. She couldn¡¯t know that her thoughts were dead on the mark. Umara could feel the entire Fire element all at once. Her enlightenment and advancement compounded to provide her with an unprecedented view of the deepest secrets of the element. It was exposed to her very soul, and it was like all the answers came to her without so much as asking for them. What made it all the better was the fact that Umara already knew what would come to her. Or, it was more accurate to say that it was just one of a few possibilities that she had already considered. The Fire Element. It was the element of flames, most notably, and thus hailed as the greatest destructive element a warlock could wield. However, it was also capable of synergizing with the Water element and creating healing spells. Umara didn¡¯t know anything about the water element, even though it would be her next goal. But using the fact that Fire could somehow heal, she had certain guesses about what concepts it would reside over scientifically. She considered the states of matter and considered the fact that Fire was merely combustion, a chemical process not much different than many others. More importantly, plasma was even more destructive than mere fire so there was no way that something as simply as creating fire was the furthest extent of the element. But was it about creating energy? Umara hadn¡¯t been sure, but after advancing and reaching enlightenment, she had rapidly come to a conclusion. The Fire element wasn¡¯t about fire at all. Fire itself was merely a surface level visualization of what could be considered the application of energy. John was only partially correct when he hypothesized that the Fire element was about controlling energy. It was more accurate to say that the Fire element was all about adding energy to different systems and drawing it from different things. That¡¯s why Fire was important for healing. Umara had read plenty of texts about magical healing, and using John¡¯s knowledge on biology, she was able to understand that magical healing didn¡¯t necessarily heal the wounds, at least not utilizing Fire. Magical healing spurred the body to heal itself. The Fire element was responsible for adding energy to the body, vastly accelerating natural processes. The Water element was responsible for manipulating the body on a chemical level in order to do something as amazing as bring flesh together or straighten out scrambled organs, even shifting around nutrients and fuel for the healing process. The conclusion was quite simple, then. The Fire element either added energy to systems or drew out energy from systems like chemical bonds. That¡¯s why fire was the icon of the fire element. It was the perfect visualization of those two processes. Adding energy to a system and making it combust. Fire was merely the release of energy from the breakup and recombination of material bonds with energy as the spark. Knowing that allowed Umara to reshape the way she saw the element, and that instantly resulted in enlightenment. After all, it was no longer about creating fire. Fire was simply the result of adding energy in a very direct and boring way. If it was only about making fire then the Fire element wouldn¡¯t be used in something like healing. No, Umara could add other types of energy to a variety of different systems. She might not be able to redirect or reduce the amount of energy coming in or out, but the ability to add or create energy was the greatest killing tool. At the same time, realizing this helped her understand more about her Air element. There was more to Air than just air. If Fire was about adding energy, then chances were the other elements had something to do with manipulating energy in some fashion. Perhaps the Earth element was about slowing or destroying energy, while perhaps the Water element was about redirecting or controlling existing energy. Perhaps these things mirrored their abilities to handle matter as well. But the Air element? It seemed to only be about controlling the particles of air in the atmosphere. However, Umara knew about the fact that Spatial spells fell under the realm of the Air element. They were just such an extreme application of the Air element that it was extremely rare to teach oneself how to use it. Unless you knew the truth, of course. That truth? Well, there were two truths. First, the Air element held jurisdiction over gasses. That was one of the states of matter, and the others held jurisdiction over their respective states of matter as well, like liquids to Water and solids to Earth. The second truth, though, was that the Air element wasn¡¯t about controlling energy per se, not like how the Fire element created energy. Instead, it was about controlling the fabric that things like energy existed upon. Controlling gases was just the most surface level feature of the Air element. The way to controlling space was through the realization that space was there in the first place. The fabric that energy existed upon, something much deeper than the energy itself. It was such a simple concept, but the thing that blocked most Air warlocks from ever tapping into it was the difficulty in merely seeing that fabric in the first place. Even then, most of those who could see it were merely utilizing other well established spells to glimpse it at all. They didn¡¯t truly reach too deep a level. Now that Umara had realized these truths though, there was no longer any barrier to total mastery. For a couple seconds she wondered how she was able to achieve enlightenment before, having not understood the rules regarding energy. She decided she would think about that later. Her current enlightenment cascaded alongside her advancement and resulted in her body and soul taking in far more Mana than it otherwise would have. Her pool of Mana multiplied in size and turned so dense that she felt like she might outright skip her next advancement. More than that, the tons of Vigor and Psyka that streamed into her flesh and mind made her feel like she was becoming a knight and summoner. Her mind especially. She noticed the increased speed and clarity. Her speed of thought just about doubled from the infusion, and suddenly she got a glimpse into a fraction of John¡¯s thinking ability. Either way, both enhancements would only amplify her ability to fight further. The Psyka especially would allow her to formulate and cast spells like never before. After the enhancements came, they lingered for some time, Umara¡¯s body and mind drifting around in dream land for a while before her soul started to close itself off. Once that happened she returned to the world and became lucid. She dialed in, but it was only a few minutes later than Talexia finally shut the tempering device off, just in case. The two were silent, all spell formations fading away. Talexia stared at her daughter, and at some point Umara stared back. She smiled, ¡°Your Foci is really nice. I could use something like it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already found you another one. You¡¯ll get it tomorrow. Consider it your birthday present.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Mm. Now, about your enlightenment.¡± Talexia narrowed her eyes. ¡°How.¡± ¡°You know how.¡± Umara retorted. ¡°Is his knowledge so great?¡± ¡°Yes. It is. Now though, I hesitate to tell you about it. If you come to know about this stuff, then our Ancestors will probably come to know and then I¡¯m going to get embroiled in loads of crap. Today I¡¯ve confirmed that John¡¯s knowledge is far more valuable than even I realize, and yet I¡¯d die betting on the fact that he knows enough to revolutionize the warlock class¡­ nay, the world as we know it. That naturally means it¡¯s dangerous for people to know about that fact. So I¡¯ve now decided I¡¯m going to tighten down on the information even more than I have.¡± ¡°But why must you be so keen on keeping that information from me? I know you don¡¯t want to get involved with the Ancestors, but I can see that even if I gave you my word, you wouldn¡¯t budge. Why won¡¯t you trust me?¡± ¡°...¡± Umara was quiet, realizing how big the rift between her and her mother had gotten. It felt like they lived in two different worlds. Umara felt like she understood so much more than her mother, despite the difference in experience. She didn¡¯t want to discredit her mother so much, but it was difficult not to see herself as superior in certain respects. In that way, she couldn¡¯t regard herself any lower than her mother. She felt a bit sorrowful when she thought about how fast she was growing. With all out war on the horizon, she wouldn¡¯t get to experience the leisure of the generations before her. Yet she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d want it any other way. Maybe she¡¯d want a bit more time so as to not be so rushed, but this conflict had provided her with opportunities that she could never fathom acquiring otherwise. One of them was laying eyes on Anarchy, a tempering to her Aura that allowed her to rival her mother¡¯s. Now, Umara was the one keeping secrets. Who knew if she understood even more about the elements than her mother? It wasn¡¯t out of the realm of possibility, but Umara almost felt like it was wrong to have surpassed her mother so early. Now, she had her own convictions and goals. Unfortunately she demanded certain things from herself as a result, and it was clear that she and her mother didn¡¯t see eye to eye. It wasn¡¯t necessarily personal, but it still meant that certain lines had to be drawn. Umara wouldn¡¯t hesitate to draw them. ¡°This knowledge isn¡¯t my own, mom. It¡¯s John¡¯s. If you want it, then ask him, not me.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have to ask.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s the least amount of respect he¡¯s owed. But even besides that, there¡¯s one main reason I¡¯m resistant to telling you anything,¡± Umara crossed her arms, ¡°You¡¯re a noble, mom.¡± ¡°So are you, daughter.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m the daughter of a noble. I¡¯ve yet to earn any form of influence or significant power for myself, and given how valuable the stuff I know is, I¡¯m not willing to give it up to you. I¡¯ll keep it secret until I have the power to protect it from the nobility, because even you wouldn¡¯t be able to stop them.¡± ¡°...¡± Talexia went silent, Umara staring at her fiercely, as if ready to fight on behalf of her words. What surprised Umara though was how resigned her mother became soon after. She sighed and took out a thick book, tossing it over. Umara caught it, the air lowering it into her hands. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re keeping secrets, keep this one as well. I saw the spatial fluctuations, and I¡¯ll be damned if I let my daughter get killed fumbling around with space just because I didn¡¯t give her something to work with. That book contains our family¡¯s work on spatial magic. It is one of two copies; the Ancestors hold the other. It¡¯ll help you work on the magic safely as well as help keep your talent hidden should you have to use some of that magic in the open. If you want any chance of resisting a marriage, don¡¯t go flaunting your talent, at least not yet.¡± ¡°...Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. You¡¯ll get your Foci tomorrow. Rest for now.¡± Talexia left with those words, leaving Umara to stew in her thoughts. The book went straight into her hidden storage. Now she felt bad, but at the same time, she felt it was a necessary line to draw. Thankfully, her mother seemed to trust her despite that. Now she wouldn¡¯t have to fumble around in the dark trying to develop her own spatial spells. She could directly attain the most powerful weapons the Talerria family had to offer. There was a reason every Talerria warlock trained the Air element first, why it was Umara¡¯s first choice despite every kid wanting to practice the all destructive fire element. The Talerria specialty was space, and like most noble families, they had their own foundations upon which their power and nobility was built. The spatial spells in Umara¡¯s storage were a major part of those foundations. She was glad to have obtained them so early. Now, even with Tana gone, she would have little to worry about, especially when she put her own twist on things. Chapter 187: Rekindled May 16, 624 The first thing I noticed when I stepped out of the terminal at the Treehouse was the absolutely enormous number of people moving around ¨C formations marching to the massive doors installed in my absence, cargo crates being moved by groups of soldiers and a solitary warlock, people rushing about to report to their superiors. Only the wounded were being loaded into the Rail. The second major thing I noticed when I walked out: another layer of wall was barely visible through the propped-open gate, even more buildings erected and soldiers milling about in the open area between. Almost a dozen buildings were already built and another two dozen were in progress from what I heard. Even headquarters was being expanded. I had been kept relatively up to date while I was gone via Polly and Jasmine, but their text reports couldn¡¯t really capture the scope of the changes. Around the original base, that wall of gargantuan trees was still standing ¨C pitted and scarred with Bombardo craters, but even stronger from the magical metal reinforcements criss-crossing its entire circumference. There was only one gap where a tree had been cut down, a massive entryway set up in the void. It was rather¡­ sad. A series of monoliths also periodically dotted the walls, thick, almost-visible veins of power snaking up their sides. Heavy enchantments, layered one under another, shone to my Aura. I had been told that they were structures supporting defensive magic capable of protecting the base. How strong they were remained to be seen, but even from a distance I could feel the power radiating from the White Crystals within. Jasmine was there to meet me when I arrived. ¡°Major Cooper. Glad you¡¯re back. How was the vacation?¡± ¡°It would¡¯ve been better if I had gotten to stay. You look like you¡¯ve been having a fun time without me.¡± I smiled a bit while glancing at Jasmine¡¯s baggy eyes. She looked like she had aged another few years. She scoffed. ¡°You got to skip the brunt of the load, you punk. Quite¡­ exquisite timing on your part, huh?¡± ¡°I tend to be exceptional in everything I do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± She smiled, ¡°Very good to hear. Since you don¡¯t have any luggage weighing you down, you can come with me then. I can¡¯t wait to apply your exceptional skills, especially since that Authority 6 mind of yours is even sharper and faster than before.¡± ¡°... It¡¯s not that fast.¡± ¡°But it is exceptional, hm? Come, I have a present for you.¡± Jasmine turned on a heel before marching away, somehow rejuvenated compared to a minute ago. A bad feeling started creeping up my spine. Sure enough, the first thing I saw when we walked into the war room was a shelf full of Orbs. The fact that all the details regarding the past week took up multiple Orbs was a slightly horrifying thing. She patted the shelf. ¡°I want you to memorize these six Orbs by the 18th.¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t wanna.¡± ¡°And I didn¡¯t want to process an additional 14 thousand troops while also monitoring 26 recon teams, 12 of which are still active. Yet here I am. I¡¯m alive at least, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Are you?¡± ¡°An admittedly contentable point. But at least you don¡¯t have to draw up anything yourself. Have fun!¡± She cutely went up on her tippy toes to pat my cheek before skipping off. Apparently my suffering had an invigorating effect on her, while my happiness did the opposite. That was the only reasonable conclusion. I shot those Orbs a death glare before heaving a sigh. I would at least be able to test the limits of my mind now. I grabbed one and infused my Psyka. Information flooded my Mind Palace, hardly having a chance to sit there before being absorbed and cataloged into more familiar charts and maps. There might¡¯ve even been a spreadsheet in there somewhere. A table with miniature versions of the terrain, the people, and the Scourge popped up in an empty space, playing out the events recorded in the Orb fast-forwarded. As it went, redundant and erroneous loops and repeats in the simulation were quickly corrected. It came shockingly easy. In fact, instead of being the daunting task I had thought it would be, it was almost enjoyable. To see the big picture play out before me was majestic in its own way, but I soon figured out that the reason I was having such an easy time picking out the main details was because I had already been expecting them. It was like coloring a picture I had already drawn. Everything was expected. It wasn¡¯t just that nothing fell out of my expectations, but that just about everything that had happened was an unconscious prediction I had made before I left and during my break. Expecting a range of possibilities and predicting specific happenings were completely different. The realized predictions, reinforcement requests, and scouting all pointed toward one thing: a larger offensive, sometime soon. It would¡¯ve been unexpected to the me a few months ago, when we had initially sent the report in to the Kingdom, but it was now fully expected. The Kingdom had already chosen a path on the crossroads when they decided to reinforce the Treehouse instead of abandon it. There was no way that they wouldn¡¯t be stubborn now after having invested mountains of resources into it. It would both kill their momentum and morale and demand even more resources to reorganize and ensure that the Scourge didn¡¯t take advantage of the gaps. The Treehouse wasn¡¯t in a super critical position, but letting a massive Scourge force move anywhere past their lines was a bad idea. The most satisfying report within the Orb by far was one under Polly¡¯s name, a mission that she headed not long after I left, that I had planned to start before Chief Reginold interrupted with his fatal return. A recon mission in the mountains southeast of the Treehouse. There was minimal Scourge activity, but some feeling kept pushing me to check it out. I had suspicions and ended up letting Polly take the mission just in case. I didn¡¯t want to delay finding something critical. Turns out, my gut feeling was right. That didn¡¯t make it good news. The Scourge had created another secret transport route. They had tunneled through a series of hills and assembled a force behind the Treehouse. The upside was that Polly¡¯s team managed to discover the flanking force undetected, and they had yet to use any of those accumulating troops¡­ but they were still there. Scout patrols also reported increased encounters with Scourge scouts in the north, not to mention an obvious increase in fungal mat and Scourge camp density. They were grouping up in front of us as well, preparing to catch us in a pincer move. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. In response, the Kingdom was preparing to attack. All the information gathering was toward that purpose. I just wish they had the same gusto while on the defensive. I wouldn¡¯t have had to petition so much for recon if that had been the case. Well, at least they were doing something about it. The most surprising thing today though was the fact that I was able to get through all six Orbs in about four hours. Less than an hour per Orb was fantastic speed, but I didn¡¯t want others to know that. To that end, I took three of the Orbs and disappeared into my room. It would make it look like I was working on them. But in reality? I¡¯d be searching my sixth Star. How sneaky of me. I had found a plethora of new weapons right off the bat when I advanced, but I wanted to get a full inventory and a read on the era it put me at. In all honesty, it wasn¡¯t all to prepare. My curiosity had also peaked at the hints of the guns my sixth Star would offer. I wanted to know what I was capable of with my new Authority, and what these new weapons could enable me to do. There were plenty of strike and recon missions going out and I could easily slip myself into one. I had no doubt that I¡¯d be in the field pretty soon, especially since the Pathfinders and Snow Doves were hard at work. They were out at the moment but would soon be returning. I¡¯d make sure I was with them next time they deployed. Until then though, there was something I needed to do. After my first day back passed, I went to go find Polly. She had been busy and was generally difficult to find, but I managed to catch her on a break. I joined her for lunch and the two of us sat down with trays to eat. ¡°Good to see you back, John. I''m assuming Jasmine piled on some work for you.¡± ¡°Very eagerly, yes.¡± I chuckled, chomping down on a chunk of chicken. The one good thing about knights being half the population here was that there was no shortage of dense foods, which meant meat. Perhaps they had magic animals buffed with Vigor instead of steroids or antibiotics. Polly gave a small smile. ¡°We need to catch you up. Jasmine finally realized just how much you were doing when you left since she had to take up your roles. She even got a bit worried when her missions weren¡¯t bringing her back as many results as she wanted.¡± ¡°Unfortunately I had taken many of the bigger recon missions into my own hands. The only one I had intended to carry out but didn¡¯t was the one you handled. I¡¯ve read the report, and it looks like the General is sufficiently worried.¡± ¡°Indeed he is, especially with the¡­¡± She quickly flicked her eyes around for any eavesdroppers, ¡°Three dozen Bombardos. I think he wants to launch a major offensive pretty soon, but with the influx of soldiers, I¡¯m not sure how he¡¯ll handle it. Despite that though, he¡¯s asked for your input.¡± She eyed me a bit, and with my sharpened Aura I could clearly sense some displeasure. ¡°Your accomplishments are getting rewarded. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be long until you get promoted once more.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.¡± I set down my fork and sat back, elbow propped up on the back of the chair. ¡°I suppose I had forgotten since I also partially stopped caring given the weight of what I had been discovering, but I haven¡¯t exactly fulfilled my end of our detail. I wanted to apologize, as well as offer you a proposal.¡± ¡°Yeah? Not the apology, I honestly don¡¯t care much. Let me hear your proposal.¡± She leaned back and crossed a leg, mirroring me in my casual attitude. I stroked some of the stubble on my chin, feeling the rough texture on my fingers. I had just shaved the day before too¡­ ¡°I was given an offer while I was back at the Capital from what could be considered a sponsor of mine. He wants me to work for him and has enough influence to get my schedule rearranged so I can do so while also still fulfilling my duties here.¡± ¡°What is he, a Sovereign? You may not be high up in the chain but that¡¯s exceptionally difficult to pull off.¡± ¡°He¡¯s Sawn from, well-¡± ¡°Sawn Industries, I know. Now that I can certainly understand.¡± She flipped on a dime, making me smile a bit. ¡°He wants me to work under him and enchant. I¡¯ve known him for a while but he was especially adamant when I went to join the military after the Magisterium. I ended up turning him down back then.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a fool. Any summoner would kill for that job.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, my calling was elsewhere. I¡¯m not interested in just getting by. I¡¯ve got a war to fight and I¡¯m not going to shirk that responsibility. Either way, things have changed now. The deal Sawn offered is too good to pass up. I¡¯ll be working one month on and one month off, going back and forth between here and the Capital. But he¡¯s given me a condition.¡± I looked Polly in the eye, focusing a bit and seeing all the tiny little details of her brown iris. Biology could be quite fascinating. ¡°I have six months to become a Lieutenant Colonel. If I start my new schedule, which will half my time here, my chances of getting promoted plummet. That means I want to get it before that happens. I want your help with that.¡± ¡°... You¡¯ve been in the military for a year. It may not be nearly as competitive as the fight to become a General, but there are still plenty of people vying for the spot of Lieutenant Colonel. It¡¯s quite the coveted position after all, higher than the other intel positions but without the responsibility of a Colonel. Squeezing you into that fight would be difficult, even with your proximity to the Generals.¡± Polly rubbed her chin, her mind churning. She could already see why she would want to do this, as expected of her. Our minds may now be similar in power, but she still had experience. Plus, she was a smart cookie anyway. I couldn¡¯t do anything to work against Polly. She would want to do this not because I would hinder her progress, but because if she didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t help her as much as I otherwise could. I had proven myself to be good at my job. I wasn¡¯t afraid to acknowledge my own strengths. There were reasons, obvious reasons, for why I had gotten so much attention. I took on a ton of work, did it all to a grade A standard, and went beyond to impress. I also knew how to grab opportunities. I had done it with the infiltration beyond the Pass, with Chief Reginold¡¯s report, with the Bombardos. I had spurred the entire military into reinforcing a base and then doubling down on it. Nearly 100 thousand soldiers moved at my words, however indirect. I wasn¡¯t unproven, nameless. Polly wanted that on her side. Even if I couldn¡¯t do too much for her now, I could in the future. If she wanted my help, then she¡¯d need to help me get this promotion. She needed to make me the fastest rising star in the military¡¯s history, having achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in just a year, if not less than that. After that? Not only would I stop taking the spotlight, but I¡¯d actively shift it to her. She would take credit for all my hard work and exceptionalism, and I¡¯d fade into the background. In fact, I¡¯d probably be scorned. I¡¯d take this promotion just to get pulled to the rear every month. The Generals would probably get pissed at me, thinking I conned them. But hey, it wasn¡¯t like I was shooting for anything much higher than Lieutenant Colonel, and even if I was, it would take years of work to achieve anyway. I wanted to ride this wave while it had momentum and squeeze out all I could. Polly had obviously already run through those thoughts, so the two of us just spent some time in silence. I started eating again at some point to pass the time. She finally spoke as I finished my chicken. ¡°... Despite everything, I think it¡¯s possible. Alright John. I¡¯ll help you get that promotion. Question is, how much can I trust you?¡± ¡°I may have stolen some of your thunder, but I¡¯m not a liar. Even then, I didn¡¯t take the spotlight because I didn¡¯t want you to have it. As confident and amazing as I may be, I can still get caught up in heavy situations. I still lack some of the numbing that comes with years of this work.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a bad thing. You can be awfully direct sometimes too. Learn some rhetoric.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t bother with that when it comes to people I trust. You deserve to know the unfiltered truth, and I want to help you because, like me, you¡¯re good at your job. The military needs more people like you and I want to help you. You can do more than me. All I want is this quick promotion before slinking off to work enchanting. Lord knows I won¡¯t get promoted after that.¡± ¡°Indeed. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get you that promotion. To that end, your name will start appearing on reports. You¡¯ve gotten close to the Generals as well so there¡¯s no need for my help there. I will help you get into some of these meetings though. I want you by my side at the very least, and I¡¯ll go to you for some input if the opportunity arises.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take what I can get.¡± I smiled and raised my cup, Polly doing the same. They tapped together, both of us taking a sip. ¡°To a rekindled partnership.¡± ¡°Work on your toasts as well.¡± She chuckled a bit, making me shrug and down the rest of my water. Chapter 188: Buzzkill May 19, 624 The Pathfinders returned from their latest mission a few days later just as I had gotten caught up with affairs. They had mostly been running recon ¨C like the vast majority of platoons in the base ¨C but that would soon be changing. It was almost like they were waiting for me to return. I had guessed that the Generals were prepping an offensive, but I hadn¡¯t expected it so soon. At minimum, I thought they would want to consolidate all the reinforcements first, but they seemed in a hurry. There were more than enough troops to go around, but that also meant the workload on intelligence was more than doubled, managing both inbound soldiers and recon missions. Everything would be fine if nothing crazy happened. This was the start of a new phase, according to the General. I, as Polly¡¯s de facto assistant, had been allowed to sit in on meetings I otherwise would have no business even being near, and I took it in stride as an opportunity to gather more intel ¨C on the war itself, and the lives of those who ran it. I had worked with everyone in the room before, but the setting was completely different. It was where the big boy decisions were made. It was grand strategy that spanned the entire theater, handling troops by the battalion, moving resources by the ton, sending messages to Marshals and Generals in the rear or other friends in high places. This came with another benefit as well: just by being in the room, my name would be in the minds of those Generals. When it came time for a promotion application, my name being associated with my deeds would be incredibly helpful in just getting it over the door jamb. Either way it was finally time to move off the defensive. Already, missions plans for strikes, posed as ¡°hypothetical¡±, were being written up by Intelligence in what little idle time they had. The General wanted to establish a front, but we would need to cover our rear first. The Scourge had no idea we knew about the army parked on our flank, and the General was ready to take full advantage of that. This was more than a single deployment, a mission; it was an Operation. We would first wipe out the Scourge in our backline, securing supply routes and averting encirclement, before before moving our armies up in the second phase and establishing a front in the third phase. Expected deaths were high and big players would have to move, but our projections were apparently within the general¡¯s expectations. It was dubbed Operation Breakwater, the first major operation at the Treehouse, and the first major operation I¡¯ve ever been a part of. And as it turned out, I¡¯d have a pretty big part in it. Managing a major operation out in the field was difficult because no intelligence agent wanted to leave the confines of the base. That meant it would be left up to the warlocks and knights to manage themselves and carry out the objectives, which wouldn¡¯t be an issue if the summoners weren¡¯t so particular about how they wanted things done. A few intelligence agents would have to move out with any sizable group to manage people and reports, but no knight or warlock wanted someone they already saw as lesser bossing them around in their operational element. That left me. My networking and efforts at reducing casualties put me in quite a few Commanders¡¯, Chiefs¡¯, and Brigadiers¡¯ good graces, some level of tolerance if not respect given to me in gratitude. My rumored combat prowess, heard more often than seen, also contributed a significant amount to my status: here was one who could stand as an equal, maybe not in taking damage, but dishing it out. I had quite the reputation, and now was the time to prove it. Another handful of days and Intelligence had filed the last of the plans, mobilized platoons and companies packing in and near the vehicle bays. Clearing out the back line would take a full Division of about 12,000 soldiers. Major General Quill would be the head of this phase and would leaving with us. I would be his direct assistant, because neither Polly nor Jasmine were going to leave base, and there were no others who the Major General actually trusted to get things done the way he wanted them done. Anybody who could was taking the prudent course of action and staying with headquarters. That left me. He trusted me and I was leaving anyway, so I was posted at his side. I¡¯d probably get put in charge of all the menial crap, but that was no different than what I already did. At least now I¡¯d be getting some action. With those arrangements in mind, the two of us started to work together more than normal. About a week passed like that, and finally, the day to depart came. ¡­¡­ ¡°Alright, Envoy. Get all the commanding officers on the line and get us moving.¡± ¡°It seems that nickname is sticking. Why is that, sir?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier to say than Liaison.¡± ¡°Or, you know, people could just call me by my name.¡± ¡°Nobody remembers names.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say¡­¡± I sighed at Quill¡¯s words. Even the Pathfinders were calling me Envoy now. The only person who used my name was Polly and the few people I was relatively close with ¨C like Jasmine or Amary, in the few times I even had the chance to talk with the latter. Well, I had certainly been called worse. In a way, I was the messenger for the kings of the battlefield, the generals. It wasn¡¯t really a mystery why the name had stuck, and I could even ride its definition to remind people what I did. It was a clever callsign, that I would admit. I lifted my Aerial, accessing the main channel. We had a mobile Node with us so my own Aerial wasn¡¯t getting used as one. Running through checks with all the COs coming with us, I looked down again at the personnel list. Only one Brigade was heading out today, while the second would follow tomorrow. Quill and I would be leading in the first. Many of the COs were either Commanders, Chiefs, or the rare intelligence agent around the rank of Captain or Major like me. There still had to be some logistical personnel and there was no way the higher ranking agents were getting sent, so they sent the fodder, basically the errand boys. After all checks were cleared, I gave the green light across all channels. ¡°Envoy to all units. Deploy, deploy, deploy.¡± The order was simple, and without delay, our vehicles rolled through the outer gates. Hundreds of vehicles and thousands of people. We had gotten heavily reinforced and were using the vast majority of our wheels to move this expedition. The faster we finished the first phase, the less casualties we¡¯d suffer. The sooner the Scourge caught on and retaliated, the worse off we¡¯d be. There were other strike forces leaving to clear out scout troops around our soon-to-be flank as well. They would ensure that little to no information would be able to get back to the main Scourge force, or at least not in time to hamper us. I sat back within the luxury of the specially-designed Command Steed, made to transport Generals and the like and equipped with a mobile Node. It was an armored command and control center on wheels. Summoners knew how to capitalize on their positions. The Command Steed actually had cushioned seats! It was so comfortable that I almost felt weird sitting down. Was indulging in such luxury okay? Should such comfort even exist? Suddenly, it felt like all my hard work up to this point was worth it. The next couple days of travel were actually bearable. I wasn¡¯t crammed in with a dozen other troops in a dank bay or hunched over in a turret anymore. We were to arrive at our target area and establish an outpost. I¡¯d be damned if I had to design the outpost on top of everything else I had to do; thankfully, the protocols had standard layouts already designed and the grunts would take care of the¡­ well, grunt work. That was something General Quill had started teaching me after he watched me take on what he described as an ¡°ass numbing amount of work¡±: delegation. Since I wanted things done right, I usually defaulted to doing it myself, but he said that it was more fitting for me to simply correct mistakes than to take on the whole load. That was the way of the superior, something I hadn¡¯t quite gotten used to. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. I picked it up quite quickly though. Being the Major General¡¯s right hand man in this operation came with the perk of being able to order damn near anyone around. I didn¡¯t abuse the position, but there were occasions where I found myself smiling while telling someone to go take care of little things like bringing me and the General our food or taking the night watch. Like with the cushioned seats, it was the little things that made life a bit easier on me. That didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t still have loads of work to do. Setting up the outpost was easy; launching sallies, harassment, and elimination forces would not be. I had never managed thousands of troops before, nor would I actually be ¨C the Major General was here for strategic decision ¨C but my higher position spurred quite a few morbid thoughts within me. Mistakes on my end wouldn¡¯t just kill a squad or two; thousands of lives were in my hands. The margin of error was higher, to put it callously, with more people to work with, but the stakes were also correspondingly higher. It was no longer a personal battle. This was large-scale warfare, and I was a dirty noob to it. It was that kind of thinking that kept me in line. After we arrived and set up the outpost, we spent two days preparing for the arrival of the other battalion. Scouting parties were sent out to get a read on the immediate surroundings and patrols were constant. The enemy had likely gotten a read on us and there was the potential for attack at any time. Thankfully though, my role wasn¡¯t exclusively passive. In fact, my position made it that much easier to simply slip myself into certain missions that I really wanted to participate in. One of those missions was the first strike, an ambush on a detachment of Scourge forces which would essentially announce our presence and declare war. Major General Quill gave me the Snow Doves and Pathfinders to carry it out. It was more of a spur of the moment thing, but we had been planning a first strike and the opportunity showed itself. I was all smiles when I rolled out with those two platoons. ¡­¡­ ¡°Do we even have any information on this detachment, Cooper?¡± ¡°We know where they are. There are also at least 50 combatants.¡± ¡°Very helpful.¡± Pollux rolled his eyes at me, making me chuckle. ¡°We don¡¯t know that much but with the Snow Doves, it really doesn¡¯t matter. Besides, I¡¯ll be doing a quick assessment when we get in the area so I¡¯ll let you all know if we¡¯re fucked.¡± ¡°Preferably before we get fucked.¡± ¡°Ai, you ask a lot but I¡¯ll do my best. Just make sure to run in my direction when we start escaping.¡± ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re in a good mood since you¡¯re joking around. What¡¯s the occasion?¡± Pollux kicked his feet back, my smile widening. ¡°I¡¯m finally in the field again.¡± ¡°Desk work is that hard, huh?¡± ¡°I feel like my brain has started thinking in terms of reports and briefings. I could write you up 10 pages on what we¡¯re going to do in the next hour, and then another 10 on what we actually did and how it deviated from the original plan, with ¡®actionable¡¯ correctional plans and error analyses. I can even give you a follow up report detailing my congregations with relevant personnel and implemented procedure changes. And you want to know the awesome part about all of that?¡± ¡°... What?¡± He looked at me weird, brow raised when I stuck my nose up proudly. ¡°I could get all of that done in three hours, with an eight minute snack break.¡± ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ve done that before.¡± ¡°...¡± My smile disappeared, memories resurfacing, my face turning flat as I shot him a stare. ¡°Anyway, my brain has been melting for months on end. This is some much needed vacation.¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± I looked down at my watch while Pollux went silent. Two minutes out. I could already feel the Scourge¡¯s Aura in the vicinity and it was nothing to concern myself over. This mission would go smoothly. And it would be the perfect opportunity to test out my new toys. We crested one of the many hills in the area and pulled to a stop. I could already tell that we were getting noticed but as I said before, with the Snow Doves here, it really didn¡¯t matter. Everyone started climbing out of the Steeds, Brigadier Nonnen walking over and stopping at my side. He carried my same nonchalance. ¡°What¡¯s the plan, Cooper?¡± ¡°The plan is to send a message and have fun doing it. I count 119 enemy combatants. Max threat level sits at Authority 9. There are two Royals at that level and one at Authority 8. Easy pickings if we set up a flank with the Pathfinders.¡± ¡°Sounds fine to me. Now, what will you do, mister summoner? Want to start drawing up reports while we work?¡± Nonnen snickered, making me frown. ¡°I¡¯m feeling¡­ underestimated. So I think I¡¯ll fight with you guys. I donned my hood and mask, straightening out my coat before letting my Aura wrap around my body. Nonnen was the only person who could tell where I was before I took off, vanishing into the surrounding snow. I made my way down the hill, my boots activating, the wind enchantments carrying me farther with every step. Crossing a mile was almost effortless. I flanked the entire Scourge force undetected, taking a knee with my hands in rough approximation of a grip. In them appeared the first ¡°modern¡± rifle I had so far procured. The XM117, the Colt Commando, chambered in 5.56. Utilized by various covert forces during the Vietnam War, the Colt Commando had a shortened barrel with a large moderator that vastly reduced the flash signature and barely reduced the noise level while making the weapon a bit more unwieldy. I tapped in a 30 round magazine before pulling the charging handle, keeping it back, letting the crisp air carry the scent of gunpowder and brass. ¡°Fuck¡­ smells like freedom.¡± I dropped the bolt and finally shouldered the rifle, taking aim. The Snow Doves were proceeding down the hill, attracting the Scourge¡¯s attention while the Pathfinders flanked them. They were obvious, but there was nothing this little attack force could do about it. As for me? I opened fire before their battlelines met. My first bullet found an Authority 6 spiked wolf. There were Scouts in this troop, but those fragile targets wouldn¡¯t be very good tests. Instead, I went for some of the tougher targets. Sure enough, my round tore through the wolf and dropped it instantly. Iron sights worked well with my eyes in general, so I had no issues hitting my shots. More than that, my entire body felt more precise, another benefit of the Mind Palace technique. Every day, it seemed like I learned something new about the fortress in my head. The noise attracted everyone¡¯s attention, but nothing here could possibly spot me. Knowing that, I placed shot after shot into body after body, letting the slowly panicking monsters drop where they skittered. One shot, one kill. It was too easy when my aim felt perfect. With my visualization, I could induce some of those feelings of perfectly acquiring my target. It was a feeling I only felt with the White Death¡¯s rifle, but now I was getting a rudimentary version of that by default. Everything from my body, to my weapon, to the surroundings were all visualized in my mind. If things didn¡¯t match up, I would know. Bullets had their paths traced out before I even pulled the trigger, lines visible only to me telling me where exactly my shots would hit my targets. My proximity made the process almost trivial. The only thing holding me back was how fast I could pull the trigger. The Scourge scrambled and several spells were flung in my direction. They couldn¡¯t see me, but they sure could hear me. Fortunately, the gun ¨C and the rapidly approaching Snow Doves ¨C was causing so much chaos they couldn¡¯t coordinate to triangulate my position. I shrugged off some of the debris nearby explosions had blown onto me as I replaced my magazine. By the time I hit the bolt release, the Snow Doves were in the thick of it, steady lines of knights and warlocks decimating the Scourge in front of them. Knowing that Nonnen would be livid if I outmatched him, I started trying to shoot faster. I tested my target acquisition by stressing my speed, semi-automatic starting to sound like automatic as I got faster. However, when I reached my 45th kill, I saw Nonnen¡¯s body flash forward. He unsheathed his sword with one smooth motion¡­ and the Scourge just fell. Bisected halves collapsed into sprays of blood and ichor moments afterward, only those already dead spared from the devastating Vigor. Since I was kneeling, I didn¡¯t bother ducking, and the blade sailed right over my head. It didn¡¯t so much as kick up the wind around my hood. The guy was incredibly skilled. And incredibly boring. I stood, just about all of the army dead. My arms flailed in exasperation. ¡°I said to have fun!¡± ¡°Hah! It¡¯s fun when I get the most kills! And you¡¯re 50 years too early to try and beat me, summoner!¡± Nonnen¡¯s laughs echoed through the mountains, making me click my tongue and send the gun away. Pollux came walking over while the others confirmed kills. ¡°What was that about a flanking maneuver?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I¡¯m gonna go write my report.¡± ¡°Huh. Huhu.¡± Nonnen started chuckling as I walked away. He was a Brigadier so I couldn¡¯t just call him a buzzkill to his face, but I certainly could do it over two pages in my report. ¡­¡­ I handed in my four page report to Major General Quill. ¡°How was your first mission?¡± ¡°It was fine.¡± I gave a succinct response, walking to another desk to take care of assorted affairs. After a few minutes, I heard a cackle. ¡°Bahahaha! Nonnen ruined your fun, huh? Imagine thinking you can best a Brigadier!¡± ¡°I was trying to be strategic!¡± ¡°Puahaha! Ahh, I enjoy your reports, Envoy.¡± He chuckled a couple more times as I tossed aside some stupid reports from other stupid platoons. Stupid knights. Chapter 189: Contained June 1, 624 A week passed and the battle against the flanking Scourge forces rapidly escalated. Things were never meant to be drawn out, but we needed to find a balance between urgency and caution. Blindly rushing into any battle would just result in a loss far more devastating than taking our sweet time, but we were still on a timetable. One small mercy was that my performance during Snow Dove operations had reestablished my lethal efficiency to newcomers. Alongside my summoner smarts, training, and position beside the Major General, my role in this phase of Operation Breakwater became more pronounced. More importantly, I was able to have some fun. In total, we had six Brigadiers, a nigh-overwhelming concentration of force that let us approach most battlefields with relative ease. The outpost didn¡¯t have to worry about daylight raids, and we could sally with strike teams to wipe out smaller Scourge concentrations. Every passing day marked even more battles, and, despite wanting to conclude the Operation¡¯s first phase as soon as possible, Major General Quill and I were using the engagements to gauge the local Scourge threat. He still handled the brunt of the analysis work, but I was quickly picking up more and more of the load. I got a front row seat to watch a tactician exercise his wit in a very real battle in real time and intimate detail. It was an invaluable insight into this world: wars were fought differently. We were not up against a human enemy, but monstrous, demonic invaders. There was a delicate balance to be struck between implementing extensive tactics for specific Scourge tendencies, utilizing our unique intelligence, and gleaning a glimpse of the strategy that the Scourge hid behind the veil of mindlessness and madness. Thankfully, I never fell prey to underestimating them. I tended to do the opposite, always assuming that there was a mastermind behind every movement and monster. I had been taught that way by Polly, and my particularly unique perspective suited me toward such a thing. Battles on Earth were always against something intelligent. I still tended to think that way, while many people in this world either failed or didn¡¯t care to see past the monsters in front of them, realizing that there was likely a much more nefarious entity orchestrating their demise. My studies and attention by the side of people like Polly, Major General Quill, and even the Brigadiers around me were all reassurances that kept me from falling into the same well of ignorance. It would be why I rose above others and how I survived. Another week passed. Official elimination missions dropped sharply, but our sallies only increased in number. Quill had started to arrange larger battles as well as surgical strikes, prepping the theater of operations for a decisive eradication battle. I ¡°found¡± myself on one of these key strikes with the Snow Doves, linking up with another platoon, the Lancers, on our way to take out an Authority 10 Royal in the area. It had diverged off its path a little too far with an escort force, and we were taking advantage of its temporary vulnerability to end its threat for good. Well, saying the Royal diverged wasn¡¯t entirely accurate. In reality, its escort split off to reinforce another group one of our companies was attacking. All we were doing was intercepting, effectively using that company as bait. We had to move fast. Next thing I knew, we were barreling down a trail in Steeds. I sat in the back hold with a group of Doves, three of them at Authority 9and four at 8. Brigadier Nonnen sat in the front seat with the driver. ¡°Hey Envoy!¡± ¡°Yes sir?¡± ¡°Did you plan on using that company as bait from the beginning?¡± ¡°No? It just worked out that way.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Nonnen snickered a bit. I could only shrug in response. I really hadn¡¯t planned that, but they would never believe me; that it worked out was evidence enough for them. We just had good intel and good timing, so we were able to grasp the opportunity. I flicked my eyes back to the map I had examined a hundred times by now. At some point though, the stifling Aura of an Authority 10 Royal intimately brought my attention back to the present. The others could feel it too. Their heads all turned as we cleared another hill and entered a gap. A bit away we saw the marching Scourge contingent. At its head was the Authority 10. However, my eyes quickly narrowed. ¡°Brigadier, that¡¯s not a normal Royal.¡± ¡°No shit. Bail!¡± Nonnen shouted. One of the Authority 8 knights blew open the back door, not even bothering to disengage the latch and just slamming themselves clear out the back. I spun around to look through the front windscreen for just a moment, storing away the massive spell formation still unfolding above its head. It was aimed right at our exit, just like it had been expecting us. So much for our ambush. After other people got out of the way, I activated my boots and shot out of the Steed, gliding on the air magic. Almost like I was surfing on land. The other Steeds started to scatter too, shedding their troops like a dog shedding fur. I wrapped my Aura around me and forced it inward, diving a good distance away before turning just as the Royal completed its spell. A massive fireball started growing, starting out at only 20 feet wide but quickly growing until it surpassed 200 feet. It only stopped when it reached about 300 feet in diameter, and then it launched. It traveled rather leisurely in all honesty, but the heat coming off it from almost an entire mile away forebode a not-good time. Before I could panic, I was suddenly grabbed. Nonnen hoisted my body like a wet rag and then shot off to the top of a hill while the fireball came down behind us. I turned my head to speak to him, only to see the driver staring back at me on his other shoulder. He set us down just in time for it to land. I had to deploy my hood and put on my Owlykat mask just to block off the heat and see the devastation. A literal sea of fire flooded the gap between hills, setting all nearby flora ablaze. The fungal biomat had yet to spread so this area still had some plant life. Or, used to. My eyes were glued to the area at the bottom of the hill where our troops used to be. Did I just lose two critical platoons? Just like that? ¡°Don¡¯t get so anxious. This is why I told you to bring the Lancers.¡± Nonnen patted my back, making me wheeze as the impact forced some air out of my lungs. The fire rapidly dissipated without more Mana being fed into it, but its smoke remained, the lazy curls belying the devastation it wrought. A gust of wind suddenly cleared it from the depression. At the bottom of the hill I could see half of our Steeds and most of our troops. The rest were either up a nearby hill or had hunkered down by themselves. They were all safe, and it was thanks to the Brigadier in charge of the Lancer platoon. He was an Authority 10 warlock, though I hadn¡¯t known he specialized in the air element. I only knew that he was good with fire and water spells, making him an exceptional healer. Regardless, I was immensely gratified that he was able to easily protect everyone with a wide area barrier. I let out a long breath of relief, earning another smack on the back. ¡°You worry too much. Trust your soldiers. If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t be able to pull you into our platoon.¡± ¡°... You guys are different from the soldiers I usually work with.¡± ¡°True. You¡¯ll learn about me with time. One free lesson. I choose my troops carefully. If you trust me, then you are obligated to trust the rest of those under me. There are few things I hate more than incompetence and people dying from it.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I got another smack on the back, my muscles clenched to try and prevent my lungs from rattling. Now my back was sore. Nonnen chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll trust that you can exercise good caution and keep yourself safe. Help if you want, but don¡¯t feel obligated. We can handle this.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°I¡¯ll help. From here.¡± ¡°So be it.¡± He nodded before launching his body, flying through the air and landing in a little crater in front of the Scourge. With a draw of his blade, he turned the front ranks into red mist. The rest of his Snow Doves moved into formation behind him, taking ranks, raising shields and foci, ready to back their Brigadier up. A coherent platoon, working as a whole. The Snow Doves specialized in killing powerful enemies. This was perhaps the first time I had ever seen them in their element. When Nonnen took a step, they followed, and they advanced toward the contingent. At the same time, the Lancers, a platoon made up almost entirely of warlocks, joined the Doves and arranged magical barriers and attack spells. The Authority 10 Royal let out a scream before simultaneously manifesting dozens of spell formations. The contingent around it started surging forward at its command, diving toward the Snow Doves ranks. I quickly positioned myself while all that was going on, getting within 600 meters and bringing out another rifle I had recently found. This one made me particularly excited. The M40, a Remington 700 modified for official military adoption. A bolt action chambered in 7.62 NATO, the M40 had an all wood stock and was equipped with a Redfield 3-9x variable scope. This was the first designated sniper¡¯s rifle I had ever gotten my hands on, and it promised to be precise. A rifle used even into modernity. I felt the wood and the heft of the barrel. This thing had an effective range of 800 meters, and that was under normal circumstances. With a boost from my Psyka? I was starting to see the mile mark get closer. It wouldn¡¯t be long until I would be surpassing it. The gun¡¯s Psyka capacity was positively huge. The only thing holding me back now was the rate of fire. I wouldn¡¯t be killing too many, but my shots would be impactful. Perhaps I¡¯d be able to test my mettle with some of the Authority 7s, even 8s. I found myself a relatively flat spot and laid down, getting a good view of the battle beyond. Nonnen had carried me somewhat to the side, so I wouldn¡¯t have to send my bullets over people¡¯s heads. I looked around, getting a read on the power levels of various troops. It was a bit difficult from so far away, but I could estimate, especially based on how they reacted to the attacks from the Doves. I saw some Scouts though, so I decided to take those out. My bullet tore through an Authority 7 Scout. A Cyclops. Once feared, now my bullets bit deep. Even at almost 500 meters away, the Psyka kept the bullet flying flat and true. Its head exploded in gory detail through my optic. I had initially thought that scope would hinder instead of help me, but the reticle did wonders for my aiming. Plus, I could use my other eye to make sure my vision wasn¡¯t being hampered by the magnification. I racked the bolt, feeling the smooth release of the round before sliding another in. With each shot, each up-back-forward-down, another one of the three remaining Scouts dropped to the ground, no more than a sack of flesh after their eye had been turned into salsa. Explosions rang through the hills, but nothing so much as turned their head toward me. Counterintuitively, being loud meant I was harder to find. The hills and mountains made the gunshots echo, disorienting even those strange sniffer things I¡¯d seen with a Royal before. And with my Stealth? The distraction of the Snow Doves and Lancers? It was impossible to find me. I had free reign. The Scouts were all dispatched, and I turned my reticle toward the army. I used those Scouts as target practice and got a good zero on this rifle, so now I was more confident in hitting tighter shots. I saw dozens of monsters running around and trying to break through the line of shields at their front. They were all tough, and there were even some behemoths trying to shove through. As for Nonnen, he had made his way to the ¡°formation''s¡± backline, wreaking havoc and bearing down on the Authority 10. It was tough and kept throwing myriad spells to fend Nonnen off, but the Lancer Platoon Brigadier had yet to apply pressure, and the rest of the monsters would get whittled down with time. This battle was ours. I did as much as I could to help though. In my mind floated the casualty rates we had been facing. I knew someone, multiple someones, would die during this battle, and I needed to do what I could do to reduce that number to as little as possible. I sighted in monsters that stuck out, whether due to power or position. There were plenty of monsters that would hang behind the front line, not using magic but not attacking either, waiting for the rest of their kin to open an opportunity. They were prime targets that I could pick off or heavily injure one by one, which opened further opportunities for the boots on the ground. The best part was how nobody could even challenge me. I only had to maintain light stealth and nothing would spot me. This battle was perfectly in my favor, essentially target practice. I felt no danger whatsoever. And so, I killed a few dozen, picking them off with one or two shots. Some of them were just minding their own business when I sent a round through their head. The confusion and fear I sowed was palpable. I was a hidden but very tangible presence, each explosion of my gun yet another reminder that I was here. Each sound became synonymous with death, another monster falling with every projectile. Nobody knew who it would be next. The Doves and Lancers were emboldened when they noticed the faltering wills of the monsters. They pressed harder and their momentum grew, resulting in greater combat effectiveness. However, the most substantial presence on the field was Nonnen and the Royal. Their clashes couldn¡¯t help but affect the rest of the armies, especially the Royal¡¯s. Those spells couldn¡¯t completely fend Nonnen off, but they were still potent. Worse even was that it was still occasionally flung a high powered spell at the advancing battle line, shaving away at its momentum. It knew how to utilize its strengths, and if it couldn¡¯t win the one on one battle, it wouldn¡¯t try. I sensed the battle shiftIng just before it happened. Perhaps it was the intent of the Royal, but my focus shifted just as it changed tactics. It gathered its hands together, veins pulsing, scrunched in concentration as it summoned up another spell to launch at Nonnen. Curiously, it had stopped hurling spells at the main formation, and they were taking full advantage of that. I dropped my gun, barely registering it flicker out of existence as I slapped at my Aerial, even then knowing it was too late. It was preparing a kill shot, willing to sacrifice itself to take out Nonnen as well. It hurled the spell. I watched the fireball wash over Nonnen¡¯s braced arms, singing his hair and charring his skin, but it wasn¡¯t as strong as it should¡¯ve been. The flames disappeared, and the Royal wasn¡¯t there anymore. Its presence was still intimately here, but it was no longer facing Nonnen. I flicked my eyes over to the main concentration of our forces, the Snow Doves and Lancers, as it popped back into existence right above them. The Lancer Brigadier desperately forced out a unfurling flower of a shield but that was exactly what the Royal wanted. A spark flickering within the ranks of the Doves and Lancers, underneath the shield, was the only brief foreshadowing of what was to come. Flames, bright blue against the blinding snow of the hills, manifested from the spark as if the very atmosphere had ignited. Liquid fire surged and cascaded within the barrier, the shield only serving to concentrate an already devastating explosion. A few cracks appeared from within before the shield finally vanished, flares of rapidly-dissipating fire streaking out, no longer contained. Smoke bellowed out, the damage done. My heart dropped. The barrier had left the majority of the Scourge unscathed, but over half our forces were chars, merely ash resting in muddy, flaming piles. The ones still whole on the ground weren¡¯t moving and the ones on their feet were wavering, barely upright. An audible crunch wrenched my attention back to the Royal¡¯s head. All that was left on its face was a wretched mockery of a grin before Nonnen finished crushing it to bits, wrenching it away to leave a gory arc across the sky as he let the body tumble where it stood. It had left itself open, and Nonnen had seized what he could. The skittering and braying of the Scourge was shut up by a boom from my remanifested rifle. Silence pervaded the hills. I fired another shot into the crowd of monsters, injuring another one. With the Royal dead, Nonnen and the Lancer Brigadier were free to kill whatever they wanted. The two of them dispatched the rest within a minute, and my shots ceased. For a while I continued to look around, keeping watch as the two Brigadiers checked on their platoons. The Lancer Brigadier was a healer, the only solace in this situation. Ten minutes. Ten minutes was all I gave myself before I returned to my duties, finally leaving my spot and approaching. Mournful wails, repressed by the necessities of combat, had finally started to leak through, the friends of the dead grieving, the injured in agony. Several bodies had been haphazardly laid to the side, placed in a shaky line. Many were missing limbs. All of the warlocks had raised their barriers when they noticed the Royal trying to do something, so they at least weren¡¯t outright obliterated. However, with the Lancer Brigadier inadvertently multiplying the power of that explosion, not many fared well. All of those at the origin of the explosion had been outright killed, that much I saw. Those on the outskirts of the formation all survived. Survivors in the middle varied. The Authority 9s survived, but 7s and 8s were either killed or fatally injured depending on their luck and relative resilience. I did a quick scan, counting 27 definite dead and 55 injured, many of which were critical. I didn¡¯t know how many the Brigadier would be able to save. There were only 21 uninjured. I went and found Nonnen. He was standing in the center of all the bodies silently, his eyes flickering between all of them. I stood silently behind him. Out of 103 people, 27 had outright died. A 26% death rate was abysmal, and there would probably be more deaths among the injured given some more minutes. That would likely place the death rate between 30 and 40%. The only comfort was the fact that most who died were below Authority 9. Our reduction in combat power was thus much less severe than the death rate would entail. I hated thinking in those terms. Nonnen finally snapped out of it, opening his mouth. ¡°We trust our soldiers. Doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t die.¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t respond. I felt like trusting them meant that I trusted them to not die. That was the greatest form of my trust in these situations, but to trust anyway, even when I knew these things would keep happening¡­ I didn¡¯t want to do it. Part of me wanted to cut off my relationships with these people. It was so much easier to sit behind a desk and crunch numbers. Each number represented a life, but at least you didn¡¯t have to meet those people. You didn¡¯t have to feel much responsibility. You could distance yourself from everything. It helped keep you logical¡­ But this? How was I supposed to keep drawing up and sending out mission teams if they kept dying like this? Even skilled platoons like the Snow Doves were suffering catastrophic death rates. It wasn¡¯t sustainable. I¡¯d rather not send them out at all. I looked at Nonnen, watching him for a bit before he started giving out the commands to pack bodies and prepare the Steeds. We had to get back to the outpost. I went around and tried to help. There was nothing for me to do though. The Knights wanted to haul bodies and I wasn¡¯t one of the drivers, so I couldn¡¯t bring the Steeds around. In the end I just stood around, wondering. Then, just as we started packing bodies and wounded into the vehicles, I got a ring on my Aerial. It was from the outpost, and it was urgent. My eyes widened when I got the report. I turned to Nonnen, and he seemed to sense my urgency as he turned around and faced me. ¡°The outpost is under attack.¡± Chapter 190 - Catastrophic June 2, 624 Our return to the outpost was¡­ difficult. Not for any Scourge presence preventing us, but because we hadn¡¯t even had an opportunity to take stock of our remaining forces before the call for reinforcement had arrived. The mood was sullen at best, actively bristling at worst, and only military discipline kept us from erupting in sorrow or rebellion. Even Nonnen was pissed, but, seeing just how angry he was for his men, I couldn¡¯t find it in myself to be the same. Things were starting to feel desperate. The Lancer Brigadier, whose name I learned was Jay, was working overtime, staving off death for the critically wounded while forcing his mana into life force to rejuvenate our remaining forces. As for me, I was getting a read on the situation, tapping into channels and trying to make order of the chaos. I was also leeching off Major General Quill¡¯s reports, trying to determine an appropriate vector of approach. He wanted us to come in and flank. Things weren¡¯t looking good, but it wasn¡¯t quite dire yet either. The Scourge was sieging the place with everything they had, spitting on our attempts to use tactics. Sallies were rebuffed almost immediately, and anyplace a Brigadier or Marshal wasn¡¯t tended to suddenly surge in Scourge count. How the hell did they manage to coordinate, gather, and launch such an assault, and keep it hidden from us? There was a serious gap in our information network and such a massive oversight needed correction. It was arguably more important than deciding our immediate path of approach. Certain names flitted up in my Mind Palace. It was completely uninvited, but the people soon took on the shapes of suspects and possible traitors, to be set aside for when I had the time to worry about them. This was a betrayal. I just wasn¡¯t sure who was in the right place at the right time to do such a thing. I pushed it to the back of my mind as we pulled up to the battlefield. We had arced a little around Scourge concentrations to arrive on the side of the sieging army; trying to push through the main force would be futile even with two Brigadiers. Instead, we reformed detachments, splitting our wounded and combat-capable. Quite a few of the conscious fought hard to be included with the main force, but eventually only those unwounded were left. We would whittle away at the edge of the Scourge army, relieving the outpost and providing a distraction for the wounded to enter the base without a fight. Brigadier Jay would be our greatest weapon to that end. There was only one person who was diverting. Brigadier Nonnen would be taking two of his best Chiefs and striking at the rear of the army, where the Bombardos were. We needed to relieve that source of pressure immediately, or the base wouldn¡¯t last long enough for our distraction to do anything. I was worried about Nonnen, but we had just killed an Authority 10; there shouldn¡¯t be many more of those in the main army. He would be fine, especially if I got him at least one other Brigadier to reinforce¡­ and he could at least escape. As for the two Chiefs going with him¡­ it wasn¡¯t my place to think about that. ¡°I¡¯m leaving things to you, Cooper.¡± Nonnen spoke as he pushed open the hatch on the top of the Steed. He gave me one last look. Everything was on my shoulders now ¨C the tactics, the soldiers, the lives of many. I¡¯d be directing what remained of the Snow Doves and Lancers, positioning them for attack. Things would be out of my hands after I set them loose, but our success hinged on my proper judgment. I gave him a salute. ¡°You¡¯ll have my best, sir.¡± ¡°I believe it.¡± He said that before jumping through the hatch. The entire Steed jolted when he jumped off it, and off he went. The two Chiefs followed, I could feel their Auras shrinking in as they flanked the main Scourge force. I thought about the map in my head. Major General Quill wanted us to provide flanking support, but I wasn¡¯t about to sacrifice the rest of these two platoons just so we could be a harassing distraction. We were weakened and I was betting on long term survival, not a short term blitz to get us through this. We had come out here with more than enough troops to take on the Scourge forces because we had the intel advantage. If Quill couldn¡¯t make do with greater numbers and combat power, he wouldn¡¯t be fit for his position, and I¡¯d take who I could and retreat. Such incompetence wouldn¡¯t deserve my life or that of those around me. I hoped Pollux was doing fine. I stood and stuck my head out the hatch Nonnen had left through. I could see the Scourge army in the distance and the about three dozen Bombardos at their rear. They were raining down hellfire on the outpost, the occasional warlock barrier splattering the acidic sulfuric projectiles in midair. But the infrastructure was already beginning to crumble, besieged by the endless barrage of explosive projectiles, clouds of dust billowing from within the walls. Thankfully, the Scourge hadn¡¯t completed a full encirclement; in fact, they¡¯d only bothered with one side. I could bring us around to one of the clearer areas, near a gate, easy to retreat to if necessary. Better yet, it was also a weakpoint, so we wouldn¡¯t be disobeying orders yet as we reinforced the beleaguered forces plinking away at the swarm outside. ¡°Come in, Brigadier.¡± I talked into my Aerial, hailing Jay. When he responded, I gave him instructions. Then, on his go, we headed toward the target area. On approach, the warlocks from the Lancer platoon started raining down spells. We attracted plenty of attention, but once we were near the walls, the knights jumped out and formed defensive lines. A few wounded, those who couldn¡¯t fight well but weren¡¯t critically injured either, were manning the turrets on top of the Steeds. They had insisted they stay with us and fight, and I was glad they were sticking through with it. The turrets were a good way for them to provide value without overexerting themselves. Fireballs and other air spells flared out amidst the crowds of Scourge beasts, shredding many to pieces and fatally maiming others. When allowed to do what they did best, wide area spells and the warlocks that cast them were forces of reckoning. Against weaker enemies, they reigned supreme. They could take out dozens at a time and hold entire defensive lines alone. With all the sounds of beastly screaming and exploding spells, my gunshots didn¡¯t stick out as much. Thankfully, I wasn¡¯t too tired. I had more than enough in my tank to do some damage, especially since the bulk of this army wasn¡¯t all that strong, at least not compared to how strong I was now. My multiplied Psyka pool was putting in work today. After we came to a stop I brought out yet another rifle. Not the Colt Commando that was good at shorter ranges nor the M40 that was designed for sniping, but the M21. The M21 bridged the gap between shorter range rifles and longer range snipers. It would handle medium distance engagements, perfect for my current situation. What made it a better option though was the semi-automatic fire rate and the 20 round magazine. A precision shooter with sustainable fire rate, with the same Redfield scope the M40 had. I opened fire as soon as I shouldered it. My Steed was positioned behind a few others, giving me sufficient breathing room to properly aim. I really wished I had been able to find some machine guns in my dimension. I had a feeling that one or two had to be in the 6th Star, but I hadn¡¯t had enough time to properly explore its depths, despite it having been a priority of mine. ¡°Hold before the gate! Squads Two through Four, rotate spells! Squad One, prioritize larger targets! Knights, hold your line!¡± Brigadier Jay slated out commands and everyone obeyed, even though they had already fallen into their roles. Jay wanted to set up for a drawn out battle. I just fired at my own pace, keeping my eyes peeled for all the changes around me and in the distance. My Aerial was filled with chatter, and occasionally I had to chime in and communicate with some of the Brigadiers I knew, coordinating them with our efforts beyond the wall. After a few minutes, I saw one of the Bombardos explode. That was Nonnen, and he quickly brought down five more in the next minute. An explosive miasma ¨C likely a Royal ¨C rushed at his now gleaming Aura and the two started tangling. I relayed that information to the other Brigadiers, and thankfully, one of them found the opportunity to leave the outpost and pair up with Nonnen. Another Royal appeared after that, along with a few Authority 9 Royal subordinates to hold off the extra Brigadier. Of course, I relayed that information as well and managed to get yet another Brigadier out there. That brigadier managed to kill another six Bombardos before a batch of Authority Nine Royals went out to stop her. Even then, the Scourge was running out of combat power to meet us on equal grounds, precisely thanks to the battle we had just come from. We could win this. The two towering Auras pervading the battlefield were skewed in our favor. However, those Bombardos were doing heavy damage to the outpost despite their relative power being low. They certainly couldn¡¯t match a Brigadier, even the most powerful ones, but that wasn¡¯t their purpose. They weren''t meant to fight strong individual opponents but level bases from afar, and they were performing their job excellently. Despite almost a third of them having been diced or pulped, the rest were firing even faster, and the clouds of smoke and dust rising from the camp persisted in intensity. Being alone with my thoughts, nothing but a reticle and monsters before me, I started getting pissed. Another month and our operation would¡¯ve gouged the Scourge presence here, chunk by chunk. We had every advantage, tactical superiority, and just one move from the Scourge had dashed everything to pieces. They had ambushed our main force and their Bombardos were allowed to wreak havoc, the very thing that I had been trying to prevent from happening. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Now, our victory would be pyrrhic. Casualty rates would skyrocket, initial projections around 10-20% easily rose to a minimum of 60%, probably more depending on how much damage the Bombardos had actually done while we were gone. It pissed me off to no end. This shouldn¡¯t have happened. We¡¯d done so much to explicitly prepare for this, accounting for it before we even left the treehouse. It was obvious the Scourge would rush in given an opening, and we shored up our defenses to compensate. It was why we had so many patrols running around the clock. It was why our strike teams, even operating almost constantly, were still held back at night. It was why I had drafted up no less than six battle plans for almost every circumstance the Scourge could reasonably siege us in. There was only one weakness that I knew about. It relied on our intel. We had to know what they were doing. The second that changed, we lost most of our advantages. The second we no longer had intel, they went and did this. It was almost predictable besides the fact that I couldn¡¯t predict ever creating such a glaring and obvious opening. Perhaps I¡¯d have to start factoring that in. But something was more concerning. Even if we had a gap, the Scourge couldn¡¯t know, by themselves, to exploit it. They had tested us before and we responded, sending the message that we had our eyes on them and that they couldn¡¯t just launch a siege, or they¡¯d risk fighting on unfavorable terrain against superior resistance. But we not only received zero information on this Scourge attack, but they had timed it perfectly. Patrols were running at least every two hours and through every sector between us and the Scourge encampment. That wasn¡¯t a big enough window to slip through, unless several patrols weren¡¯t launched, or were wiped out fast enough that they couldn¡¯t send out a signal. I wasn¡¯t willing to believe things had just worked out so well for the Scourge. With every passing minute, I was playing out in my head exactly how this could¡¯ve gone down, exactly how the Scourge could¡¯ve moved everything they had without getting detected by any of our patrols. While I thought about all of that, the battle situation gradually snowballed into our favor even further. Jay¡¯s spells were devastating, wiping our hundreds at a time, and he was casting dozens of them simultaneously. Along with all his other warlocks, we actually managed to cut down the entire side flank of the Scourge army and advance further in, crushing them between us and the troops on the walls of the outpost. It was a meat grinder. However, the most important battle was occurring with the Brigadiers. We had three of them and they only had two. It was a definite win for us, especially since we still had Jay in reserve. Unfortunately it would not be without cost. The Scourge was always good at taking its pound of flesh whether it was losing or not. Perhaps it was through sheer coordination or perhaps one of the Royals was just that skilled, but I felt some particularly massive releases of power before feeling the shockwaves across the earth and sky. Some seconds later, I heard a scream on my Aerial. ¡°Brigadier Finne is dead!¡± It was Nonnen, and he seemed desperate. He had been locked in a battle with the first Royal to intercept him the entire time. I had been watching when I could, and the other Brigadiers weren¡¯t even able to help him. That¡¯s when Brigadier Jay yelled. ¡°Stop advance! Regroup and hunker down! I¡¯m going to reinforce!¡± He leapt into the air, not waiting for a response. Several of us looked not at him, but where he was going. I wasn¡¯t particularly sensitive to mana, but with my temperings, I had gained some sense for it. And even I could feel a horrifyingly dense source radiating in the middle of the Scourge army. Another Royal. ¡°Nonnen, MOVE!¡± Jay yelled again, right before I saw whatever spell it was activated. Hundreds of spell circles lit up above someone¡¯s head, rising into the sky and gathering catastrophic power. I tried to see who was under them, catching the faint details of the clothing one of the other Brigadiers wore. It wasn¡¯t Nonnen, even though he was nearby. ¡°HAAAHHH!¡± I heard a scream. It was from Nonnen, and with a single strike he bisected his enemy. Then he rushed toward the Brigadier underneath those spell circles to help, Vigor turning his four foot long sword into a 40 foot long monstrosity. He tried to slice into the spell formation from a distance, but the beam came first. It was so bright I was temporarily blinded, a pillar of pure energy crashing down onto the planet. The ground shook. A shockwave, hot and heavy, buffeted our combined platoons and the Scourge alike, throwing weaker combatants to the ground. Even beneath my coat I could feel the uncomfortable warmth. I closed my eyes and let them flush out the blindness, opening them back up at some point to try and look around. The area was scorched, vaporized, the dirt glowing with heat 50 feet around the impact area. My eyes fluttered back and forth, spots in my eyes still blocking most of my vision. Nonnen was safe, having thrown himself backward just in time to avoid being caught as well, and Jay was still on his way over. He seemed to have spotted whatever Royal cast that spell, but even from here I could hear the cackling, the grating, crunching sound that passed for gleeful, gloating laughter for the Scourge. It didn¡¯t even put up a fight as Jay vaporized it in turn, the dome of concentrated flame turning it into less than dust. The other Brigadier was nowhere to be seen, not the slightest hint that he had ever existed remaining in this world. We had lost two of our four Brigadiers to a lesser force. There were currently only three other Brigadiers back at the Treehouse. We had a Marshal as well, but they weren¡¯t easily moved. This was catastrophic. None of the predictions, even the very worst, had accounted for half our Brigadier combat forces being lost in phase one of Breakwater. Most of our troops too were half blinded now. The Scourge hadn¡¯t fared much better, given that a good chunk of their formation was cored out in exchange for the Brigadier, but those near us were already charging back at our shaky lines. Knights had mostly recovered and were reforming battlelines, but without warlocks to clear the masses behind those in direct combat with the shielded, speared wall, it wouldn¡¯t be long before they were overrun. ¡°FIGHT! FINISH THEM!¡± Nonnen¡¯s voice rocked the hills, and knights raised their weapons. Warlocks were cycled out, the ones behind the walls with some degree of vision moving forward to cover for their blinded comrades. Most troops were fatigued but now, there was nothing stopping us from eradicating the rest of the enemy. Not that it was any consolation. Brigadier Jay and Nonnen quickly finished off the remaining Bombardos before slaughtering the army from behind. It took pressure off the walls, and with all our knights deployed, we were able to sweep through them. I helped as much as I could, gradually killing hundreds by myself. It took about three more hours to put down the last monster. By then, most troops had retreated for medical attention or rest. I went back with the Snow Doves and Lancers only after the battle was finished. We entered the gate, finding what looked like a junkyard with how destroyed everything was. Debris, bodies, limbs, lots of blood, and the red smoke signature of the Bombardos. I quickly put on my protective mask and hoisted the air bottles onto my back. I wasn¡¯t about to breathe that stuff in. I looked around once everything settled. There was one building still standing, an outhouse. Everything else was leveled, including the headquarters building that had only been partially built, good for nothing more than establishing a war room and a place for summoners to congregate. Suddenly, I clicked my Aerial. ¡°Envoy to General, come in.¡± ¡°...¡± I got nothing back, looking down and realizing the entire channel was dead. I could name these channels and usually tagged them with key words, and the name was still there, but I was getting no signal. That meant the Node was destroyed. Everything was connected to that Node, which meant right now there were no communications going anywhere. It must¡¯ve been destroyed with the last of the volleys. Thinking that, I suddenly merged every signal underneath my Aerial¡¯s Node. That was when I got barraged by dozens of chattering channels, everything suddenly coming back online all at once, every channel regardless of level all on one line. I could actually hear some feedback from nearby aerials the soldiers were using, quickly going through everything and dividing up the channels according to who controlled them and what rank they were. It was chaos and I felt like this would be a good way to get things under control. Once it was done, I brought in all of the highest ranking personnel under one channel, at least those who were still giving off a signal. ¡°All channels, this is Envoy. I need everyone to listen close. It¡¯s chaos right now and the Major General is currently missing. We need to regroup and take a count. There¡¯s currently only one standing building, the outhouse on the western side of the outpost. Everyone meet me there.¡± I gave out that message and waited. Sure enough, most of the highest ranking soldiers and intelligence agents here conglomerated. It was slightly humorous that it was around an outhouse, only overshadowed by the fact that we had lost so many people so quickly. Nonnen and Jay were there too. Before talking with everyone, us three stepped to the side. Nonnen was tattered. Jay was the only one who looked fine, but it was clear that he was low on mana. His lucidity was wavering. I turned my attention to Nonnen. He spoke before I could. ¡°We¡¯ve killed all the enemies. We need to get back to the Treehouse.¡± ¡°I agree. We should figure out Quill¡¯s status first though.¡± ¡°Sirs!¡± We suddenly heard a shout, a bloodied Lieutenant Colonel running over. We looked at him as he heaved for breath and stopped. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°...Major General Quill is¡­¡± He held up an insignia covered in blood, a Dragon with two pairs of wings, the insignia of a Major General. ¡°We found him dead under some rubble¡­¡± ¡°... Thank you for telling us.¡± I took the Insignia as Nonnen answered. ¡°You can go.¡± ¡°Sir.¡± He saluted before backing off, lingering in the surrounding crowd. Beyond we could hear the yells of healers and troops trying to render medical aid. As I looked down at the insignia, Nonnen patted my shoulder. ¡°I need you to organize this mess. I¡¯m sorry to put it on you, but you¡¯re the most qualified. You know how Quill ran things. Can you do it?¡± ¡°...¡± I looked around. It really was a complete mess. I barely knew where to start, but I had all the commanding officers here and I had a goal, which was to get back to the Treehouse. I took a deep breath. First thing we had to do was secure the lives of the wounded. I started with that, and an order of tasks started slotting into place within my mind. It was nothing I haven¡¯t done before, except now there was nobody to give the commands. I just had to do it myself. I nodded. ¡°I can take care of it.¡± ¡°Good. LISTEN UP!¡± Nonnen yelled, everything going silent as everyone turned their attention to us. We were in the middle of a big circle of people. ¡°Major General Quill is killed in action! Now, his assistant, the Envoy, will be the Commanding Officer! Under my authority, all shall listen to his orders! We¡¯re going to get this mess sorted out and then get back to the Treehouse as soon as possible! Standby for orders!¡± Everyone turned their eyes to me. ¡°What do you need me to do first?¡± ¡°... How much energy do you have?¡± I asked back, getting a shrug. ¡°As long as you¡¯re not asking me to kill another Authority 10.¡± ¡°We need to recon the area as well as the Scourge¡¯s encampment, see if they¡¯re really all dead. We also need to check the status of that company that we protected from that contingent. If you can¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll scrape together a team to deploy.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll be back in an hour.¡± He said that before shooting off. His steps left craters in the ground. After watching him for some seconds I turned back to the others. Then I remembered the red gas still lingering in the air. I turned to Jay.¡± ¡°Sir, can you clear out that red gas?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He waved, winds getting kicked up throughout the base and carrying the red gas with it. Within seconds, it was all cleared out, taking care of a major problem with disgusting ease. I took off my mask and exposed my face. Now I could properly give orders. I faced everyone, Commanders, Chiefs, Colonels, and what remained of the Intelligence agents, and I started delegating, just as Major General Quill had taught me. Chapter 191: Traitors Gurns tapped his foot on the floor, standing by a pillar and waiting as a Rail car rolled in. When it opened, a few dozen people disembarked. Last to get off was a blonde girl. He watched her walk. She naturally had a faint presence but it was nothing that he couldn¡¯t see through. Besides that, she looked generally neutral. A mostly expressionless face gazed around, her beauty catching several eyes. She looked like she didn¡¯t have a care in the world, but to Gurns it felt like her state of mind was entirely hidden, which gave off the impression that she held no emotion. He could feel something faint though, his instincts perking up when he looked into her eyes. Scrutiny, judgment, perhaps some disgust? When he saw that, he began to glimpse the almost palpable pride coming off her, as if she were unsatisfied with how everyone did things, as if everyone around her were entirely inadequate. He hadn¡¯t felt that in her when they first met. Then again, they had only talked twice, both times briefly, and the second time she had simply accepted his offer. It was only now that he was scrutinizing her, getting a read on her personality. He¡¯d have to if he wanted to induct her into one of his teams. Chemistry was important. ¡°Tana. It¡¯s good to have you here.¡± ¡°Thank you sir, for the opportunity to be.¡± Well she certainly didn¡¯t speak pridefully, Gurns thought to himself. He waved. ¡°Come, let¡¯s get you situated.¡± The two started walking into the base. Gurns brought Tana to one of the buildings where his teams resided. She wasn¡¯t yet one of his but she¡¯d get the treatment until she either was or failed out. That meant her room was nicer, and she¡¯d be living alone instead of in a barracks. After that, they went on a tour, Gurns explaining things. ¡°I will be conducting your training personally. Along with you, there are six other candidates who I¡¯ll be training for this next cycle. You¡¯ll all train together, and this right here will be where you spend most of your time in the coming months.¡± The two stopped at the foot of the training grounds. Tana saw the large metal plate that composed the floor as well as the monolith in the center. She figured it was there for something strenuous and when she saw some of the knights moving with far more strain than normal, she figured that the monolith increased the gravity in the area rather massively. A good way to break a knight down and build them stronger. She could even feel the interference it had with magic. It made it harder to even move Vigor, directly stunting anything someone tried to do within its field of influence. She¡¯d have to test her stealth under it. The training area was the most interesting thing to Tana. Beyond that was nothing beyond the standard at every base. The only thing that caught her senses was the sheer skill level of the people she encountered. She concluded that those in special forces were at least much more competent than the norm. It was comforting to know that there was a force within the Kingdom capable of surpassing the standards and capitalizing on both talent and hard work. Being around so many mediocre individuals, she had worried that the entire military was like that. The only person that kept her sharp in a dull environment was Umara, who was also one of the extremely few people who could still see through her stealth like it wasn¡¯t an actual Auric technique. At least now she¡¯d be able to sharpen herself further, using the others here as a whetstone. Especially Gurns, who she couldn¡¯t sense anything from to save her life. She couldn¡¯t even tell if he was a warlock or a knight. He was dangerous but if she wanted to reach her goals, he would be a good gauge to measure herself against. She wanted to become just as dangerous at the barest minimum, and then far surpass that. ¡°For now you can relax. Tomorrow we¡¯ll begin training. You¡¯re the last one to arrive. If you want, go find Feiden. I know you two have probably wanted to see each other. He¡¯s one of the reasons I came to find you in the first place.¡± ¡°Mm, I will. Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Gurns left with that, leaving Tana to her own devices. She decided to send a message, and before long, she had somewhere to go. She arrived at the mess hall, finding Feiden in a back corner by himself. She smiled, walking over and sitting down. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Feiden.¡± She muttered as he stuffed himself with food. The ravenous eating couldn¡¯t dampen his good looks. He was still a pretty boy with that blonde hair and generally soft face. He smiled back at her, hardly stopping his consumption. ¡°Hey Tana! Glad you could finally make it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re stuffing yourself. Are you that hungry?¡± ¡°The training here makes you go through food like burning wood. My advice to you is to eat as much as you can, when you can. You¡¯ll be spending every hour of every day recovering, at least until you get out of the first phase.¡± ¡°So first phase is conditioning. What¡¯s the second phase?¡± ¡°Applied training. He puts you in a team and you go on hunts. There are plenty of Royals and nests and camps, and you¡¯ll be fighting them. Sometimes the objective is to just survive, get in and get out. Gurns might be watching while you do things so you won¡¯t risk dying, but if it really gets to that point then you¡¯ve probably failed somewhere.¡± Tana nodded at his reasonable words. It was about what she expected. At least she had plenty of experience by now. She had already had her run-ins with death. Only difference is she wouldn¡¯t have Umara by her side, a reliable ally to entrust her life to.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Speaking of, how are the people here? Can they actually be relied on?¡± ¡°If Gurns is good at anything, it¡¯s picking people out. Generally, I would say everyone is good at what they do. I wouldn¡¯t necessarily say the people you¡¯ll be training with are the same, but by phase two he will have weeded out the weak. Still, it¡¯s all according to your judgment. You have to work with what he gives you.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She nodded again, and the two fell into silence, Feiden still chowing. Once he was done, he pushed aside his tray, washed everything down with some water, and spoke. ¡°How have you been, Tana? I know things have been rough since we had to go straight into the military after Anarchy, that and develop our Aura. Have you been faring well?¡± ¡°I would say so, yes¡­ although none of us can say that anything was the same after that.¡± She suddenly smirked. ¡°I remember back at the Magisterium. I had cried after getting yelled at by the Puppet Master when John got hurt. I felt so¡­ innocent back then. Now after everything we¡¯ve been through, I can hardly imagine being the person I was back at that school. It¡¯s only been two years and yet my maturity feels like the difference between a child and an adult.¡± ¡°I can understand that.¡± Feiden nodded, Tana eyeing him with complicated thoughts. Unlike her, Umara, and John, Feiden had lost someone he loved. She didn¡¯t know how far he had gone with his girlfriend but to lose her was devastating for him. And to be forced to wrestle with Anarchy at the same time? She couldn¡¯t imagine. He was stronger than her, that much she believed. Vetsmon had only left her. He hadn¡¯t died, and someday she knew she would see him again. She wasn¡¯t sure what would happen when that time came but she would at least get closure. For a moment she felt bad, but there wasn¡¯t anything she could say to help or change anything. Pity would do no good for either of them. Feiden suddenly smiled. ¡°What has you so down? This is the first time we¡¯ve seen each other in over a year. That unhappy to see me?¡± ¡°No, but you do seem to be in a good mood. Are you looking forward to seeing me suffer?¡± ¡°I will admit that it¡¯ll be nice seeing someone else go through all that pain instead of me, but that¡¯s not everything. I can¡¯t wait until we start fighting together is all. I¡¯ve developed my technique more and I¡¯m excited to show it off. I think you¡¯ll be impressed. ¡°Hoh?¡± Tana smiled and rested her chin on her hand. ¡°Did you get even faster? Your Aura is definitely impressive. I can barely see it.¡± ¡°I did get faster, and I¡¯m surprised you can see my Aura at all. You¡¯ve been working hard.¡± ¡°Umara left me no choice. She¡¯s the only one who¡¯s been able to see completely through me, whereas I can¡¯t see through her at all. Her Aura is too¡­ complicated. Honestly I¡¯m more interested in seeing you two meet.¡± ¡°Gurns told me she¡¯ll be hard to recruit because of her mother.¡± ¡°What about John?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Feiden shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Apparently John¡¯s combat ability is impressive, but he¡¯s still a summoner and I don¡¯t think Gurns will easily disregard that bias. Everyone has been hearing about what¡¯s going on over at the Treehouse though. Apparently John is making waves with his abilities as an intelligence agent. Maybe Gurns will bring him on for that.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Tana sighed. ¡°I just hope we can all reunite sooner rather than later. The Scourge is amassing troops and increasing the pressure. We need to be together so we can protect each other. We can¡¯t rely on anyone else.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so quick to disregard everyone, but yes, getting the squad back together will change things for the better. I think Umara will be here soon, but as for John¡­¡± Feiden closed his eyes. ¡°We might have to wait a little while longer.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ Initially Nonnen had been slightly worried. So many things were happening all at once and John had never encountered a situation like it before. He was confident John could handle it, but how quickly, and how well? John knew how to step up though, and he was a summoner so he didn¡¯t have to worry about him being smart enough to handle the task. What he wanted was to provide the opportunity and use it as a test. Now, Nonnen had no doubts. John was exceptionally qualified and he¡¯d be bringing him underneath the Snow Doves very soon. Pollux would have no objections. It wasn¡¯t like John had been operating normally with them lately, and since some Pathfinders died during the siege, Pollux would be getting reinforced anyway. What Nonnen wanted to do was make sure John didn¡¯t get taken away to some other base or under another general¡¯s wing. Making him a Snow Dove would be a good way to secure his place. Those underneath a Brigaider, especially one that led a strike team like the Snow Doves, were not easily removed. He could fight, too. He really was the perfect intelligence agent to keep with them. He could manage troops and missions in the field and had the concealment abilities and smarts to survive sticky situations. Now they just had to get past this shitshow. He followed John into the Treehouse¡¯s headquarters. They had returned and troops were getting taken care of, so it was time to see the General. They all already knew what happened. John had sent messages out ahead of time, and was now just supposed to attend a discussion. They needed to talk about what happened with him. John had quickly become the highest authority out there, the one with the best grasp of the entire situation, perhaps the only one with a full view of what had happened and enough information to deduce why. The room was quiet when they entered. In attendance were some of the Brigadier Generals, Colonel Polly, the only other Major General, General Viskar, and even the Marshal. Marshal Boores was a knight, a stocky man with the fierce face you¡¯d expect of someone sitting in the position of Marshal. Unlike many knights though, he was a generally careful man, stable, not willing to make rash decisions especially when things weren¡¯t certain, as things usually were with the Scourge. He seldom showed himself, leaving a majority of the matters to the thinkers like the Generals and Colonels. Now though, they had taken the most catastrophic losses since Purple Sky. Two Brigadiers and a Major General had died. Of the 12,000 troops that had left, only around 6,200 had returned, and nearly 60% of those were wounded in some way. The disease that had plagued the Treehouse earlier was making a resurgence with this group. The devastation the Bombardos wrought had finally made people realize just how much of a threat they were. They were mass killing machines. Grave mistakes had been made, and that was what everyone present needed to know about. John was the only one who could provide answers. Once inside, both of them saluted. John¡¯s gaze remained forward, making eye contact with the Marshal as if he didn¡¯t realize the kind of person he was looking at. By now, Nonnen knew that John didn¡¯t give a damn about much. He didn¡¯t either, because certain pieces of information had made themselves known over the past couple days that could affect things massively beyond Operation Breakwater. ¡°Major Cooper. I know you won¡¯t mind skipping the pleasantries, since you wanted to relay some intel so urgently, and personally.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Then go ahead. We¡¯re listening.¡± The Marshal leaned forward, John falling under all eyes of scrutiny. There was no hint of wavering in his voice as he spoke. ¡°We have traitors to humanity in our midst, and I know who they are.¡± Chapter 192: Machinations June 6, 624 Marshal Boores rubbed his chin. ¡°Traitors to humanity. That¡¯s a bold accusation.¡± ¡°Not an accusation, yet. For now it''s just a cold fact. First I¡¯d like to give a sequence of events.¡± He waved, signaling his assent. That¡¯s when John reached out and set down an insignia. It was the bloodied patch from Major General Quill¡¯s Glimmers. The somber atmosphere turned down further, everyone reminded that they had lost such a valuable asset. ¡°Major General Quill and I had developed a two pronged attack strategy to wipe out the Scourge contingent. First, we utilized our superior intel in order to arrange ambushes to kill the few Authority 10s in the area, simultaneously using companies we deployed as bait to draw out those forces. This worked, twice, and we managed to kill two Authority 10 Royals. I was on the second of these missions with the Snow Doves and Lancers, and aside from an unexpected attack that killed some of our soldiers, we finished victorious. However, it was during that mission that the outpost was attacked. It was sudden, entirely unexpected, and from my perspective, impossible.¡± John tossed out a cradle next to the bloody insignia, planting an Orb within and projecting some images. It was a map, and he actively drew on it, everyone present seeing the landmarks such as the outpost and various mission areas. ¡°The Scourge contingent had the option of attacking en masse at any point. What stopped them from doing so was the fact that we were watching them. We utilized the terrain and constant patrols and recon missions in order to keep a constant eye on the entire contingent, and we let them know of that fact. That way, should they decide to siege us, we would be able to prepare and respond in full force, on favorable terrain, and under our own specially curated conditions. For two weeks, our strategy worked flawlessly. We were puppeteering the entire battlefield and were on track to whittling them down and eradicating them with minimal losses. It was the sudden siege that destroyed all of our careful planning.¡± John moved the icons marking the contingent, placing them around the outpost. Everyone could see just how far the Scourge would have to move, and how much terrain they¡¯d have to weather in a short period to even reach the outpost. ¡°Somehow, the Scourge managed to move their entire contingent without getting spotted. Even further, they managed to move their Bombardos without being heard. It wasn¡¯t until those things were in range that alerts finally went out. So, how did the Scourge manage this? How did they manage to move over 20 thousand monsters through the web of patrols? The answer lies in here.¡± The images changed, displaying a list of names as well as patrol routes. Some patrol groups were highlighted. ¡°The groups and names you see here were all the patrols that could¡¯ve seen the contingent moving at any point in time. Obviously they didn¡¯t, which was why we were suddenly sieged. However, it wasn¡¯t completely their fault.¡± John crossed out around half of the groups and names. ¡°All of these patrols were killed simultaneously, their deaths all occurring within a 10 minute period. I learned this after questioning certain intelligence agents, sessions which I have recordings of. Anyway, even with these patrol groups dead, there were still half of them left. What happened to them? They were either sent on different routes or were called off. These were the routes.¡± More lines were drawn, all of them blatantly sprawling out to the sides, nowhere near the route the Scourge contingent took to reach the outpost. The rest remained within the outpost, outright skipping their patrol. ¡°Neither Major General Quill nor I ever gave out these orders, and we were meticulous with our patrol routes because of how important they were. They were obviously critical because as soon as they collapsed, we got sieged. So now, the question is, who orchestrated this? I put together a list of initial suspects here.¡± ¡°Hang on.¡± Marshal Boores raised his hand, rubbing his temples. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Just because patrol routes temporarily fell doesn¡¯t mean the Scourge suddenly knows to take advantage of the gap.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°...¡± Boores went silent when John smiled a bit. The two simply stared at each other. Everyone in the room saw as it clicked in his head. He groaned. ¡°So someone told them.¡± ¡°Yes sir. And they didn¡¯t just tell them. The two parties planned this well in advance. It was a well formed sabotage, I¡¯ll admit that much. The issue is the fact that now, I have to take into account traitors when making battle plans. Now, who were the traitors?¡± John pulled up another list of names, each name attached to a picture of various summoners. There were 5 pictures. ¡°These 5 people were responsible for handling patrols. They are the only ones capable of carrying out what happened. And, it just so happens that three of them are dead.¡± Three of the images were crossed out, leaving two currently alive. ¡°I questioned the two summoners currently alive and went through all of their logs and reports dating all the way back to the start of Operation Breakwater. Only this man here was clear of any suspicion. All of his patrol teams were on their normal routes and killed, and all his records were clear. As for this man¡­¡± Everyone looked at the only remaining name and picture. ¡°I think he had been tricked. Major Smithson had 8 of his 11 patrols killed and the remaining 3 were diverted. His records showed signs of doctoring and don¡¯t match reported routes. The reason I don¡¯t suspect him though was because he was in contact with the actual traitor, Lieutenant Colonel Botts.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. The image of one of the dead was highlighted. ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Botts doctored not only his records but the records of Major Smithson and a certain dead Major Varn. All of Botts¡¯ patrols were diverted, and one managed to survive. I talked to them and they said that they were given those diverted orders from Botts during the briefing. One of the patrols under Major Varn also managed to survive, and I was told that it wasn¡¯t Varn who gave them the briefing, but Botts. Varn is dead so we can¡¯t question him about why he allowed Botts to take control of his teams, but when I talked to Major Smithson, it became clear why. Lieutenant Colonel Botts was apparently a malicious man and had them under his thumb. They didn¡¯t question why he wanted to make the changes he did, and since it seemed like an inconsequential change, they didn¡¯t report it to me.¡± John sighed as Botts¡¯ picture was highlighted instead of Major Varn¡¯s ¡°I¡¯ve gone through all the evidence and have it all recorded, ready for any of you to peruse and verify. Right now, the only conclusion is that Lieutenant Colonel Botts was a traitor to humanity who conspired with the Scourge in order to open a gap in our defenses and create a pivotal opening for the Scourge to attack us. We managed to survive because of our superior preparations and tactics, but we still took devastating losses unseen in over a year, since Purple Sky. I have a full report along with the evidence I¡¯ve collected, but in short, I¡¯ve concluded that policy changes are necessary in order to maintain checks on various personnel to ensure that even if a traitor does attempt to try something like this again, it won¡¯t succeed.¡± John took out two stacks of papers, walking around the table and placing one in front of Marshal Boores and one in front of General Viskar. He returned to his place as they looked at it. Marshal Boores picked it up symbolically, looking like he had no interest in ever reading so much. Silence prevailed, Marshal Boores tapping his fingers and thinking. ¡°Your conclusion makes sense, but there are a lot of details so General Viskar will be going through everything. As for the fact that there could be a traitor, how many people know?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve not discussed this with anyone except Brigadier Nonnen.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Boores gave Nonnen a quick look before nodding. ¡°Good. You¡¯ve handled the situation exceptionally. What we can¡¯t have is panic and doubt in a situation such as this, especially as we move into the second phase of Operation Breakwater.¡± ¡°Agreed, sir.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re sure the suspect is dead?¡± ¡°We found Botts¡¯ corpse, so yes. The Bombardos killed a majority of intelligence personnel since their attacks aren¡¯t exactly selective and summoners aren¡¯t resilient. We pulled many bodies out of the rubble of our headquarters.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± He nodded, taking another glance at the report. ¡°Well then, Major Cooper. Is that everything you have for us today?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I have regarding my concerns. However, I have one other thing I¡¯d like to ask.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to take the test to promote to Lieutenant Colonel, sir.¡± Boores went silent, a few people¡¯s eyes widening. It was quite audacious to ask such a thing so blatantly. Few had the balls. Boors stared at John a bit. ¡°Why do you think you deserve such a thing?¡± ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve done a lot of things since joining the military not long ago. However, I would like to think that my achievements are secondary to the fact that I¡¯ve made my accomplishments consistently. Becoming a Lieutenant Colonel will allow me to involve myself more as I continue to work alongside exceptional people like Colonel Polly and the late Major General Quill. I¡¯d like to spend more time gaining experience before ever attempting to become something like a Colonel, but as a Lieutenant Colonel I¡¯ll be able to exercise greater authority, authority which will be used to solve the problems that are beginning to plague this Operation. I refuse to stand by as these problems fester.¡± Nonnen glanced over, seeing John looking Marshal Boores dead in the eye as if he wanted to kill the man. They could all sense the sheer conviction within him. Marshal Boores returned the gaze. ¡°In a time when it''s becoming increasingly dangerous to give power to those whose alliegiances are uncertain, such as the traitor Botts, why do you think I shouldn¡¯t bring you under scrutiny?¡± ¡°...¡± John¡¯s eyes relaxed just a bit, as if he had been asked the easiest, or perhaps the most stupid, question in the world. A certain pride flowed off him. His back straightened, towering over everyone in the room. John was already tall but when everyone sat, he demanded all attention and respect within the room. He spoke his unquestionable words. ¡°...I was there during the downfall of Purple Sky. I survived the insanity that drove the tens of thousands of soldiers within to kill each other. I¡­ have gazed upon the King of Anarchy. I saw it, watched it, as it released a blade of primordial power that severed the world in two. Then I watched as its army of millions broke through our defenses and charged through the base, burying the soldiers underneath them like ocean tides. I barely managed to survive, and in doing so I suffered the consequences of gazing upon Anarchy, the icon of insanity and annihilation.¡± Nonnen clenched his jaw when John smiled, feeling a slight chill go down his scalp. ¡°Not many will understand what it means when I say that I have triumphed over Anarchy. Thus, I am in the unique position to say that to question my allegiance to humanity is¡­ naive. You could say that I am the very last person to ever doubt, sir, which is why I believe I¡¯m suited to solving certain problems, problems that I could solve easier if I receive this promotion.¡± Nonnen struggled to keep his countenance neutral as everyone waited for Boores¡¯ response. After what seemed like a full minute, he glanced down at the slightly crumbled report in his hands, breaking his gaze from John¡¯s. "If I wanted you to help solve the traitor problem, what would you do?" "...In a most optimal scenario I would create a division dedicated to catching traitors. A Counterespionage unit, if you will. We would comb over mission reports and data, keep eyes on key personnel, and either imprison traitors before they can sabotage us or eliminate them after the fact. We will surveil and secure the base and our operations against the Scourge, fighting them with subterfuge as they''ve started to do with us." "A Counterespionage division..." Marshal Boores leaned back in his chair, pondering for another while before nodding. ¡°General Viskar will handle the test. Draw up a report on the policy changes you had in mind and draft a template for the Counterespionage division. For now, we¡¯ll arrange plans to respond to the Scourge when they find out their flanking force has been destroyed. After that, phase two of Operation Breakwater will begin, and we''ll see just how effective this division is.¡± Nonnen let out a breath, watching John give a relaxed but deliberate salute, as if there could be no other outcome to this conversation. There was no more suspense. John was a Lieutenant Colonel, and now he was given particularly extensive power to solve the new problems plaguing the base. Their solutions would require subtlety and cunning, but John had already shown himself capable of exercising the traits necessary to thrive in that dark, conniving environment. And with this new promotion, he would be getting the single greatest check of approval to do, just about, whatever he damned pleased. After all, someone who had triumphed over Anarchy couldn¡¯t be doubted. Few knew what it meant to do that, but those that did understood its gravity. The implications were absolute, and it seemed like Marshal Boores understood them. He would still be taking a chance, but the likelihood that it would pay off was high. Nonnen felt like things were about to change again. He''d have to keep John close if he wanted such a valuable ally on his side. Who knew if he would fall victim to the machinations of a traitorous intelligence agent? He wanted protection from someone who was the deepest in that world. Chapter 193: Cashed In September 10, 624 ¡°Shit.¡± ¡°Move over¡­¡± Curses were muttered behind my back as I walked toward one of the rec centers on the second wall of Treehouse. Half-armored soldiers scrambled to be somewhere else as I made my way to a doorway. A palpable fear oozed in the place of the respect I had spent so long cultivating. A speck of snow drifted onto my Glimmers and I brushed it off, noting the attention of the entire center focusing on me. The anxiety was palpable¡­ and only became more oppressive when the Chief previously behind me, a Knight in full plate armor, took another step to stand to my right. I stood there and scanned the room, quickly finding my target. The set of dice on the table rolled to a stop, the soft clicks painfully loud amidst the silence. Something fell on the floor, then, collectively, many slowly, cautiously, stood themselves up and gave salutes. Even those higher rank than I straightened to attention. I smiled a bit, hoping to ease the tension. Some man in the back, still in the logistics uniform, flinched. ¡°At ease, everyone. I¡¯ve only business with one of you.¡± My boots, dry despite the snow outside, clomped on wood as I made my way over a cluster of couches. An Authority 7 Knight. Commander Ilmar still lounged on the couch, but his face and body were tight, and his Aura was filled with tension. ¡°Commander Ilmar, I¡¯m going to need you to come with me.¡± ¡°Sir? I-I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on. I didn¡¯t think the Envoy would have any business with me¡­¡± He stood and took a step back, almost tripping on the couch. I lifted my brows. He was panicking, his Aura screaming with guilt, despite his desperate attempts at playing it cool. I kept my face neutral. ¡°We need to ask you some questions about your recent mission.¡± ¡°W-What of it? I¡¯m still recovering.¡± ¡°Commander, the matters we need to discuss are¡­ sensitive. You need to come with us.¡± The Chief took a step in front of me. We were trying to keep things subtle so people didn¡¯t freak out, but people like this never made that easy. I also needed to get this guy before he tried disappearing into the throng of the base, or leaving altogether. This couldn¡¯t wait until night, despite my worries about doing it in broad daylight ¨C or what passed for it in this frozen hellscape. This was his mistake, and I would take full advantage of it. Ilmar took a side step, putting me between himself and the Chief just a bit more. The Chief shifted to match. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so sensitive about my mission, but it¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t discuss here, no?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to divulge the details of our investigation. Again, please come with us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere until you tell me what this is about!¡± My face fell as he raised his voice. The Chief beside me took a step forward, but I put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from going further. Here comes another, trying to make a scene. Instead, I chose to put a little pressure on his neck. ¡°Your entire platoon was wiped out on your last mission. I¡¯m here to catalog the circumstances surrounding this tragedy, and since you¡¯re not only the last surviving member of your former platoon, but also its leader, I need to bring you in and ask you some questions.¡± ¡°What is there to ask? I was the only one to survive precisely because I was the strongest in the platoon! I did my best, but even I was barely able to get away! There¡¯s nothing more to say!¡± ¡°No? Are you sure you didn¡¯t desert your soldiers?¡± My brow had dropped earlier with the barest of sighs, but now lifted higher than ever. His Aura bristled with hostility, like a dog backed into a corner. ¡°Or, perhaps you¡¯ve done something worse. I can¡¯t say, but no matter what, this matter needs to be investigated. You¡¯re coming with us.¡± ¡°No! You¡¯re just trying to make stuff up so you can kill me! Just like you¡¯ve killed all the others! You think I haven¡¯t heard about what you¡¯ve done?! I¡¯m not going to let you frame me!¡± ¡°Haaah¡­¡± I sighed and brought out a Model 77E shotgun, swinging the barrel around and planting it right on his kneecap. The explosion rang in my ears. ¡°AAGHHH!¡± His screaming made the ringing worse. Well, it took his leg off. I could understand. I leaned over, peering down at him as I pumped it. ¡°I¡¯m not asking. You¡¯re coming with us.¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± I firmed up the trigger when he swung his arm, pulling it right when my barrel was near his elbow. His forearm and hand went flying, blood splattering across one of the nearby couches. He screamed more while clutching his bicep. He didn¡¯t have his armor; there was a lot less to be afraid of. I was going to have to spend some Psyka, but had plenty to spare; the 12 gauge slugs and the weapon itself made it easy to pack a lot of power in. I racked it back, letting the shell fly out. Keeping it open, I took a good whiff of the gunsmoke before shoving a buckshot shell into the chamber. I pointed the barrel at his other leg. ¡°How about now?¡± ¡°Haahhh!! Hahh¡­ Fuck! FUCK YO-!!¡± My trigger pull interrupted him. I was pretty sure buckshot hurt more, especially to the thigh. They always seemed to scream louder that way. After that, I waved. ¡°Keep him alive until I get there.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The Chief beside me nodded and stepped forward, grabbing Commander Ilmar and dragging him out of the rec center. He left a trail of blood on the unpolished wood tiles. Once his screams died in the distance (and it was quite a distance. Knights had impressive lungs, after all) I looked around and saw everyone staring. I waved away my shotgun, eyeing a few people before smiling. ¡°Apologies for the unsightly interruption, gentlemen, ladies. Have a good day.¡± I turned on a heel and walked out, a few people stiffly saluting me when I went past them. I went to the relatively new prison near headquarters. I called it new because there used to only be two cells in a surface-level structure. Now, it was a dungeon with two dozen cells. To say that I had cracked open a can of worms four months ago was an understatement. After getting promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, I was put in charge of a new division, specifically created so that I could do the new job that nobody in this world had thought necessary. Counterespionage. The Scourge, through temptation, corruption, or otherwise, had sunk its claws into various levels of the military. It picked out certain people and used them to sabotage our operations. The Treehouse was not the only base to have this problem, but apparently, we were the first to do something about it. I had to give my respect to Marshal Boores; even if he wasn¡¯t too sure what I was doing, he understood we had a problem and even assigned a division under me to do something about it. He headed the division in name, but I was his enforcer and executioner. He wanted the problem solved, and I solved it. He had to make the final calls, such as whether we interrogated, killed, or even released certain individuals, but everything else was basically left to me. Why was I the one to get this job? Well, like with my handbook on how to handle hazardous materials, toxins, and other contaminants, I had put together a text on what it meant to carry out counterespionage. It wasn¡¯t like I had training in the subject from Earth, but I had taken glimpses into the field, and, in the end, it all came down to surveillance and psychology. My rudimentary knowledge on the subject was more than anything anyone in this world had thought to formalize. I had to remind myself, but the Kingdom of Dragon Tongue seldom had infighting. The eternal threat of the Scourge did a good job of forcing humanity to hold a united front. That¡¯s why the only two governing entities in this world, encompassing all of humanity, were the kingdom and Church. There weren¡¯t dozens of nation-states-... No, there were. The Duchies, and all the smaller powers scrabbling for position underneath them. But why didn¡¯t the Kingdom have proper counterespionage, then? The answer was relatively simple. The enemies were monsters, not human, and most people assumed that humans would always be on the side of humanity. In a perfect world that would be the case, but unfortunately this perfectly imperfect world bred heroes and villains alike. There were always those unsatisfied and willing to stoop to any level to get what they wanted even at the cost of those around them. The worst part was how few people dared to think such things. It was hard enough fighting an inhuman enemy that outnumbered you a hundred to one. Nobody wanted to think about the possibility of enemies being right next to them as well. And of course, the traitors felt no need to change that mindset. That left me to wade into that untouched darkness and start plucking people from the shadows. Thankfully I had a leader who cared enough to let me. When I put down nothing more than the basics, things I treated as common knowledge, they were treated like gold. Marshal Boores really liked it, and I was placed in charge of our new counterespionage division under intelligence. I had been given an entire company of intelligence agents and soldiers to utilize as I saw fit, responsible for educating and managing them. Apparently, leading a company wasn¡¯t that far from normal Lieutenant Colonel duties anyway. And since everything was left up to me, I got valuable experience being a leader. A bit of walking took me to the prison. There was plenty of screaming when I opened the door, a healer keeping our new friend alive. The Chief that brought him here saluted me. ¡°Sir. What shall we do with him?¡± ¡°We shall get answers from him.¡± ¡°Understood. How much longer do we need him?¡± ¡°Today is good enough.¡± I looked at the dismembered knight, feeling the familiar pangs of anger rise. I knew what this man had done and I wanted to know why he had done it. Three dozen soldiers were dead at this man¡¯s hand. The Chief gestured at the healer. ¡°Come.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± The healer stopped working on Ilmar, leaving with the Chief. Now, I was alone in the cell with him. I stepped over. Ilmar had been stripped to his underwear, revealing certain tattoos that looked to be engraved across portions of his skin. They were red, fresh with the power of vitality, and particularly demonic. That alone was enough to condemn him to death.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. A Ka-Bar appeared in my hand. It was a good knife, and I liked the way it felt in my hand. I smiled just a bit as I stabbed the blade into Ilmar¡¯s thigh, the one that had been turned to mush from my buckshot blast. ¡°AAHH! Fuck!¡± ¡°Why did you do it?¡± ¡°Fuck you! I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°Your chest tells me otherwise.¡± ¡°Aaahhh!¡± He screamed as I carved a circle around the demonic symbols. ¡°I know exactly what you did. Now I need to know why. These inscriptions give you greater power, but I didn¡¯t think that would be enough to make you turncoat. Then again, you suddenly advanced so maybe that was worth it to you.¡± I ripped the knife out, making Ilmar scream again. ¡°That tired of being in Authority 6, huh?¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± ¡°I mean, you are 54. I can imagine being frustrated, especially since you¡¯re still in the military. Old, worn, not enough talent to go any farther.¡± ¡°Shut it, fucking punk! Your worthless brain could never understand!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, and I take pride in that.¡± ¡°AGGH!¡± I stabbed again, pinning his arm to the wooden bed underneath him, staring into his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m too fucking good to sit around worthlessly like you. And unlike you, I don¡¯t need demonic power to get better. But at the same time, I guess I do understand a bit.¡± I stabbed again, pinning his other arm. ¡°No matter where you go, worthless piles of shit like you will always stoop to the lowest in an attempt to take power they don¡¯t deserve. Thankfully, all of you are also idiots. It¡¯s been almost too easy to catch you all!¡± I ripped the knife down his arm, drawing more guttural screams. Then I pulled it out and stepped to the side, grabbing a wet cloth from a fresh water bucket and wiping down my blade. ¡°So, Ilmar, tell me when, where, and who.¡± ¡°Haah¡­ You¡¯re going to kill me anyways. Why should I tell you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, do you not fear the pain I¡¯ll put you through? Since you know you¡¯re going to die, then give me the information and let me end you quickly, painlessly. You wouldn¡¯t want your last few hours to be spent in sheer agony. Besides, who the hell would you be fighting for? It¡¯s not like the Scourge cares about you.¡± Once my knife was clean I looked over, seeing the blood stream out of Ilmar¡¯s body. He was a knight so I knew I had a few hours left with him. If I had locked away his Vigor, that time would¡¯ve been measured in minutes at best. A blessing and a curse, being so tough. I walked over, tracing the tip of my knife over his body. I didn¡¯t draw blood, didn¡¯t even scratch him, yet he shuddered. I could practically taste the fear, the anticipation for what I would do. Guns were great tools to induce fear, but they hurt too quickly. Most often, it was the anticipation that got to people. That meant you had to brandish these slow, deliberate tools like a blade in order to grow that anticipation. Let them scare themselves. Let them imagine all the things I could do. ¡°First question.¡± I placed the knife near one of his fingers. ¡°Where did you meet the Royal who offered to help you?¡± ¡°...¡± He was silent, looking at me and breathing heavily. Seven seconds passed. I sliced the knife across the wood bed, taking off half of his index finger. ¡°Aaggh!¡± ¡°Answer me, Ilmar.¡± ¡°Just kill me, asshole!¡± ¡°When I get my answers, I will. Same question. You have seven seconds.¡± ¡°Dammit! Fuck!¡± He cursed a few times, counting down. His breathing grew laborious when the limit approached, and he grit his teeth when it arrived. That¡¯s when I suddenly reached over and grabbed a chunk of flesh on his scrambled thigh, twisting and pulling. ¡°GAAHHH! Shit!¡± ¡°Answer me, Ilmar.¡± My face fell, my anger rising. This guy had no reason to withhold this information from me beyond sheer spite. The stupidity was driving me up the wall, and I didn¡¯t want to deal with it. I let my Aura spill into the surroundings before concentrating it entirely on him. His eyes widened, probably because he could actually feel me reaching into his mind. He didn¡¯t have a powerful Aura. His talent ended when he reached Authority 6, which is why he sold his soul to acquire demonic power and reach Authority 7. It had been only yesterday, right before he left for his mission, that he advanced. I knew that my Aura trumped his own by magnitudes. However, there was one particular¡­ ability, if you could call it that, that I acquired that only four other people I knew could boast of. Anarchy. My triumph over Anarchy meant I could somewhat wield its power. In a way, Anarchy never left my mind or the minds of my squad. We had just rationalized it, so used to suppressing it it was natural to us. It was never a worry, and I had never thought about it much after those days following Purple Sky. But there was no reason I couldn¡¯t utilize that insanity. I had experienced it. I had succumbed to it. Now? I could wield it. Anarchy permeated my Aura and with my power of the mind, Ilmar¡¯s psyche began to warp. The same insanity that Anarchy spread throughout Purple Sky began to take root in Ilmar¡¯s mind. While it was severely watered down compared to the real thing, Ilmar was also facing one of the most powerful summoners in the world, someone who utilized illusions and mental trickery. His struggling began to fade, and after a dozen seconds, picked back up. He was already locked down to the bed and couldn¡¯t move anywhere, but he pushed out his knightly power as best he could anyway, grinding against the metal cuffs and drawing blood as his skin tore. ¡°Let me¡­ Kill me!¡± ¡°Answer my question, and I will.¡± ¡°No¡­ Please, I just¡­ Kill me!¡± ¡°Answer my question!¡± I pressed the knife against his throat. Now though, it wasn¡¯t a threat. He wanted death, severely, and I was witholding it from him. ¡°If you want what only I can give then you¡¯ll answer my question. And don¡¯t think that I can¡¯t keep you alive. There¡¯s a healer right outside that door.¡± ¡°Argh! Fuck!¡± ¡°Where did you meet the Royal who offered to help you?!¡± ¡°On a mission! When we went out to push back a contingent in the field! I met her on night watch¡­¡± ¡°Who¡¯s her?¡± ¡°She¡­ was a temptress.¡± ¡°No shit.¡± I felt like rolling my eyes. Of course it was a temptress. Half of the people I¡¯d caught were tempted by them. It was no wonder they got that name. It felt like I¡¯d have to start blindfolding my troops so they didn¡¯t get seduced by demonic whores. ¡°Go on. When did you meet?¡± ¡°It was during a night watch. She said she could help me¡­ Not just power, but she would pull back her troops and let us clear the area.¡± ¡°And it did it out of the goodness of its heart?¡± ¡°Well¡­ She wanted me to help her¡­ and then join her.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I knew exactly what she wanted him to do. Kill off his platoon before ditching the base to join her. Except, he fucked up by returning to base and letting me get my hands on him. I thought about the records I had sifted through, well over a year¡¯s worth of records that had taken me nearly two months to go through and find out how many people weren¡¯t marked as killed in action, but were still missing. People that never came back, but never had their deaths confirmed. There were a few dozen of them, all of them in the middle ranks like this Commander. Well, Commander Ilmar had been promoted to Commander not because he had reached the Authority 7 standard, but because he was old, experienced, and a good leader. He was trusted and so he earned a rank one step higher than his Authority warranted. Seemed like he wasn¡¯t satisfied and bit at the first sign of bait. That Temptress hooked him in and used him. He would¡¯ve been another Corrupted with the Scourge if I hadn¡¯t gotten my hands on him first. Of course, we¡¯ve also lost three dozen soldiers due to him. An entire platoon whose combat power we could no longer use. I felt my anger rise. I was getting just about everything I needed from this guy. I was a few questions away from killing him. ¡°So what, you just saw the temptress and left with it? Did you sneak out? Did it slip you a message somehow?¡± ¡°... It talked to me¡­ In my mind.¡± ¡°Telepathically? Like a voice in your head?¡± He nodded, making me narrow my eyes. That was new information. I had never been told that before. ¡°It was the temptress that spoke to you in your mind?¡± ¡°... I think so.¡± ¡°When you met with it, were there any other beasts or monster with it?¡± ¡°There was a Scout¡­ and some weird mushy thing that she carried. It was alive, but had no eyes or ears, not even a mouth. It was¡­ like a ball of flesh with arms.¡± ¡°What did it do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± I closed my eyes and let out a long sigh, feeling my blood pressure rising. Another species and I had no idea what it did. Part of me wanted to assume but I really couldn¡¯t. Maybe it was the thing that was communicating with Ilmar telepathically. Maybe it was some kind of concealment species. Maybe the Temptress had telepathic powers and that thing was like some kind of pet. The pet part was unlikely since there was no way it wasn¡¯t a specialized species, but I couldn¡¯t know. I¡¯d have to either watch or capture one to figure it out, and I doubted that would happen anytime soon. For now, all I knew was that the Scourge was drawing out troops via telepathy. It was a brilliant way to communicate and leave no trace, safe for both the Scourge and potential traitors. Did the Kingdom not have magic blockers or jammers or something? That would make my life so much easier. After calming myself a bit I resumed asking questions. I tried to get finer details out of him but the insanity was getting to him by now and his answers were marred by grunts, groans, and pleas for me to kill him. When I was finally done, I simply put a pistol against his head and pulled the trigger a few times. I closed my eyes again, taking a few deep breaths before walking out of the cell. The Chief on standby saluted. ¡°He¡¯s dead. Get rid of him.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to bathe. Got that swine¡¯s blood on me.¡± ¡°Sir, General Viskar has asked for your presence.¡± ¡°...Why?¡± ¡°The messenger didn¡¯t say, but the Marshal is there too. They¡¯re waiting.¡± ¡°Then they better like the smell of blood.¡± I muttered while walking off. I had a feeling I knew what they wanted but I was too pissed to care whether they were upset or not. Since headquarters was right next door I simply popped over and went to the Marshal¡¯s office. Inside was General Viskar. Marshal Boores eyed me when I walked in. ¡°Envoy. How was the prisoner?¡± ¡°He spilled what he knew. Another temptress, another weak willed man. They can speak into minds now. And there¡¯s a new species. It¡¯ll be in a report soon.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He nodded, pondering a second before looking back at me. ¡°You¡¯ve been doing great work, Envoy. Your performance has always been exceptional, and the amount of traitors you¡¯ve caught, while not yet affecting significant numbers like casualty rates and the like, has brought us great peace of mind. We know there are far fewer traitors in our midst and we have you to thank for that. So tell me¡­¡± He leaned forward, anger marring his brows. ¡°Why have I received orders from the rear saying that you¡¯re going to be spending half your time back in the capital?¡± I looked down at his desk when he threw forward a small bundle of papers, a letter from not just a general, but a Sovereign. I recognized the insignia stamped on it. Marshal Boores was not pleased. ¡°You¡¯re going into enchanting? That¡¯s the only reason for you leaving I can think of after hearing Sawn¡¯s name.¡± ¡°... Yes sir. I¡¯ve studied enchanting before and I feel I have valuable ideas to bring to the field.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a smart man, and I don¡¯t doubt that you do. But you¡¯ve taken on a lot of responsibility here, you¡¯re managing an entire division, and it¡¯s producing results. My question is, why are you doing this now? Unless you¡¯ve trained someone to take on your role, your division will cease to be effective and I¡¯ll likely have to disband it since you¡¯ll be gone every other month. It¡¯s a waste of resources, manpower, and most importantly, you¡¯re throwing away everything you¡¯ve built up! We need you here, not crunching designs at the Spire! So why do I have a transfer notice on my damn desk?!¡± He slammed his palm into the wood, standing with his outburst. I was honestly surprised that he was so mad. ¡°... I¡¯m sorry, sir. I¡¯ve had a prior arrangement with Sawn for a while now. I can¡¯t renege on our agreement.¡± ¡°No fucking shit! And here I thought you were going to be the one to succeed Major General Quill! You could say that¡¯s the main reason I didn¡¯t mind promoting you to Lieutenant Colonel! You¡¯re a damn fine soldier, and an even better intelligence agent that¡¯s earned my trust! I can trust in your competence and your integrity, but now I find out that you were never going to dedicate yourself to this base despite me giving you so much power! I¡¯d expect something like that from any other summoner, but not from you!¡± He suddenly reached out an arm and grabbed the side of the desk, sending it to the side of the room with a simple throw. Then he stepped up to me, getting in my face. I could feel his Aura bear down on the entire room. He was livid. ¡°Tell me something, Cooper. Were you ever invested in this place? You¡¯re the one who brought us here. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s tried so hard to give us the advantage. And yet you have no problem leaving just as you¡¯ve started to shape this place up for the better. So tell me why. Tell me why and give me a damn good reason not to strip down your rank right here and now.¡± I could feel the anger in his breath. I tried to keep as rigid as possible, as straight a face as possible. It sucked getting chewed out like this. ¡°... I don¡¯t believe that my work here is doing enough good. I believe that I¡¯ll be able to create machines that can help turn the tide of the war altogether. What I¡¯ve been doing here has done nothing more than mask the real problems.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been fighting off the Scourge, much better than most other bases currently, I might add. That¡¯s not good enough for you?¡± ¡°No. We should be reaching into their territories and sieging their nests like they do our bases. Yet we¡¯re constantly on the back foot, doing nothing but defending because we can¡¯t surpass their numbers advantage. That means we need to create weapons that render numbers obsolete.¡± I looked down, straight into Marshal Boores¡¯ eyes. ¡°Unless you can provide us with a feasible plan to not just push the incoming Scourge armies all the way back beyond the Pass, but march our legions over there and burn their nest to cinders, then I won¡¯t spend my time here when I could be doing more in the Capital. Unfortunately, I¡¯m not a knight, and regardless of whether I¡¯m here or there, I¡¯m a summoner and my progress will be steady and constant. I¡¯d prefer an environment where I can produce the most value. Sir.¡± I concluded, the two of us staring at each other for what felt like hours. It felt like my Aura was battling back his in an attempt to make him realize that I was confident in my decision. At some point he stepped back, walking to his desk and yanking it back over to its original spot. I remained rooted in place, waiting. ¡°Leave.¡± I said nothing and saluted, turning and leaving the room. He was still pissed. As I walked back to my office for the counterespionage division, I had the feeling that I had just cashed in on all the respect, influence, and renown I had accumulated over my time here just to keep my rank. While I may not have plummeted all the way back down to the level of most ordinary intelligence agents, I didn¡¯t feel that much farther above it. I¡¯d have to make preparations for my absence. I¡¯d still be returning every other month, but those months I was gone would mean that I could no longer exercise control over anything or anyone. These systems would have to operate completely independently of me. I decided to start writing. I had this next month or so to train people to fill my shoes before I left for the capital and started my new schedule. That was my deal with Sawn, and I had already drawn out the six months as long as possible precisely because of this issue with the Marshal. Chapter 194: Design Philosophy October 23, 624 The next several weeks passed relatively slowly. It felt like I wasn¡¯t working nearly as much, which wasn¡¯t a good thing. What I started doing was delegating my overarching responsibilities to Polly. Since I was now a Lieutenant Colonel, I was fulfilling my end of the deal with her. I started integrating her into the counterespionage division and after she got herself involved a bit, I put her name on most of the reports I drew up. She started getting most of the credit, but even then it wasn¡¯t like I was doctoring things. Turns out, Polly was really interested in counterespionage. She hadn¡¯t been at first, especially since I had just gotten promoted and she was letting me do my thing, not to mention that information regarding what I was doing was kept under wraps. Couldn¡¯t have my operations getting leaked, after all. But once my presence started having a major impact on the base, she took an interest. Thankfully that meant I had someone who could fill my shoes. Polly had a lot to do but if she wanted to put in the effort to become a leader in the counterespionage division, then that was her prerogative. At the very least she would be able to keep it running and do some good with it. She knew it would give her great influence too, which was probably the main reason she was so attracted to it. The position could be said to occupy the highest moral authority. To question it would bring your allegiance to humanity into doubt. You couldn¡¯t deny those whose job it was to weed out traitors. If that kind of authority didn¡¯t get Polly promoted to a General, nothing would. However, I had to make sure she could still do the job, which meant teaching her certain things about what it meant to work in the shadows. Operational security, surveillance, psychology, subterfuge, interrogation, and the philosophy behind what it meant to identify traitors. I taught her all these things and imparted the experience I gathered while on the job. Theory could only get you so far and I had learned a lot after many months of leading this initiative. I made sure to write all these things down and pass it on to her. Thankfully, the one thing that I didn¡¯t have to teach Polly about was information gathering. There was nobody better to handle information than her. She still surpassed me in that department. All she needed to do was learn how to apply those skills to a different enemy. That, and how to control information, including its dissemination and how to classify things. To this end I introduced the security clearance and classification system. Polly was smart, and she took to all of it quickly. Plus, I had already trained those within the division, and I had trained them to operate, on some level, independently. I didn¡¯t want to have to micromanage my operatives because not only would I not always be able to, but it would jeopardize their missions if they couldn¡¯t think for themselves and solve problems. How I controlled them, and the security of my operations, was through the control of information. Information was everything in this game and having a tight grasp on it was key to making sure your enemies couldn¡¯t find gaps in your armor while you found gaps in theirs. Of course, none of what the counterespionage division did was that complex. We weren¡¯t operating against foreign nations and I wasn¡¯t trying to uproot an enemy government from the inside. That wasn¡¯t possible in this world. What I was trying to do instead was make sure that the soldiers around me couldn¡¯t be led astray or killed by traitors. My counterespionage division was the check and balance against saboteurs and spies, making sure that even if there was a traitor, they couldn¡¯t harm us too much. I just hoped that the information I could give would be enough to perpetuate the blanket of safety the division provided. I didn¡¯t want it to disappear just because I left. I wanted to help Polly, but I also wanted to make sure she wasn¡¯t doing this strictly to the end of becoming a Brigadier General. I wanted her to do some good, and I set her up nicely for that. Time would tell whether or not she could be trusted with that kind of job. ¡­¡­ My eyes tracked a knight dragging in a Major, an Authority 4 summoner who was recently suspected of passing off mission intel to people, or things, he shouldn¡¯t be. The summoner¡¯s legs slid across the floor and into the prison since he was bound and gagged by the knight, unable to struggle or scream. Polly stood next to me, smiling. ¡°It was almost too easy to catch him. So? My first catch without your help. What do you think?¡± ¡°I think you caught a traitor, but of course we can¡¯t be certain about the details until he¡¯s interrogated. Either way, good job.¡± ¡°It¡¯s weird getting compliments from your subordinate. Almost as weird as getting criticism.¡± She chuckled as I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve got stuff to teach, and you picked it up fast. I¡¯m far from the best at this but I at least got you down the right path.¡± ¡°Where did you learn this stuff anyway? Nothing of this nature has ever been formulated in the Kingdom. Did someone teach you?¡± ¡°You could say I taught myself, but I had inspiration. All I can say is, the only reason you think this is new stuff is because those that engage in this practice usually do a good job of keeping it quiet. I have no doubt that the Kingdom has its own counterespionage and intelligence division. After all, I¡¯m sure they try and spy on the Church all the time. You¡¯ve just never heard about them. Fear not that which you know, but that which you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°I suppose¡­¡± She let out a breath, turning when her new prisoner disappeared into a cell. ¡°You leave tomorrow, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Back to the Capital.¡± ¡°Lucky you. No more dealing with endless reports and meetings.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be a new kind of work, but yes, I¡¯ll be much more comfortable. I¡¯ll actually be able to sleep on my bed instead of a pile of blankets.¡± I stretched as we walked off. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got nothing more to teach, nothing more to delegate, and hopefully nothing more to worry about. I¡¯m sure Operation Breakwater will be just fine with you here to take care of everything.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve a lot more on my plate, but yes. Like you, I¡¯m good at my job.¡± Polly smiled and turned to me when we arrived at the office door. ¡°You¡¯ve done good work, John. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d manage to snag the leading position of a whole new division out of our deal, let alone one so influential. You¡¯ve now provided me with everything I need to get that promotion. And as morbid as it is, with the new positions opening up lately, I¡¯ll have an easier time preventing others from keeping me down. Everything is perfect, and now it¡¯ll be on me to see this through. You¡¯ve done enough, so enjoy yourself. I know you¡¯ll do good work with enchanting.¡± ¡°I will. And thank you, Polly. Couldn¡¯t have done it without you.¡± ¡°You capitalized on opportunities.¡± We gave each other a quick hug, the short lady patting my back. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°That¡¯s all I could ask for. Now go pack and take the rest of the day off. I¡¯ll see you off tomorrow.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± With that we separated. I went to my room and packed what little I had into my personal storage. The last thing I did was send a message to Umara about what was happening. Then I went to sleep, ready for the next phase in my military career. ¡­¡­ ¡­ A couple days later I arrived in the Capital. The air wasn¡¯t as crisp but it also wasn¡¯t frigid, so I took in a long breath of content. My first day back was spent doing nothing. I was in contact with Sawn and he told me to relax my first day in, so that¡¯s what I did. I only ran a few errands, such as to go buy food, since I¡¯d be here for the next month. The next day though, I finally reported to my job site. The Spire was just as I remembered it. It was towering and radiated pure mana, each and every brick of the structure enchanted for who knows what. It was an impressive construction, and yet I couldn¡¯t help but feel like it came from an era of glory long passed. The Kingdom and its forces could no longer hold a candle to the great people who had initially erected such a monument. It felt like I was here, in part, to try and compensate for that. I walked in and tabbed the highest floor that the elevator could go to, the 76th floor. I saw the same lady sitting behind the desk on that floor as last time. When she looked up at me, I could tell she recognized me too. ¡°You¡¯re John Cooper, correct?¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again. The 88th floor awaits you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I gave her a smile before heading to the teleporter nearby. I was whisked away as soon as I indicated the 88th floor. Once I appeared I went down the hallway, pushing the double doors at the end open to find the same office as last time. There were 9 people within, including Sawn. He was reading a clipboard when I came in, and he looked up when I entered, the familiar smell of paper, ink, and metal hitting my nose. ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Cooper. Congratulations on your promotion.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°Come. Let us talk.¡± He waved me over to a side room where the two of us sat down. He smiled a bit as we settled into our seats. ¡°So I finally have you. How much of the enchanting lexicon have you learned from that workstation?¡± ¡°I was working on it not long before I left. I had gotten more free time so I¡¯ve memorized all of it.¡± ¡°Well, that certainly accelerates the schedule I had planned for you.¡± He nodded in approval. With my Authority 6 advancement and my new Memory Palace, memorizing the enchanting language was fairly simple. I hadn¡¯t been working so much given the fact that I was leaving, which left me plenty of time to work on this stuff since I knew I¡¯d be using it when I arrived here. Sawn tapped the table with a dull quill pen he pulled from his coat. ¡°That means you can begin applied work now. I¡¯ve arranged a dedicated teacher for you. With him you¡¯ll learn how to put together and develop working enchantments. Once you¡¯ve learned enough that teacher will bring you to our facility where we enchant working products to be sold. You¡¯ll work with him there for a time before moving on to more complex work in our research and development laboratory. How fast you can move through these phases depends on yourself. I¡¯m not giving you any deadlines but obviously, the faster, the better. I want your mind working on our latest innovations as soon as possible.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have my best, sir.¡± ¡°Good.¡± He nodded and tapped his aerial, sending a message. Several seconds later I turned, feeling someone about to knock on the door. The knock came. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Sir.¡± An older gentleman walked in, closing the door behind him. He had a full head of white hair, slightly disheveled, but he generally looked kept together. He looked tired more than anything and was an Authority 7 summoner. ¡°Ovidius, this is John Cooper, your newest student.¡± ¡°Hm. Good to meet you.¡± ¡°Likewise, sir.¡± I stood and shook the man¡¯s hand. He had calluses around his writing fingers nearly identical to mine, indicative of constant paper penning. I had the same from writing reports to non-summoners. Considering the summoners here had to give information to warlocks, who seemed to loathe using Orbs, I could imagine why he had to write so much. He glanced down at my hand for a split second before nodding. It seems we had established a mutual respect for one another, as well as a mutual annoyance regarding warlock obsessions with tangible texts. ¡°John has memorized the lexicon, so you need only teach him enchanting design.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± ¡°You can begin now, and spare no expense. We want him in R&D as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Understood. Follow me.¡± He waved me along, the two of us entering the main office before finding a teleporter and going to the 85th floor. We arrived in a wide open space. I could see the entire floor from where we landed, no dividing walls or structures hindering my view. It was rather massive even if we were so high up in the Spire, especially when one saw all of it at once. ¡°This is our general enchanting facility. After various products like Aerials, heating and cooling devices, and many of our other products are built, they come here to get enchanted. You¡¯ll find more warlocks here than summoners since summoners can¡¯t do anything to help with this job beyond logging numbers and such. It¡¯s here that we¡¯ll get you familiar with the design process. There are many working and unfinished products here that we can tamper with, and you¡¯ll be able to see the process occur in real time. I¡¯ve prepared a workstation for us.¡± I followed him as he walked through the floor, finding one of the empty workstations seemingly reserved for his use. Once there he tapped the station a few times and booted it up. I saw hundreds of designs flutter across the screen as he used it. A few were pulled up before he turned to me. ¡°Have you really memorized the lexicon?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that I can ask you about any given symbol, junction, and array, and you¡¯d be able to identify and describe each one?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not foggy or doubtful about any of them?¡± ¡°No sir.¡± ¡°...Very well.¡± After seeing my confidence, he just nodded and turned back to the screen, tabbing through a few designs. ¡°I understand that you are a Lieutenant Colonel?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°Sawn said you were promoted to such in a little over a year. You must¡¯ve done some good work.¡± ¡°I did what I could. Did you serve, sir?¡± I turned my eyes away from the screen, gazing at the wisened old man as he nodded. ¡°I served for 52 years. I retired as a Brigadier General, and in all that time I¡¯ve never even heard of someone promoted as fast as you. Usually the top brass doesn¡¯t like it when a summoner gets promoted too quickly.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the front lines have been facing increasingly dangerous pressure from the Scourge. Fortunately for me that provided opportunities to stand out with my performance.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your station?¡± ¡°Stronghold Charlie, currently reinforcing Forward Base Treehouse, Charlie Company, Pathfinders Platoon, although currently I have processing transfer orders to the Snow Doves Platoon.¡± I recalled Nonnen¡¯s words not long ago. He had been serious when he said he wanted me in his Platoon. And since some had died during the first phase of Operation Breakwater, there were openings that needed filling. They were quickly reinforced with the necessary troops to fill their combat power, but Nonnen still wanted me there. My involvement with the Counterespionage division put the transfer on hold but around a week ago he had pushed the transfer request again since there was nothing stopping him now. I smiled when I recalled the fact that he was the first platoon, along with Pollux¡¯s, that adopted some of the policy changes that came with the founding of the counterespionage division. One of those changes was operational security on the squadron level. That meant that everyone involved had to communicate, at least over aerial communications, using callsigns. No names, no identifiers, nothing that the Scourge could utilize to glean information on operations. It was just one of several changes that I had pushed for because I didn¡¯t want to take the chance that the Scourge could in fact intercept and decipher aerial communications, or worse, use its information to threaten either our missions or our people, even beyond the military. I zoned back in when Ovidius nodded. ¡°I remember Stronghold Charlie. The Snow Doves are a hard group of fighters. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re going to be transferring to them given you¡¯re a summoner.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a summoner who can fight, but yes, I understand the surprise.¡± ¡°I see. Well, good luck. I can imagine how dangerous it would be for you to fight in the field.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± I smiled a bit as Ovidius finally pulled up a group of basic designs. ¡°Alright. Allow me to guide you through basic design philosophy. Depending on how fast you can absorb information, I can teach you this within the month that you¡¯re here. After that we should be able to get you to the complex designs that¡¯ll pave the way to your work in R&D.¡± Chapter 195: Efficiency Enchanting was quite the unique process. For a world without computers, it was eerily like software engineering, except there were four programming languages, one for each of the elements. If you were only using one element, things were simple, but as soon as you used two, or three, or god forbid, all four, things rose in complexity horribly quickly. That wasn¡¯t even mentioning that the languages weren¡¯t necessarily complete. Until every possible spell and bit of information was unearthed, including the deepest intricacies unknown to all but the most powerful warlocks to ever live, the languages wouldn¡¯t ever be completed. It was like the laws of physics. We knew what we knew and had to work within the limits of our own flawed understandings. Thankfully there was more than enough to work with as it was. I didn¡¯t need to concern myself with discovering anything. What I went on to learn over my first month working in Sawn Industries involved everything regarding designing enchantments. It was the difference between learning a programming language and actually creating a program yourself. Perhaps expectedly though, it came to me almost too easily. My powers of visualization were the single greatest tool for developing enchantments where entire structures had to be, well, visualized. It was like a game inside my head. I already knew what all the pieces did; I just had to match them together and, by consequence of everything else, the enchantment either worked or didn¡¯t. I could imagine what the enchantment would do before I even got it out of my brain. The only unfortunate part of this whole thing was the fact that I couldn¡¯t modify my Mind Palace and install a dedicated workshop there. My mind was a bit too rigid for that at the moment. I¡¯d have to wait for my next advancement, but when that came, I had a list of changes ready to implement. This would only get easier. Ovidius was quite shocked at how quickly I was able to understand what he was teaching me. It wasn¡¯t enough to simply memorize the details of all the parts and pieces. You had to comprehend what it all did and then extrapolate what the various pieces would do when they came together and their functions compounded. I could understand it as if I were being told by someone else what the enchantment would do. The information flowed freely in my mind and when Ovidius would hand me an enchantment, I could tell him whether it would work, if it was broken, or if it was fractured and how to fix it. At some point I started seeing deficiencies even in the most basic arrays, and that¡¯s when my understanding of all this really started to take off. The enchantment system of this world started to form in my mind, coming together until it became a logical chain. In other words, it clicked, and before my month of training ended I started memorizing dozens of various enchantments. I memorized those both simple and complex, loading up on data that I could think about when I went back to the Treehouse. Even before that though, I figured something out about enchanting. Not just how one or many pieces functioned, but a core foundational rule and function of the way enchanting worked. It came to me one late night in the Spire. I had three days before leaving to go back to the Treehouse and I had gotten engrossed in my work for the eighth time since coming here. It was like my body knew that I¡¯d be leaving soon and it wanted to put me in a trance whenever it could. I quite enjoyed it, especially since Ovidius didn¡¯t mind letting me get extra sleep whenever I stayed late. I tabbed through a dozen or so formations and arrays on my huge workstation. The massive screen fluttered with images of pure Psyka, the entire thing a giant Orb for me to use and manipulate with my mind as I saw fit. After gathering up a few of the formations I saw I brought them to another screen where I plastered them all together, almost instantly drawing up the connections between them and turning them into one big whole. It was a relatively simple enchantment despite the number of components. According to Ovidius, this particular enchantment was a valuable teaching enchantment because of how complex its formation was despite the simple function. It was a fire element enchantment designed to make a White Crystal emit heat. Not fire, not hot air, but simply emit heat. It would heat up the device around the crystal, one usually made of some kind of metal, and the metal would conduct and emit that heat in turn. With the size of this one, it was basically a hand warmer, but the enchantment could be scaled to have myriads of applications such as temperature regulation in fancy clothes, vehicles, homes to heat up water, roadways to melt snow, and more. The most complex part of the enchantment came from the on and off switch that was implemented. There were also several other conditional switches that could be built in, such as to only activate at certain temperatures, to maintain certain temperatures, to activate at different times of the day. This was where I got some inspiration. The most important detail to me though was when I saw the insulation. Turns out, energy leaked from these enchantments. Go figure, I had learned this long before. However, what made it particularly outstanding was the fact that these leaks, usually of mana, didn¡¯t just radiate from the enchantments. They could pass through anything trying to block them, to insulate them. That wasn¡¯t possible on this scale unless it acted like one of the fundamental forces. The Electromagnetic Force. Electricity, and magnetism, operated the same way. That¡¯s why wires had rubber insulation on them. If they didn¡¯t, wires that were close together would be interfering with each other, data cables would get their data messed up as the electromagnetic forces reached out across space to push and pull on other electrons or charges. That¡¯s why the more powerful the cable, the more insulation it needed. Even then, up the voltage enough and electricity would find a ground, whether the humans nearby liked it or not. I started finding that these enchantments operated in much the same way as electricity. Not completely, because magic still broke a few fundamental laws and that part still drove me up the wall. But it was similar enough that it could influence design philosophy, and I immediately latched onto that. My degree would not be for nothing! Of course, it didn¡¯t help me immediately solve the insulation issue. That would come later once I could experiment. However, it did affect how I approached developing these magical circuits. Would I be able to make a magic computer anytime soon? Not necessarily, even if it might be possible. However, magic followed the amateur logic gates that the people here at Sawn Industries developed, and that meant I could take their designs to a whole new level of complexity and efficiency. My last three days in the capital passed with that excitement at the forefront of my mind. I couldn¡¯t even explain to Ovidius what I was so excited about. I couldn¡¯t show him yet, not because I didn¡¯t want to, but because I¡¯d have to spend some time actually improving designs first. He¡¯d have to wait until the next month I was here. But it was a lot of food for thought. I¡¯d be pondering this stuff at the Treehouse. The only unfortunate thing was how I¡¯d actually have to go back. That dreaded day soon came. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna.¡± ¡°You need to go.¡± ¡°I wanna stay.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be branded a deserter.¡± ¡°Just tell them that I¡¯m staying to work here from now on.¡± ¡°It was hard enough getting you for as long as I did. You had to go make yourself important. They¡¯d skin me alive if I tried to take you away from the front lines for good. Blame yourself.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I grunted at Sawn¡¯s ruthless words, slumping over my workstation. After sitting there for a handful of seconds I rose back up and tapped the screen a few times. ¡°Well, while I¡¯m gone you can go over my work. Let me know if I¡¯m actually right.¡± ¡°Regarding what?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve changed a few things in some of the schematics I was actually able to go over. There are only three of them and I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve finished making the changes completely, but it¡¯s close and it should paint the picture.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Hm.¡± Sawn hummed while looking over at the schematics I pulled up on the screen. At that point I glanced at my Aerial. I had a bit of time before my Rail departure but the window was closing and there was something I wanted to do before then. ¡°I¡¯ve improved efficiency, putting it simply. Let me know if it works though. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve been able to test anything.¡± ¡°... Very well. I¡¯ll review your work. You should go.¡± ¡°Mm. See you next month.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Sawn nodded as I lit a cigar, walking out and puffing a bit of smoke into the area. After leaving the Magic Spire, I looked down at my Aerial and brought up a new message, typing a response. I hadn¡¯t necessarily had time before, but I happened to have a bit of time now and I was particularly interested in finally getting my hands on an item only now decipherable. I headed over to the Founder¡¯s Market, bypassing dark and shady streets like they were my old stomping grounds. It felt like ages since I¡¯d been to some of these places. I could even remember the location of my first delivery with Plex. Shrugging, I came upon a little mask shop with an open door. There were a few parents and children in the area, many of them wanting for the pretty masks, most of them too poor to get anything beyond something incredibly basic. It seemed Aki was generous though. Every child walked away with something. I picked out the kitsune mask pretty quickly, Aki raising her head as soon as I took a single step in. Now that I got a good look at her after all this time on the battlefield, I realized how good her Aura was. It was actually sharper than mine, elusive, threatening to escape my senses should I let it. No wonder I hadn¡¯t even thought about it before. ¡°John! It¡¯s good to see you!¡± ¡°Hi Aki.¡± I gave her a smile as she finished up with a customer, giving me a quick, habitual bow before waving me over. ¡°Come come, I have the booklet!¡± I followed as we went to her back room full of supplies and crafting tools. She took the booklet out of a pocket storage and handed it to me once the door closed behind us. ¡°I¡¯m sorry it took so long. Some of his Japanese seeped into the formations themselves and it was difficult to decipher what he was trying to say. Some things are also incomplete as well, but I¡¯ve gone over everything I could.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very alright. I¡¯ve been caught up with the military myself so it¡¯s not like I was the one waiting on you.¡± I took the booklet as well as another copy of a near identical booklet. One was the original, completely untouched, the other was the translated version. I set them down on a table and flipped through both, shocked at how thorough she was. She even wrote down when translations were either vague or multi-faceted, allowing me to interpret it multiple ways. ¡°Wow. Thank you so much, Aki. This is incredible.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. You bought it anyway. That money got me this home and business. It¡¯s the least I can do. I have something else for you as well.¡± She handed me a bound stack of papers. ¡°This is everything I know on Invocations. It¡¯s not much, but it details the processes, the materials, and any other small details I could pick up on and remember. Since you¡¯re a summoner and studied engineering on Earth, I figured you were dabbling in enchanting and could do something with this.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve actually taken a deep dive into enchanting recently, so yes, this¡¯ll be great material to study from.¡± I flipped through the papers, scanning and memorizing certain key words and sections unconsciously. Aki and I had discussed many things back when we first met, and besides, it wasn¡¯t far fetched to assume a summoner was doing something with enchanting. The only issue was that I couldn¡¯t do much with this right now. From quick glances it seemed like Invocations were a field of their own separate from enchanting, and I didn¡¯t want to risk exposing this information and catching attention. I decided to just keep it hidden for now. Maybe when I got more resources I could properly dabble in the field. If it was anything like Crowns, I¡¯d need much more than just an enchanting workstation. ¡°I¡¯ll make good use of it.¡± ¡°I know you will. Also¡­ I have some information.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I was approached by the Church recently.¡± Aki¡¯s tone fell, but I didn¡¯t sense any particular fear or urgency from her. This didn¡¯t seem like anything bad, at least as it pertained to her. ¡°I don¡¯t know who it was but they invited me to help them study Invocations at the Holy See. I happen to be rather adept with them so they were going to bring me on as a researcher, to help them figure out how to use them.¡± ¡°...That implies that they figured out how to create and implant them. I know they have the legacies from other people from the Pillars, but I didn¡¯t expect this so soon. Did you accept?¡± I cut off my train of thought and looked back up at her. She nodded. ¡°Yes. They¡¯re going to give me a salary and it''s frankly too much to pass up. I don¡¯t exactly enjoy living in the Founder¡¯s Market. I also want to help in their fight against the Scourge, even if it doesn¡¯t matter all that much.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Every little bit matters, no matter how small. We¡¯ll need everything to face this enemy. I myself am going to be mirroring some of Earth¡¯s technology as I develop some enchantments. Hopefully it¡¯ll be enough to bolster the Kingdom¡¯s military.¡± ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s amazing. Going to make some planes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking. Air superiority is the name of the game.¡± ¡°Hehe, spoken like a true American.¡± ¡°Damn straight. Only reason I didn¡¯t become a pilot was because I¡¯m too tall. Shorties couldn¡¯t handle all this Texan muscle.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­.¡± Aki laughed as I stood and flexed on what could have been. ¡­¡­ Sawn looked over at Ovidius, who sat in a nearby chair by John¡¯s workstation. Since John was gone they could review his work on the desk, and Sawn wanted to go over this stuff now, though he wasn¡¯t sure what John had been eluding to when he left. He pointed to the screen and looked over at Ovidius. ¡°What did he do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure. He said he had a breakthrough and then went off doing his own thing. He¡¯s spent the past three days modifying our enchantments and he didn¡¯t let me look or help.¡± ¡°Well, now is the time to do just that. Come with me.¡± Sawn grabbed the Orb that sat on the workstation. It contained the data and it was time to review John¡¯s work. The two made their way into Sawn¡¯s office, placing the Orb onto his personal workstation and bringing up the schematics on a screen that took up half the wall. The two were silent as they scanned the first schematic. It was the heating enchantment, the one most often used for learning and teaching. It was both basic and complex, and most importantly, hadn¡¯t been improved upon in nearly two decades. Most didn¡¯t bother because it was efficient and it worked perfectly fine. Any improvements would be minuscule at best and weren¡¯t worth the hours put into it. This enchantment looked completely different though. It didn¡¯t have any of the conditional switches implemented, nothing but a simple on and off switch that let out a fixed heat. It was the most simple iteration of the enchantment and yet the two could barely recognize it. The design was a third of the complexity and twice as compact. If it were enchanted onto a device, it would be six times smaller. Not only that, but the remaining complexity looked like a redundancy built into the heating system. What it did, Sawn wasn¡¯t sure, but when he ran a virtual test on it, the results were positive. That meant it at least worked. ¡°...Get me a heating shell and an Authority 4 White Crystal.¡± ¡°On it.¡± Ovidius ran out, going to another facility where he grabbed the requested items, and ran back. He placed the two objects onto a desk, Sawn grabbing the shell and planting the crystal into the designated slot. After that he took out one of his personal enchanting tools, a Mana Quill and Eyecrystal, placed the device onto his workstation, clamped it down, and went to work. The enchanting was done quickly, Sawn having engraved his mana into the device following the simple schematics. Then he tuned the White Crystal to the device according to John¡¯s specifications before bringing over some measurement tools. After three different devices were in place, Sawn activated them and the device. The heater, a thick metal plate without any outstanding features beyond the slightly protruding White Crystal, started to heat up. The devices measured the heat as well as how much energy the Crystal put out to run the enchantments. After a few minutes the numbers came back, Sawn¡¯s eyes widening just a second after Ovidius¡¯. ¡°...What¡¯s the efficiency change, Ovidius?¡± ¡°Just by the energy used, it¡¯s about four times more efficient. If we also factor in the size and scalability¡­ over 20 times more efficient. It also seems to leak nearly zero Magika.¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± Ovidius glanced over as Sawn started laughing, barely managing to stifle his excitement. ¡°I knew it¡­ I knew it! Do you still doubt me, Ovidius?¡± ¡°I never really doubted you, sir. I just didn¡¯t expect this much¡­¡± ¡°Neither did I! And yet here it is. Just this innovation alone could make us hundreds of thousands of gold and save us a few times that over the next five years¡­ And that¡¯s just for a simple heating device. Can you imagine what we can apply these efficiency improvements to?¡± Sawn¡¯s eyes were wide in anticipation, Ovidius nodding as he thought of the thousands of applications. Efficiency and leakage were the two problems plaguing the entire enchanting industry. He hadn¡¯t thought John would be able to solve it. Even if he didn¡¯t solve it completely, the improvements he would bring were invaluable. Suddenly, Sawn snapped. ¡°Nobody must hear of this, understood?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Wipe his workstation, and I¡¯ll keep this Orb with me. Next month he will train with you in a private setting. I will build him an office on this floor. Give me a list of everything you two will need, and develop an accelerated curriculum with curated enchantments and schematics. I want him in R&D by the end of the next month at the latest.¡± ¡°It will be done. He is smart enough to pull that off.¡± ¡°I know he is. That¡¯s why I started trying to recruit him as soon as he won the Magisterium¡¯s tournament.¡± Sawn rubbed his chin, Ovidius giving him a knowing glance. ¡°He will be a summoner whose name echoes through the annals of history. In some way he already is¡­ and I will not squander this chance. Perhaps the Lord has finally heard our cries for an enchanter to rival Gearworks. I¡¯ll have to arrange things with his General, perhaps get a workstation built over there. Maybe I can give him more time to work if we set something up¡­¡± Sawn retreated into his own mind, a mess of thoughts and plans, occasionally throwing something out to Ovidius standing by the side to record on a piece of paper. He would forget things later and would need reminding. Sometimes, Ovidius thought that Sawn was actually a summoner at heart, mistakenly born into a warlock''s body. Chapter 196: Bread and Butter December 1, 624 I arrived back at the Treehouse and to my great surprise, there was hardly anything for me to do. Seems I had trained my people well. Polly had a few questions for me regarding the counterespionage division, but that was about the extent of my input. I had been gone for a month, and everyone had figured out how to go on without me. It was odd, being able to walk around base without being pulled every which way. Unfortunately, that also meant I was no longer in charge of certain things, my workload divvied up and handed to other intelligence agents. I practically had no responsibilities at the moment. Of course, I was still a Lieutenant Colonel, which meant I defaulted to Polly¡¯s side. I would just do whatever she wanted me to do ¨C mostly some elementary reports and reading to get me back up to speed. But that didn¡¯t last forever. Not long after my return, I received a transfer order. Not for location ¨C I wasn¡¯t lucky enough to finally be rid of this frozen hellhole, despite its desperate need for me ¨C but unit. It took a couple days, but about a week after my return, on the first of December, the transfer was authorized. I would become a Snow Dove. I grabbed what few items I had and ditched my room, transferring to the building reserved specifically for the Snow Doves (and now the plentiful other higher power platoons). Once there I prepared my bed, since there was actually a bed in my new room, and went down into their rec room. ¡°Oh shit. Look who it is.¡± ¡°The newbie is here.¡± ¡°Dressed up all pretty too.¡± A few of the old Snow Doves smiled and quipped as I walked in. The unit had gotten reinforced with fresh bodies, so almost half of the now-expanded platoon was new, even if they weren¡¯t quite as new as me. However, they didn¡¯t say much, unlike the others who seemed to enjoy seeing me in my Glimmers. Nonnen was already there, as well as the other Authority 10 that had finally come to replace Miron. A. Cemil was stenciled on her nametag. She was shorter than I expected her to be, standing no taller than 5¡¯ 2¡±. That didn¡¯t subtract from the general impression of scrappiness she exuded, her faint freckles and button nose only adding to the impression despite their usual implication. I took a moment to look around at the hecklers before approaching Nonnen. I was dressed up not for my transfer, but because it was about time for my rank to match my Authority. Nonnen called. ¡°Alright, everyone at attention!¡± With his command all the Snow Doves rose from their seats and stood in their places semi-rigidly. Nonnen smiled at me. ¡°Not much of a ceremony, but at least I¡¯ll be the one pinning you.¡± ¡°I appreciate it, sir.¡± ¡°Mm. Now¡­¡± Nonnen looked around as I stood at attention in front of him. He announced. ¡°Today, John Cooper will become a Snow Dove! He will be my Envoy, the Intelligence Liaison for the platoon, and our long range weapon specialist! And to commemorate his induction into our platoon¡­¡± Nonnen brought out a new insignia, the pins for a First Sergeant, and replaced my old Master Sergeant rank. Once he was done, the two of us saluted each other. ¡°John Cooper is hereby promoted to First Sergeant! For Honor!¡± ¡°For Honor!¡± Everyone chanted, my salute going down with Nonnen¡¯s. We both smiled and shook hands. ¡°I¡¯m honored, sir.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve long earned it, First Sergeant. Now, Commander Bieito! Bring out the drinks! Colonel Polly made sure to give us the next two days off, so let''s enjoy it!¡± ¡°Hurrah!¡± Everyone cheered in celebration, several people rushing off to grab any alcohols they could get their hands on. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Everyone line up and collect the booklets, one of each. After that, take your seat and I¡¯ll start my lecture.¡± Around 50 people all stood up and lined up promptly, not rushed, but not wasting any time with sluggish movements or fighting to be in front of one or the other. Vetsmon glanced at the table before them. On it were three stacks of booklets, each one thicker than the last. The person in front of him grabbed one from each stack, and Vetsmon followed along, feeling the rough paper on his fingers as he carefully took his set, following the others and finding his seat. He took a look at the covers of the books as he sat down: Compiled Reports: Western Scourge Front, another called Chemical and Biological Threat Mitigation and Suppression, and the last titled Principles of Operational Security and Counter-Intelligence. The titles were curious. They felt strangely familiar, not in content ¨C he only barely had a clue what they might¡¯ve been about ¨C but manner, but he couldn¡¯t quite place it. As the last person grabbed the booklets and sat down, one of the commanding officers, a summoner, stepped up to the front. What little chatter there was instantly cut off before the summoner even had to ask. The wall behind him suddenly flickered to life, an image of each booklet appearing on it. ¡°Alright, today¡¯s talk will be relatively brief, but you¡¯ll all be expected to study the contents in each of these books later. The Compiled Reports will give you information on your soon-to-be operational area. You¡¯ll be shipping out to the Kingdom¡¯s western front where the Scourge is mounting a heavy offensive they won¡¯t be able to handle. However, the two other booklets have been recently studied and are going to be adopted into our operational policy. All of the information in these booklets came from one place, and almost entirely from one person.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The wall behind the summoner changed, Vetsmon¡¯s brows rising as he felt his heart send a wave through his chest. It was the last image he expected to see today. It was John. There were three pictures depicting him in various situations. One was from afar that showed John with an odd mask on his face as well as two metal cylinders on his back, a hose going from the cylinders to the mask. Vetsmon couldn¡¯t imagine what they did but he assumed it protected John from the red gas around him. Another picture showed John walking while ordering some troops around in the open. Another was a silhouetted picture of him, kneeling in some snow, pointing one of his guns off into the distance from behind a tree. ¡°John Cooper. 23 years old, a Cold Summoner, recently advanced to Authority 6 and just recently promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, despite only being in the military for around a year. His record thus far has been particularly striking. His reports alone have moved over a hundred thousand troops to the Kingdom¡¯s western front, most of those troops coming from reserves. Not only that, but he¡¯s the one who developed the two operational booklets in front of you.¡± The summoner scanned the room, lingering his gaze on Vetsmon for a few seconds. There was no way they didn¡¯t know about their relationship. ¡°You¡¯ll feel the effects of his work as you operate in your areas. He¡¯s on our watchlist, but so far he¡¯s done nothing but improve the Kingdom¡¯s situation on the western front. Without him, it would¡¯ve already fallen, overrun by the Scourge, and we¡¯d be having a hell of a time keeping the Scourge from routing the Kingdom¡¯s forces past the River of Desolation. He¡¯s smart, competent, and the booklets that he¡¯s developed will give you a glimpse into the knowledge that¡¯s managed to keep the Scourge¡¯s new species and weapons from toppling a small forward base. Turn your attention to the compiled reports.¡± Everyone picked up the booklet, Vetsmon included, going through the compiled reports on the situation over at the western front. Millions of Scourge monsters were priming for invasion, and they had an Epicenter and Gargantuan Intestine supporting their efforts. This clearly indicated that the Scourge was getting ready to attack with forces capable of leveling long standing bases like it had Purple Sky, and yet the Kingdom was yet to arm the Treehouse with the forces necessary to at least defend themselves against it. There wasn¡¯t even a Sovereign there. Mainly negligence, although some of it could be attributed to ignorance ¨C mainly because the Kingdom barely knew what it meant for a Scourge Epicenter to be somewhere. Those only existed where Sovereign-level Royals nested. However, some credit still had to be given. The fact that they had even discovered the Epicenter was a great achievement. Apparently John had arranged an infiltration mission to scout beyond Hare¡¯s Pass, the canyon between Stronghold Charlie and most of the Scourge forces. Its execution had been nearly perfect, which was the only reason it had succeeded at all. Vetsmon would¡¯ve chalked it up to blind luck for anyone else. Even the Church only had barebones information on the mission, only confirming the deaths of the three infiltrators and the intel that came of it. They knew nothing else about the specifics, an impressive feat, and yet not nearly as impressive as what would be talked about immediately afterward. Vetsmon read along as the summoner gave general overviews of the situation over there. It was looking grim but that was exactly why they were going over there. Like many missions, their job would be to reinforce the Kingdom¡¯s weaknesses, making sure they didn¡¯t just roll over and die. And yet they had to do it in the darkness. Only the most observant would be able to pick up on the effects of their presence. They did it that way in order to keep the Kingdom from attempting to politically leverage them. Relations between the Kingdom and Church were rocky at best and in recent years it was only getting worse. With Anarchy stepping into the mix, it was clear that things wouldn¡¯t remain as they were for very long. A lot of things were about to change soon, all at once, and they had to prepare to face all of it head on. That meant doing what they could to give everyone the greatest advantage before they were weakened as a whole. Vetsmon perked up when they moved on to the next booklet, the one titled Chemical and Biological Threat Mitigation. ¡°The contents of this booklet are relatively simple. However, they hint toward greater knowledge of biological organisms, diseases, and chemicals than someone like John Cooper should know. We want to highlight a few key areas. Most of this information is rather standard for us, but these key areas are what make it stand out for its effectiveness. One of these areas is the text on the permeability of different materials and the filtering of different chemicals and diseases. Distinctions are also made between things called viruses and bacteria, how they work and how they spread, and the differences between how they should be handled in order to ensure one does not get infected. You¡¯ll need to study these details for when you encounter them in the field. We¡¯ve already developed countermeasures against the various infectious agents out there, which you¡¯ll be equipped with. Still, you can¡¯t forsake knowledge that may help you should you encounter something new, or should your equipment fail.¡± The summoner went on to explain some complicated points, mainly things about ¡°transmission vectors¡± and the different types of diseases and infections and how they manifested in the body. It was a lot of information, but Vetsmon knew it would be valuable to learn. He¡¯d probably be tested on it anyway to make sure he didn¡¯t disregard it. They didn¡¯t let anyone skimp on studying this kind of stuff. What really caught his attention though was the third booklet. ¡°Alright, last one. Everyone open up Operational Security. This booklet is all about preventing your enemy from attaining intelligence on your operations. To preface this, I¡¯d like to show you the information we collected on a new division within the Treehouse. It was created recently by the Marshal and headed by John Cooper. On paper, it¡¯s the Sixth Intelligence Division. As for what it does? Well, this is what we know.¡± The summoner changed the images on the wall, and only six lines of information popped up. ¡°The Sixth Intelligence Division has captured and made disappear six people that we know of. These are their names.¡± The room seemed to rumble a little bit, as if disconcerted. Even the summoner seemed a little uncomfortable about the nigh-complete lack of information on the subject, an almost embarrassing failure of their intelligence operations. ¡°The reason for their capture is unknown. Their location is unknown. We only know the date and time that two of them were arrested because Cooper did it in the open, probably on purpose. What little else we know about the Division is merely rumors that the Sixth Intelligence Division is responsible for weeding out traitors to humanity. This is what we¡¯ve surmised as well, but as of now¡­¡± The summoner sighed and waved at the wall. ¡°This is all we know about what they¡¯ve done. They¡¯ve managed to keep almost everything they¡¯ve done secret. We don¡¯t even know the names of the people who work in the Division. The only two names listed down are the Marshal¡¯s, and John Cooper¡¯s.¡± Suddenly, the summoner turned around again, facing everyone with an excited smile. ¡°You see that? You see those six lines of text right there? That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you keep things secret! That is what it means to operate in the shadows! That¡¯s what it means to keep a leash on information. How do they do it? Well, we were lucky enough to get our hands on the text that Cooper wrote down to teach others about how to do what he did. And the only reason he wrote it down is because he was effectively getting removed from his post. All you need to know is that this booklet right here, this term ¡°operational security,¡± will be your bread and fucking butter from here on out. Open to the first page! I¡¯m going through all of this with you guys, Lord forbid you misunderstand something and fuck it up later.¡± Pages were hastily flipped as the room reacted to the summoner¡¯s enthusiastic command. Vetsmon himself felt the texture of the paper on his fingers as a wave of astonishment went through him, soon replaced by feelings of pride and excitement. That was the John he knew, doing crazy shit like this. Leading the charge, sending waves through the Kingdom, excelling at damn near everything he did. He didn¡¯t know where John got all this knowledge, but he had always been a man of mystery. After all, there was always one thought in Vetsmon¡¯s mind. Summoners, specifically Cold Summoners, were supposed to get their weapons from other worlds. That was the consensus, at least. But then how did John always know so much about his weapons? Why did he always talk about them with such fondness and familiarity, as if excited to show off a toy and not some esoteric weapon the summons were supposed to be? Vetsmon had his suspicions about John¡¯s origins, and the knowledge he displayed, knowledge he shouldn¡¯t have, only led him to one outlandish conclusion. He almost refused to believe it, but the longer it lingered in his mind, the less opposed to believing it he was. There were many mysteries in this world. It wasn¡¯t so crazy for John to be one of those. Or perhaps something more. With those thoughts in mind, Vetsmon paid close attention to the information at hand. This would definitely be tested material, and he couldn¡¯t slack off. In the Order, knights had to be just as educated as the rest. Unfortunately, being a meathead was a privilege reserved for the Paladins and the dead. As of now? They were neither. Chapter 197: Abuse December 14, 624 ¡°How¡¯s it looking, Envoy?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got three sandwiches in my sights and all of them are looking scrumptious.¡± ¡°Your code speak is getting out of hand.¡± ¡°Apologies, Blade One. I forgot to eat before leaving.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t you eaten in the last six hours since then?¡± ¡°I fell asleep.¡± Nonnen chuckled from atop a Steed. The troops around him shared a strange ¨C most bemused, but plenty confused ¨C look as the Envoy¡¯s words echoed through the open channel. The new guys weren¡¯t really sure what to make of him. Or where he was supposed to be. They knew he was out there somewhere in the snow, completely invisible, covering them from the many many vantage points in the area. Even more strangely, Nonnen had let the summoner saunter off on his own without so much as a guardian knight. The veterans within the Snow Doves didn¡¯t mind, but the fresh bodies that recently joined the platoon all wondered why this summoner, only Authority 6 at that, was being allowed to do whatever he damned pleased. They didn¡¯t believe he was supposed to even be in the Snow Doves, being as weak as he was. It didn¡¯t help that little was known about him. All they knew was that he was a ¡°good intelligence agent,¡± according to everyone they asked, often accompanied by a knowing smile and shared inside-joke. Well, they¡¯d find out soon. They were on a strike mission, laying in wait in the area set up in a ¡°classic¡± ¡°L-shaped ambush¡±. Just another one of the Envoy¡¯s things, but it did work, according to the old bloods. More curious was the intel. The military seldom carried out ambushes because it was almost impossible to catch the Scourge off guard. You could never know if there were Scouts lingering in the area watching you and your troops, sending information back to their horde and preparing to ambush your ambush. They just followed along though. If the Brigadier was going along with it, then they had no right to question it. Besides, they had never seen a summoner so ballsy as to actually go out with any platoon on any mission, let alone a strike mission. Apparently this one could fight too. ¡°Eight minutes. Envoy going dark.¡± The soldiers could feel Nonnen sharpen up when those words suddenly came through. He changed channels and spoke into the Aerial. ¡°All units, silent at your stations. Seven minutes until Scourge arrival. Raise camouflage.¡± Nonnen jumped off the Steed as troops stationed around the ambush site started preparing. Blankets of camouflage were raised over the metal vehicles, Aerials were shut down, engines were killed, and everyone hid themselves amid snow and trees, most behind some sort of trench they dug beforehand. They spoke in whispers until the first Scourge monsters started appearing. Some Scouts walked ahead and to the flanks of the main force, composed of about 200 beasts including Royals, the strongest of which sat at Authority 10. The overall strength of this force was high, and they outnumbered the Snow Doves about five to one. However, if anything at all was confirmed upon sighting them, it was that they didn¡¯t know the Snow Doves were lying in wait. Nobody attacked. The Snow Doves waited, holding bated breaths, ears open for the signal they had agreed upon beforehand, as the monsters approached the halfway point between contingents. Nothing happened. A tremor of concern passed through some troops as the majority of the Scourge, excepting the Authority 10, passed that imaginary line. But their hopes were met and exceeded by the booming report that rippled through the atmosphere. Thomas, no more than 10 feet away from a Scout, watched, fascinated, as its head turned from previously bulgy, like an overripe tomato, into a mess of slush. Even with his eyes peeled the whole time, he still couldn¡¯t pinpoint where the shot came from as the explosion lost its own piercing qualities reverberating off hills. That was the signal. The warlocks let loose their spells, elements crashing through the air and wreaking havoc on the panicked group below them. Each spell killed at least a dozen, more often multiple dozens, and the mayhem compounded in the valley as the clustered monsters devolved into chaos. The knights waited, watching as the spells hammered and softened their targets. Over half the enemy was killed in the first 20 seconds, and it was only when the monsters started charging up onto the vantage points that the knights started stepping forward, shields and spears raised, primed for battle. Every few seconds, another explosion would ring, and another Snow Dove would watch one of their enemies fall. Even as the knights began to engage, some lunging beast would find its head exploding before it could attempt to reach through a gap or flank an entrenchment. The ones killed were never too strong, no tougher than Authority 7, and sometimes the shots would only injure the beast, but it was helping, and very, very noticeable. Nonnen jumped in when the Authority 10 Royal started making its moves. He went all out as soon as his fight started, the Royal immediately placed on the back foot, taking some heavy wounds within the first 30 seconds as the savage knight held nothing back and pushed it to one side of the battlefield. The other green haired Brigadier, Cemil, went around and killed anything strong enough to threaten the lives of her troops. There were some Authority 9 beasts that she targeted and promptly slaughtered with her earth magic, strategic barriers of hardened stone rising amidst the battlefield and boxing in her unlucky targets. They would face her, or nobody at all. Before 10 minutes had passed the battle started coming to a close. Stray beasts that tried to run away were picked off by the hidden summoner, dropping dead no matter how far they¡¯d gotten. In the end, not a single one escaped, and to everyone¡¯s great surprise, not a single soldier had died. The battle closed and everyone gathered, counting kills, collecting the valuable corpses, and preparing to return to base. It was only several minutes after the head count though that the summoner finally reappeared. He trudged down one of the hills, only noticed when he was already near the platoon. Some stared, scanned the netting he wore with white strips of fabric woven in with dried patches of the fungal biomat that existed all across the ground, all caked in snow and dirt. On his face he wore a white Owlykat mask, making him look like some kind of mythical creature of the woods, and held a long metal device in his hands, the source of those big explosions during the battle. Nonnen walked over when he approached. ¡°All clear, Blade One. Nothing for at least a mile around.¡± ¡°Good work, Envoy. I think this is the most successful mission I¡¯ve ever run.¡± ¡°Glad to hear it. Took some good intel to get this chance. Now the Scourge is down an Authority 10 and they got nothing out of its death. Nothing better than an enemy made worthless.¡± ¡°Agreed. I question the fashion choice though. I know I¡¯m old, but you kids really know how to put together the weirdest things.¡± The summoner chuckled before removing the mask, showing off a face marred with somehow aesthetic scars. ¡°It¡¯s called a ghillie suit, made for blending in by taking from the environment itself.¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s infectious, you decided to wear the corruption all over you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s dried out and dead. Not as vibrant red as the rest, but relatively safe, and helps me blend in more than anything else. This and my stealth will help me hide from anything, even Brigadiers. Although if you can get me some bright red paint, I could probably get the entire platoon camo¡¯d up as well.¡± ¡°Paint my troops red? I will admit it sounds humorous. Let¡¯s go. If you¡¯re still hungry I¡¯ll snack on some rations with you.¡± The two walked off while bouncing between various topics most couldn¡¯t make heads nor tails of. Once at the Command Steed, something Nonnen had got a hold of since John gave him a good excuse to get one, the two dug into the rations stashed in a bulkhead. John took off the ghillie suit, carefully and meticulously stripping section by section off. Brigadier Cemil joined them at some point. ¡°Cleanup is finished. Everybody¡¯s about ready to head back.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Nonnen brought up his Aerial. All of them had been turned back on with the end of the mission. ¡°All units, sound off once packed and ready.¡± His command returned a few responses, but not all. They continued to eat, Nonnen barely paying attention as more responses came in over time. Once the last response sounded, John gave a thumbs up, prompting Nonnen to speak into the Aerial again. ¡°All units, return to base.¡± ¡­¡­ We pulled through the gates and had our driver swing us around headquarters. A wave of comfortable heat hit us as we went through the doors. The temperature-controlled headquarters was the most comfortable place to be, one of the reasons summoners were seen as pretentious spoiled children on the battlefield. We got the nicest things. I certainly wasn¡¯t complaining. I was working both ends of the stick and damn if I was gonna downgrade the one refuge to warm my hands just to look better in the eyes of a bunch of grunts. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Nonnen and I were greeted by Polly and Jasmine when we walked into the office. There were a couple other summoners around, but they were just doing menial work. I noticed some classified documents on her desk, my eyes instantly taking in every word on the top pages and memorizing it all. ¡°Another traitor? I thought they had slowed down after you threw the last few in jail.¡± ¡°Well, power is too tempting for those that don¡¯t have it.¡± ¡°That is true¡­¡± I sighed and glanced at the picture on top of the file. Another summoner. Lieutenant Colonel. Summoners were prime targets and composed the majority of traitors we found. They were too easy to tempt and, ironically, their intelligence was their downfall. They all thought they were smart enough to evade detection, thinking that their access to documents and records gave them the ability to hide their deeds. Of course, it was good enough. But ever since I had installed operatives in and around the archives and started monitoring summoner activities, they were exposed one after the other, caught like rats in scattered traps. Even now they continued to try and evade us, but we won every time. There was only one issue though¡­ I looked at Polly and filtered my words. ¡°Any progress on the Blacklist?¡± ¡°... No.¡± ¡°Have you tried?¡± ¡°John¡­¡± Polly leaned back in her chair and sighed, rubbing her temple. ¡°I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s anything to find. We¡¯ve yet to gather anything on them. And your fixation on this can end up getting us the hammer as a whole. That would remove any chance of doing any good in the future entirely.¡± ¡°The fact that they¡¯re completely innocent is exactly why we need to dig deeper. Bolster surveillance. Get 24-hour monitors on these guys.¡± ¡°Okay, why are you so intent on assuming that everyone has something bad about them? Have you ever considered that those on your Blacklist might be innocent?¡± ¡°Because assuming they¡¯re innocent is far, far more dangerous than assuming they¡¯re traitors. And the fact that we¡¯ve found nothing almost guarantees their guilt in my eyes. I refuse to believe that not a single one of them is a traitor, and the sooner you can fish them out, the sooner we can save this place from getting destroyed altogether.¡± ¡°Well I¡¯ve tried all I can!¡± Polly shouted, but I continued to stand there unperturbed. I knew she was frustrated but this wasn¡¯t something I would bend on. ¡°I¡¯ve tried putting monitors on them and they¡¯ve come back with nothing! Besides, a lot of these people leave the base periodically. You expect me to keep our monitors on them even when they go back to the capital?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s out of our jurisdiction! I don¡¯t even know if our monitors can handle that kind of surveillance either! Besides, I¡¯m pretty sure doing that is illegal!¡± ¡°I would sooner break every law in the book than let a traitor slip through. Don¡¯t think for a second that those laws aren¡¯t in place to protect the very people we might be trying to watch.¡± ¡°Ugh! Yes! I know! You don¡¯t care about the laws, you¡¯ll do anything to keep the base safe, I¡¯ve heard it all already. But consider, just for a second, how insane all of this is! I mean, you want our monitors watching them even in their rooms! When they take a shit in the outhouses! Disregarding how psychotic it is, it¡¯s not even feasible! And yet you keep pushing me to document every waking second of these people¡¯s lives!¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s exactly what¡¯s going to save all of us!¡± I stepped forward and shouted, feeling my anger rise. It was this kind of complacency that I hated. ¡°You make me think you¡¯ve forgotten what''s beyond the Pass, Polly!¡± ¡°You know I haven¡¯t forgotten!¡± ¡°Then you better start acting like your life is on the line! We¡¯ve got millions of monsters ready to march over here and slaughter us all! They could come any month now, and we¡¯ve got people within our own walls trying to let them through! If you realized just how dangerous this was, then you wouldn¡¯t be arguing with me about invading privacy! This is the job you signed up for! It¡¯s your responsibility to get your hands dirty, regardless of how insane you think it is! You think our enemy gives a damn about morals or ethics?! You think the traitors care?! They¡¯re going to laugh as those traitors open the gates for them and then march over our warm corpses!¡± ¡°...¡± I got no response, and that¡¯s when I noticed the Anarchy slipping through my Aura. I pulled it back before Polly got overwhelmed. She visibly eased, but she still remained quiet. At some point she stood from her seat, marching out of the room. ¡°I¡¯m getting a drink.¡± I remained quiet when she slammed the door behind her. Then I looked at Jasmine, who was sitting in the corner with Nonnen, snacking on dried meat. I tilted my head at her. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Nothing. This is just the third time you guys have argued since you got back. At this point it''s getting fun to watch.¡± ¡°Mm. You bicker like an old married couple.¡± Nonnen agreed, making me roll my eyes. ¡°Well I only have a couple more weeks here, then I¡¯m going back to the capital.¡± ¡°So three more arguments?¡± ¡°Maybe two if we¡¯re lucky.¡± The two chuckled in the corner, as if all my worries were but a few brief moments of entertainment for them. ¡­¡­ Some hours later I went to go find Polly, wandering a few of her go-to spots before seeing her walking back to the barracks. I caught up with her. ¡°Polly.¡± ¡°Quiet. You can speak when I¡¯ve finished my drink.¡± She put up her hand and took another guzzle out of the bottle in her hand. It was a small bottle of wine, but from the smell it would hit no softer than a normal sized bottle. Odds were, she had finished a few already. The stress was getting to her. I simply stuck to her side as we continued to walk into the barracks and up to her room. She finished the bottle right before she opened the door to her room. ¡°You like secrecy? Then behold my room, the most sacred grounds in this base.¡± I remained silent while walking in, seeing a surprisingly decorated room with a few pictures on top of the dresser, a painting, and other accessories and ornaments around the bed. She knew how to make herself at home. ¡°Well, spit it out. Unless you don¡¯t think you can speak freely even here, in which case you can just fuck on out of here.¡± ¡°... I think we¡¯re fine.¡± I didn¡¯t take her brash words personally. She looked like she was already halfway to the moon, waving the empty bottle around like a proper drunk. I said my piece. ¡°I get that counterespionage is stressful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not stressful.¡± ¡°The added workload onto everything you¡¯re already doing is, but yes, perhaps the job itself isn¡¯t that stressful. You just don¡¯t like what you have to do.¡± ¡°Of course not. Nobody could possibly enjoy trying to weed out the most vile people around you, realizing that they threw away all their humanity just for a tiny slice of power, only to kill the brothers and sisters around them. I don¡¯t enjoy seeing acquaintances or friends, people I thought were good, turn out to be nothing more than sacks of shit.¡± She sat on her bed and slumped against the wall by the head. This was the weakest I¡¯d ever seen the woman. It seemed she had been really pushing herself lately. The war was ramping up, and it was exacting its toll on her. It was taking its price on me too, but neither of us wanted to admit that we were being worn down. At least I was getting some reprieve with my job in the Capital. Polly had been stuck at either Stronghold Charlie or the Treehouse for years. I nodded after she had set the bottle on her nightstand. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not fun hunting demons. I keep asking myself why and I have to keep reminding myself that some people are simply weak. Unfortunately, weak people with great strength end up doing some scary shit. That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m trying to get you to target the generals, no matter how dangerous it might be for us.¡± ¡°...¡± Poly was quiet, but I could feel her mind churning through her Aura. It wasn¡¯t nearly as developed as mine so I could see through it pretty clearly, especially when she was drunk and vulnerable. I could practically read her mind and I knew she was formulating her response. It just took a bit longer. ¡°... You¡¯re insane, John. I¡¯ve never known someone who was as eager to challenge authority as you.¡± ¡°You could say it''s in my heritage. Look, I know you¡¯ve considered the situation. We either get the hammer brought down on us by offending a general, or we fail to weed out the traitor among those ranks and get a few million monsters breaking down our gates.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so sure that there¡¯s a traitor among them. Where do you get that unfounded confidence?¡± ¡°I just think the chances of one being corrupt are higher than all of them being innocent. The one thing I can acknowledge is that these generals are smart, and they¡¯ve had a lot of time to think. I¡¯ve tried to keep our operations relatively secret, but most people know we take down traitors, even if it''s only rumors. Any corrupt generals would have snuck back into their shells, if they hadn¡¯t already before. It¡¯ll be far more difficult to pull them out than anybody else we¡¯ve caught. But it can happen, if you commit to it.¡± I stood in the middle of the room, staring at Polly as she pondered. She was drunk but she wasn¡¯t gone yet. Summoners retained most of their cognitive ability even when impaired. I found it unfortunate whenever I tried to get a nice buzz myself. ¡°A wrong move can ruin my career.¡± she muttered, ¡°I worked a long time to get where I am now. I¡¯m close to becoming a general too. I don¡¯t want to mess up, especially since these generals are still eager to keep me down.¡± ¡°... Yeah, I can understand that. I¡¯m not going to ask you to put your career on the line either. But¡­ you can use this position to your advantage. Who is trying to suppress you? You¡¯re the most competent intelligence agent on this base and I fail to see any way they could possibly justify keeping you out of the running for a promotion, especially after everything you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°They can always find a reason, but there is one person. Major General Jaks Greyson. He¡¯s an advisor to General Viskar but seldom shows himself. I feel like I¡¯ve been fighting him in the dark; it¡¯s always his name that shows up to dampen my efforts or outright steal my accolades when I try to make my move. He did that with you, boosting your name instead of allowing me to have a bit of the spotlight.¡± ¡°Hm, well, I can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t notice the amount of attention I got. I¡¯ve heard little about him, though.¡± I had come to just about the same conjecture a while back. They wanted to keep Polly down so they put me up front, a small time intelligence agent that managed to grab some juicy intel, a nobody that couldn¡¯t possibly threaten a general¡¯s position. ¡°I gave you my position at the head of a new division though.¡± ¡°Yes, and that wasn¡¯t something they expected to happen, because nobody realized that you were going to be working in the rear with Sawn Industries. Nobody would¡¯ve guessed that you would have given up such a position either, and extremely few knew that you were working with me. Honestly, it¡¯s given me a major advantage, but now you want me to use it to try and declare a General or a Marshal a traitor. Do you see why I¡¯m reluctant?¡± ¡°Of course I do. But do you see how this can be used?¡± I looked her in the eye. She seemed to be sobering up a bit. I explained so she didn¡¯t have to formulate the words herself. ¡°Use the position. You have the power to provide the Marshal with evidence of traitorous activities and get a General removed from their position and outright stripped of all their power. If that were to happen? Nobody would try and stop you if you went for a promotion. Hell, if you really want to abuse the position and threaten the person in charge of your promotion with it, then go for it. I don¡¯t care at this point and you deserve to use this tool to advance yourself. At the end of the day, I can trust in your desire to weed out actual traitors and fight off the Scourge. You know who the real enemies are, and I want you in the position to do more about it just as much as you want the power.¡± I crossed my arms and watched her think. She was still slumped but her Aura had sharpened up. She eyed me through her brunette hair, ¡°You¡¯re really telling me to abuse this power? That¡¯s unlike you, despite everything borderline traitorous you¡¯ve said.¡± ¡°You need to play the game, Polly. It¡¯s not cheating if the system is already rigged. I have no issues with it because these stuck up, brown nosing, geriatric summoners have done the same exact things to keep competent people like you down. If we¡¯re going to survive the oncoming wave of Scourge, then we need people like you in control of our soldiers, not a bunch of cowards who can¡¯t stand the thought that they might actually have to be good at their job to keep it. They¡¯re scared of competing with you. What makes you think they¡¯re fit to fight the Scourge?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the furthest thing from it.¡± ¡°Then use the tools I¡¯ve given you,¡± I turned toward the door, ¡°And get that fucking promotion. Our lives depend on it.¡± Chapter 198: Tired December 31, 624 I pulled into the terminal, feeling the cold air carried from Stronghold Charlie stream out through the open door, stepping into the comparatively warm atmosphere of the Capital. It was the difference between negative 10 degrees and 30 degrees, which may as well feel like the difference between winter and summer. There were a few other soldiers who got off with me, most moving to greet and hug family that were waiting for them. There were bright smiles all around, decorations put up all around the structure and pillars that reminded me once again that it was Christmas time. My thoughts ended up drifting toward Umara and how, yet again, she wasn¡¯t here with me. I felt lonely while bypassing everyone and leaving the Terminal. I was greeted with a luxury set of wheels outside, something similar to a short limousine, low riding with a full metal exterior. It had to be heavy but with enough money and magic, it didn¡¯t matter how much weight was on those wheels. Ovidius was standing outside, taking a step forward to greet me when I approached. ¡°John, it¡¯s good to see you back.¡± ¡°Good to be back. Eager to get down to business?¡± ¡°Sawn is eager, but please let him know if you need the rest. We know that you¡¯re a busy man on the front lines, and there¡¯s no reason to focus so much on work when Christmas is here to be celebrated.¡± He finished speaking while opening a door, letting me climb in. The interior sported a wrap-around couch with plenty of legroom and headspace. Sawn sat on one end dressed in a light suit with an overcoat. I took one side of the cabin, Ovidius taking the remaining end before closing the door. We started rolling promptly, Sawn nodding to me when we made eye contact. ¡°How was your time at the Treehouse?¡± ¡°Relatively good. My responsibilities have practically disappeared since I¡¯m gone half the time now. Not necessarily good for my reputation but I don¡¯t really care much about that at this point.¡± ¡°Indeed. Your worries are better placed elsewhere, such as developing what you¡¯ve coined magitech. How much thought have you given your work since you left?¡± I shrugged, ¡°Plenty, but I¡¯m limited until I can get my hands on a workstation again. Oh, what did you think about the little work I did manage to finish before leaving?¡± I noticed Sawn¡¯s eye gleam, his demeanor shifting a bit as he leaned forward, ¡°Ovidius and I have studied your work, and you must know John, what you¡¯ve done is nothing short of revolutionary. We wish to consult you on how exactly you came to develop those arrays, the design philosophy, if you will. Your improvements to efficiency can be applied across the board and we want to do so.¡± ¡°How much of an improvement to efficiency did I manage to squeeze out?¡± ¡°Strictly 6 times without factoring in size, which you¡¯ve reduced by 4 times.¡± ¡°Oh, good.¡± I nodded, ¡°So I wasn¡¯t totally crazy.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sawn asked with a raised brow. ¡°I just realized that the design was really inefficient, but I thought that there had been a reason for it since it was so obvious. I wasn¡¯t sure if the changes I made were going to entirely disrupt or destroy the formation. But since it worked, that means my theories regarding how enchanting works were proven.¡± ¡°You say it was so obvious. I can¡¯t wait to hear what made it so.¡± Sawn smiled and leaned back into his seat. His compliments made me a bit proud. Ovidius asked me about where I thought I was in the learning process as we made our way to the Magic Spire. Once there we got out and went straight to the top floors where I was led to a new office on the 88th floor. It seemed to be newly built because I didn¡¯t recognize the entryway, though it blended in with the rest of Sawn¡¯s office fairly well. He motioned to the room once we entered, ¡°This will be your new workspace. You¡¯ll have everything you need to work here, unless you ever want to go down to the production centers to observe or study. Ovidius will continue to teach you. While I¡¯m eager to see what you can do once you start designing, we need to make sure your foundation is strong first. Even if you need to spend the next year studying, that¡¯s what¡¯s important.¡± ¡°If it takes me a year to get a grasp of all this despite what I¡¯ve done so far, I may as well throw my degree away. Don¡¯t worry, I want to start working on things before the end of the month. Last month felt short and I want to start getting my ideas down on paper as soon as possible.¡± I looked around the room, noticing the massive workstation and the wall of screens that mirrored Sawn¡¯s own office, ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll be able to help the war effort if they get out fast enough.¡± ¡°You have weapons in mind? What kind?¡± ¡°All kinds, primarily vehicles. My concerns mainly lie with the war so that¡¯s what most of my designs will be aimed toward. Hope that doesn¡¯t disappoint you.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be no issue.¡± Sawn waved, ¡°We have a contract with the Kingdom for certain weapons and tools used for the military. It¡¯s a major source of income. If you can develop more, we can sell it and write up more contracts. Especially if the Scourge is beginning to increase pressure across the board. Reliable weapons will be in high demand. For today though, you should go home and enjoy Christmas. Lessons can resume the day after tomorrow.¡± I let out a deep breath, doing my best to keep it quiet, ¡°Sure thing.¡± The three of us split after making those plans. I left the Spire and walked out onto the Capital City¡¯s streets, the sun having already set beyond the horizon. The cool breeze hit my face, slipping between my coat and hitting the shirt underneath, chilling my warm body a bit. The coat warmed in response, keeping my temperature comfortably nominal. Still, sometimes a good chill was welcome. It was just barely cold enough for faint snow to form in the sky, nothing more than sparse flakes to excite the children. It was generally peaceful, the joyful airs of festivity pervading the collective Aura of the city. I could still see the Great Barrier on the horizon, far beyond the Royal Palace where large collections of power were congregating, probably a few Marshal level powerhouses. Sovereigns were exceeding rare to come by. Three of the only ones I¡¯ve ever seen or felt were Anarchy, the Sovereign that guarded Purple Sky, and Anderson. For a time I found myself simply walking in the direction of the Black Spider Hotel. My thoughts whirled like a maelstrom despite the peace around me. I gave the Key Master a brief greeting and conversation. He seemed to notice my mood and didn¡¯t keep me, which I appreciated as I slotted my golden key into the elevator and punched my floor number. Then I got inside my room. The air felt a bit stale, wholly undisturbed in the time I was gone. It felt like an eternity since I was last here. Everything was exactly the way I left it. There was even a small grease stain on the counter, my eyes noticing the way the light reflected off its irregular surface. I had been too lazy to wipe the entire counter down when I left last. Now it was a marker of this room¡¯s isolation. I tapped one of the devices in the room and turned off the heater, letting the place cool. Then I walked over to the glass wall overlooking the city beyond. I could feel the cold air radiate as if seeping through the glass, the heat within the room flowing out in a complex system of convection and conduction. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. My thoughts spun through everything I knew about temperature, thermal conduction, infrared, my eyes scanning the city and thinking about how all the lights were sending more energy into my room through the glass, though minuscule and nearly negligible, wholly outclassed by the energy my own body was radiating into the atmosphere, my lungs and core heating the air that came in and out and pushing my body heat into the room¡­ Suddenly I made contact with my Spark and disconnected it. I gave it no tasks over my mind, cutting off information that might try to route through it. My thoughts reduced in volume considerably, and that helped me slow down my mind even more. It was only then that things felt a bit clearer, and taking advantage of it, my mind felt like it crashed. I squatted down, feeling lightheaded as I let out a long sigh. I shifted and sat down, back against the glass, eyes scanning the rest of my room from a perspective previously unknown to me. The Psyka within my mind space stilled to some extent, and for the first time in almost two years, I went back to a thinking ability close to my original self. It felt slow¡­ nostalgic. ¡°...You sure I can¡¯t just go back home?¡± I muttered, nothing but the air particles around me to be disturbed by my voice. ¡°I¡¯d like to see my mom and dad again. I know they¡¯re worried about me. Do they think I¡¯m dead? I wish I could let them know I was at least okay. I don¡¯t mind fighting so hard, but at least don¡¯t worry them for nothing. They don¡¯t deserve that, not after everything they¡¯ve done for me¡­¡± I felt my body go limp. I was tired even though I still had energy. It felt like things were weighing down heavier than normal today. I moved my head, my view shifting even though my own body felt foreign to me right now. ¡°I want to help these people, but maybe¡­ I just don¡¯t want to work so hard. Why can¡¯t I just be given the power I know I can get and solve the problem already? It always has to be so fucking difficult to do something good. I¡¯m going to spend years building my power, just to watch people die anyway. And even after building all that power I still have to be careful. I¡¯m the one who has to pioneer a new summoner Call, I¡¯m the one who has to weed out traitors, I¡¯m the one who has to develop technology and get people to get off their asses and do something about the monsters trying to slaughter all of humanity¡­¡± It pissed me off thinking about everything I¡¯d have to do. It felt like I was the only one doing anything, and yet I also felt wholly insignificant. In the face of the monsters trying to kill us all, I was clawing my way forward with the hopes that I was able to keep up and acquire the power necessary to do something significant, or risk losing what little I had in this world. The worst part was that I didn¡¯t want to. I didn¡¯t want to fight so hard. I didn¡¯t want to watch people die. I didn¡¯t want to crunch mortality rates and hand in reports estimating incurred losses, treating tens of thousands of soldiers as mere numbers on a paper, as if it would change anything about how the war would actually go. I felt my head spin whenever I tried to put it in perspective, just how many people I had sent into battle, just how many people I had briefed, told to be careful, knowing that they would die no matter what I told them, yet witholding my knowledge in case they attempt to back out and preserve their lives out of fear. I thought of myself as important enough to do whatever necessary to avoid dying meaninglessly, yet I had sent out thousands beyond the wire knowing that their sole purpose was to die on those red biomats and take as many monsters as they could with them. I knew that I would go out and fight, and I had done so, but I only ever went into battles I knew I could either win or escape from. I never went into any battle willing to lay my life down. I thought it was a waste, as if it wasn¡¯t a waste for entire companies to die in my stead. Was that just a natural consequence of their weakness? If they were stronger, they should be able to survive too, right? There always had to be people to send to the slaughter. There always had to be the masses that could be sent out at the direction of those smarter than them. After all, the enemy had to be fought. The Scourge wouldn¡¯t rest until it had taken over this world and turned it into its nest. It was okay to continually send out thousands to die, because they would either die fighting, or die worthlessly among their families, nothing more than food for the monsters. No, the problem wasn¡¯t the thousands that died. The problem wasn¡¯t me, either. I was doing my utmost to get the most value out of every soldier I sent beyond those gates. I made sure that I could multiply the value of every platoon and company by utilizing tactics. I made sure the generals were equipped with the best, most up-to-date intel so they could make better decisions, so that more avenues of attack were open to them. I made sure that there weren¡¯t traitors leading even more men to the slaughter. I used my knowledge to prepare against threats that even the Kingdom¡¯s military didn¡¯t yet understand. I was proactive in my fight against the Scourge. I used nearly every waking hour to contribute to the war in some way, sparing no small amount of my energy and mental integrity. In other words, I wasn¡¯t wasting energy. I was using my energy, constantly, to do some good. The problem was the other people who weren¡¯t using their energy. The people who were wasting it. The people with the most energy to use. The Marshals. The Sovereigns. Where were they? Why weren¡¯t they constantly on the battlefield? In a single day a single Marshal Warlock could wipe out at least 10 thousand monsters, if not more, and they could do it again after 12 hours of rest. Under optimal circumstances they could slaughter at least 70 thousand lesser monsters a week, 280 thousand monsters a month, over 3 million monsters in a year. And that was a single Marshal. Sovereigns had multiple times the power, all stuffed into a single body that could be moved anywhere without inhibition, relying on nothing more than food and water to sustain. They were the single greatest weapons that humanity had to offer against this existential threat. And yet, I had witnessed the Marshal of the Treehouse engage the enemy all but once. Day by day I felt him through my Aura simply sitting within the base, all that energy doing nothing. Wasting. In the two weeks I had spent working with Major General Quill to wipe out the flanking Scourge force during the first phase of Operation Breakwater, Marshal Boores would have had more than enough time to take them all out single handedly and with ease. On top of that, we wouldn¡¯t have had to sacrifice half the force. We wouldn¡¯t have lost half our Brigadiers. And during that time, Marshal Boores was doing nothing but sitting at the top of the headquarters building, going through what little paperwork he had to handle and holding meetings with the Generals to discuss battle plans. How many lives sacrificed, how much energy wasted, all because a single Marshal was too afraid to encounter a strong enemy on the battlefield that could match him. Oh the irony that, in their strength, they found cowardice. Instead of seeing how much they could do with their power, they were fearful of how much they could lose. And so they sent thousands to die in their stead, slowly delaying the day they would have to fight for their place at the top, not realizing that by then, everything around them would be reduced to blood and ruin. And here I was, attempting to multiply the force that these little minions could exert, trying to extend the lifespans of thousands by mere days or weeks, when in the end none of my efforts or the products of my industry would match even a single month¡¯s worth of exertion from a single powerful being, let alone the hundreds located everywhere else. No wonder I felt so hopeless. No wonder everything I did felt so inconsequential. No longer blinded by the sheer volume of information going through my head I could finally step back and see where the real problem lay. In a way it was no different than the conjectures I had already reached before. The Kingdom was complacent. More than that, I believed they were scared. Knowing the sheer power of their enemy revealed to them by the survivors from the Pillars of Creation, their spirits have already been culled. They didn¡¯t want to believe that the time was coming to truly fight for their lives, and were throwing numbers at the problem in order to indulge in their blissful ignorance and bountiful power just a little while longer. Even worse, some of them were ready to turncoat and join the enemy so that they may preserve their lives at the expense of humanity itself. And yet, despite what I knew, and despite my indignation, I could do little about it. I could arm the thousands I sent into battle with information and weapons, tools that may revolutionize this world¡¯s warfare, and all it would do is provide another layer of comfort for the demigods that sat behind the hundreds of thousands on the battlefield. But I¡¯d have to do it anyway, because it wasn¡¯t fair to everyone else for me to withhold what I could do just because I was mad at the leaders. It wasn¡¯t their fault. In the end, it always came down to the same conclusion. Yet every time I reached it, I was further drained of my spirit. I could barely muster the energy to be enraged. It was so typical and I was so powerless that I just went with it, knowing it was all I could do. I could only do what I could. I hated that. I hated knowing and being aware. I couldn¡¯t even be mad at the real problem, because I knew that it could be solved. I could only be angry at the people who refused to solve it. Despite having slowed my mind down so much, slouched against the cold glass wall in my chilly room, I found myself completely drained of energy. My only choice was to go to sleep there, slumping down against the floor when my mind finally gave out. Chapter 199: Swift Kick Gurns kept his eyes on Umara even as a projectile of some noxious gas exploded nearby. All around them were makeshift tents numbering in the tens of thousands, each one accommodating one or two soldiers each. There was an entire division out here, but it was only the fourth day of the expedition and they were already getting hammered. Umara sighed in thought, wholly unconcerned by the alarms ringing around her demanding she muster with the rest of her squadron and platoon. Even so, Gurns saw how she brought out her Foci and cast a quick spell, the red gas deposited around them unable to approach after she raised a barrier of vapor. ¡°Let¡¯s disregard my mother for a second. Please. Can you, or can you not, get me in?¡± ¡°I can.¡± Her gaze leveled back on him. Gurns noticed how the mana around him fluctuated under her mere gaze. ¡°So why the hesitation? You know I want to join. Or are you questioning whether or not I¡¯m worth the trouble?¡± He shrugged, ¡°In essence, yes. Your mother isn¡¯t going to like it and I¡¯m going to have to deal with her ire, especially since I¡¯ll need to go over her head to get you moved.¡± She combed some of her gray hair out of the corner of her mouth, her displeasure apparent despite the relatively professional front she tried to keep. Even then, she spoke to him without any of the formality his position should demand, ¡°Yet you¡¯re here. You¡¯re talking to me, your interest is apparent, and you know I¡¯ve already given you the affirmative. So what do you want from me?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like it if you could convince your mother for me, but I¡¯m not counting on it. Instead, I want to give you a mission,¡± Gurns waved, the two walking to another part of the camp. ¡°I¡¯ve got a squadron here, 2 Chiefs, 3 First Commanders. I want you to join them and eliminate some high value targets beyond this battlefield. Perform well and I¡¯ll take you with me. If you become a liability, you can either convince your mother to let you join or wait until your next advancement.¡± She glanced over at him while the Bombardos in the distance continued to shit on the camp, ¡°Putting my combat power to the test?¡± ¡°Not just your combat power, but yes. I¡¯ve yet to see you fight, your most impressive record is escaping a Corrupted, and that was with Tana. So impress me. Convince me you¡¯re worth the investment.¡± He finished his words and waved to the tent they arrived at. Umara could feel the Auras within despite the occupants¡¯ attempts at concealing them. Not even Tana could escape her senses despite that being her specialty, and the Chiefs she was about to face weren¡¯t even at that sheer level. She felt like she could see them through the fabric, her eyes tracking their figures as they were revealed under the tent flap. She and Gurns stepped inside, all eyes falling on them. ¡°Brack.¡± Gurns called out. One of the Chiefs stepped out, ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°This is Umara. She¡¯s going to be joining your team for your strike mission. Don¡¯t baby her. If she wants to show off, let her.¡± ¡°Hm, alright.¡± Brack nodded, giving Umara a one over before turning back to the table in the center of the tent. It had a map on it and they seemed to be going over the mission plan. Umara could see markings denoting their route and strike area, as well as pictures of their targets. Gurns stepped out of the tent, ¡°Carry on.¡± Umara guessed she was on her own now, turning back to the table and focusing on Brack. He was a stout knight dressed in full armor, unmarked with the Kingdom¡¯s seal or anything that might tell her he was actually a Chief. Special operations tended to keep information a secret according to what Umara knew, even information on how powerful someone was. All they had was their uniform and colors, which was all anybody outside needed to be concerned with. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go back over the brief. Our mission is to take out this King Blood Royal of Anarchy. He¡¯s supposed to sit around Authority 9 according to the last team that spotted him. This one has an entourage though, two Authority 8 Royals, one knight-type, one warlock-type.¡± Brack pointed to the two pictures on the table below the supposed King Blood Royal. ¡°Ceyhun and I will be handling the King Blood.¡± Umara glanced at the other Chief, another Knight, ¡°You three will handle his entourage. The King Blood is supposed to be leading a small force to flank this expedition. Our job is to stop the King Blood. The small fry can be handled by whoever happens to come across them later. We¡¯ll be deploying by bike. Any questions?¡± Silence pervaded. Umara just glanced at the two First Commanders next to her. They were Authority 8 but their Auras were sharp. She was glad that special operations had higher standards than the rest. She felt like everyone around her was normally subpar for their Authority. This level of competence was new. Not quite at her level, but she would take what she could get. With the briefing done, the five left the tent, gathered supplies, and boarded their own bikes. ¡­¡­ ¡°DIsmount.¡± Umara felt it before Brack spoke. The King Blood had sensed them even though they didn¡¯t have line of sight yet. They were behind a large crag. As soon as the order was given everyone jumped off their bikes and threw them into spatial storages. Umara had her own so she didn¡¯t have to worry about having one of the others take care of her stuff as they set up. Umara adjusted the bracer around her forearm, her Foci settling into her hand. It was a new one her mother had bought her, one more than suited for Authority 10 warlocks, let alone her. Unfortunately her demands for a magic buffer were extreme, as was the demand for precision. This was about the best Foci Umara could get before it would start to rival her own mother¡¯s, and that one was a family heirloom passed down from the Ancestors. The only reason this one hadn¡¯t cost far more was because Umara¡¯s demand for power supplementation was negligible, as well as the fact that they had bought the materials from their friends at the Whetted City. The Foci was a geometric cubical cluster of naturally formed milky white crystals cast into an odd curved diamond cradle of liquid White Crystal, hardened into a single object. The geometric crystals had accumulated Authority 10 level Magika by themselves in an underground deposit, not to mention the Authority 10 White Crystal they had cast the entire thing into. She had the option to mount the Foci to a staff or something of the like, but Umara decided to have her mother splurge and get it enchanted to a bracer and glove for her forearm. The new piece of armor made the Foci float above and around her hand, however she wanted it. With her skill she barely had to worry about operating the enchantment. Now, the Foci was always there and within easy access. She could touch it directly for precise small-scale spells or have it float in front of her for large-scale spells, and the entire thing was bound to her Crest. With her secret pocket space on top of that, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about losing it unless she was about to die. The tips of the curved diamond cradle were also sharp. She had used it to cave in skulls a few times. That singular Foci gave Umara more confidence than any squad the military could put her in. She finally had a tool capable of handling her method of spell formation, capable of absorbing all the information her Aura poured into her mind. She didn¡¯t know how long it would remain that way but for now, it was more than enough. The squadron approached their battlefield, the King Blood Royal having stopped in its tracks with the rest of its escort. Umara could very clearly feel the Anarchy coming off it. Yet, being a mere descendant of the Icon she had witnessed with her own eyes, it was wholly inferior, laughable to her. She couldn¡¯t help her smile. Which quickly disappeared once she saw the army around the King Blood, composed of at least 400 Authority 6 and 7 monsters. Umara let out an annoyed breath. There was no way her squad would focus on anything other than their targets. Without her, they would simply ignore the surrounding escort force and fight their personal battles, but since she was here and was the odd man out, she didn¡¯t have a target. Sure enough, Brack gave the command. ¡°Umara, focus on the surrounding force, keep them off us.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± She simply followed the order, no matter how much it irked her. Gurns told her to impress him, and now she was getting left with the fodder. She knew that he probably wanted to test her ability to work with a team, but the only thing she was ever worried about was sheer lethality. That was the end-all-be-all for someone like her, where a vast majority of her value came from besides her ability to survive long enough to use that lethality. Her squad rushed in with no prior warning, the two Chiefs bounding to their target, directly bypassing the rest of the monsters. The hundreds of beasts wanted to jump in and assist their superiors, but as soon as the battle started, the King Blood roared with its blistering aura of Anarchy. None of them got close after that. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The King Blood, similar to its progenitor, was a six-armed freak wielding several weapons. It attacked with reckless abandon, no rhyme or reason to its form as it sought to simply inflict as much damage as possible. The two Chiefs, being knights, had an easier time handling its attacks. One kept his reach with a spear and the other went in with a sword and shield, attempting to eat most of the King Blood¡¯s ire. Umara fell behind as their battles started. The two First Commanders went to do battle with the two Authority 8 escorts, doing their best to bypass the rest of the army like the Chiefs. It was clear to Umara that they wouldn¡¯t be able to. They were jumped on and had to fend off several opportunistic monsters while also suffering the attacks of the Royals. Umara took that chance, using some air magic and enchantments tied to her boots to jump and carry her into the middle of the army, placing herself between the First Commanders and the hundreds of monsters. It was when the monsters lunged at her that she responded with a two handfuls of fire, her Foci floating in front of her chest. She reached out to her sides, and two massive walls of fire exploded into being, all the monsters recoiling from the heat. Once they backed away Umara turned down the fuel, cooling the fire significantly, keeping it just hot enough to be a deterrent and keep the only opening, her, the focus. ¡°Thank you.¡± The First Commander¡¯s voice came from behind. Umara just let out a breath, washing away some of the initial heat from the explosion and cooling her body. Then she put on her mask, void black with two dark eye sockets, purple wisps glowing within them. Her voice seeped through, ¡°Come out, Pup.¡± The figure emerged from her shadow. The snout of a wolf, six thick legs, snowy blue fur, two black horns, and two large crystalline wings. Even on all fours its shoulders sat at Umara¡¯s own. It snarled at all the enemies before it. Umara¡¯s hand brushed over its back, sinking into its long fur as she whispered, ¡°Time to work, Pup. Let¡¯s buy them time.¡± The Foci settled above Umara¡¯s other hand as some of the monsters in front of her mustered the courage to charge. They had numbers, and Umara was but one girl. A Flicker didn¡¯t change much. The first to dive forward was an Authority 7 corrupted monkey, which launched its body toward Umara from the side. Before it could get close to her though, Pup lunged and caught the monkey in his jaws, clamping down and crushing the monkey into two pieces. The Authority 7 Crystal was left in Pup¡¯s jaws, and despite it still being poisoned, he still shattered it with his teeth, grinding it down and swallowing it like a delicacy. Umara had once been worried about that, but it turned out that Flickers were more of an antithesis to the Scourge than she thought. They ate those poisoned crystals and turned it into their own power. Pup¡¯s growth had accelerated massively since she started letting him eat during battles, and now he was as powerful as she was. She pat him. ¡°Don¡¯t get hurt.¡± ¡°Awoo!¡± Pup howled before lunging in, biting down and swiping long razer sharp claws through flesh and hide. Umara raised her Foci from behind her Companion Spirit, a large spell formation blooming before her. It rotated and shifted while it formed, the information within the spell changing on the fly. Bolts of compressed flame flew out, piercing into a monster¡¯s body before detonating inside with fire. It was one after another, multiple bolts getting formed with the same spell formation, attacking different targets while the array adapted based on her input. It was a method of spellcasting that didn¡¯t require the warlock to create new spell circles for every single individual spell. Instead, by simply recycling the spell and changing the information with every attack, a warlock could cut the computational and energy expenditure a significant amount. Of course, it also demanded that they be able to mentally handle all of the information at any given time, which required great practice. Umara was immune from those issues since not only was she enlightened to both her elements, but her Aura meant that the amount of information she handled at any given time could fill multiple Authority 8 Foci devices at once. She had more information than she knew what to do with, and had more than enough mental capacity to handle it all. This simply took advantage of that, helped her focus her efforts when she only needed one spell. However, she wasn¡¯t so tunnel-visioned that she only focused on the fodder in front of her. Umara glanced back at the First Commanders and watched their battles with the Royals. It was underwhelming to her but that meant she knew exactly what to do to turn the tide. With a batch of seconds that her Companion bought her, she suddenly launched a sharp spell at one of the Royals. The spell snaked under the knight¡¯s arm and hit the Royal right in the wrist, taking its hand off outright. It created a pause in the battle but the knight knew how to take advantage of the opportunity. The battle continued, Umara continuing to slaughter the fodder with her Companion while throwing out decisive spells at just the right opportunities toward the battles behind her. The Royals were either wounded or disrupted by her sudden attacks, pissed off to no end that she was interfering in such an underhanded manner, even angrier that their defensive measures were so easily thwarted by her. Umara just continued fighting. To her Companion, the beasts attacking them were nothing but a hearty meal, especially with her to keep him from getting surrounded and hurt. He could operate without a care in the world for defense, focused on nothing but attacking his prey on a platter, which meant she didn¡¯t have to do much. Pup could wield both Vigor and Mana, like many hybrid beasts that used two of the energies of Magika. Along with his Aura, he could identify openings and opportunities before releasing either crushing physical attacks or sweeping magic attacks. All Umara had to do was enable him. As for the Royals, they couldn¡¯t defend against her because she had learned the meaning of the term ¡®armor piercing¡¯. She didn¡¯t have solid objects to work with but her air and fire magic were enough. Her air magic, especially after learning spatial spells, was capable of incredible devastation. She was able learn the spatial spells and then bend them to suit her level. They were incredibly complex spells that demanded vast amounts of power in order to warp and split space. However, if she didn¡¯t want to tear a hole in the fabric of reality and instead settle for simply disrupting the matter on top of it, she could reduce the cost of the spell and enable her air spells to pierce through the thick hides or armor of monsters. Adding a bit of heat to the mixture meant that piercing into the bodies of tough Royals like the ones nearby was almost easy. Once that happened she developed detonation conditions, armed her spells, and created the very first HEIAP (High-explosive incendiary armor-piercing) Magic Bolts known to this world. They still weren¡¯t her most devastating spells, but in exchange for handling complexity, they were energy efficient and made quick work of stubborn enemies. They could also be scaled up with more energy, enabling her to hurt even higher Authority Royals or Knights. Her technique only sealed the deal. The precision behind her attacks let her hit the sneakiest shots, threading those needles and hitting an enemy right where it hurt. ¡°One down!¡± Umara¡¯s First Commander announced when one of the Royals fell beneath his blade. He went to assist his partner, the two attacking the second Royal who was already mortally wounded as a result of Umara worsening already heavy attacks. ¡°Royals down!¡± They called out when the second fell, however, that¡¯s when Umara sensed something and turned, calling. ¡°Watch out!¡± ¡°Get down!¡± One of the Chief¡¯s voices echoed right after hers. Just then, the King Blood appeared, heavily injured, and cleaved one of the First Commanders in two. Umara was already forming a spell, space rippling like water when she launched a spinning sphere toward the King Blood. It chopped down with an axe in response, hitting the sphere dead on. The tearing space hidden within the sphere shredded the axe, sending streaks of metal flying. The axe turned into nothing but a heap of metal but that could be just as much of a weapon as any other. It held its weapon and turned when Ceyhun lunged forward and sent his spear through the King Blood¡¯s chest. It let out a shriek, Umara¡¯s mind coming under attack yet easily shrugging off its power. She saw blood stream from the other First Commander¡¯s nose and eyes though. He didn¡¯t succumb to Anarchy but he was definitely injured. With a thought Umara wrapped the First Commander in a stream of compressed air and dragged him out of the fight, back near her and Pup. She dropped a recovery pill in his mouth while he slumped on the floor before turning back to the King Blood, Pup holding off the rest of the horde. There weren¡¯t much left anyway. The Chiefs moved to finish off the King Blood, but Umara didn¡¯t mind bringing out a spell to help. Umara muttered, ¡°You want me to impress you? Fine, watch this.¡± She stepped forward and snatched her Foci, infusing power directly and wiping the buffer before filling it with new information. She could sense the space around her and took over the area with a domain formed of her Aura. All the ambient mana was locked without contest and she prepared a spell over the entire area. She felt the space carry her slightly, her sheer level of control affording her this small advantage as she was carried into the middle of the fight between the Chiefs and King Blood Royal. She found an opportunity as the spell completed, space warping under her command. ¡°Move!¡± She yelled at the Chiefs, and it was Ceyhun with the spear who backed off. Umara slipped in past him, her free hand raising. The King Blood turned to her, and she knew it could feel the threat she posed. However, unlike every other being in the world, those under Anarchy cared not for their own safety, and so it simply released its strongest attack right at her. She responded with a point of the index and middle finger, drawing her nail across space. Brack and Ceyhun both felt their eyes widen as the King Blood¡¯s sword cleaved through Umara¡¯s head, her fingers missing its body by a foot as they drew a line of darkness down the side. Right after she finished her movement though, space shifted, Umara¡¯s body appearing a foot to the side, the line of darkness appearing over the King Blood¡¯s body, as if she had never actually missed, twisting reality to whatever she intended for it to be. The line of darkness imploded down the middle of the King Blood¡¯s body, sucking half of it in before exploding outward in a shower of red mist. It was very, very dead now, and it¡¯s sword had entirely missed Umara. The rest of its remaining body collapsed, but Umara recoiled with it, curses leaving her clenched teeth. ¡°Argh, shit! Still had to get in one little shot, huh?! Freakish son of a bitch! Who the fuck sees through that?! Fuck that hurts!¡± She stomped her boot before sending a swift kick into the King Blood¡¯s corpse, her hand putting pressure on the side of her head. Brack saw a serrated cut down her temple, stopping just at her cheek and bleeding profusely. He disregarded her repeated vulgarities and the near impossibility of the situation as he and Ceyhun went to finish off the rest of the horde. After all of a couple minutes, they finished the last one off. With that they just had to retreat, retrieving the dead First Commander¡¯s body and heading back to the camp. Gurns watched from afar, a wide grin across his face as he chuckled in glee. ¡°What a damn freak.¡± Chapter 200: Years In The Making April 26th, 625 Almost 5 months flew by and I barely felt the passage. With so much information in my head each day was just another stack of papers in the Grand Library of my Mind Palace. That library constantly expanded, constantly collected information for me to peruse whenever I wished. I could basically relive each day, though there were some days that I preferred to keep shelved amidst all the other books, not minding that they collected dust, knowing I had already learned the lessons I could from them. With the start of the new year I had resigned myself to doing what I could. I couldn¡¯t fall into the spiral of thinking that just because my actions weren¡¯t significant enough, I should do nothing at all. I needed to push myself and continually progress regardless of what was happening around me. That meant I had to study, had to keep cracking my advancement formation, had to keep fighting. It had been about a year since I had advanced to Authority 6, and I was about halfway done with the new advancement formation. My visualization abilities were exceptional and it turned the otherwise daunting Authority 7 formation into a manageable but still challenging piece of work. Soon enough I would crack it, and then I would use it to develop my second Spark. When I finished, I would advance. During January and March, the two months I was in the Capital working with Sawn, I managed to study and learn enough to design over 200 different established enchantments from memory. I could tell you why every single line, rune, and array were placed and arranged the way they were, and what purpose each of them played. I understood them all inside and out and I was already able to make my own enchantments. Sawn didn¡¯t hold back and allowed me to be privy to some of the enchantments used in military applications, most notably certain weapons such as the turrets that most often went on top of Steeds. Sawn Industries didn¡¯t build the Steeds themselves, that was another competitor, but he had a good hold on all things magical while that competitor seemd to have a hold on all things material. Sawn¡¯s specialty was the Aerial. The competitor, Gearworks, specialized in vehicles like the Rails and Steeds. Soon enough, that would change. I surely wouldn¡¯t be going to Gearworks to develop my weapons and tech, and Sawn was thrilled to see the beginnings of certain designs I had put down on paper. Next month, in May, I¡¯d be going back and I¡¯d be solely working on development, specifically on a new generation of vehicles that would change the face of warfare forever. There was nothing more for me to learn in regard to the basics. I was now on what could be considered the cutting edge of enchanting, and although I had studied even while back at base, it had only taken me a handful of months to get there. That spoke to both how simple it was as a field and how monstrous a good Summoner mind was. For now though, I was back at the Treehouse, and I was attending a very important event, one long in the making. I was dressed in my glimmers, feeling particularly vulnerable without my normal coat on, but disregarding it for the sake of this occasion. Around me were Generals, Colonels, Brigadiers, and the Marshal. Most of the bigshots were here and there were plenty of familiar faces. I straightened my blazer and walked over to one side of the venue. The occasion was so big that they had managed to call upon some civilian caterers and get a spread. The floor was paneled with wood, the entire rec room being reserved and decorated to look like a real venue instead of a shack on a frontline base. Looking at this scene, someone might think that we weren¡¯t actually fighting a war. Generals had to have their luxury and fun every now and then though, so this occasion served multiple purposes. I grabbed a glass of alcohol from a tray and walked over to a nearby standing table. Nonnen smiled at me. ¡°Looking sharp, Envoy.¡± ¡°You as well, sir.¡± Nonnen was dressed in the standard dress apparel for knights. Their dress uniform was black, a bit similar to a warlock¡¯s in design with red trim. It looked more like a tuxedo than anything else but Summoner Glimmers still took the lead in that department. He asked, ¡°How many people are supposed to show?¡± ¡°Around 150,¡± I looked around, noticing more people continuing to arrive, ¡°It¡¯ll be a bit cramped and honestly my anxiety is not enjoying it.¡± ¡°Why are you anxious?¡± ¡°Well, we have just about all of our base¡¯s leadership in a single room. It could either be considered the safest place here or the best target for a most devious ambush.¡± I didn¡¯t need to explain why. All of the intelligence leadership was in this venue. Losing them wouldn¡¯t necessarily cut our head off, but it would quickly lead to a breakdown in the command structure and things would be chaotic for a while until the Marshal managed to get more Colonels and Generals here to help him get a grasp of everything. Not to mention I would probably be dead with them. It wasn¡¯t a very desirable situation. Nonnen leaned against the table with his elbow, ¡°With the second phase of Operation Breakwater though, we¡¯ve established a hard line well beyond the base. The Scourge can¡¯t even siege this place, let alone sneak the monsters in to do an ambush.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯d be surprised.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be more surprised to know that they somehow got wind of this, especially with you having cracked down on that.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I glanced around, eyeing a few particular Generals. My conversation several months ago with Polly flashed through my head. She still hadn¡¯t managed to weed one out, but she had her leads. It was no longer a dry case, and the fact that she had found even the slightest evidence had her scared. My words were no longer crazy to her, and she had used that motivation to push herself to break past her own limits. I glanced at Nonnen before reaching out with my mind, activating my telepathy. I had started communicating with him like this because I trusted the man, and there had been certain situations in the past that warranted such secrecy. Now was one of those times. [We haven¡¯t managed to find the traitor among the highest ranks. Honestly, this may very well be another bait mission for us. Polly has used this occasion as an opportunity to watch certain attendees, seeing what they did with the news that this was occurring. Well, if something happens, we¡¯ll know for sure that there¡¯s a traitor amidst the Generals.] He glanced at me, responding, [Why would they ambush this place and kill one of their Generals?] [You underestimate just how little the Scourge cares for human traitors. Traitors are pawns to be used, and since they¡¯re getting ready to invade in full force, they may try to destabilize us by killing most people here. In that case, why wouldn¡¯t they sacrifice one little pawn?] [Good point. You know, sometimes I get worried when you start talking to me about what they would do. Your guesses are too often on the mark.] ¡°To catch monsters you must fathom what they may do.¡± I spoke out loud, ¡°It¡¯s the price we pay to protect. Else you are among the ignorant that must be protected.¡± ¡°Hm, that¡¯s a good way to put it.¡± Nonnen and I went silent, watching the rest of the venue. I could see Polly going around and socializing with many of the other generals. Jasmine was there with her, Polly¡¯s most loyal Colonel. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. I found it interesting to think about what I had gotten into by making a deal with that woman. She was incredibly smart, cunning, breaking past the stubborn barriers summoners put up to keep others from competing with them. She knew how to use advantages, carving out her own slice of authority at a Stronghold in the middle of nowhere and using it as a foothold to insert herself in the highest levels of decision making with sheer competence and hard work. What I had given her only served to act as the catalyst for this very moment. ¡°Attention!¡± The shout snapped through the room, everyone going silent, some of those at the lower ranks straightening their backs and facing one side of the room. General Viskar, the one overseeing this event, stepped forward with Polly. He stood behind a podium while Polly took a position to the side standing with her hands clasped behind her back. He started his speech. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, this day is years in the making. Before you stands Pollina Demerius, highest intelligence agent of stronghold Charlie and Charlie Company. Her merits are known by many. 27 years in the military, Pollina has had no small hand in securing the western edge of the frontlines for over a decade. Her merits extended further as this very base was reinforced, her expertise and knowledge of the region accelerating our establishment in this combat zone by months if not years. She has been an integral part of the Kingdom¡¯s western forces and dominance, her skill and wisdom ensuring that bases and cities for hundreds of miles were free from the threat of flanking Scourge forces. Most notably, she is responsible for raising several other intelligence agents that have helped obtain vital intel on the Scourge that has secured the face of the western front for good.¡± General Viskar recounted some of Polly¡¯s contributions and merits over the years, speaking for several minutes about those alone. Some of his words were too optimistic for my tastes but this event could serve to raise morale just as much as it carried out its other purposes. Once he finished the real event began. The General turned to Polly and called. ¡°All hands, acknowledge your sister in battle, by my decree, General Collin Viskar, Highest Intelligence Command of the Western Theater!¡± There was a snap as everyone saluted, Polly and General Viskar facing each other with their right knife hands over their chests. ¡°Pollina Demerius, do you solemnly swear, on your life, your honor, under the eyes of he who stands in place of the Crowned King Distrion Jealven Alphon, that you will uphold the Tenants of the Kingdom of Dragon Tongue, uphold the honor of the Military and all its laws and forces, and for the sake of your fellow man, resist the Scourge of this world?¡± My brows momentarily raised as I heard almost all the words I expected. Polly nodded anyway. ¡°I solemnly swear, on my life, on my honor, and for the sake of my fellow man.¡± ¡°Then step forward, and with everyone here as a witness, on the 12th hour of the 117th day of the 625th year, recieve your dragon wings.¡± Polly put down her salute and stepped forward, General Viskar meeting her with a step and unpinning her Colonel Arrows. Two pins, insignia with a single pair of dragon wings, were put on the corners of her collar. Once General Viskar stepped away, they both saluted once more. ¡°All hands, acknowledge Brigaider General Pollina Demerius! For Honor!¡± ¡°For Honor!¡± ¡°For Honor!¡± ¡°For Honor!¡± Everyone chanted as I smiled, claps erupting after the third chant. Polly was finally a Brigadier General, that once insurmountable hurdle finally crossed. While the clapping subsided Polly went around and shook hands of those who wished to congratulate her. After a few of those formal interactions Jasmine went up and gave her a hug. Both of them had worked toward this day for many years, and even beyond the deal they had made, the two had formed a bond that went beyond the military or any duty they may have. She gradually made her way to where Nonnen and I stood, after most people had come to shake her hand at least once, as if they had always been her friend, as if they had ever wanted her to reach this height. Nonnen smiled and leaned in for a hug, teasing her with his large frame, ¡°Congratulations, Brigaider General Pollina Demerius.¡± ¡°Be quiet and come here,¡± Polly rolled her eyes and hugged him, turning to me once they separated. I nodded to her, ¡°Tally one more congratulations. How many is it now?¡± ¡°84,¡± she replied, pulling my shoulder in so we could hug, ¡°And many of them are thanks to you.¡± I returned the hug, my arms wrapping under her own, ¡°You deserve it. I¡¯m glad I was able to help as much as you thought I would.¡± ¡°Just know my appreciation of you goes beyond our cooperation, John. I know you know that but it¡¯s always good to put these things into words.¡± She pulled away and smiled at me, ¡°I¡¯m glad to have you by my side. You¡¯re a damn good kid. I don¡¯t care what Nonnen says.¡± ¡°Wait huh?¡± Nonnen staggered at the sudden mention, almost coughing on his drink. Polly chuckled and pat my shoulder, stepping away, ¡°Enjoy yourselves, boys. The woman of the hour needs to tend to the social scene.¡± I waved to her, smiling as Nonnen dabbed his chin with a napkin. At the same time, I briefly recalled the speech General Viskar gave for the promotion. For the sake of your fellow man, resist the Scourge of this world, he said. I had gone over the official speech a while ago, it was in one of the texts for promotion material that Colonels needed to learn. It was proper to learn procedure for those things. Well, those weren¡¯t the words he was supposed to say. ¡°For the sake of your fellow man,¡± was originally, ¡°For the Grace of God¡¯s Holy Light.¡± It was definitely religious, but that¡¯s how it was supposed to be. It seemed that things had been subtly changed without much notification. I wonder who it was that demanded that change, and why General Viskar felt the need to go along with it despite it not being very official, disregarding the tradition that had stood for centuries prior. Another thing to ponder as I took a sip of a drink. ¡­¡­ A couple hours passed and a big lunch was served and devoured. It was the tastiest food these people had eaten in months and they were sure to indulge in every scrap. We actually managed to clean out the caterers, especially when dessert came. I wasn¡¯t that worried because soon enough I¡¯d be going back to the Capital where I could get all the sweets I wanted. It wasn¡¯t fair to compare though, so I just kept my consumption minimal so others could have more. The promotion ceremony was supposed to last close to half the day, and a big chunk had already passed. It was getting close to ending and some of those lower on the rungs left early to tend to some of their work. What shocked me though was the fact that, despite nearly 5 hours passing, we hadn¡¯t been attacked. I hadn¡¯t even felt the slightest bit of danger. I was pleased, but that also meant that Polly¡¯s plan to weed out a traitor using this ceremony as bait went up in smoke, not that we necessarily wanted it to succeed that badly. It made me wonder why the Scourge didn¡¯t take this chance. I was always going to assume that there was a traitor so all my logic came from that perspective. Nonnen appeared at some point and bumped we with his elbow. ¡°So much for your theories, huh?¡± ¡°Hey, sometimes it¡¯s nice to be wrong.¡± I shrugged, ¡°For once I haven¡¯t predicted and watched as a horrible disaster came to pass.¡± ¡°How many times have you done that before?¡± His brows raised as he turned to me. ¡°I¡¯m not actually entirely sure but at least thrice, and it¡¯s only happening more as I get more powerful.¡± I sighed and leaned back, overlooking the rest of the venue. Nonnen shook his head, ¡°You and that Aura of yours. Honestly though, we¡¯re still doing pretty good. The Kingdom hasn¡¯t seen the need to send a Sovereign so we¡¯re not at the point of no return.¡± ¡°When would they send a Sovereign?¡± He rubbed his chin, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve heard that those at Authority 12 can sense each other across the world. That includes the Scourge. Of course, I¡¯m sure that power fluctuates and not all Authority 12s are created equal, but that¡¯s the general consensus.¡± ¡°So if a Sovereign shows up¡­¡± I muttered, and at that moment the door to the venue opened. Everyone turned to see who it was, all eyes laying on a large man even taller than I was wearing heavy dress attire, fitted with a custom insignia detailing a hand clenched around a sun. He had long hair, a sword scabbard at his waist with a waist-length cape draped over one shoulder. Now that I knew he was here, I could sense a bit of his Aura, a mere hint that eluded toward something far, far deeper than I¡¯d ever been able to see before. A Sovereign, in the flesh. ¡°Oh, looks like I¡¯m not too late.¡± His voice echoed through the dead silent venue, a slight smile tugging at his lips. Everyone simply stared, every single General rapidly guessing what this man¡¯s presence meant for the entire Western Front. They all came to the same conclusion. I turned to Nonnen with narrowed eyes. He planted his face in his hands, looking exhausted already. And I said the words hanging on everyone¡¯s minds. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be fucking kidding me.¡± Chapter 201: WC2 Mana Engine Mk. 1 May, 615 I left for the capital only a few days after Polly¡¯s promotion. My schedule was still in effect and a Sovereign showing up to the Treehouse wouldn¡¯t change that. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was happy or not to be getting away from that place when I did. I was sure that the Sovereign showing up was just the calm before the storm, a mere foreshadowing of what was to come. That meant that the first month or so after his arrival would be uneventful. And yet I finally knew why the Scourge didn¡¯t bother attacking the promotion ceremony. They knew there was now a Sovereign coming to the Treehouse, no doubt. That meant they were planning something far worse than what they had been. They were getting ready to attack the Treehouse with everything they had. Now, the Treehouse was really in the realm where getting sieged by 2 million monsters was no longer improbable. Apparently they were supposed to receive a few more Marshals for reinforcement as well. If that didn¡¯t spell disaster then what did? Well, for now it wasn¡¯t my problem. I was quick to get back to work after arriving in the capital. Sawn was just as eager as I was and my designs were coming together nicely. I had two projects underway, the first codenamed Project Wright, the second codenamed Project Chopper. After I described what the projects were to Sawn he immediately tagged the projects as secret. Currently, only Sawn, myself, and Ovidius were allowed to see or work on these designs. Project Wright was my attempt at making airplanes for this world. I couldn¡¯t make mechanical airplanes because this world didn¡¯t have the industry to support them. However, making magic planes was far easier anyway. If I had to redesign entire planes from the ground up, they¡¯d be slow and weak and generally useless. For now the Scourge didn¡¯t have dedicated anti-air, but it wasn¡¯t impossible to hit targets with explosive spells. These planes still had to take a hit, but so long as they were capable enough, they¡¯d be able to avoid most if not all attacks and change the face of this world¡¯s warfare for good. The Scourge might develop countermeasures with time, but even after that air superiority would add a new plane to the field of battle forever. :) More developments could come at that time. For now, I simply needed to get this thing out into the field. So long as I could get the design, Sawn would be able to develop it. The amazing thing about enchanting was that it required only four things: The design, the White Crystal, the warlock to enchant with their own skill and energy, and the materials of the device itself, usually a simple structural material like wood or metal. There was no fabrication, no expansive industry chains, no chemistry or complex material science and development. It was such a simple and easy process that it was almost criminal. It was no wonder that despite the intelligence of summoners, normal science had hardly been developed beyond what was absolutely necessary. Magic was the greatest crutch and bias to all minds in this world, and the ordinary people were still too poor to go out of their way to make anything themselves, also thanks to magic and Magi. That meant the hardest part about my job was simply getting the designs in order. The only reason it was going to take a little while was because these two projects were my first attempts at invention, not to mention with a pretty complex magic system like enchanting. It unfortunately couldn¡¯t happen overnight. But it did happen, progressing more and more with every day that I spent behind that workstation. The airplane behind Project Wright would still incorporate mechanical plane design philosophies. I didn¡¯t want to entirely rely on magic, so propulsion wasn¡¯t as simple as just slapping some enchantments to a brick and making it spit out air. Apparently there were plenty of people who had done such things before and it wasn¡¯t enough to achieve the universal human dream of flying, unless the White Crystal used was powerful enough, of course. But I wanted to make do with the bare minimum, cheapest, and least powerful materials I could. I wanted these things to be mass produced because this invention had to be widespread to be meanginful. What I was doing could by no means be insignificant and small scale. It would multiply the combat effectiveness and lifespan of all Magi by several times if done correctly. So, the most important part of my design fell to the engine that drove the plane. In front of that, the rest of the plane itself became comparatively insignificant. Behind every vehicle was an engine, and the more powerful the engine, the larger, faster, or stronger a vehicle could be. Planes were no different from cars in that respect. Both could use nearly identical engines, because in the end all the engines were doing was turning something, either a propeller or a wheel. The issue with a magical engine, though, was the fact that there wasn¡¯t necessarily an ¡®engine¡¯ to design. There would be no pistons because there was no gasoline to combust in a chamber. That alone meant I¡¯d have to design my very own magic engine nearly from scratch. The only thing that eased my mind was the designs I was given for the engines behind vehicles like the Steed and the Rails. Sawn naturally had ripped designs for them, and even if they weren¡¯t full, their design philosophies were easy to replicate. However, those had problems of their own. For one, they were expensive, as I quickly discovered. A normal Steed required an Authority 9 White Crystal to move it. I understood that they were heavy and armored, but that was an absurd amount of power being used for something so simple when an Authority 9 Knight was capable of putting out so much more force than a Steed was. The only advantage was the lifespan of a single charge. Those things could drive for over half a day at its full speed unceasingly if you didn¡¯t mind draining the entire thing. Proportionally it was better than a gasoline truck was, and the White Crystals, the power source, were tiny and light, unlike the gallons and gallons of gasoline as well as the weight of a chassis and engine to run a truck or APC on Earth. White Crystals were amazing, but converting their power into mechanical force was challenging even for the best Magi of the Kingdom. The only reason they were investing so much into such things was because Steeds and Rails were strategic tools, and teleporters were far too expensive to use on a large scale. The magic ¡®engine¡¯ within a Steed worked by using earth magic to push on something nearby. It could almost be considered anti-gravity, an invisible repelling force being exerted by enchanted conduits that carried the earth magic. The way they applied this was by putting teeth on the wheels of the Steeds and making the magic push on those teeth similar to how gears would operate, turning the wheel and making the vehicle roll. The reason they had to do this instead of just making the vehicles levitate was because that kind of earth magic was apparently really, really weak for how much power was demanded. In other words, it was horribly inefficient. That¡¯s when I wondered if it was possible to simply make a Crystal create torque directly. That would make my engines insanely simple, simply slapping a White Crystal to the end of a pole and turning it on to make a plane fly or a car go vroom. As for whether it was possible, I looked toward the Rail designs for inspiration. The Rails worked almost the same exact way as the Steeds did with their wheels. However, the tracks themselves were supplemented with conduits throughout their length, repeating crystals being installed all the way through, making their construction prohibitively expensive. It was worth it though because a Rail car could compound its own power with the power through the rails, propelling it across long distances faster. It just couldn¡¯t stop, or risk taking a long time to get back up to speed and wasting a ton of energy. Rails had dedicated acceleration Crystals for that reason, completely separate from the other Crystal that powered everything under normal use. Either way, the important bit was how the car compounded its power with the conduits through the rails. Something about that made me think that my idea wasn¡¯t insane. From the little I could glimpse from incomplete enchantments, it was more than just adding the power of two crystals together. It was a push and pull that worked together. I felt like it could be the answer to my question, but I needed to know the enchantments behind it if I wanted to use it. I might be able to reverse engineer it but that would take too much time. That¡¯s also when I remembered something. It was halfway through the month of May that I shot up from my workstation. Sawn and Ovidius jumped from my sudden motion as I suddenly sprinted out of the room. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I need to talk to someone!¡± I left with those words, rushing out of the Magic Spire as fast as I could before nearly sprinting toward the Hotel like a madman. The Key Master¡¯s eyes widened when I slammed through the front doors, ¡°Having a breakthrough?¡± ¡°I think so? We¡¯ll see what my mentor has to say about it!¡± I hit the elevator with that and arrived at the market where I full sprinted to the Polaris Family headquarters. I skidded to a halt in front of Maxwell¡¯s study, blasting through the door. ¡°Old Man!¡± Maxwell glared at me, unsurprised by my appearance, ¡°I could feel your dreadful presence barreling toward this place miles away. What has you so excited? I just got here.¡± ¡°You said you worked on the Rails, right?¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°I didn¡¯t work on them, I invented them. Why?¡± ¡°I need to see the designs. Pretty please?¡± I stopped in front of his desk and smiled, Maxwell narrowing his eyes. ¡°Do you know how much trouble I could be in if Gearworks found my designs in Sawn Industries vehicles? I¡¯m not going to give up my free income just so you can make some chump change.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to copy it. I have a design of my own in the works and I just need to know how the Rail stuff works. I can show you the final product and everything before I hand it off to Sawn! But I need the enchantments. It¡¯ll save me months if not years of research!¡± I almost begged, something I very, very rarely did. I felt like I was on the verge of a breakthrough and Maxwell¡¯s designs were the key. He sat there, staring at me, contemplating for two full minutes before letting out a loud sigh. ¡°Dammit boy, you¡¯re testing my trust.¡± ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m the most trustworthy man there is!¡± ¡°Hah! We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Maxwell went to the side room where his own workstation was, turning it on and pulling up the designs, offloading them onto an Orb. He threw it at me, and I caught it with great coordination. ¡°Your work better be revolutionary. If I find that you made some cheap derivative of my design, I¡¯m going to wring your neck and disown you.¡± ¡°Trust me! You know I¡¯m smart.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a reckless fool with balls for brains. There¡¯s no other way to describe a summoner who actually fights, or a commoner who pines after high nobles.¡± ¡°Yes yes, I¡¯m insanely awesome. Gotta go!¡± I waved and rushed out, Maxwell¡¯s eye roll almost audible. I rushed back to the Spire, heading back up to my workstation where Ovidius still lingered. Sawn had left at some point. ¡°I have the key, Ovidius,¡± I spoke while bringing out the Orb. Ovidius tilted his head, ¡°What¡¯s on it?¡± ¡°For now, I can¡¯t tell you.¡± I tossed the Orb onto one of the several cradles on the workstation, ¡°In fact, although I don¡¯t want to be rude, I¡¯m gonna have to ask you to give me some time alone. Sawn might guess what I have but I can¡¯t risk this information leaking. Project security.¡± He was looking at me as I turned around, clearly refusing to upload the designs until he wasn¡¯t able to see them. He rubbed his beard and nodded, ¡°Very well. If you need anything from me, you know where to find me.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± With that he left, leaving me alone in my office. I quickly uploaded the designs and got to work. Over the next week I crunched the data, going over the designs and even notes that Maxwell included. It was invaluable information and yet again, I struggled to make sense of Maxwell¡¯s labors. The man was crazy smart and his designs reflected that. But I had the knowledge of Earth on my side. I wouldn¡¯t denigrate the man¡¯s work but it was impossible for me not to surpass him with all my advantages. And so I took his designs for the Rail and conjured up what would be known as the WC2 Mana Engine Mk.1. Finally, when there were only 4 days left of my time in the capital, I managed to finish the design. ¡­¡­ Sawn scribbled his signature on some litigation before leaning back and turning his attention toward a large schematic on the screen of his workstation. Highlighted was a small improvement to an existing design from one of his summoners. He sighed when he saw the supposed efficiency improvement of 4.4%. It was a painfully small number. Normally he¡¯d take it and reward the summoner for a job well done, but now it seemed so inconsequential after he saw what John had made. Right now he was just waiting to apply John¡¯s efficiency design to everything he could. Unfortunately John had been locked away in his room, working unceasingly on Project Wright. He was excited about it though, waiting patiently for John to present his work. He had even prepared the raise he was going to give him once it was done. Ovidius had wondered why he was already preparing such things, why he was so excited for John¡¯s work. The answer lay with John¡¯s mentor, Maxwell Albarain. Few knew the name of the summoner who developed the Rails and Steeds, paving the way for all magic-driven vehicles they knew today. John was actually able to pull on that man¡¯s knowledge, his personal designs! Sawn didn''t know how much money he spent on trying to reverse engineer those designs, but John was able to snag them for free and without restriction. Then he said he was going to make something better. He didn¡¯t know what was brewing in that kid¡¯s head, but he knew it was going to change things. He was preparing to spend a lot of gold. Sawn looked down when he heard a sound on his Aerial. It was from John, and the words made him jump out of his seat and rush out. Ovidius was jogging over as well, the two making their way into John¡¯s office. John was sitting on his seat behind his workstation, the big screen displaying a massive schematic. He swiveled and smiled at them, standing. ¡°Gentlemen. I present to you, the WC2 Mana Engine Mark 1.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Sawn asked, walking around to scrutinize the design. Ovidius remained silent, doing the same. John smiled wider, ¡°This, sir, is the answer to all my problems. This device turns the power from White Crystals into mechanical force, specifically rotational force. Basically, it turns things.¡± John spun his seat, the chair spinning on the shaft that held it. Sawn thought about how simple that concept was, rotating something. Yet it had demanded John¡¯s full attention and genius. He knew why, but it was still humorous to think about. John took a step, tapping his screen a few times, ¡°Vehicles are great, but the biggest issue is delivering power to them. You have to move a lot of weight, and fast, and since you guys want to use magic to do that, the biggest problem, the most foundational problem, was how to turn magical power into mechanical, or kinetic, energy. Well, I¡¯ve officially solved that problem, and in the best way possible.¡± John brought up the big schematic, zooming in on one part. It was an image of two White Crystals attached to two different structures, the crystals facing each other. ¡°This right here is the answer. I¡¯ve managed to scrounge up the enchantments to make it work. In its simplest terms, these two White Crystals push against each other and make each other rotate. After that you just attach one to the foundation and the other to a free object. The free object will rotate. Even better, the force exerted is the sum of the force that both crystals output, not just one. At first it was only one but I figured out how to tune them to each other and sum their forces. Either way though,¡± John stood back and waved to the schematic, ¡°This is it. This is the Mana Engine.¡± ¡°Amazing¡­¡± Ovidius stepped up and looked at the design. The larger structure had dozens of enchantments, but the main part, the only part that really mattered, was horribly simple. It demanded a singular complex enchantment, but otherwise, there were only two white crystals and the two structures they were attached to. That was it. It could be applied to nearly anything. Anything where you wanted to make a rod rotate, this was the solution. And how many things could be done by simply making a rod rotate? Sawn couldn¡¯t count the applications in the industrial sector alone, let alone transportation. The only other question was how efficient it was. As for sheer power, that would be determined by the Authority of the White Crystals being worked with, not the design. John looked over at Sawn, ¡°I couldn¡¯t let you see anything before because I was using my mentor¡¯s designs, but these are almost completely original now. I¡¯ve only used one application from the Rails which is how to resonate the force applied by the crystals, which isn¡¯t even the backbone of this design. Other than that, it¡¯s all my own.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry John,¡± Sawn smiled, ¡°There¡¯s nothing Gearworks could ever do to try and de-legitimize this design. What are the downsides to it?¡± ¡°There are three. The first two problems have to do with the mounting. First, is the fact that you have to mount the Crystals at all. It has to be attached to the structure directly so that the forces the crystals put out can be applied to something. The second downside is the fact that the mount has to bear the stress of the force being generated, creating a point of failure. Third is mounting the two structures and their subsequent parts together and combining them into a singular frame that a vehicle can be built upon.¡± ¡°That third point is hardly a downside, just a consequence of design, as is the first point, because of course you have to mount the Crystals,¡± Sawn waved, ¡°That means the only downside is the point of failure, the point at which the Crystal is attached to the structure. Say, do both the two structures have to bear the force? Why isn¡¯t the free structure the only one that bears the force? Why does the unmoving structure have to bear the same force?¡± John shrugged, ¡°It was the only way to get the design to work. The crystals have to act against each other to get the rotational force. Basically, the two crystals are pushing on each other and by making those forces slip past each other, we get rotation. Unfortunately, that means the force is applied to both.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Sawn rubbed his chin, smiling even wider, ¡°Do you have any vehicle designs yet?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± John rapidly tapped the workstation, ¡°This is my almost finished design for Project Wright.¡± The image came up, Sawn seeing one of the ¡®planes¡¯ that John designed. It would fly by producing power through the blades at the front, the wings keeping it aloft as it moved at high speeds, just like a bird. Another simple design, no more than a body with wings and a tail fin. Sawn wondered how it had never been made before. John pointed, ¡°The Mana Engine will spin this propeller, which draws in and pushes out air. To control it, there is a system of fins that can be adjusted to push the plane up and down, side to side, and make it spin. These dynamics are known as pitch, roll, and yaw, and they allow the pilot to have full control over the plane¡¯s movement during flight. And since these planes won¡¯t carry hardly any weight besides the frame, pilot, and maybe passengers, even with payload they¡¯ll be able to climb to altitudes around 30 thousand feet easily. And if I can figure out how to make turbine designs work, then we¡¯re talking 50 thousand feet plus. The only limit then would be keeping the pilot alive at those altitudes. We¡¯ll need to get measurements on the force White Crystals can generate in the Mana Engine at different Authorities, and then see if we have to worry about torque and horsepower, see if the crystal takes different when it comes to simply rotating fast or under load¡­¡± Sawn looked away when John started delving into his own world. He knew Ovidius would listen, and most importantly, he knew that everything John had on paper would require testing. He had simulated it and it supposedly worked on screen, but that didn¡¯t always translate to the real world, no matter how often Sawn tried to get those simulation programs accurate. Either way, now they had a prototype of a Mana Engine. It would be the backbone of everything else they created with it, the single most important piece to the puzzle of transportation and magic to mechanical force output they had. John was right about this changing everything. Sawn could already see it. That night, he personally went to work on manufacturing the mounts for test products, ordering refits for an entire section of his lab within the Spire. At the same time, he was putting together a pitch in his mind. As soon as they had a working product, a working plane, he knew they¡¯d be selling like every other weapon out there. Not only that, according to John¡¯s designs, the White Crystals didn¡¯t have to be powerful to achieve the necessary power output to provide a plane with ¡®enough lift¡¯. Like his previous designs, the Mana Engine was terribly efficient. That meant they would be as cheap as dirt to produce. It may very well become their most valuable product. Sawn smiled. He was about to sell flight itself. What was more coveted than that? Chapter 202: Anatomical June 9th, 625 The last few days of May I managed to get a full plane design out. It was really simple after I managed to figure out everything for the Mana Engine. After all, these magic planes didn¡¯t need anything beyond a chassis and the propeller. They didn¡¯t require all the systems to manage the engines or radar or fuel. On top of that, it was simple to make conduits for the plane controls, running the conduits to the wings and tail of the plane to operate the control surfaces such as the flaps and fins. Even things like air compressors for high altitude operations were easy, because if air warlocks were good at anything, it was compressing air. I had seen Umara do it hundreds of times, and there were a plethora of enchantments to do the same thing. For now though, all Sawn wanted to do was get a working product out. Creating specialized planes would come later, even though I already gave him the general designs for bombers and fighters. The time was coming to finally introduce a new dimension to the field of battle. Sawn would spend the month that I was at the Treehouse working on the Mana Engine and getting a physical plane out according to my specs. There was still a lot of testing to do, adjustments to make that simulations couldn¡¯t account for, but that was stuff he could handle alongside his army of enchanters and summoners. On the other hand, I was responsible for drawing up a guidebook. It would be about everything that one needed to know about handling a plane as well as the various roles a plane could serve across all facets of the Kingdom. It wasn¡¯t quite a sales pitch, but Sawn would be using it in order to sell the idea later. I had convinced him to let me draw it up personally because I knew about what planes were capable of, especially different types. From cargo planes that could move materials, food, and people across vast distances faster than even Rails, to bombers that could rise high in the sky and rain hell down upon the Scourge without so much as a worry about being scratched from thousands of feet up. Granted, bombers were limited without physical bombs, but even fielding nothing but flying turrets would allow Magi to wreak far more devastation than they usually did, and without the cost of life it usually demanded. You could even man them with ordinary people. I could imagine it now. Entire aerial fleets, each plane armed with anywhere from 2 to 10 turrets, all streaking through the sky and devastating the Scourge armies below. Even without turrets, warlocks alone could exercise wide area spells with the greatest effect, a dozen of them in a plane, acting as the turrets themselves. Hell, throw a Marshal warlock up there and he¡¯d be untouchable. Planes would change the entire Kingdom for the better, multiplying combat power, multiplying logistical effectiveness, boosting the economy massively. Even better was the fact that Sawn would be the sole seller, and I was the inventor. I was about to become a very rich man, so I naturally had to make sure to hype up the product as much as I could in the guidebook. The only downside was the training it would take to create pilots. Even I didn¡¯t know too much about that, but it was nothing that couldn¡¯t be figured out later. Making the guidebook was my primary goal during my time when I went back at the Treehouse, but even that had to take a backseat to the missions that came my way. The Scourge was preparing. They weren¡¯t attacking much. There were only little skirmishes here and there, especially since Operation Breakwater was still in effect. The Treehouse had managed to push the lines forward, building bases across the front and stationing thousands of troops at each one. The Treehouse¡¯s biggest issue at that point was supply lines, but that had been established a while ago and everything was running smooth. Hundreds of supply trucks were coming in and out every day. The Generals knew that the Scourge was getting ready to do something big, especially since the Sovereign showed up, so their most pressing matter was figuring out what. That meant recon. Lots of recon. And since I had become what could be considered one of the leading authorities on recon, Charlie Company was tasked with handling the most important, and dangerous, missions. Both the Pathfinders and the Snow Doves were working overtime, and as soon as a new mission came our way, I was thrown in. The missions Charlie Company was given were lengthy. They had gone on several missions while I was gone and most of them lasted around a week. They would barely get time off when they returned, stocking up in the forward bases before heading right back out. So when I arrived I was immediately briefed by Polly and sent to one of the bases on the new front line. There I spent around a week doing nothing but crunching recent data handed off by Jasmine. It was only on the 9th that Charlie Company returned from another mission. I linked up with them, and we were soon given our next mission. Since I was back in business, I was the one given the mission data. I filed it away before heading over and finding Nonnen. It looked like their Steeds had taken some hits so some of the maintenance workers were repairing what they could, Nonnen hanging around the garage. ¡°Brigadier, sir.¡± ¡°Good to see you, Envoy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking rough.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re looking spry. Seems like cushy Capital life is as enviable as I¡¯m thinking it is.¡± We shook hands before I leaned against the wall nearby, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d be lying if I said it¡¯s not, and if I said I wanted to be here. Enchanting work is nice. I get to go at my own pace, I¡¯m in the Magic Spire, I work with smart people, I¡¯m not worried about dying. I¡¯d say it¡¯s a few steps above doing this shit. The only thing I was missing was my girl.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Keep bragging and I¡¯ll rip out your brain so I can get a taste of some of those memories.¡± I looked over at him with raised brows for a few seconds, ¡°That¡¯s quite the creative threat.¡± ¡°You like it? Came up with it a few days ago.¡± ¡°Mm. Very menacing.¡± We both chuckled and stared out at all the vehicles. I hadn¡¯t worked on anything besides the airplanes back at the Capital, even though I had offered to whip up a design for better ground runners. Sawn didn¡¯t want to compete in that arena though. It would cost him more and Gearworks would be on his ass every step of the way, so it was more than worth it to simply focus on the planes and let them continue producing Steeds and Rails. There would be plenty of demand for flight anyway. Nonnen sighed, ¡°You have a woman? Is she a Magus?¡± I nodded and smiled, ¡°She is. Quite powerful too.¡± ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I should say. We caught a lot of heat for our relationship and if rumors spread, I might get in trouble again.¡± ¡°Oh? Is she a noble? You can tell me at least. You taught me plenty about secrecy anyway.¡± ¡°Hm, I suppose,¡± I glanced over at him and activated my telepathy, [Her name is Umara Talerria, daughter of Duchess Talexia Talerria, one of the few in my so called Calamity Class who survived alongside me during the fall of Purple Sky. She recently told me that she managed to sneak her way into special operations, and she¡¯s working her way toward Authority 8.] Nonnen slowly turned his head toward me, befuddlement across his face, ¡°How the fuck did a no name cold summoner punk like you manage to snag someone like that?¡± ¡°What can I say?¡± I shrugged with a wide grin, ¡°I¡¯m just that amazing, and my charm is unparalleled. Impressed much?¡± ¡°I¡¯m baffled, by both your achievement and ego. I¡¯m also doubtful. She wasn¡¯t some short term fling, was she? Just a noble lady messing around with a commoner boy toy to feel something?¡± ¡°Of course not. We¡¯re both madly in love with each other and my current goal is to get into special operations so we can finally reunite,¡± I dramatized my words, ¡°The pressure of the nobility will not quench the forbidden passion of us star-crossed lovers.¡± ¡°Please shut up,¡± Nonnen shivered, ¡°Hearing you say things like that sends bugs down my spine.¡± I laughed a bit while preparing a cigar. With my relaxed lifestyle recently I hadn¡¯t been using them too much, except when pulling all-nighters trying to get enchantments processed. I puffed a bit of smoke, ¡°Next mission of ours deploys in the morning. We can brief tonight.¡± Nonnen sighed and wiped his scraggly beard with his hand, ¡°Yeah, got it. Everyone will be ready.¡± ¡°How have recent missions been? I¡¯ve read the reports but I want to know how they felt.¡± ¡°Tense. Attacks can be common and we¡¯ve encountered some freakish monsters. We¡¯ve discovered three new species and all of them are pains to deal with. Nothing we haven''t been able to handle but everyone is on edge. Feels like there¡¯s no end in sight, despite everyone knowing something big is going to happen soon.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°The Sovereign definitely didn¡¯t put minds at ease, that¡¯s for sure,¡± I let out another plume of smoke, feeling my head clear a bit. These cigars were more potent since I had some more Vigor in my body. Nonnen and I hung out a bit more before going our separate ways to prepare for the evening. I made my rounds and talked to Pollux and Amary. The Pathfinders had both lost and received new people. The dreadful part was that well over half of them were completely new faces. I could remember the people who had once occupied their spots, even though I wasn¡¯t close with them. I had read up on those that were gone too. Most died, but some had left. Those that left couldn¡¯t handle seeing what the Pathfinders had to see on recon missions. Some almost went crazy after an encounter with a King Blood too, getting pulled to the rear for some therapy. I felt for them. Most unfortunately, Eric was still alive. Even more amazing was that he was actually Authority 7 now. I barely glanced at him while walking past him and the twit latched onto my attention. ¡°Hey summoner! I thought you bitched out and left for good. I lost respect for you.¡± ¡°Yeah? And now that I¡¯m back?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s to say? No use having respect for someone that¡¯ll nail his own coffin shut sooner rather than later.¡± I couldn¡¯t even muster the energy to react. I just nodded and continued walking, ignoring the people smiling around Eric. Seemed he had gotten himself some bootlickers. His voice came from behind, ¡°Be careful out there! Never know when a sneaky little blade might find your neck!¡± What an obvious threat, I thought. I found it amazing that Eric was still so hateful of me, though I wasn¡¯t surprised. I wouldn¡¯t put anything past that man, not even betraying humanity. I sent a quick message to Polly, telling her to look into recent records involving Eric while I kept an eye out for suspicious activities. After that the day flew by quickly. I briefed both the Pathfinders and the Snow Doves in the evening. It was another recon mission, one that was supposed to probe around the closest end of the gargantuan intestine that was snaking its way down here. They wanted information on how exactly it grew and spread, as well as what the intestine did beyond acting as a supply line. I couldn¡¯t be sure what we¡¯d find. It wasn¡¯t like I had experience with horrific bioconstructs such as this, so I couldn¡¯t make guesses. It would just have to be gold old fashioned information collection. After the briefing I had one half night¡¯s rest before we woke up at the asscrack of dawn to deploy. I climbed into a Steed while everyone made final preparations and got some more sleep, only waking up when Nonnen slapped his bear paw against my chest. I coughed after some air escaped my lungs. ¡°Get us out there, Envoy.¡± ¡°Roger,¡± I clicked on my Aerial and spoke into the channel, ¡°Deploy, deploy, deploy.¡± The trucks started rolling, Nonnen chuckling, ¡°You didn¡¯t even run checks. Why are you always so tired? We got a full 5 hours last night.¡± ¡°We only got 5 hours. I prefer 10, or at least 7. Plus I feel sick whenever I don¡¯t get enough sleep.¡± ¡°You¡¯re weird. I¡¯ve never met someone who needs a full 10 hours of sleep to be rested.¡± ¡°Fully rested for me is usually 12 hours, especially if I exerted the day before. But yes, I¡¯m always the anomaly.¡± I heard a chuckle as I drifted back off to dreamland. While talking with Nonnen I was trying to hang on to my dream about my advancement formation. I tried to stifle my irritation, knowing it would take me further out of dreamland. And so we rolled. Authority 7 was quickly getting closer. It had already been over a year of constant progress every single day. I had gotten used to slogging through the formations every day, almost without fail. Some days I might only look at it, not so much as touching the blasted thing. Other days were more productive like they should be. No matter what I moved at a steady pace. Still, I briefly thought about when I¡¯d be able to advance next. I hoped it wouldn¡¯t be when the Scourge launched its full scale offensives. Maybe I¡¯d have to have Maxwell give me the tempering chair and White Crystals so I could do the advancement on my own in the field. I hoped I wouldn¡¯t have to, but desperate times called for desperate measures. ¡­¡­ After two days of driving we finally arrived at the target area. The air was thick with the rotting smell of the fungal biomat all around us. Thank God I had my mask. It was difficult to breathe otherwise. Our Steeds had been painted red to somewhat blend in with the surrounding biomat, as had most Steeds in the past couple of months. The biomat was everywhere and any camo was good camo. It made it so that a convoy wasn¡¯t instantly spotted if a portion of it was seen, an admirable attempt by the Kingdom to help out recon teams a bit more. The only issue was that, since the biomat killed all plant life it spread across and drove out all wildlife, nothing ever moved. There were no trees for cover, no bushes, no flowers, no grass. It was just an endless expanse of toxic red weeds that reeked. That meant anything that moved on it was either Scourge or Human. It left little room for doubt on both sides. Thankfully we hadn¡¯t been attacked. Polly picked out a good route for us, so we avoided most of the hotspots. Now though, it was time to dive deep. After setting up a small camp teams started getting sent out. We needed patrols for the camp so I was rotating squads out to take care of that while arranging the recon. The great part about being the intelligence agent out in the field was that I could put myself wherever I wanted, and I sure as shit wasn¡¯t going on a patrol. After putting together the team, we kicked off the mission. I rode out with half the Snow Doves and a single squad of the Pathfinders. The Pathfinders were responsible for hanging back and keeping an eye out while the Snow Doves did their work. I was right by Nonnen, and we took a Steed to our target area. We stopped a mile out and hiked the rest of the way. I got a bit hot with the walking. The summer heat was kicking in and it wasn¡¯t snowing anymore. Despite it being far from beach weather, I was still pretty acclimated to the cold and even 50F felt a bit warm. I felt a couple drops of sweat under my hood, my coat working overtime to cool my body as I marched up a hill, keeping up with the knights scattered around the area, walking in a loose formation. I looked up, seeing the crest of the hill approaching, before looking back at Nonnen several steps away. ¡°I¡¯m going dark.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± I disappeared as he responded, my illusory stealth kicking in as I branched away from the rest of the squadron. I hurried a bit as we got to the crest, making it to the top and setting myself up behind a large rock. I took out my M40, and didn¡¯t bother raising it when I saw our target. Pictures didn¡¯t do it justice. A truly gargantuan thing, completely biological yet its size made my entire body reject its existence. It almost felt like I couldn¡¯t see it despite knowing that its body, spanning hundreds of miles, was snaking through valleys and hills. My eyes weren¡¯t prepared for what was before me. My mind was so convinced that something like this was impossible that I seemed incapable of grasping the images before me. I stood there, frozen for far more seconds than I wished I had been, simply staring at the intestine. It was red like the biomat around us, writhing with muscles along its grotesque body, pushing who knows what across its length. At some point I forced myself to turn around and kneel, staring at the floor, the stimulus slowly fading from my brain and allowing me to realize just how much horror was flooding my body. My breathing was fast, I was sweating despite being cool, and my muscles felt so weak that holding the M40 up was difficult. I remained there, letting my body process everything. To the side I could hear retching. Some of the Snow Doves were vomiting, causing one of the warlocks to create a sound barrier. I continued staring at the floor until I regained myself. There was no mental affliction here. I realized that after thinking for a while. For a second I had thought that perhaps this intestine was capable of affecting Aura like Kings and King Bloods. But it didn¡¯t. One could say it didn¡¯t have to. Its very existence incited terror, for it wasn¡¯t something that should exist. It was an impossibility made flesh. What horrified me so much, what brought most of the Snow Doves to their knees, was the realization that not only was this thing real, but it was a weapon being used against them. I turned around, looking back over at the intestine, still on my knees. I would say the true horror wasn¡¯t even the fact that it was a war machine designed to bring forth my demise. The horror came when I realized that I would be fighting against it. Terror set in when I accepted the fight. Now I had to figure out how to defeat it, and I would either die trying, or countless others would pay the price for my inability. I gradually calmed back down as my adrenaline wore off and my mind processed the stimulus. I could feel the numbness overtake a part of my brain, desensitizing me to it, coping with it. Once I was back at my baseline I turned to the others. They were all down the hill a bit, some heaving, others in a daze. Only the most powerful were still functional, and only two were able to help others, one of them being Nonnen. The situation was under control though, so I went on with my job. I scoped in from behind a rock and undid my stealth, getting a full view of the intestine and everything going on around it. There were well over 60 thousand monsters around the intestine, but I recognized many of the species as non-combatant Scourge. There were some servant species catering to the needs of all the other monsters while there was one new species responsible for urging along the expansion of the intestine. I got good looks at them, memorizing their behaviors and physical details. I memorized everything I saw regarding how the intestine grew and expanded, how it disseminated materials and supplies to the monsters around it, came up with hypotheticals about the transport process through the intestine based on the movement of the intestine¡¯s body and the description of the shit it oozed out for the monsters to eat. I also noticed a massive canal in the center of the intestine, one that monsters went in and out of. It could easily accommodate an entire marching army and was large enough for even Bombardos to walk through. On top of all that, I noticed something most peculiar, something I may not have noticed without my special vision. I could see thick poisonous Magika radiating from the top of the intestine. There was something there, a vein of power that looked like one long continuous Black Crystal. It was like the ones found in all Scourge monsters, except this one traveled down the length of the intestine, dozens of miles long just in my view, and going however far it needed to in order to reach the Epicenter it came from. Part of why I noticed it was because it protruded slightly in front of the rest of the intestine as it was being built, like a little tailbone poking out from the rest of a spine. The rest of the intestine seemed to start growing from that protrusion, flesh sloping down and readying another layer for the builder Scourge to add on to the rest. I could actively see the flesh growing from that bone, blood and nutrients pooling around the area and making it redder than the rest of the body. I came up with names and identifiers for all the different parts of the intestine I could see, coming up with an anatomical schematic. It was all basic stuff that we¡¯d need to know to destroy it. After memorizing everything I could immediately see, I looked away and took a break. My head pounded despite me barely having used any energy. My blood pressure probably skyrocketed. If this kept up I¡¯d have an aneurism sooner rather than later. I let out a sigh, trying to destress before linking up with the others and getting ready for close up recon. Chapter 203: Thats Far June 14th, 625 I kneeled by Nonnen as some of the other troops recovered from the shock of the gargantuan intestine. From our vantage point I could see most of what there was to see. For more, we¡¯d have to circle around the area so I could get other perspectives. It was something I could do myself but Nonnen still wanted a couple other people besides me to collect their own intel. It was redundant but that was protocol and it wasn¡¯t like I cared either way. I was doing the same amount of work regardless. Nonnen looked at me when I undid my stealth, ¡°Are you fit?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I nodded, eyes still on the activity below, ¡°How are the rest?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll be sending two scouts around the front and two more to travel a bit farther down the body, see if they can¡¯t carve out a sample of the outer flesh. We¡¯ll see if it alerts them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go around the front as well, get counts and see if I can¡¯t find any more functions this intestine hides.¡± ¡°You should focus on counting how many Scouts are in the area,¡± Nonnen looked off into the distance, scanning the area around the intestine, ¡°I¡¯m assuming this thing is heavily guarded, because I¡¯m feeling an Authority 10 down there. You should see if it''s being watched just as tightly, kill anything that might spot our scouts, and don¡¯t worry about going loud. There aren¡¯t any Sovereigns and I can handle anything below that.¡± ¡°Copy,¡± I nodded and looked over at him. Calling a Royal a Sovereign was just a quick way of saying they sat at Authority 12, but that still left the bold statement, ¡°You can handle an Authority 11?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve stopped improving just because I¡¯m old.¡± He smiled, keeping his gaze on the distance, ¡°I¡¯m working on the Great Barrier, which has given me time to improve my skill. I¡¯d say I¡¯m on par with King Bloods, which means I can fight an Authority 11 Royal at least to a standstill even if I couldn¡¯t win.¡± ¡°I suppose. But are you sure you could sense a Sovereign if it were around?¡± ¡°That heavily depends and we can never know for sure. I¡¯m willing to bet on the chances, because if there really was one here, we¡¯d be fucked either way.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± I shrugged and reached into my 6th Star, making sure the weapons I wanted were there. After another few quick words with Nonnen, I was off. He sent out his scouts as well, a pair of knights and a pair of warlocks. I glanced over at them and noticed that they were wearing some environmental camo, ghillie suits, something I had worn all the way back in December. He had taken inspiration from it and decided to implement it specifically for scouts like these who needed concealment in this kind of unfavorable terrain. Their armor, as well as the armor of the rest of the platoon, was painted red. Like with the Steeds it was a cheap, easy, and simple addition that added to survivability. Since I got the green light and I had seen a few Scouts already, I didn¡¯t mind using my M40. After making myself disappear and heading down the hill, I tracked one of the Scouts and found a good spot. I stopped and planted myself once I was within a reasonable range of about 400 meters. I laid down against the side of the hill and took aim, bending my knee and using it as a rest for the rifle. I found the Scout, no trees to provide cover and all the rocks already coated in the red biomat, making its figure obvious. Aerials were off for stealth purposes, so I couldn¡¯t warn Nonnen, not that he needed it. I let out a breath and pulled the trigger, the rifle snapping back into my shoulder. I saw bloody mist explode out of the opposite side of the Scout¡¯s head, the body dropping and the spiked wolves around it panicking when the explosion cracked through the valley. Now all the tens of thousands of monsters in the area were agitated, all of them pausing what they were doing and looking around for whatever caused that noise. Nonnen, and most of the Snow Doves, had learned to adjust to how I worked ever since I joined them. I made a lot of noise, which meant that once I started shooting, the enemy knew that we were here. However, that didn¡¯t mean they knew where, which is why the Snow Doves had to become adept at the art of misdirection and concealment, taking advantage of chaos instead of breaking down under it. With that Scout dead our men would have an easier time moving. But there were more, so I repositioned, running while activating my boots to provide some well timed boosts to my speed. With my personal stealth, I moved far faster than the other soldiers who had to rely on visual obscurity instead of outright invisibility. I quickly relocated while finding my next target, planting down and acquiring another Scout when I was in a good position. The lanky body was centered over my reticle, and I pulled the trigger as soon as I was able. Another shot, another kill, another burst of adrenaline for all the Scourge around me. I relocated and found yet another target. As I watched the surrounding movement I noticed just how many Scouts there were. They started showing up in pairs as I got deeper in and more were peeking out from hiding spots beneath the biomat. Just because you could see nothing above the biomat did not mean that there wasn¡¯t anything below it. I recalled Eric¡¯s threat and the various reports I had read up on. The Scourge was able to use the biomat to their advantage, digging foxholes under it, setting traps or planting themselves for ambush. One of the new species that had shown up were ambush predators, small monsters that could bury themselves below the biomat and remain undetected until someone stepped on or near their hole. Once that happened, it jumped out and launched incredible suicidal attacks with a single, abnormally long talon, capable of taking off legs or, in the worst cases, outright bisecting a man. They were weak otherwise, easily killed. Even their talon was brittle, good for no more than a single attack before either dulling, chipping, or shattering. But that didn¡¯t matter when the Scourge had no qualms trading lives for lives. In my book, the Scourge was profiting massively, trading one little cretin for a full knight or warlock. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. They were like landmines, and their psychological afflictions were almost identical. Nobody wanted to go out and march on lands that could be holding any number of horrific traps. The worst part was how there was no way to pick them out beyond constant specialized spellcasting or an incredible Aura, and they could remain buried, as far as we knew, indefinitely because they could subsist off the biomat. Even better was the fact that they could relocate whenever they wanted to place themselves into better positions, like in the path of a marching battalion. An extreme example of the biomat¡¯s ability to conceal monsters that I was getting a glimpse of now. After getting into a new position I planted down again and started picking off multiple Scouts. I ended up killing 6 before turning my attention to the intestine. Seeing it from head on, I confirmed just how grotesque it was. More importantly, I was able to get some dimensions and see more details regarding its construction, like how those little builder beasts shaped flesh and cartilage. I also noticed a structure being created out of bone, probably something to keep the massive thing from flattening and cutting off the walkway for troops. I memorized everything before picking off some more Scouts, killing all that I could see. Once I had killed all Scouts within 600 meters I looked off into the distance and spotted some more, even a couple in fox holes. I decided to lie down and test myself. My first test was a Scout about 880 meters away. I could see how fast the wind was through the movement of some hair on a nearby wolf. Wind speeds automatically appeared in my mind. Moderate winds of about 14 mph near me and slightly stronger winds around my target in the valley going about 26 mph. The slope of the hill was affecting the currents, and yet it wouldn¡¯t affect my shot at all. I knew my zero was at about 550 meters but because my infusions of Psyka changed the properties of the bullet fired, I had to adapt. I had fired this gun many times before. I could visualize the bullet and its path. A muzzle velocity of well over 9000 fps after empowerment, a flat bullet arc because of that incredible speed, normal spin¡­ It was like I could already see the bullet¡¯s path before I fired. I adjusted my aim, centering the reticle slightly below the center of the Scout¡¯s eye. I pulled the trigger, unable to see the bullet with its impossible speed. All I knew was that it hit exactly where I thought it would, a new hole opening in the Scout¡¯s face. I could feel my resonance with this particular spirit increase, the rifle feeling better in my hands. I found my next target. Even farther away at about 1240 meters was a Cyclops Scout. I recognized its big bulbous eye and took aim. This time, I centered the reticle just slightly above its pupil and pulled the trigger without a second thought. Another bullet cracked off, sailing for around half a second before impacting, the bullet dumping its kinetic energy into the head and making it explode out the back. I could feel the rifle, feel its accuracy, and picked another target, getting ballsy. Another Cyclops Scout, 1870 meters, over a mile. I put my reticle, once more, just a tad bit over its small figure in my scope. The lines of the reticle looked large in comparison. I let out a breath, steadying the slight movement my heartbeat caused, feeling total control of my body. I timed my trigger pull so that it snapped back right after my heartbeat ended. Total stillness, total accuracy. Almost a second after the explosion I saw mist come out of the Scout¡¯s head. One shot, one kill. I let back in another breath, my heart resuming its normal tempo as I opened my other eye, one looking through the scope, one beyond the scope. I could see that dead Scout, knowing the exact trajectory my bullet took to reach it, and I felt an incredible connection with my rifle. It felt like I had grasped its intricacies, like it spoke to me through the bullets it fired. I could feel the temperature of the barrel, the minute inaccuracies of the scope caused by the recoil of the gun, the slightly different properties of each bullet. I realized it once more, as if I hadn¡¯t before. These guns, these weapons, weren¡¯t just tools. They were spirits, not necessarily intelligent or sapient, but still alive. They weren¡¯t hunks of metal, but something I could connect with through the power of my mind. It meant I had to treat them accordingly. I had to treat them knowing that I could sense and adjust for various inaccuracies or quirks. These weapons wanted to work with me just as much as I wanted them to perform. I felt the sheer focus overtaking my body, and suddenly I was motivated to continue shooting. I started finding other unique targets in the enemy camp below, picking out humanoid Royals or other strange monsters that looked strong. I sent out fully empowered rounds, knowing I had more than enough in my stores for it. Most of my targets were killed in just a single shot. Some were able to take two. What really impressed me was when I managed to hit the exact hole created by my first shot on a scaly lizard monster from around 960 meters away. Inhuman accuracy was what this was. I had long surpassed normal human capability a while ago, but this was really putting it into perspective for me. I wasn¡¯t capable of conventional superhuman feats like jumping over mountains or lifting up 3 ton boulders, and I wouldn¡¯t go flying through the sky with magic or casting mass destruction spells that made me look like a walking strategic missile. But the control I had over my body and the power of my mind enabled me to multiply the effectiveness of my guns and bring out their greatest potential lethality. I was someone who leaned into his strengths massively. I could dish out incredible damage, and every advantage I had helped me toward that end. I don¡¯t know what came over me during this battle, perhaps I was inspired by the pressure from this intestine, as weird as that was. But now of all times, I was starting to feel just how far I¡¯ve come. After a few hours of combat and causing chaos I retreated. The rest of the Snow Doves had gone back to the Steed, so I met them there. Even the scouts Nonnen sent had returned, so I was the last to arrive. I jumped in the Steed, getting a smirk. I saw Amira, the Brigadier to replace Miron, inside as well. ¡°Have fun?¡± ¡°I did, actually. I set some new personal records.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°My furthest shot yet, now sitting at 1870 meters. Now it¡¯s time to shoot for the 2000 meter mark.¡± ¡°Shit,¡± Nonnen shook his head, ¡°That''s fucking far.¡± I smiled, leaning back into my seat. We went back to camp, tightening patrols since I had wrought havoc. We¡¯d return to base in just a day or so since, now that I was here, collecting intel was a breeze. I also only had two more weeks left out in the field before returning to the Capital. I was quite excited to get back there and revolutionize the field of battle as this world knew it. At the same time though, I took a peek into my 6th Star. There were some new weapons and tools in there that were more than grabbable. I intended to get a hold of them within the week. Ultimately, my personal strength was what mattered the most. I couldn¡¯t be unprepared should something happen while I was here, and while it never really left, my anxiety was beginning to rise. It had spiked when that Sovereign arrived, and it certainly wasn¡¯t going down. I was counting the weeks until the big fight kicked off. It was a matter of when, not if, and I had a feeling that I¡¯d be in for a fight just as much as everyone else. Chapter 204: Not Dead Yet July 2, 625 The next month came around, and I was back in the Capital. Like the last few times I was picked up from the terminal by a chauffeur and taken to the Magic Spire. Sawn treated me well. I was just as eager as he was to see the success of this project, so I didn¡¯t mind getting right back into work. I wondered if I¡¯d be sleeping inside my office, because there was a lot to do this month. I took the elevator up and got admitted through the teleporter, arriving on the office floor. I walked in and found Sawn coordinating with several of the others within the office. I had learned last month that the people who operated in Sawn¡¯s office were the greatest minds Sawn had procured. Now, half of them were working on Project Wright. I could see several devices scattered across long metal tables, all of them some form of Mana Engine. Nobody but Sawn, Ovidius, and I had access to the core enchantments, but through a little modularity and magic encryption, we were able to separate the core enchantments into their own pieces, giving us total control over them. Even if one was stolen, which was inevitable, my rudimentary encryption would ensure that it couldn¡¯t be reverse engineered. The encryption was barely encryption in my book, and yet it would do its job just fine. A series of redundancies, extraneous enchantments, and inert conduits made it so that simply looking at the enchantment would yield nothing. It looked like the most complex piece of work ever devised and yet 90% of it did absolutely nothing. The last 10% was the actual enchantment, hidden among all the other arrays, only decipherable by three people. Without knowing which conduits or arrays to activate specifically and which ones to tune to an inert frequency, the enchantment wouldn¡¯t work. Because of that we were able to produce it without worry, dedicating sheer manpower and resources to it without concern of it getting leaked or stolen. After all, we wanted to get everything out as soon as possible. All of the summoners and warlocks had been working on measuring the Mana Engine¡¯s power output and efficiency, as well as building an actual plane. The plane had been built a while before I arrived and the measurements were finished not long ago. As I had thought, my Mana Engine was incredibly efficient. I had certain specs that I needed it to hit, primarily the propeller¡¯s rpm, and Sawn had worked on making sure it hit those minimum and maximum numbers. I couldn¡¯t really measure torque or horsepower at different rpms so just rpm would have to do. A Mana Engine armed with two Authority 5 White Crystals could barely hit my designated maximum of 3000 rpm at full power with a 4-blade 11 ft diameter propeller, leaving little room for comfort. It was amazing to me that two little crystals could deliver such power, but Sawn wasn¡¯t that impressed and decided that moving up to Authority 6 Crystals would be better. It would provide far more longevity and afford more power when it was necessary, such as on the field of battle. As for whether the cost was worth it, that was up to him. I knew that he could easily procure thousands of Authority 6 Crystals but I didn¡¯t know what he planned to sell these things for. All that would be left to him. I just had to design the moneymaker. So, even before the Mana Engine was fully specced out, he had built the frame of the aircraft. What was great about the frame was that it required damn near nothing. No fuel tank, no engine, even the conduits to control the flaps and fins were nothing but enchanted metal wires. There were no hydraulics that had to be run off of a turbine and there was no need to accommodate air intakes that a turbine would use because it didn¡¯t need air. There were also no electronic systems because that didn¡¯t exist in this world which meant no radar, and things like an Aerial could be easily mounted with its own Node if need be. The most complicated part besides the Mana Engine was probably the landing gear since I had to design a suspension for it. Even then, the designs for that kind of stuff already existed and I just had to piece things together. I didn¡¯t have to remake the wheel and everything came together so easily that I wanted to tear my hair out. It was little more complex than a fucking child¡¯s drawing, the biggest middle finger to every engineer that ever lived on Earth. All run off of two little rocks and some fancy drawings. No matter. It was getting built and it was a necessary weapon. Sawn was ready for test runs by the time I got back. He had promised me that I would be the one to test the product, so I had to go and fly the thing. I was also the only one who understood how to fly it, even just conceptually. Nobody else knew what the hell an aileron, rudder, or elevator did, and they didn¡¯t understand g-forces in this context, or perhaps at all. They didn¡¯t know how turns should be made, they didn¡¯t know how to manage the kinds of speeds the aircraft could push, they didn¡¯t know what it meant to be at certain altitudes, they didn¡¯t know what to do if things went to shit and they had to bail. So for the sake of safety, I was the one to fly. It was also because I was the inventor, and Sawn wanted me to be the face of flight. I knew he was preparing to make this a big deal. It would change everything, and he was about to make some unfathomable profits that would make his company stand on top of all others. The plane would make him a behemoth, and I had brought it to him. However, I underestimated just how much he was doing. It was on July 5th that I stood on the outskirts of the Capital, beyond the massive walls surrounding the city. Sawn had created a hangar where all the tests for the aircraft were conducted, as well as where a runway had been built. It was only smooth dirt and not tarmac but it would have to do. It wasn¡¯t like I was flying a jet or an airliner anyway. Inside the hangar I looked at the plane before me. It still jarred me to see it. It felt like something that shouldn¡¯t exist in this world but here it was, built to match my vision. It was a two seater aircraft with the same design as one of the most iconic fighter planes in America, the P-51 Mustang. Propped up on its two front wheels, the tilted plane had a stepstool leading up to the wing where the pilot would climb to reach the cockpit. There were a few summoners around it checking the metal paneling of the plane. Everything underneath besides the structural components was wood, providing a degree of insulation. I had described just how cold things got at higher altitudes, as well as how thin the air got. Because of that Sawn made sure there was an air moderator within the cockpit and plenty of insulation. The glass of the canopy was also reinforced with enchantments and designed to break off in an emergency. I made sure that, in case it went down, I wouldn¡¯t be trapped in a metal coffin. To that end I also had him make a parachute, which I checked personally. Sawn walked up to my side. ¡°She¡¯s beautiful. Not even in the air yet and I can already see it.¡± ¡°Yessir. If it performs as it should, I should be able to reach 20 thousand feet today.¡± ¡°How long do you want to fly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m certainly not using anywhere close to the 12 hours of range it has. Honestly, I¡¯ll probably go for about half an hour before coming back down. Then Ovidius can join me.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± He nodded, glancing at me, ¡°By the way, I have some news.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± I listened, watching the summoners step away from the plane to prepare for the flight. He nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a big event to showcase the plane. The invitations were sent a week ago, and it will take place before you leave for the front lines, on the 18th. We will be inviting most nobles. Dukes, Grand Dukes, Sovereigns, Marshals, Generals such as your own, other major business owners, and however many thousands of people that can join them. I¡¯ve even sent an invitation to the Royal Family. I¡¯m hoping the King will be able to attend but I¡¯ve yet to get a definite response.¡± ¡°Holy shit. Pulling out all the stops, huh?¡± ¡°Of course. This is a monumental event and perhaps the biggest opportunity I¡¯ll have to expand infrastructure for Sawn Industries to support these things. We need to take full advantage of this. We should have your so called helicopters out as well by that time. I have a feeling that nobles will take a fancy to a stable ride in one of those.¡± ¡°I suppose. I¡¯m not sure how I feel about becoming so famous though.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much. Just make sure you can fly this damn thing safely. It still worries me that the only thing you have to rely on so high up is four spinning metal blades and a pair of wings.¡± ¡°Eh. Occupational hazard.¡± I shrugged. He rolled his eyes, ¡°More scared of being famous than flying 20 thousand feet up in a metal can.¡± I chuckled as he turned his head to call for the other summoners. ¡°Are the checks clear?¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Yes sir,¡± One of the summoners nodded, smiling, ¡°Everything is in place. It can fly whenever you¡¯re ready.¡± Sawn looked at me for an answer. I smiled and walked over, jumping on top of the wing. The canopy was propped open. When I looked inside at all the controls, I got a wave of goosebumps. Inside my mind, I suddenly felt something call out to me. I quickly jumped into my 6th Star, sending a burst of power out through a drone and quickly arriving at the object sending out the call. It was actually a parachute. I was surprised, but then I remembered how way back when, I got a pair of aviation goggles. I suppose the rest of the equipment for a pilot should be in there as well, especially since I was in the Vietnam era. I quickly summoned it, the backpack appearing on my back. It was snug, and I fastened what I needed to before climbing into the cockpit. It was actually comfortable. Since there was so much available space, they didn¡¯t skimp on luxury. I settled in nicely. Sawn yelled, ¡°All personnel, prepare for first flight!¡± Everyone scrambled as my cockpit closed, Sawn¡¯s last words slipping through. ¡°Today, we write history!¡± The cockpit snapped closed, everything going quiet. I looked down at all the controls before grabbing the 5 point harness and strapping myself into the seat. Once I was secure I took out the enchanted master key for the plane, slotting it into the control panel before pressing the master power button. The cockpit lit up soundlessly. I gave it a few seconds before hitting one of the pedals on the floor, sending a bit of power to the wheels and making them turn. I drove the plane out of the hangar, workers running around like ants to get instruments ready for my flight. I heard the main Aerial click on, a voice coming through as I drove onto the runway. ¡°Come in Cooper.¡± ¡°I hear you Tower.¡± ¡°This is Sawn.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I meant. How are we?¡± I smiled while aligning myself with the center of the runway, pointing the craft into the distance. ¡°Everyone is making last second preparations but it¡¯s nothing you need to worry about. Runway is clear. You¡¯re free to fly.¡± ¡°Copy Tower. Spinning up now.¡± ¡°Why are you calling me Tower?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re supposed to be in a tower. Not my fault you didn¡¯t build one.¡± ¡°An unnecessary expenditure. I can see you just fine from here.¡± ¡°No fun.¡± I chuckled as the propeller started spinning. It was smooth, even, lacking the personality of a high octane engine like every bland electric car. Soon I started feeling the vibration of the propeller spinning, There was an rpm meter on the console in front of me that I watched rise by the hundred. Soon it was sitting at 600 rpm. I had to hit the brake to keep the plane from rolling forward. I sat there for a few minutes like that, craning my head and checking all my control surfaces, making sure everything was nominal. Everything was moving as it should and nothing was blowing up yet, so I clicked the Aerial. ¡°Cooper to Tower, everything is looking good and buttery smooth. I¡¯m ready to launch.¡± ¡°Copy Cooper. We¡¯re ready for you to take this step. For all of humanity.¡± I didn¡¯t respond, knowing he was recording everything that went through the Aerial. As he said, we were writing history right now. It was nothing conceptually new to me but this was still my first time ever flying a plane like this. ¡°To think I¡¯m about to do this without a license. A first for everything.¡± I said that while grabbing the throttle, gradually moving it forward while letting off the brake. The plane started to roll forward as the propeller kicked up in speed, rpms rising by the hundred, quickly climbing to a thousand. I started picking up speed down the runway, continuing to push the throttle forward, feeling the power behind the propeller as it pushed me back into my seat. My body was tense, my heart rate high, and I was laser focused as the rpm hit 1500. I could feel the wings start to produce lift, a bit of pressure coming from underneath me as I pushed the throttle even farther. It was two thirds down the runway when I let off the throttle, the rpm now sitting at 2000. Then I angled the control stick between my legs back, the flaps moving and angling me upward. My tail came off the ground, the front wheels lingering a bit longer before they too caught air. I continued to angle up a bit more before pushing the throttle a little farther forward, my altitude climbing. Once I passed the end of the runway I hit a button and let the landing gear fold into the wings. I continued climbing even after that finished, gaining as much altitude as I wanted. There was no altimeter so I had no idea how high up I was. That was technology that was well beyond this world so I¡¯d have to make do visually. I looked out of the canopy, seeing everything getting smaller and farther away. The runway was a few miles away from the Capital, enough to generally keep our project a secret. Still, Sawn had sent out a grand invite promoting flight, so there was no way people weren¡¯t on the lookout. Thinking about how high I¡¯d have to get to avoid warlock spellfire I continued climbing, pushing the throttle more until I was sitting at a pretty 3000 rpm. There was a fuel gauge measuring the power within the Mana Engine and it hadn¡¯t budged at all. Still, I looked at it occasionally, checking every system multiple times to make sure I wasn¡¯t missing anything despite my near perfect memory. Finally, after I had climbed to what seemed to be 5000 feet, I leveled out and sat there for a bit, checking out the sights. I smiled, banging my fist on the wall of the cockpit next to me. ¡°Hahahaha! FUCK YEAH! This is what I¡¯m fucking talking about! I designed this shit motherfucker! I¡¯m flying this plane! I brought flight to another world!¡± I let out a few screams and cackles before taking a few breaths and calming myself. Finally, I clicked the Aerial and called back. ¡°Cooper to Tower, I¡¯m in the air and holding steady at low altitude. All systems nominal, no immediate outstanding problems. She¡¯s looking good.¡± ¡°Copy Cooper,¡± Sawn¡¯s voice came through, as well as a host of cheers and applause, ¡°Take your time and let us know when you¡¯re ready to proceed with the test list.¡± ¡°Roger. I¡¯m going to start now, beginning with a roll.¡± I said that before tilting the control stick. The ailerons adjusted and the plane rotated. I felt my body move within the harness, avoiding the urge to tighten myself down a bit more and completing the roll. Once I was upright again I stopped, smiling. ¡°Roll complete, Tower. All is good.¡± ¡°Copy Cooper.¡± ¡°Now I¡¯ll test the rudder.¡± I glanced down at another control lever on the wall. I pushed it forward and felt the plane shift left, then pushed it back and felt the plane shift right. Finally I set it back to level, satisfied. ¡°Rudder is a-okay, Tower.¡± ¡°Copy Cooper. Go ahead and send data.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± I started letting off numbers and stats, things like how many seconds it took to complete a full roll with full stick tilt and how many degrees the rudder caused the plane to shift per second at full activation. I also threw in a small note about the harness. It would need to be improved for more intense maneuvers. ¡°Data received.¡± ¡°Copy. I¡¯ll climb to medium altitude and do a loop next.¡± ¡°Be safe.¡± I angled the control stick back and started climbing again. I easily doubled my altitude and then went a little higher. I could be completely off but I was thinking I was at about 15 thousand feet. I compared how the ground looked to how things looked when I flew on passenger airliners on Earth. Those things cruised at around 35 thousand feet and I seemed to sit at about half that height. Once I leveled out I released a long breath. Then, I pulled the stick back again. I was forced back into my seat as the g¡¯s bore down on the plane. I angled all the way up, pointing straight up to the sky and feeling a type of vertigo that I had never experienced before. I kept my composure though, reaching a peak before titling and adjusting my angle, completing the flip and heading back down toward the ground. I felt my breathing hitch when I pointed straight down to the planet. I knew I had over 10 thousand feet between me and the ground but it certainly didn¡¯t feel like it, especially when I felt the plane pick up so much speed. I probably dropped 5 thousand feet in the process of leveling back out, taking my time as I felt more g¡¯s. I wasn¡¯t interested in testing structural tolerances right now. Once I was straight again I looked out the canopy and saw the Capital and the little runway not far from it. With my eyes I could see even the people in the streets despite being an unknown amount of miles away. I clicked my Aerial, ¡°Loop complete. Not dead yet.¡± ¡°Copy Cooper. Last main test is the fly-by. What is that, by the way?¡± ¡°You¡¯re about to find out, Tower. Sit tight.¡± I flashed a devious smile before snapping the control stick back. After getting a feel for how the plane moved I was confident enough to perform compound maneuvers. The plane dove, dropping thousands of feet in the direction of the runway. I continued to drop my altitude, the ground getting closer and closer. I got nervous but I knew I was safe. I could visualize exactly where I was in relation to the ground. I could probably fly this thing with my eyes closed and guess my altitude based on the feeling of the plane rising or falling. My visualization, courtesy of my Mind Palace, was that good, let alone when I had good eyes open. So I forced down my nervousness and dropped to just a few hundred feet above the ground, aimed straight for the runway. There was a building with a glass room at the top next to the hangar. I aimed for that and dropped my altitude even lower, getting on its level. Sawn¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Cooper, what the hell are you doing?¡± ¡°A fly-by, sir.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do it Cooper.¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna do it Tower.¡± I grinned and went full throttle, the rpm shooting up to 4000 and the plane holding the speed gained from my descent. The propeller spun so fast that the sonic waves from the tips of the blades screamed in my ears despite the insulation. I was getting closer to the Tower faster than I thought. Sawn yelled. ¡°Cooper, no!¡± ¡°Cooper yes!¡± I laughed and flew across the runway before tilting the plane so the top of my canopy was facing the glass of the building. Then I zipped by, activating the time dilation ability of my coat. I looked up, seeing the screaming and panicking faces of all the summoners inside the room, seeing my faint reflection in the glass. I was only 50 feet away, going over 400 miles an hour, and Sawn¡¯s crazed face was worth every ounce of risk this took. Yet, the only thought in my mind was how much closer I could¡¯ve gotten as my adrenaline surged, the plane snapping past the building and shattering glass. First day of flight: Massive success. Chapter 205: Magnificence July 18th, 625 The once small airfield was now several times larger. There were a dozen other buildings, initially installed for construction, now temporarily used for accommodations. Nobles couldn¡¯t be made to sit out on wooden benches in the sun, after all. Especially the ones that were here. There were now three runways instead of just one, as well as two dozen hangars, all capable of holding two planes each. Most were empty but Sawn was already thinking about expansions, knowing the kind of orders that would be placed soon. The airfield was as lively as it had ever been. Thousands of people were in the area, lesser noble and commoner alike, and hundreds more were within the three buildings providing accommodations. The congregation halls on the top floors of these three buildings now had glass dome roofs, allowing everyone to see the upcoming show outside. There were also tables full of telescopes to help see in the distance, none of which were being used at the moment. On another wall of the hall were screens showing videos of previous flights, including various maneuvers that the star of the show had performed. The most popular was the pair of screens that showed his death-defying fly-by. They had made no small amount of posters with images of that to promote this event since everything during that first test flight was recorded. What Sawn had initially been terrified by turned out to be unparalleled promotional material. Looking back on it, he was thankful. Sawn gave a quick glance at them before turning back to various groups within the hall. This hall was the largest and held the highest profile individuals. Several Dukes and Duchesses were here with their families. Even the owner of Gearworks was here. Sawn knew they would be one of his customers like everybody else. There was no reason to deny money. They couldn¡¯t crack Cooper¡¯s ¡®encryption¡¯ anyway. Sawn didn¡¯t stop at the Kingdom¡¯s nobility either. Four of the seven families from the Holy See were invited, including some individuals from places like the Tavera Family, the Polaris Family, and a representative from the Black Spider Hotel. They had brought others with them, people Sawn couldn¡¯t guess the affiliation of, but customers were customers, and he was selling the most coveted ability in the world. Flight. There were Grand Dukes here as well. ¡°Sawn.¡± ¡°Sir.¡± Sawn turned to the oncoming man. Grand Duke Anselma, the head of the Magic Spire, considered the most versatile and powerful warlock of the Kingdom of Dragon Tongue. The two talked occasionally, not quite as frequently as they once did. Sawn, having learned his trade from Anselma, went off to start his own business. Since then they didn¡¯t have as much time to interact. The owner of Gearworks was similarly Anselma¡¯s student, a man going by Seumas, considered Sawn¡¯s rival. The two were always similar in accomplishments, one surpassing the other only when one managed to get their hands on a prodigious associate. For Seumas, his big break was Maxwell Albarain. Now, Sawn got his hands on the golden goose, the student of Albarain, John Cooper. It was many years of waiting for someone this amazing but it would be paying off ten-fold. Anselma sighed, looking around. ¡°You kids always impress me. Although I¡¯m still not a fan of how you two like to fight over money, I have to admit that things like this are what keeps this Kingdom going. If everything is as you say it is, then this will be a weapon that can change the tide of the War.¡± ¡°Cooper frequently says the same thing. He insisted on weaponizing the aircraft for demonstration. We barely managed to get two built.¡± ¡°Well, he is currently in the military. Can you blame his eagerness to field a new weapon that might save his life?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t, but money is the most important. Weapons can¡¯t be fielded if we aren¡¯t making the money to build and sustain them.¡± ¡°Ah, there¡¯s the money talk again.¡± Sawn didn¡¯t respond to Anselma¡¯s exasperation. Something the old man never understood was business. Not everyone could be as all powerful as him, nor as purely dedicated toward research as he was. Even then, money was no object to him and he had some of the greatest influence in the Kingdom. Nothing was beyond his reach and yet he couldn¡¯t understand just what that afforded him and just how far below him others were. It was both a blessing and a curse for someone like Sawn. He changed the topic, ¡°Is the King coming?¡± ¡°He is,¡± Anselma confirmed. Sawn hadn¡¯t been sure but Anselma had been in contact with the Royal Family, ¡°He is coming with the Queen and the children who could spare the time.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sawn felt his heart pound in his chest. He had prepared for this but being able to bring the King away from the Palace was no small feat. This event would go down in history just as he imagined it would. His only concern was John. The kid had told him to help keep him away from the King, or at least keep him out of a situation where he had to engage in formalities. Sawn knew John had a bad relationship with nobility in general, ironic since he was also in a relationship with the daughter of a Duchess. Either way, John had said to use any excuse. Nothing short of telling the King that John was an odd-ball eccentric who knew no respect or decorum was off limits. Sawn mentally prepared what he might have to say before looking over, noticing a figure approaching. It was General Viskar, John¡¯s superior. The man was only here for this event. He would be leaving right back for the Treehouse once it was over. Anselma and Sawn turned to him, shaking hands. ¡°General Viskar, I¡¯m glad you could make it despite how hectic things are on the front lines.¡± ¡°An event his big warrants an eye, especially when one of my Lieutenant Colonels is the cause. Since it¡¯s possible that I may have to integrate new weapons into my battalions, I¡¯ve decided to come personally. It¡¯s a nice opportunity for some rest as well.¡± ¡°Of course. If you like what you see then I would be more than happy to discuss business. We will have the Royal Family here with us as well so financing can be arranged sooner rather than later. And as John¡¯s superior, I intend to provide you with this new technology first and arrange training for some of your soldiers.¡± ¡°An attractive offer,¡± The general scratched his growing beard, hardly concealing a smile, ¡°But we¡¯ll see how things pan out today. I want to know by what form your ¡®flight¡¯ takes, and we will see how well it can be weaponized.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sawn nodded. The general was already liking the idea but ultimately it would come down to the performance. Sawn was suddenly glad John pushed for getting a weaponized model out for demonstration. They might be able to draw up a contract with the Kingdom¡¯s treasury and military within a couple days. Sawn continued to discuss things with Anselma and the General, but he didn¡¯t miss anybody who walked into the hall. At some point a Sovereign showed up, another Grand Duke who Anselma went to talk to. Sawn decided to let the demigods have their own time, breaking off from General Viskar, and leaving the hall. He went to the Tower, a new construction standing 100 meters in the air. John had helped them design methodologies for controlling air traffic, an increasingly big concern given how many planes they were going to be fielding. After that, Sawn slowly realized why he needed a Tower and just decided to build one. It was multi-purpose. There were two main sections, the lower of which was dedicated to handling communications for all the ground crews. The higher floors, including the top of the Tower, were dedicated to handling air traffic and everyone within a plane. Once he entered the top floor he could hear some communications. ¡°-back around. Prepare approach.¡± ¡°Roger. Preparing ground crew.¡± One of the controllers pinged a few people to prepare a hangar, and soon enough Sawn could see a plane coming down. He clicked his Aerial, tapping into the speaker channel that would send his words into every gathering hall. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, if you would turn your attention to the furthest runway. One of our planes is on approach and is about to land.¡± Once his words finished the plane made its descent, gradually slowing and lowering its landing gear to the floor. It was a much smoother landing than the first time, the tires streaking across the ground before the wheel and air brakes activated, bringing it to a halt two-thirds of the way down the runway. Then it started driving around, the propeller still spinning but gradually coming down in rpm. Eventually, the plane disappeared into a hangar. Sawn went to meet the pilot. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Once in a hangar he saw John climbing out of the cockpit and onto the wing. In the back seat was another man. Maxwell Albarain, the genius behind the Steeds and Rails. Sawn knew of his notoriety in more ways than one, yet he was starting to seem overshadowed by his protege. He was frowning, and John was all smiles as they climbed off. Sawn glanced at John¡¯s clothes. It wasn¡¯t his normal wear, but a new suit. It was a brownish green with a helmet that carried a dark visor, a mask clipped onto its side, a tube down the mask, and some bulky packs over his chest strapped down to a vest. It was all supposed to protect him inside a plane while providing some utility. It was apparently a summons of his, but that made Maxwell wonder. How did he summon something made for a new invention? He had also often questioned where John had gotten the idea for the plane and how he was able to make the designs so quickly. It was like he already knew what to build. Questions for another time. John chuckled and pointed his thumb at Maxwell, ¡°Hehe, that was fun. You should¡¯ve heard this guy, screaming like a little girl.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk out of your ass, boy. I will admit that it was an exciting flight but that¡¯s the last time I ever do something like that with you behind the controls.¡± Maxwell chided. The two bickered for a bit, Sawn scratching his head before interrupting, ¡°John, how was everything?¡± ¡°Oh, it was fine. Same as always. There are so few moving parts and points of failure that it''s difficult to even attempt to break something. The only thing we have to watch is the housing for the propeller shaft and the mounting points for the crystals. Otherwise it''s just the control surfaces that can break.¡± John kicked the wheel on the landing gear next to him, Maxwell scoffing. ¡°Is that why you were flying like a madman? Trying to break something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called a stress test and I was getting tolerances.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t do that with a new passenger, brat!¡± Sawn looked away as they started bickering again, finding Ovidius running over. His breath was a bit labored when he stopped by them. ¡°Sir, the King is here.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what I saw,¡± Maxwell frowned, waving, ¡°I¡¯m leaving then. Don¡¯t kill yourself in that death machine, boy. I¡¯ve invested too much into you. And since you¡¯ll be making so much money you can start paying me for all the Crystals I¡¯ve used on you! I want 200 thousand before you leave again!¡± ¡°What?!¡± John chased after Maxwell, Sawn sighing and walking out with Ovidius. John might try, but as the host Sawn wasn¡¯t allowed to neglect his guests, especially the most esteemed guest in the world, only matched by someone like the Pope. Before he left though, he yelled. ¡°John! Be ready for the demonstration!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± He got the response from a distance, his steps continuing. He arrived at the hall once more, looking around and quickly finding the King. King Distrion Jealven Alphon. He was an Authority 11 warlock, a tall man standing at just over 6 foot, with jet black hair and a rough beard. He carried himself with imposition, the Queen at his side, a woman slightly taller than him with sheer white hair and black eyes. They were at the head of the room, the King standing before an ornate chair placed specifically for him. He was talking with Anselma, and Sawn walked over, waiting for a handful of seconds for their conversation to close. Once a sentence ended the King looked toward Sawn. ¡°Sawn Sverrir.¡± ¡°Your Majesty. It is my honor to host you on this historical day.¡± ¡°It is my pleasure to be here. You¡¯ve made some bold claims and Anselma has told me that you¡¯re not exaggerating. You¡¯ve acquired my attention.¡± ¡°Rest assured, Your Majesty,¡± Sawn bowed a bit, ¡°Your attention here will be well spent. I am confident that after today, the entire Kingdom will undergo a shift no less revolutionary than the creation of the Rails and ground vehicles.¡± ¡°If that is true,¡± The King smiled, ¡°I surely look forward to it. When will the show start?¡± ¡°Soon, your Majesty. The pilot is preparing himself.¡± ¡°The pilot?¡± ¡°The man who will be flying the plane.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve heard of him. John Cooper, yes? He was the summoner who won the Magisterium¡¯s tournament a couple years ago. One of the few survivors in the Calamity Class.¡± ¡°That is so, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Will he come greet me afterward?¡± Sawn cursed in his mind, preparing his words, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, Your Majesty. John is quite dedicated to his work right now and, in all honesty, is a bit of an eccentric. I wouldn¡¯t want to place either of you in an¡­ awkward situation. He isn¡¯t exactly taught in the decorated ways of the nobility.¡± ¡°Well that is surely no surprise. I don¡¯t mind, and I find it hard to believe he can¡¯t take a minute out of his day to make a greeting. Please relay my desires. I don¡¯t wish to miss the man who will supposedly revolutionize my Kingdom.¡± ¡°...Of course, Your Majesty.¡± Sawn sighed inwardly. He did what he could. John would just have to suck it up and meet the man. After saying a few more words, murmurs were raised as images flashed across the front glass wall. Sawn turned around and realized the event would be starting soon. He bowed once more to the King, ¡°Your Majesty, the show will be starting shortly. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to coordinate.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He waved, Sawn lifting his head and leaving. On the way to the Tower he glanced at one of the other buildings, the one holding lesser nobles, as well as the families from the Holy See. Sawn hadn¡¯t wanted to place them in the same room as the King for obvious reasons. He decided he would go meet them after the show as he made a stop by the hangar. Inside was John, as well as another woman. Sawn narrowed his eyes and realized it was Duchess Talerria, the mother of John¡¯s controversial girlfriend. They were talking next to the plane, John still dressed in his flight suit as he motioned toward the plane. ¡°...for a ride if you want. If not in this then the helicopter. That thing¡¯s not as crazy as the plane.¡± ¡°...Perhaps. How fast did you say it could go?¡± ¡°Around 400 miles an hour at its soft max speed.¡± ¡°How long?¡± ¡°At those speeds, probably 7 hours. If you drop to cruising speed it''s about 320 miles an hour for 12 hours.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying you can cross over 3000 miles in a day in this thing?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± The Duchess went quiet. Sawn could understand. It was quite obscene. Rails were lucky to achieve a third of those speeds and they cost hundreds of times more to build and run. This plane, nothing but a couple crystals and some metal, could go farther and faster while costing silvers. John had already drawn up other planes that could carry tons of cargo and hundreds of people, requiring no more than a few more Mana Engines and larger propellers to be attached. They were also developing modular Crystal housings so they could simply replace the Crystals in a Mana Engine to ¡®refuel¡¯ it. Other people didn¡¯t know that, but the possibilities were obvious. Sawn was sure the Duchess was tempted to ask for a favor. John was smiling, which probably meant he knew that too. Sawn waited a small distance away, the Duchess noticing him and wrapping their conversation up. ¡°I¡¯ll give you an answer after the show. I want to see these in action first.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll wave as I go by.¡± ¡°Mm¡± The Duchess nodded, John jumping on top of the plane¡¯s wing and climbing in. Sawn shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll be in the Tower! Stick to the plan!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± A succinct response, and he left for the Tower. The Duchess went back to the hall. Before long, John was rolling out of the hangar. Once he was on the runway he drove by the buildings, waving to the glass halls as announcers within them spoke to all the guests. Once he got onto the launching runway the propeller started spinning up. The announcers were drowned by chatter of impression. The screens across the walls were showing close up views of the plane, but some viewers preferred to use the provided telescopes personally. Everyone watched as the plane started moving forward, picking up speed rapidly until it easily surpassed the top speed of a Steed or Hummer. Then it reached the best speeds of a Rail before angling up and catching air. Gasps were heard throughout all the halls as the plane finally took flight, a few cheers erupting as the announcers excited the crowds. The chattering continued as the plane climbed, going higher and higher with no end to its ability in sight. It gradually got smaller and smaller, the announcers tracking its approximate height. ¡°And now the plane is over 5000 feet in the air!¡± ¡°The pilot has crossed the 10 thousand foot boundary! He is 2 miles into the sky!¡± ¡°That, ladies and gentlemen, is the 3 mile mark! Look how small he looks!¡± ¡°4 miles! That pilot is 4 miles in the sky and still flying steadily! Remember, he can stay up there, flying over 300 miles an hour, for half a day!¡± The plane got far harder to see over time until it looked like a tiny bird in the sky. It remained there for several minutes, and through the zoomed video feeds people could see it change course. It started descending. ¡°The pilot is coming back down!¡± Everyone focused back on the plane as it started getting bigger in their view. It was far away but coming back down, slightly angled their way and getting much faster. They started hearing a whistle, then a roar as it got closer. It sounded like the oncoming screams of a thousand Scourge monsters, several former military and nobles feeling goosebumps rise on their skin. Inside the Tower, Sawn frowned a bit. John had asked them to make slight modifications to the wings, saying it would make it a bit louder and ¡®improve the feel¡¯ of the plane. He hadn¡¯t really argued since it was a simple change, but now, he was realizing what it was for. The shock factor. The noise from the plane started screaming in everyone¡¯s ears, drowning out the announcers as it got closer and closer, looking like it was going to crash right into them. Some started backing away from the window, but the surrounding glass dome provided no such respite. The Families from the black markets, from the Holy See, nobles from all over the Kingdom, the King himself, all felt their adrenaline surge as the monstrous roar came flying at them with speed bordering on insanity. Nobody had ever witnessed anything else going so fast, hardly able to fathom it if it wasn¡¯t right in front of their very eyes. They had never heard anything so loud, so visceral. And then, coming down off the slope of its descent, the plane made its fly-by. All the Magi in the area instinctively activated the power within their bodies as the plane flew within 30 feet of the glass domes. Every spectator could feel the sound through their bodies, sending shockwaves through their very bones and disrupting the air in their lungs. Their pupils dilated as they tracked the plane flying right in front of them, right next to the glass. They realized how big it was, how small the margin of error was, and the skill required to pull something like this off. It zipped by, and then flew off at over 500 miles an hour, climbing back up into the sky. Everyone was dead silent, nothing but the sound of labored breathing echoing through the halls. ¡°AMAZING!¡± Grand Duke Anselma proclaimed, staring up at the sky with stars in his eyes. It snapped others out of their daze, and roaring cheers erupted across every hall. The thousands of people outside the buildings were just as loud, their cheers climbing when the plane came back around at slower speeds, cruising through the sky just above the airfield so everyone could see and revel in the magnificence of magic engineering. Chapter 206: Tie Me Down July 18th, 625 After I jumped out of the plane Sawn came walking over, as did several other summoners. They all checked various parts of the plane. Testing was still being done and they wanted to know tolerances. I had pushed this beast to the limits today, so it was perfect material for them to look at. ¡°Good job, John. Unfortunately for you I have bad news.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°The King wants to meet you.¡± ¡°Well shit.¡± I sighed, Sawn shrugging. ¡°He didn¡¯t care about you being weird so you have no excuses. You just have to greet the man and you can go get the helicopter.¡± I turned and started walking away, ¡°You said the Taveras were in the second hall? I¡¯ll go say hi.¡± ¡°What? I didn¡¯t say that. You can¡¯t disregard the King!¡± ¡°I¡¯m an eccentric! I¡¯ve already greeted him in my mind!¡± ¡°John!¡± ¡°Oh look, a doorway.¡± I threw open the door and left the hangar with a bit of stealth for good measure, quickly making my way to the second hall. There were many servants running around on the first floor of the building so I went up and found the hall itself on the top floor. Once I entered all eyes fell on me. I recognized many people, most of whom seemed to be talking business before I arrived. I suddenly turned my head, seeing Talexia and her daughter Faey standing next to the doorway against the wall. Talexia had decided to stay in this hall instead of the main one where all the other nobles were. A few people started walking up, but I smiled at the two ladies first, giving Faey a hug before turning to Talexia. ¡°So? What¡¯d you think?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re insane.¡± ¡°Did you see me wave?¡± ¡°Apologies, I was too busy preparing for a hit from a flying hunk of metal. You know, for a summoner you sure do love to put yourself in deadly situations. Do you think you¡¯re secretly a knight or something?¡± She put her hands on her hips in a chiding stance, making me laugh. She was too pretty for me to take her seriously when she started scolding, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s perfectly safe if you know what you¡¯re doing. I built that damn thing so you better believe I know it inside and out.¡± She scrutinized me for a second before taking a step and reaching up, combing some of my hair. ¡°It¡¯s mighty impressive work, John. I can already see the possibilities. I wouldn¡¯t mind taking a ride myself, but pull a stunt like that while I¡¯m in there and I¡¯ll toss you out no matter how high we are.¡± ¡°Hoho, it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m prepared for that. Ever heard of skydiving?¡± ¡°No, and I don¡¯t want to know. God forbid you pull me into doing that too.¡± ¡°Doing what, something exciting?¡± I heard another voice, turning and finding Shadowbane. I was surprised to see her. The last time was a couple years ago at the Whetted City. She looked a little older, a little sharper, early into Authority 8 now. I smiled at her, ¡°Hey Shadow. It¡¯s good to see you again.¡± ¡°You as well John. That was a cool thing you did. I saw you wave.¡± ¡°At least someone did.¡± ¡°Heh, I¡¯ve gotten faster since we last met. Greetings, Duchess.¡± Shadowbane curtsied toward Talexia, the two exchanging greetings before Talexia started a conversation. I took that as the queue to leave and turned toward some of the others. There were several familiar faces here. One of them was Patriarch Tavera. Another was Lady Luna from Polaris. Then there was Madam Willow, Vetsmon¡¯s mother. Curiously she wasn¡¯t with her husband. After talking a bit with the others I went over to her. She sat alone at a small table for two, so I went to the other seat. ¡°Madam.¡± ¡°John! It¡¯s so good to see you. Please sit.¡± I took the seat, smiling. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. How¡¯s the Holy See these days?¡± ¡°Thanks to the exceptional Templars, same as always. You¡¯ve apparently been mighty busy though. I¡¯ve heard of your exploits, and now you¡¯ve gone and built a flying machine.¡± ¡°Well once I figured out the Mana Engine it was a piece of cake. All these things come down to is figuring out how to make things spin. Get that down and you can move the world.¡± ¡°Apparently so. Nevertheless, genius must be appreciated. My husband sent me since he¡¯s busy but we would both like to extend our congratulations to you.¡± A servant came around, placing a glass for me on the table. Willow raised her own, and I mirrored. ¡°To your revolutionary achievement. May your genius be inscribed into the annals of history.¡± ¡°Cheers.¡± We clinked glasses, taking a sip before setting them down. I sighed, ¡°May we live long enough to see it. Unfortunately I developed the plane for the sake of being weaponized. If negotiations go well we should be seeing it on the battlefield sooner rather than later.¡± ¡°It certainly has the potential. My husband didn¡¯t want me to say anything, but between you and me¡­¡± She leaned forward with a whisper. Weirdly, her voice went straight into my mind, even though I swore I heard her talk normally. Her mouth moved and everything but there was no sound to register. ¡°The Templars are looking to buy a lot of these. Don¡¯t be surprised if you get offers to come train some people to use them. I¡¯m basically only here symbolically since they¡¯ve got plenty of others watching, but I was asked to ask you something. Feel free to refuse an answer.¡± She put her hand up to her mouth, making me lean in instinctively. ¡°How do they work?¡± ¡°The planes?¡± ¡°The engines.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I smiled a bit, leaning back and staring at her. Give away the secret to my Mana Engine? I wasn¡¯t actually totally opposed. My goal was to strengthen humanity as a whole, and the Church has its own military force. To enable an entire national power on top of the Kingdom to produce planes would double how effective my invention was at hurting the Scourge, at the minimum. I didn¡¯t believe Sawn would have all the capital necessary to arm two militaries with these, not to mention the fact that the Kingdom might do something to keep the Church from getting their hands on them. I activated my telepathy, which she received with ease, ¡°My Mana Engine utilizes the repulsive forces between two Crystals in order to generate rotational force. In the case of the plane, attach one to the body, and one to the propeller. The force is transmitted to both sides but the free body, the propeller, will spin.¡± ¡°Two crystals? Working against each other?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But it makes them spin?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°...I wonder what enchantments you possibly could¡¯ve come up with to make that work. I¡¯ve never heard of anything like it.¡± ¡°I took inspiration from the Rails,¡± My hand subconsciously raised my glass to my mouth, wetting my palette, ¡°Imagine two forces pushing up against each other, but then tilting slightly and slipping past the other. Now imagine that constantly happening, making them spin. That¡¯s theoretically how it works.¡± She smiled sweetly, ¡°I appreciate the hint. You should consider joining the Church, John. We can provide you with a lot more than what you have now in the Kingdom¡¯s military. You also won¡¯t be scorned by shortsighted fools.¡± I shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t mind the challenge, and honestly, they need my help here. As much as I loathe the nobles who do nothing but sit on their ass all day, the rest of the soldiers need someone who¡¯s going to try and look out for them on the battlefield. Me and my planes will do that, even more so if I can develop the weapons to go with them.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s awfully noble of you. If only everyone were like that.¡± ¡°If everyone were like me then humanity would be on a timer. They might take out the Scourge but how long they¡¯d survive after that is questionable.¡± She chuckled, ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re self-destructive?¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. I scratched my chin, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Foolish though, yes. I¡¯m not always the smartest man.¡± ¡°Hoho, I think every man is a bit foolish. It takes a woman¡¯s touch to set them straight, most often.¡± ¡°Shit, I can toast to that.¡± We both laughed and clinked our glasses together once more. ¡­¡­ After some time conversing with everyone I felt like talking with and avoiding everyone I didn¡¯t, I went out to bring the helicopter around. I landed it in front of the buildings. The helicopter that I had designed for this occasion was a single rotor passenger helicopter with enough space to fit 16 people at a time. There were large windows along the body to allow people to get a good view, built with the wow factor in mind. After landing it I called out the first group of passengers. Thankfully the King didn¡¯t have any interest in going first so I was able to bring on those I wanted to. Among them was Talexia, Faey, Willow, Patriarch Tavera, Lady Luna, Shadowbane, and several others from the second hall I had hidden away in. Sawn was also there, eager to continue telling me to go meet the king. Everyone boarded nervously, and I sat in the main pilot seat while watching them file in, the helicopter off. I waved at Faey once she was on, ¡°Hey, come here.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The ashy haired girl, now 16 years old, looked at me confusedly. I pat the seat next to me. ¡°You¡¯re going to be my co-pilot.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know how to fly¡­¡± ¡°Of course you don¡¯t. Get over here.¡± I waved a few more times, Faey nervously getting up and planting down beside me. I turned to the others, ¡°Alright everyone, sit back and relax. I got this.¡± Faey and I turned around, facing the control panel. First I hit the master power, the panel lighting up along with the passenger cabin. A summoner within the group closed the hatch. I went through the motions, activating the Mana Engine and engaging the gear so that the tail rotor went on first, engaging the main gear right after so that they both synced up and spun. I set the throttle to idle, letting it spin all the way up, smiling at Faey. Thankfully because the cabin was insulated and had magic to deafen outside noise, the blades weren¡¯t deafening. ¡°You know, it¡¯s really simple to fly. All you gotta do is make the thingies spin really fast with these buttons. Then you use this stick to control the blades, these pedals to turn, and these two levers to go up and down. Wanna try?¡± She turned to me silently before shaking her head really fast. I laughed a bit, thinking about how much she looked like her sister before hitting the throttle and adjusting the collective. We quickly caught air and rose. I used the pedals to angle us in the direction of the Capital before tilting the helicopter forward with the stick and flying off. We picked up speed, but a helicopter wasn¡¯t that fast, underwhelming compared to what I just pulled off in the plane. This one still sat happily at around 120 miles an hour though, and it had nearly double the fuel time compared to the plane. It still resulted in a shorter range but that also wasn¡¯t counting the cargo this thing could carry. Before long we were approaching the Capital. By that time we were already at 15 thousand feet, which was the maximum I cared to get this thing. Everyone was already smiling and awed, but when we got over the Capital they gasped. I could almost see Faey¡¯s eyes sparkle. The city looked so small in our view, yet massive when compared to the landscape around it. There were a dozen roads going in and out, everyone able to see the little people going across them with wagons. I glanced behind me, ¡°Hey Duchess.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Talexia looked over, as did several others. ¡°You want to know what skydiving is?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I do!¡± Shadowbane raised her hand, making me smile. ¡°Skydiving is when you get to a high altitude like this, and you jump out. Then you take a parachute, a giant piece of cloth, and open it up while falling, letting it unfold and catch air. Then you glide all the way down with it to the floor. It¡¯s fun!¡± ¡°That¡¯s insanity.¡± ¡°And yet fun. I¡¯d do it right now if I had another pilot to take my place.¡± I glanced at Sawn, who turned his head away. I had tried to get another pilot trained, him being one of them, so I didn¡¯t have to do all the flying. Nobody had the time though, and he saw no reason to put one aside to learn since I already knew. I¡¯d have to train one before I left but I was still annoyed. I was a glorified chauffeur, and this would be just the first of several groups I¡¯d have to take into the sky. After getting a nice view from so high up I hit the collective and started taking us down, a handful of minutes going by to drop down to the level of the Magic Spire. Now everyone could get a close up view of everything from above. We caught plenty of attention from the citizens in the city, passengers in the back murmuring when they saw their headquarters or estate, their faces glued to the windows. I turned to Faey, ¡°I could land this thing inside the city.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yup. Here, watch.¡± I adjusted our course and found the Black Spider Hotel. Its top was flat so it was the perfect spot. I came in above it, slowly guiding the helicopter down, adjusting four different things at once while stressing my visualization abilities to give me enough spatial awareness to land this properly. ¡°Sorry Key Master¡­¡± I muttered and touched down, keeping the blade running. ¡°Alright everyone! If you want to take a step outside, go ahead. Just keep your head down, those blades can get a bit low, and you don¡¯t want them taking your head off. Unless you¡¯re a knight. In which case, don¡¯t ruin my helicopter.¡± I got a few chuckles before the hatch opened. Everyone filed out one by one, stepping on top of the Black Spider Hotel. I set everything to idle and got out as well. Everyone was looking around, but soon their heads turned toward something. My gaze followed, finding the Key Master standing across from us. I smiled and walked over, ¡°Key Master! Sorry about the surprise visit.¡± After looking at everyone with a neutral face, he returned me a smile, ¡°It¡¯s no issue, John. I just didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have to greet you on top of my Hotel. Is that one of your helicopters?¡± ¡°It is! Impressive, isn¡¯t it? It can perform vertical take offs and landings, so I can bring this thing down anywhere with enough clearance.¡± ¡°It seems so. Looks like all those promotions I saw from Sawn Industries weren¡¯t lying. You¡¯ve truly brought flight to the world.¡± ¡°Yessir. You want a ride? There¡¯s another seat available.¡± He shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s quite alright, John. I¡¯m more than okay with my feet on the ground.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. I can come back around here later though. It¡¯s always worth at least a try. It¡¯s not a perspective many people have ever seen, after all.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± He smiled and bowed. ¡°Fly safe, John. I wish everyone a pleasant time on top of the Black Spider Hotel.¡± A few people silently waved at him, the Key Master¡¯s body vibrating a bit before he melted into the black metal rooftop below our feet. My brows raised. ¡°That¡¯s a new one.¡± I sensed nothing, not even a fluctuation in Aura. It seemed the Key Master was more unfathomable than I thought. With that, everyone returned to the chopper. The ride was over and I had many more groups to fly. ¡­¡­ ¡°You¡¯re meeting the King.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really close to shooting this guy.¡± ¡°Shoot him or not, you¡¯re meeting the King.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me. I¡¯m going.¡± I smacked the hand of the knight who was trying to escort me before adjusting the pistol holster on my flight suit. He was apparently a part of the Royal Guard, an elite group of soldiers who directly served the Royal Family. His hand pulled away, returning to his side as I started complying. I really didn¡¯t want to meet the King but now they were forcing me to. I decided I just needed to get it over with and, hopefully, never see the guy again. God forbid I actually had to bow or pledge my fealty. Sawn and I walked, the knight behind us as we arrived at the main hall. I had gone and flown people for 3 hours and it seemed the King was going to leave soon because he was getting impatient to meet me. I had even done the weapons demonstration, nothing but flying a slightly modified plane with some people in the back firing turrets. It wasn¡¯t that impressive to me since the flight itself was boring but it sufficiently showed off how it could be used in warfare for the dumb ones with no imagination. Sawn had grabbed me with the Royal Guard before I could head back out on the helicopter again, so now there was no avoiding it. I saw the King on his throne when we entered, most people going quiet. We approached. Sawn bowed, ¡°Your Majesty, this is John Cooper, the inventor.¡± The two of us looked at each other in silence for a second. King Distrion Jealven Alphon. He looked decent, only Authority 11, and with an Aura that I could sense the boundaries of. That meant he never surpassed the Great Barrier and his talent ended at Authority 10. I had barely heard of him before this, had never seen him, and have heard little about his character. I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect, but my biases placed me on the pessimistic side. I stood there, one second of silence turning into five as the King said nothing. I glanced to the side and saw that Sawn was still awkwardly bowing. Seemed I was supposed to bow as well, show my subservience before the King deigned to speak with me, as was tradition. There was a man beside the King, a chiseled old fellow with a gray beard and a bristling Aura sitting at Authority 11. He was probably a thousand times more combat effective than the King himself, that much I could feel. I could also see the Queen but there was nothing impressive about her. That chiseled old man took a step forward, intending on breaking the silence. I could sense a dozen other people in the room put their guards up, anxiety spiking substantially. I wondered why they reacted to this man so violently. That¡¯s when I got a quick voice transmission from Willow. She had apparently followed behind us. I could sense her in the back corner of the room. ¡°That¡¯s the Marshal of the King¡¯s Guard. He¡¯s an incredibly decorated warrior, immensely dangerous, and should be advancing to Authority 12 soon. Don¡¯t make him angry.¡± I noted her words and glanced at the man again, suddenly noticing that I couldn¡¯t sense the depth of his Aura. His gruff voice came out, ¡°Present yourself, and acknowledge the Dragon King according to the Old Law of Majesty.¡± I stared at him for a second. I had naught a single clue what the Old Law was so I decided to default to what I was taught by their institution. I clicked my heel and snapped off a sharp salute, looking straight ahead, ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Cooper, reporting.¡± The old Guard glanced at the King, who smiled a bit. ¡°At ease. Cooper, I¡¯ve heard of your exploits in the military. It is rare that we ever see a summoner who fights so well.¡± My rigid stance immediately disappeared, my gaze falling on the King, ¡°I¡¯m lucky to be given the power I have. Wasting it would be criminal.¡± ¡°Indeed. And yet you¡¯ve outshined everything you¡¯ve ever done with your invention. I¡¯ve realized that these planes of yours will cause sweeping changes across the Kingdom and its military. This is why, in anticipation of great things to come, I¡¯ve prepared something for you.¡± He leaned forward, ¡°John Cooper, your genius has been recognized. While there are many formalities to entertain, I want to bestow this offering now. Will you become a Viscount of the Kingdom of Dragon Tongue? Bound by Honor and Blood, will you bestow your name Cooper upon our Majesty and accept the role and responsibility of nobility, bringing your fortune upon all of humanity?¡± My brows hardly moved, the hall dead silent as everyone waited for my response. Perhaps I should¡¯ve expected this, but I hadn¡¯t really thought of this as a possibility in the first place. On one hand, if I became a proper noble upraised by the King himself, Umara and I probably wouldn¡¯t have a hard time getting married. I could sense Talexia in the back, her anxiety noticeably spiking as she bore a hole in my back with her gaze. Fortunately for her, my answer was automatic. I looked the King in the eye, ¡°My apologies, your Majesty. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s suitable for me to become a Viscount.¡± ¡°No?¡± He was genuinely surprised, ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve always been a commoner but I have little interest in becoming nobility. Money, fame, and power aren¡¯t my chief desires. Even the planes I¡¯ve built, which will obviously revolutionize the world as we know it, were built so that they could become a weapon against the Scourge. Call me simple-minded but I¡¯m dedicated to that fight, and there¡¯s little else that holds my interest enough to distract me from it. Becoming a noble would do just that, distract me.¡± I spoke plainly but in my mind, it was an obvious excuse. I was dedicated to the fight but I loved being rich as well. Thankfully with my invention I didn¡¯t have to become a noble to rake in digits. Trying to tie me down with nobility? The King could suck me off soft. It was an insult to think I¡¯d be so stupid. And it could be said my rejection, no matter how ¡®noble¡¯ it sounded, was a big middle finger to his face. Most importantly, if I became a noble, I¡¯d have to pay taxes. Silence pervaded, and I blurted out in perfect English. ¡°Fuck all that mess. You can tax this dick, fedboi.¡± Chatper 207: Fruitful ¡°Haah, what a day.¡± Lady Luna plopped into her seat. She hadn¡¯t done much other than sit around and converse with others, but the sheer excitement of the new experiences she had today was enough to drain her mentally. She closed her eyes, her white hair draping over her face as a pair of hands came from behind and started messaging her shoulders and neck. She let out a pleased sigh. ¡°Heavens dear, I¡¯ve not seen you this tired in months. Was your trip that exciting?¡± ¡°It was.¡± She lifted her hand, brushing the large fingers of the man behind her. She felt the ring on his left hand, twice the size of hers. Anderson chuckled, ¡°I saw that thing fly overhead almost a dozen times. It¡¯s quite amazing. I¡¯m honestly surprised that all those boasts weren¡¯t exaggerations.¡± ¡°They were not. If anything, John Cooper has yet to truly show us the potential of these planes and helicopters. I talked to him for a short time. He actually dared to say that the plane was slow. It was only after I asked some questions that he blurted out how he wants to make a plane that could go at least 3 times faster, saying that magic made it too easy to pull such a thing off.¡± ¡°How fast did the plane go?¡± ¡°They said he reached 500 miles an hour during his flyby, almost 10 times faster than a Steed.¡± ¡°Hm, I can¡¯t fathom going 1500 miles an hour.¡± ¡°Neither can I. I also couldn¡¯t imagine flying 15 thousand feet up in the sky. Yet I did. I wish you could¡¯ve seen it, dear. It was inspiring.¡± Luna¡¯s eyes sparkled, the mana flowing through her body alongside her emotions as she recalled the flight. Anderson stepped around her chair, his large body entering her view as he sat on the edge of the desk. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan now that we know he wasn¡¯t exaggerating?¡± ¡°Get ready to fork out some money, and let¡¯s hope he likes us enough to give us some planes first. Sawn is currently negotiating with the Kingdom in an attempt to draw up a new contract. The military wants those planes, and a lot of them, but he said he¡¯s coming out with new designs soon that everyone will be interested in. Cargo planes, passenger planes, fighters, bombers, reconnaissance aircraft, and all kinds of similar variants for helicopters. It¡¯ll not only take some time for them to build these, but they will also need to train pilots. To that end, we should prepare some summoners for pilot training. They will learn the fastest, even though John said that ordinary people are more than capable of learning and piloting aircraft.¡± ¡°The Lord knows we have gaggles of summoners to spare. Everyone fuckin¡¯ does. They will be on standby. Now, what will we do about the man himself?¡± Luna saw her husband¡¯s eyes glimmer, smiling, ¡°Are you that eager to get your hands on him?¡± ¡°His potential is being wasted in this heathen-laden ground, and yet he¡¯s still surpassing expectations faster than I can conceive them. I want the value he would bring when backed by my Order.¡± ¡°I understand. But we can¡¯t spook him. Let things play out as they may¡­¡± She paused, her smile disappearing, ¡°Attach a squadron to him, though. Protect him. He¡¯s good to nobody if he¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Done. The little lad may find out though. His Aura is tender, like a spanked slab of meat.¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll understand. He¡¯s a smart boy. Also, there¡¯s one more piece of unexpected news.¡± Luna looked at her husband, his smile growing as if he already knew what she was going to say. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°He rejected the King¡¯s offer to become a Viscount.¡± Shadowbane announced to her father, Chief Ironheart of the Raven Family, Duke of the Whetted City. The large bristly man turned to her, as did two dozen others. They were all lining a massive table within their meeting hall, Ironheart at the head. Ironheart smiled, then laughed, his voice shaking the walls of the hall. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°What do you mean, he rejected the King?¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly as I¡¯ve said, grandmother. I don¡¯t know how else you want me to say it.¡± Talexia sighed, leaning her chin on her fist, propped up by the arm of her chair. She had a lot on her mind and didn¡¯t care for the redundant inquiries of her ancestors. Her grandmother, Sanel Talerria, a 186 year old Authority 11 warlock, frowned at her before turning to the other ancestor. He was Talexia¡¯s great-great-grandfather, her grandmother¡¯s grandfather. Lucretius Talerria had as many wrinkles on his face as he had years to his experience, being over 250 years old. Ikhor was there was well, alongside a few other family branch heads, all of whom sat at Authority 10. Sanel scoffed. ¡°I just can¡¯t understand. Why would a commoner boy like him turn down the offer, coming from the King himself, to become a noble? It defies all logic!¡± ¡°John has always been¡­ unique. Besides, he¡¯ll make plenty of money off of this invention even without becoming a noble. He¡¯s still a part of Sawn Industries.¡± ¡°How much money will he make?¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Well¡­¡± Talexia thought, recalling her memorized conversations and eavesdropping. ¡°Sawn is in negotiations with the Royal Family and Treasurers, but I heard some numbers from him. If they aren¡¯t exaggerations, each plane will cost anywhere from 300 thousand to 3 million coin. There are many types, so let¡¯s say the average per plane is 800 thousand coin. If they sell the random number of 1 thousand planes, and John gets a cut of, let¡¯s say, 5% given the fact that we know nothing of their profit margins or his deal with Sawn, that¡¯s¡­¡± She spent a few seconds doing the math, but someone blurted out before her, the merchant branch family head. ¡°40 million coin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s at minimum, and likely within the first 6 months. His deal with Sawn may very well yield higher percentages. The man had been attempting to recruit John for over a year beforehand. And their profit margins, from what John told me about the efficiency of the planes, is likely astronomically high. They¡¯ll absolutely sell more than a thousand planes, and they also have to train pilots, another source of income. This is all to say that John, personally, will likely make several times that, on top of his salary, and Sawn Industries will become an even larger behemoth than it already is.¡± ¡°And John will be right next to that behemoth¡¯s head.¡± Lucretius muttered. Sanel shook her head, ¡°If he were a noble he¡¯d be able to sell far more.¡± Talexia heard that and wanted to laugh. She felt faint derision for her grandmother¡¯s shortsightedness. She couldn¡¯t help her rebuke, ¡°John being a noble or not will have nothing to do with how much he sells. He has Sawn Industries doing the work for him, and flight is not something that will go without demand even after a millennia. I¡¯m already prepared to put in an order for a dozen cargo and passenger planes, and I¡¯ll be speaking with our city planner about an air terminal soon. I¡¯m sure every other Marquess and Duke and City Lord are doing the same thing, and they¡¯ll all be vying to get their hands on a plane first.¡± There was silence for a moment, everyone looking around and murmurs being passed. At some point, Sanel glanced at Talexia, ¡°That boy, didn¡¯t he fancy Umara? I remember him from Christmas a couple years ago.¡± Talexia let out a breath. She had wanted to avoid that question. ¡°Yes, he did.¡± ¡°Well, since he isn¡¯t going to become a noble, it seems to me that the household which can pull him in will benefit particularly well. They¡¯ll gain a wealthy, genius enchanter working for Sawn Industries with, from what you¡¯ve told me, outstanding military merits. How is his character?¡± Talexia smirked, ¡°He turned down a noble title from the King. I think that sums up his character rather well.¡± ¡°Regardless of how reckless he is, as long as he¡¯s not irredeemable I think it would be worth it to bring even a summoner into the family. We may have to lower our standards but I think the money he makes will compensate.¡± Talexia narrowed her eyes at her grandmother, ¡°Speak to him like that and I can guarantee you he¡¯ll lose all interest in becoming a Talerria.¡± Sanel rolled her eyes, ¡°You think I¡¯m stupid? Of course I wouldn¡¯t speak to him as such.¡± ¡°I suggest you stop thinking as such as well. He¡¯s a summoner and he¡¯s got an Aura that can rival mine, maybe not in strength, but in technique and development, most certainly. He¡¯ll know if you think of him derisively, and he doesn¡¯t take kindly to contempt.¡± ¡°Yet he¡¯ll swallow his pride because the Talerria family is greater than his simple commoner mind can comprehend,¡± Sanel snapped, ¡°He should be so grateful that his name is even coming out of our mouths. You think he would turn down a marriage offer from one of the richest Dukedoms in the Kingdom?¡± ¡°He turned down a noble title from the King.¡± Talexia smiled a bit, ¡°I don¡¯t think you can fathom how much pride that boy has, and the fact that we¡¯re holding this meeting about him and his invention means that he¡¯s the one with the advantage here, not us. I understand that you don¡¯t want to seem weak, but it¡¯s obvious you won¡¯t be able to approach him without scorn. That¡¯s why you¡¯ll leave handling him to me.¡± Talexia lifted her chin a bit, looking down on everyone at the table, ¡°It is my daughter who he has a fancy for and I¡¯ll be the one to decide how we handle John. I will think about marriage between them after their situations in the military calm, and if the opportunity does present itself, I want no objections from any of you, as well as your support when other households inevitably attempt to suppress us for claiming a genius enchanter. Until then I will be handling the changes in our businesses in regard to implementing these new planes. Be prepared to open the coffers. We¡¯ll be spending a lot of money very soon.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ The Auction House stood tall, at its height a single man. Few knew of him, fewer knew his name, yet all knew his moniker. ¡°It¡¯s a shame the Key Master made an impression before I even knew of him. Who could¡¯ve thought? Perhaps it was the fault of the Church. Those prideful Catholics have their hands in everything.¡± He sighed and downed the rest of the translucent wine in his glass, reaching out and setting it on a tray beside him, held by a distinguished butler with a sharp disposition. The butler walked the tray to another table with a bottle on it, ¡°I believe you¡¯ve made an impression among all, my lord. He¡¯s attended more than one of your Galas.¡± ¡°He may know Vatsy but how much that affords is unknowable. Not even the King could bring out his obedience. He is rebellious, as evident by his conflicts during his time at the Magisterium.¡± ¡°Did you not say he has thrived in the military? Was he rebellious there?¡± ¡°No. He had no need to be. In that place, there is a clear enemy, and he truly is dedicated to the fight against them. That and his competence earned him great respect. This means he is compliant so long as he and his associates have similar goals. That, my friend, is how we will insert ourselves.¡± ¡°A flaw in his armor?¡± ¡°Nay, a doorway open to those who who are willing to meet the measure.¡± ¡°You are wise, Lord Vatsy.¡± The butler bowed, raising his tray with a fresh glass of wine atop. Vatsy grabbed it, raised the glass to his lips and took a small sip, just enough to disperse the flavor over his tongue. He smacked his lips and smiled. His free hand brought up a file, the front page giving an overview of intelligence regarding John Cooper, including his compatriots, friends, lovers, enemies. He eyed one of the words, a list of aliases he has used. The American, as it pertained to the markets, was his most infamous name, only fading in the time he had been gone. Yet, occasional explosions that echoed off the dark walls of the Trenches or the ruins of Clockwork Association warehouses still kept the legend alive. Some said there were still some bodies throughout the Trenches, untouched lest someone bring forth the ire of the American once more. Vatsy eyed that name again and again, his foot tapping in anxiousness. Video footage of the most legendary Magisterium Championship in its history flickered through his mind. The weapons, the tech, even the way John acted. He knew it had to be true, knew that there was one other just in the Founder''s Market alone, a certain mask maker that had recently left for the Holy See. He knew of three others. He had given them monetary assistance in exchange for their labors and loyalty, and they had latched on to his fat wallet. Their common origins seemed to bring them together with even greater strength than familial ties. Only one of the three he helped had disappeared, but the other two still remained, continuing to work with him. He hadn¡¯t gotten to this one fast enough but now, there was an opportunity. ¡°The American¡­ I didn¡¯t think one of you corn-fed freaks would be sent here but that¡¯s just my luck. At least someone was smart enough to bring some modern tech to these primitives. Now, we¡¯ll be able to properly work together.¡± Vatsy closed his eyes and raised his glass, the butler standing beside his chair silently. ¡°To a fruitful partnership.¡± Chapter 208: Elemental Crystals July 21, 625 ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve received another letter.¡± ¡°Of course I have.¡± I sighed and turned away from my workstation, glancing at my new assistant. Sawn had gotten me one after our showcasing. At first I had thought the idea was stupid but I was quickly proven wrong. I thanked the man for his great idea after I got swamped with correspondence. Boris Mago was an Authority 9 warlock who, while not quite bright enough to be one of Sawn¡¯s premiere enchanters, was a hard worker who was good at staying on task. He was eventually moved up to a managerial position before getting on the roster for enchanters who had a chance to get cycled into an apprenticeship with the big time enchanters in Sawn¡¯s Office, the big brains who innovated. I was now one of those big brains and so he got moved into a spot next to me. He wasn¡¯t an apprentice since I had precisely zero time to teach, but he was close enough to learn some things as my assistant. He had gladly taken the position so both of us were happy. Although, the main reason he had been assigned to me was because he was a particularly powerful warlock who specialized in earth magic. He had served out the duration of his 12 year contract in the military after graduating from the Magisterium, climbing to the rank of First Commander and leaving, using connections to get into Sawn Industries. This was all to say that he¡¯d be able to follow me when I went back to the Treehouse. I wasn¡¯t expecting him to fight alongside me but General Viskar had agreed to it easily. I¡¯d have to talk to Nonnen but I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d reject a free Chief-level warlock. Those were bridges to cross when I got there though. For now, I had enough on my plate. Boris handed me the letter, which I tore open and read with a few glances. I could take in a full page now with a single look. Even books stood no chance. I rolled my eyes at the contents. ¡°That¡¯s the sixth noble party I¡¯ve been invited to, and they had their fucking daughter write it. Could you be more obvious?¡± ¡°You¡¯re famous now, sir, and you turned down that title. They¡¯ll do whatever they can to get their hands on you.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, they can shove their fancy parties up where the sun don¡¯t shine. If they want planes they can give me their money. Go through my letters from now on. If it''s from a Duke, hand it to me. If not, toss it. The only Marquess I¡¯ll tolerate is Choron since he¡¯s my friend¡¯s father.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± He nodded and took the letter back, the parchment igniting above his palm before he started inscribing things into a personal Orb of his. Although he specialized in Earth magic, he also had a perfect affinity for water and a partial affinity for fire. He knew some basic healing spells, making him even more valuable. Black hair, pale skin, just slightly shorter than me and somewhat lanky, Boris was a no-nonsense individual, very pragmatic. We got along well because I didn¡¯t demand much from him and he got what I did ask of him done perfectly. And when he wasn¡¯t catering to my few needs I let him peruse enchantments and study advanced material. I¡¯d also answer any questions he had, which he asked infrequently so as to not disturb me. He was a good assistant. It was nice having him around since he was also an ear I could complain to. Not only that, but he was capable enough to enchant small things if I needed him to on the fly. I had gotten involved with many experiments and sometimes I just needed a quick test. Even something as simple as knowing whether or not an enchantment could be created by someone of his level was enough. ¡°Hey Boris.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°Come here. I need you to enchant this onto this.¡± I brought up a small enchantment, something for the Mana Engine. He put away his things and walked over, taking a serious look at the enchantment. He was silent as I plopped down in my seat. I watched him, his hand taking the small disc I had set down. The main enchanting tool was already running, a pen with a tube attached to it that fed the pen liquid White Crystal, allowing it to engrave an object and inscribe conduits. He took the pen and started writing into the disk, using his Mana to guide the Crystal and channel the energy according to my schematic. The enchantment slowly took shape, taking about 5 minutes to create despite its relative simplicity. Once he was done, he slot the pen back into the Crystal melter and raised the disk. ¡°It is done. I didn¡¯t have any problems.¡± ¡°Good. Place it inside those metal prongs sticking out of the base plate.¡± He did as I said and set the disk down. Once he did, I hit a button, Magika streaming through the baseplate. Then, the disk started levitating and spinning, getting faster and faster with no end to its acceleration in sight. I put my finger on a lever before elbowing Boris, ¡°Raise a barrier.¡± He did as I asked, a barrier manifesting around us. Then I flicked the lever all the way up. The disk suddenly shot into the air before hitting the ceiling and sparking, flying off in a random direction and bouncing around the room, leaving scars in the walls and destroying one of my chairs. It eventually calmed down in a corner somewhere. I nodded, thinking. Boris looked at me, the barrier going down, ¡°Was it supposed to do that?¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t. The spinning yes, but it was not supposed to elevate like that.¡± ¡°So it was only supposed to spin faster?¡± ¡°For the most part, yes. I¡¯m attempting to create a repulsive force that turns the repelling momentum into rotational momentum as the power throughput increases, shifting from one to the other at an exponential rate. The end goal is a disk that spins while locking its own position, taking the stress off the structural Crystal. Unfortunately, it seems like I¡¯ll have to invent the enchantments for that entirely. There¡¯s nothing to go off of, as this experiment just proved.¡± ¡°...You¡¯ve already done amazing work, sir. I¡¯m confused though.¡± ¡°Shoot.¡± I walked over to the disk and picked it up, tossing it back onto the desk. Boris looked at the baseplate. ¡°If this was based on your Mana Engine design, wasn¡¯t there supposed to be another Crystal in the disk?¡± ¡°Normally, yes, but what you just enchanted got rid of the necessity for a secondary Crystal. That right there was the very first MonoCrystal Mana Engine.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m honored to be a part of such a monumental development.¡± ¡°Eh.¡± I shrugged, not impressed. After having the time to give it thought, I was able to churn out a half decent enchantment for it. The important part was that it halved the amount of Crystals necessary for a Mana Engine. It would be huge for small-scale low-power applications, like wagons and the like. Slightly wealthy ordinary people would probably be able to afford things that used this tech. All this was just a distraction though. My main concern was with three other projects. First, I had to develop bombs. Not physical ones, but magic ones. Second, I had discovered an interesting property regarding the forces White Crystals exerted. Sawn had a team on that project. Third was a project that utilized the new discoveries of the second project. All three were rather important because they would change a lot of things for a lot of people. What had me stumped, for now, was the issue with bombs. What I just did with the MonoCrystal Mana Engine gave me time away from the bomb issue. Now though, I decided to get back to work. I walked out of my office, Boris following and locking the door behind me. The two of us started heading to the testing range. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. To get there, we went to the 83rd floor where Sawn had built a large helipad that hung off the side of the Magic Spire. He was raking in so much money that a quick addition like this was cheap. Boris and I jumped into the helicopter there and I spun it up. Before long we were lifting off and flying, aimed toward the airfield. Just outside the airfield was a large swath of land fenced off for our use. There were craters dotting some parts but they were small. The mere sight of their inadequacy pissed me off. We landed on top of the development center where a helipad had been placed. I flicked everything off before jumping out of the helicopter and walking off, the blades still spinning down. Once inside, I saw a dozen different summoners and two dozen enchanters all working away. Sawn was here, apparently, so I walked up to him. ¡°Any changes?¡± ¡°Not really. Explosions are slowly getting bigger but its nothing close to what you want.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± I crossed my arms, the two of us overlooking all the busy workers in front of us. There were plenty of spells that could create explosions, just like warlocks could with fire magic. Sawn was the manufacturer of the turrets commonly found on Steeds or walls, so he had a whole arsenal of those spells. What I wanted was different though. I wanted an explosion of pure magic that came from the detonation of White Crystals. The key word there was detonation. All of Sawn¡¯s spells were closer to a fire burning than a substance exploding. Unfortunately, I had a feeling that a part of making that tech real would require us to figure out that new discovery I had made. While I was thinking, a warlock came running out from another room. ¡°Sirs! We¡¯ve made a development with Project Circle.¡± I turned around, glancing at Sawn before following the warlock back into that room. It was a massive warehouse, technically a part of the development center but devoted entirely to a seemingly useless project. Project Circle was named such because I had discovered an interesting property regarding the field of power that White Crystals produced. There was a circular field, similar to a magnetic field, that bloomed from a White Crystal at a distance proportional to the power density of the White Crystal. That knowledge alone was already known about, but I figured out something different. That field of Magika that came out of the Crystals was monomagnetic in nature. That is, unlike normal magnetics, there wasn¡¯t a north or south pole. It was like its power simply radiated out in all directions, like it was a light source. However, the reason I still likened it to magnetics was because of how the field acted when it came into contact with other fields. Normally, the fields did nothing to each other. In order for them to affect each other, a warlock would have to tune them. That¡¯s why every magic device had to be tuned to the Crystal that was used to power it. Even when they were tuned to the same frequency though, they wouldn¡¯t interfere. It was only when the identical frequencies were resonated that they would amplify each other. That was the basis for Rails, and what I pulled inspiration from to create the Mana Engine. What I had found in the midst of all this was something I coined the ¡°Magnitude Frequency¡±. I discovered that if you took Crystals of two neighboring Authorities, like an Authority 5 and 6, and you resonated them at two different frequencies that differed from each other by a magnitude, they would start to fight against each other. I had done this while attempting to use Crystals of different levels for my Mana Engine. Well, the Crystals really didn¡¯t like it when I did that. Their powers wouldn¡¯t repel, but they would get chaotic and reduce efficiencies to nothing. More than that, they would begin to disintegrate at a noticeable rate. White Crystals normally disintegrated over time and with excessive use. I had never heard of them disintegrating after making their powers fight each other. It was like they were trying to destroy the other when I tuned them to the Magnitude Frequency. Well, this naturally provided me with ideas, and I started playing with them and their fields. That¡¯s when, finally, I found a phenomenon. If you took two Crystals tuned to the Magnitude Frequency and placed the secondary Crystal at a distance away from the dominant Crystal equal to the square root of the radius of the dominant Crystal¡¯s Goldilocks Zone, and then you started shooting mana at it, they would lock each other up with that mana. The kicker was that they would continue to disintegrate each other, but those particles from the Crystal would coalesce around them in an orbit equal to the square radius of the combined Crystals¡¯ Goldilocks Zone My issue was finding that Goldilocks Zone. It could be done, but if it wasn¡¯t perfect, if it wasn¡¯t reliable, it couldn¡¯t be used on a mass scale. Unfortunately, the only time I had managed to get it to work was on a fluke, and it soon fell apart because I stopped feeding it energy. Thus, Sawn assigned a team to brute force the issue. It seems they were onto something. We walked into the warehouse where there were dozens of circular tables holding crystals of all different levels. Warlocks and summoners were all trying to figure out the Goldilocks Zone using various measurement devices and mechanisms. The warlock who led us arrived at one particular table that was using repulsion enchantments to lift Crystal cradles into the air. These ones were angled toward each other though, with tools I had never seen before being used to guide energy to the Crystals that would lock them. The two crystals we saw were already locked, which made me immediately optimistic. A big indicator of a successful lock was the fact that one could actually see the mana that was being locked. The disintegrated particles that entered the orbit would be colored according to the element infused to lock them. Green for Earth, Blue for Water, Red for Fire, and weirdly enough, Black for Air. When I looked at the locked Crystals though, floating in mid air with a sphere of particles around them, I saw White. I was confused until I looked at the knight standing to the side. I didn¡¯t know where these people had gotten a knight but I didn¡¯t care. The warlock explained, ¡°We decided to go outside the norm here and use a knight to infuse Vigor into the lock, thinking it would bring more stability, perhaps even the ability to manipulate the separation during locking. While that happened, we noticed that when the Knight infused Vigor, the Crystals refused to move from their positions, locking, but only artificially. As soon as he removed his Vigor it was free to move again.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± I rubbed my chin, smiling. He continued, ¡°Then, we thought we should try to use a summoner, thinking it would have a different effect. When Carlen here infused Psyka, he was able to understand and highlight where the Goldilocks Point was. Then, he guided the knight, the two adjusting the lock with the table here until it was at the required separation distance. When they were done with adjustments, I was able to lock it easily with Mana.¡± ¡°...¡± I looked at Sawn, brows raised, before looking back at the table. ¡°Do it again.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The warlock smiled and then removed the locked pair of Crystals from their levitation platforms. The cradles the Crystals were held in were easy to grab and stayed locked in place, and even the sphere of particles orbiting them did nothing to hinder the warlock¡¯s hands. They simply phased through, the particles intangible despite being visible. It looked unreal. After setting everything down he brought together another two Crystals at Authority 3 and 4. They slotted them into the cradles, placed them on the platforms, levitated them, and then began the process. It was almost too easy. The summoner was able to literally highlight the correct distance away, the fields around the crystals turning visible, the most concentrated orbits of power being highlighted the most. That was the Goldilocks Zone, and under his guidance the knight was able to lock the distance of the Crystals after the warlock had simply shifted the platforms holding the Crystals away from each other. Finally, the knight locked it, allowing the warlock to easily stream his mana in and complete the lock, his blue water mana streaming into orbits around the Crystals as they progressively disintegrated. I nodded, asking, ¡°Now why is the knight necessary for the artificial lock when you can adjust it yourself?¡± ¡°For some reason, the lock is far easier to achieve them he¡¯s using his Vigor on it. Without him, it takes a long time and hundreds of lock attempts to get it right. I don¡¯t know why.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. We know it works though. That¡¯s all that matters for now. As for this¡­¡± I turned around, looking at the first pair of locked Crystals. They were also at Authority 3 and 4, and they sat about a foot away from each other. The Crystals were already half disintegrated, a visible white and blue sphere forming around them about 2 feet in diameter. I rubbed my chin, ¡°Infuse as much mana into that as you can. Sawn, if you could help him. Water mana only.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Sawn stepped up with the other warlock, the two of them infusing mana into the locked crystals. Blue color saturated the ring, and the disintegration progressed even faster. At some point, the sphere turned solid blue, and the Authority 3 Crystal disintegrated fully, leaving just a bit of the Authority 4 Crystal. The cradles fell to the table and suddenly, the sphere collapsed in on the remaining Crystal, releasing a blinding flash of white. I was momentarily blinded, but my eyes recovered faster than everyone else¡¯s. Soon, I was able to see the object born from this new phenomenon. A solid blue Crystal, no longer intangible. It was an Elemental Crystal, slightly bigger than the Authority 4 White Crystal that went into this. It seemed that the power of the Authority 3 Crystal had been added to its greater counterpart. I don¡¯t know why, nor how, but I knew we had just discovered something massive. Sawn recovered next, his eyes bulging when he saw the Elemental crystal. ¡°It¡¯s nothing but Water Mana.¡± He muttered and grabbed the thing, holding it carefully in his hands. Then, he suddenly ran out. ¡°Follow, John!¡± I didn¡¯t respond, simply sprinting after him. Several other people came with us as we left the warehouse to reach the open world. We saw Sawn stop before casting a simple single circle spell and chucking the new Water Crystal into the air. After a few seconds, the crystal exploded, releasing a massive amount of water all at once. It blanketed the entire area in water, mist forming into raindrops before falling down on us. Several seconds passed, rain falling on a sunny day, as a few people behind me yelled in achievement, cheering their hearts out. I, on the other hand, saw the future of magical warfare in that explosion. It almost felt like visions flashed through my mind, visions of what was soon to befall not just the Scourge, but all of humanity in this world. The ability to detonate the entirety of a White Crystal¡¯s power, customized with mana and a spell. Given enough fuel, it was a recipe for the greatest level of devastation this world will ever conceive. With that realization came a wave of desolation that quickly flooded my mind. I understood, very intimately, that I had just changed this world in a way that no plane could ever compare to. I understood the scale of this magitech in a way that not even Sawn could fathom. This was something that could scale to the level of nuclear weapons. I didn¡¯t know how many Authority 12 or 11 Crystals the Kingdom possessed, but even a single one of those, charged with the power of this elemental conversion, could result in devastation greater than a nuclear bomb given the right spell. Sawn had no idea of the scale. All he saw was a little explosion of water. I saw the destruction of the entire Capital City in the blink of an eye. After a handful of seconds I zoned back in, the thought of traitors making my anxiety soar. This method of elemental conversion couldn¡¯t get out, and unfortunately, every single person in that warehouse was someone who understood the general method to make this work. I muttered under my breath, feeling like an idiot for not thinking this through sooner, and then daring to feel shocked when I saw the power. ¡°What have I done.¡± Chapter 209: 800 Million July 21, 625 I pulled Sawn aside as soon as I was able, taking him to a private room, telling Boris to wait outside and keep people out. Once alone Sawn looked at me weirdly. ¡°Is something the matter, John?¡± ¡°Yes, very much so. Have you wrapped your head around what we¡¯ve just done, yet?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to think I have but the way you¡¯re speaking makes me think otherwise. So what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°This¡­ method. This way to turn White Crystals into Elemental Crystals. It¡¯s the most potent weapon this world has ever seen, surpassing any other by magnitudes, and it¡¯s criminally easy to create. I''d like you to think about if that Crystal you just blew up was an Authority 11 Crystal loaded with fire mana and armed with the most devastating explosion spell you can think of.¡± I looked him in the eye as he frowned, thinking. I continued, ¡°Then detonate it right in the middle of the Capital. Am I painting a clear enough picture?¡± ¡°...I see.¡± Any remaining excitement in his Aura vanished, the atmosphere sobering. While he might not be imagining the same kind of devastation I was thinking of, it was similar. After all, he understood even better than I did the kind of power someone at those levels could wield, let alone how much sheer power would be released from one of those Crystals. I spoke my thoughts, ¡°We need to lock down this information, now. I¡¯m not sure if you can but you should consider detaining everyone in that warehouse in some way.¡± ¡°Detain them? And put them where?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe you can build a village in some distant secluded valley where everyone who works on our top secret stuff can live. I don¡¯t know what measures your company takes to keep a lid on secrets but you need to double down on them. We can¡¯t let anyone get their hands on this information.¡± I sighed, ¡°If it relied on all the numbers I churned out not long ago then it wouldn¡¯t be so bad, but with that new method they just came up with, anyone can fucking do it.¡± Sawn continued to frown, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t think of any way to keep this information from leaking. I have people who can keep an eye on those involved but there are too many who would¡¯ve been privy to the method. Even if I could tighten down in the short term, eventually it would leak. Short of massacring everyone in that warehouse, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a way to stop it, John.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s certainly optimistic.¡± I let out a stressed breath before taking out a cigar and lighting it. It made me feel slightly better. Sawn was right. There was no way to keep this secret unless we took drastic and illegal measures. Well, there was one thing that we had. I flicked my finger in realization, ¡°The Magnitude Frequency. That¡¯s the most important key. How many people know that?¡± Sawn¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Not many. Only the warlock who oversaw the project, the one we spoke to, knows it precisely.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s find him. Now.¡± Both of us ran out, going back to the warehouse. There was nowhere to run out here, so that warlock was easy to find even if he tried to escape. He didn¡¯t, but I tended to think in terms of the worst case scenario. After we grabbed the man we brought him back to the room to talk to him. Sawn went over his spiel about keeping company secrets. Something that helped keep a lid on a secret was not letting the person know just how important it was. Less value meant he wouldn¡¯t take the risk to disseminate this information for short term gain. After that Sawn asked if he had taught anyone the Magnitude Frequency. He said he hadn¡¯t, which caused me great relief. That¡¯s when I blurted out, ¡°By the way, it¡¯s not called the Magnitude Frequency.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± They both looked at me weird. ¡°It¡¯s called the Duodeka Frequency.¡± ¡°Duodeka¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a more accurate name. I had scraped together the last name but since we succeeded with the project, this frequency should get a proper name.¡± Sawn rubbed his chin before nodding. ¡°Sounds good. Bekim, since you pioneered the method for conversion, you¡¯ll be getting commissions for this product. Just make sure to keep the Duodeka Frequency secret. We don¡¯t want people stealing this invention of ours and reducing your commission.¡± The warlock, Bekim, nodded happily, ¡°Of course, sir. I won¡¯t teach it to anyone.¡± Sawn was basically buying this guy¡¯s silence, but so long as it worked, I wasn¡¯t complaining. With that, the crisis was temporarily averted. I¡¯d have to doctor some of my research papers in order to skew the Duodeka Frequency¡¯s results. The reason I had suddenly given it a different name was to make the Frequency tuning itself less obvious. Nobody in this world knew what the hell Duodeka meant so now the secret was a bit safer. Sawn sent Bekim out. As he left I wondered if I should just play it really safe and kill the man in secret. He was powerful, but still a warlock. They could all be killed if their guard was down. I could even hire someone to do it. Plex would probably do it for enough money, and I was about to receive boatloads. Sawn turned, the two of us sitting in silence for a bit before his voice broke it. ¡°I¡¯m about to transfer you some money.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve gotten dozens of orders for some of our plane models, primarily cargo and passenger planes, as well as orders for airfield designing and pilot training. As per our contract and prior agreement, in exchange for receiving no boost to your 3 thousand monthly coin salary you¡¯ll be receiving a clean 30% of the profits of all aircraft and aircraft related sales. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°As for the amount I¡¯m transferring, you¡¯ll be receiving 30% of about 103 million. We haven¡¯t finalized the military contract yet so that¡¯s all for now.¡± ¡°...Holy shit.¡± I faced him with wide eyes. 30 million coin, or 30 thousand gold bullion, was a cockload of money. I thought back, remembering Rayla. She had been saving money for years, amassing about 30 million coin in order to buy a big house in the Capital. It took me three days to earn that, and more money would continue to flood in over the next few weeks and months, especially once the military contract went through with the Kingdom. I¡¯d be sitting on a mountain soon enough. It took me a few seconds to let the realization settle. I was rich, and not just figuratively. Sure, I might not be at the uber-rich level like a Duke or Sovereign, but for a commoner, I was doing pretty fucking good already. I smiled, thinking of the things I could buy. I could improve my armor for starters, maybe even improve my pocket space. I¡¯d have to get myself a luxury bed that I could cart around and use on base or in camp, maybe even a new climate-controlled tent for long missions. Sawn spoke, ¡°You have a Polaris Card, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Hm, we¡¯ll have to call them and figure out the transfer tonight. We¡¯ll also need to figure out your taxes.¡± ¡°Taxes?¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Of course. What, have you not been paying your taxes?¡± ¡°...¡± He stared at me for several seconds before snapping. ¡°Buffoon.¡± ¡°You forget where I used to work.¡± ¡°How have you gone this long without paying any taxes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy when you have physical gold to buy things with, and a bank that isn¡¯t tracked by the Kingdom. Plus, I don¡¯t have a residence they can go to. I still live in the Black Spider Hotel.¡± ¡°But you are a part of the military now. They can find you.¡± ¡°Indeed, except for the fact that nobody will know about how much I¡¯ve just received, because it¡¯s going to the Polaris Bank where I¡¯m an anonymous customer under an untraceable Platinum-level Company.¡± I winked at him, making him shake his head. ¡°You still need to pay taxes on your salary, because I have to report that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. What¡¯s the rate?¡± ¡°It¡¯s around 15%.¡± ¡°Fucking tyrants. I¡¯m losing over 400 coin a month to a bunch of scummy dictators.¡± ¡°...¡± Sawn didn¡¯t respond to that, probably because I had a massive grin on my face. We walked out of the room, getting ready to head back to the Capital. On the way to the helicopter, he muttered, ¡°Wait, is that why you rejected the salary increase so much?¡± ¡°You can be a little slow sometimes, friend.¡± ¡°I have better things to think about than your psychotic desire to evade taxes.¡± ¡°Good. Keep that in mind while transferring the money.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ For the last 10 days or so of the month, my focus lay on training pilots. There were 10 chosen summoners who were to receive my teachings, and those 10 would go on to train even more pilots. I made sure to teach them everything, made sure they memorized it all as summoners should, and made sure they could fly without any assistance before I left. 10 days to carry out a mediocre flight school. It was a bit scary but these people had powerful minds and it couldn¡¯t be my problem forever. Thankfully, by the end of the month they were all able to take off, perform a few maneuvers, and land without a single person crashing. It was a good thing too because I wasn¡¯t interested in finding out if their subpar parachutes actually worked, though we did have to do tests with that too. While doing all that I made sure that all my texts on aircraft, flight mechanics, and whatever else I could think of were all thorough enough to be finalized. I was able to put everything on Orbs so that was a pretty quick process. It was nice being able to effectively copy and paste my thoughts onto a sphere of glass. If only I had that shit during university. I had Boris reject most of the correspondence I received over that time. There were only 2 messages that came from Dukes, and both were from people I know, that being Talerria and the Raven Family. Talexia had given me the message at the behest of her Ancestors, which she made known in the letter itself. It was a rather brash piece of writing but I found it quite funny. Long story short, she told me that if I wanted to continue to pursue Umara then I¡¯d have to find her in Special Operations. Otherwise, she told me that she was about as hands-off as she was going to get and that opposition to our relationship was no longer the kind that concerned my health. Which basically meant we had the green light. I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about that information. Or, it was more like I didn¡¯t react to it as strongly as I thought I would. Maybe I just didn¡¯t care since I had never even considered things going any other way, or maybe it was expected after the showcasing. Now I¡¯d just have to get to Special Operations. How long that would take, I wasn¡¯t sure, but now that Umara, Feiden, and Tana had all entered, I¡¯d wager that it wouldn¡¯t take long for me to at least get the chance. Although, I¡¯d like to get to Authority 7 first. Progression was coming along nicely. I was hoping to advance before the end of the year, so perhaps that¡¯d be when I got my chance. Until then, I just needed to buckle down, stack bands, and drop some bombs on the Scourge. Being a weapons developer was quite nice, especially when the weapons were getting used on monsters. No ethical dilemmas, money in my pockets, and most importantly, it was cool as fuck. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Do you know what he wants?¡± ¡°No, I only just got the call.¡± Umara shook her head, strolling her way to headquarters. The coat over her armor fluttered with the strong winds, Feiden and Tana flanking her. The two were dressed in their own knightly armor, heavy but not so bulky as to restrict movement. Umara glanced at her Aerial one more time before entering headquarters and making her way to one of the top offices. Gurns had called her and she was curious why. They arrived, the door already open. They immediately noticed the General sitting there with Gurns as well as two Marshals on chairs to the sides. Gurns looked up at them, ¡°Come in, you three.¡± They walked in silently, trying not to glance around yet subtly measuring themselves against the characters here. The General was like every other they¡¯d seen but the Marshals were still powerful. Umara recognized them too. Both of them were Dukes. One was Duke Olle and the other was Duchess Vivien, someone she had seen before at a tea party long ago. The three gave a casual salute after standing themselves in the middle of the room, all eyes on them. Gurns spoke first, ¡°We called you in here because you three are intimately familiar with this man.¡± Gurns tapped his desk, an image projecting into a screen in the air. Their brows raised, recognizing John. What had them surprised was the fact that he was in front of the King himself. Umara questioned, ¡°What happened? ¡°Many things, Umara, but nothing that I¡¯m sure your friend isn¡¯t very happy with. Are any of you familiar with his recent work?¡± ¡°No.¡± They all shook their heads. They had just gotten back from a two week long mission, and even that was part of a larger operation that took them away from the base for months at a time. Umara could barely remember the last time she had sent John a message. ¡°Well, allow me to enlighten you.¡± Gurns tapped the desk a few more times, a dozen different images and a video all projecting onto the screen, cluttering it slightly. They all saw winged vehicles with spinning blades on their front. The video showed this vehicle, how it used the front blade to speed up, and then fly. The most shocking part was how fast it went, especially when it showed the vehicle doing a fly-by, the camera capturing the plane up close as it zipped past. Gurns smiled, ¡°Previously, only certain Sovereigns and exceptionally skilled and specialized Marshals could use air magic to fly for extended periods of time. That kind of magic was dangerous, inefficient, not worth the expenditure most of the time. Now though, your friend John Cooper has managed to manufacture flight. He calls them planes.¡± A picture of an aircraft expanded into the primary view, ¡°These planes can reach speeds of up to 400 miles an hour, can reach heights of around 30 thousand feet, and can fly at 400 miles an hour for around 8 hours, with ranges of over 3000 miles. And that¡¯s with just two Authority 6 White Crystals. I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to explain just how amazing this invention is, and how useful it would be to utilize in the military.¡± The three smiled, Umara especially. She had a wide grin, and she recognized those planes. There were descriptions of them in her grimoires. John had described flight and theoretical machines that could achieve it. He had also attempted to figure out how a warlock could fly with air magic, detailing the kind of things they¡¯d have to do with the atmosphere in order to make it work. Long story short, it was absurdly hard without the warlock hurting themselves or expending massive amounts of energy for little effect, energy that would be better spent killing an enemy, or disrupting them if one had to run. In his words, humans were about as aerodynamic as a brick. Umara had thought about trying to make a brick fly and realized that it was a good way to visualize just how impossible it was. Now though, it seemed he had done it. John Cooper had invented flight. It seemed that¡¯s why he was seen with the King. Gurns looked at Umara, ¡°You look happy.¡± ¡°I am, sir. That¡¯s my boyfriend. I¡¯m proud of him.¡± Duke Olle suddenly chimed in from the side, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize your mother had approved of your relationship, Talerria.¡± Umara¡¯s smile disappeared. She refused to look at Olle, lest she piss herself off. ¡°My relationships are mine to determine. And I¡¯d like to see anyone pressure us after John has revolutionized the world as we know it. Sir, do you know how much coin John will make from this invention?¡± ¡°Not precisely, no. But I do know that Sawn Industries just signed a contract with the military for some of their planes. The transaction amount for that contract is sitting at 800 million coin, to start.¡± ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Feiden blurted out under his breath, baffled by that amount of money. Only the Kingdom itself could move that much coin in one go. It seemed like just an appetizer too, as that was only a contract for the military, not the rest of the Kingdom and its nobles as a whole. Umara suddenly smiled again, glancing at Olle for a second. She knew about John¡¯s contract with Sawn. He had told her that he was to receive up to a third of the profits that his inventions brought in. Depending on the profit margins, he could very well make over 200 million coin off of the contract alone. Not even her mother could move that much coin in one go, and she was a Duchess with generations of nobility backing her. Their value came from all their assets, not raw gold. Granted, among those assets was the entire City of Joffrun. It was still safe to say that John had set himself and his future family up for generations of kingly luxury with this singular contract. Umara thought about the future, catching herself thinking about making a family, and everything that entailed. She cleared her throat before she could flush, looking at Olle again to find a humorous frown plastered on that wrinkly face of his. Gurns leaned back, ¡°Anyway, the point of me calling you three in here is to notify you of certain changes that¡¯ll be occurring. We have an airfield slated to be built within the next month that will house these planes and another type of aircraft called a helicopter. In response to these new vehicles, we¡¯ll be creating a special task force that will utilize them. You three will be in that task force. At some point, should he still be interested, John will also have the chance to join that force.¡± Umara perked up, ¡°If he¡¯s interested now, could he join?¡± ¡°My apologies, but I have no intention of taking on an Authority 6 summoner, no matter how good his lethality is. He¡¯s busy anyway, so now isn¡¯t a good time. However, if and when he reaches Authority 7, I¡¯ll consider it.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Umara nodded. It was reasonable, even if she wanted to see him here right this minute. Gurns brought out and set down a few small books. ¡°This is information pertaining to aircraft and how they will be used in a military setting, mostly drawn up my John Cooper. Educate yourselves. Be ready for a new kind of warfare. You all will be at the forefront of this transition, and in time, we¡¯ll see just how well this invention will be able to hold off the Scourge.¡± Chapter 210: Babys First Belt-Fed August 8th, 625 I got back to the Treehouse with Boris in tow and we had about a week to settle in. Polly and Jasmine caught me up on all the recent happenings, and through them I learned that the Scourge continued to pick up the pace in my absence. The front was under constant attack. That intestine was snaking its way further in and as it got closer, so too did its endless armies. The frontlines was being hammered and the Treehouse was frequently receiving reinforcements that they quickly sent to bolster the line. The Snow Doves had gone out there for a few missions and had returned a few days after I arrived. A few days after that, they went right back out, me in tow. I hadn¡¯t been out there yet but I heard it was a shitty place where nobody wanted to be. Now I¡¯d get to learn that for myself. As for Boris, for now the poor bastard was required to be next to me whenever he could be, so he was coming with. It was a good thing I spent some money to make sure I¡¯d be at least somewhat comfortable. Even Boris had to dust off the old armor. The boots on my feet were much more powerful than the ones Talexia gave me. I wasn¡¯t denigrating her gift but I had spent nearly 8 million coin on boots that could do everything short of fly. They could make me levitate above the ground and make me accelerate to speeds upwards of 80 miles an hour. Most importantly, I could maintain those speeds and utilize bursts of power indefinitely. It wouldn¡¯t run out of juice because the Crystals they used in it pushed Authority 10. I also got a special pair of pants, costing me almost 10 million coin, that provided far more armor than the other bulky armor-plated ones. They could connect to the boots, providing me stability, and used barrier magic to protect against attacks just short of Authority 10 in strength. They were also very comfortable, with self cleaning properties and temperature regulation. The boots were the same, especially when combined with my Warm Socks. Not long before I had left, Sawn had closed the deal with the Kingdom, signing an 800 million coin contract with the military. All of it was for aircraft related services, and that meant I was set to receive nearly 250 million coin. Not all at once, but over the course of a year as Sawn Industries fulfilled their quotas. Still, I got a 50 million coin deposit first thing. Even after buying those pieces of armor I was stashing away over 60 million coin with 20 million coin coming in every month for the next year just from the contract, not to mention the desperate orders from nobility throughout the Kingdom and from Families in the Holy See. It seemed Sawn had been talked to about that last point, but that wasn¡¯t my problem for now. All I cared about was the mountain of cash I was sitting on. Sawn was pricing the smallest planes at over a million coin a pop, and the bigger ones were being sold for eight figures, especially the ones for the military. That meant his profit margins were over 95%, all thanks to the efficiency my Mana Engine was able to squeeze out. The price of Crystals rose exponentially with power, and the fact that these could be run with two or four Authority 6 Crystals meant one plane cost even less than a Steed to make. Sawn had told me that he was more than happy to pay me as stipulated because of all this. I was projected to make him billions of coin. He could spare a few hundred million to pay his golden goose. Despite all that though, I still ended up in the back of a Steed barreling toward a warzone. That was good at bringing me back down to Earth. We arrived at FOB Steel as the sun started setting, just one FOB among many in the surrounding lands. Before we could even find our camping ground we were called into a war room by a Colonel. I marched in there with Nonnen and Boris. Nonnen enjoyed letting me take the lead on these kinds of things. I was his filter by which he ensured the quality of his missions and safety of his soldiers. That and he could be lazy. The Colonel dispensed with the formality when we arrived, going over a map of the area. I could hear some yelling coming from Aerials that other intelligence agents sat behind in the room as the Colonel pointed, ¡°We¡¯re getting hammered from a hill to the northwest. We just got a report of 4 Bombardos that started pounding a company we sent out to intercept a Scourge force. We didn¡¯t know about it beforehand and now they¡¯re in trouble. You will be their relief.¡± ¡°Why weren¡¯t those Bombardos seen beforehand? Where did they come from?¡± ¡°I have no idea. We¡¯ve had no room to scout beyond this set of hills because there seems to be Scourge on every inch of fucking land. Plus, teams are scared to venture further because the density of those fucking Scythers is increasing with every day that passes.¡± ¡°Right. Where¡¯s the thick of it?¡± ¡°Right here,¡± He pointed to a passage between two large mountains, ¡°They usually stream through here but those bombardos flanked around and caught our men off guard. Regardless, we need eyes on what¡¯s coming in from behind these mountains. Unfortunately I need to ask you Snow Doves to do that for me. After reinforcing 2nd Company, move along the west flank and report back what you see up to this ravine.¡± I frowned, checking out that portion of the map. It was almost entirely blank. They really needed recon, but had nobody who could survive the trip to bring back intel. Unfortunately indeed that it was exactly why we were brought out here. I looked back at Nonnen, who nodded. ¡°Time to get those fancy boots of yours dirty, Envoy.¡± ¡°Fuckin¡¯ straight. Don¡¯t worry Colonel, we¡¯ll get your boys home. You¡¯ll have your intel by morning.¡± ¡°I appreciate it. Stay safe out there, and take whatever you need from the supply drop.¡± ¡°Roger. Let¡¯s get rolling before everyone climbs into a tent.¡± Nonnen and I hurried out, rounding everyone up before they could settle. We quickly packed some supplies before deploying. We were on a clock, and I was rather excited to get out there. I had been busy, but I still managed to get my hands on some new toys while nobody was looking. ¡­¡­ ¡°There they are! Under heavy attack! Weapons free! Weapons free!¡± ¡°Knights, dismount! Pick your targets and drive them back!¡± The Steeds sped forward before skidding to a halt. Warlocks were already slinging spells and the knights jumped forward before the wheels could stop turning. My Steed jolted when Nonnen kicked off, stopping in line with the rest after a handful of seconds. Most warlocks got out, but some climbed to the turrets and started casting area spells from there. I, on the other hand, climbed to the roof of the vehicle and stood, Boris climbing with me, looking out at the entire field. It was almost midnight and 2nd Company, though having tried to retreat, was taking heavy losses. The Scourge force chasing them outnumbered the Company 5 to 1 and was attacking with gleeful abandon. The Chief leading 2nd Company was under attack by an Authority 9 Royal and an equivalently strong monster of the salamander variety. It spit fire that flashed in the darkness, making it painfully obvious. Still, the Chief did well to survive this long and protect the rest of his troops. I looked beyond to the rest of the Scourge force. Most of them were being held by a formation of knights while the rest fought scattered battles. I decided to jump off the Steed and flank that majority. Boris remained silent, simply watching me work. I didn¡¯t even activate my stealth, catching attention as I used my boots to glide over the ground and appear to the side of the line of knights and the monsters trying to break past them. Then I brought out my new toy. It appeared along with a backpack, and a wide smile grew behind my mask. ¡°Baby¡¯s first belt-fed. Let¡¯s light these motherfuckers up.¡± I swung around the barrel of my new M60, the belt of 7.62 cartridges feeding from a feed chute that connected to a large can of ammo on my back. I had found all the parts and mounted it on an ALICE frame in advance, letting multiple backpacks full of linked ammunition belts sit in my 6th Star. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get access to feed chutes but I certainly wasn¡¯t complaining. I saw most of the monsters in front of me turn in my direction, some scrambling over each other to try and reach an easy target. I taped down the trigger in greeting. The machine gun kicked into my shoulder repeatedly, but all the Vigor in my body meant that I was more than strong enough to handle this thing like it was an SMG. My aim was true, fully empowered rounds tearing through the monsters in front of me and burying themselves into the bodies behind them. Holes were torn open and some lost limbs as multiple rounds grouped together. They were cut down where they stood, a cacophony of explosions tearing through the atmosphere and the fire from my barrel lighting up the night like so many flashbangs. I could see the faces of those monsters flash in my eyes with every plume of fire that came behind every bullet. With every fifth bullet a tracer flew, allowing me to see the line of carnage I was drawing. I didn¡¯t even bother using the sights. 100 rounds flew by and I continued to fire. There were over 2000 rounds in my oversized backpack and the only thing that could make me stop was a melted barrel. The barrel started glowing slightly after I had already slaughtered over a hundred monsters, walking myself forward through the bodies as I sought out more enemies. Before long all the monsters that were pounding on the shields held by those weary knights were dead. I went through over 1200 rounds and now 200 monsters were dead or dying. I moved on to other enemies, walking over to clusters of them and mowing them down while attempting to avoid friendly fire. I managed to pick off another 50 or so after walking across the open battlefield. After that though, the fighting stopped. All the enemies were dead, the Snow Doves having killed over 300 others before I could even join them. I found Nonnen, walking toward him with a glowing barrel. He smiled at me, ¡°New weapon? It looks good.¡± ¡°It is good. This baby tears open 600 new assholes every minute. And with this belt, I can fire continuously for minutes at a time.¡± ¡°Yes, I could hear that. We need to go quiet now though. I¡¯m sending 2nd Company back with third squad. The rest of us will move forward.¡± ¡°Hm, now would¡¯ve been a good time to get a plane out here.¡± ¡°A what?¡± We climbed into a Steed as I explained, the driver already rolling us to our next objective. ¡°A plane. My newest invention at Sawn Industries. With the plane, I brought the power of flight to the world.¡± ¡°Flight? Only Sovereigns can fly. If you invented flight then you¡¯d be rich and famous.¡± ¡°I am.¡± We looked at each other silently, a smile slowly growing on my face. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. He narrowed his eyes, ¡°You¡¯re fucking with me again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, really. Sawn Industries just signed an 800 million coin contract with the military. As the inventor of the plane, I¡¯m both rich and famous. Just ask Boris here.¡± Nonnen gave Boris a quick look before turning back, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± ¡°Heh, I¡¯m being dead serious.¡± I activated my telepathy, [My new boots and pants combined cost close to 20 million coin.] ¡°Bullshit.¡± He blurted out loud, making me laugh. I waved and sat back into my seat, ¡°You¡¯ll see, you¡¯ll see. Once we get back I¡¯ll be talking with construction warlocks who will be building an airfield at the Treehouse. It¡¯ll be the first base to field these new craft and utilize them in open combat against the Scourge. It¡¯ll change the face of warfare forever, hopefully giving us enough of an advantage to hold off the army at our doorstep.¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re just that good at lying or you¡¯re being sincere.¡± ¡°Seriously? It¡¯s like I haven¡¯t earned any trust in the last year.¡± ¡°Like you said, I¡¯ll believe it when I see it.¡± ¡°Oh yee of little faith.¡± ¡­¡­ After multiple hours of driving we managed to make it in the deepest parts of the frontlines. It was equivalent to No Man¡¯s Land, a swath of land several miles in width dotted by craters and scorched biomat. It was the preferred line for fighting back the Scourge because the area lay at the bottom of a massive hill¡¯s slope. Not far from us was the chokepoint the Colonel had told us about that went through said hill, but we needed to flank around that because it was no doubt filled with Scourge. The Snow Doves were strong but it was suicide to throw ourselves into an army alone. The only issue was that the land we wanted to tread was covered in traps and vicious monsters that lay in wait. Previous companies like 2nd Company had tried to test these areas multiple times and never got far. But that meant we had no intel about the area, which wasn¡¯t good. As the Scourge started dishing out hits the Treehouse started falling back into its old ways, turtling up behind its walls and simply fending off the monsters coming at them. It was a good way to delay the inevitable, but the Generals in charge saw nothing wrong with it. General Viskar had some of my respect but he was an old dog with habits that had been ingrained over decades. He wouldn¡¯t stick his neck out to do something he didn¡¯t know would work or bring value. Unless it was just that easy, of course. That was why I wanted to field these aircraft as soon as possible. With them in the sky, we would have real-time, constant, uninhibited intel on every enemy movement from here to the Eastern Crossing. Nothing would escape our eyes and it would come at zero cost. Besides the 800 million coin the Kingdom was giving me, of course. This recon mission could very well be one of the last conventional recon missions the Snow Doves and I ever conducted. Especially when Sawn fielded the Reconnaissance Aircraft I designed. With far more powerful Crystals it was capable of altitudes in excess of 40 thousand feet and had an indefinite fuel time with 4 Engines that could be run in 2 pairs, allowing one pair to recharge while the other ran. The only limit was what the pilots could handle. After that the only downside was attempting to make it so that the Aerials could communicate as far as the planes could fly. That was another can of worms though and I wasn¡¯t bothering with it at the moment. ¡°Enemies left! Left tire damaged!¡± ¡°Sweep them! Cooper, go loud!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± I punched down a side hatch, allowing me to stick my M60 through and unload as monsters attacked our flank. A few warlocks did the same nearby. Even Boris was participating. He was preferring to be quiet but this was his life on the line as well. I felt a bit bad, but he was proving to be a damn good warlock. A large row of dense spikes appeared between us and the advancing enemy, slowing them to a crawl. It allowed me to light them up with impunity, tracers flying as fireballs from warlocks lit up the night. I ducked right before a spit ball of acid slammed into my window. Some got on my coat but it was brushed off easily, the self cleaning mechanism repelling it and letting it fall to the metal floor. I went back to firing. ¡°More monsters coming over the ridge!¡± ¡°Front left secondary tire out!¡± ¡°Keep us moving!¡± ¡°Shit!¡± I turned right when a warlock cursed next to me. There was a scorpion like monster trying to crawl through his window, a talon piercing forward, and tearing his arm off at the bicep in one clean swipe. Those were the Scythers, and they were showing up left and right. The Colonel wasn¡¯t kidding about their density increasing. They were taking out our tires too. Suddenly things weren¡¯t looking too good. A pistol appeared in my hand, the barrel pressing against the scorpion and a bullet tearing through its weak body. It flew off the window with a few shots and I returned to firing. ¡°Tie his arm off! Nonnen, we¡¯re attracting attention!¡± I could feel it in my Aura. I hadn¡¯t wanted to go loud but there were thousands of monsters in the area and we were making a disturbance. With this M60 I suddenly became the best at crowd control, especially with Boris¡¯ help. He was good at funneling enemies not just for me but for other warlock area spells. He was controlling the enemy advance, which was doing wonders for our killing speed. But all that meant more monsters were coming, and soon, we¡¯d be getting the Royals. They wouldn¡¯t come without enough firepower to take on Nonnen either. He yelled back, ¡°I know that! Snow Doves, halt tracks and hunker down! Knights, deploy!¡± The Steed braked to a halt, other Steeds clustering together a bit before the knights jumped off and formed defensive lines. Nonnen grabbed me, stopping my firing for a second. ¡°I¡¯m covering the rest of the distance! I¡¯ll get a look!¡± ¡°That¡¯ll do! We¡¯ll hold the line!¡± ¡°For honor!¡± He smacked my shoulder before jumping through a turret hatch and launching himself off into the distance. I followed through the hatch, standing on top of the Steed and hoisting my machine gun, getting a full view of everything around me. My barrel was glowing red but it was holding for now. I had noticed nothing that affected my fire rate or accuracy despite the heat building. I hadn¡¯t even had a jam yet, once again confirming that these spirits operated differently from normal guns. The other Chiefs appeared on top of the other Steeds. From another Turret hatch, our other Brigadier, Amira, emerged with two short swords. I had found out over time that she wasn¡¯t as powerful as Nonnen who was pushing Authority 11, but she was more than enough to secure us against Brigadier level threats. Unfortunately, those threats just arrived. I could see a few Royals emerge over a hilltop, running toward us. I looked to the others, ¡°This is where we make our stand! Hold them off until Nonnen gets back! I got the numbers! Protect us!¡± ¡°Hooh!¡± One of the Chiefs grunted before shooting off the Steed. Another two, warlocks, cast spells in response that lifted them slightly into the air so they could glide across the ground and intercept those incoming Royals. Amira was quiet. She never spoke much, and we had talked exactly 6 times. She preferred to just follow orders and do her thing. I pointed to the distance, ¡°Help our Chiefs! I got the rest!¡± ¡°Roger.¡± The little lady shot off, ready to make quick work of those Royals. I turned back to the horde and opened fire again, the barrel continuing to glow as it breathed fire with every round I threw out. Then, I suddenly saw the barrel throw slag, melting. ¡°Reloading!¡± I called out, spells picking up in response as I knelt down. I threw off the red hot barrel, my gloves protecting me from heat long enough to put it back into my 6th Star. Then I plucked out another heavy barrel and slotted it on, locking it down. Then I hoisted everything and started firing again. Dozens of rounds went out in seconds, the built up hordes being cut right back down to manageable levels, my bullets sailing over the heads of my knights in an attempt to ease their plight. My accuracy remained true, another 800 rounds going by before the gun suddenly clicked empty. ¡°Reloading!¡± I called out again and threw off my backpack and feed chute, letting it disappear before calling on another one. I threw the heavy backpack on and yanked the feed chute over my shoulder, feeding the bullets in before shoving the feed chute into place. Then I ripped the charging handle back, adjusting everything to be comfortable, locked the handle forward, and took aim. More lead was sent over the knights. I occasionally spun around and hit our flank, making sure no large groups could overwhelm the few knights we had guarding those fronts. We held strong for several minutes, but the army coming toward us seemed endless. More Scythers came crawling from under the biomat. There were so many Auras clashing and mixing in the area that I couldn¡¯t pick many out, and three of our soldiers lost arms or legs. Thankfully they were able to react somewhat and dodge a lethal attack, but it still took them out of the fight. ¡°They¡¯re zerging us! Warlocks, focus on area spells! Boris, get more walls up! Knights, converge on the funnels! We need crowd control!¡± Boris followed my commands, five massive walls surging from the ground and dividing the incoming armies. They tried to destroy them but Boris reinforced them long enough for the enemy to stop caring and continue attacking the humans before them. Without the command of a Royal, they didn¡¯t care about inert objects unless it was attacking them. The knights focused on the four paths that focused the enemies, shields raising and spears leveling flat. Another Earth Warlock created some moats and another water warlock filled it with fluid, the monsters scrambling over these barriers and slowing enough for the knights to comfortably kill them layer by layer. That allowed us to last another several minutes, but those monsters still surged in by the thousand and they were using their warm corpses to pile over anything we threw at them. Thankfully I soon felt Nonnen¡¯s Aura getting closer. I looked over at a hill, and I saw his small figure run over it. Followed by tens of thousands of monsters sitting at Authority 5, 6, and 7. My eyes bulged, ¡°Get the Steeds hot, drivers! Prepare for retreat! We got incoming!¡± Many people turned and looked at where I was. We could actually feel the seismic advance of that army as tens of thousands beget over a hundred thousand monsters chasing Nonnen. I narrowed my eyes and looked at the little man a few miles away. He was waving at us, not in a welcoming way, but in a ¡®get the fuck out of here¡¯ way. Some of the warlocks were climbing back into the Steeds but we had to hurry. ¡°Knights, pull back! Everyone board something right fucking now! Amira, get back here!¡± ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± She landed next to me, so I pointed, ¡°Get them off us and let our knights fall back, just for a bit!¡± ¡°How long?¡± ¡°You all have 10 seconds!¡± I yelled, Amira taking that as my signal and jumping down. I could see her Vigor coat her shortswords, coalescing with such density that I could see it drip like a liquid. The hair on the back of my neck raised. The superior stage for a Knight after Emission, the Coalescence stage. It was similar to enlightenment for warlocks and required Vigor to not only leave the body with Emission, but manifest so heavily that it took on physical properties. The properties it took on differed between knights but without exception, being able to do it at all meant that you had achieved a level unbeknownst to most. I knew Nonnen could do it but his didn¡¯t manifest as obviously as Amira¡¯s. I had briefly seen it once. After a second of charging Amira swiped out with both her blades soundlessly. Her Vigor swept through the entire battlefield, going from sharp to soft, turning into a wave of water that crashed over the soldiers and slammed into our enemies. And then, every monster within 100 meters was disintegrated. The knights were dazed for a moment but my screams snapped them out of it. ¡°Get on the Steeds! Drivers, turn and burn!¡± The drivers slammed their gas pedals and the Steeds started moving. I dipped back down inside just in time to grab an ¡®oh shit¡¯ handle. The rest of the knights jumped into open back hatches while we moved. Once the last ones were in they closed the hatches and the drivers were free to speed off. ¡°Sir, Nonnen is still back there!¡± ¡°He can catch up! Keep going, full speed! We¡¯re leaving this hellhole!¡± I kept the driver from slowing down, and sure enough, given a minute or so Nonnen was able to cross the distance and catch up to us, landing on my Steed and denting the roof. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s gonna take half a day of repairs!¡± ¡°Eat a dick, rich boy! Before I make you buy me another Command Steed!¡± Nonnen climbed in, settling into the passenger seat before we both looked back. There were some Royals coming. ¡°Fuck! Fast motherfuckers!¡± ¡°No shit! Open the back hatches! Warlocks, get ready to fire!¡± The tired warlocks prepared their Foci as the knights kicked the back hatches right back down. I stepped up and stood in the middle of the opening, hoisting the M60 still in my hands. My eyes narrowed when I saw one of the oncoming enemies. It was a mutated son of a bitch, which meant a Corrupted. This one had a massive muscled arm and a grotesque potbelly that oozed something from several wounds atop it. I had no idea who it could possibly be but it was sitting at Authority 9 and gaining ground fast alongside a few other particularly fast monsters. One of the Chiefs stepped up, ¡°I can intercept-¡± ¡°No, stay put. Warlocks, focus fire on the Corrupted when it gets close!¡± I said that before squeezing the trigger, fully empowered rounds draining my Psyka pool even further. I killed off the faster monsters, ignoring the Corrupted entirely. The Corrupted was alone, and once it got close enough, one of the warlocks called. ¡°Fire!¡± Several spells were launched at the corrupted, all of them hitting the same point and compounding on top of each other¡¯s explosive powers. A huge fireball ignited, and the corrupted went flying backwards. With that, we were safe. The Corrupted probably wasn¡¯t hurt all that much but it wasn¡¯t going to catch up now. I went back to my seat as the knight closed the back hatch, sighing when my ass hit the chair. I was going to have a headache tonight, that much was certain. I hadn¡¯t gotten good sleep the night before either, and that was nearly 24 hours ago. I looked over at Boris who seemed halfway to the moon, smiling, ¡°Helluva first week back, huh?¡± He shook his head, ¡°I should¡¯ve stayed with the managers. My ambition will be the death of me.¡± ¡°Yeah but now you¡¯re getting paid the big bucks!¡± ¡°After this? A salary hit isn¡¯t looking too bad.¡± ¡°Hah! Go ahead and give it to Nonnen then. Big guy will be begging for a new ride with another wheel blown out.¡± ¡°Says the guy who can¡¯t get me one even with direct access to the General! It¡¯s been months, you punk!¡± I laughed at the tired knight, Boris shaking his head a few more times in exhaustion. Chapter 211: Flying! August 26th, 625 After a couple more weeks bouncing between forward bases I was sent back to the Treehouse so I could oversee the final touches of the airfield. Since I was stationed here Sawn made sure that it would be the place responsible for combat trials. The airfield had been getting integrated into the base at large, a wall needing to be built around it, so it had taken a while for everything to get prepared enough for the arrival of some aircraft. I led the last bits of construction, making sure the runway was flat and long enough and that the hangars were sufficiently large. There was also a massive field where vehicles could be parked, a new road being paved that went straight from there to the main garage. And after a couple more days of that, the time finally came. A few hundred people stood not far from the runway. Most soldiers had no idea about my new planes and those that did wanted to see these legendary things in person. I stood with the Snow Doves, Jasmine, Boris, Polly, and Pollux. The Generals and other Colonels were nearby as well as many other Chiefs and soldiers who wanted to know what was going on. I checked the time. 10 minutes. Nonnen muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did you think this thing was going to teleport here?¡± ¡°You said it was fast.¡± ¡°And yet it¡¯s still slower than you in the sack. Give it a minute, bozo.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Jasmine started cackling, Polly and Pollux shaking their heads. Polly sighed, ¡°Children, the both of you.¡± ¡°Nonnen started it.¡± I pointed. ¡°I was just asking a question.¡± ¡°I WaS JuSt aSkInG A QuEsTiOn.¡± ¡°Ooo, you gonna let John mock you like that Nonnen?¡± Jasmine goaded. ¡°I¡¯m not a man that can be angered by mere words.¡± ¡°You the village elder now?¡± ¡°Call me old all you want, I¡¯ll still fold you in those clothes, boy. With or without Vigor.¡± ¡°I¡¯d still be taller.¡± ¡°Pipe down!¡± Polly shouted, exasperated, ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be dealing with infants as a Brigadier General!¡± ¡°I know, talk about immature,¡± Jasmine turned away, looking down at her nails. All three of us spun to her, making her flinch. Before she could run away I jumped over and headlocked her. ¡°You little pipsqueak.¡± ¡°Ahh! Let me go!¡± ¡°You trying to start something, you little instigator?¡± ¡°I order you to let me go! This is insubordination! Polly!¡± ¡°John!¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± I let go, the girl running to Polly¡¯s side and sticking her tongue out at me when she was safe. I rolled my eyes. Talk about a toddler. That¡¯s when Pollux pointed up at the sky. ¡°Look.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s here.¡± I looked over, finally seeing the first plane model that would come in. It was the military transport plane, labeled the Cargo 400 or C-400, the largest model we¡¯ve designed so far. It was capable of carrying either four Steeds in a 2x2 configuration as well as 100 troops, or a special seating device could be installed in place of the cargo and allow it to carry 300 troops. For the wow factor, Sawn decided to send this one with four Steeds and the hundred troops. The massive plane had four huge propellers and ran on Authority 7 Crystals, capable of carrying its cargo across a range of about 3000 miles. 3000 miles was the sweet spot we aimed for with most planes as it was not only a big number but it could go from the front lines to the Capital in one go. As for the precise size of the C-400, I had modeled it after the C-5 Galaxy. It was only a bit wider and a bit shorter. Still, it looked absolutely massive while it came in. The landing gear deployed, the plane slowly lowering down, the noise from the massive propellers reaching a climax as it got closer. I was a bit nervous, but the pilot did just fine, bleeding his speed before the end of the runway. After that it turned into another airstrip and started coming toward us. I looked at the people next to me, smiling. I smacked Nonnen¡¯s chest. ¡°See that shit?! I built that shit! That¡¯s my invention!¡± ¡°...No shit.¡± He didn¡¯t even have a retort, simply staring at the massive hunk of metal as it came rolling over. By now, nearly two thousand troops had come over to see what had flown in. Knowing this would happen, there were some people who kept control of the crowd nearby. I waved, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go see our new arrivals.¡± We walked over as the plane came to a full stop, the huge back hatch slowly lowering. Inside, we saw the four Steeds strapped down as well as the troops who sat on seats lining the walls. After the troops filed out in awe, a few drivers fired up the Steeds and drove them out one at a time. I looked up again, finding another plane. ¡°Hey, look.¡± I caught the attention of the others, all of them turning to the next arrival. It was the recon plane, a plane almost as long as the C-400, but much skinnier and lighter. It had four propeller engines and could hold speeds of over 400 mph at altitudes of 40 thousand feet. It was the highest performance aircraft and could remain in the air indefinitely, only limited by the pilot¡¯s needs. Because of that it had things like a bed, a shitter, shower, and a small lounge area, hence the length. Throw someone in there with food inside a storage space and they could live up there for as long as the food lasted. Even the sewage could be dumped, and water could be generated with magic. Magic was stupid. The recon craft looked a bit more odd compared to the C-400, especially since it was painted a sky blue, but anything was impressive to the people seeing it for the first time. After it came in and landed, several more planes arrived. 5 bombers and 5 fighters. After that, the choppers flew in, among them a few chinook variants, a few combat variants, even some small recon variants. I couldn¡¯t help the constant, massive grin on my face as I watched them all arrive. This place was starting to feel properly modern. We were finally getting some real weapons out here. These would be the things that changed the tide of this war. Until the Scourge came up with countermeasures, we would have total air superiority and perfect intelligence as a result. The fog of war was a thing of the past. And I was getting paid. Defense contracting was the best. I saw one of the helicopters land nearby, smiling at the others. ¡°Who wants to go for a ride?¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ The next day came. ¡°The longer we wait, the longer we put off victory.¡± ¡°I get that, but I just want you two to be careful. I trust your intelligence but¡­¡± Polly glanced to the side, looking at the recon craft, dubbed the XR-11. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I just smiled, ¡°I get it, it''s new and you can¡¯t trust it quite yet. But it¡¯s got multiple redundancies and I¡¯m not going under 30 thousand feet. Even if it fails we can bail and survive a crash.¡± ¡°And then you¡¯ll be behind enemy lines all alone.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll make it work. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± I looked nudged Jasmine with my elbow, making her roll her eyes. Polly shook her head, ¡°Alright, just don¡¯t go too far.¡± ¡°I told you the plan. We fly for 12 hours and then head across the Pass. I¡¯ll keep an eye on everything and be cautious but we need to know what¡¯s happening as soon as possible. If I need to go by myself then I will.¡± ¡°Shut up. I¡¯m going.¡± Jasmine snapped. Polly gave in, ¡°Fine. Go. Check in whenever you¡¯re in range.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Jasmine and I snapped off two salutes, Polly returning it before we left. We used a ladder to climb into the side door of the XR-11. Once inside we closed up, locked down, and went to the front. We passed through a room of dense instruments before arriving at the pilot seats. Jasmine took the co-pilot seat and once I was seated in the pilot seat, we clicked everything on, the Node and Aerial powering and giving us a connection. ¡°Dreamboat to Tower, come in.¡± ¡°Tower copies, Dreamboat.¡± ¡°We are readying for takeoff.¡± ¡°Roger, clearing personnel.¡± I spun up the engines while several people went running off the runway. I rolled the plane over, everything powered on and ready to go. I lined up and clicked the Aerial. ¡°Ready for takeoff.¡± ¡°Roger. You are cleared. Go for takeoff.¡± I smiled and made sure Jasmine was strapped in. She was, thoroughly, even grabbing the nearby handle for comfort. Her knuckles were white and I could almost hear her erratic heartbeat. As for Boris, he was staying behind to return to the Capital. I didn¡¯t need him on this mission and I wasn¡¯t interested in dragging him around everywhere. I grabbed the throttle and gradually moved it forward, all four propellers spinning up and forcing us back into our seats. This was my first time flying this thing and I slightly misjudged the difference between this and a single prop plane. No matter. It just meant that we got into the air faster. The plane tilted up and we started ascending. I sent the throttle to 80% max and we climbed faster and faster. After several minutes we were at 20 thousand feet. I called in. ¡°Tower, we are at 20 thousand and holding steady. Going dark soon.¡± ¡°Copy Dreamboat. Tower out.¡± I turned off the Aerial, powering a few other things down. This craft was equipped with the best stealth systems Sawn Industries could devise, such as passive magic shielding that prevented any leakage from alerting sensitive Auras. Once all that was done, I started climbing the craft up to 40 thousand feet. Once there, I locked the throttle in place, turned off two of the engines, and activated the auto-pilot systems. The auto-pilot was incredibly simple, but it did the job. Sawn and his army of summoners managed to devise a rudimentary altimeter, and with that we could program systems to operate control surfaces and keep the aircraft at certain levels when unmanned. It was enough to keep the thing from crashing itself, and there were plenty of alarms for when anything went wrong. Still, standard procedure would be to have at least one person awake at all times. We started flying away from the base, and we could already see the red biomat across the landscape. Jasmine had her face glued to the window. ¡°Amazing¡­¡± ¡°Right? Not a sight many people get to see.¡± ¡°You invented this? How?¡± ¡°Designing the plane was easy. The hard part was making the engine that turns those propellers as efficiently as mine do.¡± ¡°...You know, I thought you were lying when you told us about all of this. Even when they were making the airfield I was finding it hard to believe. But you¡¯re some kind of genius, huh?¡± She turned to me with a cheeky smile, making me chuckle. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been saying that forever.¡± ¡°Yeah, but like, what the fuck is this?¡± She motioned to everything around her, ¡°We¡¯re flying! Do you realize that? We¡¯re 40 thousand feet up in the sky! Look at the clouds! Look at the hills, the landscape! We¡¯re flying! Flying!¡± ¡°Hehe, yeah we are.¡± ¡°Why does it not sound like you understand what this means? There¡¯s zero awe in your voice.¡± ¡°Jasmine, I started flying the first plane we made nearly 2 months ago. None of this is exactly new for me. Besides, it could be much more grand. This plane is weak compared to what I have in mind.¡± She turned in her seat, facing her body toward me, ¡°Enlighten me.¡± I glanced at her and pulled a lever, turning my entire seat around to face her. I set my ankle atop my thigh, ¡°Do you know what¡¯s beyond the world?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Like Heaven?¡± ¡°No, I mean, if you keep going up, higher and higher, even higher than we are now. Like, 5 times higher. What do you think is up there?¡± Jasmine glanced at the window. We could see the horizon, many miles away. Since it was about to be sunrise, we could see the slightest bit of light peeking over, about to dawn. She looked up, seeing a dark sky, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. People have asked that question for millennia.¡± ¡°Well, what if I told you I could get you there. Given enough time, money, and development, I could take you to the bounds of the world and then beyond it.¡± She looked at me with raised brows, ¡°Are you saying that¡¯s your goal?¡± ¡°No.¡± I shook my head, ¡°My goal right now is to eradicate the Scourge. I developed these planes and helicopters for that. However, it¡¯s a possibility that I¡¯ve studied. If I were really pushing things to the limits, we¡¯d be so high up that you could see the curvature of the world itself.¡± I brought up my hands, drawing shapes with my Psyka and Aura, ¡°The world is a giant ball, Jasmine. Get high enough, you¡¯ll start seeing the curve of that ball. And then you ask yourself, what¡¯s beyond that ball? And you¡¯ll find something called space. That is the ultimate frontier.¡± Jasmine was silent as we just sat there. I was occasionally looking down to make sure we got over the right areas for collecting intel. We¡¯d be there soon. Eventually, she shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess when you think like that, none of this is impressive. But I¡¯ve never flown like this before, so I¡¯ll enjoy my awe.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s perfectly fine. Enjoy it. Just make sure to come back down to earth when it¡¯s time to collect intel.¡± ¡°Funny.¡± She snickered before turning back to the surrounding glass. By now, the majority of what we could see was nothing but red biomat. I stood and went back a room, flicking on a bunch of the observation instruments. It was mostly optical systems but there were some magical detectors there, nothing super powerful since the tech wasn¡¯t there yet. The ¡®cameras¡¯ would be the most important. They were the most powerful that Sawn could field and we¡¯d be snapping hundreds of pictures of the things we saw on the ground. It was capable of zooming in great distances too, just enough to snap the pictures and take video from the altitude we were at. Soon, we started passing over the forward bases. That¡¯s when both of us started operating a camera each, finding interesting things like Scourge camps, movements, concentrations, and more. We took the pictures and used consoles to log the data onto Orbs. We even had a map that we plotted all the information onto, creating a massive cohesive pool of data. We¡¯d be handing it back before diving deep. For now, I just wanted to make sure everything ran correctly. If there were any problems, we¡¯d head back and abandon the mission until the plane could either get fixed or brought up to spec. We had around 12 hours until then. Every few hours we were to return to the airspace above the Treehouse and relay the data we collected. This plane had its own Node as well as a long range relay system that could utilize powerful bursts of mana in order to transmit signals. Right now Sawn was working on creating a directional signal caster but until we got that out, transmission range would be limited. It was good enough for now though. Jasmine and I simply buckled in and tried to enjoy ourselves. There would be a lot of downtime and boredom. ¡­¡­ Jasmine tracked the map and glanced out of the window. After night fell everything naturally got dark. From up above though, it looked much darker. Thankfully the moon was out, giving them a slight bit of light. There were also night vision systems enhancing the images coming into the cameras, enabling them to view and snap pictures with good clarity despite it being so dark and them being so high up. She took a look through the camera. John was asleep, and she was awake because she had slept not long after they took flight. The bedroom could black itself out so it was perfectly dark and perfectly comfortable. Oddly enough, she had gotten the best sleep she¡¯d had in years. Probably because, as John put it, they were the safest people in the world this high up in the sky. She agreed with that, though the occasional turbulence didn¡¯t help with her lingering anxiety over the insanity of the situation. She still couldn¡¯t believe it sometimes, but every time she got a good look at the Scourge below, she laughed a bit. This was really happening. She had never seen the Scourge like this before. She could see their movements, like that of a herd. The perspective this plane afforded her allowed her to think of things differently. It was a different scale. She also realized how off the maps were, but those were problems for another time. She tracked the massive intestine down below. They were following it. John wanted to see the Epicenter, the thing that Chief Reginold, Vipul, and Prassanna had died to alert them about. There were images of it but he wanted to see it personally. Jasmine agreed, but she still felt nervous. Even up so high, she couldn¡¯t get over how vulnerable she felt as a summoner. But she wouldn¡¯t back down. She knew she wasn¡¯t like John but when this opportunity presented itself, she knew she had to take it. It wasn¡¯t just for the experience. Up here, collecting intel, she felt like she was doing something that could actually impact the war. There was little that she did at the Treehouse that felt significant. She knew that she helped, but it was only as a smaller cog in a much larger machine. A cog protected by tens of thousands of troops that laid down their lives so that she could use her brain in an attempt to outsmart the enemy. Unfortunately, oftentimes her thinking did nothing more than allow another person to think about things just a little more clearly. They didn¡¯t need what she provided, and thus she felt useless, hiding behind all those who died daily. Yet she wasn¡¯t jealous of John and his power, nor his ability to survive lethal situations, experiences carved into his flesh and immortalized in his scars. She couldn¡¯t imagine actually having to fight. It was too terrifying to think about, being face to face with a monster and having to cleave it to death with a blade, and getting hurt in the process. And yet, despite knowing those thoughts were cowardly, she still couldn¡¯t muster the courage to think any other way. She hated that. Now though, she finally felt like she was mustering a bit of bravery and doing something substantial. What she saw and documented here would change the war. No, what she was doing here would change the way the Kingdom conducted warfare forever. This recon mission she and John were running would serve as a case study for years to come. Her name would be passed through history. It wouldn¡¯t be as immortalized as John¡¯s but she was still doing something revolutionary. She was among the first to do something. Perhaps that was also a reason why she was so quick to jump into this mission. John had offered it to her, not expecting her to agree so readily, but she had. She didn¡¯t even hesitate. A quick thought and she jumped in. Maybe she was selfish for that. No matter what though, she would bring out the most value from this chance that she could. She may not be brave but she hated her cowardice enough to take this chance to do something meaningful. She did another scan around the intestine. There were extremely few monsters around it. Most of them were walking through it, but she noted occasional openings in the sides where some Scouts came and went. She felt weird, watching monsters that had no chance of seeing her. They didn¡¯t know to even look for a plane. Not yet at least. John had no doubt that they would soon start keeping watch for recon planes but for now, they had the absolute advantage of secrecy and stealth. Even if they didn¡¯t though, she wondered, what could possibly hit them from so high up? Chapter 212: Missed You August 28th, 625 ¡°We¡¯re nearing the Epicenter.¡± My eyes snapped open when I heard Jasmine. I felt how much rest I got, guessing 7 hours 25 minutes. I looked at the clock, seeing I had gotten 7 hours 21 minutes. ¡°Fuck my internal clock is good.¡± I climbed out of the bed in the back of the XR-11. There were two beds next to each other divided by a thin wall. A bit cramped but it provided enough comfort. Certainly better than tiny bunks. I stopped by the shitter before climbing into the pilot seat. I was quick to see the epicenter in the distance, the sight of it waking me up. It was daytime so it was easy to see. We had been up in the sky for over a full day now and we had made several sweeps across other areas like the Pass before finally coming here. We had mountains of data, but this was the jackpot. I glanced at Jasmine, ¡°Go ahead and snap pictures.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She jumped out of her seat and went to the console behind me, activating all the collection systems and operating the camera. The Epicenter was a city of flesh, much larger now compared to the pictures Chief Reginold brought back. There were now 6 other intestines coming off of it as well, four going behind it, one going to the western coast, and the other going east to where other human strongholds were. I raised my voice a bit, ¡°How would you feel about checking out where all those intestines go?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± Jasmine raised her head, ¡°I¡¯m more than comfortable for another week. We¡¯ve got months of food anyway.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a plan then. How are things looking down there?¡± ¡°As good as you can expect. Based on what I can see there has to be several hundred thousand monsters, probably a million factoring those hidden inside the structures. And even with this weak magic sensor, the reading is giving us Sovereign-class densities.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not liking it.¡± I looked back down. My Aura was tingling, giving me a bad feeling. Something strong was down there, something comparable to a Sovereign. I had met two more during the showcasing and got a good read on what that level felt like outside of Anarchy. But I couldn¡¯t feel a King down there. Was there another Sovereign-level Royal besides the Kings? I continued to stare at the Epicenter, Jasmine collecting all the data she could. We were above it for several minutes, my anxiety gradually increasing. ¡°Jasmine, strap in.¡± She was silent for a couple seconds before she scrambled over to the seat next to me, strapping in as quickly as she could before tightening everything down. After that there was silence, until I saw a flash come from within the Epicenter. I jerked the control stick to the side, the entire plane turning on its axis and diving away from its original position, quickly dropping a thousand feet. A second later I saw a bright flash of fire streak past us and explode above us. No damage done, but the fact that something could attack us from so high up, and so accurately, worried me. I looked down again for a second, and that¡¯s when I saw the Sovereign-Class Royal. Not a King, but something just a step below. I could feel it lock onto us. It may not be able to see us but something that powerful sensing a couple people from 40 thousand feet away wasn¡¯t that difficult. The King of Anarchy was able to sweep an entire base with its Aura from many more miles away. ¡°We¡¯re bailing.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°A Sovereign-Class.¡± ¡°You think that¡¯s what the Sovereign at the Treehouse came for?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± I saw another flash and spun out again, a bigger explosion streaking past us and detonating a few hundred meters away, shaking the plane. Flames washed over us but the damage was cosmetic. I turned on the two idle engines and punched all four, heading west and away from the Epicenter. Thankfully we were just that small in the sky. So long as the Sovereign didn¡¯t go all out, we were safe. I had no doubt it could blow us out of the sky otherwise. Soon we were out of range, the Sovereign not following. I let out a sigh and turned the other two engines back off, letting them continue charging. There was a bit of room to run both but if we weren¡¯t careful with fuel management we¡¯d have to land at some point, and we were too far behind enemy lines to take that risk. Jasmine relaxed a bit, ¡°Fucking shit¡­ Well, I can officially say I¡¯ve survived a Sovereign-Class attack.¡± ¡°Welcome to the club.¡± I put up my fist, Jasmine bumping it before unbuckling and heading to the back. ¡°I¡¯m gonna sleep.¡± ¡­¡­ For the next few days Jasmine and I made our rounds across the map. We checked out the west, heading to the coast where we found the end of an intestine. It was drinking up water from the ocean, for what I had no idea. It was also infecting the ocean with something similar to algae, creating a massive delta of red and brown that spread for approximately 120 miles beyond the coast. It was no less ecologically devastating than an oil spill from the looks of it, but any aquatic life that might indicate such had either evacuated or been consumed. From there we headed to the north, following the coast before turning inward and reaching the depths of Scourge territory. More Epicenters, but more importantly, countless nests and conglomerations of Scourge. We saw hundreds of millions of monsters across thousands of miles. Most of them weren¡¯t of the combat variety though. They were labor monsters, responsible for whatever the Scourge needed to get done. They collected rare resources like metals, which meant mining operations. They also farmed to some extent, though I didn¡¯t recognize any of the plants they farmed, if they could be considered plants. Trees like the Gut Roots were found in forest-level concentrations, being harvested like orchards. Any rivers that existed were thoroughly corrupted, most of them a dark red and brown. There wasn¡¯t an inch of untouched land within their territory, and absolutely no normal flora or fauna. It was nothing but huge expanses of red. The only places that lacked extensive biomat coverage were the icy peaks of mountains where nothing grew anyway. The climate got warmer and more tropical as we went east. The weather seemed to remain unchanged in general, so that was one less concern of mine. However, we managed to find some disturbing establishments in the absolute deepest portions of the northern territories. A City of Royals. They had an actual intelligible city. It was absolutely massive, even bigger than the Capital, with castles and houses and humanoids everywhere. Royals were humanoid monsters that possessed intelligence, and they were supposed to descend from certain bloodlines within the Scourge. These bloodlines specifically were what granted them intelligence. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. It was the King Blood Royals that descended from the Kings, and they were naturally far rarer than normal Royals. They were supposed to be rare in general, but this city was full of them. There had to be over a hundred thousand Royals. A training ground, perhaps a society. I wouldn¡¯t grant these things humanity but they still seemed to form something similar to civilization, not that they were civilized. Jasmine and I did brief sweeps over the place for 2 days since we picked up two Sovereign-Class threats. During that time we gave that place the name City of Sin. We saw gladiator arenas where Royals frequently fought to the death, killing each other and then consuming the Crystal within their opponent. That seemed to be how they got stronger, so as long as they were breeding more Royals and constantly killing and eating each other, they¡¯d produce powerful soldiers. Oh how I wished I could drop a couple bombs on them. Unfortunately Sawn was still figuring out the kinds of spells to arm the Elemental Crystals with so I didn''t have any yet. Unfortunately we couldn¡¯t get close to observe more. We wouldn¡¯t take chances with more Sovereigns so we stayed multiple miles away and at the highest altitude the XR-11 could reach. I was pretty sure we were spotted anyway but we weren¡¯t attacked thanks to my sense of danger. I simply bailed whenever I got nervous, which Jasmine greatly appreciated. The City of Sin had more gargantuan intestines coming out of it, some going south, some going to the east or west. It seemed this was the most northward establishment since none were going even further north. After those two days of observation we finally left, heading back south. Since we were already all the way out here, Jasmine and I decided to head to the base directly south of us before heading west to go back to the Treehouse, picking up more intel for one of the bases out there. Specifically, Stronghold Beta, where all my friends were. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Looks pretty calm right now.¡± Jasmine muttered while snapping some pictures of the front line we were crossing over. We had gathered enough intel for Stronghold Beta to process for days. I nodded, glancing down through some of the glass. ¡°Yeah, well, these guys have special operations to help out. I know they aren¡¯t entirely localized here but it¡¯s not like we have some, so they¡¯re going to do better than us.¡± ¡°True, though it¡¯s not like they have multiple armies worth like we do either.¡± I shrugged, continuing to guide the plane over to our destination. I was excited. Stronghold Beta was one of the places an airfield was being built, so if it was finished, I¡¯d be able to land. ¡°There¡¯s a plane.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± I perked up, looking to where Jasmine was pointing and finding a fighter model plane. It was smaller, but it held two people who controlled 2 turrets each. It was meant for strafing runs and close air support. It was currently flying back to base. I smiled a bit as we continued to pull ahead. It looked like they were teaching pilots well. More than that though, I was simply excited to see them working in the field. Soon enough, Stronghold Beta came into view. The landscape around the Stronghold was full of rocky formations and thicker forests. Surprisingly, most of the forests still existed, not yet wiped out by the biomat. Even near the frontlines there were still trees and animals that some soldiers fought among. It made me curious why they were able to maintain their ecosystem and not the Treehouse. The question got slotted into the back of my head as we made our approach. A quick view told me that Stronghold Beta did in fact have an operating airfield, obviously since there was a plane in the field. So with that, I powered on the comm systems and tuned to the proper channel. ¡°Tower Beta, this is callsign Dreamboat, checking in for authorization and landing, over.¡± ¡°...Tower copies, Dreamboat. We don¡¯t have you or your plane in our flight list. Are you coming from another airfield?¡± ¡°That is correct, Tower. We are from the Treehouse, currently carrying out long-duration reconnaissance. Plane authorization code is XR-11-00001-8008135.¡± There was a short delay before the Tower chimed back in, ¡°You¡¯re a long way from home, Dreamboat. You have authorization to land, 2nd in queue. Enter holding pattern until you¡¯re cleared.¡± ¡°Roger, lowering to Flight Level 5 and entering holding pattern. Dreamboat out.¡± ¡°Tower out.¡± The channel dropped, Jasmine turning to me as I flew the plane down into the holding pattern. ¡°What¡¯s that code you gave them?¡± ¡°Sawn Industries created a repository to store every aircraft code. It can be accessed from the systems we installed into Towers, allowing flight controllers to verify whether a plane is in the system or not. It allows Towers to authorize planes not on their flight lists.¡± ¡°Why do you have to verify planes at all? It¡¯s not like the Scourge has them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s called operational security. You don¡¯t know that the Scourge couldn¡¯t hijack a plane. So just in case, we create a system of authenticity. Call it paranoid but it''s better if we don¡¯t take the chance at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, I guess.¡± She shrugged as I brought out my own Aerial, tapping it a few times and making a call. That beautiful voice came through. ¡°Hello? John?¡± ¡°Hello, my dear. I hope you¡¯re free right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m about to be? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I¡¯m currently inside a plane above Stronghold Beta.¡± There was a long moment of silence before her excited voice came back. ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t wait.¡± The call dropped, a big smile on my face. Jasmine looked at me weirdly, ¡°Who was that?¡± ¡°That was my girlfriend.¡± ¡°You mean that Talerria girl? You mean you weren¡¯t lying about her?¡± I shot her a look, noticing the coy grin on her face. Then I jerked the control stick, flipping the plane a few times. ¡°Alright, alright, I give! Don¡¯t make me barf again!¡± ¡°Cheeky pipsqueak. That¡¯s gonna be your callsign from now on. Pipsqueak.¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up.¡± I chuckled a bit, getting the clearance to land and taking the bird down. The plane touched the ground, sending a jolt through the structure before I started braking. We slowed to a stop pretty quickly before looping through and around the airfield. We stopped near the hangars after following the guidance of one of the workers. Once in our spot, I depressurized the cabin and turned everything off so we could make our way out. The exit hatch opened for the first time in a week. Jasmine and I were both smiling while going down the ladder, touching ground. ¡°Haha! The floor! I love the floor!¡± Jasmine laughed uncontrollably for a bit. I, on the other hand, looked off into the distance. I saw exactly who I wanted to see. Umara, Feiden, and Tana all came walking over in unmarked spec ops uniforms. At some point Umara broke out into a run. Even the wind carried her. I jogged a bit, bracing for impact once she got close and catching her body. ¡°Jesus! Gonna knock the wind out of me!¡± I laughed as she wrapped me up with both her arms and legs, spinning once or twice before stopping and facing each other. She smiled at me, ¡°Hi!¡± ¡°Hi!¡± ¡°I missed you!¡± ¡°I missed you too!¡± We both chuckled before she smothered me with kisses. It felt heavenly. After a long, deep kiss we separated and she slid off me. I looked down at her and shared one more kiss before I turned to the others. Both Feiden and Tana had more scars than before. Feiden had a split on his chin and Tana had a fading pink gash going down her lip. Even Umara had a scar across her temple. I went and hugged the two of them, giving some greetings before turning back to Jasmine. ¡°Jasmine, these are my friends from my class and my girlfriend, Umara. Guys, this is Colonel Jasmine. We work together at the Treehouse.¡± ¡°A pleasure.¡± The two parties greeted each other with handshakes. During that time, I watched as two people came walking over. One of them had no nametag or insignia. The other was a full General. I felt Umara¡¯s Aura poke me, so I reached out with my telepathy, forming that familiar link for the first time in over two years. [That¡¯s Gurns. He¡¯s the recruiter for Special Operations. I¡¯m not sure what his rank is but he stands equal to at least Marshals. The other guy is Stronghold Beta¡¯s General Kisa.] [Copy.] She linked her arms with me as I smiled at the two approaching men. Gurns smiled, ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Cooper, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet the inventor of flight.¡± ¡°The pleasure is mine, sir,¡± I saluted, ¡°General Kisa.¡± ¡°At ease, Cooper. It¡¯s a surprise to have you here but certainly not an unwelcome one.¡± He stuck out his hand, which I quickly shook. I motioned to Jasmine. ¡°We stopped by to drop Stronghold Beta some intel regarding Scourge operations beyond your front lines. That and to get some time on the ground.¡± ¡°How long have you been in the air? It¡¯s a long way from the Treehouse.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been in the sky for 7 days straight, sir.¡± ¡°7 days?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes bulged, making me laugh. ¡°Yes sir, this bird can remain in the sky forever with proper fuel management, only limited by the supplies the crew has to sustain them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ impressive. Well please, come and relax for as long as you need. Do you need us to send a message back to the Treehouse?¡± ¡°No sir, I already did. Thank you though.¡± I shook my head with a smile. Naturally, I was lying about telling the Treehouse about this impromptu visit. Not that I was afraid of the repercussions anyway. I had reserved two weeks for this mission. Nobody would get on my ass for taking a day to myself. It wasn¡¯t like we didn¡¯t have intel to hand off anyway. All of us walked back to the main part of the base. The General and Gurns split off with Jasmine to handle intel while I got to have some leave with my friends. Chapter 213: Take Another Step September 3rd, 625 ¡°So you went and finally did it, huh?¡± Umara nudged me with her shoulder, playing with some of the food on her tray. ¡°Couldn¡¯t hold back from using that big brain of yours?¡± ¡°I figured it would be too much of a waste. Sometimes I just have to step up and help out when people are underperforming.¡± ¡°People as in the entire Kingdom?¡± ¡°Eh, potato tomato.¡± I shrugged, earning a snicker from her. Tana pointed at me with her fork from across the table, ¡°We¡¯ve been using some of these planes and helicopters. They¡¯ve already made a huge difference even though we only have a few of each. We¡¯re able to respond to calls for help in minutes instead of hours with the helicopters, and those monsters can¡¯t even touch the planes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the idea. They¡¯ll be even more effective once we get the bombs dropping.¡± Umara questioned, ¡°Bombs? Like the chemical explosives?¡± ¡°No. Mana bombs,¡± I activated my telepathy, speaking into all their minds, [We managed to figure out a way to turn White Crystals into Elemental Crystals. These Elemental Crystals are pure mana, and it allows you to detonate all the mana within the Crystal at once. It¡¯s capable of incredible devastation but we had to lock down on the information because of that. Still, Sawn will be rolling them out as weapons, and they¡¯ll be fielded by the thousand. We¡¯re talking the entire power contained within a crystal exploding out all at once, power that we can manufacture like common enchanted items.] [That¡¯s a dangerous invention,] Feiden frowned, [What happens if you scale it to an Authority 11 or 12 Crystal?] [That, my friend, is what you call a weapon of mass destruction. You could wipe out entire cities with that power. Believe me, I understand full well what I created, and I¡¯m trying to get Sawn to crack down on the information. But it''s a relatively simple process and since we¡¯re going to be mass producing these things, I don¡¯t know how long the recipe will be contained for. Either way, it¡¯s a small price to pay for the blow we¡¯ll be able to deal the Scourge.] ¡°So long as it gets used against the right enemy.¡± Tana muttered, leaning back into her chair. There was a bit of silence before Umara bounced a bit and nudged me with a smile. ¡°Hey, hey, when do you think you¡¯ll be able to come into special operations? My mother told me the news.¡± ¡°What news?¡± Tana asked. Umara smiled at her, ¡°The Ancestors are finally backing off a bit, and after the showcase made him rich and famous, people no longer have a valid reason to keep us from being together. The fight is finally fair now and my mother has taken her hands off.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Tana¡¯s brow raised, a grin surfacing a second later, ¡°Well congratulations, you two.¡± She clapped, Umara smiling widely and leaning against my shoulder. I put my arm around her and rubbed her arm a bit, ¡°To answer your question, I¡¯m hoping to advance to Authority 7 before the year¡¯s end. After that it¡¯s up to Gurns, but you can tell him that I¡¯d be more than happy to join whenever.¡± ¡°I think the unspoken agreement is to recruit you when you advance.¡± Umara sighed, ¡°We¡¯ve talked to him before, tried to convince him, but he¡¯s still biased since you¡¯re a summoner.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t blame him. I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m proving myself though. Gurns has recruited people from the Snow Doves before, so since I¡¯m in that platoon, he¡¯s probably watching.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll make sure he is. God knows you¡¯re even more lethal than a knight. If he¡¯ll take us, there¡¯s no reason for him not to take you.¡± Tana snickered, ¡°Yeah, all that just so you guys can do stuff together.¡± Umara reddenned, ¡°Shut up, Ghost.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do, Witch.¡± ¡°Witch?¡± I asked. ¡°Yeah, your girlfriend is a Witch.¡± I glanced down at Umara, ¡°We need to get you a hat then. I¡¯ll put in an order, send it to you.¡± ¡°A hat?¡± She looked back up, our faces close. ¡°Every Witch needs a pointy hat. Pinky promise me you¡¯ll wear it.¡± She narrowed her eyes at me, ¡°I can feel your amusement.¡± I laughed, ¡°I promise it¡¯ll be cool! But you¡¯ll have to wear it. I¡¯ll make it armored and everything. I want you to tell me what functions and enchantments you want too. Whatever it is, I¡¯ll get it, but you have to wear it.¡± Her eyes narrowed further in scrutiny, her chin against my shoulder. I gave her a quick peck on the nose, making her face scrunch. I stuck out my pinky again, which she finally took. ¡°Fine, fine. If you insist.¡± ¡°I do. You¡¯ll look amazing, promise. I think I might get you a broom, too.¡± ¡°What the hell would a broom be for?¡± ¡°It would be your staff!¡± ¡°And that¡¯s where I draw the line. No brooms!¡± ¡°But it would be so funny!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a comedy piece!¡± We bickered a bit more before the two of us quickly quieted down. Feiden turned at that point as well, all of us facing a few newcomers. There were three of them, one man that led two. The one in front, an Authority 8 Warlock, was a tall blonde man with a rather refined disposition. I got the noble vibe from him, painting most of the picture right off the bat. Umara spoke through my telepathic connection, [That¡¯s Sigvard Dhruv, son of Duke Dhruv. He wasn¡¯t initially a suitor but ever since I arrived here, he¡¯s made himself one.] [Goodness girl, you attract trouble no matter where you go.] [This is more of a nuisance, but yes, I¡¯m sorry in advance.] [Eh, it¡¯s the price I pay for having such a hot girlfriend.] I noticed her redden a bit more. Satisfied, I turned to the newcomer. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. He spoke first, looking at Umara, ¡°Good afternoon, Lady Talerria.¡± ¡°Hello, Dhruv.¡± ¡°You are John Cooper?¡± He turned to me next. Instead of responding though, I took out my cigar case. I plucked one of the brown rolls and cut one end before activating the lighter and burning the other. I took a few breaths, exhaling some smoke before nodding. ¡°Yeah.¡± He looked down at me with conceit, ¡°Do you believe to gain an upper hand by making me wait? It is childish.¡± ¡°Attempting to gain something implies that there¡¯s value to be had. I am unable to rectify that fallacy with my thoughts regarding this situation. To be blunt, I¡¯m currently more concerned with this cigar. But you have my attention, for now. Can we help you?¡± I smiled at him, the familiar taste of the cigar filling my mouth. Sigvard rolled his eyes, ¡°To think the inventor of the plane would be so crude. Thankfully my business only extends to Lady Talerria.¡± ¡°Well then, by all means.¡± I straddled the bench I was on, pulling Umara into my chest and letting her lean into it. Then I handed off the cigar. She took it and puffed it a few times before nodding to Sigvard. ¡°What do you want, Dhruv?¡± ¡°...My father has invited you and your family to attend a gathering at our estate in a week¡¯s time. There will be many in attendance, including the Second Prince.¡± ¡°If my boyfriend can attend with me, then I¡¯d be happy to.¡± ¡°According to my knowledge, you aren¡¯t considering any suitors during your time in the military. I don¡¯t believe you can have a boyfriend.¡± ¡°Ah yes, I forgot about that.¡± She flicked her finger, ¡°Hey, dear, when were you thinking of proposing? You know, since I can¡¯t call you my boyfriend.¡± I smiled when she turned her head up to mine, ¡°Eventually, darlin¡¯. We¡¯ll need to do it when it hurts them the most.¡± ¡°And you call me the troublemaker.¡± ¡°They started it.¡± ¡°People might call you immature for saying things like that.¡± ¡°Well I never did lose that teen spirit. I think I¡¯m still in my rebellious phase.¡± That earned a couple chuckles, Umara putting the cigar back into my mouth and glancing back at Sigvard. ¡°I maintain. I bring my boyfriend.¡± ¡°He is not on the guest list.¡± ¡°Well then I certainly see no reason to go.¡± ¡°You will attend with your family.¡± ¡°No, I will not,¡± She snapped, ¡°And you will not speak to me as if you are in any position to command me. Fail to muster respect and you will see yourself out.¡± ¡°As if you are in any position to command me.¡± ¡°Oh but I am,¡± Umara lifted her hand, little snakes of fire swirling through her fingers, ¡°Because I¡¯m more than capable of throwing you out myself. Would you like me to prove it?¡± I saw one of the men beside Sigvard step forward, and right after I saw Tana appear behind him, blade pressed against his spine. My brows raised. That was a rather devilish move to play. Seemed she had learned some biology from Umara. I raised my hand, ¡°If I may interject.¡± Feiden relaxed with my words, sitting back down, though when he stood up, I wasn¡¯t sure. I turned to Sigvard, ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re jealous of me and all-¡± ¡°Hah! I could never be jealous of a commoner like you.¡± ¡°Man, you really know how to say that like a slur. Anyway, I gotta say, this really isn¡¯t the way to go about courting a lady. I know you¡¯ve had a platinum spoon in your mouth all your life, but-¡± ¡°What is platinum? Our spoons were silver, or is that concept so foreign to you?¡± I turned to Umara, flailing a hand, ¡°Is irony completely lost on this guy?¡± ¡°You should lower your expectations, dear.¡± ¡°It would certainly save my sanity. Anyway,¡± I looked back at Sigvard, ¡°You really gotta engage in some introspection, because this isn¡¯t the way to get a girl to like you. I don¡¯t know how you could possibly see this situation going any other way besides making this fine specimen here hate you. You gotta see it from their perspective, maybe ask yourself: If I were a chick, and I met myself, would I wanna suck that guy¡¯s dick? ¡®Cause they don¡¯t do it for just anyone! I get you have money and all but unless you¡¯re planning on paying for high class whores and trophy wives for the rest of your life I think you really gotta bring down the dick meter a dozen or so notches. You feel me?¡± I looked at him for any sign of approval, instead finding a most visceral face of disgust. Then I glanced around to find Umara looking back at me, flushed, Feiden covering his face, and Tana staring into the air with a pondering expression. It took a few seconds for Sigvard to respond, ¡°What vulgarity. It truly amazes me to see how revolting someone can be. It makes me question whether or not you truly invented the airplane.¡± ¡°Well if I didn¡¯t invent it, I¡¯m getting paid millions of coin for nothing. Which would have been more than welcome but I can¡¯t have everything my way. At least we have a monopoly.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a monopoly?¡± Umara suddenly asked. ¡°It¡¯s when you¡¯re the only seller of a product. There¡¯s nobody who makes the same thing and therefore no competition. We can set the price of planes however we want because there¡¯s nobody else who makes them. And so I make assloads of coin that I can blow on pointy hats for my Witch.¡± ¡°You better not spend too much.¡± ¡°For my Witch I¡¯ll spend 100 million. Hahh, I remember when we barely scraped together a million with both our savings for some storages. Fun times.¡± We both chuckled a bit, Tana returning to her seat. We chattered a bit longer before noticing that Sigvard was still standing there. Umara turned to him before I could, ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Sigvard frowned further, ¡°Does your family know about this continued affair with a commoner?¡± ¡°Dhruv, you should really listen to my boyfriend. This is hardly a way to earn a girl¡¯s fancy, and you¡¯ll never be able to earn mine. You may have had my pity if you were a half decent person, but now you¡¯re quickly acquiring my hate instead. So do both of us a favor and cease this useless pestering.¡± ¡°Do you still believe that you can go marry a commoner? Neither of our families will allow it, and I¡¯m your best candidate.¡± ¡°Do you still dare call him a commoner? He-¡± ¡°Hang on, Umara.¡± I interrupted her, turning my gaze toward Sigvard before taking the cigar out of my mouth and blowing some smoke. ¡°Sigvard Dhruv, let me make this crystal clear for you. Umara is mine, and not even the King will take her from me, let alone some whiny little asshole from some backwater Duchy. I don¡¯t care about how much money, influence, or power your family has. I don¡¯t care about your father, I don¡¯t care about your mother, I don¡¯t care about your whores. So please, go bitch and moan elsewhere. I won¡¯t be here for long and you¡¯re ruining what little time I have with my friends.¡± ¡°You¡­ fucking imbecile,¡± He seethed, ¡°Who the fuck do you think you are?!¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯re done here.¡± I sighed and stood, officially annoyed. Umara rose with me, Feiden and Tana following. She linked her arm with mine, ¡°We can go to my room.¡± ¡°Girl rooms have cooties.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a child.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Sigvard shouted, making me roll my eyes and turn. ¡°Dude, I¡¯m about to put a hole through your foot. Pipe down.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t hurt me if your life depended on it, summoner! The fact that you think you wield any strength at all is a testament to your stupidity!¡± I stared at him for a second before looking down at Umara, ¡°If I kill him, do I get to take his spot in special operations?¡± ¡°Knowing Gurns, he would probably let it slide for as long as it took for the Dhruv Duchy to find out.¡± ¡°I suddenly have a good impression of the man.¡± We started walking again, Sigvard stomping forward. ¡°Hey, summoner! You will learn to fear my family! ¡± ¡°Dhruv, take another step and I¡¯ll send you out of the building.¡± Umara gave a casual warning as we continued. A few seconds passed in silence as we approached the door. Then I heard a step. It was Sigvard, and he took a step back. So Umara turned and cast a spell, a thin needle of fire sparking from her palm and condensing before shooting a drop of bright orange liquid toward Sigvard. He barely raised his barrier, and the drop collided with it. It exploded on impact, sending all its force across the face of the barrier and sending Sigvard flying across the mess hall. He hit the far wall and then went through it, tumbling across the ground outside. That¡¯s when I looked to the side, finding the other two individuals with Sigvard on the floor with bloody faces. I looked at Umara, ¡°Nice spell.¡± ¡°I learned from the best.¡± She smiled back at me, Feiden and Tana appearing to our sides as we left. Once at the room the four of us talked for a couple hours. At some point though, Feiden and Tana decided to leave. We knew why, but we didn¡¯t stop them. It had been two years and Umara and I were a bit starved. All of 5 minutes passed before we jumped on each other. We still weren¡¯t going to take things all the way, yet. That just meant we were doing everything short of conventional sex. Anything to stave off the horny for however long it took for us to reunite again. Chapter 214: Insult Me September 4th, 625 ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°I love you too.¡± ¡°I love you more.¡± ¡°No you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up.¡± I chuckled when Umara pulled away from a kiss and bit my nose. I took that as the opportunity to separate and give a hug to Feiden. I whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Umara but I actually love you more.¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t know how to respond to that.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be our little secret.¡± I went to pinch him but he suddenly zipped away, my fingers grasping air. I laughed before hugging Tana. ¡°See ya, girl. Study that stuff with Umara.¡± ¡°That stuff is complicated.¡± ¡°Yeah... Good luck.¡± ¡°Pfft. Thanks.¡± She chuckled, her blonde hair sliding off my arm as I walked over to Jasmine. I had discussed things with all three of my friends, focusing primarily on their Aura techniques. I gave as much advice as I could that might help them, but it was ultimately up to them to turn it into something they could use. After hearing about how Feiden could bend space though, I started to question what the hell Aura actually was. It seemed to be able to do anything, and anyone could acquire any kind of power with it. It was still true that it was only capable of following a singular path, but the fact that a knight like Feiden could compress and expand space itself was mind boggling. That was something only warlocks should be able to do, and even then they should have great difficulty despite knowing how to make teleporters. I still had no idea what Aura actually was, or why it could do the things it did. Those were questions I¡¯d have to ask somebody at the height of power. For now, it was time to go back. I met with Jasmine, who was standing beside Gurns and General Kisa. I shook the General¡¯s hand before getting a word from Gurns. ¡°I¡¯ll be keeping an eye on you, John. Your friends have insisted on your killing power and from the few reports I¡¯ve gotten on your combat records, it¡¯s as impressive as they say. Still, I want you at Authority 7 before anything happens. Do that, and we¡¯ll talk.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I look forward to it.¡± We shook hands, Jasmine and I stepping up to the ladder to climb into the XR-11. I waved goodbye to everyone before slipping inside and shutting the hatch, locking it down and climbing into the pilot seat. Not long after that we were in the air and on our way back to the Treehouse. I was already overdue to return to the Capital, but at this point I didn¡¯t really care. Since I worked a bit of overtime, maybe they¡¯d bump my return out. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Making our approach.¡± My eyes opened up, my body dragging itself out of the bed after a handful of seconds. I let out a long sigh while sitting myself back down in the pilot seat, my eyes glancing out the window and seeing the warzone in the distance. My eyes narrowed, ¡°Did they break past one of the FOBs?¡± ¡°Seems like it. They wouldn¡¯t be halfway to our walls if they didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good. Boot us up. We¡¯re heading down.¡± Jasmine silently followed my command, turning on most of our systems while I flicked on the two standby engines and picked up speed. We sped up toward the Treehouse, and on the way we got a glimpse of the furthermost line of the battlefield. We could see massive fireballs exploding into towering plumes dotting the enemy lines. My brows raised, my eyes zooming to see the bomber planes overhead. ¡°Those are the bombs. Sawn managed to get them and the bombers fielded.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, right?¡± ¡°Yes, very. Let¡¯s hurry down.¡± ¡°Aerial is up.¡± I nodded and tuned the Aerial to the Tower, getting clearance for landing. ¡°Runway 5 is clear, Dreamboat.¡± ¡°Roger. Landing.¡± We flew down, touching down and braking to a halt. I kept the engines running, giving me a little more speed to roll up to a hangar. It was occupied so I parked just outside of it among a few other planes. Once I turned everything off, Jasmine and I hurried out. As soon as the hatch opened we heard a series of distance explosions. Those bombs were hitting hard, which made me excited. I got a message from Polly not long after, Jasmine and I making haste toward Headquarters. We arrived in the war room, seeing the busy summoners moving about. Polly was in there, and we joined her side. She gave us a side eye. ¡°So you two finally decided to return. Have fun at Stronghold Beta?¡± ¡°No ma¡¯am, it was a horrible time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me. The Scourge has breached one of our forward bases and they used that opportunity to attempt a siege.¡± She explained, ¡°There are approximately 120 thousand monsters in this army, but we¡¯re holding them back. John.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± I looked up from the virtual map that showed red dots and arrows everywhere, visualizing the oncoming Scourge hordes. It was being updated in real time by two scout planes, allowing these Generals unprecedented control of the battlefield. They were able to coordinate forces in the surrounding forward bases as well as those being sent out into the field actively. Thus, the Scourge was not just being held back, but surrounded and exterminated systematically. Polly looked me in the eye, ¡°Your bombs and planes are doing amazing work. It¡¯s the only reason we¡¯ve been able to prevent more forward bases from falling. Our casualty rates have dropped substantially and we¡¯re slaughtering them by the thousand like it''s easy. The numbers have never been this good. For that I have you to thank.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. So long as it helps us hold this line, I¡¯m happy.¡± ¡°It will. That¡¯s why you have my approval to head back to the Capital. We¡¯ve got this fight, so don¡¯t worry about it and go catch the next plane. Go cook up another weapon. Maybe the next one will help wipe out the Scourge altogether.¡± ¡°Are you sure? I can go join the Snow Doves right now. I don¡¯t mind fighting. Might be able to kill a few thousand more that way.¡± She shook her head, ¡°Not necessary. And God forbid you risk getting hurt. At this point, I¡¯m close to pushing you to retire from the military and do full time enchanting work. Your inventions are turning this war around. We need more, so go make us more.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± I gave a salute, Polly returning it before nodding her head. ¡°Next plane leaves in a few hours. Be on it. I¡¯ll get your leave extended too. General Viskar is ready to give approval.¡± ¡°Thanks. Keep the Doves safe while I¡¯m gone.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Always.¡± With that goodbye I left the war room. If Polly said that they had this fight, then I¡¯d believe her. More than that, I trusted how much damage my weapons could do. If she was given not only perfect intel on the entire battlefield, but untouchable aerial weapons, then with her competence she would surround and drown these monsters like insects. I¡¯d entrust this place to her while I did what I could in the rear. As for all the intel we gathered, Jasmine would handle it. I was perfectly fine with giving her all the credit for the discoveries we made because I wanted her to get promoted too. I wanted my allies to be powerful. Besides, she collected most of it anyway. Like that I found the passenger plane that was set to head back to the Capital. I was one of the few on it, and once it was recharged, I was back in the air. About 10 hours later, we landed on the Sawn Industries Airfield. Another Airfield had been built in another place around the Capital but this one was designated for the military while the other was for civilian craft. Sawn had gotten word of my return, and I was greeted with a chopper to take me to the Spire. I didn¡¯t even have to fly. I felt like a VIP, getting carted around everywhere on expensive vehicles. From the airfield we landed on the helipad on the side of the Spire, and from there I went to my Office. Sawn was there when I entered. He was standing by my desk, turning when the door opened. ¡°Cooper. How was your flight in the XR-11?¡± ¡°As good as I designed it. A few things could be improved but that¡¯s not my concern right now. I¡¯ve got some designs I need to get out.¡± ¡°What kind of designs?¡± ¡°More weapons,¡± I went over to my desk, booting it up and projecting a few screens, ¡°Since you got the bombs working I need to adapt that technology to other modes of delivery. You remember the Bombardos, right? Well I¡¯m about to make something that can do the exact same thing they do. It¡¯s time to introduce the concept of indirect fire to the battlefield.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± He muttered, going silent. That¡¯s when I turned to him with narrowed eyes. His mood was low. He seemed concerned, which wasn¡¯t a good thing. He had been as joyous as a child with all the money coming in recently. I asked directly, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°...The bombs.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it got leaked.¡± ¡°It got leaked.¡± ¡°Fuck¡­¡± I looked down at the desk, pondering what this would mean before asking. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°One of the prime enchanters. I didn¡¯t realize¡­¡± ¡°Of course. When?¡± ¡°9 days ago.¡± ¡°Right before I left. Who got the information?¡± ¡°The Royal Family. I knew they knew something when they started asking questions but I didn¡¯t think they had someone who could steal the Magnitude Frequency. I was careful with who I gave it to.¡± ¡°So now the Crown has the ability to make bombs.¡± ¡°For the most part, but we discovered a few other things with more testing,¡± Sawn tapped my workstation and brought up some screens, ¡°We found out that White Crystals are naturally the best for making Elemental Crystals, and that while imperfectly purified Gray Crystals can be used as well, their overall power is diminished. More than that though, when Gray Elemental Crystals are blown, they release some of the poison inherent to the Gray Crystal used in the making. This makes it toxic for humans, and some of the released power is much less harmful to Scourge. They still do plenty of damage, just not as much.¡± I turned to him, thinking for a couple of seconds and drawing conclusions. ¡°So, access to the White Crystals of the Church is the only way the Kingdom can make perfect bombs. They can still make bombs though. Is the Royal Family going to take away business from you?¡± ¡°Well, yes and no. We were forced to renegotiate our contract for the supply of bombs. They threatened to pass the recipe to Gearworks if we didn¡¯t. Our profit margins were massively diminished because of it. After all, it only takes two Crystals and a trio of Magi to carry out the transformation. After that, the cost comes down to encasing the Crystal in a way that a bomber can drop them en masse.¡± I silently listened. It was pretty simple, what the Kingdom did. They forced Sawn Industries to make the bombs for far cheaper. In principle I wasn¡¯t totally opposed. I wanted more bombs to be fielded, plain and simple. I had even told Sawn to not overcharge. My concern was with destroying the Scourge. The issue was that the Kingdom knew how to make these bombs at all. From the Royal Family it would likely disseminate to other noble families, which would give the noble class far more power than they had before. Going even farther, the Kingdom was currently the only governing power that knew how to make these bombs. Knowing that this power was akin to arming a country with nuclear weapons, I was afraid of how that would change the balance between them and the Church. The Church helped keep the Kingdom in check. I didn¡¯t want that to disappear. That only left one thing for me to do. I glanced at Sawn and sighed, ¡°Well, they have the tech. There¡¯s nothing we can do about it now. I¡¯m going to focus on designing more weapons. I¡¯ll be pulling the blueprints for the bomb designs you have right now.¡± ¡°Of course. By the way, I wanted to promote you. I want to make you an executive officer of the company. It¡¯ll come with a higher salary and the position will be in charge of managing our weapons industry. You told me about changes you wanted to make to the security of the company, as well as the team you wanted to put together for development, and I am willing to put you in charge of making those changes.¡± ¡°...Alright.¡± I nodded. I had no reason to turn that down. It would come with a bit more responsibility but that¡¯s what Boris was there to help me with. Sawn nodded and started walking out. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll draft a contract.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I gave him a nod as he left. He probably felt bad about the leak but I wasn¡¯t about to cry over spilt milk. I simply needed to do damage control. Thinking that, I spent a few hours drafting up some concepts for a few new weapon lines before leaving. It was already night when I had arrived in the Capital, so it was just past midnight now. I stepped out of the Spire, heading in the way of the Black Spider Hotel. I had an easy line to the Church there, which I intended to pull on right now. Unfortunately the Kingdom had other plans. It wasn¡¯t long after I stepped out that I felt a not-unfamiliar feeling. There were some dangerous people nearby, and I was being watched. I stopped in my tracks. Nobody was out and about. Only the black markets were busy at night. Every other normal person was sleeping, so the streets were empty. I took a deep breath, feeling some people getting closer. Nobody I couldn¡¯t handle. After some seconds though I suddenly felt an Authority 9. That¡¯s when I suddenly bolted, activating my boots, my stealth, and flying across the ground. I barreled down a street when another Authority 9 appeared in front of me completely unprompted. I realized they had to be masking their Aura somehow when I got within a certain range and felt their power. It only seemed to work until a certain distance but it was enough to get in range of someone. I frowned and tightened up my coat while dodging and shooting up a building. Once up top I started hopping across them, the Authority 9 close behind. I realized they were seeing through my own Aura. Then another appeared in the direction I was going, making me curse. ¡°Really pulling out all the stops, huh!¡± ¡°You have no idea.¡± I spun around at the voice. Another Authority 9. That was four. I went silent again and shot off, plummeting down into the street once more, heading in the general direction of the warlock of the group. I had a better chance against a warlock than a knight. That¡¯s when a wall shot up in front of me. I jumped toward it without hesitation, lifting my legs and slamming my boots against it, activating one of their special functions. A shockwave shot out of my soles, shattering the wall. I went through it, tumbling a bit on the ground before flying off once more. Then another Authority 9 appeared. It was a speedster type, and the knight zipped in front of me along with a dozen Authority 7s and 8s. I was incredulous. There was no way this was someone trying to assassinate me. These people were unmarked but they were too good and there were too many to be bounty hunters. At that point though, it clicked for me. These weren¡¯t assassins. These were agents of the Kingdom. That which nobody knew about. Those who operated in the dark, engaging in espionage and subterfuge. The Kingdom¡¯s own intelligence agency, not to be used against the Scourge, but against other groups of humanity that might threaten their power. I stopped where I was and let go of my Aura, standing in the middle of the street, surrounded by those I couldn¡¯t hope to kill. They closed the circle, and I faced the speedster in front of me leading other troops. ¡°So, what should I call you? I didn¡¯t realize the Kingdom had counterespionage.¡± ¡°There are many things you don¡¯t realize. Perhaps if you had accepted the offer to become a noble, you¡¯d be more privy to certain things, more protected.¡± His masked face spoke, his words making me narrow my eyes. He was implying that to be a noble was to be protected. Probably from them. I was a loose end, but I knew my value. They wouldn¡¯t do anything to me. I may have pissed off some nobles but I hadn¡¯t shown myself to be a threat to the Crown. They just wanted to make sure it would remain that way. I glanced around as a few people approached me, ¡°So, here for a friendly greeting?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I did to deserve such a warm welcome.¡± ¡°Yes, you do,¡± He rebutted, ¡°I don¡¯t believe in your stupidity, John Cooper. You¡¯re smart, and that¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m here.¡± I was silent as three people got close. Once within reach, two drew their swords and placed them next to my neck while the third grabbed my arms. He was a knight, so my life was now out of my own hands. There was no point in resisting here, though. I looked forward again, and I watched as one of the masked soldiers walked forward instead of the speedster knight. I narrowed my eyes when he got close. He was a summoner, and he was actually Authority 9 as well. I realized the speedster wasn¡¯t the one speaking. This summoner was able to evade my scrutiny. He was extremely dangerous. He approached and tilted his head at me before sending out a fist, metal knuckles digging into my stomach. I coughed as the air was knocked out of me, baffled by his strength. I caught my breath and smiled, ¡°Tempered by Vigor. Seems the Kingdom knows how to raise summoners.¡± ¡°Intelligence is the greatest blade,¡± He leaned down and spoke into my ear, ¡°And you, John Cooper, happen to be one of the sharpest. Unfortunately, the perfect ally is also the worst enemy.¡± ¡°It is insulting to insinuate that I am your enemy.¡± ¡°And you insult me by pretending to be my ally.¡± He sent another punch into my face, blood being drawn. That would leave a mark. Then he grabbed my neck and raised my head. ¡°You¡¯re smart Cooper, and smart people have to be educated. Otherwise they get ideas.¡± He turned, the knights hoisting my body up and cuffing my limbs. ¡°I¡¯m here to educate you, Cooper. Not about why you shouldn¡¯t betray the Kingdom, but why you should thoroughly fear doing so. The silver lining in this situation is that I¡¯m the best teacher there is. If you act as smart as I know you are, then this won¡¯t take long.¡± With those words my head was bagged. The bag was magical, blocking out all my senses as well as most of my Aura. It was like the bag formed a labyrinth my Aura had to pierce through to see beyond. I was dragged off blind, my face neutral, my mind running through all the different endings to this situation. In the end, I concluded that eventually, I¡¯d need to kill this summoner. Chapter 215: 5th Hour September 6th, 625 ¡°Agh! You know, this is not a great way to get on my good side!¡± ¡°Not interested.¡± I grunted as a knight threw his fist into my stomach. It made me vomit some blood, my organs feeling scrambled. I didn¡¯t have my gear on to protect me. They left me to stew there for a while before a healer came and whisked away all my wounds. I took some deep breaths once I was fine again, shaking my head. ¡°That shit runs on fucking wishes and rainbows. Fucking hate magic.¡± ¡°Magic is what gives you all your money.¡± ¡°Please, I¡¯d make just as much without it.¡± ¡°Hm, I suppose I believe that. With your intelligence, you¡¯d do well anywhere.¡± I lifted my head, spitting out some of the remaining blood in my mouth before looking at the summoner, still masked. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan here, huh? Gonna beat the shit out of me until I like you? I¡¯m not a masochist.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just buttering you up for my question.¡± ¡°Will you tell me what it is already?¡± ¡°Not until I have sufficient leverage.¡± ¡°What kind of leverage do you think you can get? You think this is making me fear you?¡± ¡°Just wait,¡± He nodded his head to a nearby knight, ¡°Break his legs. I want to hear him scream.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± I eyed the summoner, my face falling flat as the knight walked over and raised his fists. He brought them down right on top of my thighs, hard enough that I could feel my femur snap in real time. There was a moment of blinding pain, and I used my Spark to spam my mind with information in order to get through the initial wave. Once I settled and the adrenaline kicked in, I focused back on the summoner. I started at him, silently. My breath shuddered a bit but I quickly made it smooth. Yeah, I was definitely going to kill this guy. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± A voice rang out, both of us glancing over at another soldier. The summoner waved. ¡°Bring them in.¡± He turned back to me as the soldier went to go retrieve some people. I looked at the summoner. ¡°Who¡¯d you prepare for me?¡± ¡°Who else? Your family.¡± ¡°My what?¡± I looked at him, baffled. Then the people came in, a full family of 5, two parents and three teens. They were shoved into a corner, obviously scared, and obviously not my family. The healer came and repaired my legs. I hissed when the bone was realigned. ¡°That fucking hurts, asshole.¡± ¡°John Cooper, I will now present my question. For the sake of your family, I suggest you answer quickly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not my family, dumbass.¡± ¡°I will admit that they were hard to track down, but do you really think that you can hide from us? Now, my question.¡± He didn¡¯t give me a chance to rebut, taking a rapier and pointing it at the neck of one teenage boy. ¡°Who is your contact by which you communicate with the Church.¡± ¡°The fuck? What kind of stupid question is that? You think I have some super secret spy that takes my messages to the Church?¡± ¡°Well, the technology for your planes has been mimicked there. We want to know how you¡¯re passing on information to them when you haven¡¯t been seen giving them designs in the recent past. So tell me who your contact is or how you communicate with them.¡± ¡°Have you ever considered that they have smart enchanters there too? Or that they stole the design like you stole the method to make the bombs?¡± ¡°Wrong answer.¡± He stabbed forward, sending the sword through the boy¡¯s neck, killing him instantly. The parents screamed, trying to get to him, but knights held them back as he turned the sword to a teenage girl. I grit my teeth, ¡°That¡¯s not my family. I don¡¯t know where you pulled these people from but you¡¯re killing innocents.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve never seen this man in our lives!¡± The father cried out, but the summoner didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can act your way out of this one Cooper. Hurry and answer.¡± He ended his words by killing the girl. She dropped like the boy, the mother filling the room with her shrieks. He walked to the last teen, who begged. I looked at the summoner, ¡°Even if they were my family, is this how you want to play?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll play whichever way works. Answer the question. You¡¯re about to be an orphan.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a contact and I didn¡¯t pass information to the Church. Nothing you do is going to make me say otherwise.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see about that.¡± He killed the last teen, pointing his sword at the father. ¡°Still?¡± I looked at the two parents, the father being pinned, the mother uncontrollably crying. I sighed, ¡°You two have my apology, for as meaningless as it is.¡± Then I looked up at the summoner, leaning back against my chair with a neutral face. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Go ahead and kill them.¡± He was silent for a few seconds before stabbing both of them, ending their lives. The knights dumped the bodies with their children. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. I glanced at the pile before looking back at the summoner. ¡°So? Satisfied yet? Or are you going to kill me too?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Then hurry up and release me. I¡¯m tired and I¡¯d like to sleep in my comfortable bed for the first time in over a month.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also heard that you get tired often. Any reason why?¡± ¡°Maybe because I get fucking tired? You wanna go ahead and ask me the brand of soap I use to wash my ass too? Fucking idiot.¡± That earned a backhand to the face, a few of my teeth loosening. I spit out some seeping blood. ¡°We have a few requirements we want you to meet,¡± The summoner wiped his rapier, facing me with that blank mask, ¡°First, you are to move out of the Black Spider Hotel. Second, you must dissociate with the Polaris Bank. Third, you won¡¯t step foot into a black market ever again, including the grounds of the Hotel.¡± I scoffed, ¡°How greedy. Can¡¯t stand that I didn¡¯t pay taxes on a measly 100 million?¡± ¡°Just one of many reasons. And I know Maxwell Albarain is your teacher but you¡¯ll have to find another way to communicate with him. I don¡¯t care how, but you¡¯re smart enough to figure it out. You have the next five hours to pack your things and leave for a proper residence.¡± ¡°Man, that¡¯s barely enough time for my nightly jerk off.¡± ¡°Then buy yourself a whore.¡± He turned his head. ¡°Bag him.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ I was dumped onto the street, fully healed with my gear on my body, but still feeling the phantom pains from their beatings. ¡°Remember Cooper. You can¡¯t hide from us. I know you¡¯ll remember that.¡± ¡°Take my advice and don¡¯t be a stalker, creep.¡± The surrounding cloaks disappeared, and I was right back to where I was when I was grabbed. I sighed, cracked my neck, and started walking again. It was already morning. I trudged into the Hotel, the Key Master smiling at me. It seemed a bit menacing but I was too drained to care. ¡°Hey, Key Master.¡± ¡°Good morning, John. You look like you had an eventful night.¡± ¡°It was shitty, but yes, it could be considered eventful. Effective in about 4 hours and 43 minutes, I need to move out of my room.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll give you what I can. How much has it cost to house me all this time?¡± He was silent in thought for a second, ¡°For a bit over 3 years¡­ perhaps 55 million coin?¡± ¡°Done. Allow me to deposit now.¡± ¡°Hold on a moment.¡± He stopped me as I took out my card, ¡°How much do you believe your promises are worth, John?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. As much as I can give, I guess.¡± ¡°So with one promise I could take all your money?¡± ¡°I suppose.¡± ¡°Then, as payment for your stay, I¡¯d like you to tell me where you were tortured.¡± I looked at him silently for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m putting my life in your hands.¡± ¡°Indeed. I can utilize more promises, if you believe it too high a price.¡± ¡°No, no. Just one.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± He took out one of my bullets, handing it back to me. I grabbed it and activated my telepathy. [Take 6th street down to a bakery just before the intersection with 8th lane. Once inside there¡¯s a back room just behind the counter. Enter it and knock three times on the wall, spaced out by three seconds each, to the left of the entrance. Once through there, descend exactly 202 steps and turn left. The wall there drags open, revealing another tunnel. Walk down it for approximately 664 meters. There¡¯s an elevator platform there that descends into another facility. The room I was brought to was 58 meters to the right, 24 meters left from there, and through a door on the right from there.] [Very detailed. Thank you.] He responded, surprising me a bit. I nodded, ¡°Well, I better get up there and pack.¡± ¡°No need, Sir Cooper. Take what you need, but know that the room will remain for you when you eventually return in the future.¡± ¡°...I appreciate it. I still need to close my Polaris account though.¡± ¡°I will notify them in advance for you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Then I hope the rest of your day is as good as it can be.¡± He stuck out his hand, which I shook before walking off. I went to my room first, looking around at all the memories before whisking things away into my storage. It didn¡¯t take long to empty the place of almost everything that I had bought for it, which wasn¡¯t too much since the place had most accommodations in the first place. The only thing I left was a framed picture on one of my counters. It was the picture I took with the gang from Divine Distribution. Plex, Rayla, Libitus, and the drunkard in the background. I took one last glance at it before walking out. From there, I went to the market, walking down the street to the Polaris bank. The inside was as lavish as I remembered it. Lady Luna was there as well, standing in front of the counter as I walked in. She smiled, ¡°John, it¡¯s good to see you. Come.¡± I followed silently, walking to a back room. Inside was Maxwell, who frowned at me. ¡°What did they do to you?¡± ¡°They warned me, and killed a family of 5 doing it. How did you know?¡± ¡°You think the Church isn¡¯t also watching you? Someone like you doesn¡¯t just disappear without several important people knowing.¡± I sat down on a chair and sighed, ¡°You know, I¡¯m starting to think that I need to move around in secret. I¡¯m not enjoying the paparazzi treatment.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be capable of that.¡± ¡°Fucking watch me.¡± ¡°How about you just come to the Church instead of trying to prove something?¡± I went silent, Luna sighing and stepping between us. ¡°I was going to ask a little less obviously, but I have the same recommendation, John. This place doesn¡¯t appreciate you. The Key Master didn¡¯t say much but it¡¯s not hard to fill in the blanks. The 3rd Claw got to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s who they are?¡± ¡°Yes. The Kingdom has 4 Claws. The Crown, Special Operations, and Counterintelligence. The 4th Claw is a mere rumor but it¡¯s real as well.¡± ¡°Fun.¡± I slumped onto a couch, taking out my Polaris Platinum Card and tossing it onto the table in front of me. ¡°Cash me out, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Are you so against joining the Church?¡± Maxwell asked, making me sigh again. ¡°It¡¯s not about being against the Church. I¡¯ve got things to do here. I need to arm these people with weapons that will destroy the Scourge. Speaking of,¡± I turned to Luna, ¡°I¡¯m going to be passing you my designs for everything. The planes and bombs, as well as the weapons I¡¯ll soon develop. I need you to promise me something, though.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t let the Kingdom find out you have them. If they find out, the 3rd Claw will finish what they started. They already know that you guys are attempting to make the planes yourselves. They thought I gave you designs. Sure, I gave Willow some hints, but the progress you guys are making landed me in trouble.¡± She frowned, ¡°That would be difficult. They would want to use the weapons once they were developed.¡± I waved, ¡°It¡¯s either you exercise self control or I give you nothing. I would prefer the Church to have these weapons because they are going to give the Kingdom an incredible advantage over the Church as a whole, but I¡¯m not going to die for it. Just figure something out, and I¡¯ll contact you via Aerial later.¡± ¡°...Are they really so powerful?¡± ¡°We figured out a way to create Elemental Crystals that can release all their power in a single burst. These bombs hold the ability to annihilate entire cities in mere moments, so if you don¡¯t want the Kingdom conducting a one sided war against you, then figure something out.¡± ¡°...I understand.¡± She nodded solemnly, picking up my Card. My point seemed to get across. ¡°We¡¯ll pack the money into a storage. One moment.¡± She left the room, just Maxwell and I within. I rubbed my temples. ¡°I can¡¯t come back to the markets anymore, so we need to figure something else out.¡± ¡°I can come to whatever shack you find yourself in. Don¡¯t worry about that. Just worry about keeping yourself safe. Stop attracting trouble.¡± ¡°No promises.¡± I replied dryly as Luna came back in. ¡°We can implant this storage, John. Would you like to? It¡¯ll be bigger than what you have now.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I simply nodded and stood, following her out and to another room. They did the implant quickly, the storage going next to my ribcage. ¡°All 124 million coin has been exchanged.¡± ¡°Thank you, Luna. I appreciate you.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She gave me a quick hug. Then Maxwell stepped forward when I turned to leave, ¡°Consider going to the Church, John. I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I replied and left the room, walking out of the market and passing through the Hotel. Another quick goodbye to the Key Master, and I left. I stood outside, feeling the cold morning breeze wash over my face. We were nearing winter again and it was starting to feel like it. I closed my eyes, sitting there for a short time. That bag they put over my head was quite the piece of equipment. I memorized the enchantment it used, how it diverted and confused my Aura as I tried to see through it. My Mind Palace made it easy to take in that information. I sighed, not able to recreate the effect with my Aura. Not yet, anyway. I would work on it, and then those people from the 3rd Claw would no longer be able to escape my senses. Whatever equipment they used to scramble Aura would be rendered useless, and if I improved it, nobody would be able to track me with theirs. I opened my eyes again. The 5th hour had passed. With a turn of the heel, I went to go find another nice hotel to stay at for the day. I¡¯d have to go house hunting tomorrow. Didn¡¯t think it would happen so soon. I had wanted to do it with Umara. Chapter 216: SkunkWorks September 10th, 625 867 miles northeast of the Capital, just 133 miles outside of the Whetted City. I stood within a newly constructed village, many warlocks, summoners, and knights running around and carrying out a myriad of tasks. Next to me was Shadowbane, not far from us a group of armored soldiers from the Raven Family getting a tour from one of our summoners. I gave her a smile, ¡°Thanks for the help, Shadow. Please make sure the Chief gets my appreciation.¡± ¡°I will. Although with all the security measures you have in place, I¡¯ll need help just delivering the letter.¡± ¡°Heh, I¡¯ll get you a summoner. Unfortunately not even I am exempt from the processes. It¡¯s a necessary policy though.¡± I looked around at all the security guards setting up perimeters and guard posts. There were also patrols out beyond the village keeping an eye on things with magic sensors. This place was known as Wonderland, and it was a brand new testing site for experimental weapons and technology. Sawn had taken my advice some months ago and decided to make a dedicated testing ground in secret. Shadowbane was here because the Raven Family was hired as a security force. Off the record I knew they were independent of the Kingdom and I wanted them as a third party, knowing they wouldn¡¯t be swayed by the covert powers of the Crown, especially after I had my run-in with the 3rd Claw. In exchange for their services, besides getting paid, they were also going to get priority dibs on our products like the planes. Sawn also made a deal with them for materials like metals since they were rich in that industry. It all worked itself out and now I had a reliable ally to keep checks on everything and everyone who went in and out of this place. Not that there should be many people coming and going. Part of the plan was to have all of our head designers and enchanters move their families here and take up residence here for the foreseeable future. It was the price to take this job, and while some didn¡¯t, many did. After making sure Shadowbane was set up to return to the Whetted City, I left for one of the many facilities, arriving at a large office. Inside there was the team of 26 individuals I had been given. They were almost all of the best enchanters and summoners that Sawn Industries boasted. Two days ago I was made the Director of the Advanced Development Program, a new sector of Sawn Industires that handled bleeding edge classified projects. My work had already changed the world and Sawn agreed with me that we needed a new level of security for the stuff I was about to make. Elemental Crystals were great, but almost as important as being able to make them was being able to deliver them. The things I would soon be designing would multiply the efficacy of those catastrophic weapons, and I wasn¡¯t interested in more leaks. I also didn¡¯t allow the threat from the 3rd Claw to deter me. I would implement the most thorough security I could so that neither they nor the Church could sneak out the information. Even further, I had been inspired after our fun time that night and went on a spree of digital development, creating a new ¡°online¡± repository for enchantments and knowledge. It was covered in layer after layer of security that only I knew how to crack. I hadn¡¯t finished it yet, but it would be implemented soon. After that, I would have little to worry about regarding keeping designs out of the wrong hands. ¡°Is everyone here?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Boris walked over to me, nodding in affirmative. He flipped through a clipboard in his hands. ¡°The last one came a few minutes ago.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I nodded, looking across everyone in the room. They all went silent and turned to me, waiting for my words. Everyone here was older than me, some by many decades, some by just 10 or 20 years. There were those with white hair and those who looked even younger than I did. I took a breath before speaking. ¡°Good day, everyone. I am John Cooper, your new Director. You all are now a part of the Advanced Development Program, codenamed SkunkWorks. In this program, you all will be responsible for inventing, building, testing, and implementing the most advanced and dangerous weaponry and technology this world has ever seen. Everything you do here will be shrouded with the utmost secrecy, the specifics of which you¡¯ve already been detailed on when you signed your contracts. ¡°For the foreseeable future, this is your home. For the foreseeable future, you will eat, sleep, breathe, and shit SkunkWorks. What we are doing here is not simply creating profitable tools to sell to the Kingdom or Church. We are all here to develop the worst weapons mankind can conceive of in order to wipe out the monsters vying for our extinction. ¡°You all will be the spearhead whose efforts will change the course of the war. My planes, and the bombs currently being dropped from them on the front lines, have already changed the situation for the better. I have friends who are only alive because of those things. There are bases that now rely on my technology to hold off armies of hundreds of thousands. ¡°But even those planes won''t be able to compare to the devastation we will invent. The weapons that come from this place will redefine warfare. The machines of war that we build will be even more important than entire bases of soldiers. We will multiply the combat power of the entire Kingdom tenfold. And while you may not become famous, I¡¯ve made sure that you all will walk out of this place rich when it comes time to do so.¡± I glanced at a few pairs of eyes, finding the spark of excitement and motivation. I was giving these people not just to opportunity to build whatever they could dream up, but a blank check and no red tape. There would be no limits here and these inventors loved that. With the centuries of industrial knowledge in my head and some modern guidance, we¡¯d make machines of destruction that would teach the Scourge what fear was. They will be slaughtered by the hundreds of thousands and they will have no human blood to show for it. I smiled, overlooking the warlocks and summoners, ¡°Pretty soon, numbers will be rendered obsolete. When that happens, we will take the fight to the Scourge, purge them with fire, and take back our land. You all will be the people who make that happen. Just remember that it is not an impossibility, and I will show you the way forward. Now, everyone get to your workstations and set yourselves up. I¡¯ve got some designs to get us started, and I have no intention of delaying our progress.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. They all rushed to different areas of the building, booting up screens and Nodes. ¡°We¡¯re ahead of the curve. No need to wait for the enemy to catch up.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ Through the rest of the month of September, I buckled down with SkunkWorks and managed to get four things out. The first was the classified repository. It was effectively a website that the warlocks and summoners here could access, and all sensitive designs and technologies were uploaded in their entirety. I also created a system that locked down every workstation in the village. Every Aerial, every Node, every screen had my systems ensuring that nothing that shouldn¡¯t be accessed by someone couldn¡¯t be. Nothing could be transmitted beyond the village no matter what, and with physical security, nobody was getting in or out without several people knowing about it. On top of everything, my encryptions could be found on just about every single enchantment that ever went into the repository. Even if someone managed to sneak one out, it couldn¡¯t be used without knowing how to decrypt the entire enchantment first. Layers upon layers of security and trust-proof designs. While I didn¡¯t believe it was entirely traitor-proof, it was damn close to it. Beyond that, there were two weapons that we developed rather quickly thanks to their simplicity. The first was artillery. I designed a type of Howitzer that fired shells which contained armed Elemental Crystals. Upon impact, the crystals would detonate. The hardest part about this was making the propellant that launched the shell. I couldn¡¯t use anything chemical like gunpowder. That would require setting up an entirely new industry. I had to make do with what we had so I just used the one available tool we had already made. More explosive crystals. Nothing like an explosion to propel another explosive device. That¡¯s how all firearms worked anyway, and the propellants didn¡¯t have to be all that powerful to produce more than enough force to get a shell miles away. The hard part then was making them uniform, ensuring all propellant was the same so as to ensure accuracy. Then I had to write another text on how fielding artillery worked and how to operate everything, as well as how artillery groups had to communicate with scout groups to verify effective fire. I also had to make a system of grids so that artillery teams could strike at targets beyond visual range, which required making new maps, accurate maps, and making a system for aerial scouts to use to build those maps. It was all convoluted. It felt like I was introducing the entirety of modern warfare to this primitive nation, and yet I hadn¡¯t even scratched the surface. There were so many systems that would need to bend to my own rules that it wasn¡¯t feasible to implement everything anytime soon. The military would likely need several years to properly adapt to the new weapons and teach soldiers how to use them effectively across entire theaters. The war was progressing now, and I didn¡¯t have several years to let the Kingdom slowly acclimate. That¡¯s why, although I made the designs, wrote down the systems in text, and devised everything necessary to implement artillery into the military, I didn¡¯t push for it. My focus shifted from there to the next thing we made. Tanks. The issue with tanks, and why Steeds dominated, was the mobility. Power scaling often dictated that if you couldn¡¯t kill something in a reasonably short amount of time, you probably had to run from it because the enemy was so hopelessly overpowered that no amount of firepower would threaten them. You were a pig to the slaughter. So big heavy hunks of metal weren¡¯t ideal unless they were very heavily armored, which made them prohibitively expensive. And if it was very heavily armored then it was probably heavier than normal which demanded a drive shaft that could move the thing, and the normal method to turn wheels wasn¡¯t that good. Thankfully though, I had made the Mana Engine, solving that problem and therefore solving the mobility problem. That meant we could introduce tanks to the field of battle. They would be far more reliable and far more armored than tanks from Earth, and not just because of the power scaling. Like with the planes, these tanks wouldn¡¯t need engine bays, and ammo could be stored within storage crystals. Knights could lift shells easily which made manual loading far faster. That meant these tanks were just giant guns on armored treads. So I made them big and cool. 4 inches of steel would be enchanted to an Authority 9 standard. There would be two 120mm main guns in the front, and the inside of the tank would be big enough to comfortably house 8 people. One person would sight, fire, and turn the main guns, one person would drive the tank, two people would be the loaders, and four people would man four turrets around the tank. It was big, it was bulky, and it was heavy. Without the need for an engine bay the entire interior could be utilized. It was as tall as a Steed, several times wider, and it would dominate the battlefield. I could already imagine a whole battalion of armor steamrolling through thousands of Scourge, unleashing hell and nothing able to do a damn thing about it. It was a beautiful thought that I was determined to make reality. And to do it in a more timely manner, I told Sawn that he should probably outsource the construction of the tanks to the Whetted City. They would make money that way and we would have less of a load on our already massive plate. Sawn still had his hands full manufacturing planes and went on a hiring spree because of it. He didn¡¯t also need to worry about tanks. He agreed and started writing up the deals as I assigned some people to adapt the Howitzer tech to the main guns. I also implemented environmental control systems and other miscellaneous niceties that would ensure the crew couldn¡¯t be burned out or something like that. Finally, the last thing I had the team start working on was missiles. Planes needed more weapons. The turrets Sawn Industries was famous for weren¡¯t good at extreme ranges. Therefore, I decided to start making missiles. This was both simpler and more complicated. It was simple in the fact that I simply had to make a metal tube fly with an explosive crystal inside of it. The hard part was making it fly where I wanted. For that, I had to delve into another field I had touched upon when messing with the data repository for the workstations. Programming, and the sensors that could be programmed. There were such things as magical sensors but they weren¡¯t amazing. Precision was an issue and that demanded complexity and data. Aerials were the first step toward computerization magic, and Sawn had long ago given me the full schematics for them. I knew how they worked. In the end it was nothing but a bunch of instruction sets. I could use that for other things, so I adapted the tech in order to not only make some magic sensors, but guidance systems. The main guidance system would follow a beam of mana, almost identical to a laser guidance system. That, in turn, required a special tool as well as a way to mount that tool to a plane. It would also demand a co-pilot who could control the laser, which would demand another model of plane. That wasn¡¯t the only kind of missile though. There were big ones, small ones, dumb ones, smart ones, hellfire ones, high explosive ones, and more. I made enough variants to cover a variety of situations, primarily crowd control and close air support. They could also carried by helicopters and missile launchers designed for them, because there was no way I was going without an Apache. Needless to say, the SkunkWorks team had a lot on their plate. I was able to give the general designs as well as the core enchantments, but it was their job to refine, build, and test everything to make sure it worked like we wanted. It would probably take several months to get all of these projects into the field, but it was worth the wait. These weapons, as I had said many times, would change the way war was fought. It would, of course, also change the power dynamic between the Kingdom and Church, but that was a price I was willing to pay. It wasn¡¯t like I wouldn¡¯t give the Church my designs either. As soon as Luna came back to me with a promise from the Church that they wouldn¡¯t get me killed by openly fielding my work, then I would send everything. As the person with the highest clearance and knowledge of how everything worked, I naturally made myself admin and left backdoors in several places throughout every system I created as well. I could transmit and delete anything I wanted to without anyone being the wiser. Now, it was all about timing. I set everything up nice and neat for SkunkWorks to work on while I went back to the Treehouse. Unfortunately, I was still under contract to fight. Not that I didn¡¯t think it was good for me. Getting back out in the field was a good way to keep track of things and keep me on my toes. Life in the Capital was peaceful. It was easy to get complacent and lazy. I needed to keep sharp. I needed to keep reminding myself about what I was fighting against, garnering inspiration for more weapons. I was getting close to Authority 7. Although I had gotten distracted more often than not, I was diligent and about to finish comprehending the next advancement formation. After that, I¡¯d start cultivating power and develop my next Spark. I was looking forward to it, and the battlefield was a good place to exercise my Psyka with machine gun fire. Chapter 217: Just As Good October 12th, 625 ¡°One last time¡­¡± I muttered and closed my eyes, letting my Aura concentrate before infusing Psyka into it. My advancement formation bloomed. Dozens of formations started to appear, two at a time, taking several seconds to form each one. I utilized my visualization ability to its fullest as the formation count rose to over 30. Soon, I had 8 clusters of 6 formations each, a total of 48 formations. Then, I started forming the connections between them, mediated by hundreds of arrays, each array sporting over a dozen connections each. There were well over ten thousand total connections I had to make. Without my visualization to keep track of everything, I felt like this would take another several months of constant practice to complete. But my power had reached a new height, and so after several minutes, I was able to string the last connection, intertwining all 48 formations into one cohesive whole. It flashed as soon as it completed. I faintly felt that the formation desired to finish itself in a way, the last connection falling into place with an almost magnetic pull. It instantly told me that not only had I completed the formation, but it was entirely correct. I focused on the formation, creating an image of it in my mind. Once memorized, I washed it away before reforming it. Instead of several minutes, I managed to shape the formation together in two this time. I smiled, satisfied. ¡°Finally complete. Now I can start working on developing that Spark.¡± My second Spark was still just a kernel of potential. This advancement formation would transform it as well as the rest of my mind once I advanced. It would be a big advancement too. Authority 7 was a threshold, obviously because I was making another Spark entirely. Once I got past it, not only would my sheer power take a huge jump, but my memory, computational ability, and visualization would undergo radical changes That wasn¡¯t even considering the 7th Star that I would be unlocking. I was excited to see the weapons beyond it. I opened my eyes, looking out the window of my plane and seeing the landscape outside of the Treehouse. We made our approach. The plane touched down and braked to a halt on the runway. Once we touched the ground I could feel the tremors from bombs being dropped in the distance. It hadn¡¯t calmed at all since I left. The FOBs had fallen, but the Treehouse continued to resist. We had total air superiority, but there was a fine balance being struck that made victory an uncertainty. I disembarked and used my boots to glide across the ground and get to headquarters. Once inside I went to the war room and found Polly. I waited for her to delegate the last of her tasks before stepping forward. ¡°Good to see you, John.¡± ¡°You too. How¡¯s it looking?¡± ¡°Not great. We¡¯re holding them off but I don¡¯t know for how much longer. The Scourge overwhelmed the last of our forward bases 6 days ago and now we¡¯re on the defensive again. I¡¯m attempting to use the bombers to try and disrupt the construction of that intestine but it hasn¡¯t hindered them at all it seems. They keep sending monsters by the thousand.¡± I looked down at the map, memorizing it. There was far more detail but all that did was paint a worse picture. The Scourge was slowly encroaching on the battle lines we established with Operation Breakwater. Planes were coming in and being launched at every opportunity. Pilots were getting plenty of air time, doing as much damage to the Scourge since it was nothing but free kills. There hadn¡¯t been a single downed plane since they arrived, though there had been damages. Thankfully there were few systems to destroy, so even with horrible damage, the planes were all able to make it back home. We would see how long that lasted. For now though, air superiority was giving us a hell of an advantage. Despite the pressure mounting, casualty rates had only gotten lower. Pound for pound, we were actually setting performance records, and it was only getting better as the troops adapted to their new weapons and support. I didn¡¯t know if it would be enough though. I could see the wave of red on the map, getting closer and denser. In the distance the occasional bombing run was being made to destroy some of the intestine but there was so much that it seemed futile. What few bombs the Treehouse had in inventory needed to be spent killing monsters. We currently had a combat population of 130 thousand. The Treehouse had become a full blown stronghold and there were tens of thousands of troops beyond the wire at any given time. We had gotten reinforced with several Brigadiers and a couple Marshals, not to mentioned the Sovereign that had come during Polly¡¯s promotion. That guy made himself scarce but he was here for a reason. There were Sovereign Class Royals not far away. Jasmine and I had already encountered them, had gotten attacked even in the XR-11. All that intel had already been passed up the chain, and so now everyone knew that the Scourge was conducting a full blown assault. There would be no rest. They were here to overwhelm us, and they had no issue using hundreds of thousands, if not millions of monsters to do it. I wondered if we¡¯d be able to get out enough planes and bombs fast enough to circumvent them. ¡°Where are the Snow Doves?¡± ¡°Reinforcing another battalion to the northwest.¡± ¡°Is there a helicopter that can get me out there?¡± ¡°Not at the moment. All aircraft are in the sky or refueling.¡± ¡°What about a group headed their way? Right here.¡± I pointed down. There was a planned route for a company to take, one that would be coming close to where the Snow Doves were operating. She frowned, ¡°They would still be separated by a distance of 12 miles.¡± ¡°I can cover that.¡± ¡°By yourself? On a battlefield?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you read my file? I¡¯ve got a pretty good Aura.¡± ¡°You redacted your own file.¡± ¡°Oh yeah.¡± I chuckled a bit, getting the information for the company that was about to deploy. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Just get me in the fight.¡± ¡°Fine. Watch your legs and stay in contact.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Enemies left!¡± ¡°Warlocks, get fire on them! Raise barriers!¡± ¡°Pull those guys back now! They¡¯re about to get surrounded!¡± ¡°Turrets face front! Someone get us some air support! We¡¯ve got another wave incoming!¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Screams and explosions rang out over the battlefield as the sun set, the turrets on multiple Steeds firing without rest. Wounded troops were hauled through their open hatches, healers doing what they could to keep the critically wounded from dying so soon. Lines of knights with shields and spears surrounded the Steeds, keeping waves of monsters from reaching beyond them. Warlocks rained hell upon the clusters of enemies, area spells blowing apart dozens at a time. Yet there always seemed to be more bodies to replace the dead. Nonnen and Amira locked themselves in battle with two Authority 10 Royals. Nonnen had his on the back foot but this one was tenacious, while Amira was equal with hers. Nonnen knew he had this battle in hand but the longer he delayed, the worse off the rest of the troops would be. They would get swarmed while he was doing battle, and if that happened they would not only lose the remaining battalion they had come to reinforce, but lose a huge chunk of his Snow Doves. Thankfully his Chiefs were putting in good work. A few of them were recently arrived warlocks and while he had been worried about their abilities, the massive explosions of fire coming from their Foci dashed those away rather quickly. But they couldn¡¯t last forever. Battles of attrition always worked in the favor of the Scourge. ¡°Another wave incoming from the east!¡± Nonnen grit his teeth as the Royal in front of him laughed. Another surge of enemies, at least a thousand, started surging from over a hill. Nonnen didn¡¯t know where they were coming from but that didn¡¯t matter right now. One of the Chiefs yelled. ¡°Where¡¯s our air support?!¡± ¡°12 minutes out!¡± ¡°Tell them to hurry up, or they¡¯ll be reinforcing a graveyard!¡± ¡°Sir, we have an incoming comm request!¡± The Chief turned around after launching a spell, ¡°Who is it?!¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know! Clearance isn¡¯t giving me a name!¡± ¡°Just fucking accept it! Send it to my Aerial!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± The Chief lifted his wrist as the connection was established. ¡°This is Chief Liam of the Snow Doves! Who am I speaking to?!¡± ¡°Chief Liam, you¡¯re not supposed to send your name over Aerial traffic.¡± ¡°Who the¡­¡± Chief Liam was confused for a second before recognizing the voice, his eyes widening. ¡°Envoy?¡± ¡°Am I so recognizable? Tell me where you need more firepower.¡± ¡°Y-Yes sir! We¡¯ve got an incoming horde approaching from our east!¡± ¡°Copy. Moving to reinforce. Envoy out.¡± The connection went dark, the call record wiped from Chief Liam¡¯s Aerial before he could even look at it. He yelled, ¡°We have reinforcements on the east side!¡± ¡°Who?!¡± Before Chief Liam could respond, they all heard it. The wonderfully familiar symphony of gunfire. Rattling explosions rang from the east, everyone¡¯s heads turning to find a line of red streaks shooting through the air and drawing lines from the lone attacker toward the horde of incoming monsters. Dozens of them started dropping as they ran, those red streaks tearing through 3 or 4 bodies before stopping. The gunfire was unceasing, well over a dozen explosions ringing out every second, and despite the monsters of the horde being primarily composed of Authority 6 or 7 monsters, they fell all the same. Nothing could stop the Envoy¡¯s weapons except the most powerful Royals. Chief Liam was just one of many who could recall the Envoy¡¯s exploits in intimate detail. His support could fend off thousands alone. He would kill hundreds by the time the monsters even got close enough to launch ranged attacks. With a little support from them, he could cut down entire armies through his lone firepower. Chief Liam grinned as the Envoy came gliding across the hill on magic boots. In each hand he held a long metal machine of death, both of them spitting fire and unleashing red lines of carnage. From each of them extended metal belts being fed by the large backpack on his back. In mere seconds over a hundred monsters had been cut down, being routed entirely as they diverted their charge toward him. The carnage only got worse as they lined up for the slaughter. Those monsters had little to no sense of self preservation but that only fed the Envoy¡¯s wrath. Without having to worry about that horde, the rest of the troops could focus on what was in front of them. The battle raged, and the Envoy¡¯s support boosted morale to an unprecedented level. Even those from the battalion the Doves were rescuing started stepping up with their war cries and pushing the Scourge back instead of merely defending. With the Envoy here, victory seemed assured. Everyone had heard rumors and tales of his battles after the planes made him famous. John Cooper was a legend among those at the Treehouse. Seeing his power like this though was entirely different from hearing those stories. After several minutes, the Scourge was cut down, the Brigadiers able to bring down their enemies after some Chiefs were freed up to help. Once that happened the rest of the monsters were slaughtered and added to the massive pile of corpses. The battle ended, just like that. Chief Liam watched the Envoy and Nonnen converge in the center, discussing a few things before bickering slightly and laughing. Nonnen was wounded but it wasn¡¯t anything the tough Brigadier couldn¡¯t shrug off. After that, the healers focused on healing while everyone else started gathering Scourge corpses. They were amassed into one giant pile before one of the warlocks tossed flames at it, letting the entire pile burn. The Envoy looked at that weirdly, ¡°Why are you burning them?¡± ¡°So we can retrieve their crystals,¡± Nonnen responded, frowning toward the Envoy, ¡°Your company is so desperate for more crystals that they offered to pay soldiers for retrieved crystals from out in the field where normal harvesting teams can¡¯t reach. And since your cheap ass didn¡¯t want to get us a new Steed, I¡¯ve gotta make some money myself!¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve been working on other things! In fact, pretty soon we¡¯re going to have something much better than Steeds on the ground. Stop nagging and maybe I¡¯ll make sure you guys are the first ones in them.¡± ¡°What kind of death machine did you conjure up this time?¡± ¡°A tank. Imagine 20 tons of rolling metal with giant guns on them that shoot 2 foot long bullets similar to my guns. It would be so heavily armored that you could take on the army we just killed on a single tank alone and come out completely unscathed. So long as it didn¡¯t take a pounding from those Authority 10s, of course.¡± ¡°Sounds excessive. I¡¯ll need at least 6.¡± ¡°The intention is to make entire battalions of tanks. Who knows, maybe you¡¯ll be the first armored battalion in the military.¡± ¡°Will I get a pay raise?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but you¡¯ll get to blow shit up so¡­¡± The Envoy shrugged, Nonnen rolling his eyes before going on with business. After the corpses burned they retrieved all the crystals and made haste back to base. Chief Liam made sure to call off the air support as well. Since apparently the Envoy was just as good as air support. All of the Snow Doves knew that they were going back to base with another story to tell. ¡­¡­ Wielding two machine guns was a hell of an experience. I felt like Rambo, dumping thousands of rounds like dollar bills in a strip club. Unfortunately for my pool of Psyka, I would need to be a badass for a while longer. As we went back to base we encountered more Scourge forces and troops battling them. We moved to reinforce, attaining victory before moving on and encountering even more. From battle to battle we jumped across checkpoints on the way back to base, gathering more troops along the way. Then we made it back to base, seeing an incoming Scourge army in the distance numbering at least 60 thousand. The Treehouse was sending troops to intercept but it seemed like a siege wasn¡¯t far off. Explosions lit up the night, bombers in the sky dropping their payloads on hordes that could do nothing but watch. Almost all of the bombs were high explosive firebombs that detonated on impact. However, there were also hellfire bombs that detonated a distance above the ground and spread other cluster bombs upon the enemy, scattering fire across a wide area and causing more chaos than damage. Either were good to break up enemy lines, but they meant that the night was filled with bright flashes of flame and small mushroom clouds. It was starting to look like a proper war zone. The Snow Doves were sent right back out as soon as I was contacted by Polly. We couldn¡¯t even enter the base. We, along with two entire divisions of warlocks and knights, were turned right back around to intercept the incoming Scourge forces. I very quickly dropped the second M60 and stuck to one. Thousands of troops rode out over 5 miles before digging in, warlocks raising barriers and obstacles and knights raising shields just behind them. We were hit pretty hard as soon as the Scourge made contact. ¡°Protect our flank! Don¡¯t let them encircle!¡± ¡°Replant spikes! We need to slow their advance! Don¡¯t let the barriers fall!¡± ¡°Envoy!¡± Nonnen called, my head snapping in his direction. I saw him near the front, looking back at me. ¡°We¡¯re in this shit now! Let¡¯s not get to the point where we need reinforcements! It¡¯s time to show me how far you can go!¡± ¡°Roger.¡± My voice came out, quiet compared to the nearby chaos, but the Psyka behind it carried my word into the minds of others like propagating sound. I had just under half of my Psyka remaining, but my brain was already sore with use. I was tired and if I drained my Psyka I¡¯d get lethargic and want to pass out. That wasn¡¯t an option now though. Nonnen was right. We were in this shit. We were the first ones they sent to intercept this force and they probably weren¡¯t expecting any amazing results. They would continuously reinforce us, but chances were we¡¯d be the first to die when shit went south. That¡¯s what it meant to be first in. Even Polly was reluctant to send us, but chances were the orders didn¡¯t come from her. We were just the closest and there was probably a Major General who saw that and made the call. In time, we¡¯d get somewhat fresh forces from the base, but until then, we were five miles out and all alone. I watched the massive horde make its way to us, charging with wild abandon, Royals scattered throughout looking for a target to focus on. Spells were raised on both sides, each one attempting to break apart defensive lines. I just sat back and fired by M60 in bursts, occasionally throwing a grenade into a massive group of Scourge, shrapnel tearing into several of them and incapacitating entire groups. I managed my Psyka, drawing it out, trying to maintain a balance of energy efficiency so that I didn¡¯t exhaust myself but didn¡¯t slow down too much. It would be a tough battle, but I wouldn¡¯t allow it to end in any other way than victory. Chapter 218: Authority 7 The month of October was constantly eventful. It was easy to say that I had received more than enough opportunity for exercise. The Scourge was relentless. There were thousands of troops attacking in massive groups at any given moment. It was common for one, two, or even three divisions to be sent out for battle multiple times a week. The Snow Doves were especially busy. There was no longer any need for recon since we had planes but since we had the intel advantage, we were aware of every Scourge force that tried to make a move on us. It was often the job of strike teams to search and destroy those high strength low count forces. Thankfully we had things like helicopters that could drop us beyond the majority of enemy activity and not far from our objective. Instead of missions taking the better part of a day, it would take hours. It also meant we were getting more missions in general but I had to pick and choose my dissatisfactions. I may complain, but I wouldn¡¯t have things any other way. I was glad to be fighting alongside the Snow Doves. I took pride in my ability to slaughter thousands of monsters in mere minutes. I could control battlefields, and with me there, my troops were in lesser danger. By extension, with me there, Nonnen was able to loosen his restraints and focus on his enemies, leaving the rest of his platoon to me. I didn¡¯t want to leave because that felt like leaving my troops to fend for themselves, especially when the Scourge only picked up the pace. We were constantly slaughtering them, firebombing them, driving back their hordes. When the end of October came Polly estimated that we had killed over 200 thousand in just that month. However, when the second week of November came and ended, we had killed another 270 thousand in those two weeks. Scourge armies started increasing from 50 thousand strong to 100 thousand strong. We were receiving thousands of troops a day, pulled from the Kingdom¡¯s apparently vast reserves, and yet it felt like we were losing more than we were gaining. Every soldier that died was statistically taking 20 to 30 monsters with them, which was an amazing performance record afforded only by bombing runs. But when 60 thousand monsters came, that was still 2000 dead troops, and far more wounded. 270 thousand dead Scourge in two weeks meant 15 thousand dead troops in two weeks. And unlike the Scourge, we couldn¡¯t replenish such numbers easily. They would overwhelm us sooner rather than later. That wasn¡¯t even mentioning the battles among the Brigadiers. We had lost six during October. We had managed to kill 10 in that same time, which was just under a 1 to 2 exchange. After all, we couldn¡¯t kill Brigadier Class Scourge with bombing runs. They affected that stratum of power in no way. It¡¯s what the missiles and tanks were supposed to help with, perhaps some anti-personnel explosives I had in mind, but even after a month of development they wouldn''t be getting fielded soon. Tanks were getting close but I had gotten word that they were running into problems perfecting the propellant for the main guns and making sure everything was ¡°stupid proof¡± as I put it. All summoners knew exactly what that term meant but it was difficult to implement it. Still, they had prototypes out and Sawn was building tanks even though the shells weren¡¯t perfect. He knew they¡¯d get used and was stockpiling in advance. He also knew that the Treehouse was getting desperate. He was sending almost all bombs he produced to us in order to help me, but we were using them just as fast as we got them. C-400 planes were coming and going multiple times a day carrying all kinds of cargo, but it never seemed like enough. The Treehouse by itself was consuming more manpower and resources than entire fronts. It was like the Scourge was entirely focused on us because there was no other base that was taking as great of a hit by a long shot. However, because of that, my planes were showcased as the single greatest wartime invention in the Kingdom¡¯s history. They were the only reason the Treehouse was able to survive so long. They would¡¯ve been toppled under normal circumstances. The entire Kingdom was seeing just how amazing they were. Because of that, the Kingdom signed another contract for 2 billion coin with Sawn Industries for planes, bombs, more airfields, and more Aerial systems. Sawn couldn¡¯t actually keep up with the orders despite hiring what seemed like every free enchanter in the Kingdom. And although I had to start paying taxes, I was slated to receive almost half a billion coin for my work. I was a rich man by every metric, and yet none of it felt like enough. Thankfully, I was about to acquire more of a different kind of power. With every day that I stressed myself on the battlefield, my cultivation advanced. My second Spark developed more and more, by leaps and bounds every time I drained my Psyka and regenerated it using my advancement formation. The Authority 7 behemoth White Crystal Maxwell gave me had vast power within, but I sucked it down every time I cultivated without issue. My dreams helped as well, as they always did. When the second week of November passed, I was close to advancing. It was then I finally decided to head back to the Capital, and I sent a message to Maxwell letting him know that he¡¯d need to ready up. Authority 7 was here. ¡­¡­ ¡­ November 17th, 625 ¡°Why is your house always so cold? It¡¯s like you¡¯re not as rich as me.¡± ¡°My clothes thermal regulate just fine. I like the cold anyway. Not a fan?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I never took you for a summer guy.¡± ¡°I enjoy not worrying about having to warm up. The snow is bad enough outside, and yet you make me trudge through it without at least warming up your house for me to defrost in.¡± Maxwell grumbled, making me snicker a bit. He acted like his clothes didn¡¯t also thermal regulate better than mine. The house I had gotten was toward a more open area of the Capital. I had about two acre''s worth of land to separate me from the rest of the populus and I had modified the property to sport a helipad for my personal helicopter. I naturally had one as rich as I was. It was good to get me from my house to the Spire or to the nearby airfield where I could board a plane to Wonderland. The house was big enough, certainly not a noble estate, but it was more room than I knew what to do with. The two biggest rooms were my office and bedroom, which was most of what I was concerned about. There were even maids who came in to clean occasionally. I was a personal chef away from living the high life. Maxwell waved, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get this going. Took you long enough to get to this point.¡± ¡°I¡¯d say a year and a half to get from Authority 6 to 7 is pretty damn fast.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, don¡¯t break a hand jerking yourself off. Prep the formations and let me see them. Mind Palace technique as well.¡± I chuckled as he set up the tempering chair. It was a nicer chair than what I remembered, cushioned instead of just wood, with a larger ring of Crystal cradles around it. It was also heavy with enchantments. I sat on it in the middle of my sparsely furnished living room before showing off all the formations. The advancement formation was by far the most complex but with this advancement I¡¯d also be advancing my Mind Palace Technique to a whole other level. I already had some big ideas for how I would change it, and they would cascade into a paradigm shift when combined with the changes my second Spark brought about. Maxwell nodded when he saw the formations, starting to slot Crystals into cradles. ¡°Good. Seems like I was right all along.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°About everything regarding my Call of the Fallen Angel. It is the prime path for a summoner¡¯s advancement. With every Authority you advance you are only proving that. The very fact that you have gotten here means it is the correct path. Now continue. I will wait until your advancement starts.¡± ¡°Hm, alright.¡± I just nodded, closing my eyes as Maxwell slotted in the last Authority 9 White Crystal into the tempering chair. Once my advancement formation was conjured he activated the chair and immense pressure was placed on my soul, the Magika becoming denser than fog as it clouded the chair. I couldn¡¯t see my own hand in front of my face. I went with it and started cultivating the last of my power. I was already on the threshold. I felt my mind open itself to more power, Psyka circulating along the advancement formation and coalescing in my mind space. My consciousness was moved to my Mind Palace. My soul stood within my Grand Library, the repository for all of my knowledge and memories. In the center of that library was the core where my Sparks were. The first, fully formed and churning heavily with computational power, the second, mostly formed, not yet filled with any information. The power around me was so dense that it took but a minute to add another layer onto the second Spark and maximize its power. That¡¯s when my advancement formation flashed, manifesting over the Spark and engraving itself into it. The process officially started. My entire mind shook as it and my soul opened themselves completely. Magika flooded in, washing through my entire Mind Palace, so dense that it became cloudy with power that I couldn¡¯t seem to find a place for. The walls of my Palace were so heavily saturated that they became weaker instead of stronger. My Aura, originally cloudy with illusion, went into disarray. My Grand Library, full of books and texts and pictures, went through a shattering upheaval as my mind attempted to expand it, and failed when I couldn¡¯t figure out how to make a library so massive as to accommodate that much power. My home, composed of familiar furniture mimicking my Black Spider Hotel room, was upended. It no longer acted as the anchor by which I remembered things. My memory was so good that it didn¡¯t require associating one thing with another to strengthen the memory. That may have been true in the past but, especially with this advancement, it was far from the case. My memory was about to become perfectly infallible. I could already feel it working, but with that realization I became acutely aware that my Mind Palace would have to be changed. Down to the foundations. So I did what any reasonable man would do and destroyed everything. I pushed on the incoming power, pressurizing it and making my Mind Palace explode. The walls crumbled, the Grand Library came tumbling down, books vaporizing and my memories being released into the smoke. Then I looked at my home, and after but a few moments of hesitation, I obliterated it. My realizations didn¡¯t stop at the fact that my memory was to become perfect. I realized that my Mind Palace was more than just a memory technique. It was visualization, and that could be used in more than one way. I recalled all my experiences when visualization massively amplified my abilities. It did so with not just memory but with my illusions and mental trickery. It allowed me to hide from even Authority 10 Magi if they were duller than Nonnen. My visualization allowed me greater accuracy with my weapons, allowed me to connect with them on a level unknown to any human throughout Earth¡¯s history. My accuracy became almost as rightfully perfect as my visualization. And so I came to one simple conclusion. My Mind Palace was not to be a mere memory/mnemonic technique. It was also not to become solely a defensive construct that protected my mind. My Mind Palace was to become a weapon. In a time when the Scourge was pushing harder than ever to wipe us out, in a time when I spent almost every waking moment on the battlefield among my machines of war and brothers and sisters in battle, I devoted everything toward killing those monsters. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Thus, I demanded that my Mind Palace become another weapon by which all else would be perfected, honed, and amplified. A weapon had purpose. It had strengths and limits that could be compensated for by other weapons. Most importantly, a sufficiently powerful weapon became its own shield. And so I created a weapon of my mind. After I toppled everything, I visualized the greatest weapon ever conceived, the framework by which I¡¯d shape the facilities of my mind. War. War was the single greatest tool of destruction. War drove technology. War was used to impose upon others. War was used to protect. Within war there was intelligence and brutality in equal measures. Intelligence gave tactics, subterfuge, and technology. Brutality was used when intelligence had already borne all the fruits it could give. When the tactics were formulated, when the subterfuge had failed or succeeded in giving its advantages, and when the technology was developed, brutality was enacted with those fruits of intelligence. The Scourge demanded that I be a master of both. With brutality I could use my weapons to slaughter thousands of monsters. With intelligence I could develop weapons that enabled others to slaughter millions. With a thought, I built the first structure, the all encompassing fortress by which everything else would be facilitated. The fortress was massive, composed of Grade 5 Titanium, one of the strongest metals I could imagine. It was circular so as to defend and attack from all sides and lifted upon tall foundations made of the same sheer titanium that sloped upwards into segmented titanium walls towering 200 meters into the air and being 50 meters thick. Everything was further enchanted as much as it could be, the power of Psyka coursing through every inch. Inside of these walls was an industrial complex. Not of simple factories but of data centers and fabrication plants. I started on the fabrication plants. It composed an entire half of the fortress and was where I would engage in enchanting and production. I manifested the necessary facilities within, creating tools that eased the design process, that could error check with programmed systems, that could simulate even better than Sawn¡¯s own simulators could. After all, I had modern equipment, and I had figured out how to program magic. Within these facilities I could create anything given enough time. Then there were the machines responsible for building and assembling the things I designed, as well as an open field for testing the products that came off those belts. The second thing I focused on was the War Room. There I created a massive digital map that contained everything I had seen on maps from the Treehouse. Along with the map there was a console that could coordinate troops and track their statuses, useful for keeping up with the condition of platoons and enemies during active combat and developing tactics and strategies. Beside the War Room was the Armory, the third facility, a place where I cataloged all of my weapons and armaments. I¡¯d be able to create loadouts for different situations, streamlining the summoning process. The fourth thing I focused on was the Command and Control Center. It was at the top of the titanium fortress, way up in the sky. It was there that I created the coordination systems to operate things during wartime. From there I would guide myself and others during battle. It was different from the War Room. One was for tactics, the other was for operation. One demanded intelligence, the other demanded brutality. In the CCC I¡¯d control my body like the weapon it was. The War Room would pass me the tactics and updates from everything around me, but it was ultimately up to the CCC what I did and how I responded. I gave myself a captain¡¯s chair and everything, one that sat behind a dozen screens that could track information and consoles all around that allowed me to respond to new developments. After building that I took a step back, thinking about a few more things and making additions to the fortress as a whole. I separated the walls into four sections, and on the first section I inscribed Anarchy, leaving the other three sections blank. After that I went across the walls and added turrets. Some were huge autocannons, others were missile batteries, others were large bore cannons. I added missile silos behind the walls and added dense razor wire to the base of the walls, as well as some point defense and anti-air just behind the main turrets, and mortars and artillery within the walls for indirect fire support. I smiled and nodded approvingly. Attached to every single weapon were thick belts of ammunition or stockpiled armament just waiting to get fired. Now it was a proper fortress. I also added my living quarters, a mimickry of my Hotel room. While it was no longer an anchor for my memories, it would still be a familiar place for me to reside and rest. Last but most importantly, I went and made the Data Center. Located at the core of the base, the Data Center was where the core of my intelligence resided. It went all the way down to the foundation, and upon it I built two sectors. The first sector was for my first Spark. It was a sector that I placed my Spark into and surrounded with supercomputers. The supercomputers would take the processing power from my Spark and distribute it accordingly to the rest of the fortress with thick fiber optic cables. To anybody else not from Earth, the sight of this complex sector was unintelligible, looking like a jungle of metal and wire. However, I took it a step further and restructured my visualization of the Spark entirely. I allowed it to take the form of a basic AI. It¡¯s effectively what my first Spark was. It was a secondary processing unit that could act as a miniature mind. I could give it tasks, draw on its extra computing power, or have it control things like my telepathy, automating functions so I could free my mind up for other things. The Spark was implanted into a projection device and attached with hundreds of cables to all the surrounding supercomputers. After setting up cooling systems to cool the supercomputers with liquid nitrogen and exchangers to bleed heat to other radiative systems, I activated the device and projected my visualization of the Spark. An image appeared in the air above the device, a massive network of lattice nodes connected in a pattern similar to neural networks and glowing a deep red, symbolizing the heat that such computational systems would normally generate. It hardly made sense but it¡¯s how I imagined this crystal Spark being translated into an intelligence similar to a brain. However, there were gaps all across the projection. I knew what they were. It was the memories required to run the Spark. So I moved on to the second sector. The second sector, where my new second Spark was placed, was a bit more comprehensible than the first. There, I put together a center for all of my knowledge and memories. There were data racks stacked on top of each other and neatly placed throughout the room. On each rack were not hard drives, but data crystals. It was a cross between hard drives on Earth and Orbs on this world. These data crystals could store magnitudes more information than normal hard drives, and there were 50 of them in each data rack, each crystal having an optical reader attached to it, which broke off into a fiber optic cable. There were hundreds of data racks, tens of thousands of data crystals and fiber optic cables that all shot up to and traveled across the ceiling in neat organized bundles before dropping to the Spark. After hooking the Spark up to a projection device like the first and connecting all the fiber optic cables, I activated it and saw the image. The other half of the crystalline neural network appeared in the air, glowing cold blue with inert information rather than active data, the opposite of the other Spark. With a nod, I left the second sector, moving to the true core of this data center. I reached the last empty room and pondered before running two massive fiber optic cables from the two neural networks and attached them to a singular device in the central room. The device was another Orb, sitting upon a pedestal, about 3 feet in diameter. The two cables latched onto it from the left and right, spitting their data straight into the Orb, both visualizations of my Sparks converging into one image. It appeared within the Orb, a dense purple neural network. They filled each other''s gaps, each one capable of taking from the other without any inhibition or delay. It was almost like an actual brain, two sides of the same coin coming together into one cohesive whole. I sighed before enchanting the pedestal and connecting this data center to the rest of the base. My entire Mind Palace flashed when that happened, conduits engraving and flashing across every wall and floor, every system connected to every system. That¡¯s when the Data Center changed, the small room with the pedestal flashing as the walls took on projections. The small, dark, metal room bloomed into a massive white space with paneled walls, floors, and ceilings with grid markings all over them. I looked at the pedestal and touched the Orb, thinking of something. ¡°Cat.¡± The room changed, becoming a shelter where a dozen cats were held in cages along walls. Then it shifted again, showing a house, a kitten running around the living room and chasing a child pulling a string behind them. It shifted once more, an adult cat curled into the lap of the child, now a teenager. It continued shifting, turning into a forest, where I saw a tiger prowling through tall grass. It shifted from there to show a lion in a savannah, chasing and hunting a herd of prey zebras. Then when I willed it, the images flashed away, returning to a blank room. Above the Orb was a search bar and a word within that bar. ¡°Think.¡± I muttered, understanding that this place had just become more than some cold storage for data and processing. It had become more than I initially conceived. A secondary mind that could, in a way, think for me. I only had to think of a cat and this facility would hand me every detail about a cat within my mind. It would be perfect data, data that I could pull on with my Psyka and Aura directly. I wasn¡¯t sure what this meant for my illusory abilities, but it was immediately clear that my Auric technique had just taken a hardly fathomable step forward. I gave a simple nod and left the data center. I backed away and saw the entire Mind Palace. I made sure it had enough facilities to support what I¡¯d do in the future, including a place dedicated toward processing advancement formations. This place would become my weapon. It would conduct war, and it would excel at every facet of what war entailed. It was my war machine. It was brutalist, utilitarian, but that¡¯s what war called for. I wouldn¡¯t give the Scourge the luxury of flair or finesse. I would slaughter them with utter efficiency. But of course, this massive fortress would need power to drive all of its functions. I rubbed my chin before looking beyond the fortress at the flowing vortex of power that was my Psyka. The pool had expanded to many times what it was before. Just like this fortress was several times bigger and far stronger than my previous palace, the vortex was not just 5 or 6 times larger, but thicker, denser. I shifted that vortex, gathering up the rest of the lingering power through my mind and situating it above the fortress. Then I made it flow downward, the vortex converging in the center of itself before dropping like a beam of light and shooting into the fortress. The entire structure flashed, every conduit nearly overloading before it was all saturated with dense power. That¡¯s when I finally felt my mind blank, my consciousness disappearing for an undeterminable amount of time. ¡­¡­ ¡­ Maxwell sat on his own chair not far from John. Initially he had simply activated the tempering device and waited, sipping a glass of wine and reading a book, bored out of his mind. Not that he hadn¡¯t often been bored these days. He had long learned to deal with it and be idle. Several hours passed though and John was still going through his advancement. So much Magika was flowing from the tempering device that Maxwell couldn¡¯t help but be worried for the kid¡¯s body. It was supposed to temper him, not kill him. But from the density of Vigor radiating from John¡¯s body, he had to be at least at the Authority 3 or 4 standard for knights. Of course, John couldn¡¯t actively use any of that Vigor but it still strengthened his body to an unbelievable degree. He couldn''t help but wonder what was happening in his mind that took so long. The Mind Palace technique should make things go by quicker. Maxwell had managed to develop the technique for himself. It was rudimentary since he couldn¡¯t take advantage of an advancement to entrench the technique, but he found that it greatly helped with keeping his mind balanced. His broken vessel was prone to overexerting itself. The Mind Palace was a good way to stabilize himself. He could admit that this student of his had come to him with an amazing thing back then. What John was doing was something different though. He decided to take a nap while waiting, slumping a bit in his chair. That lasted for about 4 hours before he was startled awake. His mind picked something up, a vast impenetrable Aura that threatened to blast his own away. But it didn¡¯t. Maxwell¡¯s eyes snapped open just in time to see it. John¡¯s power was solidifying, his Mind Palace finally taking on form. It was projected through his Aura, and Maxwell felt like he could see into John¡¯s mind. He barely understood what his senses took in. A metal fortress of colossal proportions, armed with inconceivable weapons of such destructive force that the only reason he could comprehend their power was because Maxwell himself had seen what the height of Sovereign power looked like. The vortex of power that converged down upon the fortress with a beam of light was the only indication of the level of power behind those weapons. It was impressive, but nothing that surprised Maxwell. No, what he found hard to comprehend was the sheer complexity behind what lay within the fortress, in its deepest depths. Visualizations of devices so utterly dense with computational power that no human could possibly hope to match it, not even the greatest summoners. Worse yet, it was real technology, not simply a baseless visualization of something John didn¡¯t understand. Maxwell could sense these things in John¡¯s Aura. Every weapon, every construct, was something that John created because he understood how they worked and what they could do. The issue was that none of those things were within the bounds of what this world understood. He sensed one thing that gave it away. Sure, there were hints of things from their world within that fortress, but Maxwell could sense the distinction in that fortress, as if John himself was speaking its characteristics into his mind. It was Earthly. It used modern design, ballistic armaments, Grade 5 Titanium Alloy, microelectronics. It was a war machine. It was of another world. John is not from this world. Maxwell reeled when the whispers came into his mind, pulling back his Aura and scowling at the adult man before him, willing himself not to be terrified of the fortress''s ability to wipe him from existence with a single one of those thousands of cannons and missiles. It would be shameful to show weakness before his student. It would be lowly of him to show inferiority before someone who came from an entirely different world. He gradually calmed down, John¡¯s mind closing itself off as the advancement completed. Maxwell let out a long sigh, shaking his head and rubbing his face in exhaustion. ¡°What terrible place have you come from John Cooper? And what terrible things have you been brought here for?¡± Chapter 219: Any Other Way November 17th, 625 My dreams felt like a recollection of my entire life. I saw my earliest moments as a baby and the complexities of the knowledge that I had learned later in my life. Every piece of information within my brain was flashed into my mind as if my memories needed to be re-burned into my neurons. Perhaps that¡¯s exactly what I needed. A new mind demanded a new way of seeing things. I may have the same memories and knowledge of John Cooper but after this advancement, I would never be the same man again. It wasn¡¯t necessarily a change of personality. With Anarchy there, my principles and values wouldn¡¯t undergo any seismic shifts. My philosophies remained the same but that didn¡¯t mean I would approach things the same way. I no longer had a human mind. That much I quickly accepted. As if I hadn¡¯t before, I had officially surpassed the bounds of humanity. A perfect and infallible memory, two Sparks that gave me a second miniature mind, speed of thought so fast that reality seemed to slow instead, and an Aura so powerful that perhaps only Maxwell in his prime could see through the complexity of my illusions. To impose myself on other minds was simplicity itself. Right now, the only reason I didn¡¯t know the limits of my power was because I had yet to use them on anyone. I was eager to get outside and observe like I had when I received my Crown and first opened my golden eyes. I knew Authority 7 was a major stepping stone. It was the time to create the second Spark, and those major milestones were also opportunities for major temperings. I knew my power would advance, I knew I would restructure and improve my Mind Palace. I hadn¡¯t anticipated that I¡¯d take it this far. I opened my eyes, taking in the images around me so fast that I couldn¡¯t keep up with my own mind. I verified what I was seeing dozens of times over in the span of two seconds, and only then could I finally accept that not only had I seen correctly, but I had done so in the smallest fraction of a second. It seemed the density of my neural matter skyrocketed. The changes to my mind brought changes to my brain which brought changes to my neural connections which brought changes to my senses, strength, acuity, reflexes, and every other voluntary system in my body. It was slow. I turned my head slowly, at normal speed, watching Maxwell slowly enter my vision. Then his mouth moved, and I knew what he was going to say before he even spit it out. ¡°Co-¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°...So you-¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded, knowing exactly what he was talking about. It seemed that my predictive ability skyrocketed along with everything else. Maxwell assuredly knew what kind of power I had attained. He sighed, putting up his hand. I took that as the signal to let him speak full sentences, even though with every syllable that came out of his mouth his full sentence was replayed in my mind like I had heard it a hundred times over before. ¡°You will need to learn to slow yourself down and let normal people speak complete sentences. You¡¯ll piss people off if you interrupt them or assume their words, even though you¡¯ll almost always be on the mark.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°I know you know, just make sure to actually do it. After I got to Authority 10 I had a hard time listening to every imbecile mumble out their words dozens of times before actually getting their sentence out. I could play the entire conversation out after someone¡¯s first three words to me and knew the end result after the 4th word left their mouth. Few summoners understand this problem and now you¡¯re one of those few.¡± I sat there, tuned out after Maxwell¡¯s first sentence. It felt like I was thinking faster than I could keep up with, but I knew that was just because I had no memory of my mind ever moving so fast. I wasn¡¯t used to it, so to speak. I would have to train myself with time. That was difficult because every second felt like a minute. And when a minute went by I realized that I had thought about the things I needed to do all throughout my life, pondering ongoing enchantment projects, how I would kill that summoner from the 3rd Claw, how I¡¯d have to contact Gurns and get myself into Special Operations, but not before I settled things at the Treehouse. I needed to get back to the Treehouse. Things would only get worse. The time for Intelligence was past. Brutality was now the only option. There were no more weapons to develop, no more opsec changes to implement, no more improvements to tactics to be made, no more adaptations to my weapons necessary. The Scourge was throwing everything at the Treehouse and there was nothing more I could create to increase their odds of fending them off. Adding my personal firepower to the equation was the only option left. My newfound power meant that I would have a far heavier presence. My 7th Star meant that I¡¯d have greater weapons to take advantage of this power. In my mind Space, I suddenly looked up, realizing I never broke down the barrier to the 7th Star. With a quick thought I did so, the barrier disintegrating under my power. Then I sent a powerful drone of Projection into the dimension, cataloging several new weapons into my armory instantly, measuring their pros and cons, creating new loadouts for different situations. ¡°John.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not listening to me.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°...Oh Lord God, give me the patience to deal with this disrespectful brat.¡± I pondered as he sighed. The new weapons had finally put me into the modern era. Even further, the dimension was looking like an online weapon store of expansive armament. That meant modular weapons, things I could put together, attachments, optics, bells and whistles. I also saw ammunition variants. I was glad to finally take the hurdle into the modern era. I wouldn¡¯t be limited by technology anymore. I¡¯d have the best that money could buy in the 21st century. It was just a matter of taking the time to find it.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Alright, hurry up and take your next advancement formation.¡± I got an Orb thrown at me, catching it absentmindedly and infusing my Psyka. The entire thing appeared in my mind. I frowned when I felt pain in my brain, the sheer amount of information overwhelming me for just a moment. Given some seconds I was able to process what I was seeing, understanding that another dimension had just been added to my advancements. ¡°This formation will get you to Authority 8 and pave the path for Authority 9. Since you have a perfect memory and that monstrous fortress in your head now, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult.¡± ¡°You saw the fortress.¡± My eyes snapped over to him, Maxwell nodding. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°You must¡¯ve seen some things you don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Yes, but I¡¯ve decided not to ask. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s right for you to tell me.¡± ¡°If it was through my Aura then you learned some things. The weapons, the tech. It¡¯s from Earth, not here. I was distinctive about that. You know I¡¯m not from this world.¡± My words echoed in his mind as well as his ears, causing him to nod. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°...Well, it¡¯s good to know there¡¯s at least one person from this rock that knows my secret.¡± I leaned back, not particularly worried about Maxwell knowing. ¡°Have any questions for me?¡± ¡°...Yes. Those weapons. Those¡­ microelectronics? What are they?¡± ¡°Tech from my world. The Weapons are ballistic cannons. They work like my guns, just bigger. As for the microelectronics, they are miniature assemblies of transistors, made from laser and chemical etching in silicon wafers. I¡¯d have to describe two centuries of technology for you to begin to understand what they are but at their core, they¡¯re rocks that we crafted to do math.¡± ¡°Math?¡± ¡°Yes. With enough math you can do anything. They run computers, which are like Aerials except they can do thousands of times more. The ones within my fortress are supercomputers but in the end they¡¯re only visualizations and don¡¯t carry the same capabilities.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± He looked at me weird, making me shrug. ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised that you can¡¯t understand computers. Just know that my world is close to thousand years ahead of this one in technological development. The only reason it''s not 2 or 3 thousand years ahead is due to magic, which my world doesn¡¯t have.¡± ¡°No magic? At all?¡± ¡°None. That means no enchanting, no Crowns, no spells, no superhuman knights, no uber smart summoners. Just normal humans using their intelligence to build amazing things. Though most importantly, there wasn¡¯t any Scourge either.¡± ¡°Hm, it sounds like a peaceful place.¡± ¡°Hah! I wish. Depending on where you lived it was, but instead of fighting the Scourge we humans fought each other. Instead of just killing monsters you were killing other people. It was a different kind of battle and those weapons you saw were rudimentary compared to the advanced stuff used later in our history, all of them developed for the sole purpose of killing the most amount of people with the most amount of precision. You wouldn¡¯t truly understand war until you learn of the kind of wrath humanity can exert through its creations. In a way, all you people here are lucky. Fighting monsters is easier.¡± He sat silently as I brought out a SIG P320 chambered in 10mm, racking the smooth slide a couple times before taking out a 21 round magazine and slotting it in. I tapped the mag and racked the slide, chambering a round and flicking the safety off and on. Polymer was often a characteristic of modern weapons, metal only used where needed to make it lighter and cheaper. I sent the pistol back, Maxwell sighing. ¡°So, how did you come to our world?¡± ¡°No idea. I was murdered by a sentient tractor trailer and then I woke up in a grassy field outside a village. I was in the Captial soon after where I got grabbed by Plex.¡± ¡°I see¡­ There¡¯s no reason you can think of as to why something so impossible happened?¡± ¡°Not that I know of.¡± He went silent for some seconds before waving and standing. ¡°Alright, you can tell me more later. Settle your advancement and focus on your business. I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°Will do. I¡¯ll be going back to the Treehouse soon. The Scourge is going full force and I¡¯m needed.¡± ¡°...You need to be careful, John.¡± Maxwell turned to me after I stood up and let him take the tempering chair back. ¡°You¡¯re still vulnerable. I know your illusions are powerful but it takes one wrong step to be targeted by something your Aura won¡¯t work on. It would be better if you simply stayed back and continued to invent things that can help the war. Your planes have already done wonders. Don¡¯t put yourself in danger when you don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°I will be going because the time for invention has passed. I got the planes and bombs out. Now, the Scourge is trying to bring down the Treehouse and there¡¯s nothing I can invent that will reach there in time to affect the situation. That means I need my boots on the ground. When there¡¯s no more thinking to be done, action must be unhesitant.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being reckless.¡± ¡°I¡¯m being a soldier,¡± I snapped back, ¡°You want to know why I¡¯m here? Well, I would reckon that I¡¯m here to bring the might of my world¡¯s war machine to this planet and defeat the Scourge. I have access to weapons that can unleash volumes of devastation you can¡¯t imagine, and I¡¯ve received the ability to further imbue those weapons with magic power. Those planes I¡¯ve invented are children¡¯s toys compared to the aircraft on my world, nothing but mimicries of historical antiques.¡± I leveled my eyes at him, noticing his neutral face, ¡°It took me some time to come to terms with why I was brought here. I¡¯ve never received an answer from anyone else but chances are, I¡¯m here for war. And as it turns out, I¡¯m fucking good at it. I will bring a new level of warfare to this world as I¡¯ve already begun to, but I have people at the Treehouse who need my weapons to support them. I won¡¯t hide in the Spire drawing on tables when I have allies fighting for their lives.¡± ¡°...You know I wasn¡¯t telling you otherwise.¡± Maxwell¡¯s voice dropped. I noticed how pitiful he looked. He was old, worn, and had seen things throughout his life that I was only starting to live out. I knew he was a veteran. I nodded. ¡°I know what you meant. I¡¯ve always known what you meant when you told me I was being reckless or stupid, or when you gave me advice. Sure, I could sit in the Spire, build amazing weapons, and probably orchestrate the Scourge¡¯s downfall. I could at least dedicate myself to an intelligence position and stay away from combat, using the sheer intellectual capabilities your Call has given me to do the most good without risking anything at all. I¡¯ll ask you though.¡± I looked him in the eyes, ¡°Would you have done things any other way?¡± He looked back at me before eventually turning his gaze down. He knew I wasn¡¯t talking about things from my perspective. His life. His triumphs, his mistakes, his experiences. The wars he fought compared to the life he didn¡¯t live. I wanted to know if he regretted what he did, or if he would do it all again to arrive at this very moment. I wanted to know if he thought it was worth it. If he thought that, despite what logically seemed the most efficient and beneficial route, he would have walked down the same road. He seemed to age a bit more as he muttered, almost inaudibly. ¡°No.¡± I nodded, stepping to the door to leave, adjusting my clothes to be more comfortable after sitting for many hours. Once I opened the door, I paused and looked back. ¡°I know you must¡¯ve made mistakes. Everyone looks back and thinks about what they could¡¯ve done better, thinking that they should¡¯ve just made the harder or better decision for the longer term gain. I know this isn¡¯t the best path for me. But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to squander my talent. I know that I have to grow in order to make real change. I just hope that you can trust in my judgment when I decide to get my hands dirty. Maybe even trust that I¡¯m better than you.¡± I gave a small grin when he looked up with a slight glare. ¡°Just saying.¡± ¡°Your ego knows no bounds. Get out of here.¡± ¡°This is my house.¡± ¡°I could buy this shit shack 1000 times over. That¡¯s hardly an impressive statement. Leave before I charge you for the advancement crystal too.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± I turned and finally left, shutting the door behind me and walking to the helipad. I¡¯d be making a stop at Wonderland for a bit, throw out some new ideas and streamline some designs with my new brain. I also needed to put in an order for Umara¡¯s Witch hat. After all that though, I¡¯d be on my way back to the Treehouse, at least before the end of November. I couldn¡¯t let the Snow Doves have all the fun. How could I not be present for the climax of this war? Chapter 220: Fire Hawks ¡°We¡¯re transferring a few teams to the Treehouse for reinforcement.¡± Umara¡¯s brows raised when she heard those words. Normally there would be excitement but if they were going somewhere, it wasn¡¯t in good shape. ¡°From reports, the Scourge is currently advancing on the Treehouse with 1.7 million strong army. The bulk of them are still far away but the Treehouse wants to start whittling them down well before they reach the walls. On the frontlines they are by far taking the worst beating. More reinforcements are being sent every day, but they need a sharper knife if they¡¯re going to remove the true threats from that horde. That¡¯s where we come in.¡± Gurns threw up a batch of intelligence. They had gotten used to seeing so many details after the planes got going. It was impossible for the Scourge to do anything about them so they had a perfect view of all fronts and all battles at all times. They had yet to suffer a single intelligence failure since then. ¡°I will be going with you, but you all will be under the command of Brigadier General Pollina. Chances are, some of you will be sent back to Stronghold Charlie. The Scourge has shown signs of activity along Hare¡¯s Pass once more, small groups of humanoids only occasionally spotted. That means Royals, and they will likely be your primary targets.¡± Umara looked around. There was a platoon¡¯s worth of them in the room, the only people that would be going besides the pilots flying the planes to transport them. 36 people might seem like nothing, but Umara knew they were all at least skilled enough to hold off a thousand times their number. Most of them could fight moderately above their Authority and nobody would hold each other back. She had been pleasantly surprised when she finally got through the first few phases of Special Operations. Now that she was full fledged, she got to work with those of the highest skill level in the entire Kingdom. They all had impressive Auras, skills, and grit. Only King Bloods could give them a hard time. But she wondered if it would be enough. Memories of Purple Sky flickered through her mind. The sight of monsters using their sheer numbers to pile on top of each other and scale the walls before flooding in with literal tides of poisonous flesh and claw gave her a good idea of what was coming. Sure, they had planes and bombs now, but would that overcome the numbers? 1.7 million was no small number. Umara glanced to her side, finding Feiden and Tana frowning, likely thinking the same things. Like Umara, Feiden had advanced to Authority 8 not long ago. They had rapidly climbed in strength after making breakthroughs with their Aura, Umara especially. Only Tana remained at the height of Authority 7, still trying to make a similar major breakthrough in her Auric Technique. But even they, in all their skill, wouldn¡¯t be able to hold off 1.7 million monsters. It didn¡¯t matter if they worked day and night, constantly depleting and regenerating their power. If they didn¡¯t have sufficient numbers to meet the Scourge on the same level, they¡¯d collapse all the same. That¡¯s when Gurns said it. ¡°Alright, consider this top secret information that¡¯s come down from above. High Command has reasonable concerns that the Treehouse may fall. The planes are the only thing that¡¯s thrown those concerns into question. Nobody knows which way it can go. We are going there to attempt to provide the edge that we need. Ensure that the main forces don¡¯t have to deal with any catastrophic combatants. You will deploy two days from now, on December 2nd, taking a C-400. Prepare a full kit.¡± Umara continued thinking before getting dismissed. She walked out with Feiden and Tana, as well as the two others in their squad, Harsha and Jaya. Jaya walked over to Umara¡¯s side with a smile. She was a girl only slightly shorter than Umara, with black hair and blue eyes. She was a good warlock like Umara, specializing in healing and alchemy, with a perfect fire and water affinity alongside an enlightened water element. She blended in well with the three, even though they were often kept to themselves. Harsha still had trouble connecting with them but Jaya was good at keeping her in the loop outside of battles. Jaya''s soft voice was soothing to Umara¡¯s ears. ¡°Happy to be seeing your man at the Treehouse?¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer if we weren¡¯t reuniting in a war zone, but yes, it¡¯ll be nice to finally give him support. If I have anything to say about it, we¡¯ll be running with his platoon.¡± ¡°The Snow Doves, right? I¡¯ve heard things about them. A lot of special operators come from that platoon. I¡¯ve heard they regularly hunt Royals. It¡¯s amazing for a summoner to be a part of them.¡± ¡°Well with any luck he¡¯ll be coming here soon.¡± ¡°Mm. Still, I¡¯m interested in seeing him. You guys regarded him so highly even before he invented the planes.¡± Umara glanced at Jaya before focusing her eyes back forward. Jaya and Harsha were new to their squad. The previous two had been transferred for failing to meet their standard. So far Jaya had been able to keep up, and while Harsha struggled, she didn¡¯t hold them back. Umara wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about Jaya though. While she was a nice girl, skilled and easy to get along with, she could also be a bit¡­ promiscuous. She had gone between more than a few squads and there were reasons why. In an attempt to keep her out of trouble and drama, Gurns had put her with them and tacked on Harsha. Now they were a 4 woman 1 man squad. As for why Gurns wasn¡¯t worried about Feiden, it was because he had already turned down Jaya several times before. So while Jaya may continue to have affairs beyond their squad, it at least wouldn¡¯t cause drama within. They¡¯d remain combat effective and Feiden would continue to be as stoic as ever. Now though, Jaya would be meeting John. Umara wasn¡¯t worried about John but she still couldn¡¯t help but get protective. She had already heard about all the correspondence he received from dozens of other noble ladies trying to take him from her. He didn¡¯t need another girl making trouble. ¡°Just make sure to prepare plenty of materials. We¡¯re going to be in constant heavy combat. You should prepare to get cut off from supply lines for at least a month.¡± ¡°Roger!¡± Jaya snapped off a casual salute, Umara half ignoring it. As the squad leader, she was the strongest and needed to make most of the decisions. Managing and making sure Jaya had all her alchemical materials was one of her jobs. As was training. ¡°We¡¯ll meet up in the morning tomorrow for one last spar. After that we¡¯ll prioritize recovery before we leave. Harsha, make sure you have a new mace for the spar. Your current one is fractured.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± Harsha nodded more formally. Like Feiden she was generally quiet, but Umara didn¡¯t know if that was because she was still uncomfortable with the squad or if she was just socially awkward. They retired to their rooms for the night. Well, based on where Umara felt her Aura, Jaya didn¡¯t, but she had stopped caring about that after the 30th time. She was at least always on time. When Umara entered her room, she stripped off her outer robe before looking toward the small wooden box on her bed. It was the package John sent from the Capital. She hadn¡¯t opened it yet since she had gotten called into a briefing right after picking it up from the supply room. The important thing though was that she couldn¡¯t put it into her spatial storage. That meant whatever it had been made with was powerful and likely had some kind of spatial storage of its own. She flipped the latch and tilted the box open, her brows raising when she saw the full ear cuff sitting inside on velvety fabric. It was dark purple, matching her eyes, and it had a snaking design that wrapped up her ear from lobe to helix. It was a matte metal design, making it subtle, and had two small encased White Crystals embedded in the bottom and top, some enchanted arrays slightly glowing along the body. She picked it up and turned it a few times, smiling at the design before putting it on her ear. It fit snugly. She didn¡¯t know how John knew the exact dimensions of her ear but he had a good memory so it wasn¡¯t that far fetched. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Once on, it adhered to her skin. Then it bonded with her Crest and allowed her to infuse her Aura into it. Her eyes widened when she saw the massive storage space within, realizing that the two tiny White Crystals were both taken from Authority 10 Crystals. They were cheaper because they were smaller but it was still difficult to think about the cost. Umara sighed, thinking about how she¡¯d reprimand his financial hypocrisy before finding the main function of the ear cuff. She activated it, a large black hat appearing on her head. It had an excessively wide brim and a large pointy top, the top point bent, with some purple metal ornamentation around the base of the point. She got up and ran to the mirror, seeing her purple eyes glowing from underneath the brim that extended past her shoulders in width, face palming when she saw how ridiculous it looked. ¡°A Witch hat? What the hell did you make me pinky promise, John¡­¡± She looked back at the mirror, staring at it and stepping back, checking herself out from different angles. A smile slowly surfaced on her face. The hat was certainly unique enough, and it was funny to think about how adamantly he insisted on her wearing this. Considering how much coin he would¡¯ve sunk into it, she really didn¡¯t have a choice either. She turned back around, seeing a note on the roof of the box. ¡°The larger the hat, the stronger the Witch.¡± She chuckled, thinking about how weird of a correlation that was. She looked back at the mirror, getting more looks at herself before there was a sudden knock on the door. Umara felt Tana¡¯s Aura outside, so she used some of her mana to unlock the door and let her in. ¡°Hey, I was going to ask you about-¡± Tana paused, seeing Umara standing there with the hat, her face a bit red. A grin slowly floated up on Tana¡¯s face, making Umara scrunch hers. ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°Your eyes speak for you.¡± ¡°I just¡­ He certainly has an interesting taste.¡± Tana barely held back a laugh, walking over and checking the hat out. ¡°It¡¯s at least pretty, even though I¡¯ve never seen a hat like this. How much did it cost?¡± ¡°Well, based on how much he¡¯s making with the newest contract Sawn Industries signed, the Authority 10 Crystals in it, and his general recklessness, I¡¯d say close to 100 million.¡± ¡°Holy shit,¡± Tana sputtered, ¡°He was serious when he said he¡¯d spend that much?¡± ¡°Apparently. And its functions are as good as the money he¡¯s spent. If I¡¯m seeing these functions right, it¡¯s got defensive abilities rivaling an Authority 10 knight helmet. It can perfectly filter air, quadruples the Magika density around me, can isolate sound, can enhance my barriers, and can insulate magical signatures. This would be a great gift worthy of my mother, let alone me.¡± ¡°Wow. Must be nice, having a rich boyfriend.¡± ¡°Trust me, he¡¯ll get an earful when we get to the Treehouse.¡± Umara willed away the hat, Tana¡¯s brows raising when she saw the ear cuff. ¡°That¡¯s a beautiful piece. Part of the hat?¡± ¡°Mm. It¡¯s got a spatial storage in it 5 times bigger than my personal one.¡± ¡°My, my. He sure knows how to spend money.¡± Tana chuckled, Umara bringing the hat back out and looking back at the mirror. ¡°...My boyfriend is a weirdo.¡± ¡°A rich weirdo.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ Two days passed and Umara stepped onto the C-400 with her squad, taking one of the many seats on the side of the plane. There were 4 specially modified Steeds sitting inside already taking up the bulk of the Plane¡¯s cargo space. Umara saw them and shook her head. She could still barely believe that John had made something like this. Let alone making troops fly, he could create planes with such strength that entire troop carriers could fly. The propellers were already spinning by the time they boarded early in the morning. It was loud and a bit nerve-wracking. Umara had only been on the helicopters. She had no experience on a plane. After everyone was loaded on, including Gurns, the massive back hatch slowly closed itself. Almost a dozen clamps locked down once all the surfaces were flush with each other, the co-pilot doing final checks before going back up to the pilot chamber and readying for takeoff. Umara looked behind her as they started to move, watching the runway through the window pass faster and faster. Then they tilted up, her hand clamping down on her harness. For the next 30 minutes they simply climbed altitude, getting higher and higher, farther away from Stronghold Beta. Then they finally leveled out, Umara relaxing a bit, taking in the view from over 30 thousand feet up. ¡°Fucking hell¡­¡± Feiden muttered from beside her, eyes glued to the window like her. The view from so high up was unlike any other. The helicopters didn¡¯t climb this high, that was for damn sure. Umara sat there and watched the sun come up, watching it climb over the horizon from a new perspective, suddenly more aware of some of the things John had talked about long ago. The sun and its place around their world. It was a vast distance away but if John was correct, it was their world that turned, not the sun itself. It was stationary, their world orbiting around that incomprehensibly massive ball of fire. She could barely visualize it though. Some of the concepts written in her Grimoires were still difficult to grasp. This view helped her with one though. Just slightly. The flight didn¡¯t take long. Umara watched as they started their descent, quickly getting clearance to land. She looked off into the distance, seeing the hordes from above and the bombs constantly being dropped on them. She could sense the towering Aura off in the distance, the many hundreds of thousands of Scourge marching toward the tiny Treehouse, salivating at a chance to kill every human within. Her gaze fell. It was worse than she thought. She had heard the numbers but it was starting to feel like Purple Sky all over again. At least John wouldn¡¯t be fighting alone. The entire plane jolted from a weighty landing, braking to a halt. After some silence the back hatch cracked open. They all stood and walked out. There was a Colonel there to meet them. Umara recognized her as Jasmine, the woman with John when he stopped by Stronghold Beta. Her eyes had bags under them. The overwork was apparent, and unlike when they last met, Jasmine was in no mood to be cheery or overly courteous. Gurns stepped forward to meet her, shaking her hand. ¡°Glad you could be here, Gurns. Your reinforcement is timely.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t waste time with pleasantries. Please, lead the way.¡± Jasmine nodded, turning and walking. Everyone followed, going to the headquarters where they were piled into a briefing room. Once inside Jasmine got straight to the brief. ¡°The situation is rapidly deteriorating despite our best efforts to hold our lines beyond our walls. The Scourge is not only introducing high numbers of common monsters, but about double as many Royals as we¡¯ve expected even in our worst projections. There is more power variance to them, appearing with power levels as low as Authority 5, but those show up by the battalion and they utilize actual tactics that are thwarting our positions. Nevertheless, we need you all to handle the most extreme threats.¡± Jasmine brought up images of their maps, filled with more details than they knew to make sense of. She pointed to the eastern areas. ¡°Most of the high Authority threats are coming down the eastern flank along with smaller batches of monsters. Currently, we have 4 special companies handling those threats. You all will be the 5th. We will divide you by squadron and send one to each company to bolster their top end combat power. I understand that there are six squads of you, so the two extra squads will take up positions in this northern area to prevent any major collapses in key bulwarks. I have your assignments here. First squadron¡­¡± Jasmine started listing off where each squad would go. Umara¡¯s heart beat a bit faster, hoping that she¡¯d get them placed with the Snow Doves. John should¡¯ve been notified, and there was no way Jasmine or her superior Polly wouldn¡¯t place them accordingly¡­ ¡°5th squadron, you are assigned to Charlie company, composed of the Snow Doves and Pathfinders. The Snow Doves are out, so you will leave this room and report to the Pathfinder Platoon Commander Pollux at their barracks first.¡± ¡°Copy.¡± Umara nodded, keeping her face neutral even though she wanted to smile in relief. Having friends in the right places really helped. After giving the last assignment, Jasmine looked back up. ¡°Each of your squadrons will be under the command of your assigned Company¡¯s highest commanding officer. I understand that you all are special operations but we have new ways of doing things here, new threats to keep track of not native to where you¡¯ve come from. For your own sakes, listen to your orders. I have packets for all of you detailing the various outstanding threats we¡¯ve come across over the last few months, monsters to remember, tactics to watch out for, tips to aid in your survival atop the infectious biomats. I suggest you all study them and head to the armory for refits as soon as possible. They will all be pertinent to your wellbeing in the field.¡± ¡°We will take and implement all advice you give us.¡± Gurns stepped forward and took the packets, tossing them out for the squadrons to take. He took the floor. ¡°You all know the drill. We¡¯re on a foreign battlefield and you all will learn from the masters here. Trust your instincts, trust your superiors. If I hear about any fuckups or complaints, I¡¯ll be handling it personally. This is the first external deployment for all of you! Get used to it, because this will not be the last time you come to bolster entire strongholds with your skill! Am I understood?!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± They all stood and snapped off salutes, seeing how dead serious Gurns was being. Considering an entire base was at stake, they could understand why. The war was changing right in front of them, and he didn¡¯t want his soldiers making stupid mistakes just because they got cocky. Thankfully, they had all seen how lethal things could get. They had all seen other special operators like them get killed, and it didn¡¯t take a mistake to lose your life in an instant. Gurns nodded. ¡°Good. Now, you all have your assignments. Let''s show these people what the Fire Hawks can do! For Honor!¡± ¡°For Honor!¡± They all chanted, getting dismissed. Packet of information in hand, Umara walked with Feiden, Tana, Jaya, and Harsha to the barracks of the Pathfinders. It was a good distance away, a large multi-story building meant to hold both them and the Snow Doves when they were here. They entered the main area, finding a few dozen people lounging and recovering, pulling most of their stares. Chapter 221: Commander December 2nd, 625. Eric¡¯s eyes widened when he looked up, seeing the three drop-dead gorgeous women walk in. They all wore the same uniform, one he had only seen once before. They should be a powerful group of soldiers based on their Aura. He wasn¡¯t sure why they were here though. Not that he cared much. He looked at the girl in front. Ashy hair, vibrant purple eyes, an intricately crafted ear cuff on her right ear and an enchanted bracer on her forearm. Her face was sharp, halfway between indifference and haughtiness. He guessed she was a noble lady. The other two were probably nobles as well if their beauty was anything to go off of. One of them, blonde and tall, a more conventional beauty, and the other, criminally cute, hiding a faint allure behind those big innocent eyes. He could hardly imagine how three women of such standards had come to this hellhole, let alone why they had entered their barracks. He stood, knowing he had to take this chance. ¡°Hello! My name is Eric. Can I help you ladies? Gentleman?¡± He stuck his hand out toward the obvious leader of the group with a big smile. He liked cuteness, he liked conventional beauty, but the way this girl looked at everything around her with faint superiority did something for him. He needed to get a taste of this girl, even if just a bite. His mind filled with images of her underneath him, dominating this haughty noble lady. She refused to shake his hand, speaking plainly, ¡°We¡¯re from 1st Special Operations Company, 2nd platoon, 5th squadron, here to reinforce Charlie Company. Where¡¯s Commander Pollux?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± His eyes widened, as did many others. So she was special operations? That made things difficult. Still, he would try what he could. He refused to believe that she could resist him. He had fucked girls who loved to play hard to get, and a bit of confidence wouldn¡¯t deter him. He continued to smile, looking into those stunning purple eyes. ¡°I believe he¡¯s going to receive the Snow Doves.¡± ¡°Do you know when they¡¯ll be back?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be long from now. Shall I give you a tour around the place while we wait?¡± ¡°No, thank you. We¡¯ll wait outside.¡± They turned, Eric jumping forward. ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you then.¡± She didn¡¯t respond, simply glancing at him before staring forward. Perhaps he should go after her friend first? Eric walked by the cute one as they left the barracks, standing outside as the distant thumps of bombs exploding filled the air. He went up to the smaller girl, putting out his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Eric.¡± ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Jaya.¡± She shook his hand, making him smile wider. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Jaya. I must say, you don¡¯t look like special operations.¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± She questioned, accusingly, a small smile still on her face. Eric shrugged. ¡°I just think such difficult and dirty work doesn¡¯t suit such a cute lady like yourself. But I suppose that just speaks to your sheer skill.¡± ¡°Hoh, is that right?¡± She smiled at him before glancing back forward. Not a good sign. Eric picked it back up. ¡°You¡¯re a warlock, right?¡± ¡°Hm, I¡¯m not supposed to say.¡± ¡°Really? I get that keeping secrets is valuable, but is knowing such a basic thing that important?¡± ¡°It can be. You never know, and we don¡¯t take chances. It¡¯s just protocol.¡± ¡°I see. I suppose I¡¯ll apologize then. How about a drink later, for all of you?¡± He threw out the bait, Jaya smiling again. ¡°Perhaps? We¡¯re about to be very busy people.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find a short time. Since you guys will be working with us, I¡¯d like to make sure you feel as at home as you can be in such an unforgiving place.¡± ¡°The sentiment is appreciated.¡± A lackluster response, Eric thought. He decided to stop talking, lest he start being annoying. There¡¯d be time later. A couple minutes went by like that, Eric glancing over at the lead girl. She was on her Aerial, glancing at it every several seconds. She looked anxious, but he couldn¡¯t imagine why. Then, some Steeds came rolling in from the distance. Eric watched them, internally scoffing. All the Snow Doves were pretentious, there because of talent and nothing else. Yet he had never been admitted, even though he went to petition for it himself. Twice. It was probably that scum sucking asshole who got his requests denied. That guy was cozy with all the right people, probably fucking that old General lady for favors. Now he was supposed to be filthy rich after inventing the planes. That¡¯s probably why the Brigadier liked him. Classic summoners, using underhanded means to accomplish anything remotely remarkable. And there he was, rolling in on the top of the Steed. They came to a halt in front of the barracks, John smiling wide as he jumped down, stepping forward. Eric glanced over when he saw the other girl move as well. She was smiling, and he suddenly had a sinking feeling when they walked toward each other. Then, John grabbed her waist and pulled her in, the two kissing without so much as a hello. His eyes widened, and his gaze turned red. How the fuck did that shit stained summoner know her? Since when was he in a relationship with her?! He glared at him with hate in his eyes. He needed to do something. This summoner had to be rid of. He refused to continue to watch John Cooper get everything he shouldn¡¯t have. Money, influence, power. The girl. He glanced between him and the girl as they separated. Making his silent vows. He would take her. If it was the last thing he did, he would take her and fuck her senseless. He would show John Cooper who was superior. That¡¯s when he saw John looking at him, those golden eyes looking into his own, cold and unfeeling. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°The fuck do you want, you fucking bug?¡± ¡­ I stared at Eric. I could sense the sheer hate in his eyes, the way he looked at Umara with hedonism, the conviction in his gaze. I stepped past Umara, walking right up to Eric and looking down on him from mere inches away. I didn¡¯t care that he was an Authority 7 knight. There was nothing he could do to threaten my life, especially now that I had advanced. He scowled. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You heard me. Or is your attention elsewhere? Here, let me help you.¡± I brought out the P320 chambered in 10mm, pressing the metal up against the soft flesh of his neck, imbuing it with so much Psyka that it stung his nerves. I let him sense the sheer power behind it. Let him sense how easily it could kill him. He looked down, his body stiffening. I could finally feel a tinge of fear from him, but all it did was fuel his rage. Good. ¡°Listen to me close, Eric. You¡¯re going to keep your disgusting gaze to yourself. Look at my girlfriend like that again and I¡¯ll find a good place to bury you. I¡¯ve already got ideas, and if you want to stay alive, you¡¯ll refrain from giving me excuses.¡± I pressed into the pistol a bit harder, my voice becoming inaudible, yet still entering his mind as if I were whispering, ¡°I know you¡¯re jealous. A revolting piece of shit like you could never get a woman that gorgeous. The closest you could get is a high class whore. So I suggest you go and find one around base somewhere before you get any ideas. Fucking pig.¡± I flicked away my pistol, Eric standing stock still as I went back to Umara. He eventually turned and walked back into the barracks, and only when he disappeared did I hear Umara. She was frowning, ¡°Bad history?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just an idiot. Feel free to blind him if he looks at you wrong. If I do anything I¡¯d just end up blowing his brains out.¡± ¡°Hm, alright. So you advanced huh?¡± ¡°I did. So nice of you to notice.¡± We smiled at each other and linked arms before I turned to the others. ¡°Pollux, Nonnen, these are our reinforcements. Special operators from Stronghold Beta. These three are my friends from the Magisterium, and I don¡¯t know these two but I thank you for being here.¡± I stuck my hand out to the two girls, the cute one taking it first. ¡°Pleasure to be here! I¡¯m Jaya. I hope you¡¯ll take goood care of me.¡± She winked with an alluring gaze, my smile turning weird. Was she flirting or just that friendly? ¡°Can it, Jaya,¡± Umara snapped, ¡°Before I kick you to another squad.¡± Jaya flailed her arms, ¡°I¡¯m just kidding! Not my fault your boyfriend is a hunk of muscle! I mean, what summoner looks like that?!¡± ¡°Ahem, anyway.¡± I shook my head and tried to defuse, shaking the other girl¡¯s hand. ¡°John.¡± ¡°Harsha.¡± ¡°Thanks for the support, Harsha. We need all the fucking help we can get. Things are getting extreme out there. Guys, this is Nonnen, Brigadier of the Snow Doves, and Pollux, Commander of the Pathfinders.¡± ¡°Pleasure to meet you all.¡± The two parties met and shook hands, all of us forming a circle. Nonnen smiled, ¡°We¡¯ll get you all set up on the third floor. We have a few spare rooms. Next mission should be coming tonight. We¡¯ll probably leave a couple hours past midnight to set up for the morning. It¡¯ll be cold, so pack heavy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get them processed at the armory,¡± I chimed in. They would need to get their gear adapted for not just the snow but the biomat. Nonnen nodded, ¡°Take your time, but make sure to get your sleep. I don¡¯t need you sleeping through half the battle again.¡± ¡°That was a safety nap.¡± ¡°Naps aren¡¯t 6 hours long.¡± ¡°It is when I¡¯m still not fully rested. I needed at least 2 more hours but then you went and flipped the Steed.¡± ¡°I was in combat and you were practically begging for it. Just be rested please. You¡¯re the last person I need ineffective.¡± ¡°Roger roger. Come on, operators,¡± I waved to the others, ¡°Let¡¯s get you painted.¡± ¡­¡­ The battle orders came earlier than expected. I woke up in my bed to an alarm on my Aerial. I had a call waiting from Jasmine, which I took half asleep. Umara shifted in my arms, obviously woken up as well. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I need Charlie Company to mobilize. Now. I¡¯m about to walk over there for a briefing. We¡¯ve got incoming.¡± ¡°...Alright.¡± I clicked my Aerial, hanging up the call and turning my head down to Umara. ¡°We gotta get up.¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Unfortunately. Get used to it, darling. I¡¯m gonna go wake everyone. Gather your squad and meet me in the barracks.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± We gave each other a quick kiss before I dragged myself out of bed, quickly throwing on my coat so I could warm up and isolate myself from the frigid atmosphere. The winter was coming in full force. I went down between several rooms, banging on doors. ¡°All hands on deck! We muster in the barracks in 5 minutes! All hands on deck!¡± I passed through those hallways, descending to the main floor where the vast majority of the troops were. I kicked the door open and started yelling, my voice piercing into the minds of those asleep. ¡°Rise and shine, motherfuckers! The Colonel is on her way! We got 5 minutes!¡± People started sliding out of bed without word. We had gotten 6 hours of sleep, which left me groggy but everyone else should be fully rested. I had no sympathy. Stupid Magi. Armor went on fast enough, people streaming down from upstairs and gathering in the middle of the barracks. Jasmine arrived soon enough. I greeted her at the doorway. ¡°What have you got for us? Everything alright?¡± ¡°I think you already know it''s not.¡± ¡°I was just hoping. Alright, lay it on me thick.¡± ¡°In short, we¡¯ve discovered two new species. They wiped out 3 companies before we could respond properly. Here.¡± She placed a cradle on a nearby table, dropping in an Orb and projecting the images on it. Everyone gathered around, getting a good look at our new enemy. It was cavalry, some odd looking humanoids with small tusks coming from their bottom mandibles riding what looked like a cross between an elephant and a pig. They were brutish, more mass than agility, with heavily armored fronts. They were shown plowing through battle lines and trampling across our troops, causing more than enough chaos for the rest of the Scourge to pierce through and overwhelm their prey. Proper cavalry. I stared at their image, taking in their distinguishing features and going into my 7th Star to find a weapon to counteract them, quickly finding a perfect candidate. If only I could figure out how to mount it to a Steed¡­ ¡°We¡¯ve called them Hog Riders.¡± ¡°No shit.¡± ¡°They show up in numbers between 100 and 300. The riders and their mounts sit between Authority 6 and 8, and they have natural armor that can resist spellfire from up to Authority 9 warlocks long enough to charge into the lines, especially when they have numbers. They¡¯re difficult to take down and even if you kill their riders, the mounts will continue the charge alongside all the others.¡± I nodded and asked, ¡°Any behavioral quirks? Weaknesses?¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re softer from behind, but you¡¯d have to flank them. Thankfully they¡¯re also slow to turn or maneuver anywhere but straight. Major terrain obstacles slow them down but those are hard to create on the fly with the biomat resisting magic, according to recent reports. Besides that? The riders are stupid and their mounts eat people. That¡¯s all we have for now.¡± ¡°Good enough.¡± I formulated some tactics, thinking about how we¡¯d handle these riders both on the move and with fortified lines. Jasmine continued. ¡°These things move fast and in larger groups until they¡¯re ordered to split off and engage our active forces. We have two helicopters for you all. For now, we want Charlie Company to be a rapid response force to handle these Hog Riders as they divide across the field. We already have two targets for you now. The faster you get out there, the better.¡± ¡°Copy that. Are the pilots ready?¡± ¡°They are on standby.¡± ¡°Good. Nonnen?¡± I turned, looking at the highest ranked man here. He stared at me, ¡°We leave in 15 minutes.¡± ¡°Alright then. You heard the man! 15 minutes! Armor up and be ready to walk in 10!¡± A few dozen people started running around, grabbing all their gear and throwing it on, preparing for full combat. I turned back to Jasmine. ¡°You¡¯ll send us updates in the field?¡± ¡°Yes. A major force of these Hog Riders showed up two hours ago, about 7 thousand strong, yet to split off into teams. Many have been killed but they¡¯re hard to hit with bombs and they¡¯ve cost us nasty losses in a short time. We want to nip this in the bud now.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ll go prep then.¡± ¡°Hang on.¡± Before I could walk away, Jasmine suddenly placed something down on the table. An insignia for Commander. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t care to report your advancement but Polly wanted you to have it anyway. You won¡¯t get much of a ceremony but I know you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. Give her my thanks.¡± I reached out to take the insignia, Nonnen snatching it before I could. He yelled, ¡°All troops, at attention!¡± His voice snapped most to immediate attention, some others looking up before turning in our direction. He raised the insignia, ¡°Under my Authority, John Cooper, now among the 7th Authority of Magi, shall be promoted to Commander! All here, bear witness to his promotion!¡± Realizing what was happening, everyone snapped off salutes, some half dressed, others in nothing but undergarments, all of them surprised. I saw Umara, Feiden, and Tana saluting from the side, smiling at me. Nonnen stepped forward and took off the old insignia from my collar, pinning on the three stripes and three arrows of a Commander. Once it was done, we saluted each other. ¡°Congratulations, Commander Cooper.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Our salutes went down in sync, Nonnen looking up as everyone followed suit. ¡°Back to work!¡± Chapter 222: Desperation December 3rd, 625 Inside a chopper about 10 thousand feet in the air, I brought out the weapon I¡¯d start our battle with. We¡¯d be dropping into an active battle against 210 Hog Riders who were on the way to attack a battalion of our troops. That was several minutes ago, and they were likely locked in combat now. I was with the Snow Doves in a troop transport. It only had 30 seats but with a little overstuffing we made it work. Umara sat beside me as I fiddled with a new gun. After my advancement I was able to project deep into the 7th Star. I had no doubt that I had surpassed the power level that Maxwell expected me to have upon advancement. I was above average, even for his Call. So that meant I could outright skip some of the early weapons, getting to more of the good stuff. It seemed that the surface level weapons were from the early 21st century, while the latter weapons were a decade or two older. Weapons didn¡¯t change too much after the 1980s, still being used well into the 2000s. The M240 was one such weapon and the one I had in my hand was the M240LWS Made to be lighter weight than a standard M240 and given a shortened barrel and frame, the M240LWS was perfect for me who needed some level of mobility while retaining a higher caliber and volume of fire. It was much more wieldy than the M60, could fire faster, and they used the same caliber. That meant I could continue to summon backpacks of ammo and feed chute the belts to the gun. On the helicopter, I first took off the barrel and fiddled with the gas regulator, upping the gas setting to 3 and thereby increasing the fire rate. I had yet to ever get a jam in any gun I summoned so I was going to take advantage of it and not worry about what an increased fire rate would do to the weapon. After that I reassembled everything, mounted the feed chute adapter, accessed the feed tray, laid down the belt, shut the cover, and slotted in the feed chute. After that I racked the receiver, placed it into open bolt configuration, and clicked the safety on. Now it was good to go. Umara commented after I was done. ¡°That was complicated. The gun looks weird too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a machine gun, but I almost forgot that you haven¡¯t seen any of my new weapons since the Magisterium.¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. The last ones I saw were what you used when we hunted together in the markets. The Tommy Gun, I believe.¡± ¡°Hoho, well you¡¯re in for a real surprise. That was two Authorities ago and these guns punch much harder and faster.¡± I said that while taking out a holo sight and mounting it to the rails. Once that was on I settled the weapon on my lap. Umara reached over and felt the body of the gun. ¡°No more wood.¡± ¡°Nope. Steel, titanium, maybe some polymer for the grip.¡± ¡°What¡¯s polymer?¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost like a plastic but that¡¯s not technically accurate.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a plastic?¡± ¡°A petroleum product, very versatile.¡± ¡°What¡¯s petroleum?¡± ¡°It¡¯s oil, but not the cooking oil you¡¯re familiar with. A hydrocarbon specifically. A more well-known one is octane which is an alkane with the formula C8H18 that can be refined into gasoline among other cycloalkanes and aromatics.¡± ¡°I recognized some of those words.¡± She chuckled at me, making me smile and shrug. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been getting technical recently.¡± ¡°I actually noticed. You seem different after your advancement. Something happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a natural consequence of how enhanced my mind has become. I have an absolutely perfect memory now as well as a thinking speed several times faster than before. I¡¯ve remembered absolutely everything I¡¯ve ever seen, heard, and experienced throughout my entire life. There¡¯s an unbelievable amount of information I have access to now. I may have to give you some more grimoires and improve the old ones.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ amazing. Don¡¯t worry about my grimoires though. Let¡¯s get through these battles first.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I nodded and waited, quickly getting closer to the battlefield. After some minutes, we arrived. The pilot called out, ¡°Get ready to deploy!¡± I looked up at the knights in front holding shields. They¡¯d be leaving first, everyone standing following them before those in seats finally got to leave. I turned back toward Feiden who sat at my other side, nudging him with my elbow. ¡°Go for longevity. This won¡¯t be the only battle tonight.¡± ¡°Roger. Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to stay near you? We can work in a team.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. Just worry about the Hog Riders. We need to wipe out as many as we can while we¡¯re in the field.¡± ¡°Dropping!¡± The pilot yelled, the helicopter landing and shaking with the impact. Then the ramp dropped, the knights charging out. ¡°Move, move! Get to the front!¡± Nonnen charged out with them, launching himself toward the enemy as soon as he was clear of the helicopter. I stayed seated, adjusting the machine gun in my lap. Everyone in the seats came next, mostly warlocks who followed behind the knights. Me and Umara¡¯s squad were last. I turned back toward the pilot. ¡°Keep her close! This won¡¯t take long!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± I got a thumbs up, turning and running out. A few seconds after my boots hit the ground the helicopter went back up. Umara turned back to face me. I nodded to her. ¡°I¡¯ll be watching.¡± ¡°So will I. I¡¯ll see if you¡¯re ready to join special operations,¡± She smiled at me cheekily. ¡°Honey, you have no idea.¡± I returned the grin and let my Aura out. Then, I disappeared. ¡­¡­ Umara¡¯s eyes narrowed when she saw her boyfriend vanish from her eyes. The rest of her squad was staring, scrutinizing the area as he faded from view. After several seconds, they were incapable of finding anything, and knowing he¡¯d probably run off already, they gave up. Jaya suddenly laughed. ¡°Holy shit. I think I get what you guys were saying now.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get into the fight. Tana, move to the flank. Feiden and Harsha, take point. Jaya, you¡¯re with me. Let¡¯s break down their line.¡± They all looked to the battle. A detachment of Hog Riders had charged a battalion, shattering their ranks and allowing the rest of the oncoming Scourge force to attack with greater effectiveness. The charge had been stopped by now but the battalion was collapsing and in dire need of help. Umara scanned around, filtering through the surrounding Auras and finding the place with the highest density denoting the most powerful combatants. Then she found that the Snow Dove Brigadier Nonnen was already slaughtering everything in that area. She turned to the second place with the highest concentration where the cluster of Hog Riders were, finding that the other Brigadier Amira was also already wreaking havoc. Several Chiefs were engaged with the higher level Royals, and the rest of the Snow Doves were nailing down fortified lines to protect the battalion and allow them to regroup. After a few seconds, Umara realized there wasn¡¯t any one place she could go to make a significant impact. Even without them, the Snow Doves had it covered. ¡°And they¡¯re not even special operations. Alright, we¡¯re going to attack their western flank and slaughter our way through. Let¡¯s get the pressure off those shield bearers. Move!¡± Feiden charged with her word, the five of them gliding across the ground and finding their first targets. Feiden and Harsha charged in first, Feiden skewering two monsters and Harsha moving in past him with her shield, bashing away some monsters that wanted to pounce on him. Feiden recovered with a movement and killed another monster that wanted to flank Harsha, and from there the two worked around each other. Harsha provided a barrier, and Feiden used her to line up targets for uncontested kills. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Umara then came up from behind, forming small lances of flame and compressed air. They were simple spells considering what she had begun to achieve, and they were unleashed consistently, effective but light on Umara¡¯s mana. It was more than enough to kill or maim her targets, and Feiden had no problems finishing the injured ones off. Then Jaya moved to the side of their formation, taking out a canister full of fluid. She cracked open the top, shook it around a bit as it started to leak, and then threw it over beyond her squad¡¯s immediate targets. The canister spun in the air and released a long stream of the fluid, flying past several dozen monsters before hitting the ground. Jaya smiled and brought up her hand, flicking her fingers and releasing a spark. It ignited the fluid on her hands, which she manipulated with her mana and threw at the trail of fluid. The trail ignited, and thick green flames erupted throughout the monsters¡¯ ranks. They scrambled as the flames engulfed them, screams filling their ears as hide turned to ash and smoke filled lungs. The monsters collapsed after several seconds. Umara turned, narrowing her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t use your resources too early.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve got plenty!¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. I have a feeling you¡¯ll need to be as frugal as possible. No more this battle.¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Jaya sighed, Umara looking for their next targets and finding the Hog Riders not far away standing in an open area, trying to advance on the retreating troops. The knights that were holding the line they flanked were backing away to reinforce other areas, so Umara decided to continue pushing as long as they could. ¡°Keep going. Go for the Hog Riders. Don¡¯t let them pierce through our lines.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± Feiden moved forward with Harsha, Feiden keeping his speed in line with hers. Before they could get far though, a voice entered their minds. [Heads down. Going hot.] Feiden stopped in his tracks right before he made contact with the enemy riders, grabbing Harsha and killing her momentum just as quick. Then, the streaks came. Feiden watched as bright red lines zipped in front of him, slicing through the riders and their mounts. The explosions came with them, sharp shockwaves hitting their ears a dozen times a second and ringing across the entire landscape around them. The riders were cut down five at a time as clusters of bullets shredded through them, blowing holes open across their bodies. John¡¯s bullets entered from behind, but Feiden noticed that his bullets exited through the armored front of the riders anyway, sending shattered fragments of the hard bone-like material flying. In seconds a dozen Hog Riders were dropped, and the gunfire never stopped. It was unceasing for a full minute, and in that time the lines of the riders were decimated, cut down by those bright red streaks. Feiden noticed that the number of explosions outnumbered the amount of red streaks there were. Somewhere, amidst all those deadly lines, were even more bullets. Feiden looked to the side, seeing John moving behind the enemy lines. He walked with steady steps, the trigger held down, his aim adjusting for every target he wanted to kill. Sometimes he angled himself just right and his bullets tore through multiple monsters. Other times he found a tougher enemy and simply put more rounds inside of it. It was cold, mechanical. Feiden could sense no hint of care in John¡¯s Aura, what little he could actually sense. There was a thorough lack of emotion, John¡¯s only focus being the most efficient and effective way to kill the most amount of enemies in the shortest time possible. Feiden looked back, seeing Umara staring with a serious look on her face. Noticing his gaze, she waved, smacking Jaya¡¯s shoulder and getting Harsha¡¯s attention. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving. Get to the other flank. We¡¯ll pincer them from there. Go!¡± They rushed across the battlefield as John continued to fire. Many monsters turned around but they were cut down all the same. Then an Authority 9 Royal tried to jump on him, but he simply disappeared from view, Amira taking the chance to cut down that Royal from behind. He spent some time in the shadows before appearing with more ammo, continuing his walk, continuing the slaughter. Feiden could hardly believe how a weapon could be so lethal. John had explained to them how those guns worked conceptually but this was on another level entirely. So many of those bullets, backed by so much power and speed. They were unstoppable, unable to be dodged, the most difficult to block. Their penetrative power was proportional to their unbelievable speed and size, after all. But when Feiden saw John cutting down hundreds by his lonesome, he started to realize not just the potential behind those weapons, but what it meant to be truly powerful. Those of a higher Authority were always known as one-man-armies. They could kill thousands alone, wield catastrohpic magic akin to natural disasters. Feiden always found it difficult to visualize such things because they were often stuck fighting enemies of equal strength, focusing all their power onto one being, learning how to be skilled with Aura and efficient with their Vigor or Mana. But those guns were different. They were efficient, they delivered all their power unto the enemy with no waste, but most importantly, they could deliver volume. Feiden wondered, could he stop hundreds, thousands by himself? Could he not just kill high level enemies, but kill them fast? Or did it take time? He remembred when John would fight back then, similar to how he did now. Those guns always made quick work of his enemies. It only took one bullet to the head to end an enemy. John knew how to pour huge chunks of his power into singular attacks, empowering just a single bullet, one that would make all the difference, and kill enemies even above his own power level. And yet here he was, also capable of slaughtering thousands alone. That was the kind of power he needed to strive for, the level of control he needed to discipline himself with. He stabbed forward with his spear, thinking about how long it took to deliver his blade through the enemy¡¯s throat, and then counting each painful millisecond to retract the blade and angle it for the next enemy. Too slow. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be the fast one? But emitting sweeping blades of vigor was wasteful. Did he just have to stab and slash faster? But he could bend space. He was the Apple, literally. It had become his nickname after that fateful epiphany. So, perhaps, if he managed to bend space to assist his attacks and kill faster, not just for the sake of traversal¡­ He smiled, thinking he was onto something. If it could move him, it could move his spear. He just needed to refine his control over his Aura. He had never used it recklessly after almost killing himself with it. There was an abysmally steep learning curve and he was still ascending it. He continued to fight, manipulating his Aura to try and find that path. That¡¯s when Umara¡¯s voice came from behind though. ¡°Where the hell is Tana?¡± Feiden glanced around, thinking that he hadn¡¯t seen the girl since they exited the helicopter. He ended up glancing at John again, and that¡¯s when he saw Tana there as well, following behind John as his barrel spit fire and reddened in the night. He pointed, ¡°She¡¯s with John!¡± Umara looked to where he pointed, seeing the girl and squinting her eyes to see a bit better. The strobing flashes from John¡¯s gun made it easier to pick them out but she couldn¡¯t see what exactly Tana was doing. She eventually shook her head. ¡°Nevermind, just keep fighting.¡± Feiden didn¡¯t question much and simply focused on refining himself. In the distance, Tana watched John run out of ammo. The next second he went invisible, completely vanishing from Tana¡¯s senses. ¡°No, you¡¯re not actually gone¡­¡± She muttered. She knew this was a trick of the mind. John wasn¡¯t gone. He wasn¡¯t somehow removing his influence from the world. His body still affected the wind, affected the ground, reflected light. Nothing about him or his place on the ground was affected. It was her own mind. His Psyka and Aura were so abstract that her mind was incapable of making him out. Even if she did somehow realize his presence, picking him out would require her to decipher his influence on his surroundings, which seemed to be outright impossible. She¡¯d have to overcome the complexity of his mind, and that was only something another summoner could do. In short, her mind was convincing itself that he wasn¡¯t there simply because she couldn¡¯t comprehend him. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± He appeared next to her, hoisting a fresh pack of ammo. She looked at him. It was no wonder he so easily vanished and reappeared. His powers went so deep that he was effectively reaching into her mind and removing himself from her senses. So long as he was capable of it, nobody would be able to stop him from coming and going like a ghost. At that point, his only weakness would be wide area attacks that would simply obliterate the ground he was standing on and kill him anyway, visible or not. She responded even as he started firing again, walking with him, knowing her words would reach him just fine. ¡°There are two ways to vanish from the world. Tricks of the mind, and removing your effect on the world. I don¡¯t have your powers for the former, and the latter seems impossible. I¡¯m a little desperate so I want to ask you about what path I should take.¡± He didn¡¯t comment, even though she was half expecting him to say that she shouldn¡¯t be so desperate. He may have before but ever since they arrived he seemed to be a bit colder, even to Umara. Maybe it was just the battle, but she had a feeling it was the advancement. Something changed in that mind of his. ¡°There are three ways to remove your influence on the world. The first is by removing yourself physically, which is impossible. The second is by letting the world pass through you as if you weren¡¯t there, which isn¡¯t possible as far as I know even with existing magitech. The third is by bending the world around you. You must keep in mind that invisibility comes in different forms. You must not produce sound and must not interfere with sound. You must not absorb or radiate light, must not radiate heat, must not touch the air, must not crush the ground under your feet. It seems impossible and under normal circumstances I¡¯d say it is. But perhaps you¡¯d be able to find a way to do it.¡± ¡°But how do you bend light around you?¡± She asked as he stopped firing, the last Hog Rider dead. The rest of the Snow Doves were cleaning up with the excising help of 5th squadron. John kept his gun out but focused on her, the battle over in his mind. ¡°Gravity is the only way to do that. Feiden bends space with gravity to increase his speed. But you can refract light in different ways to achieve a similar effect, as glass or water does. But that is only one sense. You don¡¯t know how to dampen sound, how to eliminate your effect on physical substances like the ground or air, how to trick the mind like I do.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± She readily agreed, feeling a sharp pang in her chest, ¡°Compared to you guys I¡¯ve been pulling myself different ways. I¡¯ve managed to learn how to slip through air with minimal resistance, but it¡¯s not great. I¡¯ve done some mental trickery like you, but it¡¯s not great. I¡¯ve tried making myself invisible but I¡¯ve almost entirely failed, using mental trickery as a crutch since it was the only thing I learned to do properly. But none of it¡¯s great. I¡¯m ahead for now but I won¡¯t be able to keep up like this.¡± John didn¡¯t respond, a silent agreement, Tana figured. Then he spoke. ¡°Yeah, you won¡¯t.¡± She felt her emotions well up in her eyes. Brutally honest. She knew she needed it, wanted it, but hearing it still hurt. She pushed down those tears and swallowed before speaking again, lest she choke on her words. ¡°Do you have any advice?¡± He was silent for a little while, the battle ending around them, the Snow Doves cleaning up as the helicopters came back down to pick them up. When the calls to muster came, he finally spoke. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to do something big. I don¡¯t know how deep you are in your Auric development but changing course is gonna be fucking hard. You¡¯ve always been a hard worker but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something hard work is able to fix. So, bare bones logic would dictate that if something¡¯s not working for you, and you can¡¯t change it, you need to get rid of it.¡± Tana looked up at him, not particularly thinking about his words, just nodding and waiting for the actual advice. But when he simply looked back at her, it clicked in her head. That was the advice. ¡°Get rid of my Aura?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me how I know, but I¡¯m telling you now that it¡¯s possible. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible while still maintaining your Vigor or powers, but it is. And theoretically, in a world where everyone has Aura, where it¡¯s become an extension of their beings, someone without Aura would have a massive advantage. Sure, a developed Aura can be a potent weapon and a tool of prediction in battle. But if you can¡¯t reach that height then it only becomes a weakness, especially in front of someone better. So get rid of it.¡± ¡°...How?¡± She asked, knowing the answer. John chuckled, starting to walk back to the helicopter. She followed. ¡°I don¡¯t fucking know, otherwise that probably would¡¯ve been the first thing I would¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°...Well, if that doesn¡¯t work, what should I do?¡± ¡°Figure out how to specialize yourself, quickly, and take it to an extreme. Otherwise, I¡¯m not sure, Tana. I¡¯ve got a friend who knows how to become invisible. I can probably call in a favor and have him teach you, as well as an idiot can, but that¡¯s about the extent of how much I can help. Say the word and I¡¯ll get you on a plane back to the Captial to meet him. But until then, you¡¯ll need to get creative.¡± ¡°Right. Thank you.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m only sorry I can¡¯t help more.¡± He turned his head and gave her a smile. She returned it as they boarded the helicopter. Soon enough they were on their way to the next battlefield. Another battalion was getting hammered, this one worse than the one they just saved. Tana sat down and pondered the whole way, desperation filling her mind. Chapter 223: You Dont Have It December 8th, 625 Every day brought more battles. More companies and battalions to save, more Hog Riders to topple, more Royals to kill, more Scourge to exterminate. It only got worse by the day. ¡°We¡¯re dropping hot!¡± ¡°All ready!¡± I pulled my bolt into open when the calls came, feeling an impending sense of danger. We were in our helicopter transport and dropping altitude fast. I suddenly got up, rushing to the helicopter''s back hatch and tapping the switch to open it, punching in an override and banging it with my fist. The hatch flew open 300 feet above the ground as I turned back. ¡°Knights, drop now!¡± ¡°Chiefs first!¡± Nonnen commanded, the Chiefs rushing out and jumping out even as the helicopter continued to lower. Nonnen went after them, Amira staying behind. ¡°Air warlocks drop!¡± The Chief in charge of that group moved them forward, the warlocks jumping when we were about 200 feet in the air, hovering down with their magic. I turned to Umara. ¡°5th Squadron, drop!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Umara simply ran forward, shooting out of the helicopter with the rest of their squad. That¡¯s when the sense of danger got stronger. I turned to the rest. ¡°All drop! Now! Go!¡± I started grabbing and throwing people out. That¡¯s when I saw a large Scyther shoot out from beneath the biomat below with my Aura. It went for the rotor, slicing the entire assembly into two and sending the helicopter spiraling. ¡°Jump out!¡± I was already on my way out, my body flying through the hatch, chest to the sky. On the way down I looked up, eyeing the Scyther falling with the helicopter and raising my M240LWS. I squeezed the trigger and let off a round, the bullet tearing through its body and killing it outright. Then I activated my boots and flipped, orienting myself and letting off its air magic, slowing my descent. I landed cleanly on my feet, hearing the helicopter crash behind me. Even as that happened I did an assessment, finding that most of our troops had made it out. Some were buried in the helicopter though. Thankfully it had retained its shape. The defensive enchantments and the relatively low altitude meant that they were all alive. A bit battered, but alive. I spoke, my voice entering both hearts and minds. ¡°Squad 3, defend the helicopter! Get our men out! Everyone else, form the line! Get those troops safe!¡± Right after I said that I saw the entire side of the helicopter get sliced into pieces and blown off. Amira emerged, the rest of the troops behind her. I looked away, ¡°Nevermind helicopter! Calling for transport!¡± I kneeled down and brought up my Aerial. The sense of danger was still there, which meant it wasn¡¯t the Scyther making me anxious. ¡°Envoy to Mother Bird, come in.¡± Polly¡¯s voice was a comfort, ¡°I read you, Envoy.¡± ¡°Our helicopter has been rendered inoperable. I will retrieve the Mana Engine assembly but we need transport if you want us to remain capable of rapid response, over.¡± ¡°Copy. Stand by.¡± There was silence for a while as I jumped over to the helicopter and found the Mana Engine housing. I quickly broke it open and ripped out the assembly, retrieving the Crystals and the cradle they were in, stashing it. When I jumped off Mother Bird came back. ¡°Negative, Envoy. We have no available transport at this time. Shifting the Snow Doves off of rapid response. Your new objective is to secure the remainder of 8th Battalion and head west to reinforce 3rd Battalion¡¯s forward supply post. Is the Pathfinder¡¯s helicopter still operational?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± ¡°Send them back when your battle is over. I will task them with bringing the Steeds. Until then, you are to remain at the supply post.¡± ¡°All copy, Mother Bird. Additional request. I want recon northwest of our position. I¡¯ve got a bad feeling.¡± There was another moment of silence. ¡°There are no aircraft in the area at this time, Envoy. Last aerial sweep was 14 hours ago and clear of any uninformed threats. I advise-¡± The line suddenly cut out. I looked down at my Aerial, finding all the channels dead. That wasn¡¯t good. It meant there was another group out here and they had an advance party, which meant the main group was either massive or powerful. Neither was desirable. I turned my Aerial off completely, looking out to where Nonnen and Amira were fighting with three Authority 10 Royals, the Chiefs around them attempting to support while fending off Authority 9 Royals. It was a powerful force, but we had an injured Authority 10 warlock within the battalion we were assisting who was casting support spells and relieving some of the burden. It was better than being dead weight. After getting a read on every ally and enemy, I went dark and shot off with the help of my boots. Everyone was establishing positions but I had a feeling we¡¯d have to start moving sooner rather than later. I reached the rear of the Scourge¡¯s lines where Nonnen, Amira, and the Chiefs were fighting. I made sure to stay hidden while forming a telepathic link with Nonnen. [Nonnen, status change.] [What is it?] He was relatively calm in his response. That meant he had these enemies under control. Nothing was desperate yet. [Aerial comms cut out. There¡¯s likely an advance party for another Scourge force coming in this direction. We have no aerial support either.] [I¡¯ll assume you¡¯re on the mark. How bad is it?] [If we stay here we¡¯re in the shitter. We might survive but the battalion, injured as they are, won¡¯t.] [Are you saying we need to retreat?] I could see his eyes glance in my direction. His Aura was still sharp, but that made me wonder why he wasn¡¯t feeling the same anxiety I was. Was his sheer power and confidence blinding him to any level of threat below him? Maybe that¡¯s why he wanted me to give him my assessment all the time. I could see the things he couldn¡¯t. [I want to do recon, but yes, right now that¡¯s my advice.] [Copy. I¡¯ll call it. Take 5th squadron and get eyes on the incoming force.] [Negative, I can go by myself.] [Take 5th Squadron,] He snapped back, [And if you¡¯re feeling generous, buy us time. Can you handle that?] I paused, thinking about the large risk of doing that. If that force had higher combatants then we¡¯d be screwed in a fight and I¡¯d be dragging my friends into the fire. But, on the other hand, we didn¡¯t need to fight them head on. Evasive tactics would allow us to escape at any time while stalling the entire force. So long as there wasn¡¯t a hidden Authority 11, we¡¯d be able to handle ourselves. So long as I decided that I could trust the evasive abilities of 5th Squadron. I quickly did some risk analysis in my Mind Palace, weighing the combat attributes of each person in the team and placing them against the oncoming force based on the level of power and danger I was feeling. Then I weighed the risk of allowing the force to advance if I was the only one holding them off with hit and run tactics. Given the time it would take Nonnen and Amira to incapacitate or kill their current enemies and the effect I¡¯d have on the speed of the incoming force¡­ I nodded. [I¡¯ll take care of it.] [Stay alive.] Our connection cut, my feet taking me to where 5th Squadron was. My telepathy remained connected to Umara at all times in battle, so I spoke my words while heading over. [Umara, disengage and bring your squadron to the helicopter. New plans.] [Does it have to do with that bad feeling I¡¯ve got?] [Yes. Hurry.] I glided over, getting there just before Umara arrived, taking no more than 30 seconds. They were quick. I came out of stealth and kneeled down with them. Jaya smiled. ¡°What¡¯s the plan, boss?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got an incoming force. The advance party is already in the area and jamming Aerial comms. The Snow Doves are about to call a retreat with 8th battalion, and it¡¯ll be our job to carry out force recon. We¡¯ll head out, get eyes on whatever is coming, and buy time.¡± ¡°No eyes in the sky?¡± Harsha asked, making me glance at her with faint disapproval. Umara spoke before I could, ¡°If there was, we wouldn¡¯t talking about recon. Lead the way, John. We¡¯re with you.¡± ¡°Good. Remember, we¡¯re there to stall, not fight. Keep your mobility, buy time for Nonnen and Amira to kill their enemies. Once they¡¯re free, we¡¯ll move to crowd control as they occupy the higher combatants. I¡¯m trusting that you all can handle evasive tactics against a Brigadier-class Royal.¡± I looked at Jaya and Harsha. I sensed no hesitation, only confidence from Jaya. But Harsha was another story. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. As soon as I felt the worry in her Aura, I spoke. ¡°Harsha, I want you to stay here.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll sit this one out. I¡¯m making the judgement that you can¡¯t handle this fight. I want you to stay behind and assist in the retreat instead.¡± ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t-!¡± ¡°Hang on!¡± Umara stood between us before Harsha could get defensive. She turned to me. ¡°John, Harsha is on this team because she meets the standard. We operate as a group. Why is she the exception?¡± I stood, putting my M240 away, ¡°I¡¯ve judged that her attributes aren¡¯t suited toward the evasion required to survive focused attacks from an Authority 10. I don¡¯t have the time to explain more. I¡¯ll go ahead and get eyes on our enemy. Take 10 minutes to discuss what you need to. You know what will be demanded of you all and you have my opinion.¡± I activated my stealth and disappeared, using my boots to make haste in the direction of the incoming force. I trusted Umara, and she trusted me. But I was putting her in a difficult situation. She was the squad leader and it was her job to handle Harsha. I wouldn¡¯t overstep, but I would give my opinion. Everything else was up to her. My job was clear though. With or without them I needed intel urgently. That would make or break everything else. ¡­¡­ Umara watched John disappear, thinking for a few seconds before turning to the others. ¡°You three, head out with him.¡± ¡°Copy.¡± Feiden nodded, the three shooting away with their movement abilities. Umara turned to Harsha, looking her dead in the eye. ¡°I¡¯m going to trust you, Harsha. Trust that you understand that half of this job is self awareness and a clear judgment regarding your enemy. So disregard John. Can you handle an Authority 10?¡± ¡°...I wasn¡¯t under the impression that any of us could handle an Authority 10. Isn¡¯t that why we¡¯re supposed to be evasive?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the wrong answer, Harsha.¡± Umara sighed and stood, Harsha gritting her teeth. ¡°You would trust him over me?! We haven¡¯t been working together a week!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a summoner, Harsha, one of the most powerful in history. I¡¯m not sure if you realize that, but either way he¡¯s more than smart enough to make an accurate evaluation of your abilities.¡± ¡°I think you just want to drive me out! I know I¡¯m not as skilled as the rest of you, but I¡¯m still in special operations and I can handle myself. I get that he¡¯s your boyfriend and I know that you were all in the same class, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can just toss me to the side!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not tossing you to the side,¡± Umara rebutted, her Aura taking glances in the distance and following John¡¯s connection to her. He was only getting farther and she would prefer to be there when he got active. She focused back on Harsha, getting irritated, ¡°It¡¯s my job to place each person within my squad in a position that they¡¯ll at least be capable of surviving. I don¡¯t want your pride leading to your death, because you¡¯re right, you¡¯re not as skilled as the rest of us. You don¡¯t have our level of mobility, and while you¡¯re plenty robust, you still can¡¯t hold up against an Authority 10.¡± ¡°Yes I can!¡± Harsha declared, earning a skeptical eye from Umara. But she held her ground. Seeing that, Umara looked away and off into the distance. ¡°Fine, Harsha. Since you¡¯ve said so, I expect to see that level of performance. I just hope you understand that this isn¡¯t a situation where anybody will have the leeway to bail you out.¡± ¡°Would you say that to your friends? Your boyfriend?¡± Umara turned back toward Harsha, anger painted on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t scrutinize me about things you know nothing of. I trust them precisely because I know they won¡¯t fuck up, because putting themselves in precarious positions puts the rest of us in just as much jeopardy. We understand that, and are self-aware enough to realize our limits and keep ourselves out of shit situations. I hope you prove to me that you have the same sense with the trust that I¡¯m giving you despite my boyfriend¡¯s advice. Let¡¯s go.¡± Umara ran off, Harsha letting out a sharp breath and following close behind. They slipped behind the enemy¡¯s lines and arrived on top of a hill where Feiden and Jaya were kneeling and keeping a low profile. Tana was somewhere they couldn¡¯t see. ¡°Where¡¯s John?¡± Umara asked, knowing he was off in the distance looking for the enemy. Feiden motioned with his chin, ¡°Out there. He said he saw a few Scouts already. We¡¯re waiting for his report before doing anything.¡± ¡°Alright. Jaya, prepare your best. Depending on what he says, we¡¯ll be treading a fine line. Don¡¯t hesitate, don¡¯t spare.¡± ¡°Copy copy.¡± The cute girl gave a half serious salute. A few minutes later, John appeared at their sides, startling Jaya and Harsha. He glanced at Harsha before turning back to the others. ¡°We¡¯re handling this one. It¡¯s a mobile force of about 700 enemies. Six Red Bombardos, 200 Hog Riders, 30 scouts plus 350 escorts, and about a hundred Authority 7 and 8 combatants. Their top end power consists of 17 Authority 9 Royals and a single Authority 10.¡± ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Jaya cursed. Even Umara was frowning, yet John already said he wasn¡¯t backing down. ¡°We have about a minute until they reach this position. Umara, I leave your squad to you. I¡¯ll be flanking and drawing them back. If I can grab that Authority 10 I will, otherwise you all need to focus on evasion. I¡¯ll slaughter their forces if the Authority 10 doesn¡¯t want to focus on me.¡± ¡°Copy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch. Prioritize safety. We only need to delay. Weakening is secondary.¡± With those words he vanished, excising himself from their minds and all other conscious perception. They could hear the rumbling of the approaching Hog Riders and the menacing Aura of the Royals bearing down on them. The anxiety was high, but all of them knew that as special operators, they had little room to back down from a fight, especially one where they need only evade and stay alive. Umara stood, looking down from the top of the hill and seeing the force approaching, finally making eye contact. Umara knew they had seen her when the Authority 10 focused its Aura on her. All it did was wash over her though, applying just enough pressure to help her sharpen up. Her Foci appeared above her hand, Feiden twirling his spear, ribbons of Vigor trailing off the blade. Tana remained invisible, Jaya cracked open a can of solution, and Harsha raised her shield. The entire force was looking at them, bearing down with their malevolence, but scarcely believing that such a small force was really intending on facing them alone. The Authority 10 snickered in humor, the rest of the Royals taking large strides as they brought out their weapons. Then they all heard the noise, explosions cracking from behind. They saw a lone figure with a weapon that spit out red streaks at obscene speeds hardly noticeable by their eyes. The figure slaughtered a group of scouts before tearing into their back lines, two dozen falling before any could react properly, the figure gliding across the ground while firing. The entire force halted as the hail of piercing red projectiles brushed over other concentrations, hundreds dispersing as five of the Authority 9s broke off to pursue the lone target. Before they could take two steps though, the figure disappeared. Then more explosions came, but not from behind. Umara brandished her spells, dumping mana into three large arrays and concentrating the spell circles in order to launch two conical lances into the enemy lines. They all converged before exploding in a massive wave of fire that washed over half of the monsters, all of the Hog Riders among them. Flames clung to hide, torching them and inflicting enough pain to disorient and scatter, sowing chaos. Then, Feiden flashed forward, appearing by one of the Authority 9 Royals and driving his spear through its neck. Then his blade flickered, his arms snapping to the side as space shifted, his blade decapitating another Royal of the same strength right next to his first kill. Two of seventeen down. Feiden zipped away, veins popping out of his forehead as his arms throbbed, barely held together under the sheer strain of what he pulled off. Yet he smiled even as he grit his teeth, keeping his eyes on the Authority 10, not sparing any energy on making sure he could escape at any given moment. It was a grotesque thing, standing on two legs like a normal bipedal, but sporting three arms like a mutated freak. It looked like it took some blood from the Anarchy bloodline but deviated halfway. Half its face looked melted, it had two eyes, one in its normal socket, another on the side of its head, and its entire body was covered in wrinkly skin. It spun around, looking between John in the distance, who began to evade the Royals, and the group in front of it. One was far and a weak summoner, the other was closer and not strong enough to resist. It seemed to make a decision as Feiden tensed, looking at the girl holding a shield, the most fearful, the slowest, with half decent armor and weapons that might afford her lifespan a few more fractions of a second. With a step it suddenly brought out a hammer, winding it back, its eyes locked on Harsha. Its target was obvious but it needn¡¯t play games with prey that couldn¡¯t resist. It spoke through cracked and jagged lips, its voice like sand paper. ¡°I will melt your brain and drink it from your eye sockets.¡± Harsha had no time to respond when the Royal swung its massive hammer with scarcely believable speed. The momentum carried its body across the gap between them in but a second. Its foot planted right before it collided with Harsha, the girl having reeled and retreated in anticipation. Just before the break in momentum the Royal twisted its body and then used the planted limb to transfer the energy and deliver the strike. Harsha watched the hammer come down on top of her shield. She angled it and her body to deflect, the hammer¡¯s reach forbidding a full dodge. Then the hammer came down, carrying such force that it dug into the shield and sent a shockwave through Harsha¡¯s body that outright broke her arm and shoulder. Then it cleaved into the metal like a blade and broke off the bottom half of the shield, barely missing Harsha¡¯s forearm. Then the hammer impacted the ground, the magical power behind it dispersing the force across the land and cratering it for two dozen meters. The Royal took a step forward and swung its arm once more, the hammer coming out of the ground and right back up like it weighed no more than a few pounds. Harsha barely brought down what remained of her shield on instinct, using Vigor to move her arm despite the breaks, the hammer slamming into it and sending her flying into the distance. ¡°HARSHA, GET OUT OF THERE!¡± Umara¡¯s scream echoed across the hillside as Harsha flew. Then, the spell before her completed. A two stage lance manifested from the cluster of spell circles. The first stage flickered into a dense ball of fire, which exploded and launched the second stage at speeds surpassing sound. The second stage then impacted upon the Royal after it raised its arms to defend. The tip of the lance disintegrated on the Royal¡¯s forearm, taking off several layers of hide with it, allowing the body of the lance to drive in an orb of swirling space. The orb managed to shred through the flesh and hit bone. It was then halted in its tracks, the rest of the lance formed of dark fire collapsing onto the orb and shattering its integrity. The result was an explosion of space, the laws of physics rapidly reforming reality, but not before the Royal¡¯s forearm was warped into particles. ¡°Fucking freak!¡± Umara cursed. All that and it took off one arm below the elbow. That was one of the best spells she could produce, the pinnacle of her armor piercing arsenal. The Royal was sufficiently pissed now though. It turned to her with bloodshot eyes, lunging at her with a scream. While it flew though, Feiden appeared beside it. Thinking he was going to attack, the Royal planted and swung its hammer with its two remaining arms. Feiden simply zipped away though, not so much as stabbing with his spear. Then he appeared again, behind it, making the Royal swing around to hit nothing but air. He continued to harass the Royal with his close presence. He didn¡¯t attack, but he was always within reach, vulnerable, far weaker than the Royal. They both knew it but the Royal couldn¡¯t kill him if it couldn¡¯t move fast enough. Yet after only half a minute, Feiden zipped away and started panting, his legs trembling slightly. Tana appeared by Harsha, who trembled as the pain of her shattered arm overwhelmed her. Her adrenaline was the only thing allowing her to walk. Tana spoke coldly, ¡°You need to retreat. Take another hit like that and we won¡¯t be able to retrieve a corpse.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine! I¡¯ll go back in! Just give me a few seconds!¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re out of this fight.¡± Tana grabbed her armor, preventing her from trudging back to the fight, ripping her right back to where she was and looking into her eyes. Harsha grit her teeth under that gaze. It held no pity or anger. Just disgust. Tana¡¯s disdain was palpable, her Aura doing nothing to hide it. She wanted her to see it, wanted her to know how little she wanted her there. ¡°You don¡¯t have it, Harsha. And I won¡¯t let you distract them and put their lives at risk. Remove yourself or I¡¯ll cripple you here and drag you back.¡± Tana let go with a small shove, Harsha stumbling back as shooting pains went through her chest. She felt a few broken ribs, and yet her anger was starting to overwhelm even that. Harsha seethed, the sword in her hand shaking. ¡°I hate you. Ever since I arrived you always looked down on me.¡± ¡°Yeah, I did. You take on more than you can handle out of pride, all despite knowing exactly where your limits lay. That¡¯s dangerous to my team. So remove yourself, before I do it for you.¡± Tana motioned toward the rest of the troops retreating in the distance with her chin. Harsha¡¯s breathing heaved, overwhelming rage washing through her mind, emotions clawing their way up to the surface and threatening to burst out as tears. She saw those cold eyes, holding naught an ounce of sympathy. Tana was even more prideful than she was, holding contempt for anyone she considered lesser than her, whether they were stronger or not. Harsha turned, only her legs unharmed, the only reason she continued to be mobile as the adrenaline faded. ¡°Fuck you.¡± There was no response as she trudged away and popped a recovery pill into her mouth. Tana turned back to the fight, seeing John continuing to tear through dozens at a time. The Royals attempted to attack him but he was always able to evade. None of them were able to see through his trickery disguised as invisibility. Not even her. She shot back down to where her squad was harassing and evading the Authority 10. In her mind, her loathing for Harsha grew stronger. She couldn¡¯t allow herself to get that weak. The issue was that she was closer to Harsha¡¯s weakness than she was to her squad¡¯s strength. But unlike Harsha, she would die before becoming a burden to her squad. She had once given her life to give them a chance at survival, only surviving because John had kept her heart going for hours before receiving help on pure chance. She may not be strong enough to become the asset that she should be, but she would never become the burden that Harsha was. She appeared by the side of the Authority 10, slashing out with a short sword, catching its attention before it could attack Jaya. Her anxiety screamed at her, demanding she find the path to get stronger, engraving the fear of failure into her bones lest she become complacent and lose everything. Yet she forced herself into these impossible battles anyway. She would improve or she would die. One way or another, she would remain someone they could trust, or she would die and get out of their way. Chapter 224: Buzzsaw December 8th, 625 I vanished before one of the dozen Royals around me could get a lock. Their attacks came anyway, but I used my boots to slide out from my prior position, the attacks hitting the ground. There had been some close calls so far, which was scary considering it had only been 11 minutes since our battle started. Umara¡¯s squad managed to hold their own against the Authority 10, and since that thing didn¡¯t want to pay attention to me, I was slaughtering its troops by the dozen. It would take time to kill all of them single handedly but after my advancement, stamina seemed to be all I had. My bullets were endless. I was dumping backpacks like they were magazines but I had my armory within my Mind Space preparing more in overtime. Belts were linked and piled into packs, readying for further use. Whenever a barrel started to melt I¡¯d send it to the armory to cool and clamp on another. Even then I was breathing fire more often than not. My finger never left the trigger except to reload and evade. The Royals around me were growing frustrated. They couldn¡¯t touch me. I¡¯d always disappear before they could even begin to pin me down. The second I got caught in a single position, I¡¯d be dead. Spells were flying by the hundred and I had no business eating any of them. I eyed the last Hog Rider, appearing once more and unloading into it. The rider was shot full of holes, my tracers trailing down to the hog and hitting its vitals before I vanished once more. A Royal slammed into my position a half second later. I was cutting it close every time I appeared, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t shoot. I sent out three clones, all of them sprinting with the full power of my boots and unloading on the troops. I was among them, watching the Royals in the corner of my eye as they were distracted by fakes, taking one out at a time, buying me valuable seconds to do some heavy damage. Yet, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like it wasn¡¯t enough. I vanished as soon as I felt some danger, a Royal screaming out in rage and launching its magic anyway, pelting my previous position in fire. Suddenly, I turned toward the Bombardos, letting off some clones to distract the Royals for a while longer. I glided up to get in range, then kneeled and took out a new weapon. ¡°Baby¡¯s first launcher.¡± I hoisted an AT4, ripping the pin, popping the sights, folding the safety lever, and clamping down the second red safety lever. I took aim, getting my sights lined up with the head of the first Bombardo, pumping the HEAT round full of Psyka. Then I pushed the red button lightly, firing the launcher and watching the projectile fly toward the Bombardo. It hit just off center of its face, yet it was still close enough to blow a hole through its braincase and dig into the rest of its bulky body. It collapsed with the explosion of the projectile, my next launcher prepared before its body hit the floor, leaking red gases. Royals started heading my way, but I got off another launcher before they could reach me, sending another Bombardo to hell and vanishing. Two of six dead. I ran from the Royals, none of them able to keep track of me, and prepared another rocket. I didn¡¯t dump in as much Psyka this time because a full load took a massive chunk of my power. I was already tired. I didn¡¯t need to exhaust myself so early. We were only 14 minutes in. I shot the rocket from stealth. It gave away my position but I simply relocated before any Royals could even brush me with heat, the snow around me cooling spellfire. One after another I took down the Bombardos, none of them able to be protected. The last three let off some shots in a panic but it did nothing of value. Just the way I liked it. I took a glance back at Umara¡¯s squad. Still alive, but rapidly losing their energy. Evading an Authority 10 was no joke. It would take everything they had. I just needed to kill as fast as I could. I ran back to the main force and brought out the M240LWS once more, linking it to a backpack and unloading. I could hear and feel every single round when they kicked into my hand and shoulder. My holographic sight snapped from enemy to enemy, sometimes hovering over groups as I peppered them with tracers. But the enemies were thinning out after I killed a few hundred, spreading and hiding as much as they could. I was an untouchable enemy slaughtering them dozen by dozen, and none of them knew what to do. But they were also getting tougher. All the Scouts were already dead and I had killed all the Hog Riders. Now I was working on their escorts and the Authority 7 and 8 combatants, but each successive enemy took more rounds to kill. I could dump tons of Psyka into these machine guns, but no single round took that much. They were all lightly empowered, enough to enable them to do some damage, not enough to drain me of all my Psyka with a single belt. But that meant every enemy was eating rounds like candy. I needed to get more out. It felt like 800 rounds a minute was slow. I could count the milliseconds between each shot, feeling the components in the gun shifting and interlocking with every chambering. It was too slow. Unfortunately, there was only one other weapon that could spit out more. I¡¯d use the M2 Browning but that needed to be mounted somewhere and staying in one place was exactly what I couldn¡¯t do. No, I needed the weapon that was just a step below a minigun, one of the most feared machine guns ever made. I reached into my Mind Space, looking up at my 7 active Stars, the 7 dimensions of eras and weapons. ¡°I don''t care where you need to come from. I know you¡¯re out there. Respond to my Call, and bring me Hitler¡¯s Buzzsaw.¡± I saw all 7 Stars light up in response. Then they all dimmed, leaving the 5th star of the World War 2 era. Deep within, further than I¡¯d ever explored, it was there. It sat in the deepest recesses of the dimension, not hiding, just waiting. I reached out and grabbed it, noticing its uniqueness. This wasn¡¯t just a standard spirit. This one came with powerful memories, ones that I couldn¡¯t avoid. I suddenly ran to the side, finding a palace at the top of a hill to sit. Then, I made contact with the spirit. My vision blanked, the memories rushing through my mind, and yet I managed to retain my sense of self. I viewed them like a spectator, my Spark set to run my Stealth as I went through this out of body experience. I found myself dropped in a frozen hellscape, sitting with other troops behind buildings or snow cover. I was mounted behind my machine gun, the MG42, a long belt of rounds draped over the arm of my partner next to me. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I looked down and saw the markings on his uniform as well as those on the gear of troops nearby. There were several swastikas, a couple subtle insignas denoting the Waffen SS, and further, I caught a glimpse of something these memories intuitively recognized. The icon of this unit. It wasn¡¯t the only unit but this particular one I was among was special. The 3rd SS Panzer Division. Totenkopf. My vision flashed, and suddenly I was in heated battle. We were surrounded, fighting back the Soviets as they attempted to wipe us out with their encirclement. The MG 42 before me was suppressing one of the incoming enemy units, slaughtering any who dared step out from behind hard cover. The sheer volume of bullets could cut a man in half. Behind me there were wounded being loaded into an airlift. Our job was to protect it so it could leave and return with supplies. We held the line. My memories flashed again. More supplies dropped, but more casualties, more deaths mounted as several months passed. I hoisted the machine gun, my left hand gripping the bipod for stability, and marched forward while sweeping across advancing enemies. It was difficult to see well with the snow and the trees providing cover, but I knew that I didn¡¯t need to see the enemy to kill them. It only took a moment, just a step away from cover to fill a man with lead. Trees could be whittled down, even cut with enough bullets. It only took one of many bullets to injure and incapacitate a man. Trees only kept you safe for as long as you cowered behind it, or as long as it took for you to become stupid enough to step beyond it into fire. Why anyone would advance into my field of fire, I didn¡¯t know. But it was not my job to question. It was my job to kill those who presented themselves to me. I would have no mercy for my enemies. Mercy was a privilege for those already dead. In a way, to kill them was to grant them that mercy. After many months we found our opportunity to break through the encirclement. Many tens of thousands fell in the process. I didn¡¯t know how many dozens I killed, how many hundreds I wounded, but it was only done with cold malice, that much I knew. The encirclement was broken, the bone chilling cold long seeped into my bones. It forged the discipline necessary not just to survive, but to operate at the level demanded of me. We were Elites. We were the living weapons that the anvil of this war had forged, every enemy another swing of the hammer to temper our skill and spirit. We marched out of the Soviet Union and left for France. More enemies to kill, more bullets to fire. No amount of enemies could stand in the way of the MG 42. It was a killing machine, not as efficient as many others, but capable of delivering brutality unlike them all. There were few weapons greater. My vision flashed again, and suddenly I found myself back on the biomat. I could see the Scourge in the distance. I looked down and found the MG 42 in my hands. There were some faint stains of blood on the frame, scuffed metal and blemishes riddling the body and stock. It certainly wasn¡¯t as refined as the M240LWS I had been using. But I could feel the malice coming from it. This thing had killed, had murdered. It had been to many battlefields, had done things that couldn¡¯t be uttered. It was death made metal, and there was nothing more comforting as I stared down the hordes before me. My armory already had an ALICE frame and stacked belts of 7.92x57mm Mauser ready. The pack was heavy, bulky, but necessary for the volume I needed to put out. I glided down toward some clustering monsters. I hadn¡¯t fired for nearly a minute since the memories took hold. The Royals had gone back to harassing Umara¡¯s squad. I stepped up to the rear of the monster lines, releasing my stealth and hoisting the machine gun with one hand grabbing a leg of the bipod at its front. I didn¡¯t even bring it up to my shoulder. I didn¡¯t need to. I knew exactly where I was aiming. My enemies didn¡¯t have cover. As a consequence of their biomat tainting the surface of this planet I would teach them why bringing down the barriers between us was worse for them than for me. ¡°Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.¡± My voice carried into the minds of every monster and humanoid on the battlefield, their eyes all turning to me. I felt no fear under their disgusting gazes. Those appalling forms instilled only revulsion. That which did not belong in this world should be eradicated from it. I brought back the trigger, feeling the frame kick back into my arms at a rate that threatened to vibrate out of my control. I tightened my grip, feeling the weapon breathe malevolence and sweep across the faces of my enemies. My power, sitting two Authorities above what this weapon should handle, threatened to overload the spirit. Yet it gave no protest. The malice radiating off of it only grew with every second, with every enemy that we sawed in half. A breeze brought the dense stench of acrid blood to my nose and the weapon seemed to drink it in. The weapon fired faster, so fast that even the Royals that turned to attack me were repelled. A mere few seconds of concentrated fire was enough to make them reel in pain, bullets often embedding themselves into flesh and muscle, not killing them outright, but threatening to should they continue to pursue recklessly. I vanished before a spell could bombard my position, shifting my angle of fire and using my boots to carry me beyond the range of those Royals. My fire almost never stopped. I was so engrossed in killing what was before me that I barely noticed the barrel start to spit flame after a full minute of sustained fire. I continued despite the supposed damage I was doing to the gun, heat radiating toward my hand, threatening to scorch my gloves. Dozen by dozen I slaughtered the escort forces and any remaining Authority 7 or 8 combatants. Umara¡¯s squad held, but they were tiring faster. 18 minutes. I gripped the bipod harder, willing the weapon to cycle faster. It responded with even greater volume, more fire from the barrel, and raging malice. It responded to the hate that I held for the Scourge and what it had done to those I knew. It responded to the hate I held for those who refused to fight for what they needed to. Those who shirked their duty in favor of cowardice or complacency. Or worse. The thoughts of the traitors I had killed and the traitors I knew I missed caused the weapon in my hands to redden with wrath and fury. The barrel glowed brightly out of sheer heat and for some time I worried it would melt. But I demanded that this spirit meet my expectations. For attempting to punch above its weight class I was demanding performance that no other weapon could give. It breathed red-hot hatred, as if each bullet were venting it instead of adding to it. Steam rose from the frame as falling snow boiled away. Minute by minute passed, enemy by enemy fell. The Royals chased me with desperation as I reduced their force to ruin but there was nothing they could do before, and there was nothing they could do now, not even with all 15 of them. And finally, I killed all but those Royals. They screamed in hate when I reappeared a distance away from them. Then, I turned toward the Authority 10 chasing my friends. It too moved with bursting fury, attempting to kill those that refused to allow it a single hit, hateful at the one that slaughtered its forces, even more hateful at those that were unable to kill me. My Aura reached out, crashing into its mind. I had to admit that it was far more powerful than my Aura but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t easily divert its attention. It turned to me with a snarl, earning my friends some reprieve. I stared it down and willed my disdain to reach it. The thing screamed at me in defiance. ¡°Power is wasted on something as filthy as you. You can¡¯t even kill those you deem weaker. What a fucking disappointment.¡± ¡°I will rip out your spine!¡± ¡°Empty words. 5th squadron, retreat.¡± Umara, Feiden, Tana, and Jaya all shot away. The Authority 10 turned to give chase but a sharp stab with my Aura to its brain was enough to get its attention back. ¡°Hey, you worthless insect. Are you a freak of the Anarchy bloodline?¡± ¡°Do not speak his great name lest I rip off your jaw!¡± ¡°Please, I stared down Anarchy once. I¡¯ll do it again and I¡¯ll laugh at its retarded form as it mindlessly swings those primitive weapons. If you survive today I want you to deliver a message.¡± I lowered the barrel of the MG 42, the heat dissipating in the cold atmosphere as my Aura made me flicker away. My words were seared into its mind. ¡°Tell that thing that I¡¯m waiting for it to come try and kill me again. Tell it to send its minions. Tell it to send its traitorous agents within humanity. Tell it that John Cooper is getting impatient. If I¡¯m not killed soon, then I¡¯ll keep building weapons that will annihilate every last one of you revolting heathens.¡± It sneered back at me. ¡°Hah! Your tiny human brain cannot fathom the might we withhold!¡± ¡°No, I know exactly how strong the Scourge is. I¡¯m telling you that the weapons I will build are not something that you could possibly conceive of. What I¡¯ve built thus far is only the beginning, far from the end. I will arm every soldier with machines of war that will eradicate you by the million.¡± I vanished before a Royal could try and get to me. ¡°The Scourge will learn to fear me, for I will bring unto you a kind of war that will garner you sympathy from those capable of it. One day, I will roll across your territories on treads of steel, level your cities, exterminate your filthy spawn, and crush the necks of your Kings under my boot. You should pray that I die before then.¡± I finally left with those words, gliding away on my boots, the weapon still in my hands and glowing with wrath. There was one thing on my mind as I crossed the distance silently. I hadn¡¯t reloaded once since bringing out my new gun. Chapter 225: Whites Of Their Eyes Vetsmon watched as John blurred from his gaze. It was only through his equipment that he could track his fading figure as he ran away. Yet, not even the equipment could completely resolve him. Something about John¡¯s Aura was able to scramble the device¡¯s sensors. ¡°Your friend has some fucking balls, Vetsmon. I¡¯ve never seen a summoner wipe out an entire force by himself and then declare war on the Kings.¡± ¡°Honestly, anything less would surprise me.¡± Vetsmon smirked in response to his squadmate¡¯s comment, his helmet hiding his expression. He glanced to the side, looking at the person who was supposed to be recording everything. Collecting intelligence on John Cooper had become one of their primary objectives ever since his series of accomplishments and inventions that rendered him one of the most famous and valuable people in the Kingdom. The only thing that came second to protecting him was documenting his whereabouts. It had to be done from the shadows but they were more than ready to step out, which they had almost done five separate times during this battle. Vetsmon tensed when his squad leader rose from his kneeling position. ¡°He knows how to thread a fine fucking needle too. Was he always so reckless with his life?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Great. Things are only going to get worse and he¡¯s already dancing with death. Let¡¯s move. Kill all except the Brigadier-class. If he wants to deliver a declaration of war, we will allow him to.¡± The squad leader shot forward, the atmosphere screaming as he streaked through it to arrive among three of the Authority 9 Royals. With but a slash, all three were decapitated. Vetsmon jumped in like the rest, all of them taking their own targets and slaughtering them ruthlessly. Within seconds every Royal was dispatched. The Brigaider-class looked back at them, terrified in the presence of the squad leader. Vetsmon didn¡¯t blame it. He was scared of the man too. They stared each other down for several seconds, the Royal not daring to twitch a muscle, before the squad leader jumped back out. The rest followed, all of them returning to hiding and making haste back to where John was going to meet with his forces. Vetsmon asked, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m not sure why we¡¯re allowing John¡¯s words to be delivered to the Scourge. It¡¯ll make things dangerous for an already vulnerable summoner.¡± ¡°You obviously don¡¯t know why your friend would goad the Scourge like that, if you¡¯re asking me that question.¡± ¡°No, sir.¡± Vetsmon admitted it easily. He asked the question in the first place because he wanted to know why. Why would a summoner, one so famous, paint a target on his back? He was already in enough trouble as it was. Even though it was John, Vetsmon couldn¡¯t grasp why a declaration like that was necessary. The squad leader glanced back with a smirk. ¡°John Cooper is giving himself as bait. Now think about what he was trying to accomplish several months ago, and how difficult it has become in the past couple months.¡± ¡°...Traitors?¡± ¡°Good. Looks like your brain isn¡¯t just for show.¡± Vetsmon¡¯s face fell flat, the squad leader chuckling. ¡°With the war raging, traitors are becoming more difficult to weed out, if it¡¯s not already impossible. Procedure is falling apart on the platoon level, tasks are redelegated as priorities shift, and everyone is concentrating on the immediate problem in front of them. This allows the traitors to hide in the chaos, and John Cooper wants to bait them out, play on the pride of the Scourge, goad them into activating those traitors so he can get his hands on them. It¡¯s dangerous only if he¡¯s too stupid to protect himself in advance. I¡¯m willing to bet he isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Taking more risks. Sounds like him.¡± Vetsmon sighed. He knew that being exceptional was something to strive for, but he got worried when John went and did things like this. He knew intelligence could be just as potent of a weapon as the edge of a sword. Battles could be won even before they were fought should the generals behind them be smart enough. But he knew things about the Scourge that John didn¡¯t, and this seemed more reckless than he thought was appropriate. The squad leader shook his head. ¡°Your friend isn¡¯t perfect, Vetsmon. He may be smart enough to use the chaos but don¡¯t misunderstand. He¡¯s panicking, probably desperate.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like him.¡± ¡°Come on, use that brain. He¡¯s doing his best to find traitors when nobody else will, he just invented one of the greatest technologies history has ever seen, the 3rd Claw got to him and made him throw away every ounce of independence he had, and now the western front is collapsing all around him as he desperately tries to prevent it with brand new weapons that can¡¯t seem to be fielded fast enough to make a difference.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Vetsmon scratched his helmet. When it was put like that, it was almost obvious how John would be feeling. Instead of hiding away though, it seemed he was doubling down. He had confidence in his skills, which was good, except for the fact that the more risk he took on, the greater the downfall would be should it all go wrong. But, that was why they were there, wasn¡¯t it? They would make sure that no matter what happened, such a valuable man wouldn¡¯t be wasted on people who couldn¡¯t appreciate it. They ran for a time across the endless biomat, arriving just outside the battle between the Snow Doves and the remaining Scourge forces. The Brigadier Nonnen seemed to be finishing off his foe, the rest of the monsters dwindling in number. When John returned, he started slaughtering the remaining force just as he did the previous one. The battle was over before long. It seemed the battalion the Snow Doves were saving had taken heavier losses, and there were fewer Snow Doves standing than before. Not many, but it was clear the Snow Doves had been whittled down a bit. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re not needed. Let¡¯s regroup with the others. We¡¯ll establish our next targets then.¡± They took off with that command, Vetsmon giving one last glance at John. For a moment, he felt like John was staring back, the eyes of his Aura all encompassing. He wondered if they had been discovered, but decided it didn¡¯t matter either way. ¡­¡­ ¡­ December 14th, 625 My heavy breathing sent visible clouds of vapor into the air. Water dripped from the barrel shroud of the glowing MG 42 in my hands, the heat melting the heavy snow around it, the moderate winds bringing us halfway into a blizzard. Umara¡¯s voice entered my mind. [I can¡¯t see you. The blizzard is getting worse, and I think it¡¯s laced with mana. Not natural.] She was only 15 feet away, which meant it was getting heavier than I thought. My acute vision afforded me obviously better visibility even in harsh weather, so I had to use my team as a realistic gauge. I turned, finding her figure amidst bellowing winds. The sun was setting, which would assist the blizzard in rendering our sight useless sooner rather than later. Unfortunately we couldn¡¯t go anywhere. This supply post was responsible for providing logistics for 3 battalions including the Snow Doves. We were almost a forward base, probably not designated such since we barely had proper walls and no standing force to protect against sieges. Whoever happened to be here was the standing force. For now, it was us and half of a battalion recently returned from a battle with substantial losses. Thankfully the Scourge hadn¡¯t attacked with much of a force. Yet. My anxiety started heightening as visibility dropped. I responded. [Let¡¯s go talk to Nonnen.] Umara followed when I jumped off the small makeshift wall and sent the gun back, hitting the ground after slowing my descent with my boots. I looked back, Umara gliding up to my side, the witch hat on her head and mask on her face, those purple wisps within the eye sockets glowing eerily in the blizzard. We continued to our camping ground. A few warlocks had made some makeshift structures out of reinforced dirt in order to protect the tents on the camp ground from being buried in the snow. We found Nonnen in the dirt building designated for the Snow Doves doing some two finger handstand pushups, shirtless and showing off steel muscles. ¡°Psh, I can do that.¡± ¡°Can you now?¡± He tilted his head and looked up at me from below, a doubtful gaze. ¡°Watch me.¡± I suddenly dropped to the ground, kicking up on my hands before shifting my weight to one palm. Then I popped up on my fingertips, then shifted to two fingers, sitting there for a few seconds before doing a few pushups. The Vigor combined with the control I could exercise over my body meant that something like this was relatively simple, a mere matter of balance rather than strength. It still hurt my fingers a little but I could do it. I quickly popped back up. ¡°See?¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Now do single finger.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°You wanna see single finger?¡± I shot him the bird, causing him to shake his head in exasperation. ¡°Nevermind. How was scouting?¡± ¡°Easy, but I¡¯m 99.3% certain that what we killed was a scouting force. Something is coming, and my fingers are getting twitchy.¡± I noticed a few people nearby shift out of their beds due to my words, earning a curious glance from me before I focused back on Nonnen. He frowned and stopped doing his pushups, popping up to his feet and letting out a harsh breath. ¡°What makes you even slightly uncertain?¡± ¡°The blizzard, and the fact that I only picked off two Scouts.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s definitely an incoming force.¡± ¡°Well you never know. Could just be a fluke.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s an incoming force without doubt.¡± ¡°Well technically we could never know that with 100% certainty until they show up at the walls and attack us.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me, smartass. Give me a time estimate.¡± ¡°Hmm, with this weather, between 64 and 73 minutes.¡± I took an educated guess based on all my experience and the data I had remembered from the many thousands of battle records I¡¯d gone over in the past. Nonnen wiped a bit of sweat off his abs. ¡°I need you to run recon. Take 5th squadron with you.¡± ¡°Copy.¡± ¡°Send the details and I¡¯ll mobilize. We¡¯ll meet you wherever you send us.¡± ¡°Copy copy,¡± I turned to Umara and squeezed her shoulder, ¡°Go ahead and grab the others. I¡¯ll gather supplies.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± We separated, a few minutes passing before we met up again with the rest of the squad. I looked at Harsha, long recovered but much quieter than before. I knew she felt alienated from the group but she still had a job to do. At the very least we had replaced her shield with something comparable. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like she couldn¡¯t handle anything short of a direct fight with an Authority 10. She was just out of her element at the time, and Umara had a few conversations with her about that. Once everyone was gathered I went through equipment checks. We didn¡¯t want to get caught out in a blizzard unprepared, regardless of how superhuman everyone was. After all was said and done, I prepared one last thing, a nice little convenience for the trip. ¡°Everyone stand around.¡± I motioned for the squad to stand around me. Then I accessed my Mind Palace. Within the command and control center, I went and tagged everyone¡¯s Aura and relative location, proceeding to establish a telepathic link with all of them. I hardly even had to consciously think about handling 5 connections with how powerful my mind had become, especially when I could just delegate it to my Spark. After that, I utilized my visualization and illusory abilities to generate an illusion above everyone¡¯s heads. Umara and her squad glanced between each other when they saw the tags that appeared above their heads. It both labeled them and gave their location, no matter where they moved. ¡°This will help each person keep track of one another in the blizzard.¡± Umara waved her hand through my nametag, seeing her fingers phase through, ¡°How the hell are you doing that?¡± ¡°If I can make someone not see things, then I can also make them see things. It¡¯s really easy when the mind you¡¯re trying to trick isn¡¯t fighting you. Now, let¡¯s get going. We¡¯re taking a Steed, ''cause fuck if I¡¯m trudging through a foot of snow.¡± We left with that, rolling out of the base as soon as we could. I drove, simply following wherever my Aura pointed. It didn¡¯t take long to get within range of several powerful signatures. I pulled over on a vantage point, everyone jumping out into the raging snow that only continued to grow in intensity. I kneeled, overlooking what was supposed to be the bottom slope below the ridge we sat on. I couldn¡¯t see farther than 30 feet but my eyes were picking up the faint glow of magic sources, poisoned and malevolent. The clustered sources seemed to be lower level troops, merging into a blurry sea of power. Then there were the sources that shone like stars in both my vision and Aura. They seemed to max out at Authority 10, and I counted four. If I was estimating the number of enemies in this force based on how much ground that huge sea of glowing power covered, then it sat at around 21,700. I spoke through telepathy. [We¡¯re retreating.] [Copy.] I got no protest, everyone quickly boarding the Steed. I stomped the gas and made haste back to base, the blizzard dropping my speed to around half of the norm. Along the way, I turned on my Aerial and made contact with Nonnen. ¡°Blade One, come in.¡± Nonnen answered quickly, ¡°I hear you, Envoy.¡± ¡°The incoming force is at least 21 thousand strong with a minimum of four Brigadier-class combatants. Average Authority sits at Authority 7. This is beyond us.¡± I had a very precise grasp on our own combat power. After some of the losses we had taken over the last week and the lack of reinforcements for our platoon, we Snow Doves were only 32 strong, 37 including Umara¡¯s group. The Pathfinders were another 41 and the half battalion we had on station numbered 336. Like the Pathfinders, the battalion averaged between Authority 5 and 7 with a single Brigadier heading them, giving us 3 Authority 10s total. It was one less than the enemy. It seemed the supply post had fallen. Nonnen¡¯s voice fell. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to hold this position.¡± ¡°No, we won¡¯t. Get ready to retreat while I call Pipsqeak.¡± I quickly swapped channels, dialing Jasmine directly. She picked up in about 2.2 seconds. ¡°Hey, Pipsqeak.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got a significant force right outside the supply post. 21 thousand strong, four Authority 10s. I need the status of the battalions assigned to our post.¡± ¡°...On it.¡± I could hear her scramble a bit, her voice a bit groggy. Seemed she had been napping. ¡°Are you in combat?¡± ¡°Not currently. Just did recon. The force is about 24 minutes out from the supply post, much closer than I had anticipated...¡± ¡°Copy. Let me see¡­¡± There was some silence as she gathered the data. ¡°Alright, 3rd Battalion checked in an hour ago at a location about 21 miles away from the post. Not sure where they are now. 2nd Battalion is 32 miles away and checked in 34 minutes ago saying they were engaged in combat.¡± ¡°See if you can get in contact with either and send them to the crags 14 miles southwest of our position. We¡¯ll retreat there.¡± ¡°Roger. Keep your line active.¡± Her voice cut and I lowered my wrist. Before long, we skidded into the supply post, the entire place frenzied with activity. Nonnen ran over to us as we jumped out of the Steed. ¡°How much time do we have?¡± ¡°18 minutes until they reach us. Jasmine is contacting 2nd and 3rd Battalion to see if they can meet with us 14 miles from here, but if we want to get there, we need to start moving now.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got everyone getting ready. If we overstuff the Steeds, we can get everyone on wheels. The problem is we still have wounded.¡± ¡°Well they¡¯re gonna have to suck it up. I¡¯ll start organizing. Get the Snow Doves in their own Steeds. Chances are we¡¯re going to fight our way out and we can¡¯t have wounded getting in the way.¡± ¡°Copy.¡± I nodded and turned, ¡°Umara, go with Nonnen. I¡¯ll be there in a bit.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take too long.¡± She grabbed and squeezed my hand before she, her squad, and Nonnen all shot off. I went in another direction, starting to guide people into steeds and organizing them based on their combat capability. Before long we had most of the wounded in a few Steeds, Intelligence agents sitting on top of each other in a few Hummers, and the rest overstuffing the remaining Steeds. I also told Jasmine to keep an eye out for any helicopters for evac in that time but I wasn¡¯t counting on it. ¡°Get fucking rolling! Let¡¯s go! Driver, go!¡± I banged on Steeds, sending out the vehicles with wounded out first, the Pathfinders going with them. It was a tradeoff between getting them farther from the danger and having them pave the way. If they got attacked, at least we¡¯d know in advance. Better than keeping them with the force and setting them up as collateral. I was under no impression that today wasn¡¯t going to get ugly. The Steeds started moving. I wasn¡¯t willing to waste a single minute, having literally thrown people into the passenger holds like garbage bags. Some people from the battalion weren¡¯t quite grasping how urgent the situation was. At least we actually had the intel. If I hadn¡¯t felt anything and checked it out, those monsters would¡¯ve swarmed this place unannounced. We would¡¯ve been fucked sideways then. Before long, most of the extraneous personnel were leaving. I had given all drivers their destination so it was up to them to get there as fast as they could. I heard Nonnen¡¯s voice after I sent off the last one. ¡°John! Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Coming!¡± I yelled back, took one last look back at the rest of the post, and then ran to the Steed. I glided into the back with the rest of Umara¡¯s squad, the hatch closing before speeding off. Most of the combatants were already off, the Snow Doves leaving last. It had taken almost 14 minutes to get everyone out. It was pretty fast for abandoning an entire supply post but not fast enough apparently. They were right on our heels, and we had to plow through an active blizzard. It wasn¡¯t looking good. I could almost hear them. We got on the trail that the leading convoy paved. It wasn¡¯t exactly straight but getting anywhere was better than getting nowhere. ¡°How fast are we going?¡± ¡°Uh, 30 miles an hour?¡± ¡°We may as well be fucking walking. I don¡¯t know how long they¡¯ll spend searching the post before continuing to pursue us, but I wouldn¡¯t count on them being stupid for long. They¡¯ll be catching up to us given around 5 minutes at the most.¡± ¡°So we fight.¡± Umara chimed, making me nod. ¡°We fight,¡± I sighed, ¡°I should¡¯ve just retired and continued working in the Spire. This is bullshit.¡± Nonnen snickered, ¡°Yeah, are you sure you¡¯re smart?¡± ¡°You know, I would usually say I am but ironically enough I¡¯ve got my helicopter sitting in an airfield collecting dust instead of helping us out here when we need it most.¡± Nonnen chuckled a bit, then went silent when we all turned our heads to look toward the back of the Steed. Magic power gathered, then launched toward us like a cannon. ¡°Incoming!¡± ¡°I got it!¡± Umara shouted and kicked open the hatch, throwing out a bolt of fire in response. The two spells collided, Umara¡¯s detonating and blowing the other, significantly more powerful cluster of magic off its original trajectory. It exploded to the side of the vehicle, shaking the frame. I looked out before searching my armory and taking out a flare. It was there, not used often, but now was as good a time as ever. I ignited it before tossing it out, the light glowing in the blizzard. I watched it get farther away, then saw a blur pass over it right before it was obscured out of view. ¡°They¡¯re catching up!¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s time to fight!¡± Nonnen stepped up, his Aura bellowing out like a beacon. Whatever was out there backed off really quick, but then two more Auras erupted from a couple miles away. The fight was on. The thousands of monsters in the distance charged at us. Obviously the empty supply post did nothing to distract them, or at least not the bulk of them. Those towering Auras came to a silent agreement as the lesser monsters rapidly gained on our Steed. It wasn¡¯t their job to fight the fodder, and I wouldn¡¯t make Nonnen waste his energy on clearing them out either. He had his fight. We had ours. Suddenly, I kneeled down and brought out a new weapon. It had been unsuitable before now. It wasn¡¯t something built to be carried by one person and since I always needed to be on the move, I never found a good time to bring it out. Now though, I had a good opportunity. The M2 Browning Heavy Barrel appeared with its tripod, which I settled onto the floor right behind the hatch. It took up space but that¡¯s exactly why I had Nonnen keep the Steeds for the Snow Doves clear of extraneous personnel. A can of ammunition appeared in my hands after I was settled. I took the link of .50 BMG and lifted the cover, opening the bolt and laying the rounds in place before dropping it closed and charging the handle. After locking the bolt latch, I settled my thumbs over the butterfly trigger, the iron sights hovering in front of me. ¡°Umara, Jaya, take anything that comes from the sides. Feiden, Tana, take the turrets up above. Only shoot what you can see. Don¡¯t waste energy on area attacks.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± ¡°Copy!¡± I got a few replies. As for our driver, Harsha, she already knew what to do. The enemies got closer, my thumbs tensed up. I could sense the mana around Umara getting denser as she poked her head through another open hatch, Jaya preparing some alchemical weapons. Feiden and Tana swiveled the turrets above us. They got closer. ¡°Hold!¡± The snarls and screams started piercing through the blizzard winds. I could feel the tension rise within the Steed. Everyone knew this was just the start of a long fight. ¡°Hold!¡± Their figures started appearing, claws dragging ugly forms through the snow. ¡°Not until you can see the whites of their eyes!¡± Their bodies appeared in full view, dark fur or hide contrasting against the white all around us. They reached out toward the Steed with the raving malice of a rabid animal, and we responded with the cold fire of magic and steel. ¡°Open fire!¡± I pressed the trigger, and the explosions signed our declaration of war. Chapter 226: Our Job December 15th, 625 The ¡°Ma Deuce¡± in front of me shook with every round, heavy bullets traveling at nearly 3000 feet per second to shred the monsters trying to claw down our vehicle. It only took short bursts in order to incapacitate or kill anything that came into my field of view. Unlike with my other weapons thus far, when I empowered the belts of ammo going through the weapon, they didn¡¯t simply gain speed. Instead, I noticed singular rounds punching far harder than they otherwise would. Perhaps the toughness of the bullet itself was enhanced, allowing them to pierce and pulverize bioarmor and flesh despite the poisonous magic behind them. I held the trigger down when a group of 7 monsters all came running, sweeping over them and handing them 4 bullets each. One by one they either had entire limbs blown off or had their torsos caved in. Little could prepare those within the Steed for the sheer visceral impact that each squeeze of the trigger brought. .50 BMG was not for the weak. Even my ears, as enhanced as they were, were ringing after just a few minutes, let alone the 10 that we had been fighting. After I let off the trigger I heard yelling. ¡°-uck, John! Could you get any fucking louder?! You¡¯ll pull the entire western front here!¡± Nonnen massaged his ears, making me chuckle, my eyes still glued to our rear. ¡°Get used to it, old man! The future is now!¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna lose my hearing now if you don¡¯t pipe down!¡± ¡°Hearing loss is a small price to pay for awesomeness! Contact!¡± ¡°Fuck!¡± I heard his curse before drowning it out with pounding explosions. I knew it didn¡¯t help that the barrel wasn¡¯t entirely out of the Steed, the shockwaves bouncing off the walls a bit, but I had little choice. It wasn¡¯t like I could properly mount this gun anywhere. I was barely getting by with the tripod like I was, the metal legs sprawled awkwardly across the passenger hold. I fired off what little rounds remained before calling out. ¡°RELOADING!¡± I threw the cover open, kicked off the empty ammo box, and summoned a new can. I went through the motions smoothly, getting the cover closed on a new belt in 1.82 seconds, the handle racked twice 0.4 seconds later. The trigger depressed and the Browning rattled as the Steed continued to roll. The blizzard seemed to start slowing, the snow that touched the machine gun melting and releasing some steam. Just as Harsha was able to speed up, so too did the monsters in pursuit. What little sun remained faded from the snow around us after another 10 minutes of retreat, my eyes resolving fewer enemies in the light but even more in the magic, my fire rate climbing as I sought to eliminate more targets. My Psyka drained quickly despite my attempts to moderate. .50 BMG could suck down Psyka, that much was apparent. If I held back though, I wouldn¡¯t be doing much damage to the incoming monsters. Bruises wouldn¡¯t do any good. Each round that didn¡¯t maim or kill was a waste that may as well have not been fired. Several more minutes passed before my aerial chimed. It was Jasmine. ¡°Come in, Envoy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t get you air support. All aircraft are returning to immediate airspace. Not to mention the weather is too harsh for them, the Sovereign just gave the order to consolidate .¡± ¡°The fuck? Is there a Sovereign Class on the way?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Mother Bird just left for a meeting with all the Generals and Sovereign. I¡¯ll let you know when they come out but the chances are high that everyone is getting ready for a siege. We¡¯ve already recalled six of our farthest forward bases.¡± ¡°...Fuck!¡± I felt my jaw clench as I swept another two dozen enemies. I could feel the Royals going around our flank, speeding past our Steed like we were standing still and going for the ones ahead of us. Nonnen looked like he would jump out any second now. Those Brigadier Class Royals were getting close. ¡°What about our reinforcements?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. 2nd Battalion isn¡¯t responding and 3rd Battalion is already on their way back. They¡¯re over 60 miles away from the crags you told me to send them to.¡± ¡°We were their fucking supply post. Why did they leave for the base?¡± ¡°They said they encountered the enemy and took some casualties. The Brigadier heading them made the call.¡± I felt a surge of rage that threatened to boil over, but I stamped it down and vented through the barrel of my Browning. After some seconds I let out a long breath. ¡°We are outnumbered over 50 to 1. If everyone retreats without us, then we¡¯ll be stranded in the middle of enemy territory. Is there anything you can do to help us?¡± There was silence over the line for several seconds. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, John. There¡¯s nothing. Until the blizzard clears I can¡¯t get planes or helicopters out, and there aren¡¯t any forward bases nearby¡­¡± I could hear her get emotional, but with the dire news, I felt nothing other than calm wash over me. We were alone. I clicked my Aerial. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll figure it out.¡± I ended communications with those words, looking back toward Nonnen. His eyes met mine. ¡°We¡¯re not getting any help. Our only reinforcements have abandoned us.¡± ¡°...Shit.¡± He closed his eyes. To the side Umara dipped down and looked at me. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°We¡¯re outnumbered 50 to 1 and they have nothing to give us but their condolences?¡± ¡°Pretty much.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be surrounded before long. We¡¯ll have to cut dead weight.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then after that we¡¯ll be outnumbered 200 to 1.¡± ¡°Yup,¡± I gave her a small smile, ¡°is that enough of a challenge for you special operators?¡± She grinned, ¡°It¡¯ll certainly look good on our growing list of accolades.¡± ¡°You guys are crazy.¡± Nonnen shook his head, staring out of the back hatch with a grim look. I smacked his leg from where I sat behind the Browning, ¡°Hey, prioritize survival. We can evade this force entirely, and you¡¯re more important than that entire Battalion. Don¡¯t do anything fucking heroic.¡± ¡°And leave over 300 people to die?¡± ¡°Those 300 people mean nothing before the power you possess,¡± I suddenly stood and walked up to him, staring right into his eyes, ¡°I loathe throwing away lives just so higher Authorities don¡¯t have to go out and fight, but you¡¯re actually doing something with your power. We will fight as long as we can but make no mistake, it¡¯s our job to come out of this, not die with dead weight. I don¡¯t care what you need to tell yourself as long as you do your job and live to continue doing it later. That¡¯s how we get the most value out of ourselves.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re talking like an intelligence agent again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a numbers game, Nonnen,¡± I looked back out at the incoming hordes, ¡°We¡¯re the outliers worth far more than our Authority, and you¡¯re an unacceptable loss. Accept that, and let me handle the rest of the troops. Don¡¯t make me worry about you.¡± I sat back down behind the Browning, my thumbs hovering over the trigger. ¡°Get ready to fight.¡± ¡­¡­ Jasmine stared at the Aerial in front of her, her hands trembling for a moment as she glanced at the map next to her. She could see the bird icon on her map representing the Snow doves and the battalion they were escorting. The recent addition of a massive cluster of red arrows was added on top of them, threatening to drown them. There wasn¡¯t anything for dozens of miles. Nothing could help them, not in any meaningful time frame. They were already getting attacked, and the blizzard was keeping the Steeds from moving fast. They¡¯d be surrounded before she could even get a helicopter over their heads, and by that time they¡¯d either be wiped out or halfway to it. She quickly wiped one of the tears that escaped before it could wet her cheek, taking some deep breaths. She didn¡¯t have anything to worry about, she reminded herself. If she knew John, then he¡¯d cut off the weaklings and escape with those who mattered. He wouldn¡¯t allow himself or the Snow Doves to be slaughtered. It was why she always had confidence in them. Other platoons, other battalions, other armies might be destroyed and slaughtered weekly, but not them. They were the ones who always came back. They had lived too long, fought too long, had surpassed too many tribulations to die like this. But they still needed support. They needed to get back home. Something was happening and Jasmine would be a fool not to see it in advance. She wouldn¡¯t let them fend for themselves after barely escaping with their lives. But she couldn¡¯t do anything until Polly left that room. They had been in there for 20 minutes, which meant decisions were being made about the war as a whole. The fact that she wasn¡¯t allowed to sit in on it meant that they were running numbers and calculations that would decide the fate of over 200 thousand soldiers. A fate that likely spelled death for the majority. She glanced at the battalion that had decided to return to the Treehouse instead of returning to the supply post. They hadn¡¯t done it out of malice. The Brigadier simply believed that they would be healed and refit faster than at the supply post. The issue was that he had abandoned his post entirely. If he hadn¡¯t, the Snow Doves wouldn¡¯t be outnumbered at the highest Authority on top of every other damnable disadvantage. They would have a far higher chance of coming out with the majority of their combat power intact. Instead, there was an unacceptably high chance that they wouldn¡¯t be making it out at all. John could be ruthless but Nonnen wouldn¡¯t abandon everyone simply because they could predict the outcome. That meant it would be him pitted against two Brigadier-class Royals, placing him in extreme danger. She decided that this 3rd Battalion would be the first to face whatever abomination the Sovereign had called everyone into a meeting to discuss. They had already committed an offense worthy of being stripped of rank. Of course, nobody would actually strip a Brigadier¡¯s rank over something like that, but they had also never been placed in this situation before, let alone one where such a decision actually resulted in the worst possible outcome instead of merely being symbolically wrong. If they came out alive, she¡¯d let them bitch and complain to her about what it was like to be dreadfully outnumbered all they wanted. There was a sudden sound at the door. She looked up and saw Polly walking into the office. Jasmine carefully asked, ¡°How was it?¡± Poly sighed, sat down at her desk, and wiped her face, remaining silent for several seconds. Then she lifted her head and zoned in. It looked like the next few weeks were going to be rough. ¡°The Sovereign has confirmed that the enemy Sovereign Class is making its advance. Apparently the blizzard is its doing. It¡¯s covering the advance of its armies. It¡¯s working because we can¡¯t see anything and the magic within the snow is scrambling our sensors. We¡¯re lucky that communications are still able to get through. Still, we can assume that over a million monsters are about the lay siege to this place, based on our Sovereign¡¯s words.¡± ¡°...I understand. I have a report regarding the Snow Doves.¡± ¡°Something happen?¡± Jasmine nodded, ¡°They encountered a high average force of over 20 thousand and are retreating from the supply post. 3rd Battalion abandoned the post earlier so the Snow Doves are outnumbered by about 50 to 1, with the enemy having one Brigadier Class more.¡± Polly frowned and looked at the map, seeing the obviously dire situation. She sighed again, massaged her temples, and glanced at the map one more time before giving the order. ¡°We¡¯ve brought back most of our aircraft so get three helicopters in the air over their position. Tell the doves to head east and escape the range of the blizzard, because it¡¯ll be diverted toward the Treehouse and it¡¯s only encompassing a certain range. Most of them won¡¯t survive so give the Snow Doves a place to escape to. Make sure the helicopters are there to meet and extract them.¡± ¡°Copy. I¡¯ll send the orders now.¡± ¡°Hang on.¡± Polly called before Jasmine could run off. Her face grew even more serious than it had been. ¡°Jasmine, that Sovereign is coming with an army that¡¯s going to overwhelm the Treehouse. None of us are under the illusion that we can hold our ground. We¡¯ll damn well try but the generals are already taking measures to ensure their escape to Stronghold Charlie. We''ll see how many work but if you and I want a chance, we¡¯re going to need the Snow Doves with us. I¡¯m willing to bet that the Scourge will march on Stronghold Charlie as well.¡± Jasmine stared silently, realizing what they had been talking about in that room. They were already prepared to lose everything. They would throw every soldier in the Treehouse at those monsters in an attempt to slow their advance, all while the Generals, Marshals, and likely the Sovereign retreated. Those who didn¡¯t have the connections nor the rank to be in the know wouldn¡¯t have a clue as to what was happening until that Authority 12 was already at the walls. By then it would be too late to retreat with hope of escape, and the blizzard meant that even intelligence agents were unable to get an idea of what was coming. Jasmine wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about being one of the few who knew. It felt wrong, somehow. Polly continued, ¡°I need you to go grab supplies for two months, put it in this storage ring. And keep those helicopter pilots attached to the Snow Doves. Don¡¯t let them receive other orders. We¡¯ll need them if we want to get out of here alive.¡± ¡°Copy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have more for you later. Do what you need to do for now,¡± Polly looked into Jasmine¡¯s eyes, ¡°Remember, this is when all of our investments pay off. Let¡¯s get out of this alive. We can make it up later by leading other troops to victory.¡± ¡°...Is it right?¡± Jasmine muttered, feeling her emotions swell once more, ¡°Is it right to use all these people as sacrifices for our survival? Shouldn¡¯t we be dying with them? We¡¯ve already killed so many¡­¡± ¡°It is our job, Colonel Jasmine,¡± Polly glared, ¡°To lead troops from a position of dedicated intellect and strategy. We do no good with a blade and are less than valuable dead. We do not kill people. We guide armies to battle and help them gain victory with the advantages our intellect affords them. You will continue to do your job as I¡¯ve instructed and you will let me worry about the decisions that must be made, as I¡¯ve sworn to do. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± Jasmine saluted with a tear in her eye. Polly looked down at the Orb on her desk. ¡°Go and get our Doves back to base. They are your sole focus alongside the extraneous tasks I¡¯ve given you. With any luck, they won¡¯t be among those we¡¯ll have to mourn after the events beginning this day.¡± Chapter 227: Dont Deny Me This December 15th, 625 ¡°We lost a wheel!¡± ¡°Just keep your foot on that pedal! We¡¯re dead if we stop in this blizzard!¡± I pushed the trigger once my words finished, pelting our rear with another several hundred rounds as Harsha focused on making sure we didn¡¯t get drowned in the sea of monsters around us. I could sense them absolutely everywhere. Behind us, flanking us, and in front of us. Only the blizzard kept them all from knowing exactly where we were. It was a madhouse with those monsters tripping over each other with the lack of visibility, the only solace in this situation. ¡°Reloading!¡± My callout came right when the last bullet in the belt ran through the Browning. With practiced motions I threw open the cover, kicked off the empty ammo can, slammed down another, ran the belt in place, and threw the cover down. The handle was racked twice within 1.96 seconds of running empty, yet it felt like 1.95 seconds too long. Monsters gained ground every millisecond and the only reason it didn¡¯t feel like the Browning was firing too slowly was because every round packed a .50 cal punch. ¡°The snow is clearing!¡± We heard Harsha¡¯s call, even though we could all see it. I reloaded as the blizzard started to fade. Jasmine had already passed me Polly¡¯s words so I knew we were crossing the furthest range of that Sovereign-Class¡¯ snow storm. Her orders were also what gave us our new rendezvous point. The threshold was rather sharp. One minute we were still blind, the next we saw the entire landscape open up to our eyes. I raised myself and looked out of a hatch so get a grasp on the situation. The biomat all around us had a layer of snow on it, not as thick as that within the blizzard, which meant the Steed could move faster. But then we saw all the thousands of monsters around us, all charging toward the Steeds and Hummers ahead of us. There were several fewer than when we left which, based on my estimations, meant there were at least three platoons worth dead, dropping our numbers to around 260. Considering we had some Steeds filled with mostly wounded, which were at the front and safe, our combat effective numbers were around 200 at best. Based on my counts thus far we had only killed around 1300 monsters. It wasn¡¯t quick because of the blizzard. We could only kill what was in front of us. Still, there were at least another 20 thousand monsters and we were now effectively outnumbered 100 to 1. Now, that wouldn¡¯t be so bad if it weren¡¯t for the fact that the average Authority of the soldiers outside the Snow Doves and Umara¡¯s squadron sat around Authority 6, while the enemy averaged an entire Authority higher. We were outclassed and outnumbered in every way. Not that I didn¡¯t already know that. It just meant that 100 to 1 odds were actually looking at this situation nicely. And now we would have to make our stand. ¡°There¡¯s a Steed stopped in front! They¡¯re Doves!¡± ¡°Get to them!¡± I called out and let out a harsh breath, looking down at the Browning. ¡°Looks like your time is up. We did well.¡± I sent it back to the dimension before climbing up to the roof of the Steed. I looked to our front and saw the halted Steed, all but three of its wheels destroyed and the Snow Doves within getting surrounded. I frowned. If we stopped then there was no way we could get rolling again. The issue was that we wouldn¡¯t be rolling for much longer anyway with the way the monsters were starting to converge on us, and our Doves were the only people capable of putting up a meaningful fight. When the odds were stacked against us so heavily, we needed every valuable asset. They were worth it. I ducked down, ¡°Get to them and disembark! We fight on foot the rest of the way!¡± Harsha responded, her eyes glued to the monsters beyond her windshield, ¡°If we stop we¡¯re dead!¡± ¡°That¡¯s for me to decide! Stop at their position! That¡¯s a fucking order!¡± Harsha grit her teeth and changed course, going for the Doves. The only reason fighting on foot wasn¡¯t hopeless was because the rendezvous was only three miles away. The risks of not securing more Doves was greater than crossing that distance. I didn¡¯t need Harsha to understand that. I just needed her to listen. I climbed to the roof of the Steed, looking around us before tilting my head up. In this dark night the moon was our only source of light. It was full and cast a soft glow on everything around us. I could see clear as day anyway, but the moon would be the guiding light for the rest of my troops. Then I sat down. We had about 53 seconds before arriving within the vicinity of the Steed, and there was something I had to do. I took out my MG 42, its barrel warm in anticipation. I could feel the burning hatred within it. This was the first weapon that I had felt such strong emotion from. Others were determined to perform as they were built, others were capable of forming an intelligible connection with me that increased accuracy. But this weapon connected with me because we both felt hatred. It was the most potent conduit for my wrath against the Scourge of this planet. It was weaponized malice and I was the only one who could bring it to bear. I had put it through battles well above its tolerance, and it hurt. Not because I was pushed past its limits, but because it couldn¡¯t meet my demand for more. Thus far it was my most effective weapon against the masses of monsters we fought but it raged against its limits because its entire being was driven by the desire to kill more. There was only one thing I could do to raise its ability to my standard. It was something I hadn¡¯t considered for any other weapon because I always knew there was another waiting for me at a later Authority that would surpass the performance of anything I could find before. But not only had I gone back to find this weapon, it was only just short of meeting the standard two Authorities above it. I decided that now was a good time to carry out my first Marriage, when the odds were so skewed against us that even escape carried far more risk than I was normally willing to take on. I needed a weapon that would turn the tide and give us higher chances even in the most terrible circumstances. Now and in the future. ¡°So I Call. With my soul I bear. Before God as my witness.¡± A single line of scripture flashed to life and wrapped itself in orbit around me and the weapon. It displayed my words in a language I did not understand and carried power beyond what I provided. ¡°Upon my life I declare my intention: To utilize this spirit as my weapon, to carry out war, to kill those that seek to kill me, to kill those who I desire to kill. Without prejudice or restraint I demand this of this spirit.¡± The scripture inscribed itself into reality, and I paused, waiting for the response I knew would come. More scripture wrote itself, but it came not from me. The spirit declared, through my tongue, its desire. ¡°To be used as a weapon, to kill those that seek to kill Man, to kill the targets of Man¡¯s hatred and wrath, to be used with prejudice and without restraint. This, to demand of Man.¡± More scripture appeared, and these desires of the spirit conflicted with my intentions. I pondered, knowing that they would need to be resolved to continue the Marriage. The problem was that the desires would demand that I only utilize this spirit after fulfilling those conditions, which meant what, or who, I could kill with it would be limited. To kill those that sought to kill me. There was no conflict there and the targets of that condition automatically encompassed all of the Scourge. But it did not encompass all people. To kill the targets of Man¡¯s hatred and wrath, was an interesting condition because I did not hate everybody, nor did I want to bring down wrath upon everyone. So that meant I could only kill those that sought to kill me or those that I hated. If they did not seek to kill me and I didn¡¯t hate them, then I couldn¡¯t utilize this weapon against them. This was a problem because I could think of several people that hadn¡¯t sought to kill me, and that I hadn¡¯t hated, that I had still killed. But since those who had earned my wrath were also included, I supposed it would have to be good enough. If I really couldn¡¯t fulfill all of the conditions then there was a high chance that I wouldn¡¯t feel the need to kill a target anyway, because they were either completely innocent or I was oblivious to their guilt. It depended on my knowledge of the reality, which was always the case regardless. As for the omission of ¡°To carry out war,¡± I didn¡¯t believe that I¡¯d be carrying out a war against an enemy that not only didn¡¯t seek to kill me, but that I also didn¡¯t hate or feel wrathful against. It was a redundant line. More than acceptable conditions to me, so I changed my intention. ¡°Upon my life I resolve and declare my intention: To utilize this spirit as my weapon, to kill those who seek to kill me, to kill the targets of my hatred and wrath. With prejudice and without restraint I demand this of this spirit.¡± The new lines of scripture appeared, amended the prior lines, and were then accepted. The revolving lines spun and split into two. One sunk into my body and then burned into my back, the entire scripture being written upon my skin. ¡°To the world I declare this Marriage, by my name: John Jacob Cooper.¡± My name was burned at the bottom of the scripture, my signature, tied to my very soul. The other half of the scripture sunk into the weapon, being engraved upon its steel. On its cover, its name was engraved in glowing red letters. ¡°Totenstahl.¡± The Marriage finished with another connection being established. I could feel the spirit become attached to me, become a part of me like another limb. When that happened, the spirit, Totenstahl, returned to my Mind Palace. My fabrication plant automatically created a large steel ammo pack and sent it to the armory where bullets were being summoned into long belts. The belts filled the ammo pack endlessly, hundreds turning into thousands turning into tens and hundreds of thousands. The pack was weighed down, a metal feed chute attaching to the port at the top and extending down to Totenstahl¡¯s receiver where the first bullet fed into it. Then, I opened my eyes. ¡°John! It¡¯s time to move!¡± I heard Umara yelling from the side. I looked down and found Totenstahl in my lap. I stood, feeling the weight of the steel ammo pack put strain on my back even though it was also strapped around my waist. Even with Vigor my core had to activate to keep me upright. The feed chute rested over my shoulder following my arm to the receiver where it was mounted. I reached and ripped the cocking handle for the first and last time, grabbing the bipod toward the front and hefting it around. We had just reached the killed Steed, everyone dismounting to clear out the Scourge surrounding our Doves. I thought for two seconds, getting a grasp upon the entire situation, feeling Totenstahl in my hands, the barrel already glowing with wrath, merely waiting for my trigger pull to dispense it upon all the monsters around us. Umara launched a bolt of fire behind me, killing a monster that had jumped on top of our Steed and lunged for me. In turn, I raised Totenstahl and aimed at the monsters flooding in around us. The trigger depressed, and my weapon spit fire. It cycled faster than before, surpassing 1200 rounds per minute, climbing to 1400 and only increasing as more monsters came. I yelled, ¡°Go and secure them! We need to fucking move!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold them!¡± I swept Totenstahl across all that came our way from atop the Steed. It didn¡¯t matter how powerful or large they were, they were all slaughtered as if I were sawing trees. There was ease on my Psyka despite the killing power increasing significantly. I killed a hundred immediate enemies in seconds and even more as my killing radius grew. Soon enough there were no incoming enemies for 100 yards. Concentrated fire eliminated any that dared come in our direction, the blizzard obscuring my view of anything beyond. The monsters around our rescued Doves were also cleared, and I was called. ¡°John!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°This needs your attention!¡± I frowned and looked back, Umara waving me over as all those who were able stepped up to hold the rest of the enemies off. I noticed her Companion Spirit, the large snowy blue six legged wolf that had fresh blood dripping from its teeth, munching on nearby Scourge corpses. I lowered Totenstahl, disregarded the dog, and ran to where Nonnen stood with a wounded knight. It only took one glance to tell me that he was sliced across the chest by a Scyther, the only thing that could cut through armor and a knight¡¯s body that deep and clean in one go. His legs were also gone, as was half his left arm, another Scyther based on a knight that had shallow wounds nearby. They had gotten hit by several based on the wounds around the Steed. He was obviously suffering. It hadn¡¯t gotten his heart but one of his lungs was cut and organs were open. If he had a healer and dedicated attention, he could probably make it out alive. He was Authority 8 and that kind of vitality was capable of miracles. But we didn¡¯t have a healer nor the time for attention. We didn¡¯t even have the room to keep wounded safe. The big hitters were coming and fast. We had to move now. I looked at Nonnen, ¡°What¡¯s the call?¡± He was conflicted, indecisive. I knew what the call was, but he didn¡¯t want to give the order. ¡°...We can¡¯t care for wounded.¡± ¡°No, we can¡¯t.¡± I answered quickly, without the hesitation that Nonnen had. That¡¯s when the knight reached out and grabbed my leg. My eyes snapped to him as he struggled to get out words, half suffocating on his own blood. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ let them take me¡­¡± Blood gurgled from his mouth. I could see the fear on his face. We had been seeing more Corrupted as the Scourge pushed their attack. Reports had come in of familiar faces. Those were always kept away from the masses lest morale fall. But with greater power came greater sacrifices. The Snow Doves were required to know about these things because we couldn¡¯t allow the Scourge to get their hands on powerful soldiers. Even worse than them dying was them coming back as enemies. I thought about having this knight take the Overkill Pill, the last resort. It was designed precisely to keep people from getting corrupted and it had the added benefit of allowing the user to take a few more Scourge with them. But he didn¡¯t have his legs and was already halfway into the grave. Not even one of those pills was going to do anything. It would just make him suffer longer. I knew what had to be done. I raised Totenstahl, pointed it at the knight, and squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened. This man did not seek to hurt me, and I did not hate him, nor was he the target of my wrath. Totenstahl would not kill this man. I would have to, with another weapon. I brought out a pistol, a 1911, and spoke. ¡°I will do what must be done. The rest of you, form up with 5th Squadron! Now!¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. The other soldiers in the area ran off hastily, throwing a few glances back before continuing. Nonnen remained, as he should, and I pointed the pistol at the knight. ¡°Herdot Aneirin, first son of Mannix and Ziyah Aneirin. Your family will know that you died a hero. You will be remembered. May you rest in peace, knowing your work is done.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry¡­¡± He gave his last words, and I pulled the trigger, giving him an instant death. Nonnen and I lingered there for a few seconds before I put the pistol away. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± He stowed the body into his storage ring, stood, and turned with me. The two of us started walking back to the rest of the formation. Then, I spun around, raising Totenstahl just as Nonnen unsheated his sword. My eyes narrowed when I saw the King Blood Royal that appeared behind us. Its face was a void of black, with a purple body and digitigrade legs, wearing full black armor with a long serrated knife in each hand. And it sat at Authority 10. I pulled the trigger while retreating, yelling. ¡°RUN!¡± My boots threw me backwards as the King Blood lunged forward. Nonnen went to intercept, slashing down with his sword, rage across his face. They collided, coming to a standstill. However, I could still sense the other four Brigadier-Class Royals in the area, two of them converging. I could also sense Amira and our third Brigadier Rahman heading our way from the rendezvous. They would be here soon but now they were outnumbered by two, not to mention that one was a King Blood. Neither Amira nor Rahman were at Nonnen¡¯s level, and neither could handle two at a time. They would die sooner rather than later and then we¡¯d be fucked. I was pretty sure I couldn¡¯t hide from a King Blood of Despair at Authority 10. I had rationalized Anarchy, not Despair. Sure, I could shrug off this King Blood¡¯s Aura, but that didn¡¯t mean I could hide from it and the rest of this entire force, let alone the rest of Umara¡¯s squad and the Snow Doves. We had to leave, and people were going to die doing it. ¡°FUCK! GO, NOW!¡± I screamed at the rest of our group. Tana, Feiden, and Harsha were already leading the charge alongside whatever knights were in the group of rescued Doves. The warlocks like Umara and Jaya were casting spells and clearing out anything in front of us as fast as possible so that we didn¡¯t have to stop running, Pup in front with the knights helping the charge. I brought up the rear, leaving Nonnen to fight the King Blood. At some point, Amira and Rahman shot past me and intercepted the other four King Bloods. I watched them instantly fall on the back foot, taking injuries within just a few exchanges. I turned around after some time, facing forward, my boots carrying me as fast as a car across the snow with active magic. I kept up with the rest, Totenstahl constantly firing into the hordes around us, keeping our flanks clear. The rendezvous came into sight, the top of a hill that dropped off into a cliff, the rock face 500 feet tall. And, in the distance, I could see the helicopters coming. They would be here in a couple minutes. Just a couple of eternal minutes. ¡°Go! Get to the rest! We need to hold the line!¡± Everyone picked up the pace once the Pathfinders came into sight, helping what little remained of the battalion hold off all the monsters around them. We slaughtered our way there, my eyes occasionally glancing between the helicopters and the group at the edge of the cliff. There were destroyed Steeds along our way, all of their occupants dead, some devoured. I had a bad feeling. ¡°Faster!¡± I moved up and started aiming forward, clearing monsters with the others, not even looking back, solely moving forward. Like a spear we slashed through the hundreds of monsters in our way, most powerful enough to take a few spells from Umara before going down, delaying our advance lest they collide with us and injure someone. They did anyway, the troops we rescued running into powerful Royals and being brought to a standstill. They couldn¡¯t follow, we continued, and they were lost forever. My bad feeling grew as we desperately fought to keep from getting drowned, my eyes drawn to the Pathfinders fighting for their lives at the rendezvous, surrounded from all sides but behind. Then, I caught it. I looked between each person, seeing Pollux casting ice spells to create barriers that stalled monsters and gave his troops time to kill or protect wounded. Then I saw the last person I wanted to gaze upon. I saw Eric, and when he looked in our direction, seeing us barreling toward them, his eyes went bloodshot, then solid blood red. He snarled, then smiled, and raised his blade. And he swung it toward Pollux, shattering the man¡¯s barrier, and decapitating him in one motion. ¡°NO!¡± Totenstahl¡¯s fire rate increased as Eric released a blade of black vigor into the backs of several shield bearers, dropping the battle lines. ¡°FEIDEN! GET OVER THERE NOW!¡± I saw him vanish as soon as he heard the order in his mind, appearing amidst the other troops almost instantly. He quickly found Eric, but he went to retreat into the hordes all around them after letting the monsters in. ¡°KILL HIM!¡± Without Pollux, the other troops and Pathfinders started falling. The thousands of monsters once scattered and dispersed by the blizzard were all converging on one point, the only point with humans. Feiden pursued Eric, using his power of instantaneous movement to dodge all the nearby Royals and attack Eric. Whatever demonic power Eric had gained allowed him to barely evade. It boosted him well into Authority 8, and after just a few seconds other Royals converged, three Authority 9s pursuing Feiden. Feiden pushed in anyway, releasing an attack that took off Eric¡¯s arm. I got hopeful but then Eric threw something out, a small orb that rapidly brightened. Feiden jumped out, the orb exploding with the power of space, tears in reality shooting out like particles of radiation before rapidly being repaired. And Eric ran away, further than our reach. ¡°FUCK!¡± It took us another couple minutes to arrive, all while the Pathfinders were decimated and eaten, not even Feiden able to save them as tides of monsters jumped on them, dozens to each person, completely overwhelming each troop. We had to fight through hundreds even when we arrived, slaughtering all the nearby monsters, bringing up new battle lines and securing the lives of that which remained. There was only one, and he was a Chief from the Snow Doves, injured, but still standing. I looked around. I saw remnants of Pollux¡¯s head, and half of Amary¡¯s body. I saw Gabriel, Brisa, Winston, some of the few Pathfinder veterans left after so many reinforcements and deaths. They were all dead. The Pathfinders were dead. No, not all of them. There was one left. I turned after reaching the cliffside, shoring up our lines with the other Doves we rescued that still remained, and unloading on the monsters in front of us. Some of the Doves were cut down in an attempt to hold Authority 9s back, Umara launching spatial spells to kill those our Doves fell to, even Pup taking on some to give us time to muster attacks that could injure or kill such powerful creatures. I looked off into the distance. I didn¡¯t see Eric. I couldn''t find him, not with my attention pulled so many different ways. He was hiding, like the scum sucking rat he was. He knew I would kill him. He knew I would string him up by his intestines. He knew that he had to stab Pollux in the back before we could get there to have a chance of escaping. It was I who should¡¯ve seen it sooner. I continued to monitor Nonnen, Amira, and Rahman in the distance. Their battles were extreme. Amira was bringing out everything she had and Rahman was trying to match her, and failing. He would fall first. The helicopters weren¡¯t here yet. But as I glanced around in search of any hint of Eric, I saw a glow. It wasn¡¯t the wrathful shine of Totenstahl¡¯s bright red barrel, nor the moon above us. It was the glow of white armor. It pulled my attention instantly. There were 8 armored individuals that came from our flank, slaughtering their way toward us, steadily in an impenetrable formation obviously practiced hundreds of times before. I intuitively understood where they were from. They weren¡¯t of the Kingdom. Templars from the Church. I didn¡¯t know why they were here, but when I felt the Aura of a Brigadier shoot off in Nonnen¡¯s direction, I quickly stopped caring, especially when yet another Dove fell in front of me. Perhaps the only reason we would survive had come. I heard one of them yell, ¡°Reinforce our brothers and sisters!¡± ¡°Hoh!¡± There was a resounding response, and one of their warlocks, dressed in full armor just like the knights, cast a spell that unleashed column of fire. It swept through our front line, turning any monsters in its way to ash. They used that channel to rush to our side, the knights hoisting massive tower shields and planting them like walls. I could see the shields flash with enchantments and then expand with magic, connecting to each other to form one long barrier that completely fortified our front. The remaining knights raised their spears, stabbing or slashing anything that got close, the warlocks launching area spells to blast away clusters of monsters. I stepped up between two of them, leveling Totenstahl over the barrier, and clearing my sector of fire. Thousands of monsters came and thousands of monsters were annihilated. My hatred burned hotter with every second that passed, thoughts of killing Eric filling every corner of my mind. And then I saw one of our Brigadiers go flying. It was Rahman. He was supposed to be a warlock but I saw him hit the ground like a knight that had been thrown like a rock, as they often were. Monsters surrounded him when he went down but they were blasted away with a quick spell. Before Rahman could stand, two of the Brigadier-class Royals landed on top of him, one coming with a cluster of explosive spells and the other following up with a long spear. The one with a spear stabbed, slashed twice, stabbed again, and then slashed one more time. Rahman never rose from the ground, and when the knight from the Templars came flying in, the Royals flew away. The Templar reached down plucked something from the ground, before getting attacked by another Royal and shooting off into the distance again. Rahman never flew with them. I turned, seeing the helicopters approach. I clicked my Aerial. ¡°Bird One, Two, and Three, come in!¡± ¡°We read you, Envoy!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fucking hot down here! All of you lower altitude to our level and get ready to receive us!¡± ¡°Roger that! Lowering altitude!¡± I saw them start dipping down, the sound of their blades beginning to reverberate off the rock face, echoing in our ears. If we could hear it, the Scourge could too. I yelled, ¡°Protect the helicopters! They¡¯re our ride out!¡± ¡°Copy!¡± ¡°Incoming!¡± I heard the call, looking up to find a massive fireball sailing toward one of the helicopters. One of the Templars backed off the line, raising a staff. A hundred ice shards bloomed above them and shot toward the fireball, colliding and making it explode. ¡°Another!¡± ¡°I got it!¡± Umara called and created a blade of vapor. She aimed at an incoming cluster of boulders, throwing one blade out per boulder. They hit the boulders and pierced into them before blasting them to chunks that fell on top of us. I just continued firing. ¡°Brigadier!¡± Another call, and I looked up to see one of the Brigadier-Class Royals soaring through the air. The Templar jumped after it with obscene strength, going a bit faster. But I still watched as it broke through two barriers that the Templar warlocks created, and then crashed into one helicopter, knocking it out of the sky with its body. The Templar went after it, slaughtering it in the air. It was already wounded and this finished it off, but now we were down a chopper. The Templar formed a platform out of his Vigor and jumped back, reentering the battle. ¡°Bird Two down!¡± ¡°They¡¯re almost here!¡± I yelled after hearing the call in my Aerial. Then my eyes snapped over, seeing Amira tumbling across the ground. She landed not far from us. One of the warlocks cast a spell, grabbing her body and dragging her back to us. She was heavily wounded, a sword through her chest. I saw the Royal fighting her pursue, heading toward us, also heavily wounded. ¡°Breaking formation!¡± One of the knights in front called out. I looked down at him, eyes wide, recognizing that voice. And recognizing his height when he straightened out and stepped forward. ¡°Support!¡± Another warlock called, moving forward with him and killing the monsters in the area. I focused my fire to take the pressure off. And the knight collided with that Authority 10 Royal, bashing it away with his heavy shield. It recoiled before launching itself back at him, attacking so fast that I could barely follow the tip of the sword it swung. And it sliced through the knight''s arm, clean through the armor. But the arm, holding his sword, didn¡¯t fall. Instead he raised it like nothing happened and returned an attack, slashing the unsuspecting Royal and taking off its leg. I was incredulous, but I continued shooting, more monsters converging now than ever before. They continued fighting that Royal, the warlock able to attack since I took off most of the pressure. They gave it wound after wound, worsening existing injuries and knocking it to the floor. Without any fanfare, they eventually chopped off its head, collected the body, and retreated back to the line. The knight, who should be mortally wounded, ran back without a drop of his own blood leaking, filling the gap in the line like nothing had happened. I turned, looking at the helicopters. ¡°They¡¯re here! Initiate retreat! Bird One, open your hatch!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± A summoner within the helicopter opened the back hatch, the pilot backing up to the edge of the cliff. ¡°Snow Doves, board now with Amira!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± ¡°Scyther!¡± One of the Templars called out just as I sensed it. I spun around with Totenstahl, the scyther jumping out from beneath the biomat a small distance away. I couldn¡¯t turn fast enough, even when I activated my coat and dilated time. It moved too fast, and I reacted too late. Its talon reached forward, slashing through the rotor assembly and sending the entire helicopter spiraling as its blades fell apart. As soon as it dipped below the edge of the cliff, I spun back around. ¡°FUCK! Bird Three, lower altitude and hold position!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± Our last helicopter lowered itself below our line of sight a distance away, holding there so we didn¡¯t lose our last mode of transportation out of this hellhole. Amira remained behind us, dying. I yelled, calling upon my telepathic connection with Nonnen. ¡°Nonnen, retreat now! Helicopter is here!¡± ¡°Too risky! Go without me!¡± ¡°Fuck you and get over here! We¡¯re not going anywhere until you¡¯re in, I can promise you that!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have the room for that John!¡± ¡°And I¡¯m telling you to go fuck yourself! Hurry up before we all die here!¡± I cut my connection with him before he could respond. Totenstahl was firing at over 1600 rounds per minute and yet there were so many Royals and monsters that it felt like I was throwing lead into an ocean of hide and blood. Bodies were stacking high enough that incoming enemies had to climb to get to us. Sometimes I wasn¡¯t sure if I was shooting a live monster or just a falling corpse. One of the Templars turned to me. ¡°Go ahead and board! We¡¯ll hold the line!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going fucking anywhere before our Brigadier is back!¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t going to be able to separate from that King Blood! Our Brigadier is killing the others but until he¡¯s done, yours won¡¯t be going anywhere! We¡¯ll have to hold until then!¡± ¡°No fucking shit, Sherlock! Just focus on the fucking fight!¡± I turned away and continued firing, the Templar looking at me for a second longer before doing the same. Over the next several seconds our fields of fire interlocked and the monsters started to cascade. Some fell off the edge of the cliff trying to hit and pile over our flanks, the warlocks using explosive spells to push them over if they got that conveniently close. The knights in front held strong, nothing able to shake their line. I was genuinely impressed with the hits they took and shrugged off. Spells that would topple other knights and shatter shields just brushed over them. They were an unbreakable bulwark, and because of that I was able to focus purely on dishing out as much hate as I could. Thousands more fell over the next several minutes. One by one I could sense the Auras of the Brigadier-Class Royals in the distance wink out, killed by that Templar, the freakish son of a bitch. There were flashing blades of Vigor that split the sky, blinding elemental colors shooting across the land and creating new trenches, mere remnants from their battles. It was power I couldn¡¯t yet hope to fight against, or match. Yet. Then finally, all that was left was the Templar, Nonnen, and that King Blood. All three Auras converged, and then I felt the two humans start to retreat. I made the call. ¡°Blade Three, come up! Everyone, get ready to board!¡± The helicopter rose, hatch open, and reached the edge of the cliff. The remaining Snow Doves dragged Amira in. Then Umara sent back her squad. Then some of the Templar warlocks boarded and raised large barriers to protect against spellfire and the incoming bodies of monsters and potential scythers. The knights, Umara, and I all remained, holding a smaller line, as Nonnen and the Templar retreated. They arrived quickly. ¡°Get on!¡± I turned and jumped in, grabbing a handle on the wall before whipping back around and continuing to fire over the shoulders of the boarding knights. They all filed in as quick as they could, barriers raised, everything protecting the helicopter from all the Royals that tried to down it. Umara stood by my side, barrier raised, spells being slung over my shoulder while Pup vanished back into her shadow, wounded. I saw Nonnen and the Templar running over. They landed where we left, Nonnen jumping in. He grabbed my hand, and I yanked him over. He was heavily wounded, heaving for air, barely standing. The Templar seemed to be the same but I couldn¡¯t see anything past the thick bloody armor. The Templar turned back to the King Blood before jumping in, lunging at it, taking one of its hits before gathering his power. The King Blood blocked, but the attack that the Templar released blew it off the floor and away from the helicopter anyway. As it went flying, mortally wounded, the Templar jumped on. I yelled. ¡°GO! GO! GO!¡± The pilot went full throttle, speeding away from the edge of the cliff. But I kept my eyes open, watching the King Blood as it recovered and looked at us. It raised its blade, pointing at us, and I saw unholy power converge into a single point. I saw its void black face fade to grey, its purple skin fading, cracking open to reveal dry blood. It was dumping its very life into another attack, making me grit my teeth. I didn¡¯t know why they were trying so hard to kill us but now I was enraged. I fired at it, never taking my finger off the trigger, pelting it with rounds that did nothing more than flatten against its body and armor. But then I felt someone take a step. I looked back, and saw Amira take the sword out of her chest. Blood pooled out of her mouth but she barely reacted to it. Her pupils were dilated, her skin flushed red, and when I stopped firing, I could hear her heart pounding at dangerous speeds. Her Vigor circulated, taking on a red hue, as she stepped forward. The Overkill Pill. I wasn¡¯t sure if I could quantify how much rage I felt, seeing her walk, already dead. I reached down and grabbed her armor before she could step to the hatch. ¡°Did I fucking tell you to take that!? I didn¡¯t say that you could kill yourself! You¡¯re supposed to follow my orders and stay alive! How many Doves do we have to lose?!¡± She grabbed my forearm and then shoved me against the wall. I hit it harder than she expected. Her strength was unlike anything I had ever experienced. She looked at me with a neutral expression. She had always been stoic. ¡°You¡¯ve done more to keep me and my unit alive than anybody else I¡¯ve ever called my superior. You¡¯re someone I want to keep alive. Don¡¯t deny me this.¡± She ripped my hand off her armor before letting go and turning around. Then she jumped out of the hatch, the force of her jump jerking the helicopter downward. We recovered enough to see her sailing toward the King Blood, red vigor gathering around her body placed between us and that gathering attack. The King Blood turned to ash, and the attack released. I flinched when I heard the scream, Amira¡¯s vigor exploding when it collided with the attack, reality being torn to shreds. Darkness and light flickered, my eyes closing when I saw that I was blinded, the harrowing sounds threatening to rupture eardrums as it tore apart reality. My vision came back right as the screaming stopped several seconds later. I looked up, finding the entire side of the cliff gone, all the monsters and their corpses vanished from existence. Nothing but a massive hole in the world. The hatch started closing at the pilot¡¯s behest, eliminating my view of the devastation. I looked down when it went dark, finding a pendant in my hand, Amira¡¯s parting gift. It was jade encased in gold. I fell to my knees, Totenstahl clattering to my side. I shakily reached and opened the pendant, finding a picture of Amira and her husband on one side, her parents on the other. I shut it before I could cry, the images already seared into my brain. My heart pounded as I bent over, my hand curling around the pendant. My chest hurt too much to speak, to scream. What would I say to their families? How would I explain this? How much more could I have done? Where did I go wrong? What would I have done if Umara, Feiden, or Tana was placed in that situation? Why couldn¡¯t I prevent all of this from happening? Why wasn¡¯t it ever enough? Chapter 228: Names of the Fallen December 15th, 625 Things were silent for a long while inside the helicopter. I eventually made it to one of the seats, my adrenaline fading and the pain in my head turning my vision blurry. My hands shook as I took out a cigar, after a few tries I cut one end messily. Umara had to use the lighter and help me. A few puffs of that smoke helped with the pain slightly, dulling it enough for me to function properly. I had drained just almost every drop of Psyka I had. I was actively regenerating it, but the process hurt my brain. Uamra held my hand, but so many things were going through my mind that I almost didn¡¯t register the sensation of her fingers slipping into mine. A healer from the Templars with us was tending to the wounded. There were few. In total, the amount of people that made it out, not counting the Templars, numbered 11. Just four Chiefs from the Snow Doves, myself, Umara¡¯s 5 man squad, and Nonnen. Only 11 remained of an initial 400 troops. We had lost two Brigadiers, almost all of our Chiefs, those remaining being the luckiest of them. Even they were barely alive. Two had mortal wounds and lost limbs that the healer was stabilizing, one of them a knight, the other a warlock. The other two, another knight and warlock pair, were in better shape, though exhausted. One had already passed out. Three of those four Chiefs had been rescued from the downed Steed. One of them had been a survivor of the massacre that ensued after Eric broke down the lines, barely managing to make it long enough to get supported by the Templars. None of the Templars had died. Some were wounded, all of them were tired, but they showed no weakness. Their extreme training was evident in how they handled themselves. I closed my eyes, the acuity of my vision overwhelming my mind for a bit as it tried to compensate for the darkness. It was either that, or I was sensing the Aura scramblers that the Templars were wearing. ¡°Hey, you guys mind turning those off?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The Templar Brigadier looked up at me, blood streaming down the armor over his arm. I opened my eyes again. It was definitely their scramblers. ¡°Whatever device you¡¯re using to mess with your Aura. It¡¯s irritating my own.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± He nodded, the Templars all tapping the bracers on their forearms. The devices turned off, making their Auras clear and no longer irritating me. I sighed, feeling much more at ease. ¡°Thank you. For that, and for your help today. I don¡¯t think we would¡¯ve made it without you.¡± ¡°...You are all soldiers that the Kingdom needs more of. We are glad that we were able to act in time, and sorry we couldn¡¯t save more.¡± ¡°The traitor is my fault. Don¡¯t be sorry.¡± He simply nodded in response, everything going silent again. None of the Templars besides the leader spoke. I knew they were here for a reason. I knew that the odds pointed to them being here to protect me. I was a valuable asset to more than just the Kingdom. There were a lot of people interested in keeping me alive. But I wouldn¡¯t question them. I didn¡¯t feel like it. It felt like I already knew all there was to know. But I still looked up again, at the largest person within the helicopter. After the devices went off I was now 100% sure. Tana seemed sure too. She was anxious. I sighed, ¡°Fancy seeing you here, Vetsmon. It would¡¯ve been nicer to meet again under better circumstances, but it¡¯s still good to see you.¡± He looked up at me, staring at me before looking back at his leader, who nodded. Vetsmon turned back and took off his helmet. I saw brown skin and short ragged hair. He looked battered. Compared to the last time we saw each other, he looked like a real man now. There was a bit more experience in his eyes. A real Knight who had been through his own battles and tribulations. He was incomparable to before, especially since I just saw him take on an Authority 10 Royal like any other enemy. Authority 8, and an Aura of strength. I remember seeing his arm get slashed off and yet his body seemed to defy injuries. Perhaps his Aura was able to manipulate his limbs regardless of whether they were attached to him, acting like an invisible, persisting nervous system. He was a zombie that couldn¡¯t be stopped. He could probably get decapitated and continue fighting. So long as his head didn¡¯t get pulverized, he was okay. Vetsmon smiled a bit, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too, John. You¡¯ve gotten a lot stronger.¡± ¡°So have you, you fucking freak. Getting limbs chopped off and using them anyway. How fried are your nerves?¡± ¡°Most of my training revolves around using my technique and pushing its limits. So, pretty fried.¡± ¡°Torture for training. That¡¯s fucking hard. Well, it was no wonder I felt completely safe behind that shield. Nothing more secure than a knight that can¡¯t die.¡± He chuckled, scratching his head. I gave a small smile and motioned toward Tana. His eyes drifted toward her, anxiety increasing. He hesitated, but still spoke. ¡°Hi, Tana. I¡¯m¡­ happy to see you.¡± She looked up at him for a few seconds before taking off her helmet as well, blonde hair spilling out, some blood crusted on strands. She gave him a smile. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too, Vetsmon. You look good.¡± ¡°I mean I¡¯m a bit bloody. I¡¯m sure I smell too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± She chuckled a bit. Vetsmon seemed a bit flustered. My smile faded as I looked toward the Templar. He met my gaze and I waved him over to one side of the helicopter, standing from our seats, letting the lovebirds talk. He stepped to my side and I took out my Aerial, bringing up a map. ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to return to the Treehouse with us. Where do you want to be dropped?¡± ¡°Here, please.¡± He pointed to a location farther to the east. It wasn¡¯t too far out of our way and their healer was getting our wounded in shape, so we could spare the time. ¡°I¡¯ll give the pilot the location. Rest assured, I¡¯ll keep you out of my records. I don¡¯t need the Kingdom on my ass and I prefer to help my allies keep their secrets.¡± ¡°That will be appreciated.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do. I¡¯m sure you know more than I do but shit¡¯s about to hit the fan. It¡¯s safe to say the Snow Doves are out of the fight, for now. We¡¯ll be recovering at base but I¡¯m preparing to make my retreat to Stronghold Charlie when we either get our numbers replenished or when that Sovereign Class marches over, whichever comes first.¡± ¡°I imagine the highest echelon at the Treehouse is getting ready to flee,¡± His rough voice spoke with a hint of disdain, ¡°I suggest you leave before they can use you as sacrificial fodder for their escape.¡± ¡°My thoughts the same. I just wonder if the entire western front is about to collapse, or if they¡¯ll use Stronghold Charlie as they¡¯re supposed to.¡± He stared at me like that was a stupid question, and I agreed. I already knew what was going to happen. What I didn¡¯t know was how fast it was going to happen, and what it would mean for the places around the Stronghold. I closed and wiped my eyes, settling my mind a bit. Then my consciousness lapsed, and I snapped back into it when I felt myself falling. I reached out and grabbed something metal, eyes shooting open to see a few people grabbing me. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The Templar pat my shoulder. ¡°You okay, Cooper?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine.¡± I straightened out, my hand finding Umara¡¯s arm and snaking down to grab her hand. ¡°I¡¯m just tired. Let me pass the location to the pilot.¡± I shook my head, using the pain to keep me awake while I walked across the helicopter and up to the pilot seats. Both were there, and I passed the location to the co-pilot, giving him directions before heading back to my seat, Umara holding my arm to stabilize me. I suppose I was stumbling a bit. I looked over at her, noticing for the first time the blood across her face, spilled from her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Some of it had been wiped but it was mostly dried. She had pushed herself during the battle. We all had. I¡¯m just surprised she was still lucid. My forehead dipped down to touch hers once we sat. My eyes closed again as my tasks started running through my mind. ¡°I need to compile a battle report.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need to¡­ submit a casualty list.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She nodded absentmindedly. She was about as out of it as I was. ¡°We need to do refits, go to the garage and report equipment and vehicle losses¡­ I still need to talk to Polly and go over strategy reports so we know what to do later¡­¡± I didn¡¯t hear her response. It was easier to think in the silence, with my eyes closed. I still needed to go compile a list of those killed today. The Snow Doves would have to be reported first since they constituted most of the combat power lost. They were what the generals cared about. Herdot, male, 27 years old, two brothers, one sister. Emrah, male, 28 years old, one brother and three sisters. Jean, male, 34 years old, one brother and one sister, father died four years ago, mother living at home with brother. Sriniva, female, 31 years old, four sisters, both parents died from disease two years ago. Ranerio, male, 26 years old, only child, widowed mother. Gallter, male, 44 years old, married, one son, one daughter, ordinary wife, just started his third contract. Algauta, female, 24 years old, engaged, three brothers and two parents, all ordinary. Pranab, male, 36 years old, engaged to Algauta, two brothers, first son of Count Pandu. Lan, male, 52 years old, widowed, four sons, three daughters, lost his wife a year ago to disease. Achela, female, 58 years old, remained unmarried, one brother. Leun, female, 33 years old, married to an ordinary man in the Capital, one daughter. Gerul, male, 29 years old, boyfriend of Erasa from the Pathfinders, six brothers, widowed father. Ron, male, 44 years old, best friend of Gallter, unmarried, has an illegitimate son with the daughter of Count Scaevo. Fela, female, 36 years old, divorced, two sons, only child. Leof, male, 62 years old, married, one son, two brothers, two sisters. Sigen, male, 28 years old, six sisters, father is a veteran of the Snow Doves. Dika, male, 39 years old, four brothers, mother was killed in action three years ago, all four brothers are in the military. Eduart, male, 40 years old, married, eight daughters, two months from finishing his second contract. Moise, female, 42 years old, widowed, one daughter, husband killed in action 10 years ago. Ranga, female, 31 years old, one sister, four brothers, second daughter of Marquess Danda. Roel, female, 39 years old, only child, daughter of Count Hjalmar. Nzinga, female, 23 years old, one brother, ordinary parents. Ramma, female, 58 years old, married, one son, bestowed the title of Viscount 8 years ago. Bugsy, female, 30 years old, engaged 6 months ago to a summoner working in the Spire. Robin, female, 27 years old, two brothers, recently advanced to Authority 9. Amira, female, 39 years old, married, no children, designated successor of the Cemil Marquisate. Every profile went through my head in the order of death, followed by every detail I had learned about their lives from what I had been told or what I had overheard. I could imagine their lives, from beginning to the bloody end, my mind filling in the blanks, imagining the reactions of their families. There would come a time when I¡¯d have to face them. This front of the war would lull, and the funerals would get scheduled. It was disgusting, thinking that I was now a veteran of the Snow Doves. The four that remained were not a part of the original group when I joined. Nonnen and I were now the two longest standing living Snow Doves. It was a source of great shame for both of us. My eyes snapped open when I heard the hatch of the helicopter open. I glanced to the side, seeing the Templars leaving. I stood and followed after Nonnen. He shook the hand of the Templar Brigadier. There was another team of Templars waiting nearby, walking over as the helicopter blades threw wind and sound over the biomat all around us. After Nonnen and the Templar exchanged some words, the Templar walked over to me, extending his hand for a shake. I took it, his voice rising over the chopping sounds of the helicopter. ¡°You¡¯re a damn good soldier, Cooper! And I know you¡¯re probably too smart to believe me, but none of their deaths are on you! You know you did everything you could, so mourn them, but don¡¯t blame yourself!¡± ¡°I understand, sir! Unfortunately the fight isn¡¯t over yet!¡± ¡°I know! But part of being able to move on, so you can continue fighting well, is forgiving yourself!¡± He grabbed my shoulder, pulling me in a bit. ¡°I know men like you! There are men even smarter than you who dedicate their lives to commanding the war! And the ones who are able to persist are the ones who know how to forgive themselves! The Scourge demands sacrifices! You have to accept that they will be made!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t accept that because I don¡¯t believe they are worth my sacrifice! How can I send others to die if I¡¯m not willing to give up my life as well?!¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s not really how you feel, is it?!¡± I had no response for that, and it made him laugh. He smacked my shoulder, his expression still hidden behind his helmet. ¡°We¡¯ll be nearby, but we¡¯re fighting our own war too! Don¡¯t ever assume our help! Unless you want to ditch the Kingdom and become one of us!¡± ¡°Not right now! Stay safe!¡± ¡°You as well!¡± We gave goodbyes, and I turned to look at Vetsmon and Tana. They were off to the side having their own conversation. It hadn¡¯t stopped since it started earlier, even though they had lapses of silence. After getting called, Vetsmon wrapped it up, the two of them hugging for longer than normal before separating. Vetsmon put his helmet back on, looked at me, waved, and ran off. I waved back and turned to walk back into the helicopter. The wounded were still within, given recovery pills by the healer that maintained their health. I looked between the four remaining Snow Doves, all Chiefs, the only ones that could endure being drowned by monsters after Eric had broken down the lines. Even then, they just barely lasted long enough to get saved by us. There were plenty of Authority 8 and 9 Royals that had swarmed the area. Thankfully Feiden and Umara were capable of killing that level of combatant, alongside the Doves that we had rescued from the first downed Steed. But before the Templars could get to us, Doves had been killed right in front of me. They were drowned by monsters even as I held down Totenstahl¡¯s trigger and eviscerated them with bullets. Some Royals were just too strong. Authority 9s weren¡¯t easily brought down. They were tenacious, and I didn¡¯t have the sheer power to take them out with anything less than entire belts of ammunition. I was lacking power. My only strong suit was the ability to slaughter those at my level by the hundred and kill only a few above my level with singular bursts of massive power. I could hold off thousands on my own, as I did, allowing those with sheer strength like Umara and Feiden to do their best work. But it wasn¡¯t enough. After some time, everyone was loaded back into the helicopter, and we flew back off toward the Treehouse. The ride was mostly silent. I had only spoken to inform the pilots that it was in their best interests to keep the Templars a secret. They agreed with me easily. Everyone knew that I could keep watch over them, making sure they didn¡¯t do things they shouldn¡¯t. The reputation I had built with the counterespionage division still stood. With that warning given I went and sat with Umara, who had passed out. I held her, lest her limbs get stiff and she be uncomfortable. I found myself dozing off more though. I tried staying awake but the cigar was only putting me under after dulling some of the pain. I needed a lot of sleep, but now wasn¡¯t the time. I only woke up twice, once when I heard sobbing from the surviving Doves, and the next when we touched down. The hatch dropped and I stood, picking up Umara and carrying her as we walked out. Jasmine and Polly were both there to meet us. I looked around. There were pillars around the Treehouse that had been installed many months ago. They deployed a massive magical barrier that blocked out the blizzard for the entire base. I didn¡¯t have to walk out into numbing snowy winds thanks to them. Healers brought the wounded away, including the Doves, Harsha, Tana, and Feiden. Nonnen refused to leave, and Umara and Jaya were relatively fine. I was also untouched. The six of us walked to Charlie Company¡¯s barracks. It remained untouched since we left it. When we walked in, all of us saw all the trunks and beds on the first floor, personal items strewn around everywhere. We stood there, silently, for nearly 5 minutes. They wouldn¡¯t be coming back. I heard Jaya cry nearby, falling to her knees where she stood. Nonnen remained silent, even when Polly turned to ask me a question. ¡°All of them?¡± ¡°All but who you saw walk out of that helicopter.¡± I turned to her, and she met my gaze. ¡°Eric turned traitor. He¡¯s the reason we lost just about everyone.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to be happening in the near future, but unless we get reinforced, we can only operate on the squadron level.¡± She nodded, ¡°You¡¯ll remain the Snow Doves. There will be nothing that I¡¯ll send you out for. You¡¯re staying here, and we¡¯re preparing to survive what¡¯s coming. Unfortunately there are no troops to spare, certainly none that we can filter through to uphold your standards. There will be no reinforcements, but depending on the situation, you¡¯ll simply work with other units.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Silence returned for a bit, Jasmine reaching down to help Jaya off the floor. Polly sighed and turned to me. ¡°John, don¡¯t worry about anything right now. We have some time, so go rest. You¡¯re not hurt?¡± ¡°Not a scratch. I had good protection.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ I¡¯ll call you when I need you. Go recover until then.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I nodded and walked off, heading up a floor with Umara still in my arms. I settled us both on the bed. There was nothing other than sleep that could help us right now. There were probably a few minor wounds, perhaps a bone bruise of crack here and there, but our minds were more wounded than anything else. I just needed sleep. So I passed out within seconds of hitting the pillow and covering us both with sheets. Chapter 229: Retreat December 21st, 625 My eyes snapped open when I heard the alarms. I could feel the grogginess set in as soon as I sat up. Umara groaned beside me. This was the third alarm in 20 hours and neither of us were happy about it. When the large blanket over us shifted, it let in some cold air from the room, chilling us both. Umara shifted closer to me as I lifted my Aerial. I didn¡¯t get out of bed unless I got a call. Unfortunately it came. I saw Jasmine¡¯s name and sighed. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Jasmine. You¡¯ll need to get up for this one.¡± ¡°...Fine.¡± ¡°Get the others mobile and meet me in the office.¡± ¡°Be there in 10.¡± I mumbled and brought out my coat, throwing it on before the cold room could make me shiver. That¡¯s when I felt a spike of danger, my grogginess vanishing as adrenaline shot through me. Umara raised a barrier around us right before it hit. An explosion detonated right on top of our barracks. I heard half the building crumble, the room being shaken like an earthquake and the glass window shattering. I scrambled out of bed and looked off into the distance. Morning was dawning and Bombardo artillery was leveling half the base. I wondered what the hell had happened to the pillars and why the barrier was down before I glanced at where one was supposed to be. It was destroyed, as were two others in my field of view. That could only happen if they were brought down from within. Looks like we had either been infiltrated, or the Scourge was cashing in on traitors. At this point it didn¡¯t matter which it was. Umara came to my side and peeked out with me. ¡°...Looks like this is it.¡± ¡°Not quite like Purple Sky. At least we¡¯re getting the chance to react and fight this time.¡± ¡°Still don¡¯t enjoy living through the downfall of entire strongholds.¡± She looked up at me, ¡°Are you sure we can¡¯t just take a plane and fly back to the Capital?¡± I looked back down at her, the two of us staring at each other with dead tired eyes for several seconds as I pondered. ¡°...Sorry babe. We¡¯re too good at our jobs to do that. I promise it¡¯ll get better though.¡± ¡°Will it?¡± ¡°It will. As soon as my weapons and tanks start rolling out, shit like this will become a rarity for us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t doubt your weapons. I doubt the Kingdom¡¯s ability to use them.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± I sighed and backed away from the window, getting dressed. Umara followed, topping off her gear with her witch hat. I smiled when I saw that, giving her a kiss before we left the room. It was safe to say that everyone was awake. I saw Nonnen already geared up in full armor. As for what remained of the Snow Doves, there were two. Two of the four surviving Chiefs from our recent massacre had lost limbs and were too heavily injured to return to effective service, one warlock and one knight, both still recovering in a medical tent. The other knight with heavy wounds had managed to recover while the other warlock had been repaired by healers. The Snow Doves now consisted of one cold summoner, one Brigadier knight, one Chief knight, and one Chief warlock. The two were named Ephras Matej and Simeon Bogdan. Ephras, a woman, was our knight and Simeon, a man, was the warlock. Umara¡¯s squad was still fully effective, making our numbers reach 9 in total. Considering our actual combat power though, we 9 could match an entire battalion. I looked down after walking through the hallway a bit, seeing the walls demolished. They gave a straight shot to the first floor though so I dropped down and went up to Nonnen, using my boots to hover and break the fall. ¡°Jasmine called just a minute ago.¡± ¡°Go meet her and call me with orders. I¡¯ll secure transport.¡± ¡°Copy.¡± We broke off. Umara gave Feiden and Tana some orders before leaving with me to head to headquarters. We shot across the ground as snow started bellowing in from every direction. The Sovereign was close and the barrier was down. Intelligence was limited since accurate recon was close to impossible, making us blind and preventing our planes from doing much damage. Hopefully the generals were smart enough to realize that you didn¡¯t need line of sight to simply drop bombs on the enemy, especially since there were so many that there was no need for accurate guidance. Just don¡¯t drop them on the base, was the only guidance needed. I noticed red gas moving around with the blizzard, dropped from the Bombardos and just as effective in a blizzard as anywhere else. Thankfully I had better equipment now, so I took out an M53 protective mask and slipped it over my head, fitting it snugly, breaking the seal, and continuing on through the gas. Umara just used her magic to isolate herself. Along the way I noticed the air field getting bombarded and troops running to the walls. The siege was starting already, and although I was beginning to get anxious, considering recent situations, I wasn¡¯t that concerned. It certainly wasn¡¯t to the point that I was ready to drop everything and run right this second. Still, I wondered if we¡¯d even be able to fly out of here. Thankfully Nonnen was going to grab some Steeds. We might need them. We got to headquarters, rushing up to the office after pushing past hundreds of summoners that bustled around, panicking. Inside the office Polly and Jasmine were alone, overlooking a map that I saw thousands of red clusters on. There had to be well over a million incoming enemies if that map was right, and they were surrounding us, fast. Polly looked up at me with baggy eyes, speaking only after I shut the door and activated the sound isolation magic for the room. She glanced at Umara, eyes snapping back to me, ¡°It¡¯s time to leave, John.¡± ¡°Is it that hopeless?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve sent bombers into the air but we can¡¯t even confirm if they¡¯ve hit anything. We don¡¯t know any exact numbers beyond what we can estimate from the surface area the incoming army covers. Those numbers point toward 1.1 million, and we have planes in the air showing even more on approach. In the best situation, neither side will come out victorious and we¡¯ll just be killing each other. Except the Scourge can send more troops faster than we can, so ultimately we lose anyway. That means we need to leave.¡± ¡°Is the Sovereign going to act?¡± ¡°He will but he¡¯s a knight. He can¡¯t stop the blizzard so half of our advantages are null. This will be a bloody fight and I don¡¯t want us or you in it when it turns for the worst.¡± She shuffled through various maps, one showing the path back to Stronghold Charlie, another showing Stronghold Charlie and Hare¡¯s Pass. It seemed like there were forces moving down to the Stronghold, currently traveling past Scythe¡¯s Peak, as well as enemy forces that wanted to flood the only trodden route of retreat. We¡¯d be cut off if we didn¡¯t leave fast enough, and even then we¡¯d be fighting our way to the Stronghold. Wait too long and we¡¯d have to fight through a hundred thousand monsters just to retreat, which while possible, wasn¡¯t a risk Polly and Jasmine wanted to take. They¡¯d have to come with us if we couldn¡¯t get helicopters up and running. ¡°Do you have a pilot?¡± ¡°We just called for one but a lot of aircraft have been knocked out. Traitors have been popping up across the entire base. They took out the Pylons, destroyed the Rail cars, and started wrecking the planes. Simply destroying the propellers keeps them out into the sky. I¡¯m not sure if there are many aircraft left beyond what we managed to get in the air some hours ago.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°...Would that be considered a failure on my part?¡± I glanced at Polly, her hands massaging her temples in stress. She was supposed to be in charge of counterespionage, but it seemed like all that work had been for nothing. Sure, her priorities had shifted after becoming a Brigadier General, but I was sure she still blamed herself. Unfortunately, no matter how good we were, without time, the right tools, and more personnel, we couldn¡¯t have possibly sifted through 200 thousand troops and caught every traitor. I shook my head, ¡°What¡¯s happening here today was beyond our ability to do anything about. We didn¡¯t have enough time for my weapons to cement themselves onto the battlefield and a single counterespionage division, not even a year old, isn¡¯t enough to handle a base like this. Don¡¯t dwell on it.¡± ¡°...I guess you¡¯re right. Still.¡± I was silent in agreement. Both of us wished we could do something about it. Both of us wondered if there was more we could¡¯ve done. There was, but neither of us had the ability to change this inevitability. This was a strategic failure on the part of the entire Kingdom. No amount of my bullets nor Polly¡¯s intellect could change it for the better, not in the short amount of time we had to act. I looked back down at the map. ¡°Nonnen is securing Steeds right now. How long until we have to leave?¡± ¡°Within the next hour. There are orders I need to give before then, because right now only the generals know about how hopeless this situation is. Intelligence agents are getting an idea but all they can do is follow orders and handle their battalions. We¡¯re withholding a lot from them.¡± ¡°This entire base is being put up for slaughter. A massive chunk of the Kingdom¡¯s military is about to die today.¡± ¡°Retreat orders are about to be given, Sovereign¡¯s orders. But yes. This will be a catastrophic defeat even worse than Purple Sky. They dumped so much into this place. For some time they thought your planes had managed to turn the tide. They thought we would hold this place. For a time even I believed it. I thought we had it¡­¡± I looked up, hearing Polly choke up a bit. She quickly forced it down but she still sat there in silence to calm down. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it She let out a breath, hitching a few times, before wiping her face and looking down at the map. ¡°All generals are leaving with the first retreat wave, which should be called within the hour. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it happens earlier though with the way the Scourge is moving. Sensors are going off everywhere so we know they¡¯re surrounding us as we speak.¡± ¡°So where do you want me?¡± ¡°Here, until I finish my last tasks. Then Jasmine and I will leave with you.¡± ¡°Any other people I should expect?¡± ¡°...No. Just us two. Give me 10 minutes. We¡¯ll be in your hands after that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll escort you. Umara, regroup with the others, make sure Nonnen has two Steeds. Tell him personally what the plan is. No Aerials from now on, unless absolutely necessary.¡± ¡°Copy.¡± She left the room, Polly organizing a few things with Jasmine before the three of us left to go carry out the last rites. I kept my eyes out while walking with them. Polly gave orders to a few dozen people, all of them intelligence agents, and gathered up a few hundred Orbs into a spatial storage from the archives. We passed by other generals doing the same things. It seemed like all of them came to mutual agreements to carry out designated tasks before retreating. At some point though my anxiety started increasing. I prepared for the worst and took out a weapon. Not Totenstahl. We were around cubicles and rooms so I wanted something a bit more wieldy than a large MG 42. I retrieved a 300 Blackout Honey Badger SBR. It was short and packed a punch, perfect for clearing buildings like I was in. Polly stopped and looked at me when the rifle appeared in my hands. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s obvious but we aren¡¯t safe here. How much more do you need to do?¡± ¡°Not much. I just need to hand off these documents to a few people.¡± ¡°Hurry then.¡± Polly nodded, going from a walk to a jog while I kept my eye out. We made two more stops before ending up on the main floor. That¡¯s when the sense of danger spiked, and I looked to find one of the many intelligence agents contorting in pain. I saw mana gather around them, coalescing dangerously as a formation lit up across their skin, glowing with blood red power. I followed my gut, raised the weapon, and pulled the trigger twice, sending two rounds through their head and dropping them. The power continued to gather anyway, so I grabbed Polly and Jasmine and brought them to the floor. ¡°Get down!¡± The explosion went off two seconds later, debris slamming onto my back, their impacts dampened by my coat. It was hardly a thought in my mind. The important thing was that Jasmine and Polly were protected. I looked up, seeing some summoners bring out beasts, animals, and cold weapons of their own. They started going around and attacking all the other intelligence agents, beasts rampaging across cubicles and destroying anything in their path. I rose up to one knee and aimed at a massive lizard that clawed its way over to me, eyes red and hungry. I let off a dozen rounds at it, holes appearing in its head before it disappeared. Then I snapped between all the offending summoners, sending one or two bullets at each, headshots dropping them one by one. They were easy to kill, but they still managed to take many intelligence agents with them. That would wreak havoc on the chain of command and communications. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯re done here!¡± I picked Polly and Jasmine off the floor, rushing them out. I made a mental note that the silencer on the Honey Badger worked fabulously well, empowered by my Psyka, silencing the sound even further. It was far quieter than any silenced weapons I had ever heard, mere cracks that were easy on the ears. I could even hear the bolt slide. Good to know. The three of us rushed out of headquarters. Polly had done her job and there was nothing more she could do that wouldn¡¯t just carry more risk than it was worth. When we left we found dozens of others doing the same, among them generals. Outside there were also many Steeds parked nearby, surrounded by troops that waved over and secured the generals. They had their own escort forces too. Polly and Jasmine, while only having 9 people escort them, were still among the most protected of them all. In a time like this, allies like us were the most important. I looked around and found Umara standing outside of a Steed a small distance away. We ran over, the blizzard picking up intensity. ¡°Nonnen is going to meet us by the western gate. Troops are already staging for retreat.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t want to be the first but we don¡¯t want to be the last. Let¡¯s get to him.¡± I helped Polly and Jasmine into the Steed, Umara jumping into the driver seat and peeling away once I was in. We went all the way to the western gate where there was another Steed parked, as well as several thousand troops with more on the way. We arrived and I had Polly and Jasmine stay inside while I jumped out and talked to Nonnen. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s the plan from here?¡± ¡°We just need to get to Stronghold Charlie. Best way to do that is to let some of these troops lead the charge. Then again, if they don¡¯t leave soon it¡¯ll be better to just go ourselves and get ahead of the Scourge. We¡¯re being surrounded. We don¡¯t have a large window.¡± ¡°Got it. No helicopters?¡± ¡°No helicopters. Traitors destroyed most of the aircraft, and Jasmine never got word back from her pilot. We¡¯re on our own.¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t that amazing,¡± He shook his head, looking off into the distance where tens of thousands of troops were battling on the walls, ¡°As soon as we meet significant resistance, the entire army crumbles into a free for all. It¡¯s like we never tried to put up a fight. Why be here then? Why invest so much into this place?¡± ¡°Because they think it¡¯ll be useless either way,¡± I followed his gaze, ¡°Even if we brought down this million strong army with just 200 thousand, the Scourge would simply come back with another million. So they want to pull back forces, preserve numbers, knowing that if they threw all these troops at the enemy, they¡¯d only lose.¡± ¡°But it would still be a million monsters dead. Do they think the Scourge wouldn¡¯t just send two million at us next time?¡± ¡°Shortsightedness, and fear. That¡¯s all it is. And it¡¯s what my weapons are supposed to solve. I¡¯m trying to build machines that we can sacrifice in place of people. If we can burn money instead of souls, winning this war will be just a matter of time. We may have won this battle today if I had just 6 more months of building and accumulation. But that means in just 6 months, my weapons will turn the tides. I just won¡¯t be saving this base. It¡¯ll be another.¡± Nonnen sighed, ¡°Every last one of those generals is still a fool. They¡¯re cowards that run at the first sign of danger.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happens when they¡¯re all weak. Unfortunately they¡¯re all smart too. But that¡¯s why we have to help those like Polly.¡± ¡°And give you the time to make weapons. I¡¯m still looking forward to that tank thing you told me about.¡± I shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯d enjoy being stuck inside a metal coffin all the time instead of fighting personally.¡± ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I go out? It¡¯s just a more heavily armored Steed, is it not?¡± ¡°What? No. It¡®s specifically designed to make sure the occupants never have to leave. That¡¯s the whole point of the armor.¡± ¡°You act like I¡¯m supposed to know these things about something you¡¯re currently inventing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying.¡± He rolled his eyes at me, the two of us watching the surrounding troops grow in number. At some point we saw the first wave go out, consisting of nearly 20 thousand troops of all levels and escorting three Major Generals. Nonnen muttered, ¡°With this blizzard, we¡¯re still going in blind. You think they¡¯ll be able to push to the Stronghold?¡± ¡°No. They¡¯ll get caught up by the enemy. We need to make sure we don¡¯t join them.¡± ¡°How much longer are we waiting?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go with the second wave. More troops, more distractions, easier for us to slip through safely.¡± I said that and waited. Troops continued to gather endlessly as the battle raged in front of the walls. I could sense the movement of the Auras in the distance, massive pools that blazed across the sky like conflagrations of invisible power. None of it appeared in my vision but the blizzard could do nothing to dampen its obvious presence. The Scourge was starting to close its jaws, and the Sovereigns had yet to make their move. At Purple Sky, the Sovereign had to fight because she was facing a King. This time, our Sovereign had an option. He didn¡¯t have to fight if he didn¡¯t want to. Since we were retreating anyway, the Sovereigns on both sides might just let the millions of little minions do all the bloody work while they sat back and watched. No reason to take risks and dirty their hands. Seemed I was on the dot, because even after another 20 minutes, I didn¡¯t detect even a hint of the Sovereign¡¯s Aura. He was here, that much was certain, but he was mere deterrent, a nuclear bomb that could only sit unused, lest the enemy use theirs. I understood the concept of MAD. I also understood the concept of having more nukes than your enemy. The Kingdom has failed to surpass its enemy with the highest end power, so they¡¯re now being forced to battle with their minions, exactly where the Scourge thrives. ¡°Second wave is going out.¡± Nonnen spoke as I stared off toward the walls. There were faint flashes that managed to pierce through the blizzard around us. The snow wasn¡¯t obscene, mitigated slightly by our own Sovereign¡¯s Aura, but it was enough to give the Scourge a massive advantage. I could sense them flooding toward us. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°We¡¯re rolling!¡± Nonnen shouted as the thousands of troops around us started mobilizing. Harsha and Tana drove the two Steeds. On the one that Tana drove, I was with Umara and the Snow Dove knight Ephras. We were with Polly and Jasmine. In the other that Harsha drove was Feiden, Jaya, Nonnen, and the Snow Dove warlock Simeon. Another chunk of nearly 30 thousand troops went out during the second retreat wave, a minority of them in vehicles, and we kept ourselves toward the middle of the western edge of their formation. It would place the troops between us and the bulk of the incoming Scourge. We had enough firepower to hold off anything that came from the other flank. We left the Treehouse amidst that formation. I looked beyond the walls as soon as we left their protection, hearing the unholy screams of tens of thousands of Scourge monsters flooding toward us from the flanks. Tens of thousands of our troops held them off, enabling the retreat just as the Sovereign wanted. We moved slowly in the Steed, keeping in line with the marching troops. They were almost all Magi so they moved faster than walking pace but it still wasn¡¯t quick. We weren¡¯t speeding anywhere. Some of our escort forces became locked in battle within the first few minutes. The enemy was close, but I couldn¡¯t see them with the blizzard obscuring our view. We continued marching anyway, the pace picking up once we started getting beyond the initial heat around the base. Troops moved at a jogging pace, most warlocks loaded in some kind of vehicle, knights composing almost all that were on foot. We picked up speed, crossing a handful of miles like that. More of the outermost forces made contact with the Scourge but they were left behind. The bulk of the force never stopped. The generals weren¡¯t here to fight, but escape. Sacrifices would be made to that end. We were on the main road to Stronghold Charlie before long, and at some point, the blizzard faded out. We finally regained our vision, everyone looking back to see the towering localized blizzard that formed a churning wall of snow thousands of feet into the air. I noticed it was faintly tinted red. We rolled across thin biomat, trodden on often enough to break it up and highlight the main path. I turned on my Aerial after some time, tuning into the frequencies of the troops ahead of us that left with the first wave. I immediately heard hundreds of yells and screams, troops calling out that they were locked in combat, some trying to escape an encirclement, others calling for help across various sectors. ¡°Contact front in 11 miles.¡± ¡°Copy.¡± I got a response from Nonnen. It was quiet all around us, just the sound of marching and crunching snow in my ears. I dipped back down into the Steed, looking over at Polly and Jasmine. They were dressed in their Glimmers, no armor to speak of. They were our cargo and it would be difficult to keep them alive, especially if the Scourge was fighting us the whole way. I asked, ¡°Have we considered digging down to the Rail tunnels and using them to get back to the stronghold?¡± Polly nodded, ¡°Yes. The generals agreed that would be our last resort. We can¡¯t enter it too early because the Scourge might follow. We¡¯ll only use it if the bulk of our escort forces fall, which would hopefully be during the final leg of the retreat.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± I nodded and sat down, relaxing a bit. That was sound logic, because although the tunnels were easy to tread and there were only two directions to worry about, getting caught inside by a horde of Scourge was asking for trouble. There would only be one direction to run, and nowhere to hide. Umara dipped down and sat across from me, smirking a bit. ¡°Same thing we did at Purple Sky. Except they sent Rail cars to pick us up after we dug down. Why can¡¯t they do that now?¡± Jasmine muttered, ¡°Contact with Stronghold Charlie has been sporadic. Something is going on over there. Chances are traitors got to them too. So they might not be under siege yet, but they can¡¯t help us either. The other generals would know more. They didn¡¯t tell us everything.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Umara sighed, her foci sitting in her hand. We sat in silence a bit longer, waiting, and eventually standing when we encountered the first retreat wave. I went to the top of the Steed and looked off in the distance, seeing the thousands of troops being drowned by monsters. I sighed and hoisted Totenstahl up, the bipod sitting on the metal roof of the Steed. It would still take a day and a half to get to Stronghold Charlie driving at normal pace. If we kept going at marching pace and kept getting interrupted, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it took 4 to 7 days. No matter what, unless we split off to go our own way, it would still be days of driving and fighting. I was already feeling tired. My peaceful life at the Capital felt like a dream compared to now. Part of me wondered if it was even possible to go back and feel that same peace. Those memories felt foreign. But the other part of me wondered if it was right to go back, if it was right to stop fighting. It started to feel like peace was wrong. I didn¡¯t want to be one of those generals that ditched an entire base before the fight could even start, using 200 thousand troops as their sacrifice. Could I really say that I did all I could if I wasn¡¯t fighting at every opportunity? The screams of flanking monsters interrupted my thoughts. I looked to my left, finding a tide of beasts heading straight towards us, no troops to stand between us. I adjusted my aim. It was time to do my part, for as long as this force lasted. I pulled the trigger well before the monsters could approach, cutting them down from afar, the Steed still rolling. It would be a long handful of days, but with Totenstahl and my team, I was nothing if not prepared. Chapter 230: Have His Back December 22nd, 625 The first day passed about how I expected it would. After dawn broke, the monsters came in full force. We were constantly attacked as we traveled down our retreat path and our numbers started dwindling sooner rather than later. The generals seemed to care little for their troops. There were no meaningful maneuvers made that might suggest putting up a fight. They just sacrificed several thousand more knights and warlocks to the clutches of the Scourge before continuing on their way. The first day led to the first night and after the Steeds ran out of juice we were forced to stop our retreat and rest. We had grouped with the first retreat wave after catching up to them, but neither of our groups had anything close to their original number. What was initially around 15 thousand troops in the first wave was now a measly 6 thousand, and our original 30 thousand strong second wave had been reduced to 19 thousand. We had a grand total of 25 thousand troops that stopped to camp and rest. Everyone was as tired as the Steeds. I naturally had to be among those who rested. I hadn¡¯t gotten good sleep the day before so when night finally came I was exhausted. Only my Psyka had managed to keep me going for so long but even that had been drained. I went to sleep with Umara in our tent right beside our two Steeds, forming a small group amidst thousands. Various temporary facilities had been set up all around, which meant we¡¯d likely be here longer than was advisable. Unfortunately I wasn¡¯t destined to get any good sleep, because after only 4 hours I woke up to the incoming sounds of explosions. My eyes snapped open a few seconds before something came flying in and slammed into the middle of the camp. I recognized the Authority 10 Aura before it was snuffed out, dead. Umara woke up in my arms, the two of us sitting up for a few seconds as we felt the incoming tide of humans and monsters, screams coming from a mile or two away. The dots connected in my head, and I scowled. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be fucking kidding me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Those are Treehouse troops. They¡¯re retreating just as we are. Which would be fine and all, except now they¡¯re bringing the monster tide on their ass over here.¡± I got up, already dressed since I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to go without protection at any point in hostile territory. Umara was the same, her hat appearing on her head as we left the tent and ran to the others. Everyone was already awake, Nonnen running over to me. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± ¡°Evade. If we¡¯re not careful we¡¯ll get hit from both sides and then we won¡¯t be going anywhere. Get everyone in a Steed. If the generals are as smart and cowardly as I know they are, they¡¯ll be running before long. We need to be with them.¡± ¡°Copy.¡± ¡°Umara.¡± I called, turning to my girlfriend. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I need to take Feiden, run recon ahead. If you feel like you need to run to keep from getting surrounded, then go. I leave the judgment to you and Nonnen. Just don¡¯t get tied down, stay ahead of the curve.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Stay safe.¡± We gave each other a quick kiss before I looked at Feiden. We nodded to each other, my boots activating as I established a telepathic connection with him. ¡°Keep up.¡± ¡°Right behind you.¡± I accelerated, Feiden on my heels as we shot through the camp and left through the front, away from the enemies behind us. We sailed down the main path for several minutes before I went offroad and climbed a hill, stealth activated and moving as fast as my boots¡¯ magic could take me. I spoke into Feiden¡¯s mind on the way up. [If they¡¯re coming from anywhere, it¡¯ll be here.] [Copy.] I got a quick response right before we crested the hill, looking off into the distance. Sure enough, I saw another monster army heading toward us from several miles away. ¡°Well shit.¡± ¡°We need to get ahead of that.¡± Feiden muttered, frowning at the Aura in the distance. I nodded, bringing up my Aerial. ¡°Come in, Witch. Give me status.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here. Generals are on the move. We¡¯re following.¡± ¡°Copy. We have another army coming from the northwest. They¡¯re trying to cut us off.¡± ¡°Should we rush?¡± I was silent, staring at the army in the distance and comparing it to what we had. I ran the simulations in my head. The timing, the combat power, the terrain, the advantages and disadvantages. The generals had brought a lot of Brigadiers with them. Besides Nonnen, there had been 11 Brigadiers, all of them exceedingly valuable, even with 4 of them now dead. I didn¡¯t know where our Marshals were but chances were they had escaped as the Treehouse fell, because they didn¡¯t come with us. I made the judgment. ¡°Stay with the Generals. We¡¯re gonna be putting in some work today.¡± ¡°Roger. It¡¯s chaos back at the camp. About half of the troops were forced to stay behind with the newcomers and fight.¡± ¡°How many Brigadiers among them?¡± ¡°Two.¡± ¡°Just make sure the rest get out. Burn rubber, and I¡¯ll let you know when the army arrives.¡± ¡°Copy.¡± I set down the Aerial, waving to Feiden. We shifted position, heading to where I believed would be the intercept point. Along the way, I saw some Scouts in the area. They were stationed at a distance from each other, always within line of sight of the next. They seemed to form a line all the way to where our forces were coming from. A chain of communication. I knew the Scouts were responsible for long range communication but I still wasn¡¯t sure how. I also remembered how I hadn¡¯t seen many lasers from Cyclops Scouts recently. Probably because if lasers were emitted properly, and provided no obstructions, it wouldn¡¯t be seen except at the point of impact. So unless I was the one being targeted, I wouldn¡¯t see them. Right now, I was the bane of every Scout¡¯s existence precisely because they couldn¡¯t see me and shoot me. It was no wonder then why I hadn¡¯t seen any lasers in recent months. And if their communications were transmitted via magic laser, then I wouldn¡¯t notice them unless I intercepted one directly. I stashed the theory away and took out a new weapon. The Mk 13 Mod 7 was a precision bolt-action sniper rifle with an effective range of 1300 meters. Chambered in 220 grain .300 Winchester Magnum and equipped with a Nightforce Advanced Tactical Riflescope, it was capable of delivering more force at a much greater distance than its predecessor, the M40. Enhanced with my Psyka, it would be my most effective distance shooter to date, until I could finally get my hands on the Big One. I kneeled down and slotted a magazine in, running the bolt and chambering a round. I looked through the scope, noticing the clarity increase as my Psyka filled it, adjusting the zoom so I could easily acquire my target. It only took me a second to get steady, a Scout behind my reticle and standing about 883 meters away. The safety came off and I fired, the bullet zipping through the air so fast that it sent a sonic clap through the hills that reverberated all the way toward the army in the distance. My target fell, my bullet hitting not quite where I wanted it to. I adjusted the scope while moving, finding a vantage point, a new target, and chambering a fresh round. Another Scout fell under the cross and when the trigger snapped back, my bullet sailed exactly where I knew it would. Now their line of communication was cut. I noticed the incoming army get active, some Royals dispersing and advancing beyond the pack. That was their first and last mistake. I looked at Feiden, ¡°Let¡¯s soften them up before our friends get here.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± ¡°Evade and assassinate. I¡¯ll be over your shoulder.¡± ¡°Exciting.¡± Feiden smiled and shot off. I repositioned as he went to intercept the army.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. I lifted my Aerial while finding another vantage point. ¡°Come in, Witch.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°We¡¯re moving to intercept and delay. Continue as you are.¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want help, Envoy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. Save your energy. We¡¯ll need as many big hitters as we can get.¡± ¡°Copy. Stay safe.¡± I clicked off my Aerial and slid to a halt on my new hilltop, overlooking the entire army. Feiden made his presence known as he ran straight toward them. I kept my stealth active while laying down, deploying the bipod on my rifle¡¯s underbarrel and getting settled into the snow underneath me. Once in a comfortable position I let out a long breath, scoping in. Distance to the front of the army was about 964 meters and shortening as they advanced. It halted at about 890 meters when Feiden made contact. I saw him skip over some of the fodder and go for the Royals in the center and rear. They moved to intercept him, and I acquired my first target. I streamed as much Psyka as I could into the chambered bullet. I needed to hit fast moving targets from this distance, and to do that my bullets needed to be faster. Even if I couldn¡¯t down them with a single round, I needed to make sure I could guarantee a hit on my targets. I warmed up my coat and felt my Crown dilate time. My Crown did more than just amplify my vision. It enhanced my reflexes, gave me greater control over my body, and gave me the ability to slightly dilate time like my coat. It wasn¡¯t to the same degree but it was enough to make a difference especially when I used both. Maxwell had definitely put far more into that Crown than I had. I provided a barebones ability. He made it substantial. I was beginning to realize just how much that man had helped me back then. I tracked my target with my reticle, following it, using every detail in order to predict its movements. 60% anticipation, 39% reflex. 1% Luck. I timed my breath, slowed my heartbeat, watched Feiden dodge an attack from one Royal, another nearby moving to follow up and stab him in the ribs, only 4.3 feet away. I knew he would dodge, I knew which way he would dodge, and I knew how fast. I knew how the Royal would react to his dodge, would compensate for hitting air. I knew it wasn¡¯t really putting its full force behind the attack. They saw how Feiden was fast. I knew their evaluation of him, and so I knew their plan to surround and cut off avenues of escape. Most importantly, I knew how they would adapt to finding out how much faster he was than their initial evaluation. The doubt in their probing attack, the confidence in their power and skill, their pride facing a lone enemy. I could see it all. Both my eyes were wide, and the trigger snapped back with a subconscious twitch. The bullet sailed at a scarcely believable speed, making contact with the Royal¡¯s head 0.113 seconds after the trigger pull. The sonic boom was resounding, the bullet having to have traveled at a speed of at least 7965 meters per second in order to cross that distance in that time. I didn¡¯t know the equations for calculating the muzzle velocity and dropoff due to wind resistance, but it should be around 9000 meters per second. And it delivered as much force as it should, given the amount of Psyka I dumped into it. I saw the devastation it wrought on that Royal¡¯s head while calculating the rate that I could regenerate Psyka and how fast I would let off shots like that, giving myself a plan to handle a good chunk of this force with Feiden without completely draining my spirit. And I pulled the bolt, chambering another round, already lining up another target. ¡­¡­ Feiden¡¯s eyes widened, watching in slow motion as the Royal beside him, its blade snaking its way to his ribs, had its head explode. The zipping noise came with the exploding flesh, making his neck tingle in danger. The blood splattered all over him, the force behind the body carrying it predictably, allowing him to easily dodge. He used the movement to put some distance between himself and the other Royals, all of them looking at their former kin, the body hitting the floor, already going cold as blood spilled over the snow. They were all still, and then the sound came. A sharp explosion that cracked through the hills. Feiden chuckled incredulously. That projectile had traveled so much faster than the speed of sound that they actually had to wait to hear the shot go off. One shot, from somewhere nobody could see, that instantly killed an Authority 9 Royal without any ceremony. Just like that, a high Authority combatant was dead. One of the Royals screamed in human tongues. ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± ¡°That wicked hunter!¡± ¡°Hidden angel!¡± ¡°The mask of the Owlykat is here! Find-!¡± The words of the last Royal were interrupted when another bullet came flying, tearing through its neck and severing its spinal cord. It sagged like a puppet with cut strings, the sound echoing some time later. Feiden dodged a sneaky attack, the army bypassing him and heading into the hills in search of John. He didn¡¯t worry, just focusing on the nine other Royals in front of him. John¡¯s voice came into his mind. ¡°I have four more of those shots.¡± ¡°Copy.¡± ¡°Choose your target.¡± Feiden¡¯s head turned when he sensed an incoming Brigadier Class from the back of the army. He¡¯d have to be quick. He raised his spear, pointing it to one of the Royals. Then, not even half a second later, another bullet came, killing one of the Royals lunging at him from behind. Feiden felt no danger despite having exposed his back to an enemy much more powerful than him, a smile erupting on his face as he dashed toward his target, moving so fast the Royal couldn¡¯t react. His spear sailed with a simple thrust, space warping around the blade and compounding off his initial push. It accelerated so fast that his arms were pulled, and before the Royal could comprehend it, the blade was through its face. Feiden flicked his hand, the spear sliding out of the head and his legs taking him backwards. He sensed three Royals flank him, all of them jumping at him together. He dodged one and blocked the attack of the second. He saw the third send a bolt of poisonous mana toward him from a blindspot. A bullet flew straight through the bolt of magic, shattering the spell formation and making it detonate early, barely grazing Feiden. Then the bullet continued on its path straight into the mouth of the Royal he had initially dodged, making it drop limply. The explosion reverberated off the hills, and another bullet came and tore through the Royal that cast the bolt. Yet another explosion rang. ¡°One more shot.¡± John¡¯s voice came, Feiden¡¯s smile widening. He missed having his friend looking over his shoulder. Even in the middle of an enemy army, in the middle of a life and death retreat, he never felt safer. No knight, short of Vetsmon, could give him the same security. Nobody had his back like John. Few could compare to the most dangerous summoner to ever live. He continued fighting, the Brigadier Class arriving and forcing him to evade. He used his spatial warping in order to create distance, baiting the Brigadier Class so he could return and attack his original enemies. After diving back in he found an enemy, releasing an attack while he flew toward them, the blade of his spear making contact with their neck when he arrived. It sliced clean through. An enemy that couldn¡¯t react or block an attack was far more vulnerable. His speed worked on the same principle that gave John his killing power. For most, both human and Scourge, survivability and resilience relied on being able to use one¡¯s power to defend themselves, whether with weapon, mobility, or armor. Most Royals they faced had little armor, merely equipped with a basic blade, their magic, and some basic gear. It was the King Bloods that always had high quality armor and weapons. This meant, if a normal Royal couldn¡¯t dodge or block an attack, concentrated strikes on vitals and gaps in armor were several times more lethal. Feiden wasn¡¯t confident in taking on the sheer volume of enemies John could, but he had always known that against a single target, few could match his killing power. John was an exception. Feiden found another enemy before the Brigadier Class could get to him, feeling his stamina dwindling. Warping space with his Aura took no energy. What taxed him was the repercussions. The strain placed on his bones and ligaments was heavy, and keeping them together sapped at his Vigor. He thought, perhaps someone like Vetsmon would thrive with his ability. The undying nature of Vetsmon¡¯s Aura was perfectly suited for handling the strain of warping space around the body. But it was known that Aura was monogamous in its path. Feiden wouldn¡¯t be able to develop Vetsmon¡¯s specialty and vice versa. But what he could refocus on was how he developed his Vigor. Instead of focusing on speed like before, he could focus on resilience, letting his Aura take on the burden of giving him speed. Make Vigor denser, focus it on his tendons and muscles, not to enhance his strength, but to enhance his toughness. Let Aura do the work. His blade slid through another neck, his body warping to a new location when the Brigadier Class came charging him. He baited it once more, like he had 4 times already, before heading back in. He attacked another Royal without so much as a glance at the other Royal right next to his target. He even disregarded when it attacked, focusing on pushing his spear through the heart of his target. Because he knew that John¡¯s bullet was already sailing. Sure enough, that little projectile went two inches past his head and through the eye socket of the one attacking him from behind. The body recoiled, being thrown back, half the Royal¡¯s head exploding as Feiden¡¯s target vomited bright red blood, its heart in two. ¡°Retreat.¡± John¡¯s voice came right when the explosion did, Feiden instantly backing out, appearing on top of a hill. His breath shuddered a bit as the spatial warping pulled on his body. Traversing longer distances was more difficult, and unfortunately the minimum strain to bear was always high, making many short warps even worse. The toll was high no matter how he did it so the best he could do was moderate, at least until he could advance and improve the density of his Vigor. After standing around for a few seconds Feiden swung his spear, releasing a blade of Vigor that bisected all the nearby fodder that had scattered through the hills. They were barely deserving of that much effort. While that happened he stared at the Brigadier-Class, dressed in moderate armor. It was seething in rage, unable to catch Feiden no matter what it did. Then, John appeared, taking a step toward Feiden¡¯s side, hood over his head and Owlykat mask over his face. ¡°Let''s go. I¡¯m running low on juice.¡± ¡°Regroup?¡± ¡°Mm. It¡¯s nothing the others can¡¯t handle as they move.¡± John disappeared with those words, the Brigadier Class lunging over from a distance. Feiden just chuckled at it before vanishing away. The two descended the hill and arrived at the path just as the convoy appeared in the distance. They didn¡¯t have to wait long. That Brigadier Class pursued, and in response three other Brigadiers from the convoy started sprinting over, Nonnen among them, his speed the greatest. The Brigadier Class panicked and quickly went the other way but there was no way it could escape. Feiden knew that Brigadiers could lock onto Aura exceptionally well. The only ones who could surpass them were Sovereigns and those who had broken through the Great Barrier. Feiden glanced at his Great Barrier on the horizon before looking over as John appeared, no longer having to worry about the enemy. He asked a question on his mind. ¡°What will you do to break the Great Barrier?¡± ¡°That fucking thing? Not a clue. I have a feeling it¡¯s going to take all three Authorities until 10 to answer that question. For now, I just need to focus on getting us out of this alive.¡± ¡°We seem to be doing well so far.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s a lot that has yet to go wrong.¡± Feiden chuckled, ¡°I get what Nonnen was saying about you being pessimistic. Is that a byproduct of your experience as an Intelligence agent?¡± ¡°Partially. It¡¯s also partially because I believe in the popular iteration of Murphy¡¯s Law.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. I refuse to place my bets on anything other than the worst, and under those assumptions I strategize. I would generally say it¡¯s a good way to keep your head.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve said something like that before. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.¡± ¡°And the only way we can do that is by gathering intelligence. Otherwise we¡¯re blind, and we can¡¯t know how bad it can get.¡± ¡°Like at the supply post.¡± Feiden frowned as he recalled the recent memories. It was a bitter fight. He knew John lost a lot of friends but there was little time for mourning and they were a long way from having proper funeral services. The families of the fallen were still being notified in person by the personnel who handled such things. Regardless, that battle was clearly an intelligence failure. It was caused by the snow but every death was a result of not knowing enough when it mattered most. The only reason they hadn¡¯t been definitively wiped out anyway was because John had run recon on a hunch. If he hadn¡¯t assumed the worst, they wouldn¡¯t be alive. John¡¯s mask looked as neutral as his Aura, what little Feiden could see of it. There was no emotional turbulence, just cold logic and patience. Feiden remained quiet, the two waiting for the convoy to pick them up. There were only four Authority 9 Royals left, and three Brigadiers had already gone to fight. They would be slaughtered, and the fodder would be simplicity to handle. They could continue their retreat cleanly after that, but they still had at least two days to go, and their troops were dwindling. Feiden was worried about what was to come later. He trusted John¡¯s gut more than the man himself did, and when a Sovereign was invading, the worst was already in effect. Chapter 231: Last One December 24th, 625 Midnight The border of Christmas Day. For me as an earthling, at least. ¡°Just 30 miles! We need to make it with this push!¡± ¡°The Steeds are almost dead!¡± ¡°Push them anyway! Keep fucking moving!¡± The cold tried to nip at me despite the temperature control of my clothing. I felt chilly despite being perfectly warm. ¡°Swarm on the left! They¡¯re flanking!¡± ¡°Someone get up a barrier! We need to preserve numbers!¡± ¡°Two more Steeds down!¡± Totenstahl warmed my hands, glowing a wrathful red as I swept its barrel across the hordes around us. It was unloading at almost 1600 rpm and yet it felt like I could never do enough. The screams echoed through my Aerial. ¡°Brigadier Kapil is dead!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let them surround us!¡± ¡°Just keep our fire forward! Don¡¯t let them stop us!¡± I could still see 24 Steeds around us, all that remained of our force. We had fought for almost two days straight, and I was running on two hours of sleep and cigars. It was a tragedy that I didn¡¯t have any real stimulants. I had to force myself awake with my Psyka. It made me want to vomit. ¡°Another Brigaider-Class!¡± ¡°Fuck! It just took out eight Steeds!¡± ¡°Nonnen is engaging!¡± I refused to look back at those who were getting drowned by monsters, just making sure that we didn¡¯t end up the same way. ¡°20 miles left!¡± ¡°Our Steed is dying!¡± I heard Harsha¡¯s yell, taking a second to think. All the other Steeds were dying too. Some were already slowing down as they ran out of juice. Some had their wheels destroyed by well placed Scythers. The only direction empty of hoarding monsters was forward. There were some Hog Riders earlier that had come to chase us down, and while they had eliminated half our force by themselves, they couldn¡¯t survive long under my concentrated fire. If we allowed the Steeds to fall back one by one, we¡¯d be slowly picked off without being able to mount a proper resistance. We needed to all turn around and fight. Of course, the last time I had tried to do that and trust in the integrity of those around me, I had almost gotten my team killed. And I didn¡¯t trust these other generals. I could see them steering away, attempting to break off the path and find technical terrain so they could escape the hordes and tread their own way back to the stronghold safely, using the rest of the force as bait. I responded. ¡°Get off the road! Turn south!¡± ¡°Are you telling me to abandon the force?!¡± ¡°Yes! Now fucking go!¡± Without any more hesitation, Harsha whipped the wheel and shot off road. I focused my fire, cutting down the few enemies in our way. Tana tailed us in the other Steed as I yelled over my telepathic connection. ¡°Nonnen! Get back here! We¡¯re splitting!¡± ¡°Roger.¡± I got a response, a body suddenly launching itself toward us from the distance. Nonnen flew back like a catapulted rock, landing nearby and taking one more step to jump on top of the Steed. For a moment we had reprieve, but a significant portion of the hordes chased us. We wouldn¡¯t be let off that easy. I took a few seconds to duck down and look at the passenger compartment. There were some holes in the walls and armor but the occupants were safe. ¡°Are you guys alright?!¡± Polly and Jasmine looked up at me, both of them curled up between the seats on the floor. It was safer there than by the walls that the Scythers could easily cut through. They had both been terrified before, but now they were too tired for any obvious emotion. Polly gave me a thumbs up. ¡°Good. We¡¯ll be disembarking soon! We¡¯ll have a little less than 20 miles to cross on foot! The knights will carry you two, so just get ready to leave!¡± I left them with that, focusing back on the enemy and throwing some volleys their way to give us some breathing room. Umara cast area spells to cause more chaos and slow them down, area magic detonating with brilliant fire. We crossed over some rough terrain, breaking line of sight with the original path and officially diverting off on our own. Sure enough, I heard nothing from the other generals except for commands to head to a checkpoint along the path of the underground Rail lines. To get there it would be a free for all. They were all idiots. The fact that they let it devolve into this was proof of their stupidity. I had no sympathy for those who were willing to sacrifice an entire base for their survival. They should¡¯ve died at their posts, taking down the Scourge with them. Perhaps if I had just killed them all before they could plan their escape, we could¡¯ve taken control and mounted a fight. Even something as simple as a tactical retreat would¡¯ve been better than this catastrophe. If only we had fielded enough weapons. Perhaps none of this would¡¯ve even been considered. I yelled. ¡°Keep heading south! We need to get to the forests!¡± ¡°Do those even exist anymore?!¡± ¡°Better pray they do! They¡¯ll be saving our lives!¡± I shifted to burst firing as my Psyka started to dwindle. Pretty soon the knights would be taking more of the heat and Umara and I would be able to rest some. While running, of course. After some time Harsha shouted. ¡°Is that it?!¡± I turned around, looking in the distance to find a dense field of folded trees, like they were dead in a desert. My eyes narrowed, recognizing them, but shocked that they were out here. Nonnen spoke the words on my mind. ¡°Is that the Black Forest?¡± ¡°I think it is. Head toward it!¡± The Black Forest. I had only ever seen it outside Strongohld Charlie in the direction of Scythe¡¯s Peak. I wasn¡¯t sure how it had grown so far down south, though then again, maybe it had migrated due to the Scourge¡¯s biomat. I had only expected a normal forest. We approached, but that¡¯s when the Steeds started slowing. ¡°We¡¯re out of juice!¡± ¡°Everyone get ready to disembark!¡± The Steeds slowed even more, the White Crystals completely spent. Shitty engineering. With my Mana Engines, they would be able to drive indefinitely and faster. They slowed to a halt. ¡°Everyone off!¡± I jumped off, the ammo pack on my back making me land with a heavy thud, and threw open the side door, Polly and Jasmine scrambling out with my help. ¡°Harsha and Tana! You¡¯ll be carrying them! Everyone else is on escort duty! Let¡¯s get moving!¡± Polly and Jasmine were scooped up by the two knights. Our two Chiefs, Simeon and Ephras, jumped out with us and followed in a formation. Simeon had proven to be an invaluable warlock during our retreat, but even he was starting to reach his limit. On the other hand, our knights were almost completely fresh, except Nonnen. They¡¯d be putting in most of the work now. We all started running into the forest. There was no clear cut path so we had to trample a lot of the foliage below us. I used my boots to jump and glide over most of the obstacles. I was once again glad I splurged on them. The hordes gave chase behind us. Now that we were going slower they were able to catch up. There had to be at least two thousand of them. Umara glided over to my side, all of us holding the same speed. ¡°John, they¡¯re going to surround us.¡± ¡°I know. Get ready to hold them. It doesn¡¯t look like there are more beyond, so if we can kill these then we¡¯ll be in the clear.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to get worried.¡± I looked at her. She was wearing her mask and witch hat, but her anxiety was clear. I nodded. ¡°Understood. We just need to keep fighting. We¡¯ll make it.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± She drifted away, taking back up her original position. Then the hordes reached us. ¡°Contact!¡± ¡°Attack and move! Don¡¯t get locked!¡± I spun around and used my boots to glide backwards while burst firing, sending rounds into the clustered hordes and doing what I could. Despite moving backwards and continuously shooting I was able to navigate through the trees and terrain just fine. My Aura, able to visualize everything around me by itself, kept me on a proper path. In time we ran deeper into the forest, as did the hordes. However, despite whittling them down, my anxiety grew. That¡¯s when I realized how horribly on edge I was. It had just been so high that I stopped noticing it, like tinnitus. My heart was pounding as I noticed the sun start to come up, light seeping between the trees. In response, the massive folded leaves started to unwind, creating a solid canopy that drank the light. It was bright white, clean and pure as if it came from an angel. It was soft on my skin. I didn¡¯t know how but it made my skin comfortable. It made my skin soft. It made my skin so smooth. It made my skin soft even though my coat was comfortable it made my skin peel. It was cold but it made my skin soft. It made my skin boil even though it made my skin soft. It made my skin melt off my bones but it made my skin soft. It made me cry. It made me happy for my birthday. It made me vomit. It made me happy for the funeral. It made me scream. It made me happy for her death. It made me happy. It made me happy for his mutilation it made me happy. It made me happy. It made me happy when my mom died it made me happy. It made me happy that my brother vomited his heart it made me happy. IT MADE ME SO HAPPY. It made me happy how I ripped out Umara¡¯s trachea with my teeth it made me happy. I LOVED BEING HAPPY. I needed the light for love. Go toward the light. I needed to drink the light for healing. Go toward the light. I needed to peel my skin for the light. Go toward the light. I needed to open my arteries for the light. Go toward the light. I was bleeding for the light. Go toward the gun. I was dying for the light. Pick toward the gun. I had to die for the light. Pick toward your gun. I would die for the light. Pick up your gun. The voices were loud. The light was bright. Pick up your gun. The light smelled like rotting fluids. PICK UP YOUR GUN. The light was pulling me toward a pool of my ROTTING FAMILY. LEVEL YOUR GUN. I needed to shoot the ROT of my FAMILY. DEFEND AGAINST THE LIGHT. I needed to SHOOT THE FUCKING LIGHT. LUX MENTIS MEAE OCCIDERE. WAGE WAR AGAINST THE LIGHT. I opened my eyes within the bulwark of my Mind Palace. All around me was light, and within the light were monsters. Unholy Light. My eyes burned as I looked around and saw the monsters tearing at the walls of my Palace, my Stronghold. The walls were melting, but they were holding. I could feel the sting in my brain, like those walls were my flesh, fleshy claws tearing at them with acid. My heart rate skyrocketed as I realized what was happening. Beyond my Mind Palace I could see my friends a distance away, the light washing over them, tainting their minds. They were trying, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to defend themselves in time. I needed to help them. I was the master of the mind. I would not allow monsters to defile the minds of those in my presence. So I reached out, into the minds of everyone around me. Umara, Feiden, Tana, Polly, Jasmine, Jaya, Harsha, Simeon, Ephras, Nonnen. I reached into their minds, forcefully, breaking past their defenses with the power of my illusions. They tried defending against the monsters and they weren¡¯t sure if it was me. I took the burden of decision away from them. I wrapped up their minds, I projected my own, and I placed them within the protection of my bulwark. They all appeared within my Mind Palace, all of them confused, some of them hurt. Then they all looked toward me, the monsters around my walls multiplying for every person who I had to protect. But I would protect them. I was the master of the mind. I would not let their minds be defiled. ¡­¡­ Umara barely realized what was happening. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. She wondered if she was going insane, and then she felt John reach out. He had cut through the insanity around her and she had let him pull her somewhere else. Next thing she knew, she was at the top of a massive base. When she looked around she saw things she didn¡¯t recognize, and the reality of what was around her imposed itself unto her mind. She saw the walls made of Grade 5 Titanium Alloy, mounted with autocannons, missile launchers, large bore cannons, point defense, and anti-air turrets. It utilized radar arrays in order to guide surface-to-air intercept systems, all culminating in an Iron Dome Defense System. They weren¡¯t weapons that existed in this world. She looked and saw the others with her. Everyone from her squad to Polly and Jasmine were present within the protection of this bulwark. It was protecting their minds from the hundreds of thousands of monsters outside. They were supposed to only be visualizations but regardless of how it looked, John was going to singlehandedly defend against the mental corruption of the light. She looked at him. He looked as he normally did, his face twisted in rage as he overlooked all of the monsters clawing at the walls. Then, he screamed. ¡°FIRE!¡± Every weapon across the walls exploded in unison. Autocannons roared as bullets drove through the monsters at several thousand rounds per minute, reducing their targets to slush and red mist. Missiles and artillery fired volleys into the hordes climbing on top of each other mindlessly. Everyone could feel the ravenous hunger and greed of the monsters. They could also hear their cries. They could hear the voices of their families and friends, children and loved ones all screaming in pain and agony as if they were the ones being cut down by these mechanized machines of death. The artillery was merciless. Each shell delivered Sarin Gas, a potent nerve agent capable of killing a subject within 10 minutes of inhalation via respiratory paralysis. The missiles and large bore cannons delivered high explosive payloads, dozens of monsters being blasted to chunks with every explosion. They came from all sides, unceasingly, despite the begging cries from them to cease the pain and suffering. There was no mercy in John¡¯s actions. Even when some of the monsters came to them with the images of family, he slaughtered them all. Umara¡¯s eyes fell on all the weapons he used. They were death made metal, delivering such volumes of devastation that she had a hard time fathoming it despite the results being right in front of her. Then, John turned to her, to all of them. ¡°I am the master of the mind! My War Machine will not fall! So go and do battle!¡± The sky started to darken with his words. He pointed up. ¡°The Black Forest gives us darkness. The Spirits give us aid! Use them, and slaughter those of the Unholy Light!¡± With his words their consciousnesses were shifted. Umara¡¯s eyes snapped open. She realized that she was lying on the floor, completely unscathed. When she looked up, she saw the others, all of them close by her, clustered together and being guarded by a large group of Flickers. They came in all shapes and sizes, Umara recognizing Pup among them, tearing apart a new enemy. Umara recognized them too from the descriptions John had given her. They were supposed to be called Flesh Bugs, disgusting entities created by the King of Unholy Light. With but a touch they were able to kill and transform their victims into more of themselves, conglomerations of bone and organs, amalgamations of endless suffering and sorrow. They would come to you with the voices of those you loved, come to you in their defiled image, to tempt you and make you lower your guard. Umara saw her vision straining when she saw some of their figures. She saw some of the Flickers tear apart her sister limb by limb, but John¡¯s mental defense continued to kick in, erasing those images and revealing them for the horrors they were. These enemies weren¡¯t as powerful as the real deal, she thought. She had a hard time using her Aura to its fullest but she knew there wasn¡¯t a King in the area. Instead, she looked in the distance, through the darkness created by the light drinking canopy of the Black Forest, and saw a demon. It was dressed in silver armor, with wings of feathers radiating pure white light. It looked like an angel, told observers that it was an angel, that it was here to bring happiness and eliminate their pain. But it was a mere mockery, a devil that tempted them, wanting for nothing but their death so it could twist them into a perversion of life. Unfortunately, it was also sitting at Authority 11. She stood, as did the others. Her hand grasped her foci and she started preparing spell templates. Her Aura was limited, a chunk of it being occupied by John so he could protect them, but it wouldn¡¯t stop her from fighting. She looked back at him, seeing his golden eyes wide open and bloodshot. He was fighting against the mental powers of that Authority 11 by himself, for all of them, and yet he was still standing, ready to raise his weapon and continue slaughtering those flesh bugs. She didn¡¯t think it was possible but he started giving commands, though she noticed he couldn¡¯t seem to move. ¡°Everyone run! Get the fuck up and start running! We can¡¯t get pinned down!¡± They all seemed to snap to attention, as if they hadn¡¯t realized they were in the middle of a heated battle. She heard John again, not on the outside, but within the Command and Control Center of his Mind Palace. ¡°Nonnen!¡± She thought he was going to tell him to fight back that King Blood. ¡°You need to get to Stronghold Charlie, bring back a Marshal!¡± ¡°What?¡± Nonnen looked at him, baffled. ¡°No, that thing will slaughter you all.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t! It¡¯s just playing with its prey right now. It transformed all those monsters into those flesh bugs, and it wants to watch us suffer. Take advantage of its pride and go get a Marshal! The Stronghold is only 11 miles away!¡± ¡°No, John.¡± ¡°You need to listen to me!¡± John suddenly rose and grabbed Nonnen by his armor. ¡°Go get a fucking Marshal! That¡¯s our way out! We will be its prey while you go get the only thing that can fight it!¡± ¡°Get your hands off of me.¡± Nonnen ripped John off of him before pushing him away. Then, he suddenly disappeared from the Mind Palace, over half the monsters beyond the walls vanishing with him. John was no longer fighting Nonnen¡¯s battle. Umara saw him ease massively, pushing back the monsters instead of barely fending them off. In the real world John became mobile again, turning to face Nonnen a small distance away. ¡°Don¡¯t do this now! You¡¯ve listened to my plans for the last year! If there was ever a time you needed to trust me, it¡¯s now! Just do as I fucking say!¡± Nonnen remained silent, adjusting his helmet before raising his sword, letting out a long breath. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s about time.¡± His Aura bloomed across the blade, and then Umara felt the Magika in the atmosphere ripple. Her eyes widened, goosebumps erupting across her skin. Authority 11 advancement. ¡°NO!¡± John¡¯s screams rang for but a second before he suddenly started firing again. His machine gun swept through all the flesh bugs that the Flickers were holding back, so much hatred and power behind each bullet that, no matter their Authority, they were reduced to gore. Umara noticed a huge chunk of her Aura free up. John was going all out, and she needed to be there with him. She moved forward and cast her spell, floating through the air above the line of Flickers and creating a small sphere of flame, so compressed that it looked like a sphere of yellow hot metal. Then she imbued it with the power of space, blood streaming down her face as all the mana around her was sucked into her spell, leaving the surroundings void. Darkness enveloped the sphere of fire, compressing it even further, surrounding it until not a drop of light leaked. Then, she released her hold on the fire, opening up a tiny hole in the sphere of space. It was like a laser, white hot light beaming across the landscape under her guidance, sweeping across their front, across the King Blood, across all the trees. It lasted only a half a second, the light winking out, Umara falling back down to the floor, blood pouring down her face. The surroundings became completely silent. The flesh bugs half incinerated and cut in two. Then the trees started falling, the light from the King Blood washing over the area. Umara barely lifted her head enough to see the King Blood look around, and then laugh. The light around it solidified, turning to a liquid before washing over all the collapsed trees. Umara watched as all the flesh bug corpses started flowing, like slime, conglomerating into a singular being. A mountain of flesh rose, the screams of the damned radiating from its writhing organs and muscles, uncovered by skin and oozing puss from the wounds of those it had taken into itself. Umara fell to a knee, staring at that thing, before buckling and vomiting. ¡°KILL IT WITH FIRE!¡± John yelled, Umara looking back up to find a new weapon strapped to his body. He raised a tube, and then flames bellowed from it, liquid fire washing over the monstrosity, sticking to its skin and incinerating it. The screams in the voices of her family were harrowing, the shrieks increasing as more fire coated its body. Then, two massive arms reached out, one of them slamming towards John and forcing him to jump out of the way. The other started attacking them, Flickers jumping away from the fire, others jumping away from the arm. Then, Nonnen moved in. His Aura became so dense that when he slashed out, the Magika in the atmosphere for a mile around followed. The King Blood hoisted its own weapon, the light radiating from it being sucked back into its body before solidifying around its blade to meet Nonnen¡¯s attack. They clashed, the shockwaves of sheer magic power blasting debris from the forest into the sky, and thanks to Nonnen, not toward them. Umara noticed the massive flesh beast get weaker, no longer being supported by the King Blood¡¯s light. She tried to stand up, tried to muster Mana, but failed as her head sent crippling pain through her body. Her hat condensed Mana around her as best it could, pulling on the reserves of Magika within the White Crystals attached to it. It helped her stay lucid, giving her body fuel to absorb. She had put all her power into that attack but it hadn¡¯t quite taken all her energy. She just needed some time to recover. Her sense of danger suddenly spiked though, her neck tingling. She was suddenly grabbed, getting yanked out of the way just as Nonnen unleashed an attack on the King Blood. The deflected power from that attack washed over her previous position, gouging a massive trench in the ground 200 feet deep, the ground red hot with energy. She looked up and saw Feiden, his breathing heavy. ¡°That was close.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°John¡¯s losing it. I don¡¯t know what the fuck is going on but it looks like we¡¯re committed. You should stick with Polly and Jasmine, keep them safe and recover.¡± ¡°...Alright.¡± Umara nodded, deciding to swallow her pride and take the best course of action. She wanted to fight but she wasn¡¯t in the position to, not until she had some time to recover. She got up, ignored the splitting headache, and ran over to Polly and Jasmine while Feiden entered the fight. She relieved Tana and Harsha, letting them follow Feiden while she stuck with the two a distance away. That¡¯s when Jaya came running over, sliding to her side with a canister in her hand. ¡°Here babe. Take this.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She received a few pills from her, throwing them all into her mouth and cringing at the sour taste as they melted over her tongue. Still, they hit her system hard, rejuvenating her body and erupting with mana that washed through her from the inside out. It made her dizzy for a bit, Jaya grabbing her when she threatened to stagger and fall. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Sure. Just recover. I need to prepare my next attack.¡± The two huddled, Umara recovering, Jaya messing with various concoctions. Umara thought it must¡¯ve gotten desperate if Jaya was doing field alchemy. Then again, she hadn¡¯t been able to prepare anything in a lab for over a month now. Sighing, Umara turned to keep watching the battle, noticing John preparing to do something. He continued to dodge the attacks of the flesh beast before suddenly creating distance. Then, within his Mind Palace, she saw him bring forward another weapon, the Mk 153 Shoulder Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon, aka SMAW, loaded with the Novel Explosive Thermobaric Warhead. She saw him hoist the launcher upon his shoulder after creating enough distance between him and the beast. Then, he yelled. ¡°Clear the target!¡± Harsha, Tana, and the two Snow Doves attacking the beasts suddenly backed away. While they were still flying back John launched the rocket. The backblast snapped behind him and the rocket went flying, sinking into a layer of the soft flesh before detonating. Umara saw half of the beast explode, flesh and guts erupting across the area and charred blood splattering over everyone in the vicinity. The beast fell, melting and starting to reform. Uamra gawked at the absurdity. How did anything survive that? ¡°Keep attacking! Kill it!¡± Harsha, Tana, Simeon, Ephras, and Feiden all jumped back in to attack alongside the remaining Flickers in the area, John staggering back as the launcher disappeared from his shoulder. His gaze was on Nonnen in the distance. Umara¡¯s eyes suddenly widened with another burst of danger sense, instincts taking over as she immediately made the most powerful barrier she had ever conjured. John¡¯s voice echoed in all their minds. ¡°GET DOWN!¡± There was a flash of light, liquid power shooting over from the King Blood and washing over the flesh beast. The flesh bubbled before suddenly exploding, every scrap of blood, muscle, organ, and bone erupting in a shower of white light. Umara and Jaya looked away and ducked over Polly and Jasmine, yet they were lifted up and tossed anyway. They flew into the distance and hit the ground, tumbling several times before slamming into a tree, the force shattering Umara¡¯s barrier. Thankfully the force was eaten, saving them from the worst of it. Umara shuddered as she felt a broken rib, hearing both Polly and Jasmine cry out in pain, Jaya nearby and groaning. She ignored them, looking back, knowing that if they were crying, they were alive. She sensed John, turning to him where he lay a distance away, on his feet, his coat¡¯s enchantments flashing purple. He stared forward, Umara¡¯s gaze turning. She felt fewer presences than before. She looked into John¡¯s Mind Palace, at those that were still there. She was relieved when she saw Feiden and Tana. However, she could no longer see Harsha, Simeon, or Ephras. Her heart constricted when the light cleared, looking out to find nothing. Nothing remained of the flesh beast. She couldn¡¯t see any bodies, only scraps of metal across the floor from armor, and even those were sparse. There weren¡¯t even the body parts of the Flickers. Thankfully, Umara¡¯s Pup had somewhere to retreat to, but even he was injured. Everyone else was gone. ¡°FUCK!¡± John cried out, looking over at Feiden and Tana, who were a distance away, Feiden holding Tana. When he could only help one escape, he had picked her. John grit his teeth, turning back to watch Nonnen fighting the King Blood. Spells spawned into existence in the sky, raining down attacks from above that released towering explosions of poison and fire. There were thousands of them, the spells themselves so bright that it looked like daytime around them. Streaks of Vigor flashed, residual power from Nonnen carving scars into the planet. His attacks were so fast and so loud that their ears were screaming in pain, shockwaves of sound slamming off the collision of their attacks. Their battle was epic, but besides the flashing obvious none of them were able to make much sense of what was going on. The light coming off the King Blood was so blinding that they couldn¡¯t see Nonnen¡¯s figure, with eyes or Aura. No matter what though, it wasn''t good for him. He had advanced on the spot, giving up his only chance to break the Great Barrier, but at best he was still only a fresh Authority 11. And he was up against an Authority 11 King Blood. It wouldn¡¯t end well, and it would be ending soon. John shouted. ¡°Feiden! Can you get to the Stronghold within the next 30 seconds?!¡± Umara glanced at Feiden as he frowned and pondered. He was silent for 5 whole seconds. Crossing 11 miles in just 30 seconds was something extremely few could do. Feiden would be warping there, but doing such a thing might actually kill him. It would certainly take everything he had, especially since he was already tired and battered. Yet, after those 5 seconds, he nodded anyway. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Get there, alive, and send a Marshal to us!¡± A voice suddenly echoed in their minds, and light washed over them. They looked around, once again in John¡¯s Mind Palace. Except now, instead of it being attacked by flesh bugs, the King Blood stood outside the walls, only slightly injured, its armor having suffered the brunt of Nonnen¡¯s offensive. Nonnen stood before it, his armor soaked in red, heaving for breath. All the weapons on the walls of the Palace snapped toward the King Blood, but didn¡¯t fire. John stood from the command center and phased out, appearing on top of the wall where he overlooked Nonnen. All three parties were silent, locked in the space of their minds. Despite being in an abstract place, their battle was very real. John¡¯s face was contorted with rage, every barrel of every weapon glowing red with hatred around him. They could feel his wrath permeating the space, and he snapped. Suddenly, the surrounding expanse of white became a solid metal prison. John raised his head at it, all the turrets facing outward at the prison walls. ¡°FIRE!¡± They all screamed in unison, bombarding the walls with everything they had. Autocannons snarled with white hot rage as they spit fire and metal. Artillery sent bunker buster shells into the sky loaded with high explosives. Missiles flared across the atmosphere and slammed into the walls at supersonic speeds. He was trying to break down the King Blood¡¯s lock on their consciousness, break out of the mind space so they could operate in the real world. He was giving everything he had to break through the prison it had put them in. ¡°YOU WILL NOT CONTAIN ME! I WILL ERADICATE YOU AND GENOCIDE EVERY LAST THING THAT COMPOSES YOUR KIND! I WILL PURGE YOU WITH NUCLEAR FIRE! I WILL DELIVER UNTO YOU NONEXISTENCE!¡± ¡°In time.¡± Nonnen muttered, his words carrying over John¡¯s screams. ¡°In time, I know you will.¡± He said that while tossing a batch of pills into his mouth. Then, the Aura around him started to burn, igniting and transforming into an unknown power. He raised his sword, wreathed in flame, and swung down. The King Blood sucked back in its power and mustered its weapon, dozens of complex spell formations in between them, meeting Nonnen¡¯s strike. The King Blood¡¯s spells exploded on contact before its weapon shattered against Nonnen¡¯s sword. Then, Nonnen¡¯s sword crumbled to ash, fading with the wind. Everyone¡¯s sights returned to the real world, where Nonnen stood before the King Blood with flames around his fists. That¡¯s when he reached out, and they saw it. A golden barrier, one that manifested before Nonnen, intending to resist him. It released chains, all of them flying from another dimension and wrapping around his arm. They confined his strength, resisting his demand for more. They rejected his use of a power beyond him. His flaming hand touched that Great Barrier anyway, and he pushed through, the barrier crumbling around his fingers and the chains snapping off all at once, allowing him to grab the King Blood on the other side. ¡°I¡¯m still advancing, asshole.¡± He muttered again, his fingers wrapping around the head of the King Blood. It attempted to fight back but it suddenly looked like a child before the flaming Aura. Nonnen¡¯s fingers dug into its skull, crushing bone as it pummeled his body. It grabbed Nonnen¡¯s ribs, ripping them out, gouging out his flesh with sharp fingers, piercing his heart with a hidden knife, thousands of spells all around them flashing with brilliance before being disintegrated. Nonnen just stared it in the eye, his other hand grabbing the other side of its head. And he squeezed, crushing it, his Aura enveloping its body and snuffing out its poisoned soul. The King Blood went limp, Nonnen dropping it before falling to his knees. John ran over once the exploding powers faded, Umara mustering her energy to follow. He slid to Nonnen¡¯s side, reaching out and then recoiling back when Nonnen¡¯s Aura incinerated his glove and half of his hand. Just being near the man was dangerous, so much power condensed in his Aura that it wanted to defuse into anything around it, nominally ending up in nothing but destruction. The very ground melted around his body, yet after some time, John reached out anyway, kneeling in the molten ground, grabbing Nonnen¡¯s hand. It threatened to incinerate his skin but the power was rapidly fading and John seemed to no longer care about how much power he had to expend. Nonnen smiled, his blood incinerating as soon as it left his body. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, kid. You¡¯re worth the cost.¡± ¡°...No, I¡¯m not. Nothing is worth this.¡± ¡°Hehe. Don¡¯t be so¡­ humble¡­¡± Nonnen coughed, dust leaving his lungs as he let John¡¯s hand go and reached over to his shoulder. His hand clawed into his own armor, ripping a chunk of it off. The metal fell off his palm, revealing a patch. The Snow Doves patch, a white dove on a blue backdrop. This one was embroidered with gold thread, the patch handcrafted with the finest materials. He put it in John¡¯s hand before his fingers suddenly crumbled like brittle charcoal. ¡°You¡¯re the last¡­ one. Just¡­ remember us¡­¡± ¡°Always.¡± Nonnen went silent as the rest of his body finally gave out, John clutching the patch in his hand. A few seconds after that, the flaming Aura suddenly disappeared, the ground cooling, John¡¯s hand no longer at risk of being incinerated. The rest of the body went ice cold, blood no longer streaming from the wounds. Several seconds passed silently, Umara doing nothing more than standing to the side. John eventually stood up, whisking away what remained of Nonnen¡¯s body into his storage. He did the same for the King Blood¡¯s corpse, which was intact short of the crushed head. Then he turned. Umara noticed his face, no hint of sorrow or anger on it. Not even his Aura contained emotional turbulence. Everything pointed to him being perfectly fine. Perfectly neutral. And he gave his command, as if it were just another day on the battlefield. It made her heart run cold, tears escaping before she could force them down. ¡°Everyone form up. We need to get to the Stronghold.¡± Chapter 232: Southern Village December 25th, 625 We crossed the remaining 11 miles to reach Stronghold Charlie, everyone nursing wounds. Jaya used what little medical supplies she had left to keep everyone functioning and we were able to reach the walls sooner rather than later. And we found them under siege. We had known that there were enemies moving toward the Stronghold but after the arrival of that Sovereign, we hadn¡¯t been able to receive any more intelligence. Thankfully I could sense the Marshal in active combat, which meant she was still at least alive. They were holding but the monsters were already pouring over the walls. Stronghold Charlie hadn¡¯t been given a fraction of the soldiers that the Treehouse did, and they weren¡¯t ready for a major siege. We¡¯d see how long they could hold them off, because for now it didn¡¯t seem like they had any intention of retreating. They didn¡¯t know that the Treehouse had already fallen. We¡¯d have to tell them, because I wanted a Marshal with us when we left this place. I turned to the others, looking for Nonnen, for just a split second, before my eyes centered on Umara. ¡°We need to get in. My Aerial is fried, and they need to know that they have to retreat.¡± ¡°We follow you.¡± She responded simply, so I turned and started walking around. They seemed to be keeping the south gate of the base open and clear. Seemed they were more ready for a retreat than I thought. Thankfully it meant we didn¡¯t have to fight our way in. We simply walked up, some soldiers noticing us. One of them shouted at us as we walked up to the closed gate. ¡°Who are you?!¡± ¡°Snow Doves, Charlie Company! We have critical intel for the Marshal regarding the Treehouse!¡± ¡°...Let them in!¡± The gate opened without any doubt, letting us into the walls where we made haste for the northern wall. Knights and warlocks all around us were fighting back the Scourge. They weren¡¯t endless, which meant they¡¯d be able to hold, for now. I had Polly and Umara follow me, the rest securing a Steed and some Aerials, just in case. We went toward where the Marshal was on top of the wall, slaughtering hundreds at a time. There was nobody to contest her so she was able to easily dispatch all the higher Authority Royals and monsters in the area. I spoke to her from a distance, my words entering her mind. ¡°Marshal Akitcia, we have intel from the Treehouse.¡± Her head snapped around when she heard me, unleashing another sword strike before jumping down and landing right in front of us. I couldn¡¯t find the energy to even react to her. All I saw was a set of armor in front of me, wholly inadequate compared to Nonnen. She seemed to recognize me, since I didn¡¯t have my mask on. ¡°You¡¯re John Cooper?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see you¡¯ve returned with my Colonel. Or, I suppose you¡¯re a Brigadier General now. Hello, Polly.¡± ¡°Marshal.¡± Polly shook her hand, Akitcia glancing around. ¡°Where¡¯s Nonnen?¡± ¡°Killed in action, facing an Authority 11 King Blood of Unholy Light.¡± ¡°...Shit. May his soul rest. So, I take it the Treehouse has fallen?¡± ¡°Yes. We need to retreat, now. The Scourge has well over a million monsters overrunning the front. We can¡¯t stay here.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m getting that. I¡¯ve already packed the Rails full and sent them off. All of the intelligence personnel are gone, and once the Rail gets back, we can send a batch of troops.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have time for that, Marshal.¡± There was a sudden explosion nearby. Bombardos were making their way over. ¡°This siege isn¡¯t going to stop. We need to leave, right now. Otherwise you¡¯re going to be fighting off thousands as you¡¯re running, like we were.¡± Polly stepped forward, ¡°Marshal, please trust us. We need to retreat to the southern village. The monsters aren¡¯t far behind us, and the Scourge is fielding King Bloods like they¡¯re common. The sooner we leave, the more breathing room we¡¯ll have, even though we have little. A force like what¡¯s here can¡¯t handle much.¡± I could hear the desperation in Polly¡¯s voice, as could the Marshal. She was silent, turning and staring at the monsters climbing and pouring over the far wall, as if that wasn¡¯t already an indication of how urgently we needed to leave. Stronghold Charlie had always been manned by strike forces, elites compared to the common armies other bases had. They regularly fought high-strength enemies in lesser numbers. But they were average compared to the dozens of platoons and strike teams that I had personally sent out to do battle, and once upon a time, it was the Snow Doves that had been Stronghold Charlie¡¯s greatest strike force. The Stronghold no longer had those great forces, a shadow of what it once was, and what was coming couldn¡¯t even be handled by the best. It seems the Marshal saw some of that reality. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll muster the retreat.¡± ¡°I recommend within the next half hour.¡± ¡°I will move my troops as fast as I deem necessary, Lieutenant Colonel. You are dismissed.¡± I silently stared at her for a second before saluting and turning. Umara and Polly followed, the Marshal jumping back up onto the walls. We walked to the garage where I found Feiden, Tana, Jaya, and Jasmine around a Steed. I waved my hand, all of them moving to board. When we got there we jumped in as well, Tana in the driver seat. The back hatch closed, and I let out a long sigh. I glanced at Polly. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Are you going to stop me from giving the order?¡± She silently looked up at me, tired and worn. ¡°...We¡¯re in your hands, John. Do what you will.¡± I looked at her for a second longer before turning to Tana. ¡°Get us out of here.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± Tana started the Steed, rolling us out and toward the south gate. The same soldier as last time stepped over to us. I looked out from the Roof of the Steed. ¡°Open the gate.¡± ¡°For what reason?¡± ¡°Marshal Akitcia is about to order a full retreat. We¡¯re moving to the southern village to start evacuating the citizens there before the Scourge can reach them.¡± He stared at me silently before waving, the gate opening. I gave him one last word of advice. ¡°Be prepared to run. The Treehouse has fallen, and this place is next.¡± With that we rolled off, Tana driving with haste. I sat in the front seat and gave her directions. I had never actually been to the southern village but I knew exactly where it was. With an approximate population of 5200 people, the southern village was the go-to spot for troops that had leave. There were armorers, blacksmiths, a red light district, and anything else an underpaid soldier could want. There were also a lot of families of the soldiers at Stronghold Charlie. All of them were citizens that needed to get the hell away from the monstrosities coming as we drove. While we headed there I brought up one of the Aerials that Tana had snagged from the empty headquarters. All of ours were fried, what I could only assume was the King Blood¡¯s doing, so I had to make do with a lesser model that couldn¡¯t even be put on my wrist. It still worked like the others though. It was able to access the Node network and I used some of my credentials to get into the higher networks and give myself priority. Then I contacted Sawn, who picked up relatively quickly. ¡°Hello? Who is this?¡± ¡°Sawn, it¡¯s Cooper. I¡¯m calling you from another Aerial. Mine was fried.¡± ¡°John! I haven¡¯t heard good things. How is it up there?¡± ¡°The Treehouse has fallen. We¡¯re currently retreating but I need your help with some things.¡± ¡°O-Of course. What do you need?¡± I glanced back as I felt some bursts of power behind us. The Marshal was fighting pretty hard. If she didn¡¯t leave soon, she¡¯d be among all the others who have fallen already. Given her ignorance, or arrogance, I was betting that she would take her sweet time. May she rest among the dead. ¡°I¡¯m currently heading to a village just south of Stronghold Charlie. I need you to muster all the helicopters you can and send them there. There are over 5 thousand people there that need evacuation before the Scourge can reach them.¡± ¡°5 thousand? How much time before the Scourge arrives?¡± ¡°Within the day.¡± ¡°...John, we don¡¯t have access to that many helicopters right now. Planes, yes, but helicopters and their pilots are scarce.¡± ¡°I already know that! I just want to know how many you can muster and how quickly.¡± I snapped, Sawn speaking a bit quieter. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know. I need to go to the airfield and look.¡± ¡°Do what you need to do, and call me when you have an ETA on the first helicopter. These people don¡¯t have much time.¡± With those words I turned off the Aerial. Feiden turned to me. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to save many.¡± ¡°Any is better than none. It¡¯s not their fault that their military is so incapable.¡± I settled back into my seat, slouching and closing my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s about 5 hours to the village. I will wake when we arrive. Take the calls from Sawn if he comes back.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°Baron!¡± Siem raised his head when his aide came running into his study, frowning when he saw her urgency. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°S-Sir, there¡¯s some soldiers from Stronghold Charlie here. They said they¡¯re Snow Doves and need to talk to you right now. I think the Scourge is attacking.¡± Siem stared at her for a second before rushing out of his chair, running out of his study and exiting his estate. As the Baron in charge of this village, he naturally had plenty of interactions with the soldiers from Stronghold Charlie. Most were pleasant and profitable, others were just a matter of wrangling troublemakers. But if the Snow Doves were here in an official capacity, it meant things were extremely dangerous right now. He took his own vehicle to the city center, going as fast as he could and stopping nearby once he saw the large Steed. His pupils constricted when he saw the uniform of the girl standing on top of it. He would never mistake the uniform of Special Operations, even though he had only seen it twice in his life. He saw four of those uniforms, as well as the Glimmers of a Brigadier General and Colonel. He also noticed a few people standing on the rooftops of nearby buildings, looking around, two of them in those same unmarked uniforms, Elites of the Kingdom. Once he stepped out, one of them jumped off the roof, dust kicking up underneath his feet and slowing his descent enough for him to plant on the floor. The Baron had to look up to see his scarred face. He was a large man, his presence so overwhelming that when he spoke, he heard more than just his voice. He barely noticed the thing in his hands, a long metal weapon that snarled with glowing red heat, radiating the Aura of hatred and carnage. ¡°You¡¯re the Baron?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, I am Baron Siem.¡± ¡°I am Commander Cooper, and I need you to listen to the orders I¡¯m going to give you because we¡¯re out of time.¡± The Baron nodded. He had seen Commanders before, occasionally. Most were relatively nice, and none were so overpowering. He had been a First Sergeant himself and yet he couldn¡¯t fathom the depth of this man¡¯s ability. The Elites of the Kingdom were different, especially when they were here to fight, not to relax and enjoy leisure. ¡°The Scourge is about to advance on this village in numbers. We¡¯ve already caught a few on the way down. I can¡¯t tell you more but I can assure you that nobody is coming from Stronghold Charlie to help. So, for the sake of the people here, I need you to order everyone to start gathering. We can¡¯t cover the entire village so we need to narrow the scope. Can you do that?¡± ¡°Yes, yes sir.¡± ¡°Good. Issue alerts, do what you need to do. It looks like this center is the only place big enough for helicopters to land so I want every single person in this village within the nearby buildings. For now that¡¯s your sole job. Gather the people. Can you handle that?¡± ¡°Yes, I can.¡± Siem nodded again, and right when he did he saw the Commander¡¯s head snap in another direction. ¡°They¡¯re here. Jaya!¡± ¡°Yes~!¡± A cute girl came skating over, the Commander handing out his orders. ¡°Work with the Baron. This area will be yours to protect. Keep them alive, kill anything that gets past us.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± ¡°As for the rest of you, I¡¯m dividing the northern hemisphere of the village into four sectors. We¡¯ll each take one. Umara and I will take the center sectors. Feiden and Tana, take the outer two sectors. I¡¯m tying you in with my Command Center, so stay spread and cover as much area as you can. Move citizens here and keep them alive long enough to make it.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± He got a few acknowledgments before the three of them shot off. The Baron turned, intending to go sound the alarm and gather people. ¡°Hang on.¡± He was stopped, the Commander raising a finger. ¡°I just thought of something.¡± He was silent, closing his eyes for a moment before speaking. His voice entered their minds. ¡°All citizens, assemble at the center of the village. We are under attack. I repeat, we are under attack. The Scourge is coming. All citizens, please make haste to the village center.¡± The voice repeated a couple more times, the Commander turning back to the Baron. ¡°Go ring your alarms.¡± ¡°Yes sir. Ah! I have guards! I can-!¡± ¡°Just assemble them in the center as well! Jaya, handle them!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± The girl shouted before walking up to him, the Commander shooting off toward the buildings. There were some screams in the distance, fire blooming into the sky here and there as spells went off. They were already under attack. It was actually happening. ¡°Hey!¡± The cute girl shouted again, the Baron snapping to attention. ¡°Go ring the alarms! Call your guards! We need them here now!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± He ran, thinking about how he had gotten this position as a Baron not because he was good at fighting, but because he was business savvy enough to buy the noble title and take the opportunity to run this village just behind the front lines, full of business opportunity. He didn¡¯t think this day would ever come. Stronghold Charlie had always been known as an impenetrable shield manned by the elites. Why had they fallen? What the hell was going on for a base full of elite fighters to fall? Chapter 233: Deja Vu December 26th, 625 My breathing was heavy as I jumped, using my boots to launch my body to the top of a building. I ran and jumped across several others, gliding between the gaps until I found some targets. I swung Totenstahl around and pulled the trigger, unloading on some Hog Riders charging through the city. The other monsters around them were cut down in the barrage all the same. These monsters were moving through the village and not every citizen was in the center yet. Some had decided to pack belongings, some were simply stupid enough to take their sweet time. Regardless, I was attempting to hold this sector and save who I came across. I didn¡¯t have the energy to stick my neck out and rush though. I had to conserve for the inevitable battle against another high Authority. I didn¡¯t expect to hold this village without a fight. And I wouldn¡¯t risk all the others to save those who lacked the urgency to save themselves. After clearing a street of monsters I suddenly saw a flash in the corner of my eye. I spun around, seeing another monster on a nearby rooftop. One I had never seen before, but I could recall troops screaming about them during our retreat. It was also in the catalog of Scourge species, I just never expected to see it in this frozen hellscape. A Bellowbeast. A monster that could spit massive columns of flame. It incinerated flesh and magic alike, notoriously difficult to defend against. I saw the flames bellow toward me and I dove off the building, my legs straining to land with all the weight on me. I loved Totenstahl but the massive pack on my back was weighty, even with my enhanced body. Exhausted as I was, moving it around like this was taking its physical toll. I lifted Totenstahl anyway and raked the Bellowbeast with rounds, sinking over a hundred into its leathery and rocky body before noticing how little damage I¡¯d done. To handle that heat it needed an equally tough body, and this one was apparently Authority 8. I sprinted to the side when it swept toward me with more fire, chucking a grenade as I did so. It was cooked perfectly so that when it passed by the Bellowbeast¡¯s head, it exploded. I heard a scream, the fire going out, so I launched myself back up the building and put more rounds into it. I didn¡¯t stop shooting until it was a dead pile of gore. The cold atmosphere irritated my throat as I took in more air, simply staring at that Bellowbeast for a few seconds. These monsters were getting more difficult to deal with, and they were constantly coming. Even disregarding my current exhaustion I was getting sick and tired of it. I needed this battle to be over. That¡¯s when I heard a scream. I was distant, to the outskirts of the village. I started running, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. I saw some monsters on the way, sweeping them with Totenstahl, leaving them behind with mortal wounds. ¡°AAAHHH!! Help me!¡± I let out a pained breath, pushing myself to keep leaping across rooftops until I arrived near a street. A little girl was stumbling in my direction, a man mere steps behind her, scrambling in panic. He picked her up as he ran by, just as a group of monsters chasing them rounded the corner. I lifted Totenstahl and opened fire. Six beasts jerked to the tune of my gunfire, dropping to the scorched street with little ceremony. One of the beasts, just a bit tougher than its fellows, dropped a moment later. The explosions attracted more attention, monsters coming in from beyond the village turning toward my direction. More rounded other corners, appearing from alleyways as I saw flashes of fire lighting up other streets. There had to be several hundred monsters in the vicinity. I could hear Umara and Feiden fighting nearby. I just shot the monstrosities as they came, bodies dropping as they came bounding and scuttling toward the man and little girl. Some took a few dozen rounds of concentrated fire, and with a moment to breathe I dropped from the roof and into an alleyway, planting myself on a corner. I kept one eye on the running pair going down the street as I swept across incoming enemies with the glowing hot barrel of my weapon, watching their faces contort in exertion and terror as the real enemy that was chasing them blasted its way through an entire building, chunks of ruins and clouds of dust flying across the street. A light, the color of a raging star, pulsed in a way no light ever could as it illuminated the monster it belonged to. Another Bellowbeast. Even as I dispatched the last few stragglers trying to make their way to the pair, even as I focused fire, each bullet packed to the brim with the harshest Psyka I could muster, even as I yelled to the man and the little girl he carried to sprint for the alleyway that would give them safety, its throat inflated and filled with inhuman fire, lighting the blackened cobblestones beneath its feet. It shrugged off my rounds, each of them flattening against its rocky skin. The full size cartridges didn¡¯t even stagger it for a moment, and it soon flooded the street with murderous flames. The man glanced back for but a second, and with the intense heat singing his hair, no longer hesitated before throwing the girl to me in the alleyway. She was no more than eight to ten, old enough to understand what was going on and experience the terror that comes from comprehension, but not old enough to do anything about it or cope with it. I reached forward and grabbed her as the fire drowned the man, unheard whispers on his lips. In the few moments I had left, I wrapped the girl with my body, stumbling back a few steps in an attempt to gain some distance, any distance at all, from the flames tumbling into the alley. Even beneath my gear and hood, it was like standing in an oven. Even as the fire rushed over me, even when I went to the floor to try and reduce the surface area the fire could burn, I knew it didn¡¯t matter. I couldn¡¯t hear the screams, but I felt them against my chest. The fire was gone in a matter of seconds. Everything was in flames, even the ashes on the stones charred to dust. I lifted myself from the floor, opening my arms to find but a small corpse. Skin flaked off my chest, nothing more than cinders. Outside my inadequate embrace, it partially crumbled, revealing cracked bones and burnt flesh. Even through the mask, the smell reached me. I wanted to retch, but danger started approaching me, getting closer much faster than any Bellowbeast should be able to. Still, my eyes remained locked on the corpse before me, once alive just seconds ago. Then the danger stopped, the thing looking down upon me from a rooftop, its sickening voice entering my ears. I somehow knew who, what, it was before I even looked at it. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m a fan of cooked meat anymore.¡± It played like deja vu, my head lifting even though my Aura had captured an image of it already. ¡°Especially not that cooked. All the flavor is gone. Little girls are the good ones too. Why couldn¡¯t you protect her better?¡± I lifted my eyes to find the sadistic piece of shit standing above me Completely black eyes and a face I could never stand. There wasn¡¯t even a trace of mutation on it either. The process wasn¡¯t difficult, or forced. It had changed willingly. My mind almost drew a blank. The sudden surge of overwhelming anger and frustration paralyzed me. I couldn¡¯t seem to understand. Why did this have to happen? Why did the Scourge exist? I would sacrifice my life if it meant stopping them, killing them all. But that was too easy, apparently. My death meant nothing. No, it was my life they wanted. My time, my blood, my sweat, my sanity. With every death, with every murder, they continued to chip away at it. I hadn¡¯t quite noticed at first. I could brush off death so easily back then. I still could now. But its toll grew. I could feel the cracks forming.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I didn¡¯t want to. I felt like I could resist it, either by simply not caring or accepting it as part of the job. Death was everywhere, I¡¯d encountered it everywhere I went, and there would always be more. It was just a fact of life and I had gotten used to it. It wouldn¡¯t faze me. I had watched tens of thousands die during our retreat. I had watched tens of thousands more die on the battlefield. I had watched friends be slaughtered, I had sent friends to be slaughtered. I had sent thousands to die. I had prompted the movements of the entire military that had eventually ended in the eradication of over 200 thousand soldiers and the fall of a major front of the war. Death couldn¡¯t faze me. Yet the little corpse in front of me remained seared in my vision and on my coat. The tender memories of Nonnen felt like they were constantly replaying. I could still hear Amira¡¯s words in my ear. I could still see Pollux getting decapitated. I could still feel the recoil of the pistol that had ended the life of my own Snow Dove. The screams were unending, constant, never leaving my mind. My memory was too perfect for that. I was too smart to forget, to ignore. I stood as the danger to my life grew. The monster above me was all smiles as charred skin peeled off my coat. The metal backpack full of ammunition seemed to weigh twice as much. I looked into its eyes, what passed for eyes, simultaneously seeing its twisted perversion of a smile. The sheer depth of corruption I saw within it was enough to make me shiver in unadulterated hatred. Totenstahl ran so hot that I felt my hand holding the bipod burn, yet I couldn¡¯t feel the pain my own spirit was inflicting. I hated it, but what I hated more was the fact that I would get no joy from killing this thing. It wasn¡¯t enough that it would be dead. It wasn¡¯t enough that it was one more monster no longer walking this planet. It wasn¡¯t enough that killing it would spare one more person from death or destruction. The sight of this dead fiend made me feel nothing. No, this fiend shouldn¡¯t even exist. The Treehouse shouldn¡¯t have fallen. We should¡¯ve been able to hold the line. We shouldn''t have had to retreat. My friends shouldn¡¯t be dead. There were so many things that should be different, that weren¡¯t, that would never be. And it wasn¡¯t my fault. There was nothing more I could''ve done that would¡¯ve changed things. Instead, it was the fault of those who held the power yet refused to do anything with it. Out of fear or malice, I didn¡¯t care, both were no different in my eyes. The fact that the Sovereign of the Treehouse didn¡¯t fight the enemy meant that he was just as much an enemy of humanity as the Scourge that overran the walls. Those who allowed evil were just as bad as those committing it. Those who didn¡¯t do what they could to strengthen themselves, prepare for, and eradicate the Scourge deserved to die to the enemy they were negligent of. Those at the top who didn¡¯t provide those below them with the tools, time, and guidance to strengthen themselves and prepare for the enemy deserved to be killed by those they were screwing over. I raised Totenstahl, the last pathfinder shooting toward me with a blade and a gleeful smile. ¡°I¡¯m going to cut off your arms and then make you watch as I fuck your beloved girlfriend!¡± It screamed in sadistic joy, the fantasies within its head driving every one of those deadly movements. And in response I felt my Psyka move with so much intensity that time was drawn out, every second turning to a minute as my Aura was cast into the surroundings. My nerves fired so fast that my muscles strained and tore with every movement. I didn¡¯t need adrenaline. My mind was overriding my limits for me. For a second I moved faster than the enemy, a knight an authority above me, and I dodged its attack. Its momentum carried it in front of my barrel, and I fired. The bullets that came out were nearly molten with wrath, four of them making contact with the enemy¡¯s body and turning flesh to ash before it even made contact. Then it tore a smoldering hole through its body, repeating six times before its body flew past me. ¡°FUCK!¡± It screamed again, my finger having come off the trigger with perfect timing, not a single bullet being fired into the ground and wasted. I could see six holes in its abdomen, and although it wasn¡¯t enough to kill it, it wasn¡¯t healing from it either. My words came out, Totenstahl nearly melting with malevolence. ¡°You are the last Pathfinder. I will send you to hell, so that those in heaven may watch you burn for eternity.¡± ¡°Haha! You couldn¡¯t possibly kill me after I¡¯ve gained so much power! You cannot fathom the depths of what I¡¯ve been given! I am a demigod!¡± ¡°No.¡± I raised Totenstahl again, the enemy dodging, my finger having yet to pull the trigger. ¡°Today, it will be enough. You will experience all that my life and effort has culminated in, and you will know nonexistence.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to see you say that again while I fuck that precious girlfriend of yours to death.¡± It laughed as I spun around, simultaneously releasing a clone, both of me releasing a grenade while pulling Totenstahl¡¯s trigger. It tried to dance around my aim, jumping back when it got close to the grenade, which was a dud, and subsequently allowing me to hit it with two rounds. It screamed again, jumped back in to attack my clone. My clone dropped a grenade at its feet as I threw another grenade over, aiming my gun to the side and firing. The enemy jumped back to dodge both grenades and then ran straight into my bullets, another three rounds painting it, the grenades not exploding. Then it rushed my clone again, another grenade dropping at its feet as I backed up. It pushed forward anyway, the grenade turning out to be a real one and exploding at its feet, taking off a pound of flesh, not completely severing a limb. It screamed once more, my clone disappearing under its attack, another two rounds arriving at where the enemy paused, hitting it in the thigh with impeccable timing. I let out a long breath as it charged me, another clone splitting off as I raised Totenstahl and aimed straight at it. Then, light flashed, and I saw the enemy appear outside my Mind Palace. I stood within my command center, the fiend standing in a white expanse, locked within and being aimed at by every weapon atop my bulwark. My voice entered its mind. ¡°You will die, but you will not be ignorant of what you are facing. I will make you aware of who is about to kill you. You will learn through your death.¡± It got no chance to respond, every weapon on my bulwark opening fire, bombarding its Aura with everything I had. It was locked, unable to escape my barrage, unable to fight back and being wholly suppressed. ¡°You can thank the freaks of Unholy Light for teaching me this trick.¡± My vision snapped back to the real world, my Aura wreaking havoc upon my enemy so thoroughly that I knew it could no longer hope to read me. I simply stepped to the side, the enemy pursuing a nonexistent enemy. And Totenstahl fired, bullets pelting its back and creating more wounds. ¡°AAGGH! FUCK YOU!¡± It turned around toward me and yet I was elsewhere, nothing but a clone before it. It ran toward that me and I dropped three grenades in three different places. It dodged the two it thought was fake, only for the third grenade to explode right by its other recent leg wound. The enemy¡¯s foot blew off, so much Psyka loaded into that grenade that my head throbbed from the drain. The enemy was hurled a small distance through the air from the force of the grenade, Totenstahl already trained on where I knew it would travel. I pulled the trigger, my barrel tracking its path and pelting it with more wounds in the arms and chest. It wore armor around its chest but it was nothing before Totenstahl¡¯s malice. ¡°I¡¯M GOING TO MURDER YOU! I WILL EAT YOUR FRESH CORPSE!¡± The enemy screamed and threw out a weapon but I knew it would do that five seconds ago. The weapon thus flew toward one of my clones. I simply took four steps in the other direction and tossed a grenade I had been cooking. It exploded right next to the weapon the enemy threw out, deflecting it, the weapon exploding with poisonous magic. I raised my arm, letting the shockwave brush over me before raising Totenstahl again and painting the enemy with searing gunfire. It screamed, and screamed, and screamed as I shot each of its limbs. My head was splitting but I couldn¡¯t care less. I could feel Anarchy but I only used it as fuel to bring annihilation upon the enemy¡¯s Aura. I took off its other leg, and then when it started trying to slash my clone I took off its right arm. Then when it brought out yet another weapon I shot through the tendons on its wrist, the weapon dropping right after being activated and exploding right next to it. It blew half its torso off, but its vitality was so deep that it still wasn¡¯t dead. ¡°You¡¯re practically screaming to me your every thought and move. Did you truly expect to kill me like this?¡± ¡°NO! YOU¡¯RE SUPPOSED TO FUCKING DIE! I NEED HELP!¡± It screamed for its kin but I felt nothing nearby that could help in time. Instead, I walked over to it and knelt down as it bled out. And I smiled at it, sneering in joy. ¡°You really are a fucking bug. Look at you, dying and screaming like a filthy pig.¡± ¡°FU-!¡± ¡°Uh-uh.¡± My knife went through its neck, stopping its words as I laughed. ¡°How disgusting. I hope you know how happy I am that you¡¯re groveling like this. How I love seeing you unable to even scream.¡± It struggled on the ground, gurgles coming out of its mouth, its eyes spitting hatred. I just continued to smile. I wanted it to know how happy I felt seeing its helplessness. ¡°Man, I was actually expecting a decent fight from you too. What a fucking disappointment. You can die knowing that you¡¯d never be able to bag a girl as fine as mine.¡± It struggled some more before I suddenly saw its body glow, something within its chest flashing brighter and brighter. Then a massive explosion washed over me, packed so full of poisonous energy that the surrounding dozen buildings were eradicated, a crater appearing in the ground and the shockwave sweeping everything for 50 yards. I watched from a rooftop 55 yards away, a cigar in my mouth, my head pounding like crazy and blood pooling in my mouth. After my clone was decimated I spit in the enemy¡¯s direction. ¡°As if I couldn¡¯t feel your master arm that halfway through the fight. I see all, fucking dumbass.¡± I turned and started gliding away with my boots. The last Pathfinder was officially dead. ¡°John?¡± I heard Umara¡¯s voice once I reestablished telepathy with her. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Eric. I killed him.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m glad. Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Start shrinking the perimeter if you haven¡¯t already. More monsters are coming, and we¡¯ve got several more hours before helicopters get here. Running around will only tire us, and I just ran through nearly all of my Psyka. I¡¯ll need help with coverage.¡± ¡°Copy.¡± I transmitted the same commands to Tana and Feiden, my head feeling like it was going to split open, and my body covered in pulled muscles. Using Anarchy to outright remove my bodily and magical limits wasn¡¯t something I had expected to do. But it had worked, and now I had another card up my sleeve. And now one of my demons has been eradicated. As I thought, it brought me naught an ounce of happiness or relief, but I would spare it no more thought. It didn¡¯t deserve the energy it took to even fire the neurons containing the memory of its name. We started pulling back, tightening our perimeter as more monsters started coming in. The fight wasn¡¯t over yet, but I knew Sawn was on his way with transports. Chapter 234: Contest December 26th, 625 The battle didn¡¯t rage. It wasn¡¯t a fraction as overwhelming as that where Amira died. There were no high Authority King Bloods bearing down on us and we weren¡¯t losing troops left and right. But we were losing people. Umara and Jaya couldn¡¯t defend against everything. We had to kill the monsters before they started slinging fire and poison into the crowds in the village center, and we couldn¡¯t always do so in time. We did our best but it didn¡¯t stop ordinary people from dying by the dozen or hundred. I had forgotten how fragile they were. I had forgotten what it meant to be a normal human years ago. Now, I was once again confronted with the brutal reality of their weakness. A mere graze from magic would leave them with mortal wounds. Anything less would just prolong their suffering as the poisonous Magika entered their bodies, making them die slow and painful deaths. Anything more would just kill them outright. We didn¡¯t have a dedicated healer with us, so there was nothing we could do for them. Except continue killing the enemy. Sawn said the helicopters were on their way. It would be some hours but the monsters weren¡¯t coming in numbers that could overwhelm us. We could handle it. The issue was everyone behind us. And I was tired. I didn¡¯t allow myself to pass out. I stayed awake, put Totenstahl away, took out a Mk 14 EBR, and started picking off enemies from a rooftop. I had to let myself recharge. If I depleted my Psyka completely then I¡¯d be out for the next 12 hours. While barely keeping my magic pool just above empty was excruciatingly painful, uncomfortable, and exhausting, it was something. It was the only way I could continue to contribute. I wouldn¡¯t allow the others to take on everything. I would only let them take on most of it. They all had much more energy than I did so I was fine letting them take point. Most of the time I simply stuck back and observed, counting how many monsters were coming from a distance. My head jerked to the side right before a building exploded, blasting rock and debris over a large group of people nearby. ¡°I got it!¡± I shouted and dropped down, finding the monster and blowing its head off with a precisely empowered shot, utilizing not a drop of Psyka more than I had to, going so far as to send the bullet through its eye socket. Then I went through, moving people out of the area and checking them. Some had lost limbs. They would die soon. Others had received smaller wounds to the abdomen. They would die tomorrow, and if not of their wounds then infection. Some were just scraped and bruised. They were the luckier ones and I gathered them with the rest of the crowds. There were hundreds in the village center and many more hundreds piled into the nearby buildings. This would¡¯ve been the perfect time to have an earth warlock and I had heard Umara and Jaya lamenting their affinities several times. From what I estimated, so far around 2100 people had already died since the Scourge started attacking en masse. They were the ones who had failed to assemble in time as well as those being killed by stray shots or sneak attacks like this one. This attack alone would kill 36. After separating the wounded from everyone else I went back to observing. Minute by minute passed as I sat or kneeled and watched the distance, occasionally picking off a monster if it snuck through the others¡¯ defensive lines. I even managed to detonate some incoming spells with well placed shots in the air, preventing more casualties. It didn¡¯t stop several others from leveling nearby buildings full of people though, nor was it anything the village guards could handle themselves. At some point dusk started to approach, and I noticed the incoming monsters start to lessen until they were scarce enough to pull ourselves off watch. I had Jaya and Tana keep watch while I jumped off the building I was on. I landed and my leg almost gave out, my body tilting and hitting the floor. I wasn¡¯t hurt. I just didn¡¯t realize how much energy I didn¡¯t have. I needed to eat. I trudged to the village center, looking around and seeing several hundred people huddled against walls. There were some other villagers and guards who had gone and found some stocks of food, carts being brought around and food being handed out. I could feel every single eye that fell on me. I could basically read the thoughts of those I focused on. I could feel the intentions and emotions of every single person around me. They were all so easy to read, so painfully vulnerable before real power. I found an empty portion of a wall nearby, bringing out my small chair and planting myself on it, using the wall as a backrest. I continued to use Psyka to keep awake and aware but lethargy started to settle in anyway. I was tired and yet it felt like I was hopped up on drugs that kept me from being able to sleep. I burned through the last of my cigar with a few more puffs, tossing it and taking out another one from my case. A fresh light and the smoke filled my mouth with a taste my brain now considered good, as it brought me rejuvenation. ¡°How are you doing?¡± I looked up and saw Polly and Jasmine. The two took a seat at my sides while I let out a breath of smoke. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°You should sleep.¡± ¡°After I eat.¡± I took out some rations, biting off a chunk of dried meat, chewing slowly. Then when I swallowed, I felt my stomach churn. I got up and ran to the corner of the wall and vomited what I just ate, heaving after it was all out. ¡°John?¡± I heard Umara¡¯s voice from a distance, her steps bringing her closer as I pulled myself off the floor, Jasmine and Polly silently helping me up. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t slept since the retreat. You¡¯re not fine.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a full day.¡± ¡°And I know you remember everything you¡¯ve done today. Jasmine, help me set up this tent.¡± I looked over and saw Umara take out camping gear, frowning as I thought about how coddled I was being treated. There were men far greater than me who could go through far more. How weak was I if I couldn¡¯t even attempt to live up to that standard? I couldn¡¯t be taking risks by sleeping. Someone needed to watch and I was the best at that. The tent was set up quickly. Then Umara looked at me, pointing to it. ¡°Go sleep.¡± ¡°...I¡¯d rather keep watch.¡± ¡°I swear to God, John. You¡¯re not the only one with no patience right now. Go. To. Sleep. I¡¯m not letting you push yourself over the edge just because you want to prove something. We can handle ourselves.¡± I stared at her, my face falling. ¡°I¡¯m the best at watch, and I¡¯m not going to take chances.¡± ¡°We have eyes too. Go to sleep. I¡¯m not asking.¡± We stared at each other for some seconds before she called. ¡°Jaya!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Jaya came running over, Umara putting out her hand. ¡°Sleeping pill.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± I narrowed my eyes at Jaya, who brought out the pill anyway with a coy smile. Umara walked up to me with dangerous eyes. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to have tested my patience. Now be a good boy and go to sleep.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. I tried to rebuke but noticed no sound come out. My head stung when I used telepathy too. All I felt after that was Umara grabbing me and using magic to pin me, shoving the pill into my mouth before throwing me into the tent, grunting about how heavy I was. My eyes were drooping before I even hit the mattress. Still, as my consciousness faded I thought about how I¡¯d get her back for this. And how hot that was. I was too tired to acknowledge that part though, so I just fell to sleep, filled with thoughts of revenge. ¡­¡­ ¡­ I looked up, seeing helicopters soaring through the air, cries of surprise coming from the citizens below. The helicopter circled the village and sought out any enemies. Once it spotted some, massive missile batteries unfolded and started releasing streaks of fire toward the hordes below, the missiles detonating a distance away and releasing clustered explosives that washed the monsters in searing white phosphorous. It glowed in the night, two autocannons on the front of the helicopter buzzing with the lovely sound of rotary fire. It shredded the remaining monsters to pulp before disengaging. I watched the helicopter with confusion, noticing the exhaust on it and thinking about how a magical helicopter wouldn¡¯t need exhaust. Then the helicopter suddenly morphed, no more exhaust, the shape being streamlined since it no longer needed an engine or fuel tanks. The new helicopter was heavily enchanted. I could see all the circuits across its body, reinforcing the material, conduits to control everything, enchantments in the rotor assembly that allowed the blades to adjust their angle and give better altitude control, arrays on some missiles within new missile batteries, allowing them the ability of rocket propulsion. But I wondered why I was seeing helicopters with magitech that didn¡¯t exist. I hadn¡¯t made it yet. I was still out on the battlefield. It should be a dream then. And the last thing I remember was getting drugged by my hot girlfriend. I needed to wake up, because if I was dreaming of helicopters, it was probably because I was hearing helicopters. I suddenly forced my eyes open, seeing the roof of the tent I was in. As well as hearing spellfire, the helicopters landing in the area, and screams. I felt completely refreshed, if not a bit starving. My head was clearer than ever before, my Psyka brimming. It only pissed me off because that meant I had gotten a lot of sleep. I pushed through the tent and stood up outside, seeing a helicopter land where a few buildings had once been, now leveled to make a landing area. It was one of the passenger variants, designed to hold as many people as possible. I also saw one in the air circling the village, armed with three turrets on each side, slinging magic into areas below. From the looks of it these helicopters had been here a while. It was night, and the sun had been setting when I fell asleep. I had slept for around 24 hours, then. I went and jumped to the top of a building, taking out a cigar and using it to wake myself up, puffing smoke. I got a read on the surrounding Auras. Less than half of the survivors that had been there when I was asleep were either dead or evacuated. There were about 2 thousand monsters making their way into the village and another thousand scattered throughout. On top of that, I saw a few dozen Flickers in the village center protecting the citizens, and sensed dozens more hunting monsters. They were welcome reinforcements. I let out a smokey breath and established telepathic connections with Umara, Feiden, Tana, and Jaya. I couldn¡¯t find Polly or Jasmine, probably evacuated in the first batch. ¡°Umara.¡± ¡°John! We could use your help!¡± ¡°No shit. Where do you need me?¡± ¡°Anywhere. We¡¯ve tightened the perimeter more but they just keep coming. Just get up on a rooftop and start shooting.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± I took a bite out of a ration I brought out, scarfing it down quickly before running across some rooftops to the area of highest enemy concentration. I scanned a street, seeing a dozen or so monsters and bringing out Totenstahl. He was warm, but not nearly as hot as he was a day ago. And we casually mowed them down, clearing that street before gliding to different areas and shredding any monsters we came across, rarely coming to a full stop, shooting while moving. I cleared out a few hundred in just 20 minutes, relieving the others and reestablishing defensive lines as the Flickers were able to group back up. Umara came and found me once we got some reprieve. ¡°Thank you, John. How was your sleep?¡± ¡°Very good, and I¡¯m pissed you let me sleep for so long.¡± ¡°But we handled ourselves just fine, and we need you strong. You¡¯re our best bet for crowd control and we can¡¯t have you drained and half asleep. You know that.¡± She put her hands on her hips in a chiding stance, making me smile and grab her waist. I pulled her in for a kiss, tasting a bit of blood from that which was on her face. It was no wonder people started calling her Witch. ¡°Mmm, no, I¡¯m bloody.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t care.¡± I got another kiss before separating with a smile, licking up the blood around my lips. That¡¯s when a monster crawled up to the roof, promptly receiving a bullet to the face from a pistol that appeared in my hand. My eyes remained on Umara. ¡°Sorry if I was being a total dick.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve nothing to apologize for, dear.¡± ¡°It looks like you need rest too. How about you go sleep. I¡¯ll hold things down.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think now¡¯s the time. There¡¯s actually someone you need to meet.¡± My head suddenly snapped to the side when I noticed something approach. My eyes widened when I saw the being. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was a flicker or a beast, but I did know a Paragon species when I saw one. An Owlykat. An owl and cat hybrid, with the head of an owl, the body of a cat, with owl wings on its back. It was rather small, only 2 feet tall when it landed in front of us, its wings flapping as its feet pattered on the roof, black fur and feather drinking in the light of the moon. And its eyes were brilliant blue, captivating. Then it spoke. ¡°You are John?¡± ¡°I am. You¡¯re an Owlykat?¡± ¡°You can call me Daywisp.¡± ¡°Alright, Daywisp. Can I assume you¡¯re leading these Flickers?¡± ¡°I am, as you lead these humans. I come to you with a suggestion of strategy.¡± ¡°Lay it on me.¡± I glanced to the side, checking the incoming hordes, and deciding I had enough time for a conversation. ¡°I recommend that we run with the remaining humans of this village. There is a Forest of the Night in the direction of the Desolate River, three horizons away. If we can reach it, we can be safe for a time.¡± ¡°You think we can get these people across 40 miles of terrain? It would take at least two days at their walking pace. We may as well stay here.¡± ¡°Many of my kin can be ridden.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have enough for everyone.¡± ¡°But if your metal skybeasts take more away as we travel, there will be enough, eventually. ¡°And until then, we¡¯d have to fight off the hordes on open land, with no cover.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been told by your companion that you possess the ability to fell thousands alone, and that without cover, you will also be advantaged.¡± I glanced at Umara, who scratched her head, dodging my gaze. I looked back at Daywisp. ¡°It¡¯s risky, compared to holding our ground and waiting for transport.¡± ¡°But you see it, do you not? The horrors coming toward us from those graveyards.¡± I glanced into the distance. I could in fact see it. It hadn¡¯t been there before I went to sleep but now it was clear. A dreadful Aura, not full of death, but of sadistic malice and ravening hatred. There was pain in the atmosphere, souls crying out in agony and despair, not an ounce of hope found within any of them. Corruption. I remembered Aki¡¯s stories. Entire armies leaving to fight the Scourge, just to come back as armies of corrupted. The Overkill pill developed by Apocryon largely prevented that here but not everyone had it. Too many people had come to the Treehouse, and the Scourge had attacked too fast. There could be tens of thousands of them being turned right now, depending on how the fight went down. They were being mutated, twisted into sick forms that perverted the human image, transformed into fiendish demons wanting for nothing more than sadistic pleasures and murder. I didn¡¯t know how far out they were, but we were too close regardless. The sooner we got the hell out of here, the better. Daywisp¡¯s idea wasn¡¯t bad. The worst part was only the first half of it. Defending hundreds while retreating out in the open, with a good amount of those left being elderly, would be taxing on us. They wouldn¡¯t be able to run. We¡¯d be going at a snail''s pace. And it wouldn''t change over time. Our priorities for transport were the youngest, so we¡¯d be stuck with the elderly until the end. Even if we could get the population down to the point that they could ride the Flickers, would the elderly even be able? They were a burden, and I wouldn¡¯t just send them off on a helicopter first because they weren¡¯t worth that. I looked back at Daywisp, narrowing my eyes. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll go with your plan. But I want a promise from you.¡± ¡°What kind?¡± ¡°That you won¡¯t question me or get in my way when I do what I need to to make this retreat work. You have the numbers, but I have the firepower. You will command your numbers according to my tactics, and you won¡¯t stray from them. I will get us and as many of these citizens out alive in the safest manner possible only as long as you do that. Promise me that.¡± Daywisp¡¯s eyes scrutinized me, peering into my soul with a mysterious power. It caused Totenstahl to warm up and glow brighter. I simply looked back into it, unimpressed. ¡°Don¡¯t try and read me, Owlykat. You¡¯re going to follow my plans or I¡¯ll enact another you won¡¯t like.¡± ¡°I am also here out of generosity, defending life against the evil forces of death. Do not take my presence for granted.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do this with or without you, and I¡¯ll get results either way. You want to defend life? Listen to my orders. I¡¯ve survived more than you can fathom, and I¡¯m the only reason any of these people will live to see another day.¡± We stared at each other a bit more before Daywisp turned his eyes. ¡°Very well. I will command the others as you wish.¡± ¡°Thank you. Umara, who¡¯s the most rested of your squad?¡± ¡°Tana and Jaya recently slept.¡± She answered back, my eyes drifting toward her bloodied face. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you 5 hours. Go with Feiden and sleep. I need you two as rested as you can be.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I gave her another thanks and a quick kiss, giving Feiden the order via telepathy as well before turning back to the Owlykat. ¡°We¡¯ll need to prepare. Once I wake them up, we leave.¡± ¡°It will be in your hands.¡± ¡°Be grateful that it is. If it weren¡¯t, this village would¡¯ve been annihilated without contest.¡± Chapter 235: Hard Decisions December 27th, 625 I frowned and puffed some smoke while looking at the gathering crowds, snow falling atop their bodies as many of them slept. The attacks were definitely picking up. I could feel the threat in the distance growing. If we were leaving, it needed to be within the next 30 minutes. The last helicopters had been forced to leave as they had run short on fuel. I had contacted Sawn and he said that he had sent all he could get, so we would be on our own for a while until the ones that recharged could get back to us. The main goal was to simply run and buy time. The second goal was to get to the Black Forest south of us, around 40 miles away according to the Owlykat, if we really had to. Umara¡¯s squad and I were the only combat capable humans. We had 97 Flickers as reinforcements, and 62 of them could be ridden. And we had to get 455 villagers to the black forest, the rest either dead or evacuated. It looked just about impossible. I knew for a fact that many would die along the way. I had my plans regarding that but it would be risky no matter what. All of the villagers still here were either elderly or older, few of them physically adept. I had attempted to find wagons and carts to pile people into but we had only found two. 70% of the village was leveled in some way and that meant most of the raggedy wooden carts were leveled with it. By my estimations, the rest of the villagers would be able to get picked up by the helicopters with their next wave. Once they got back we¡¯d be clear. The hard part was surviving until then. It was either hunker down and fight them off until then, or make a tactical retreat, fighting them off where I could use my full firepower, and survive long enough to get picked up. Either way it was a fight for our lives, and the snow coming down was looking like it was going to make things more difficult for me. I brought up my hand, my Aura and Psyka drawing a complex formation above my palm. It would be the key to ensuring the outcome of greatest good would be achieved while preventing any interference and dissent, as well as possible future trials. I looked around one more time. The night falling meant that fewer monsters were charging straight into the village, but they were coming all the same. Tana and Jaya were holding the perimeter. I finally jumped off the building I was on, touching Umara and Feiden¡¯s mind with my Aura, gently waking them up. Then I dropped into the square that held all the villagers, taking out a pistol and firing it into the air. ¡°Everyone get up! It¡¯s time to leave!¡± The villagers, either already awake or no longer sleeping, started to scramble to their feet. The Owlykat Daywisp came flying over, landing on the ground next to me, nearly invisible in the night besides its glimmering blue eyes. ¡°Are we beginning?¡± ¡°Yes. Herd everyone toward the edge of the village.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± He flew back into the air as I started yelling out commands, my voice carried directly into the villagers¡¯ minds. It was amazing how vulnerable to power they were, how god-like I felt before one. It was no wonder they nearly worshipped Magi. Umara and Feiden came walking over before long. I glimpsed Umara¡¯s witch hat, nodding to her as the crowds started getting herded by the surrounding Flickers. They knew what to do, it was just that it needed to happen now. I wouldn¡¯t allow any stragglers, and I certainly didn¡¯t allow any of them to bring possessions. The less weight, the faster we were going. I suddenly looked over and saw some people arguing about who would get to ride the two wagons we found. I hurried over, everyone going silent when I stepped in. I pointed, singling out a group of older people ¡°I want all of you in this area to board the two wagons! Now! Everyone else, keep fucking walking!¡± My perceived anger kept anybody from resisting or arguing, a little bit of Aura plenty to keep them at bay. Even normal humans had it, could feel it, though not well unless you shoved yours down their throat. Some villagers were quickly piled in, many of them older and more frail. I kept everyone moving, the small bit of chaos acting as a distraction from the real issue at hand. We gradually made it to the edge of the village. I saw Jaya slinging spells at some incoming monsters, the movement of hundreds naturally drawing attention. Then we stepped beyond the village, the hundreds clustering together. The snow was a bit thick, enough to slow walking speed noticeably. It was cold as shit, dark, and everyone was tired and weary. The two wagons were hooked up to two flickers, and they moved to the front, naturally faster than the rest. Two large covers were over both of them obscuring those inside from view and protecting them from the snow. I let out a long breath, looking back at the village one more time before pointing. ¡°Forward! We make our retreat now!¡± Like that, the Flickers all started moving, bringing up the rear and pushing the villagers along. Everyone started marching, their pace picking up when we heard some sharp screams from incoming monsters. My view of the surroundings, clear as day despite the night snow, saw all the monsters that came from behind us. I brought Totenstahl around, its red glow like a beacon in the night. There were hundreds of monsters, and now that we were wide in the open, they were looking at us like sheep to the slaughter. I yelled. ¡°Umara and Jaya! Defensive spells only! Tana and Feiden, bring up the flanks! Daywisp, keep your flickers exactly where I told you! We¡¯re going dark!¡± I got a few affirmative copies, and then I let my Aura bloom. It didn¡¯t remain just above my body. It dispersed into the surroundings, encompassing our entire escort, every villager, every flicker. And then, their fields of view narrowed, darkness descending and limiting everyone''s line of sight to just several feet around them. All except for Umara¡¯s squad and I. I instead gave them a highlighted vision of every monster I could see or detect. The important part was that the villagers and flickers would remain in their own little bubble of darkness. They knew the way forward. They were following the two carts, which I allowed them to clearly see. I was also forcing them, with Daywisp¡¯s help, to hold a certain line and pace, never falling behind it. Like that, they were ignorantly retreating. I saw another thousand monsters come out from the village. I pulled Totenstahl¡¯s trigger, raking the incoming monsters in front of me. I would be the one handling the crowds for now. Later, when we were lighter, everyone else would get to step in. ¡°Keep moving!¡± The villagers moved pretty quickly, trudging along as fast as they could without outright jogging or running. Many of them were already tired after just a few minutes but I didn¡¯t worry about that. We got a distance away from the village and I could see many more thousands of monsters starting to head over. Many of them were still coming down from the mountains, from the Stronghold, but they were coming, and they knew we were out here. I also picked up on some Royals. We had only encountered a couple before but that was because we were entrenched in the village. Now we were ripe for slaughter. I saw one of the Royals flank to the side, sprinting across the snow before planting and bringing together some poisoned elements, the formation of a spell. ¡°Feiden, go!¡± I called, Feiden snapping forward right as the spell was released. I saw one of Umara¡¯s spells fly out right after, intercepting the Royal¡¯s attack and detonating it in the air. No harm done, and Feiden quickly killed it, coming right back to position. ¡°Good. Keep that up and this will be smooth.¡± I said that, but then another thousand monsters started pouring towards us, what seemed like an endless stream going through the village. I could also see Scouts showing themselves in the distance. They had been watching us, and now they were relaying our retreat. At some point we crossed a mile. Only an eternity left to go. The villagers slowed a bit after the first mile and found a more realistic pace. The old gravitated toward the back, moving just a bit slower, exerting themselves far more. Mile 2 came. Totenstahl fired almost unceasingly, each bullet weakly empowered yet still shredding through the incoming forces. They started spreading out more though, covering more land and thus preventing me from taking out clusters at a time. Feiden and Tana had to start killing those that tried to flank. Then we reached mile three, and we got another challenger. I saw the Royal streak down our side, toward Tana. She jumped forward to meet it and Umara filled the gap as I kept firing forward. They did battle for some minutes until Tana finished it and came back. Yet Umara couldn¡¯t back out, continuing to kill monsters, Tana unable to handle them all. Clusters of Flickers moved to reinforce, many of them casting elemental spells to knock away the hordes. I counted roughly 4 thousand monsters in my immediate field of view, all of them chasing after us and only delayed or hampered due to my wall of supersonic lead. I could see Royals in the distance sending more our way. They were just hanging back and watching, wearing us down with numbers. I had more than enough energy to give. However, mile 4 was when things got dicey. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I glanced back, continuing to fire, seeing an old couple start stumbling, sweating. There hadn¡¯t been nearly enough room on the two wagons for all of them, and the large group was starting to spread out. Everyone continued walking at their own pace but those paces were different depending on how physically capable they were. Naturally, those too old for this kind of exertion would fall to the back, and eventually, be unable to continue. I knew that. I didn¡¯t know if Daywisp had thought of it when he brought this plan to me but it was under my control now, and I would do things my way. Some of the Flickers started falling back with them, trying to maintain a protective line around the couple, but I yelled in response. ¡°Stay up there! Don¡¯t fall back! Get the others moving faster!¡± My Aura translated my intentions, even if they couldn¡¯t understand my words. They did as I said and moved back up, maintaining their line, unable to see how close the monsters were getting. The elderly couple did not, could not, follow. Totenstahl heated up a bit more as I dumped more power into each bullet, but the monsters kept coming, drowning out my unceasing barrage with hide and blood, pushing closer and closer to us. I knew the first 10 miles would be the hardest. I knew that once we got far enough the monsters would probably stop following. We wouldn¡¯t have to make it all the way to the Dark Forest. But until then, this would be a problem I had to deal with the hard way. The line of monsters fell back a bit more as I amped the Psyka and cut them all down, but there were more to take their place. I silently watched the old couple. They trudged forward, step by step, but they were tired. I was sure that their entire bodies ached and burned. I could imagine how scared they were. They could hear the monsters behind them even if they couldn¡¯t see them. I didn¡¯t let them see. Didn¡¯t let them know how much closer they were getting to being torn apart. I just kept my mouth shut, continued firing, continued watching them fall farther and farther back. Jaya eventually yelled. ¡°John?! Are we going to slow down?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to keep your eyes forward and hold pace!¡± ¡°But-!¡± ¡°Jaya!¡± I turned and looked at her. I could see the worry on her face, my voice transmitted into her ears and mind. ¡°This isn¡¯t your problem to worry about.¡± After saying that I looked back at the old couple, having fallen behind enough that I saw them in front of me as I glided backward and fired, even though I was the rearmost man. I saw the wife roll her ankle as it was happening, and in that split second I took out my pistol. The monsters lunged forward at them. The couple couldn¡¯t see the monsters, the husband stopping with his wife when she rolled her ankle. I knew he would do that. I knew what would happen three seconds after Daywisp had finished his first sentence regarding this plan. So I fired, twice, sending two rounds through their heads. They both hit the floor before the monsters reached them, tearing into their bodies and ripping them apart. The pistol went away, horror permeating Jaya¡¯s Aura. I could sense Daywisp in the air as well, watching me, uncertain and fearful. But it seemed he had enough sense to commit and keep his beak shut. ¡°Keep moving!¡± I never stopped firing, and we never stopped moving. We reached mile 5, taking a whopping two hours to do so, and more of the elderly started falling behind. Couple by couple, group by group, they would stumble or fall. I made sure they knew the monsters were getting closer whenever they slowed. I made sure they knew how far away the front of the pack was. They knew that slowing too much would mean their death. I would even show them glimpses of the monsters, how close they were. Some of them cried out to me for help. Those of them were desperate, unwilling to die during the last stretch. Others were more peaceful, some outright giving up with their spouse and falling to their knees, praying for just a few seconds. All of them received my bullet to the head, armed with a bit of extra Psyka for good measure, snuffing out their mind even if it didn¡¯t kill them outright. This was my mercy to them, my apology in a way. They didn¡¯t deserve to bear the pain of being torn apart. They didn¡¯t deserve to die at all. It was the fault of their failure of a military. But that military had collapsed, had paid for their failure with rivers of blood, and I could only do what I could do make sure that the most amount of people got out as possible. If I couldn¡¯t get these people out, then I¡¯d at least make sure they didn¡¯t suffer horrific agony in their last moments. More miles passed and by mile 9, I had killed 84 more people, what seemed like most of the elderly. ¡°HOLD THE LINE!¡± Totenstahl burned with hatred as we reached the bottom of a hill, the monsters behind us coming from above. Some of them jumped into the air and sailed to our front while poisonous spells were slung into the crowds. I was forced to leave protection to Jaya and Umara, as well as many Flickers that had been forced to join the battle and bolster our line. I had to continue killing as many as possible. But I had cut down most of the fodder. What was coming now was the main force, the final monsters those Royals wanted to use to wear us out. We couldn¡¯t go to them though. We had to hold our line, which we were barely doing, and didn¡¯t have the room to break off and kill the royals. Numbers, numbers, numbers. Someday I would render numbers obsolete. I was already in the process of doing so. May this be the last battle I fight without my machines of war. I took in heavier breaths, cigar still in my mouth as I focused fire on a mutated monster that launched itself toward me and reached out with claws of metal, honed to a razor¡¯s edge. It was cut in two with bullets before it could touch me. I dodged out of the way of the corpse, getting farther away from the base of the hill, tracking four villagers who had lagged behind the rest. I couldn¡¯t buy them any more space. They were almost 20 yards from me and it was now too late for escape. Two of them were weeping in fear, close enough to see the incoming hordes of monsters, the others scrambling to get themselves forward. One had an injury, one was a bit fat, the other two were too caught up with the others. I put bullets in all of their heads, their bodies dropping, hitting the floor, quickly being drowned by monstrous claws. I used my boots to fly backwards, creating some more distance, continuing to run and gun. We reached mile 10. The monsters coming over the hill were growing sparse. I could see the most powerful Auras, three Royals, cresting the hill and looking down on us like dogs. And one Corrupted stood with them, the most powerful of them. That meant there were few behind them. We were getting to the end. With the distance I created I suddenly exchanged Totenstahl with the Mk 13 Mod 7 sniper rifle. I took quick aim, came to a full stop even as monsters lunged toward me, and let out a single breath. The trigger snapped back, and the bullet sailed straight through the nose and nasal cavity of an Authority 9 Royal, severing its brainstem and dropping it like a ragdoll. The three others raised their defenses right after but I hardly cared. The sniper went away, Totenstahl came back out, and I continued to evade, throwing out a clone for the nearest monster to get distracted by. I got a read on every single person and monster around me, did some quick estimations, and then gave out the command. ¡°Umara! Feiden! Get up there and kill those Royals! We¡¯ll kill the rest!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± The two shot forward. I knew they could handle themselves. Totenstahl burned brighter as I swept through the rest of the monsters. At some point I no longer had to back up, holding my ground against what remained of the hordes. Umara and Feiden focused primarily on evasion, making sure they couldn¡¯t get pinned down by the Corrupted. But it wasn¡¯t Authority 10 so I knew they would have no issue doing that. And they managed to kill two Royals before I gave another command. ¡°Jaya, join them!¡± She silently moved forward, Tana and I closing in together, killing the rest. Once there were only around two hundred left I shouted to her. ¡°Tana, go! I got the rest!¡± She killed one more enemy before disappearing, shooting toward the fight, and reappearing to deliver the killing blow on the last Royal. Now it was just the Corrupted, and they could handle that themselves. I just made sure to kill every last monster in the area alongside the Flickers. I had released my spell upon the rest of the villagers, all of them turned to see the battle and piles of thousands of monster corpses, no longer walking. And I finished off the last beast right as Umara¡¯s squad finished off the Corrupted. Umara stashed their bodies before they all came down to my side. I calmed myself, Totenstahl releasing steam as the snow fell on it, my heavy breath combined with my burning cigar to release smoke and vapor in front of me. I suddenly glanced off into the distance. The sun was up, clouds parting to reveal divine rays of light beaming down upon the surrounding frozen land. I looked at the hill, sensing no more monsters coming. There were some behind the hill but they weren¡¯t approaching since we killed the Royals and Corrupted. I felt no threat, no danger. We were only 10 miles away from the village but it was far enough and technical enough to break line of sight. We still needed to move, create more distance for the sake of safety, but I considered this a mission success. I glanced at the others as they came to stand closer to me. ¡°How is everyone?¡± ¡°Tired.¡± ¡°Same.¡± ¡°I took a few hits but I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Mm. Jaya?¡± I looked at her. She had tear streaks on her face. I knew she had been mortified by what I¡¯d done but I didn¡¯t care much about what she thought of my actions. I did what I had to. She nodded, muttering quietly. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I turned, taking steps toward the crowd of villagers and Flickers. A quick count told me that there were 288 villagers left. 167 had died. I had killed 96 of them. I dwelled on it for a fraction of a second before waving my arm, shouting. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving!¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ Several hours later and around mile 16, I got the call on my Aerial. Not long after that, the first helicopters came. Three of them descended from the skies. Some of the villagers cheered, many others cried. We stuffed as many as we could into those three, amounting to about 210 after literally packing them like sardines. Just like that, the majority were out and safe. I decided that no more walking was necessary. Instead, we waited for the last helicopters. Another five hours and two more arrived. We packed the first with all the remaining villagers and sent them off, leaving one left for us. Daywisp flew over to me. ¡°I suppose we have succeeded, John.¡± ¡°We have. Do you and your flickers need a ride?¡± ¡°No. We will continue heading to the Forest ourselves.¡± ¡°Then this is where we part ways. I thank you for the reinforcements. It was timely.¡± Daywisp didn¡¯t immediately respond, a few feathers ruffling before he spoke. ¡°...I don¡¯t know if what you did was right. It was a mercy, to die so quickly. But I wonder if they had to die at all.¡± ¡°We were going to pay a price no matter what. I was prepared for even more to die if we had stayed. That was before you and your Flickers appeared. I went with this plan because you were there to help, but I had no illusions about what I¡¯d need to do. This way, we¡¯ve come out with the most valuable lives.¡± ¡°You consider those people lesser than the others? What about us?¡± ¡°You were more valuable than all those villages because you are capable of fighting the Scourge. Just like me and my squad were more valuable than them. I wasn¡¯t going to truly risk any of our lives, and although a few of your Flickers died, I made sure to keep it at a minimum. That¡¯s why I forced you to maintain a certain line. My goal was to preserve combat power.¡± Daywisp looked down, conflicted. ¡°...I understand why you made those decisions. But I still don¡¯t know if it¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s really simple. The value a life holds lies in the amount of damage it can do to the Scourge, directly or indirectly. Because if we can¡¯t fight the Scourge, there won¡¯t be any life at all.¡± ¡°But is that right? Truly? I may not know much about humans but I know that someone like you would be called mad for what you¡¯ve done today. I¡¯ve not even heard of others who would do those things.¡± My eyes narrowed. ¡°Then you¡¯ve just never heard of anyone with enough will to make the hard decisions. I don¡¯t allow the inadequacy of others to cloud my judgement. But¡­ I do understand what you¡¯re saying. Believe me, I hate it too. Such logic has cost me many good people over the last month.¡± I turned, boarding the helicopter. The others followed. I waved to the Owlykat. ¡°Stay safe, Daywisp.¡± ¡°...You as well, John.¡± With that I closed the hatch, giving the pilot the signal and lifting off. Our destination was the nearest city, where Sawn, and I¡¯m sure many others, were waiting for us. The Battle of the Treehouse was over. The northwestern front had fallen. Hundreds of thousands had died over the course of two months. Most of those died within just two days. My fight here was officially over, and I only had four with me in the end. I looked down at my hand, the patch of the Snow Doves in it. A part of my brain stung when I saw it. Another part went numb. I silently put the patch away. I had a lot of work to do when I got home. Chapter 236: Dont Be Meek December 27th, 625 The City of Valence was the most prosperous northern city there was as it was the main hub for a majority of Rail lines going beyond and before the River of Desolation. It was also where I had sent the survivors from the village. Our helicopter slowly touched down in the open plaza near the center of the city. I could feel the gazes on us even before the hatch opened. The five of us walked out, greeted by a large crowd of onlookers. Nearby were the other helicopters, letting out the last of the villagers. Those with family who had left earlier ran over to their loved ones with cries. I gave them a few glances before turning to those who had started speed walking toward us. Sawn, Talexia, Polly, and Jasmine all came walking over. I pat Umara, letting her go to her mother while I broke off with Sawn. He looked me up and down. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look fine. Since it worked out though I can say you did a good thing. Still, are you sure you can¡¯t just let me get you out of the military? It would be incredibly easy. All I need is the word, and you can go and develop weapons over in Wonderland and enjoy your wealth.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. I¡¯ll need a ride out of this city. Are these pilots still on standby?¡± ¡°They are. We¡¯ve talked to the city lord and he will be taking care of these villagers as refugees.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯m washing my hands of this then. When¡¯s the soonest we can leave? I¡¯m giving myself at least a month off after this shitshow.¡± Sawn glanced at the helicopters. ¡°We can leave whenever you want. But don¡¯t you have to report?¡± ¡°To fucking who? Nearly every General and Major General died in the retreat. The entire theater and everyone in it has been annihilated. There¡¯s a single person left in my chain of command above me and that¡¯s the fucking Sovereign. And unless he wants to come and personally talk to me, I¡¯m doing as I fucking please.¡± ¡°...Alright¡­¡± Sawn just nodded. That¡¯s when I looked over to Jasmine and Polly. ¡°Well, I suppose not everyone is dead. I actually forgot about you guys. That¡¯s not supposed to happen.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a little on edge, John.¡± Polly gave a short greeting to Sawn, who stepped away to arrange the helicopters. She looked off into the distance. ¡°We made it out of there, thanks to you. And you sure as hell aren¡¯t going to get orders from me. Even I¡¯m not sure what to do. There isn¡¯t much that covers a complete eradication of command.¡± ¡°Maybe I should write a new protocol for it.¡± ¡°It would be your hundredth.¡± ¡°My 63rd, actually.¡± ¡°Hm. Are you going back to the Capital?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know. Depends on my girlfriend. Chances are, I¡¯m going to the Talerria estate. Besides, Talexia technically holds command now that she¡¯s here. I¡¯ll have to talk to her.¡± ¡°That would be good.¡± We went silent, waiting for Umara and her mother to finish talking. Once I felt an opening I walked over, Talexia looking at me. ¡°How are you doing, John?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look fine.¡± ¡°A little tired.¡± ¡°Mm. I want to bring you back to the estate so you can rest. Same with the rest of your friends, Pollina and Jasmine included. For now, I¡¯m assuming command of you all. There will be extensive talks about what happened so I want to gather you in one place, as well as give you some down time to recover.¡± She spoke loud enough for the others to hear. ¡°Technically I can¡¯t take command of Special Operations. You guys are out of my jurisdiction and have standing orders even if a base falls. You¡¯re supposed to go straight back to Stronghold Beta to report. But we haven¡¯t heard from Gurns so for now I¡¯m keeping you all with me. The investigation will require your presence anyway, especially that of Pollina. As of now, she¡¯s the sole surviving General of the Treehouse and Stronghold Charlie. There will be many interviews.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Polly nodded, and the others definitely had no objections to getting free time off. Soon after we were on a helicopter back to the City of Joffrun. I had Sawn promise to send my assistant Boris to get me some things, a new Aerial for starters since mine was fried. He would be coming in my helicopter, and if he was able, I told him to get Maxwell to me as well. I would be relatively busy while away from the military. I¡¯d have to stop by Wonderland at some point, as well as make plans with Umara. I had some ideas churning that I had a feeling would require her. For now though, I needed to rest. The ride took long enough but eventually we made it. Talexia had built an airfield for the city but she also had her own helipad in her estate. We landed there, disembarked, and flooded her home. Apparently Talexia had called a healer, so that was the first thing our knights did. They still had lingering wounds and a few broken bones, Feiden especially. Polly and Jasmine were also slightly injured, and they were healed quickly. All the while, servants prepared our rooms. The bathrooms were used first though. Everyone was dirty since we hadn¡¯t bathed in almost a week. I turned the water brown as soon as I got under it. I was unharmed though. I almost didn¡¯t want to believe it but I hadn¡¯t taken on any mentionable wounds. The last injury I got was a nasty bruise when that monstrous amalgamation the King Blood of Unholy Light made exploded. I had tumbled several times but my coat was as sturdy as ever. I hadn¡¯t been touched since then. I had gotten too good at evasion. Nothing could even see me short of Authority 10 King Bloods. I spent a clean hour in the tub, almost falling asleep but willing myself to stay awake. Once out of there I went straight to Umara¡¯s room where I¡¯d be staying. I found her in there, hair still damp from her wash, dressed in a nightgown. She was really hot, but I couldn¡¯t say I was in the mood for much tonight. I threw off all but a pair of shorts and plopped down into her bed, watching her comb her grey hair at a vanity table. After a bit she used some air magic to blow it dry before standing and climbing into the bed next to me. The two of us were silent, Umara sitting up on her side of the bed, simply staring forward. I finally broke the silence with a mutter. ¡°Do you think what I did was wrong?¡± ¡°...I think what people, or Paragons, have a hard time rectifying is the fact that you planned for it to happen. You¡¯re smart and that leaves no illusions for how things will go or what must be done. People can get a bit scared in front of that.¡± ¡°Are you one of those?¡± I glanced at her, and since her answer wasn¡¯t instant, I knew it wasn¡¯t going to be as reassuring as a simple no. She sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll admit that I was a bit jarred when I saw you do it, even though I had already guessed what would happen a bit earlier. Jaya was obviously a bit more expressive than I was. But we¡¯re different. I may have felt something die a little inside when I saw that but that doesn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t agree with it. It just means I¡¯ve finally seen first hand what will happen if we don¡¯t stop the enemy before they reach the cities behind the River.¡± I nodded silently, Umara¡¯s hand snaking into my own. It was still warm and smooth from her bath. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to ever put you in the position to do those things alone. Just because you can make the decisions doesn¡¯t mean it''s any easier. It just means you¡¯re too smart to knowingly let people suffer, too capable to just let them get slaughtered. As you said, don¡¯t let the ineptitude of other people affect your judgment. You¡¯re going to do what you know is best, and I¡¯m going to be right there with you.¡± She turned to me and looked me in the eyes. I stared at her silently for a few seconds before giving her a long kiss. ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°I love you too.¡± ¡°We should sleep. We can talk more tomorrow.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Both of us bundled under the sheets, Umara using my body warmth since the room was slightly cool. The window nearby showed the night sky and snow flakes highlighted by outdoor lamps. I passed out quickly, feeling like I¡¯d need to go comatose for a year to catch up on sleep.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ December 28th, 626 I woke up gradually, smelling food and feeling something on my back. My head raised a bit, my nose filled with the aroma of freshly cooked food. I quickly realized that I was starving for some good eats. I also realized that Umara was tracing her fingernail on my bare back. I looked at her through squinted eyes, setting my head back down since it felt nice. ¡°What¡¯s this new stuff on your back?¡± ¡°It was from my marriage with Totenstahl.¡± ¡°The gun?¡± ¡°Mm. The inscriptions are the declarations of intention that the two of us shared. Bound by the soul we shall abide by them, until death.¡± ¡°Should I be jealous that you got married to your weapon before me?¡± ¡°Well I can only have sex with one of you so¡­¡± She rolled her eyes, making me chuckle. I felt refreshed, so I rolled on top and across her before slipping out of bed. ¡°We have some things to talk about, but only after breakfast.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry too. Can finally get some real fucking food.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. She followed, the two of us throwing on some clothes before heading down. All the others were already in the dining room, servants moving around, bringing and taking away plates of food It smelled heavenly. I looked around and glanced at the others, all of them in some casual wear. Everyone looked completely different now that they weren¡¯t running and fighting for their lives. I walked past Faey, ruffling her hair and taking a seat, Umara taking the one next to me. Two servants immediately deposited some plates of food around us, my mouth already salivating. ¡°Good fucking eats indeed.¡± I started scarfing down what was in front of me, my body warming up in real time to burn the fuel I was loading my stomach with. Umara was just as voracious. The food was loaded with Magika, nothing but the highest quality food. I had tasted seldom better in my life, only the top restaurants in the Capital able to surpass. It was clear that Talexia wanted to treat us. I was grateful. So much so that I polished off four plates, my belly bulging. I finally sat back with a loud sigh of content. Talexia took that chance to speak. ¡°Do you have any plans today, John?¡± ¡°Umara and I need to talk about some things. After that, I¡¯m all yours.¡± ¡°Very well. Just forewarning all of you. There will be a General coming tomorrow, along with some of the Royal Guard. They will be conducting interviews.¡± Everyone gave nods of assent, silence prevailing. I lingered a bit longer before standing, Umara mirroring me. ¡°Excuse us.¡± We both walked out, heading back up to her room and shutting the door. I sighed and went around her bed, grabbing a chair and sitting. Umara sat on the bed in front of me, crisscross apple sauce. I stared at her, smiling after some seconds. ¡°I know you have questions.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s about that.¡± ¡°Yes. I think I¡¯ve finally decided to come out with it. No point in hiding it after what you¡¯ve seen.¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± She propped her chin up on her fist, staring right at me. I leaned back. ¡°I want you to take this as literally as I say it. I¡¯m from another world. Not another kingdom, not another landmass or continent. Another world entirely, potentially another dimension, I couldn¡¯t know. Maybe this is the same universe but I have no way of verifying that.¡± I stopped there, watching her reaction as she processed it. She didn¡¯t look shocked. I knew she had her suspicions. There was no way she didn¡¯t, but this was the most outlandish possibility there was. Then again, in this world of magic, people didn¡¯t have as hard of a time believing crazy things. She nodded. ¡°Alright. You called it Earth, right? Or was that just a random name?¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s what we called our planet.¡± I brought up my hand, projecting some Psyka out and creating an illusion. Earth manifested above my hand in all its magnificent blue and green and brown glory. ¡°This is Earth, my home world. Humanity on Earth had no magic, but we managed to conquer most of our world. We pushed science far, and right now they¡¯re probably pushing it farther. I¡¯m just not there to see it.¡± I stared at the planet for several seconds before changing the image. It zoomed in on North America. ¡°I¡¯m from the North American continent, upon which lies a country called the United States of America. There are 50 states in that country and I lived in Texas.¡± The image reflected my explanation, showing the dividing lines between the 50 states as it zoomed in on my home. The image of Texas remained for a little while longer before I whisked away the entire image. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s where I came from. I don¡¯t know how I got here. All I know is that I was killed and dropped in this world. All that knowledge I¡¯ve given you on science? It all comes from Earth. The planes I¡¯ve built are mimicries of the earliest warfighter designs that humans made on Earth. And these¡­¡± I brought out Totenstahl, the large weapon resting in my lap, the barrel cold. ¡°These guns, the weapons I summon from grenades to rocket launchers, all come from Earth. They were all technologies developed there, over the course of a few centuries. The weapons you saw in my Mind Palace are mechanized weapons. Missiles, rockets, high explosives, ballistic cannons. In the end they''re just visualizations but soon I¡¯m going to make them a reality in this world. The planes were the first instance of that.¡± ¡°...Well I certainly can¡¯t say many things don¡¯t suddenly make sense.¡± She chuckled a bit, sitting in silence as I let her think. ¡°...That girl, Aki. She¡¯s from the same world?¡± ¡°Yes. Different country, but same world. But she came over many years before I did, so that¡¯s why when we talked, I was mainly catching her up.¡± ¡°Right¡­ Do you know of any others?¡± ¡°No, other than the one she mentioned that died. But chances are, if there are two, there¡¯s more. We seem to be a rarity but I¡¯m obviously not unique.¡± ¡°I would say you¡¯re the best of them, considering what you¡¯ve accomplished so far.¡± ¡°I think so too, but I wouldn¡¯t underestimate any others. Back then, I couldn¡¯t actually sense the depth of Aki¡¯s strength. Her Aura is extremely developed, and she has those invocations. I would bet that all of us have amazing talent because we¡¯ve probably been brought here to fight the Scourge. I can¡¯t imagine any other reason for something so impossible to happen.¡± ¡°I guess¡­¡± She went silent again, thinking. I chimed back in after some seconds. ¡°Do you have any questions? About me or otherwise? You know my big secret now so I¡¯m basically an open book at this point.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m just thinking about all the things you¡¯ve said in the past. They¡¯re making sense now. But otherwise, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s too much to ask about¡­¡± ¡°Well, if you think of anything, don¡¯t be afraid to inquire. I¡¯ll tell Feiden and Tana later. Now, second order of business.¡± I looked her in the eye, ¡°Umara, I still have the corpse of the King Blood.¡± Her brows raised a bit, ¡°I had forgotten about that. It would make for a powerful Crown.¡± ¡°An extremely powerful crown, just about the best you could ever get. Now, there¡¯s someone in the Holy See that I can go to in order to get a Crown made and installed. He¡¯s probably the best person there is for such things. Question is, who¡¯s going to get it?¡± She silently looked at me for a few seconds. ¡°...You know I¡¯m going to tell you to take it. I don¡¯t know much about the bloodline of Unholy Light but it seems to be suited for mental attacks. It would suit you best, then.¡± ¡°But its primary form of attack was through Mana. You don¡¯t have a Crown yet, and this could massively boost your attack power. It would require thorough discussion with the person I know and people at the Church who would know more about Unholy Light, but I¡¯m telling you now that I want you to get this Crown. It would only be supplemental to my abilities because that King Blood¡¯s main method of mental attack was through Aura, not necessarily psyka. But you¡­¡± Umara looked down, slightly uncomfortable, probably because she knew I was right. ¡°...John, I don¡¯t think I should take this. Nonnen gave his life to kill it. It should go to you.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s mine to do with as I please. Doesn¡¯t mean I have to take it. It¡¯s our responsibility to make sure that we gain the most out of what he left us. I know that you¡¯ll be the greatest vessel for this Crown, and my asking you about this was moreso to inform you that you¡¯re getting this, and that you should prepare.¡± ¡°John¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be meek, my dear.¡± I stood and walked over to her, giving her forehead a kiss. ¡°I trust that you can handle it, so I¡¯m giving it to you. There are still many details to flesh out but for now, consider it yours.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re mean.¡± I chuckled when she gave me a small glare, giving her another kiss before walking toward the door. ¡°I¡¯ll be speaking to your mother about it, get her to sponsor the operation. It¡¯ll cost a pretty penny. Until then though, there will be plenty of things for me to handle. It¡¯s a long list, so you¡¯ll have time to mentally prepare.¡± My mind fluttered through the hundred different things that needed my attention as I left her room. I needed to implement new ideas into development projects at Wonderland, as well as start some new projects and modify existing ones. I had ideas for Aerials, enough to create an entirely new generation for Sawn, and I wanted it handled so I could use it. It was the same for his Node system. I was thinking, with enough modifications and efficiency improvements, we could massively improve the network, create a proper internet, and start injecting aerials into the wider population. I also wanted my Mana Engine to start permeating the industry. I wanted people to start building, to start mechanizing, industrializing. The Mana Engines were even greater than the steam engine, greater than gasoline or electric. They were a straight jump to the best possible method of driving machines. The only issue was time. It would take decades to properly revolutionize this world but it was better to start now. Sawn, at least, needed to revolutionize his own industry so that he could start churning out weapons faster. Hand making everything like they were now was too slow. I needed to develop the assembly line and machining tech so that we could mass produce with precision. Thankfully there were plenty of summoners eager to learn, summoners that would massively speed up the adoption process thanks to quick learning. Sawn¡¯s industry would be quick to change with my guidance. However, besides that I also had ideas for new gear to make and new enchantments to go with them. Enchanting was universal in that it required knowledge of how to manipulate magical energy. Enchantments could apply to mana as much as it could vigor or psyka. Mana enchantments were just the most popular because they were the most versatile. But psyka enchantments were just as useful, though more niche since usually only summoners had use for them. But now, I was one of the smartest summoners there was, and I had plenty of knowledge on how to manipulate psyka. Maybe not as much as Maxwell but more than enough to develop important gear for me and my friends. I primarily wanted to see if I could develop gear similar to what the Church and Third Claw had, that which could confuse or hide Aura. I had started to implement it into my own Aura but the enchantments were definitely rooted in psyka, which meant I could make it myself. Invisibility wasn¡¯t off the table either. Anything that confused or altered the mind was within my grasp and able to be enchanted. I just needed to work on it. My list remained ever growing. For now though, I had to talk to Talexia. After hanging around with Umara a bit more I left to go find her mother. She was in her study, talking with Polly. They paused when I arrived. ¡°Come sit, John. Polly, thank you for the discussion. We can continue later.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Polly stood and left, leaving me to sit in front of Talexia. She let out a long sigh, combing back her grey hair before looking up at me with those bright purple eyes. ¡°Polly gave me a report on everything that happened up until she was flown out of the village. She looks shaken.¡± ¡°She¡¯s never been in the middle of a fight like that. She saw what we usually do firsthand.¡± ¡°Yes, summoners and their sheltered selves¡­ But you managed to get her out despite everything. She credits you and Nonnen for doing the bulk of the work.¡± ¡°It took all of us.¡± ¡°I know it did. There were only eight of you. Now five. And you took on an Authority 11 King Blood and won. It may have cost Nonnen¡¯s life but I can assure you that it¡¯s just about the best possible outcome for a fight with one of those. If it had gone even slightly worse then all of you would¡¯ve died in the worst possible way.¡± ¡°I know.¡± My mood fell a bit, images flashing through my mind. I changed the topic. ¡°Since you got a report then I can tell you about what I needed to.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m prepared to give Umara a Crown.¡± Her brows raised. ¡°You mean you¡¯ve acquired the materials for one? I hadn¡¯t considered giving her one because I only want her to have the best, but acquiring materials is exceptionally difficult.¡± ¡°Then you should be extra grateful at Nonnen¡¯s funeral. And prepare to open your coffers, because this one¡¯s going to cost us.¡± I waved my hand, and suddenly a massive corpse fell to the floor. Talexia shot up out of her seat, foci in hand when the sheer menace of the King Blood¡¯s lingering Aura washed over us. It was definitely dead, its head crushed, but the power that resided in its body was still dangerously potent. Its armor still glowed, its shimmering blood still luminescent, full of blasphemous power. It was in near perfect condition, and for something so powerful, that made it one of the best materials in the entire world. It was just equal to a vital part of a Sovereign-Class Royal, and those were national treasures that couldn¡¯t be bought. ¡°You have it?!¡± ¡°Yes, and it''s in perfect condition. Talexia, I¡¯m going to give this to your daughter. If its head was intact then I might''ve taken that, but it¡¯s not which means most of its powers that afforded it mental afflictions are gone. But its blood and organs are all still there, unharmed, and full of power. Nobody knows about this, so I suggest we keep it that way.¡± ¡°...Agreed. So put it back.¡± I willed the corpse back into my spatial storage, Talexia putting away her foci, finally relaxing when it was gone. She was silent for some time, still standing, before she turned to me. ¡°John, this is an immensely precious treasure. Disregarding you gifting it to Umara, I don¡¯t know of anyone who could possibly handle making a Crown out of this. It¡¯s too powerful, and everyone would know about it as soon as we spoke of it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I know someone at the Holy See. I can take Umara there and we can get the operation done, keeping it completely secret. Nobody will know we even left, including secret agents of the Kingdom.¡± ¡°...It would be dangerous.¡± ¡°I know how to handle myself. I think you forget what kind of department I ran at the Treehouse, which was largely successful, I might add.¡± ¡°Yes, I remember.¡± She sighed again and sat down, tapping her desk with her fingernail. ¡°...You¡¯re sure you want to give this to Umara? I want you to know first that I¡¯ve managed to get the ancestors¡¯ support. There will be nobody within my family who would oppose your marriage to Umara, and we¡¯re ready to stand our ground against other houses. I could announce your engagement tomorrow if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not using this to buy your support. In fact, I don¡¯t want your ancestors knowing about this at all, not the slightest hint of it. I¡¯m giving this to Umara because I want her to be powerful, to be safe. And regardless of your support or not I was planning to marry her anyway. So you could say that this has nothing to do with you all.¡± ¡°...In a way, that relieves me.¡± She nodded, looking down at where the corpse was just a second ago. ¡°...Very well. If this is what you want and Umara has agreed to it, then you have my support. I will provide the finances you need. It¡¯s the least I can do, since you¡¯ve afforded us this opportunity.¡± ¡°Thank you. I will get in contact with who I need to as soon as possible. We¡¯ll wait until I no longer have to show myself to interrogating generals or Royal Guards before leaving. If you really wanted to come then I could figure something out as well.¡± She shook her head, ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t possibly leave right now. The fall of a stronghold demands all attention. I will be extremely busy in the coming months as we prepare to construct another stronghold. It will be a massive undertaking but it must be done in order to cover our flank.¡± ¡°Indeed. Then I will make sure it gets taken care of. But be reassured, the man I¡¯ll be employing is supposed to be the best, one of the pioneers of Crown making. He did mine after Maxwell brought me to him, so I trust him.¡± ¡°Then I will trust you to take care of my daughter. Tell me when you need the funds and you will have them.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± With those plans in place we discussed a few more things before I left. I looked down at my Aerial, seeing a message. Boris had arrived, with my helicopter and with Maxwell. Chapter 237: Buy Time December 28th, 625 As I approached Maxwell ¨C Boris at his side ¨C he eyed me and frowned. ¡°You look like shit. Was it that bad?¡± ¡°The worst week of my life so far. I need to talk to you about something.¡± ¡°Hm. Lead the way.¡± ¡°Boris, go ahead and wait in the lounge.¡± I gave that order while walking into the mansion with Maxwell. We found ourselves in one of the estate¡¯s greeting rooms where Umara was waiting for us. Once the door closed Maxwell asked. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve acquired another prime material for a Crown, and I intend to give it to Umara. I want your opinion on it, as well as your help contacting Terrace so I can get it handled for her.¡± ¡°...It can be done, depending on the material. I don¡¯t know if you noticed but I added my own materials to your Crown. I won¡¯t send you to him if it''s something ordinary.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an Authority 11 King Blood of Unholy Light.¡± Maxwell¡¯s eyes widened, my hand lifting. ¡°Do you want to see it?¡± ¡°No, no I don¡¯t¡­ What state is it in?¡± ¡°Completely intact besides some superficial wounds on its body and its head being crushed. It wasn¡¯t even completely drained during the battle, so its power lingers.¡± ¡°...Well, I can promise you that nobody except Terrace could possibly handle such a material. It will take time and money, especially for other catalysts and supplemental materials.¡± He looked up at me, ¡°Your Crown cost me 70 million coin, and it enhanced much more than just your eyes, but that was with mere Authority 9 materials. This is far, far above that, and it will cost you accordingly, even discounting the service cost someone like Terrace likes to demand. I know you¡¯ve made plenty of coin but this will not necessarily be something coin alone can buy. Is Talexia aware?¡± ¡°She is, and she has agreed to provide the funds.¡± ¡°Good. Then I will put you in contact with Terrace. Be prepared to hand-deliver the materials straight to him. He will need time to prepare and the cost will be upfront. You will need to discuss payment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I just want to start the process as soon as possible.¡± Maxwell nodded, turning to Umara. ¡°Do you have any Crowns?¡± She shook her head, ¡°No sir.¡± ¡°Good. There is a limit to how many Crowns the body can support. I have a feeling that this one will reach yours. It will likely be the only Crown you ever get.¡± ¡°Is it worth it? For me to get it?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re as amazing of a Warlock as John likes to boast, then yes, it is. The only thing greater is a Crown composed of a fully intact Sovereign-Class. There have not been many of those ever, barely enough to count on two hands within the Church. And since King Bloods often reach the combat standards of a Sovereign-Class due to the sheer power of their Aura, it¡¯s debatable that those are actually better. And those of the Unholy Light bloodline are masters of mana, with some mental manipulation sprinkled in. So it is the most perfect Crown for you, especially since you specialize in Air, Fire, and Water magic. Your healing abilities, when you learn, will become extraordinarily potent.¡± Umara¡¯s head fell a bit. ¡°Terrace will know more about the effects of the Crown. My knowledge on Unholy Light is limited to combat with it, but that¡¯s more than enough to say it is the greatest material for a Warlock Crown.¡± I asked, ¡°What¡¯s the best for summoners? Despair?¡± ¡°Indeed, if you are looking to enhance your strengths further. They are nightmares of the mind which makes their Crowns valuable tools.¡± ¡°Then maybe I¡¯ll have to find one.¡± I commented as Maxwell tapped his Aerial. When he waved at me I brought mine up and received Terrace¡¯s contact. I memorized the information and put my Aerial down. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll contact him today. Do you want to go to the Holy See with us?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t have to, no. You won¡¯t need me there, and Terrace will be more than willing to do business with you since the material is one of the best there is.¡± ¡°Very well. The only other thing I need from you is time to discuss some things with the advancement formation. I¡¯ve questions.¡± ¡°I can remain here then, so long as the Duchess is willing to accommodate me.¡± Uamra stood and gave him her promise, and with those plans made we separated. One thing down. Now I just needed to start acting. I made a quick call to Terrace since I had his info now. Our discussion was straightforward and he was equally surprised as Maxwell to hear that I had an Authority 11 King Blood to work with as a material for a Crown. Given that and my identity, he was naturally very receptive to working with us. He also reaffirmed the fact that it would be the perfect Crown for a warlock. I was excited for Umara, but she didn¡¯t seem to like hearing things that only ensured she would get it. I understood her reservations but I was in no mood to let her battle me on this. She was going to get the Crown and I would rest easy knowing she was much more powerful than me. Terrace and I quickly set up a time and place to meet so I could hand off the prime material. I also got an estimate for how much this was going to cost. After telling him that Talexia was footing the bill he told me that he would discuss some things with her in regard to payment beyond coin. Still, a hundred million coin was looking like the downpayment with what little we discussed. It was a project that would take Terrace and a team of his people over a week to prepare for and that was after the days it would take to acquire the materials to process the King Blood¡¯s corpse. After all, as it was now it was poisonous. They would have to purify it like they did White Crystals and then add supplementing materials so it would integrate with Umara¡¯s body. This would not be a small undertaking, and I was told that the burden on Umara during the surgery would be immense. But it was all a worthwhile challenge. The reward was too great to not take full advantage of the opportunity. After sorting out the details I needed to I ended the call with plans to fly to the Holy See in two days. Terrace would start gathering the materials he knew he needed now. He was eager to move as fast as he could because he was going to make bank on this operation. After that I still had the rest of the day, so one of the first things I did was assemble everyone who would be questioned about the fall of the Treehouse and the subsequent retreat. There had yet to be any other generals from the Treehouse discovered alive, so chances were that they didn¡¯t survive after I made the decision to split off from the rest of the retreating force. It could be said that we had deserted them, even though I¡¯d say it didn¡¯t matter if we did or not. Regardless, there was a need to get our stories straight, semantically at least. Things like saying that we had been driven away from the rest of the force instead of deliberately leaving them behind. Things like saying we moved to reinforce the village instead of leaving the Stronghold early. Things like making sure they knew that all the generals had decided to make retreat efforts. We needed to make sure that they couldn¡¯t pin any blame on us or hit us with desertion accusations. Our biggest key detail was the fact that the Sovereign had ordered the retreat. Polly had been there during that meeting, so everything after that was essentially free for us to bend for our protection and benefit. Then it was just the little details. I made sure that Jaya, Polly, and Jasmine wouldn¡¯t spill the beans about the King Blood¡¯s corpse, or that we had even fought one. Jaya was the one I was most worried about, but despite her reactions to what I did during the final phase of our retreat from the village, she seemed to want to remain in my camp. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Even if she did spill the details, so long as I got the corpse to the Holy See, I had no worries, not even regarding the Third Claw, who I knew would probably be involved in the investigation, directly or not. To that end I ensured that Talexia would be present for every questioning. I wouldn¡¯t give the Third Claw nor the Royal Guard room to do anything to my people. With that, we were prepared for tomorrow¡¯s investigation. The rest of my day was spent talking with Maxwell and receiving a report from Boris regarding project progress at Wonderland. It seemed it was coming together nicely. They already had functioning prototype tanks and artillery built, and even seemed to have figured out the propellant issue. I had much more to add when I got there but it was nice to know that the personnel we had stationed there were living up to their proclaimed skill and putting in their money¡¯s worth. In fact, so long as I was able to properly use the next few months, we¡¯d quickly be on track to building up an entire division of armored tracks just a few months afterward. The efficiency and speed of magical industry was unparalleled. It had taken only a few months to get planes out, just a month or so more to get bombs fielded. That was half a year to go from no planes to planes already becoming an integral part of warfare. The goal was to combine this magic with real industry. If I could do that, it wouldn¡¯t be far fetched to build up an entirely new army within the Kingdom¡¯s military based around armored warfare. If I had that level of industry, then I was certain that another catastrophic defeat like that at Purple Sky and the Treehouse would never happen again. I would render numbers obsolete. I just needed a bit of time. These next two months would be crucial, the foundation by which I catapulted my budding military industrial complex forward. ¡­¡­ ¡­ December 29th, 625 The day came, and those from the investigation team arrived. As expected a full General arrived along with some Colonels and other intelligence agents under the Royal Guard. They were armed with Orbs and video devices and ready to record our every word. Polly was under the most scrutiny but because Talexia was there during the interviews, it remained civil and within reason. There were no direct accusations thrown at Polly which was my biggest concern. The interviews went by quickly. Every one of us was asked to recount the events of our retreat and escape and since everyone was on the same page, it went by as I wanted it to. Our asses were covered and I had gone over Polly¡¯s report multiple times, which would be one of the most important documents to come out of this incident. It would no doubt circulate to the King himself. Everyone concerned with the fall of the Treehouse and Stronghold would be reading it. One thing I was relieved with was the fact that the Third Claw hadn¡¯t shown up, at least not obviously. They¡¯d be paying attention to everything coming out of this investigation but they weren¡¯t coming to question us in person. Probably to maintain their low profile, or perhaps because that summoner didn¡¯t see a reason to face me directly. After all, I hadn¡¯t done anything obviously treasonous by escaping with my life. I¡¯m sure they placed less importance on the fall of the Treehouse than on me leaking powerful technologies to the Church. Either way, I walked out of my interview within 15 minutes of entering. The General, named Landon, shook my hand. ¡°Thank you, Commander Cooper. Your insight has been helpful.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯m your last interview, correct?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Then perhaps you can answer my question. What plans are there for matters of transfer regarding Pollina and Jasmine?¡± ¡°Well, they currently have no commanding General so they will be transferred to one. Currently though there are no plans to have them transferred. Orders simply haven¡¯t been given and they haven¡¯t been processed.¡± ¡°Who would give the orders?¡± General Landon pondered for a moment, shrugging. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Given that this isn¡¯t an issue we would bother the Sovereign with, and the fact that the entire chain of command above you all has been killed, we will likely notify Rear General Herman who is responsible for the allocation of new or free intelligence personnel. He will process the two and then place them accordingly.¡± ¡°I see. Come with me for a moment, General Landon.¡± I waved, the general following me to Talexia¡¯s study. He gave a greeting to her as I closed the door. I glanced at Talexia, then at General Landon. ¡°General, we happen to have a favor to ask of you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The General was intrigued. A favor involving a high noble like Talexia wasn¡¯t something someone like him would ignore. After all, although the Kingdom¡¯s military was centralized enough to be called a singular entity, it still maintained decentralized groups with different interests. These groups were often defined by the nobles who drove them, nobles who liked having people to do favors for them. Those being asked would listen because being on a noble¡¯s good side often meant either rich payouts or greater safety. And with the recent collapse of an entire front that resulted in the deaths of both Generals and Marshals alike, everyone was reminded once more of the painful reality of mortality. The only way to be saved was to have powerful people to latch onto. I walked over to Talexia¡¯s large desk and stood at its side, Talexia eyeing the General as he sat down. I spoke. ¡°You see General, I plan on making a large arrangement with the Kingdom rather soon. You will be one of the few to know but I have certain projects in the works that, while not as revolutionary as the planes have been, will still alter the face of warfare forever. Because of that, I need time. Time away from the responsibilities of the military and the pulls of Rear Generals. To that end, I want to ask you to keep my name from being processed, as well as that of Pollina and Jasmine.¡± The General rubbed his chin, glancing at Talexia before looking back at me. She wasn¡¯t actually the one making the request here, but her very presence meant that my words were weighed with her authority. ¡°It could be done, Commander. Normally I can afford a couple years to those who wish to dodge assignment, but your names are everywhere. The Rear General will hear of it anyway.¡± ¡°Are you saying that the Rear General isn¡¯t open to cooperation?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± His eye glimmered, a small smile surfacing on his face. ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true. The Rear General enjoys keeping himself free of outside influence, but small exchanges are not something he is unfamiliar with. There are many a noble who want their children placed in safe positions. It¡¯s just not often that he gets big requests, being that he is only in charge of intelligence personnel.¡± ¡°Then consider this an easy transaction. For the task of delivering this message to the Rear General and ensuring it is carried out as I wish, I will reward you as well. I want the papers with mine, Pollina¡¯s, and Jasmine¡¯s names to be shelved. You can create the transfer order, you can even begin processing. But I want the orders to be shelved until I can designate the unit to make the transfer to.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Did you have a unit in mind?¡± ¡°No. The unit I have in mind doesn¡¯t exist yet. But I need to make sure that we don¡¯t get moved around until it¡¯s created. I¡¯m thinking around 6 months. Do you think you can talk to the Rear General and arrange that?¡± I stared silently at General Landon until he nodded. ¡°Yes, I think I can arrange that.¡± ¡°Good. Then take this.¡± I pulled out a check, the new mode of money transfer since I was forced to leave the Polaris Bank. It was marked for 3 million coin, and when I handed it to the General, he smiled widely. ¡°That will be my incentive for both you and the Rear General. I expect you to divide accordingly, and I expect it to get me what I want. If it doesn¡¯t then I will be speaking with the Rear General personally to find out why he wasn¡¯t sufficiently convinced.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Commander. Your wishes will be properly relayed, and if the Rear General has any issues, I will contact you so they can be rectified.¡± General Landon stood, shaking my hand before giving a small bow to Talexia. With that, he left. Talexia sighed. ¡°That was more than you had to pay. I could¡¯ve just asked for the favor.¡± ¡°Cash is king, and I want to make sure they do what I want. Besides, I know how much my time is worth. I¡¯ll make that money back within the week.¡± ¡°Making that much?¡± ¡°Even after all I¡¯ve spent, I¡¯m personally pushing 300 million coin. Sawn started multiplying the prices of the planes and helicopters and yet they¡¯re still selling as fast as we can make them. Nobles are going crazy over them and the flight school is beyond max capacity trying to churn out pilots. In fact, you saved many millions of coin given that I allowed you to make some of the first purchases.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°So spending a few million to buy myself 6 months isn¡¯t even a decision worth pondering. I won¡¯t be able to do the same for the others since they¡¯re under Gurns but that won¡¯t be much of a problem.¡± Talexia turned to me, ¡°You¡¯re going to join special operations?¡± ¡°Perhaps, but nothing that¡¯s going to happen from now on will be conventional. I¡¯m planning on creating another division in the military. But first, I need to finish up some projects with Sawn.¡± ¡°What project would warrant an entirely new division?¡± ¡°The kind that changes how war is fought. But I want to make sure that I also get good people on my side. To that end, I¡¯m hoping to have your help.¡± I turned to meet her gaze, ¡°I need you to hold on to Polly and Jasmine, and when this new division launches, I¡¯m going to bring them with me. But I want Polly to get promoted before then so I can maintain proper control over the division as a whole. Do you think you can help with that?¡± ¡°...Maybe. Recent events will help with that, if used accordingly.¡± ¡°Use them. For all it is worth. If things work out how I want them to I shouldn¡¯t have many problems, but I still won¡¯t stand for dumbasses being placed above me. If there were a good General somewhere I¡¯d take them, but I know of none and I trust none, so I need to make Polly one. If not a full General, then at least a Major General.¡± ¡°I understand what you¡¯re trying to say. And it sounds good on paper but nothing will happen unless the right people see a good reason to go along with it. You need to worry about the success of this project.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. The project will be a success regardless. It¡¯s technically already one. I just need to put on the finishing touches. What I really need is someone to help me lay the foundation for the future, and you¡¯re the first one I¡¯m asking.¡± She went silent for a bit, eventually nodding and turning her head away. ¡°Fine. You have my full support. I¡¯ll make some calls.¡± ¡°Thank you. Don¡¯t be afraid to use my name and make optimistic promises. I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± ¡°Are you ready for tonight?¡± I suddenly changed the subject, Talexia nodding. ¡°Yes. Those at the teleporter are ready for us.¡± ¡°Good. I sent Boris earlier so he¡¯ll meet us there. After that, you all just need to hang around in the Whetted City for a few days.¡± ¡°Are you sure you aren¡¯t being paranoid, keeping things so secret?¡± ¡°Very. Any mistakes may lead to me getting branded a traitor.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say some people weren¡¯t very happy about me rejecting a noble title. With it, they tried to put me on a leash, and so long as I refuse to let them, I¡¯m walking a tightrope. Just trust me. Otherwise I¡¯m going to have to get ready to spark revolution.¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± She sighed as I made my way out. The General was going to leave tomorrow morning, and after that I¡¯d be enacting the first phase of my plans. Chapter 238: Experimental December 30th, 625 Morning came and General Landon left as expected, taking all his personnel with him. Now we had no more immediate plans that demanded my attention. Christmas was helping with that, and I was taking advantage of it. A couple hours after the General departed I gathered with everyone. Talexia was taking her daughter and husband along with myself, my squad, and Polly and Jasmine. We were all going to the Whetted City. It was a cover for me but for them it was an actual trip. They would be spending Christmas there and since no unsavory summoners would be able to watch me there, I¡¯d be slipping out with Umara. So we all went to the teleporter to do just that. The trip was perceptibly instantaneous, although disorienting. I recovered instantly, as did all the others except Faey. We arrived in the Teleporter Nexus and exited to the outside plaza. From there we bypassed the familiar majesty of the surrounding city and its architecture. Large sculptures, art on every structure depicting glory and honor, the distinct Asain inspiration, or perhaps coincidental resemblance. The day was bright and sunny, the citizens happy and unworried, and the central palace exuded such an aura of strength and protection that I was almost jealous. I was no longer the one being protected. I had to develop myself and my industry so that I could protect others. But how nice it would be if I didn¡¯t have to. How nice it would be to be a part of a larger whole that could support me. It felt like I was being forced to carry this burden alone. We passed by the five titanic statues in the center of the city, all standing 100 meters tall as I remembered. It felt like so long ago that I had last seen them but they still stuck out. The founding Ancestor of the Ravens, his wife, the founding ancestor of the Talerrias, and two Generals who came after them. All of them great figures that all the citizens of this city looked up to. Figures who had cemented the power of this Family through bloodshed. Eventually we arrived at the Raven Estate, which was not a mansion but a castle. It was constructed of black crystal bricks gold mortar. It was a castle as impregnable as a fortress but as lavish as the Royal Palace. We entered and moved to the greeting hall under the guidance of a butler. There, the Raven Chief was waiting for us, along with his wife, Shadowbane, and a few other Raven family members, some of which I recognized. ¡°Talerria! It¡¯s good to see you again. I¡¯m glad you could spend Christmas with us.¡± Chief Ironheart spread his arms in greeting. He was just as big of a man as I could remember, with steely hair and hiding unfathomable strength behind his clothes made of expensive hides taken from powerful beasts. There was no way he was a mere Authority 11. That man was a Sovereign. Talexia shook his hand in greeting. After that he turned to the rest of us. His deep green eyes landed on me, and once again I sensed his terrible Aura, a black hole by which all senses and cognition sunk, an abyss of such horrible strength that I hardly wanted to guess how strong the man who wielded it was. That he was still only considered a Duke spoke volumes. He smiled at me. ¡°So, John Cooper. You¡¯ve done a lot since I last saw you. I never thought that young man would grow up to be such a genius.¡± ¡°It was only a couple of years ago, sir.¡± ¡°And yet you look like you¡¯ve aged a decade. Let me recall what I¡¯ve heard about you since you left my estate back then. You went and won the Magisterium Tournament, faced Anarchy and survived the fall of Purple Sky, went to Stronghold Charlie and collected vital intelligence that created the Treehouse bulwark, joined the Snow Doves, collected more intelligence that reinforced the Treehouse with another hundred thousand soldiers, created a counterespionage division, invented flight, turned down a noble title from the King, and then went on to survive the fall of the Treehouse and Stronghold Charlie and manage to make it back alive intact.¡± His grin widened, and I suddenly noticed him right in front of me. ¡°I can hardly fathom how a single man can go through so much and manage to come out on top like you have. And yet you¡¯re only getting started. I know you¡¯ve got some powerful projects going on over at Wonderland. I try not to pry but it''s difficult not to sense the explosions of power over there. Sometimes they send faint shockwaves across my city.¡± ¡°Our enchanters would be thrilled to hear such praise.¡± ¡°But of course!¡± He backed off, chuckling before composing himself. ¡°I feel privileged to personally know such a great man. And I look forward to what you will do in the future. I¡¯m sure that we will continue to maintain a beneficial partnership.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure we will. In fact, there are things I will need to discuss with you. Not now, but sometimes within the next month.¡± ¡°Oh? Another business proposal?¡± ¡°Yes, but on a different kind of scale. I will explain the details later but I can tell you now that in the long term, it will multiply the riches you are able to acquire from your mining and resource processing operations. Should my plans be properly implemented, of course.¡± ¡°Those are bold words, Cooper. I like it.¡± He pat my shoulder, my mind barely keeping track of his movements. He wasn¡¯t restraining his Aura, not that it was being projected, but I was still barely preventing myself from getting sucked in. I could also see Umara getting stressed out, though she hid it well. Yeah, that was the kind of level I needed to reach. For now I activated my Aura and formed a barrier for my senses that rationalized the absurdity of his strength so that I at least wouldn¡¯t get disoriented. That alleviated the problem, and Umara seemed to figure something out for herself as well. Though, Tana seemed to struggle, and after some time the Chief restrained himself for her sake. We moved into the estate and were given rooms, but naturally I wasn¡¯t planning on wasting time with pleasantries. I was here for a reason and soon I informed the Chief about my departure. He knew I was using his city as a cover for secrecy. By it simply existing I was able to evade the eyes of the Third Claw. The Kingdom had no power here. So I went and found my helicopter that Boris brought in advance and parked in the Whetted City¡¯s airfield. Umara joined me and the two of us left the city. We spent some hours flying to the Holy See, which was actually relatively close to the Whetted City. Having expected my arrival, I was given clearance to land on top of the 7th Tower of the Franks Peerage. All the towers had built helipads, making arrivals convenient for those who could afford personal helicopters. I recognized the two people who were waiting for me before I even landed. Terrace Gold, and Anderson. I quickly shut down the helicopter with reflexive motions before stepping out with Umara. She linked arms with me as we walked down the helipad and stepped up to the two. I nodded to them. ¡°Sirs.¡± ¡°Little Cooper,¡± Anderson smiled wide, baring white teeth, ¡°Should I be honored to be in the presence of he who invented flight?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, sir.¡± ¡°Hehe, and why don¡¯t I see the heretic? I had hoped he would show himself once more.¡± ¡°He had no interest in coming, told me I could handle things myself.¡± ¡°That you can. Heretic he may be, I could never call him stupid.¡± Terrace sighed, still short and hunched over like I remembered him. I could see that his wear had only grown more lavish over the years as well. ¡°I apologize, Cooper. This big brute insisted on being here. It was my fault for thinking I could have peace.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who has business with the kid, Gold.¡± ¡°But my business comes first! You can have him after we¡¯re done, so go away!¡± ¡°Not a chance. Not every day that you get to see materials like this.¡± Anderson chuckled, obviously knowing what I was in possession of. After a few more words we moved into the Tower, heading down some floors to arrive at Terrace¡¯s lab. There were already piles of materials sitting on metal tables, as well as a free table with devices along its sides. ¡°Alright, go ahead and put the corpse there.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I went over and brought out the King Blood¡¯s corpse, its Aura instantly washing over the room as I laid it out on the table. Terrace walked over and activated the devices, the Aura and lingering power within its body being suppressed and muted. ¡°Amazing¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen one of these as intact as this. Merely the head is crushed but since most of its power lies in the rest of its body, that hardly matters. How did you manage to acquire this?¡± ¡°It was paid for with the life of my friend. He initiated his advancement and took an Overkill pill to kill it and save us.¡± ¡°I see¡­ You have my condolences. It at least explains the wounds along its armor.¡± Terrace started analyzing it, spending a few minutes silently going over it from head to toe. It was still coated in its armor so he stripped it and revealed the superficially wounded body. Its skin was gunmetal grey with white blood vessels across its body. It was still humanoid, looking more human than Scourge, with normal hands and feet instead of animalistic claws. The most outstanding characteristic was the fact that its blood vessels actually seemed to draw out some kind of enchanted array. Its very body was a spell formation. Terrace pointed at a cluster of vessels that looked like circuitry. ¡°The bloodline of Unholy Light turns them into living weapons. Their masteries over mana are written into their very biology. Your friend must have overpowered it extremely quickly, because given any time these things will bombard entire regions with spellfire and turn any living things around them into its minions.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t bombard the region, at least not completely, but it turned all the nearby Scourge monsters into fleshbugs. Then they conglomerated into one being, exploding when it was about to die and killing a third of us.¡± ¡°Yes, they enjoy that tactic. It is why knowledge is most important when facing these monsters. Know their tricks and you at least won¡¯t die unexpectedly.¡± Terrace scanned the corpse a bit more before looking at Umara with sharp eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the one to receive this Crown?¡± She nodded, ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky. Your mother is rich, so do you happen to have a good Foci?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She brought up her hand, the Foci manifesting above the bracer on her forearm. Terrace nodded, walking over and activating a device, scanning it. ¡°Mm, indeed, this is a good one. Not the best since it affords no amplification. But the buffer is massive. Why did you forsake the amplification for more buffer?¡± ¡°My Aura is able to pull in a massive amount of information which I have to decipher for what I need. The buffer helps with that and allows me to spellcast far faster. The amplification simply isn¡¯t worth decreasing the buffer size for me.¡± ¡°I see. So you¡¯re already adept at handling complexity. That¡¯s good. Perfect even. You see, this Crown will turn you into a living Foci, the perfect conduit for spellcasting by modifying your body and making it similar to this King Blood¡¯s. I¡¯ve done operations like this before and none of those warlocks ever need to wield a Foci again. However, we do not forsake their original Foci. Instead it is integrated into their body, almost always as a pure buffer. So this will work well, so long as you¡¯re okay with consuming the Foci for this operation.¡± ¡°Yes, I am. It¡¯s mine and I¡¯m fine with it furthering my growth.¡± ¡°Good, good. Then there¡¯s only one more concern that I need to discuss with both of you.¡± Terrace looked between us both. ¡°Normally this would be rather set in stone. After all, a procedure as invasive as this doesn¡¯t leave much room for negotiation. However, I want you to know that recently we¡¯ve developed another kind of magic that could negate this problem.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± I asked with scrutiny, already feeling like I knew the answer. Terrace scratched his head and said what I expected him to. ¡°Under normal circumstances, a procedure as massive as this would sterilize the patient.¡± I felt Umara flinch, her anxiety skyrocketing. But she remained silent as I questioned. ¡°But you said you could negate that issue. Can I assume the new magic is Invocations?¡± ¡°You know about them?¡± ¡°One of the girls you guys brought over for the project is a friend of mine, so yes, I know about them. Now, I won¡¯t pretend like I know anything about much of this, but I want to know how certain you are about being able to avoid sterilization.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the issue. I can¡¯t be wholly certain.¡± He sighed, ¡°We¡¯ve made the Invocations work. We know roughly how they operate, and they¡¯re incredibly similar to Crowns, except much less invasive. No, I shouldn¡¯t say that. It¡¯s more like they¡¯re a superficial Crown. Crowns modify the body, and Invocations are placed upon the body. One is inside, one is outside. And turns out, they can fit together. Their methods of installation are similar enough to tie them to each other. However, we¡¯ve naturally had very little experience tying them together, and we¡¯ve had no experience doing it with powerful Crowns such as what this corpse will make.¡± ¡°So this is experimental territory for you all.¡± ¡°Yes, and no. We have the highest level Invocations in our possession and the highest level Crowns. I will admit that this will be the first time to ever carry out a procedure like this in history, but in theory, I have everything necessary to make it work without side effects.¡± We were silent, Umara and I looking at each other as he continued. ¡°I won¡¯t lie and say that there aren¡¯t any risks. I can get the Crown and the Invocation installed, that much I can guarantee. She will survive and become an extraordinarily powerful warlock as was expected. But whether the reproductive system will remain fully effective is something I can¡¯t provide full certainty of. I have a full detail right here on what I plan to do and will prioritize keeping everything protected and effective. But you must know the risks, and no decisions can be made until you accept them.¡± He handed over a stack of papers. I took them, scanning them quickly and quickly understanding his plan. He was going to use body strengthening and resilience Invocations to protect and enhance her reproductive system so that even if her body did become more hostile to it, it would still remain effective enough to do its job. There was even a full detail on the entire process for installing the Crown, as well as how he would take measures to avoid the reproductive systems to accommodate the effects of the Crown. But regardless, as he said, there was no guarantee. In theory it would all work out but there was still a chance it wouldn¡¯t, and Umara would be sterilized. If it went wrong, she would have no children. After getting through every page in a handful of seconds I nodded. ¡°Thank you for the warning and details. This is something we must discuss and sleep on.¡± ¡°I understand. I will let you go and continue preparing, but before then I¡¯d like a blood sample for testing.¡± I looked at Umara, who nodded absentmindedly. We brought her to a chair and did the tap quickly, Terrace taking a vial of her blood and storing it away. ¡°Thank you. Since I have the corpse now, that is all I need from you until you make the decision. If it¡¯s a yes, we will move forward. If not, then I will return the corpse. Willow has prepared a room for you at their peerage, so you can take your time to decide there.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± Umara linked arms with me once more. Then when I turned to Anderson, standing in a corner, he waved at me. ¡°Eh, I¡¯ll come find you later.¡± He said that and walked out. We decided to do the same, bidding goodbye to Terrace and leaving the Franks Peerage. We found our way over to the Verga Peerage where Willow came out to greet us. I kept our greetings succinct, which Willow seemed to understand, and moved on to our room for the night. Once inside we were silent for a while. I went back over the papers, not because I didn¡¯t already have every detail memorized perfectly, but because I wanted to look like I was doing something. Eventually I handed it to Umara, who took a glance and set it down on the nearby table. We both found ourselves in chairs, staring at the papers until I finally broke the silence. ¡°I want to have kids with you.¡± She looked up at me, ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Of course. I want four, two boys and two girls, and if we manage to make some more then I¡¯ll take as many as you want to give. We¡¯ll have a big family so we can fill a big house.¡± She smiled, laying her head on her arms. ¡°That sounds nice. But that means I can¡¯t get this operation.¡± ¡°No, it means that the operation has a chance to take that away. But you understand the tradeoff.¡± ¡°Power, or children.¡± ¡°And ultimately this decision is yours.¡± I moved my chair next to hers, facing her and leaning against the table as she continued resting her head. ¡°But I must let you know that I think you should go through with it.¡± ¡°...Why?¡± ¡°Because I get worried, Umara. Not just for you either. I worry that if we don¡¯t get powerful enough, we won¡¯t be able to preserve this world for any children we might¡¯ve wanted to have. Our dreamy life with our families won¡¯t be possible if there isn¡¯t a world to bring them into. So pure logic dictates that, as cheesy as it is, saving the world comes before anything else. And unfortunately we don¡¯t have the privilege of relying on anyone else. At least, I don¡¯t think we do.¡± ¡°I just¡­¡± She stared off into space, taking a breath and exposing a sniffle. ¡°I just don¡¯t know what kind of wife I would be if I couldn¡¯t even give my husband children.¡± I stared at her for a couple seconds before reaching and taking her hand. ¡°Umara, this is about what¡¯s important to you, not what you think should be important. I want children but that want is outweighed by the need to ensure that the Scourge doesn¡¯t desiccate this world. It doesn¡¯t matter what decision you make and it doesn¡¯t matter what may happen. I won¡¯t be with anyone else and I will love you until the day we die fiery deaths at the end of our genocidal crusade against the monsters.¡± ¡°Heh, don¡¯t make me laugh.¡± I got a small chuckle out of her. Still, she cried, and I hated that this was a decision she had to make. I rubbed her hand, scanning and sizing her smooth fingers. ¡°We live in a different time, Umara. We know that this war will turn in such a way that nobody in this long lived Kingdom has ever known before. Unfortunately, we happen to be the ones who have to deal with it. Now, you could get by without the Crown, perhaps take a much smaller one. But question is, do you want that?¡± She started crying a bit more, gripping my hand harder. At some point I pulled her in and hugged her. ¡°Don¡¯t make any decisions tonight. Sleep on it, think about it more, take however long you need to ponder. A few days, a few weeks, the corpse isn¡¯t going anywhere. We can go back to the Whetted City if you wish. Just make sure that the decision you make is the one you¡¯ve truly set yourself on.¡± She nodded softly, and I just gave as much comfort as I could provide. Even though I knew that her tears already gave the answer. Chapter 239: Half The Answer December 31st, 625 ¡°Lady Luna, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± Umara glanced over and saw John step outside of the room, closing the door behind him and blocking her view of Luna. They were outside for several minutes before the door opened again, the two walking in, John walking up to her and speaking in a low voice. Not loud enough to be annoying, not soft enough to feed into her depression. ¡°I¡¯m going to handle some business with Anderson. Luna will keep you company. Call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She nodded, getting a kiss on the forehead from him before he walked out of the room. The door shut and she was left alone with Luna. Suddenly she was more aware of how dark it was. There wasn¡¯t a single light on in the room, just the light seeping through the cracks in the curtains. Luna walked past her to the window and suddenly yanked the curtains open, Umara¡¯s eyes squinting at the bright light that flashed through. Luna chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful day, dear. You shouldn¡¯t be cooped up in the darkness. It feeds bad thoughts.¡± Umara remained silent. When Luna walked over to her she felt a comforting Aura roll off her, so gentle and caressing. Umara felt like she could sink into it and fall asleep forever. But she soon realized that it didn¡¯t let her. Then she realized how dangerous it was. Luna sat down, those silver eyes gazing through her. ¡°So I¡¯ve heard about the Crown. I expected to see you sad but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d fallen into a pit. Have you told him your answer yet?¡± ¡°...No.¡± Umara shook her head, glancing at Luna and feeling something different about her. She wasn¡¯t so friendly, not like during their sparse visits to her in the Capital. She had come here with a purpose and Umara had a feeling that she wouldn¡¯t like it. Her platinum hair draped over her shoulder as she crossed a leg and leaned forward. ¡°Then it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯ve come. I¡¯m here to tell you that I¡¯ll be incredibly disappointed if you turn down this offer. So don¡¯t.¡± Umara frowned, but she stamped down her immediate anger. ¡°You know about what will happen to me?¡± ¡°I know what could happen to you. But even if sterilization were an absolute certainty, I¡¯d tell you to do it anyway. You¡¯re lucky you even have a chance to save yourself but I don¡¯t believe it should matter.¡± ¡°How could you say that so easily? I may never be able to have children! I¡¯ve seen maiden households fall because the wife couldn¡¯t bear children, their husbands divorcing and other households refusing to do business with them. Having children is the one thing a wife should be able to do and doing this will more than likely take that away from me!¡± Umara almost yelled but Luna continued to smile. Umara took a breath and wiped her eyes as moisture accumulated, only making it worse and creating a tear streak. She almost couldn¡¯t believe how sudden her emotions surged, how fast they flipped from depressed to angry. She knew Luna could see her stamping them down as best she could. Luna leaned back and spoke softly. ¡°Umara, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve realized yet but women like us have different roles. It will always be a beautiful thing to bring children into the world but that is not what our husbands require of us. It is our job to be their unconditional support, another source of power that they can call on, a partner that will protect their backs when nobody else will. Did you know that I don¡¯t have children?¡± Umara shook her head, and Luna chuckled. ¡°You know, it¡¯s quite remarkable how similar of a position we are in. After my husband attained the penultimate power my role in his life changed, but up until then I was his greatest partner. I broke my bones to keep up with him, shed a lake of blood to stay by his side even when my family threatened to disown me. Then he went and got his Crown, and it was him who became sterile.¡± Umara¡¯s eyes widened, feeling a bit more uncomfortable as Luna¡¯s sheer presence of will flared. ¡°Then when I went to my family and said I¡¯d never have children, they followed through on their words and properly disowned me. Of course, they were begging to reconcile when my husband became the behemoth he is now, but by that time he was starting to fall back into the dark and I made the decision to follow, disappearing from the world to become what I am now, a hidden blade with enough influence to aid him in the ways he requires.¡± Luna¡¯s eyes bored into Umara¡¯s soul. Her Aura suddenly wasn¡¯t so soft and caressing. It was caring but firm, refusing to allow Umara to fall back into the comfort of pity, easily seeing through all the barriers she had put up. ¡°We are not like normal women, Umara. Your man has afforded you the most important opportunity of your life, an opportunity to not just receive power, but to stay by his side, to be his most important ally. He¡¯s willing to forsake children for his goal because he understands just how dire the fight against the Scourge is. But more importantly, he believes that you¡¯re more important to him than any child could be. Children are the most precious thing in the world and yet he places you above that. He is willing to forsake passing down his legacy, forsake passing down the culmination of your talents, even when he knows that his fight may cost him his life. And here you are.¡± Luna motioned to her gently. ¡°Your man wants to devote everything to his fight and yet he devotes his most valuable possessions and opportunities to you. Then you go and turn into a sobbing mess and make him feel bad for putting this burden on you. You know exactly what he needs. You knew the decision that you should¡¯ve made as soon as you were told the consequences of the Crown. Yet you still wallow in denial. It makes me question how much you actually love him.¡± Umara finally snapped. ¡°This has nothing to do with how much I love him! Questioning that should be the last thing you do!¡± ¡°Honey, please. You should be so thankful that he¡¯s being so accommodating with how selfish you¡¯re being.¡± ¡°Being concerned about sterilization isn¡¯t being selfish!¡± Umara stood, her Aura radiating anarchy. ¡°This is perhaps the biggest decision of my life and yet you¡¯ve come here to insult my integrity?! I will make the decision I know is right and I won¡¯t be slandered by someone I thought was my friend!¡± Umara turned to walk out. ¡°Umara Talerria, sit down right now! Before I take away that corpse and deny your position by John¡¯s side for good!¡± Umara froze, fists clenched as she turned back around. Luna was no longer smiling, her own Aura easily countering the anarchy in Umara¡¯s before toppling it with despair. But she didn¡¯t overwhelm her mind, even though she could. When Luna motioned with her hand, Umara was slowly urged to sat back down. ¡°Heed my words carefully, Umara. These things I say to you come from a place of love, but they also carry expectations. The principal of which is that I will not allow a mediocre woman to marry John Cooper. That is not because I somehow see myself as his mother, but because I will not allow a great man such as him to be chained to baggage that will only hamper his state of mind. Humanity is treading a precarious line and men like him are what is going to keep us alive, so we need them operating at full capacity intellectually, physically, and most importantly, emotionally. It is a need that renders your desires utterly inconsequential. ¡°My husband is one of those men and so I¡¯ve come today in order to ensure that you understand your role, just as I understand mine. My biggest fear in this moment is that you will fail to understand how much a man like that will sacrifice. You say that this is perhaps the biggest decision of your life, and fail to realize that your man has already made his. He¡¯s devoted his life to eliminating the Scourge, and believe it or not, you come secondary to that, just like how children come secondary to you being in his life. ¡°So let me make this crystal clear to you.¡± Luna leaned forward, the menace in her Aura inscribing her words into Umara¡¯s brain. ¡°If you want to be his wife, then you will start acting like it. You may have to slap him straight a few times but in the end it is your job to support him in everything he does. If that demands sacrifices, whether it be children, your family, or your sanity, then you will make the sacrifices willingly. You will break yourself to stay by his side and you will make your love available to him, always. If you don¡¯t wish to do these things and carry that burden then break up with him now and stop wasting his time. If you fail to do these things, and his performance suffers because of you, then I will make the decision and remove you myself so that he can continue aiding in humanity¡¯s struggle. Otherwise, if you know you love him, and you know you¡¯re capable of answering this call, then make the real decision. The one you¡¯ve been avoiding.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Umaras head ducked under the unyielding scrutiny of Luna''s gaze, but her frustration was palpable, the tears down her cheek shimmering with hues of red. She stood, her breath shuddering, her hand slowly and softly sliding over the side of her chair. And she launched it across the room so fast that it burst into splinters on contact with the wall. ¡°FUCK!¡± She screamed and grabbed the table, launching it into a vanity table and shattering both of them. The elements in the room raged, Umara phasing through space to arrive at the bed and pick it up by its frame. The atmosphere compressed and crunched it into a single chunk of splinters and cotton. Luna watched from the side, eyes closed, the elements as still and soft as moonlight around her, completely unperturbed by the turbulence of the room that threatened to trip the defensive enchantments. She was silent as Umara destroyed the entire room in a fit of screams and rage, using brute physical force, the mana around her merely following along with her rage. It only ended when she fell to her knees in a sobbing mess, her madness still bursting through her Aura. Luna eventually stood, stepping forward and kneeling beside her, brushing her hair back and staying silent. She reminisced about when she had thrown a fit just like this one. Except she hadn¡¯t been inside a building that could take it, and so her family¡¯s estate had been razed. She knew it was still a difficult decision. No woman liked being told that she may never be able to have children, if not because they wanted a family, then because they feared what their husbands might think or do. But their husbands were no ordinary husbands, and so they couldn¡¯t be ordinary wives. It was a shattered dream but sometimes that¡¯s what love demanded. Especially in the face of extinction. ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°You set up those systems like I asked?¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯re all right here.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I nodded and approached the terminal, a device connected to some Orbs and Nodes for storage. It was a scrapped together network storage but it would work, so long as my ¡®code¡¯ did. I had planned to hand off this data a while ago but obviously shit happened. I took out my own Orb and dropped it in a cradle. An injection software brought up esoteric and codified prompts on the screen which I accepted and authorized. Just like that the terminal connected to the local Node network and contacted my backdoors in both Wonderland and the Spire, pulling the data I designated and writing it to these local Orbs. A primitive but capable internet with absolutely no network security outside of what I designed. There was no difficulty. I saw all the designs that Wonderland had built up, including hundreds of reports on various pieces of technology they had designed beyond the weapons. New armament begot accomodating technology so there was a whole swath of blueprints. It would take some time to pull the data though so I sighed and turned around. Three people were in front of me. The first was Anderson. The second was a summoner going by the name Verimius Gazam, a General for the Church¡¯s military Order, a very, very smart man. Third was the Pope, with the name Eracle Syagrius. Unlike the Pope I knew of he didn¡¯t drape himself in loose white robes. He wore nothing more than a standard linen shirt, a pair of pants, and boots with a longsword belted to his waist. He was a tall man, taller than even me, with long hair, a kept beard, sharp eyes, and thick muscles radiating Vigor. He was a Knight, and a very powerful one at that, what little I could sense of his Aura pointing him toward Authority 12. I wasn¡¯t sure what to feel, standing before such a powerful man. But the technology I was giving them was the recipe for mass destruction, so I dispensed with formalities and honors, speaking very plainly and bluntly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to warn you three about the kind of data I¡¯m putting on these Orbs. Did Luna inform you all of my conditions?¡± ¡°She did.¡± The Pope spoke, nodding with a small smile. ¡°Rest assured, Sir Cooper. We won¡¯t allow the Kingdom to kill you should they discover that we have some of your specialty designs.¡± ¡°I asked that you don¡¯t let them find out in the first place.¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing our best to weed out the spies. It¡¯s been going quite well since we¡¯ve started adopting some of your policies regarding counterespionage, but we naturally can¡¯t guarantee perfection.¡± ¡°Hm. Fine. I¡¯ll take what I can get¡­¡± I sighed again and glanced at the Orbs. ¡°Anyway, here¡¯s the warning. The most important design on here is a recipe to construct what you know as Mana Bombs. So far what¡¯s been fielded is small scale. I gave Sawn the requirement that he can¡¯t field anything stronger than Authority 8, not because of the cost, but because it might tempt the Kingdom to build something much more powerful than that before I was able to hand off the designs to you.¡± I tapped the terminal screen and brought up the data for the Magnitude Frequency. ¡°This right here is where the magic happens. These bombs work by transforming White Crystals into Elemental Crystals. According to the data that I just saw looking through new designs from our designers at Sawn Industries, our enchanters have successfully managed to create Vigor and Psyka Crystals as well, Crystals imbued perfectly with the three magical energies. Right now it''s safe to say that the possibilities are endless. This is perhaps the greatest discovery made in the history of magic secondary to the ability to purify White Crystals at all. I mean that objectively because the level of devastation these Crystals are capable of is much more vast than you currently understand.¡± I switched the picture to a graphic of the estimated diameter of an Elemental Crystal explosion, scaling with Authority. ¡°The most important detail of these Elemental Crystals is their ability to release all of their power extremely fast. Near instantly, obviously far faster than any Warlock can with their pool of power. The second most important detail is that these Elemental Crystals can be made with Crystals of any level, including Authority 12, though we haven¡¯t tested that. So, if you took a Fire Elemental Crystal, armed it with an explosion spell, and dropped it in the middle of a city like the Holy See¡­¡± ¡°You would annihilate the entire city with one explosion.¡± The Pope muttered, seemingly unalarmed. Still, he frowned, properly conveying just how serious he had gotten. I nodded. ¡°So you get how dangerous this technology is. Extremely easy to make, and tiny enough to be simply walked into a city full of people. The only obvious marker is its signature and its only obvious weakness is its lifespan. These Elemental Crystals radiate their given power, a sign of their heightened degeneration. Not fast enough to make them evaporate in a day but they also won¡¯t be sitting around in a warehouse for years either. Also, they don¡¯t regenerate their power like White Crystals. You use it, you lose it. They are consumable and so the bombs are one off.¡± ¡°That¡¯s slightly comforting. But by creating an Elemental crystal, you are also losing not just a White Crystal, but all the power it could¡¯ve regenerated over its lifetime.¡± ¡°Indeed. You trade off long-term drawn-out power for short-term explosive force. But if you want to cripple or annihilate your rival, the loss is merely a price, and bombs are a good way to pay it.¡± The three were silent, Anderson smiling widely like he¡¯d just found a new toy to play with. Eventually, the Pope asked. ¡°What about the other designs?¡± ¡°Weapons and vehicles, like my planes. And yes, I¡¯ve included the designs and enchantments for my signature invention, the Mana Engine. You¡¯re welcome.¡± ¡°Haha, we are certainly thankful for that. And we will not let you leave unrewarded for such an amazing technology. The Church takes care of its allies, and as far as I¡¯m concerned you are one of those.¡± ¡°Well, you know a couple of the things I want. Just don¡¯t tell the Kingdom I¡¯m cheating on them with you. Most of these enchantments include guides that detail how the technologies are supposed to be used, which naturally involves plentiful amounts of military tactics and strategies revolving around them. I¡¯ll also be updating the data here as we develop more. I have a lot of input that I¡¯ll be integrating when I get back to the Kingdom, and many more designs to draw up. You¡¯ll get it all, so long as you don¡¯t go closing down this channel.¡± ¡°Our best enchanters will be handling this, and they would sooner sacrifice themselves than let this treasure trove stop printing gold.¡± ¡°Good. There¡¯s a lot of powerful tech here and normally I¡¯d be concerned with giving it to those who have no idea what they¡¯re handling. But the Scourge poses a slightly greater threat than the stupidity of bored soldiers, so I¡¯m taking the risk.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± General Virimus started cackling, the data transfer completing. I went through the terminal a bit more and gave myself another backdoor and seed program before hiding it all behind encryptions and compressions, shutting down the device. ¡°There you go. These Orbs now contain half the answer to the war.¡± The Pope asked, ¡°Which half is that?¡± ¡°The numbers. My weapons will make numbers obsolete by multiplying the amount of damage a single soldier can do in their effective lifetime. So long as you make enough, killing millions of Scourge will be the easy part. As for the Kings, the other half, for now that¡¯s still on you guys.¡± ¡°Which we will have an easier time handling thanks to your technology. Thank you, Sir Cooper. Your help will be invaluable to our war efforts.¡± I shook Eracle¡¯s hand, his large grip making it difficult for me to get a good squeeze. With just a little bit of force he held my hand a moment longer and smiled. ¡°Are you sure you wouldn¡¯t like to join us? I¡¯m sure I needn¡¯t explain the kind of support you would receive for your work. I might even offer you a Peerage, in time.¡± Our eyes locked and I started to feel some of the differences between this world¡¯s catholicism and Earth¡¯s. The Pope wasn¡¯t an icon of purity and goodness. He was a warrior and his greatest purpose was leading the fight against the Scourge of this world. After all, just outside the building was a statue well over a thousand meters tall depicting Christ wielding a blade. Their priorities were obvious, not that I was opposed to them in the slightest. ¡°Sorry sir, I can¡¯t go anywhere right now. There are a lot of people that need my protection. Abandoning the Kingdom¡¯s military would leave them exposed.¡± ¡°Cooper, we do not forsake those who cannot protect themselves. Should you join us you would give them even greater protection than if you stayed where you were. The Kingdom cannot stop us.¡± ¡°Hm, good to know, but I¡¯ll maintain for now. I have my plans.¡± ¡°Heh, very well. But don¡¯t wait too long. We have our plans too.¡± I didn¡¯t respond to that, our conversation wrapping up before I left the room. My business was finished with them so now my only concern was the Crown. But of course I couldn¡¯t worry about that unless Umara made her decision. I knew what Luna intended to say when she showed up, but I trusted her to convey it properly I trusted that both of them would make the right decisions. Before going back to the room though, I had to make a stop. I left the Tower and recalled a message I had received from Willow, a message that contained an answer to one of my questions. I followed the directions in the message and arrived at a nice shop called Rupert¡¯s Gems. Chapter 240: Unstoppable December 31st, 625 After placing a relatively inexpensive custom order, I left Rupert¡¯s Gems and made my way to a fancy restaurant in the city. I hadn¡¯t intended to go here tonight but I was invited by Luna, who had apparently dragged Umara with her. I was told to come as I were so I went straight there. The sun had already set as I walked down the street yet all the lights strung between buildings and floating over streets with magic were making it ambiently bright. It was Christmas Eve, the eve of the new year. There were parties on every street and outside every restaurant, children and parents bundled up in sweaters and mittens that protected them from the light snow. It was beautiful, and I was only sad that I was incapable of getting in the Christmas spirit at the moment. ¡°Sir, would you like a cookie?¡± I heard a call, felt the gaze directed at me from the side, turning my head slightly to find a small girl with a basket of fresh warm cookies covered in fabric. She held out a cookie shaped like a gingerbread man with some powdered sugar on it. It seemed like she was simply handing them out, no beckons to sell or labeled prices. Just simple generosity. I smiled, ¡°Can I have two? I have a lady who would love one at home.¡± ¡°Of course, sir!¡± She took out another and put them in my hand. I slipped two Gold Bullion in hers in exchange. She was surprised, as if she didn¡¯t realize I put them there. ¡°Thank you. It smells delicious.¡± ¡°T-Thank you too mister! Merry Christmas! Mama!¡± The little girl ran back to the building with the coins clenched. I continued on my way, munching on my cookie and making myself invisible so no more generous individuals came up to give me gifts. The place I arrived at was one of the taller buildings in the city, and the restaurant portion of the building was at the top. It had a direct view of not just the Walk of Saints around the 8 Peerage Towers, but a view of the city outskirts and beyond. The booth I was taken to had an easy view of the Walk. The statue of Christ was illuminated in the night, properly displaying its majesty with magical spotlights. I wonder if they had ever considered making laser magic. I¡¯d have to teach Umara. The booth was given privacy by some tall dividers. Luna and Anderson were both there. Umara was sitting semi-uncomfortably at the end of the wrap around booth with a spot reserved for me. She eagerly stood when I showed up, very little of the depression I had previously seen still in her Aura. Seems like she had made her decision, and judging by Luna¡¯s broad smile, it was what I expected. I accepted Umara¡¯s hug and kiss, smiling to the others before sitting down. There was already some food served, nothing more than appetizers but still more than enough to be a full meal for me. It was probably for the gluttonous knight, and all of it was filled to the brim with Vigor. Whatever animal they got these meats from had to have been raised on a farm manned by powerful Magi. Luna filled the glass in front of me with wine, which I took with thanks. A sip later and it burned, but the Magika within it made my body react with desire, the very act of ingesting trace magical energy rejuvenating my system. Did they make it with magic grapes? Once I set the glass down Umara took my now free hand and squeezed it. ¡°I¡¯m going to get the Crown.¡± I looked at her, stamping down the desire to glance at Luna¡¯s growing smile, looking into Umara¡¯s purple eyes. ¡°Is that what you really want?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± She gave her firm answer, so I just nodded. ¡°Then I will support you with everything I have.¡± ¡°And I you.¡± We exchanged another kiss before Anderson started laughing. ¡°Ah, young love! Remember when we were like that?¡± Luna rolled her eyes when Anderson nudged her. ¡°Are we not still like that?¡± ¡°Well I¡¯ve been so busy slaughtering heathens that I seem to have forgotten! You should give me a few reminders tonight of what it used to be like.¡± ¡°Now now, dear. There are children at the table.¡± ¡°Ah, like they haven¡¯t done anything taboo.¡± His emphasis made Umara flush a little. She glared at him slightly and he laughed even louder. I cheered her up with the cookie I brought for her, Anderson complaining about me not getting him one too. Soon after that some food was brought. Seems like Umara had ordered for me, a large meat platter being set in front of me. My favorite. The table was quiet as we ate. The food was that good. The meat was perfectly cooked, juicy and flavorful. The others were engorging themselves just as I was. Through the lens of my Aura I could feel the festive atmosphere permeating the entire city. It was bright, cheery, loving, infectious. And for some reason it started to piss me off. Then I heard some sudden shouts in the background. A pistol instinctively appeared in my hand, as did Umara¡¯s Foci in hers. Both of our heads snapped to hear the sudden cheers, realizing they were cheers only after we confirmed they weren¡¯t cries or screams. ¡°Calm yourself, you two. We aren¡¯t on the battlefield.¡± Anderson was smiling at me, the smile not as big as before. Luna also threw up a barrier to isolate the sound, everything turning muted. My gun went away almost as fast as it appeared. I knew we weren¡¯t on a battlefield, but my reflexes were still wired. We had been fighting for our lives just 4 days ago. Not that I liked excuses. ¡°Apologies.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. Lord knows you¡¯ve been through enough in the last few weeks.¡± Luna gave her comfort. I just finished off the last of my meal and looked out the window, mostly ignoring it. I wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about everything. I just knew that I had no interest in celebrating Christmas. There was still plenty of work to do but nobody would be working for the next day or so. I¡¯d have to wait a bit. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Though it wasn¡¯t like I couldn¡¯t do anything. I had already gotten a notification on my Aerial, and it wasn¡¯t a message from someone. It was a notification that my seed program had been activated. Some enchanters had accessed the terminal and then transferred the data to another device, an obvious and predictable course of action. They didn¡¯t know they were planting more seeds for me. Cybersecurity was still a new and unused concept in this world, but unlike everything else I had improved or restructured, I had no intentions of letting go of this advantage. It was something I¡¯d check later though, outside of the Holy See. I hadn¡¯t modified this Aerial to keep things secret so I¡¯d have to handle things away from possible prying eyes. I wouldn¡¯t take chances with anybody. Dinner gradually ended with Umara and I separating from Luna and Anderson. They went to go do their thing while Umara and I retreated to a new room. She had apparently destroyed the other, which Luna paid for. I don¡¯t know what happened but obviously Umara¡¯s decision was not easily made. The two of us stayed up until midnight, and when the new year arrived Umara and I felt a Sovereign go active. We saw a massive spell formation light up above the city and then launch magic fireworks into the sky. They were so bright that I had to squint, filling the entire sky for dozens of miles around with colored lights and literally turning night into day. The Holy See really went all out for their holidays. Umara and I just sat on a couch moved in front of the window, watching silently in each other¡¯s arms while covered in a large blanket. We were quiet, neither of us particularly joyful and neither of us caring to fake it. At some point she muttered. ¡°If only we got one of those spells while retreating.¡± I stared, thinking about her rhetorical statement and wondering about how many different points a spell as powerful as that one could¡¯ve turned the tide in our favor and saved important lives. It took me 4.668 seconds to think up 34 points at which that spell could¡¯ve done something to save Nonnen¡¯s life. And here it was. Putting on a fucking fireworks show. I felt Umara¡¯s Aura with my own, feeling her latent power and knowing the kind of transformation she would be undertaking soon. I was alone in my fight. I couldn¡¯t trust that others could stay alive as long as I could. I couldn¡¯t trust that they were as skilled as me, as evasive as me. I understood the power of those around me perfectly, and there were only two times during my military career that I felt I couldn¡¯t get out of a situation with my power alone. Both times had ended with people I trusted dying. But I also knew that I had only allowed myself to enter those situations because there was someone who had the power to get me out, whether by their own power or at the cost of their life. I was too smart to be ignorant or pretend to be naive. I had always taken calculated risks and I had always kept myself around the people I needed to in order to preserve my life. There was not a single person exempt from that equation. Not even Umara. I was glad that she made the decision. I was even happier that Luna had managed to convince her to make the decision herself. It was better for Umara to figure it out without my direct intervention. I was glad, because now she wouldn¡¯t be someone I could lose. She would finally be someone who could be my equal, especially since her family no longer provided the security or oversight that I once thought it could. I had risen in the world and the advantages I could receive from others were now accordingly limited, simply because it wasn¡¯t anything I couldn¡¯t get myself. Talexia was nearly out of my picture and once my plans started to kickstart, she¡¯d be all but useless. I had worried that Umara would become just one of the many other people around me that did nothing more than fulfill their role. Special operators were nice but as I¡¯d seen, they were only well above average. My plans meant that they wouldn¡¯t be so special once my tech was implemented. But it seemed like she¡¯d escape that fate, the cost being the life of an incredibly important ally, and potentially her fertility. I held her a bit tighter. In the long term it would be worth it. I would come out of all this with net gains. I might not like it now but that¡¯s what the reality was. But I had a lot of work to do. In time, as he had said. ¡­¡­ ¡­ Christmas day came. The first of a new year. For me it felt like the start of a very long road I had to tread. I could see how long it was and I knew exactly what I had to do, but the hard part was still doing it. Umara and I made one last visit to Terrace to give him the green light to proceed. He told us it would take about four days to prepare everything, including the personnel who would be operating on Umara with him. Apparently there would be an Authority 11 warlock in attendance as well as a Sovereign healer. That was basically a guarantee that even if things didn¡¯t go right, they wouldn¡¯t go wrong. With that plan made Umara and I flew back to the Whetted City to spend Christmas with her family and the Ravens. And once there, I finally went through the data that my seed program managed to grab and sort into a custom database I had devised. Excluding my own blueprints, the database was now filled with enchantment designs up the ass. There were thousands of them and while most of them were simply evolutions and upgrades of a fewer number of parent designs, even just counting those there were still hundreds. They had their own vehicles, though they were closer to the Steeds than my own designs. They didn¡¯t have anything like the Mana Engine but their geared systems were still much better than the Kingdom¡¯s. Despite that though, their efficiencies were about the same. Because the Church had access to about as many White Crystals as they could ever want, they didn¡¯t hesitate to load their tools with them, efficiency be damned. Basically, they were disgustingly rich, and with my designs they¡¯d be able to surpass the Kingdom within months at the worst. But that wasn¡¯t counting all their other designs too. They had enchanted tools for all kinds of industries, from paper printing to mining. I decided to pull many of the designs for the industries that I planned on revolutionizing for Sawn¡¯s vertical integration and expansion. They would be good inspiration, good templates so I didn¡¯t have to start completely from scratch. Other than that, the only other things that caught my eye were their weapons tech. I saw three dozen different designs for armor and weapons, which naturally included improved reinforcement enchantments that surpassed the ones Sawn had by 160%. That wasn¡¯t counting other supplemental enchantments for the armor that did things like augment physical abilities, albeit lightly and only good enough for warlocks and summoners. Knights hardly needed something like that and it seemed they had failed to make any enchantments that could give proportional improvements to them. All of it was good knowledge to have, and I¡¯d be using most of it. What I didn¡¯t find was anything highly confidential, however. Things like the methods to purify and create White Crystals was one of the first things I looked for and absolutely nothing came up. They did a good job of controlling the important information, and it seemed like they weren¡¯t naive enough to put sensitive data within reach of an Aerial network. However, I did get other details besides information relating to enchantments. I got intel, lots of intel, on all kinds of facets of the Church as a whole. Like military operations. My seed program spread to and infected everything that it was connected to. It would hop from one device to the next and plant more transmission programs that would allow me to simply drop in and access the data within their Orbs. It was easy to create and there was nearly no security to speak of, at least none that could pose any difficulty to my program. This world¡¯s primitive internet couldn¡¯t compare to the sheer depth of corruptive viruses and trojan programs that Earth had developed. Sure, there may be things like passwords, but it seemed they hadn¡¯t yet conceived of true encryption yet. And so the seed program bounced from terminal to Aerial to the Node for the city and everything connected to it. The growth rate was exponential but luckily I had prepared automatic information sorters so my database wasn¡¯t overloaded with inconsequential stuff. I must¡¯ve gained access to a General¡¯s Aerial because I found maps of military operations across the Church¡¯s theater, and the reality was striking. They were forcing back the Scourge across every northeastern coastline of the continent. They had details of travel routes that the Scourge used to access the continent from the Pillars of Creation. There were millions flooding in from the north and they were trying to cut them off. They were failing, but unlike the Kingdom they weren¡¯t falling. If the figures were accurate then their military surpassed the Kingdom¡¯s in sheer number, and if the designs were anything to go off of, then it was a rich military armed to the teeth. They were multiple times more combat effective and they had fortifications that had been facing down the Scourge in unending warfare for over a century. 100 years of constant war. It was difficult to imagine how many people had died, how many monsters had been slaughtered. They had been fighting even before the Pillars had fallen, and from Aki¡¯s stories it seemed like they had been involved in the war over there too. There were maps of the areas they had been to. There seemed to be a small landmass that acted as a land bridge to travel from the northern portion of the Pillars to the northern portion of our continent. From there they dispersed across the continent to hit from multiple angles, the Kingdom handling the western and median theaters, the Church handling the Eastern theaters. I also learned about the Paladin¡¯s Order. There were few mentions of it but that only meant it was their SOF group, what Vetsmon was a part of now. They were no doubt dotted all over the place but they certainly did a good job of keeping their information isolated so I didn¡¯t immediately pick up on anything. Yet what I got was more than enough. Superficially the Church was an open book for me. I just needed to go through the information personally, get a better image. Another task on an ever growing list. It was one of the few things on my mind as Christmas passed. Still, I decided I would wait to truly start anything until after Umara¡¯s surgery had been handled. Once that was over, it would be time to begin. And Sawn would have a few more days to prepare things for my intervention. There were many moving parts and yet I could see them all clearly. With my new mind, it was too easy. In time, I would be unstoppable. Chapter 241: Resilience January 5th, 626 I stood before 6 different tables, all holding trays of different materials. Some special herbs, bottles of chemicals, canisters of liquid White Crystal sitting at Authority 10, the bone marrow of a female Lordbeast, the Paragon of Vigor. There was also a canister filled with a mixture of liquid White Crystal and the same female Lordbeast¡¯s ovaries. It was supposed to help with retaining the potency of Umara¡¯s reproductive system, only one of two things that would hopefully prevent her from becoming sterile. The second was the Invocation. Umara was to receive a body enhancement primarily focused on resilience, not strength. She wouldn¡¯t become like a knight but her healing factor would be boosted and her body would be able to handle the strain of what her magic usually imposed. She had told Terrace about her Aura and the effects of using her hyper-complex magic, and after the operation it wouldn¡¯t get much better. But with the Invocation, she¡¯d be able to bear the strain better, hopefully unlocking the full extent of what her Aura should afford her. As a secondary effect, it would also protect the systems that weren¡¯t supposed to be affected by this operation. And finally, there was the King Blood Corpse. It was no longer the intact corpse it once was. It had been thoroughly processed and purified. Some of it was still corrupted, because apparently part of receiving a Crown was allowing the material to corrupt the body and change it before then purifying it and making it yours. It was what happened to my eyes and why they had melted within my sockets, though I didn¡¯t know that¡¯s what was going on at the time. But the scale of this operation was much larger. Umara¡¯s entire body would be undergoing changes, from her feet to her hair. It would modify her cardiovascular system, morphing her into a specimen that could manipulate Mana with her very body acting as the conduit. Terrace had done this operation many times before. King Bloods of Unholy Light were a coveted resource by the Church and every warlock within its military precisely because of how beneficial their Crowns were. While one this powerful didn¡¯t show up often, it wasn¡¯t unheard of, and for them it was almost routine. The difficulty came in the form of saving Umara¡¯s fertility, as well as incorporating the Invocation. It was experimental ground for them but I trusted in their expertise, mainly because I was told Invocations couldn¡¯t exactly go wrong. The worst that could happen would be the Invocation simply failing to take and Umara going sterile. But we were both prepared for that outcome, because regardless, she¡¯d be getting the Crown. Now she just needed to get through the operation. I looked away from the tables of materials and toward Umara, who laid on an operation table in nothing but a thin gown. She was very obviously anxious but unlike me, she wouldn¡¯t have to be conscious for this whole operation. Only the latter part. She reached out, and I gave her my hand so she could hold it. After that, Terrace walked over. ¡°We are ready to begin.¡± I glanced at him, seeing all the other personnel around the tables. There were 6 of them, the best that the Church could offer. This was a big operation and a major learning opportunity for everyone involved, so they were all more than willing to be here. There was also the Sovereign a few feet away, standing there quietly. I wasn¡¯t sure of her actual name. She seemed to have been raised in secrecy because I didn¡¯t see any mention of her in the database either. All I knew was that she was called Hallowlight. She was dressed in thick plain white robes with no adornments to speak of. Her hands were covered in gloves, she wore what looked like white combat boots based on the rugged boot I saw peek out from under the robe, and she wore a head covering with a veil that covered everything but her black eyes, her iris speckled with white. From that and what little I saw of her skin, she seemed to have albinism. No wonder she was completely covered. She noticed my gaze and took a step, reaching out with her hand and speaking with a hoarse voice. ¡°I am Hallowlight.¡± ¡°John. Thank you for being here.¡± ¡°It is my pleasure. I try to handle all high profile Crown operations, and since this one is unprecedented, I am happy to be here and learn.¡± I shook her gloved hand, noticing some cushion between the exterior leather and her hand, probably some form of cotton on the inside. But her grip was strong, surprisingly so. She was definitely tempered by Vigor, and based on the boots and the mannerisms I could observe so far, she was active military. Probably with the Order, since I hadn¡¯t seen anything about her. I directed her to Umara so the two could exchange some words. Hallowlight was good at reassuring, so Umara¡¯s anxiety lessened substantially. With that, I gave Terrace a nod. ¡°Alright. It is time to begin. Put her to sleep.¡± Umara¡¯s grip on my hand tightened as one of the personnel brought her a pill. Umara took a breath and opened her mouth. The pill was placed on her tongue, and it started dissolving immediately, sinking straight into her bloodstream. She quickly became drowsy, her hand loosening, until she finally passed out. Her breathing became even and I let go of her hand, placing it on the bed by her side. And so it began. I had already been briefed on everything that would happen, as had Umara. They first hooked her up to an IV and started streaming in a small amount of Authority 10 liquid White Crystal. I could sense its power stream through her body, going from her arm vein to her heart before being pumped through the rest of her body. The Magika density within her body rose rapidly as they continued to inject the White Crystal. I had been under heavy strain but thankfully Umara didn¡¯t have to deal with that. She¡¯d have to deal with a lot of pain when she woke up instead. Several minutes went by, around a quarter of the liquid White Crystal supply being injected into her body before they finally brought out the first material. Some people started grinding up materials and mixing it with odd liquids. I knew alchemy was a thing but I had learned little about it. These people were mixing up some of the materials on the spot, the new mixtures being injected into the IV and into her body. The first mixture made her skin flush, her heart pumping faster and her breathing quickening. For a second I worried about hyperventilation but stamped down my concerns and let the professionals do their thing. After that came the Lordbeast¡¯s bone marrow. A dozen large and small syringes came out and I had to back away as Terrace and his doctors surrounded Umara¡¯s body. They removed her gown, exposing her nude body, and started injecting the bone marrow mixture into her limbs. They took several minutes to inject at least a portion of the mixture into every bone in her body, without exception. From her skull to her finger bones, every bone received at least some of the bone marrow, the needles being driven straight in with ruthless intention. They flipped her over and did the injections into her spinal column as well. It made me queasy but I made sure to watch and visualize everything. Finally, once they had precisely injected all of the bone marrow mixture, Terrace personally moved on to utilize the ovaries. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. He mixed the Lordbeast¡¯s ovaries with a mixture of special herb solutions and liquid White Crystal, taking the resulting viscous liquid and casting magic over her womb. The organ was highlighted with magic and with that, Terrace used a special tool to inject the liquid through her canal. The liquid was absorbed once it hit the womb and ovaries, taking but a minute to disappear into her body. It was over quickly and everyone finally moved on. Now it was the hard part. Terrace brought over the main material, the processed corpse of the King Blood of Unholy Light. Half of the corpse was refined into a dark purple poisonous liquid. The other half came in the form of a special organ. The special organ was unique to the King Blood. Terrace said that they had purified the King Blood¡¯s Dark Crystal and then integrated it into the organ. Umara¡¯s Foci was also integrated, broken down and added to the White Crystal as a raw enhancement. Once it was integrated with Umara¡¯s body, the still-poisonous organ would process the White Crystal itself, purify itself consequently, and become a part of her body. The only reason it wouldn¡¯t be rejected was because of the poisonous liquid. That was the part that would corrupt her body, changing her, allowing the Crown to take hold. It was a controlled mutation, treading the line between human and Corrupted. The woman who pioneered this shit was a psycho. ¡°Make the incision.¡± Terrace called, picking up the organ. It was shaped like a heart, with long vessels coming off of it. I had been assured that it wasn¡¯t actually the King Blood¡¯s heart and cardiovascular system, however. One of the doctors finally brought up a blade and made a cut below her sternum. They opened her up from there and inserted the new organ, a bit smaller than Umara¡¯s heart. Then they started making more cuts and running the vessels across her body. It looks like they had precisely extracted the organ from the King Blood because it was obvious which vessels had to go where. Some went down her arms and legs, some wrapped around her heart, and some went up toward her skull. Hallowlight had to do some healing to close her up after some deep and dangerous cuts were made but otherwise, everything fell into place better than I thought it would. Still, long cuts were made everywhere, and Hallowlight¡¯s healing wouldn¡¯t help for what came next. Terrace finally brought up the dark solution, loading some into a syringe and placing the needle between the ribs. Then he pushed the needle straight into her heart, using magic to highlight it. The dark solution was injected straight in. The other doctors started taking full syringes of the solution and injecting it into her bone marrow as well, using the previous routes that gave her the Lordbeast bone marrow. The solution acted fast. I could feel the new organ inside her light up with magic as it interacted with the solution, acting as a guideline. It started corrupting her body quickly, traveling throughout her entire cardiovascular system within a minute or so. The vessels that came from the new organ started to sprout and spread, filling her limbs like veins and capillaries, even connecting to the arteries across her body, though it didn¡¯t transport blood. No, the new organ was responsible for injecting magic straight into her blood, using her blood as a convenient conduit for mana. Turning her body into a living Foci. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get the Invocation installed.¡± Terrace started moving with urgency, injecting the rest of the solution while the others started bringing over the rest of the materials. My eyes widened when I saw what would be used to implant the Invocation. Elemental Crystals and Vigor Crystals. Not like the ones Sawn Industries had manufactured, that we had invented, but natural ones. I knew they had to be natural because of their shape. The ones from Sawn industries were always a perfect sphere, unblemished and pure. But these were shaped like organs or geodes, as if they had come out of animals or naturally mined. I connected the dots quickly. The Pillars of Creation didn¡¯t have White Crystals like we did. They had Elemental, Vigor, and Psyka Crystals, and they didn¡¯t have Crests, but Invocations. I recalled the book that Aki translated for me, and suddenly realized what I had been looking at. There were many names in there that I had no idea about, primarily for materials used in the installation of an Invocation. They called the Crystals different things, not simply a Vigor Crystal or the like. That¡¯s why it didn¡¯t ring any bells when I dove deep into enchanting and advanced. Despite the translation, the vocabulary still hid its own secrets. But now I knew. I had unintentionally created a bridge between the two different magic systems. Sure enough, Terrace also took out some pure Elemental and Vigor Crystals, ones they had obviously recently made with my knowledge. Then, he used a tool to melt down both and engrave them into Umara¡¯s skin. He carefully drew a formation into her abdomen, back, and then up to the back of her neck. It ended at the base of her skull. It was intricate. Not enough to confuse me since nothing could be more complex than my advancement formations. Still, it took Terrace three hours to complete the Invocation. Once finished the entire thing flashed with magic, melting into her skin. For a few minutes I watched it diffuse into her body, but it still left behind visible inscriptions, just like what I had seen on Aki. These were bright red, like fresh arterial blood. Once it was finished integrating, Terrace lifted his hands and backed away. ¡°Alright, the transformation is progressing as expected. The Crown and Invocation are installed as expected. My work is done. Now, it¡¯s up to Umara.¡± He suddenly looked at me. ¡°We¡¯re going to wake her up. You said you can help her activate the Invocation?¡± ¡°Not directly, but I¡¯ll make sure she isn¡¯t overwhelmed by the pain. Go ahead and wake her.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Terrace nodded toward one of his doctors, who brought over another pill, slipping it into Umara¡¯s mouth. I stepped behind Umara¡¯s body, placing my hands against her head as she was mercilessly brought to wakefulness. Her face contorted, groans seeping out, getting louder as the pain settled into her nervous system. She didn¡¯t speak, forced to revel in the pain until I could get a hold of her mind. Tears fell and I was finally able to push myself into her mind. ¡°Find me, Umara.¡± ¡°It hurts! Fuck, it hurts!¡± ¡°I know it hurts but you need to focus. You¡¯ve got an Invocation to activate.¡± I spoke and filled her mind with illusions, firing off bursts of visualizations to make her think about the Invocation and her Aura. Invocations were controlled directly by one¡¯s Aura. That was why I had sensed an incredible Aura from Aki when I last saw her, one I hadn¡¯t sensed at all before that. Umara was definitely able to do it. The issue was the lack of experience. She had never handled an Invocation before and it would be like learning to control a new limb. But it was for the sake of having children, a thought I used in order to sharpen her up. I also used my Aura to suppress hers, confining it to her body where she would best feel the Invocation. ¡°John, I can¡¯t! It hurts!¡± ¡°You can and you will. Focus on your back and stomach. It¡¯s there.¡± I started spamming more visualizations, causing her to go mute as the thoughts distracted her from the pain, just slightly. What was also transmitted was my urgency. If she wanted kids, she needed to do this. For a few minutes I could feel Umara¡¯s thoughts move away from the pain and toward the Invocation. That¡¯s when I saw it glow above her abdomen. ¡°That¡¯s it! Don¡¯t stop now!¡± I started reducing the visualizations so that she could focus on what only she could see and feel. The Invocation glowed stronger, Terrace smiling. ¡°Good! She needs to keep that going until the transformation finishes!¡± ¡°Come on, babe.¡± I tried to soothe her mind with my power as she struggled to concentrate. Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t a fast process, even after the three hours it took to install the invocation. The dichotomy of corruption and purification within her body continued for hours more. Terrace also injected more liquid Crystal, the remainder that sat at Authority 11. Thankfully, using Aura was only a matter of concentration, not energy use. I was gradually able to soothe Umara¡¯s mind directly, filling it with more reward than pain by focusing her thoughts on the healing and protection aspect of the Invocation and distracting from the pain the transformation and liquid Crystal caused her. Still, hours of constant horrible pain took its toll on her. By hour three she was getting exhausted, but I kept pushing her, even if I had to force her awake with small streams of my psyka. I wouldn¡¯t let her regret not doing everything she could. She just needed support, which was what I was here for. This process also gave a good glimpse into what the Corrupted had gone through. Forced, unguided mutation designed to twist the human image and torture their mind and body. This was a glimpse at that reality. Over time I could see her body start to take on visual changes. Her hair fell out first, and her skin went deathly pale. The new organ and its magic vessels glowed so bright that I could see them continuing to grow under her skin. Her finger and toenails all fell out, most of her skin peeling and becoming raw. Her muscles also spasmed, requiring others to pin her down lest she thrash around. With my hands on her head I could also feel her pulse, and it surpassed 200 bpm, sitting at 250 for far longer than I was comfortable with. The worst thing that happened was when she started vomiting chunks of something, including blood. Terrace had warned me it would happen but I still had the thought that she was actually dying. Perhaps she was. Finally, at hour seven, when every inch of skin had peeled at least one layer and she seemed to vomit up all of her intestines, the transformation finished Umara¡¯s Invocation started doing more healing than protection, and since she was no longer being corrupted or purified, Hallowlight was able to step in and assist in the healing, using the remainder of the overloading Magika within her to assist. It was slow, but any remaining scars from the incisions and injections were healed and wiped away like they had never happened. She was left bald, with raw skin and no nails on her fingers or toes. And she was beautiful. I caressed her temples and finally let her rest. She passed right back out and I stepped away. Terrace waved. ¡°Let¡¯s get her cleaned up. This operation has been a success.¡± Chapter 242: Evil Plan January 6th, 626 My eyes opened a few seconds before Umara started shifting. We were still in the medical ward of the Franks Tower since Terrace wanted to observe her for a day or two before letting us go. She had been out for 18 hours so far, only just now waking. I pulled myself out of the field bed I had set up in the room. No way was I sleeping in a stiff chair. Once beside Umara¡¯s bed I grabbed her hand. She clenched it as she woke up, eyes fluttering open. I made sure it was dark in the room, because although her eyes hadn¡¯t changed visually, her vision was certainly much better than before. I didn¡¯t want her senses to be overwhelmed like mine had been back then. She found me with her eyes and stared at me for several seconds before lifting her arm and looking at it. Her skin was certainly paler than before but ever since the transformation stopped she regained some healthy, supple color. Still, losing a layer of skin left her looking like a delicate sheltered girl who hadn¡¯t seen the sun in all her life. She had been reborn. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Umara looked back at me when I asked, taking a few seconds to formulate her words. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Her voice came out slightly different from what I was used to. It was smoother, lacking any of the harshities earned by screaming in battle, deeper but still undeniably feminine. Most importantly, the fluctuation her mere words caused reminded me of the ethereal voice of the King Blood, how it spoke to our souls instead of merely our ears. It drew attention, exuded majesty, made her seem more mature if one disregarded the otherworldly nature of it. Her arm suddenly pulsed, mana snapping down from her shoulder to her fingers. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I feel amazing¡­ or if I¡¯m still in pain.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sensitive. Time will fix that.¡± ¡°...My head is cold.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I hesitated with a small smile, Umara¡¯s hand moving to her scalp, gently touching the short hair that was only just starting to come in. ¡°...Am I fucking bald?¡± ¡°Sorry babe. It fell off when you shed all your skin. It¡¯s growing back nicely though.¡± ¡°My skin shed off? What the fuck happened to me?¡± ¡°A lot. But the important thing is that everything went according to plan. You even managed to protect yourself with the Invocation for the duration of the transformation. You did good.¡± I gave her hand a squeeze. She gave me a small nod, still feeling her scalp. She had only grown a few centimeters of hair but she hadn¡¯t started growing back hair until about 8 hours ago, when I went to sleep last. She was regrowing it fast but it still might take a week or two to get short hair. I smiled. ¡°I can shave my head so we match.¡± ¡°Huh? But your hair is so nice¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind being bald with you. I¡¯ve been thinking about chopping some of it off anyway. Now¡¯s a good time.¡± I pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed. Umara smiled at me, and then her free hand moved to hover over her stomach, brushing it gently. ¡°So, children¡­¡± ¡°We can¡¯t know. I mean, it¡¯s difficult enough to have children as it is, especially as we get more powerful. I already asked Terrace if there are any tests they can do but he said there aren¡¯t any that wouldn¡¯t risk false promises. So there really is no way to know. It¡¯ll still take two months for everything to completely settle in anyway, so we should just wait and see.¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± She nodded, looking sad but otherwise holding it in. Neither of us were optimistic but we had made peace with what we needed to. It was done. There was no turning back now. At some point, Terrace walked in to do his checkup. He cast some magic and made sure that all was right with Umara¡¯s body, that nothing was still injured or healing. ¡°Take at least today to rest and do nothing except eat and sleep. Tomorrow you can start walking around and we can test your sensitivity and magic. We want to make sure everything works properly, including the new organ you have. It¡¯s perfectly ready to use but try to refrain for now. I don¡¯t want you to hurt yourself.¡± ¡°Yessir.¡± ¡°Let me know if there is anything you¡¯re concerned about. Otherwise I¡¯ll leave you two alone today. You can order whatever you want with the Aerial right there.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± We gave our thanks and Terrace left. After that we had plenty of alone time, talking about idle thoughts and getting some food. Umara was starved and if I smelled food I knew I¡¯d want some too. The rest of the day was spent like that. Umara couldn¡¯t do much of anything so instead I humored her and spoke of Earthly things. She had thought of more questions since I told her I was from a different world. It was mainly about my life, or the context surrounding my life. I spoke of school, from elementary to university, the various fields of education, what I studied, and where I had gotten most of my knowledge from. I spoke of the more complicated but widespread technology like the internet, social media, television, radio, satellites, telescopes, and more. Computers were still a generally foreign concept to her but since the Aerial existed she was able to wrap her head around simpler functions. It was just that simple things to me like social media and video games were completely alien concepts. She could never truly grasp the scale and depth of what they meant without experiencing it herself. But she loved hearing about it. I was even able to tickle her eyes with some illusions, putting an image to the things I talked about. That day passed and when the next morning came, Terrace was back to do some physical tests. Umara finally got herself walking and for a moment it looked like she needed to relearn how to walk. The amazing thing was that the elements followed her every movement. Her body was now as in tune with mana as she was, and that quickly led to subconscious elemental manipulation. By simply wanting to reach her goal faster the air would come to cradle her, and when she felt the cold floor with her feet for the first time, fire mana streamed through her soles and into the floor. When she accidentally tripped the entire atmosphere surged and picked her back up. It was like the entire world was at her command, her magic directly tied to her nervous system. She was almost a completely new being. And one thing that I only noticed after she first stood to her full height was that she had actually grown, putting her right around 6 foot. Those bone marrow injections really put in work. Umara remarked that she¡¯d have to get a new wardrobe, but thankfully the hat still fit so she had no excuses not to continue wearing it. I got a glare after pointing that out. It was about 6 hours of physical and magical therapy where Terrace went through a checklist to make sure Umara was working fine. The conclusion was that she was more than fine, although the sensitivity would take a little while to die down, no more than a few days. Like me, her senses had been boosted significantly which meant a lot of her concentration was spent trying not to get overwhelmed by it. She also didn¡¯t have the mental capacity I did, so for her it was just a matter of her brain numbing over time. When that was over and night came, I decided to finally shave my head bald. The doctors in the ward obviously had shaving knives so I got one and even got some help. Before long my scalp was gleaming. Umara laughed her ass off for over a minute, then sporadically for an hour as she molested my shiny bald head. With all that said and done, there was nothing else for us to do, and so we were free to go. I had already handled any other business I had with the Church in advance, so there was no more reason to stay here. I sent messages to a few pertinent people and notified them that we would be leaving. Luna was one of them and she came to visit in the medical ward. But apparently word travels fast and the Pope showed up with Anderson as well. Umara was rightfully shocked when one of the most influential people in the entire world showed up at the door. She was dressed in some of my clothes, which meant they were baggy, and she felt self conscious. Still, the Pope shook her hand after a few greetings. ¡°Congratulations Miss Talerria. It may be difficult at first but this Crown will afford you vast power. I hope you will exercise it to its fullest against the Scourge of this world.¡± ¡°Yes sir, I will. Alongside John I will bring forth my greatest potential.¡± ¡°So you will.¡± The Pope smiled at her and turned to me. ¡°Great men demand great women, but by consequence they too make great sacrifices. Treat her well, John Cooper, and place her within your right mind. She is one who will bear you in ways no other person will, so forever spare her from your pride.¡± ¡°Thus is my intention.¡± I answered him plainly, not enjoying his scrutinizing gaze. It wasn¡¯t malicious, but it felt like he was seeing things I didn¡¯t want him to see, and I didn¡¯t need someone reiterating something I had already decided for myself. The Pope nodded, and our conversation came to a close. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. After he and Luna left with Anderson, who remained quietly smiling in the corner of the room the whole time, Willow and Ignatius came by. We held a small conversation with them before deciding it was about time to go. I gathered all of Umara¡¯s things and we took my helicopter back to the City of Joffrun, taking several hours to do so. By now everyone had left the Whetted City and I heard that the military was starting to get tabs on the survivors from the Treehouse. When we landed in Talexia¡¯s backyard, she naturally wanted to see us. Faey also came running out, and both of them froze in their tracks when they saw us. Talexia narrowed her eyes. ¡°Why are you two bald?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the new trend these days. You haven¡¯t heard?¡± ¡°Apparently not.¡± ¡°Yeah, everyone under 30 years old is supposed to shave their heads. Hey Faey, let¡¯s bring you into the fold.¡± I waved at the teenage girl, who quickly shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°Come on, it¡¯ll be quick and mostly painless.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Get over here!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± She squealed when I dove over and threw her over my shoulder, running into the house as she called out for her mother. Talexia ignored us, her and Umara following behind but ultimately heading somewhere else to talk. I body slammed Faey onto a large couch. It was about 3 years after I¡¯d first met her and now she was 17, into her first year at the Magisterium. As expected, she was a knight but with the temperings I¡¯d gone through I was actually stronger despite her being Authority 3. Not to mention that when she finally started wrestling back against me, I was able to engage my knowledge and expertly handle her into a lock. She ended up in a triangle choke, completely at my mercy, the two of us face to face. She struggled a bit, even used Vigor to try and brute force her way out but it didn¡¯t matter. She eventually gave up, and I smiled. ¡°So how are you?¡± ¡°Choking.¡± ¡°Heh. Before you pass out, tell me what you think of this.¡± I took out a small box, opening it and revealing a ring. Faey¡¯s eyes widened. The ring was made of the purest gold that Rupert¡¯s gems could get their hands on and studded with enchanted diamonds that made them swirl with colorful mana. It wasn¡¯t reinforced or inlaid with powerful Crystals because it was supposed to be a symbol. I had forsaken the expensive things to get something relatively simple. It didn¡¯t even have magical functions besides the aesthetic enchantment. ¡°I¡¯m going to marry your sister, and wanted to make sure I got your approval first.¡± I undid the lock, Faey laying against me as I let her scan the ring. ¡°Do you feel alright with that?¡± ¡°...To be honest, I half expected you two to come back already wed. Mom was talking about you guys basically getting married with your trip.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably because your mother considers the gift I gave Umara to be a dower. Many millions of coin were spent and favors were exchanged, but what I gave your sister isn''t something that can be bought. No matter what though, I want to make sure that you¡¯re okay with this. I want your blessing as well as your parents¡¯.¡± ¡°W-Well I¡¯m obviously not going to say no¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking, because believe it or not it¡¯s important to me that my sister-in-law doesn¡¯t hate my guts.¡± I went and tickled her half teasingly, making her jerk around and laugh. I obviously knew her answer but what mattered to her was posing the question at all. If Umara was any indication, these girls had never considered that their opinion mattered regarding relationships even if they wanted it to. It meant something that I was coming to her for approval. After talking a bit longer about that, the two of us talked about her time at the Magisterium. It seemed like she was doing well there, although I loathed the idea of her being a student under Carrion. I had been there only a few years ago, even though it now felt like a lifetime ago. I internally decided that I¡¯d just need to make sure I kept an eye on her, especially once they started going on expeditions and visiting bases. God forbid she goes through anything similar to what Umara and I did. The way things were going, she wouldn¡¯t even get the chance to run. I messed around with her a bit more before deciding that Umara and her mother were taking too long, so Faey and I decided to leave the house. It was a bit after noon so I decided a lunch date was in order, the two of us heading to a nice restaurant and getting some chow. It was only after we had eaten and wandered the city a bit that I finally got scolding messages from Talexia and had to go home. Once there Talexia called me to her study where she and Umara were. I had Faey go off and do her own thing while I went. Inside the study, Talexia held some papers behind her desk, and I sat beside Umara. ¡°Gurns showed up, gave everyone leave. They all went back to their families for a time as the military regroups. The numbers also came out for survivors. Many different groups were found but in total we¡¯ve recovered 8 thousand survivors. Most of them are higher combatants.¡± ¡°The ones who could actually run.¡± Talexia handed me one of the papers, and I absorbed all the information with a glimpse. As expected, the defeat was almost absolute. Everyone had retreated not long after the Generals ran away, and naturally those who could escape were those with the power to run. Even then, it was pure luck that they could make it out. ¡°4% survival rate. Fucking atrocious. So, were you given any plans for mustering another stronghold?¡± ¡°Not yet, but some say that they want to construct another base just outside the River, to the west before the mountain range that led to Stronghold Charlie. No plans have been made though. Since the Scourge isn¡¯t pushing farther, they¡¯re waiting.¡± ¡°Well, it gives me time to do my thing.¡± ¡°I was going to ask, but what plans did you have in mind?¡± I set the paper down and leaned back. ¡°I plan on creating a new army. I want to build it from the ground up, induct soldiers and train them my way, to fight a different kind of war. But to do that I need metal, and to that end I¡¯ll be working with Sawn. Two months should be enough to build my foundation, but your help would be appreciated.¡± ¡°What kind of help?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll need soldiers, lots of them. I also want to be placed at whatever new base gets founded. Polly and Jasmine need to come with me, and I¡¯ll be speaking with Gurns about acquiring operators from him.¡± ¡°That man is difficult to negotiate with. He won¡¯t just give you the best soldiers in the Kingdom.¡± ¡°He will after he sees what I have in store. But again, I need to build it first. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll be bouncing around for a while. I¡¯d like Umara with me as I do that. She needs time to acclimate to her Crown and I have things to teach her.¡± Talexia nodded, glancing at Umara. ¡°Gurns only gave them two weeks before he wants them to report to Stronghold Beta.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t care. They¡¯ll bend for me, or I¡¯ll leave them to hang. I have a feeling they know exactly how valuable I am now so if they have any wrinkles on their brain then they¡¯ll shut their holes. If they don¡¯t, then just tell them to come find me. See if they can.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Talexia hummed, not denying my words. Silence reigned for a few moments, Talexia sifting through papers idly until I chimed. ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m just worrying about keeping you two safe. It feels like things are out of my hands.¡± ¡°Then put your hands back in.¡± ¡°Speaking so simply hardly eases the difficulty.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s going to be an opportunity. Let¡¯s just say, you¡¯re still a powerful warlock and I¡¯d love to have a Marshal among the forces around me, one I can trust. That way I can support you too. Of course, you¡¯d be back in the field, but I think it would be a good change of pace.¡± ¡°...We¡¯ll see. Get your affairs in order first. If you need any help, you know where to find me.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I stood from my seat, the two ladies mirroring me. I gave Talexia a hug. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving tonight for the Capital so I can grab Sawn. After that, I¡¯m going to disappear for a while.¡± ¡°Mm. There are rumors of the King holding an Assembly soon. High military officials and nobles will be in attendance to discuss our next courses of action. It wouldn¡¯t be for another few months or so but you should make sure to keep an eye out for letters. If you or Sawn aren¡¯t invited then I¡¯ll bring you under my name. Either way, you should attend.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± We separated with those words. The rest of the day passed leisurely. Umara got teased for her bald head by Faey, Ikhor was off on business apparently, and after the night ended with dinner Umara and I decided to fly ourselves to the Capital. We didn¡¯t land at my house though. That was too easy of a spot for the Third Claw to get to me. Instead, I landed on top of the Black Spider Hotel, which was now fitted with a large platform holding eight helipads and a lobby. I took one of the open pads and walked into the rooftop lobby with Umara, who wore her Witch hat. The Key Master was behind a desk there and smiling happily. ¡°Good evening, John. Good evening, Madam Talerria. It is good to see you two back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to be back, Key Master. Is my room still collecting dust?¡± ¡°It is tidier than you left it. Would you like me to prepare any room service?¡± ¡°No, thank you. We¡¯d like a quiet night until we leave in the morning.¡± ¡°Understood. Now, how would you like me to deal with the unsavory individuals watching you fly in?¡± I glanced to the side. I had also seen the unique Aura-disrupting cloaks of the Third Claw on my way in. But there was no way they could definitively tell it was me. I waved. ¡°Fuck those guys. They aren¡¯t worth your trouble, and they can do nothing to me anymore. The second they exposed themselves to my knowledge is the second that they lost any advantages they had against me.¡± The Key Master smiled wide, almost maliciously. ¡°Indeed. You are an exceptional man, John Cooper. Please, enjoy your stay at the Black Spider Hotel.¡± ¡°I will. You enjoy your night, Key Master.¡± Umara bowed after we exchanged goodbyes, the two of us stepping away and going to my room. Once there, I threw off my coat and settled onto the familiar couch in front of the window wall. Umara sat beside me as I sighed. ¡°Who¡¯s the Third Claw?¡± ¡°They are the Kingdom¡¯s counterespionage group, a secret department of soldiers working directly for the Royal Family. When I arrived back in the Capital after visiting you at Stronghold Beta, the Third Claw captured and interrogated me thinking I had fed the Church my designs for planes. They got nothing out of me after a bit of torture and they dumped me back on the street after leaving behind some threats. They forced me to dissociate with the black markets and promise never to enter them again, the Hotel included. Then I had to pay taxes.¡± ¡°They dared¡­¡± ¡°I know! To think I had to pay taxes!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡­¡± I chuckled a bit, Umara letting out an exasperated grunt. ¡°You know what I mean! Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this earlier?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t pertinent at the time, and both of us had enough to worry about. But I¡¯m telling you now, because there¡¯s something else I need to inform you of.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°While we were at the Church getting the Crown situation sorted, I handed the Pope my designs. And I mean just about all of them. The Elemental Crystals, the Mana Engine, the planes, everything.¡± She gawked at me, staring in disbelief as I smiled. ¡°Why would you do that? The Kingdom will brand you a traitor!¡± ¡°If they find out, yes, they will. But at this point I could care less. The Church having my designs will massively boost their combat power. Umara, they have an entire war front that nobody knows about, and they¡¯re doing more damage to the Scourge than the Kingdom is. I gave the designs to them so humanity has a better fighting chance, but I also got promises that they won¡¯t expose them to the Kingdom either. For now I¡¯m safe, but even if they discover it, they have no power over me. I could just leave for the Church at any time. Nobody can pin me down.¡± ¡°...We could leave.¡± She reiterated, my smile widening. ¡°We would leave for the Church. You don¡¯t get to leave me behind.¡± ¡°Indeed. That was poor wording on my part.¡± I pulled her closer. ¡°If I become a traitor, then you¡¯ll have to be a traitor with me. You¡¯re my accomplice now since I¡¯ve told you my evil plan.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the villain now? I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m dating a bad guy. Good thing you''re rich.¡± ¡°You mean you didn¡¯t like me for my smoldering good looks?¡± ¡°The only thing smoldering are those cigars of yours.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Baldy.¡± ¡°Shut up! Not fair!¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t turn your head. The moonlight bouncing off of it blinds me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just blind you with my fingers then.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± She tackled me and we started to wrestle, so I threw in some tickles to keep her on her toes. We did that until we both got tired. By that time it was really late and both of us were tangled together, things having gotten a little warm. I didn¡¯t push further though. I had a feeling that Umara was still sensitive about things so I decided to give it a while before I took any opportunities to get dirty. So we ended our night, my head still filled with the list of things I needed to do tomorrow. Things were about to get busy. Chapter 243: Revolution January 9th, 626 Umara and I landed in Wonderland. Sawn was already there to meet us, and we got right down to business. He was ready to cooperate fully with my redesign of company operations. It would cost him a massive amount of money, but in the long run it would make him one of the most powerful people in the world. He would be the leader of what could be considered the upcoming industrial economy as a whole, and the fate of humanity¡¯s military would be in his hands. Of course, not entirely. I was here and nothing was out of my hands if I didn¡¯t want it to be. The first thing I had him do was cease manufacturing nearly across the board. It was all hands on deck for this change and not a single sector of the company was going to remain untouched. After that I went to the lab and started modifying and adding designs on the spot. I had spent many hours thinking about them and I already knew what I was going to put down to the rune. So using Orbs, I quickly put out all of the designs that would revolutionize production as a whole. Assembly lines and automation for the manufacturing plants. Tools and massive excavation machines for mining. Entire building designs for advanced forges and material processing plants. Safety equipment for workers. Oversight equipment and programs for managers. Singular units of these tools and structures would match or increase output across the board. The mining tools would increase input from hundreds of tons of ore a year to millions of tons a year if scaled correctly. The processing plants would consume all the input and spit out metals and materials at a rate these people couldn¡¯t conceive of and with efficiencies they didn¡¯t yet understand. The assembly lines would increase vehicle production from one or two a day to dozens a day. Planes, tanks and vehicles, ordnance, and weapons would flood from our plants and fill entire armies with their bulk. The goal was to produce them faster than the Scourge could kill them. Magic would make this all too easy. Under normal circumstances I would be delusional to think that I could restructure a company from top to bottom, revamp entire industries, and have their workers adapt fast enough to produce at the scale I wanted. On Earth it would take decades to do something like that. Here? It was just a matter of making the magic. Everything was so low maintenance that you only had to teach people how to use the tools rather than how to maintain them. There were no engines to fail, no engineering to tamper with. Magic reinforcement meant that even wear and tear was just about null. Warlocks could move tons of earth by themselves in a mine and getting tools to do it with similar magic would simply multiply their output. The miners needed buckets and diggers, the forges needed more buckets and heat, and the fabrication plants needed precision tools to move away from hand crafting and toward mass production. I already knew about all the steps a civilization would have to take in order to reach that level. With magic, I could skip most of it and jump straight into the good stuff. Welding? Magic had that covered. Shaping hot metals? Go grab an Earth Warlock. Moving ten thousand pounds of cold steel to a truck for hauling? Ricky over there was an Authority 6 knight, give him a few minutes. Too. Fucking. Easy. It was so easy that it was criminal that this world hadn¡¯t already reached this point. I knew that normal development was a thing but I saw no reason why the Kingdom couldn¡¯t have scaled itself to the modern era yet. Earth¡¯s humanity had moved from wood and paper aircraft to landing on the moon in 66 years. People in this world could live for hundreds of years and they were just barely inventing primitive radios. Maybe I had just come at the perfect time but these people should be exploring the stars by now. In fact, I saw no reason that in my lifetime here, I wouldn¡¯t be able to go to their moon myself. One thing at a time. I put down the full designs for everything in my vision, using a tank as an example. I knew about everything that went into the production of a full tank from start to finish so I detailed those processes and then created new tools to make those processes better. For me it was straightforward. Most of the tools were super simple, just bigger or better versions of what they already had, especially in the case of mining. But things like the assembly line weren¡¯t so. Building them and getting them started would be the difficult part. After the initial learning curve we¡¯d be flying high. During my first day at Wonderland I got every design and enchantment down, as well as every guide and manual I could think of in regard to these tools and their creation and usage. With Orbs it was easy for me to write entire books in minutes and lay down enchantments in seconds. After the first day, with everything on the table and the plan in my head, Sawn and I went to work. All production on normal items including aircraft, Aerials, and all other enchanted items came to a screeching halt and all efforts were redirected. Sawn had already bought a mining company that owned a few mines, among them an iron mine, so we first had our productive capacity dedicated to building the mining equipment from my designs. Sawn also acquired a material processing company so we went and laid the groundwork for a total restructuring of one of their buildings, turning it into a steel plant. It would take some time to tear everything down and rebuild it back up but we had nothing if not money to get it done. Finally, we started the process of restructuring all of our own manufacturing warehouses and facilities within Sawn Industries. Sawn had already started following my instructions when I handed them to him upon my return so they were ready to get revamped. They were the places where we¡¯d be laying down assembly lines, and I had an assembly line designed for almost every single product Sawn Industries produced. One for small enchanted items like Aerials and Mana Engines, one for vehicles like tanks and cars, one for planes, and even facilities for things that took hands like Elemental Crystals. It was only unfortunate that we couldn¡¯t secure our own supply of White Crystals. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Many days passed. The process of just laying the groundwork for each level of industry took a full week. Sawn was often working in the Spire getting his facilities there restructured, and I was working in places like our massive warehouses outside the Capital, the mines, and Wonderland. Umara was with me the whole time, following around, most often quietly, and just watching or helping if she could. More importantly, she was learning about the business. I wanted to get her into enchanting and this was the first step toward that. After the first week, people started getting organized and the project, which seemed like it wasn¡¯t moving at all, started showing notable progress. Facilities were getting built, machines were fielded, and on-the-fly training was starting. The bigger assembly plants, where everything had been torn down, started getting built back up. The second week was spent doing just that, with me almost constantly flying around while on my Aerial, constantly answering questions, constantly correcting mistakes, constantly pushing progress. Thankfully Sawn had trained his summoners and warlocks well. They may not be familiar with the technology but they knew how to follow directions and build things according to specifications. They didn¡¯t have to understand why a machine was built the way it was. They just had to build it correctly. Because of that, I wasn¡¯t spending my time correcting manufacturing defects and was spending most of it simply teaching people how it would be used. That was what filled my third and fourth weeks. I taught the miners how to use their new tools, which basically consisted of telling them how to scoop and dig with bigger buckets and bigger pickaxes. One thing I didn¡¯t need to teach was how to carry out explosive mining, which they already knew how to do. With magic, creating explosions to blast away a bunch of rock was simplicity itself and already ingrained in every warlock. They did that shit for fun. The material processing facilities were the most difficult. After getting barebones logistics sorted, I had to teach them how to operate machines built into entire buildings. Things like operating massive crucibles, making sure you didn¡¯t pour molten iron all over your friends, how to handle and shape tons and tons of red hot steel with huge machines built for that very purpose. Thankfully it wasn¡¯t too dangerous for them. With my built in safety measures and the inherent resilience of knights and defensive spells of warlocks, I didn¡¯t have to worry too much about mistakes, especially since they were only handling base materials, not yet reinforced or enchanted. Sure, a knight could still get crushed under the weight of 60 thousand pounds of iron, but if powerful enough they could actually survive falling into a crucible full of molten metal so long as it wasn¡¯t enhanced by magic. Stupid knights. I just had to make sure that they were processing materials at all. To do that, they had to be taught things, and thankfully summoners learned quickly. I could teach them all at once and then just delegate the management positions to them. They would make sure everything ran how it should. The last thing was the assembly lines, and that was more straightforward than material processing. It was simply following the steps. Metals would be shaped into the plates and pieces the assemblers needed to put together, and then one by one each person would handle a single repetitive job. It was almost brainless, and it was what made it such a good system. One person didn¡¯t have to know the entire design by heart. One person only needed to know the part they were responsible for. One warlock would handle the singular job of welding two certain pieces together, perpetually. They would only receive those two pieces, would only weld those two pieces together, would only hand off that final product. They would do it hundreds of times in a day. It would be mind numbing. But it would be easy. You could still fuck it up but the chances of that happening were far lower than in any other system and it was easy to spot and correct. Getting it set up was the hard part, but even that wasn¡¯t difficult with the power of eager summoners desperate for good pay. Sawn Industries was renowned, a prestigious company that invented and manufactured flight. Everyone wanted to work there because the company was rich and famous. They paid and treated their workers well, and now they were restructuring. There were thousands of new hires but all of them were motivated to perform their best and make bank. And when I showed up personally to make sure things got done right? John Cooper was famous and only second to Sawn himself in company authority. He was a genius summoner, a powerful summoner who survived fighting on the frontlines. Nobody would dare disappoint him. Nobody would dare do things any way but his. Being famous had its perks. Like that the first month of revolution passed. The machines were built, the workers were roughly taught, the buildings were expanded and filled. Not everything had been built but that was what the second month was for. Moving into it, all the problems that cropped up due to operation were stamped out. Again, it was non-stop movement for me going from one place to another trying to sort out all the problems that demanded my attention. Thankfully it was always solved about instantly. I knew everything in and out and the power of my mind made me obscenely efficient. When a problem was posed I could think of everything that could cause it and then rapidly narrow it down when I either received more information about it or looked at it myself. I could handle two dozen things at once with this mind. I couldn¡¯t conceive of doing what I did before advancing to Authority 7. But here I was doing it. I was unstoppable. I provided all the answers. No amount of kinks in the operation could put a stop to my progress. Everything was in my hands. After the new gears in my industry were put into place I started to worry more about logistics. Not everything could be flown everywhere so I slated roads to be built that our own cars and trucks would use to transport materials and products from one place to another. Testing grounds for newly built vehicles and tools were set aside, and distribution centers were placed in a few key cities. Our products would be coveted everywhere, so we made sure they could reach every corner of the Kingdom. Two weeks passed into the second month and it seemed like everything was coming together just as I envisioned. With the facilities built they could start pumping out materials and products and through that, they would sort themselves out. If there were any problems, running the production line would expose them and if it couldn¡¯t be solved by the managers, I was there with the answer. After all, I was too smart to create defects in my designs. I made things as idiot proof as I could and gave them wide tolerances. There was always bound to be a problem but my genius is what allowed me to carry out this revolution in the first place. During that 6th week of revolution though, I finally got the expected letter. I was personally invited to the King¡¯s Assembly. An Assembly to determine the course of action for the future of the military and the fight against the Scourge. All high and mid-level nobles were invited as well as almost every General, Marshal, and Sovereign. I was invited not as a noble or soldier, but as a ¡°Renowned Enchanter of Military Application.¡± The Assembly would take place at the Royal Palace on March 1st, giving me two weeks to prepare. I thought about how I would approach this meeting. Part of me wanted to stay out of trouble and let things continue the way they were. The other part wanted to flip everything upside down and shatter the status quo. I decided that the compromise would be getting what I wanted. I wanted a metal army and I had a feeling that this would be the perfect time to set that up. There would be plenty of people there with the pull I needed to get what I wanted. I just needed enticement. Which I possessed in explosive amounts. Since Sawn had also received a letter, I had him begin planning for the event. We decided to treat it as another showcase, because what better place to advertise our new weapons than a room full of generals talking about war? Of course, we needed to make sure to have some for demonstration, but we were already beginning to churn out operational tanks and armored vehicles for testing. We could easily set some aside and drive them into the capital. It would be a fun little excursion. I¡¯d especially like to see the Third Claw try something this time. If they decided to try and kidnap me again, I¡¯d have to conduct an experiment to see how well the human body fared against a 120mm high explosive shell. Chapter 244: Pompous February 27th, 626 I tuned out Umara¡¯s soft snores, staring at the screen in front of me containing lines of code. I hadn¡¯t been much of a programmer on Earth, though I had dabbled in it, learned a language or two. Unfortunately only the backbone knowledge of that subject was applicable for me here. Sawn was a genius. Before the Aerial, when an enchanter put down an enchantment, the enchantment instructions were fixed and permanent. They never went beyond what the enchantment did, like building a purpose-driven machine. It had clear limits and did nothing beyond what it was intended to do. But Sawn created both hardware that could change and the software to take advantage of it. Being able to program demanded that data storage could change itself, reading and writing and running code. So, Sawn had to make an enchantment that could not just store data like an Orb, but change itself. More than that, it had to be able to change itself without demanding a full re-enchantment from a warlock. It had to be an enchantment that could enchant its own enchantment. This was the most important concept behind Sawn¡¯s Aerial system. He had made the first magical computer and all the systems within it, almost entirely from scratch. He was a genius, and I appreciated that. What I did not appreciate was having to revamp a poorly written assembly language in order to work with Sawn¡¯s tech. The aerials worked on their own specially designed ecosystem and operating system, with their own language to boot. The language was primarily derived from the enchanting language, which was understandable, but it didn¡¯t have to be. It seems like Sawn realized that fact halfway through and made a language that was a mix between raw enchanting and his own invented assembly. It was ridiculous that he managed to make anything work, and so I set off to make a new language that could replace his, one that was far easier to work with. The great thing about it all was the fact that the most raw language that the Aerial spoke wasn¡¯t 1¡¯s and 0¡¯s. It was the esoteric language of Mana and Psyka, and technically, all I had to do was translate it into something a bit more comprehensible. Sawn had already done half the work so I did the other half and made it all cohesive. As for determining the processing power of an Aerial or anything like that, I was stumped. For now I didn¡¯t care and it seemed like the Aerial could process anything I threw at it instantly. I had yet to reach its limits, mainly because I hadn¡¯t yet programmed anything that could possibly force it to struggle. Either way, I had developed my own programming language, gave the documentation to Sawn, and started implementing a certain level of programming with all the things we were making. In order to make any system inside of a tank, plane, vehicle, or weapon automated in any form, it needed to have some level of programming, which I was perfectly fine with implementing. Because of the gearing systems I designed, I made it so that tanks could operate in both autoloader mode and manual mode. Knights could throw in shells easily, and if they weren¡¯t there then the tank driver could have the autoloader do the lifting, just slower than a knight could. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have access to spatial enchantments that could modify spatial storages and codify extraction. If I did I could make it so that a spatial device would automatically deposit a new shell into the chamber when one was fired. With enough engineering it would allow a tank to fire multiple times a second instead of after multiple seconds. I had to manage expectations for now. Anything programmed for vehicles was inserted after the construction process was finished. Since I had hand designed the code, all the builders needed to do was copy the applicable code onto whatever device was needed and insert it. I didn¡¯t have to worry about teaching the programming language, although there were summoners in Wonderland handling that task. Fortunately, everything that I made simply worked. I was too smart to make mistakes, especially with my attention to detail. Preparations for the King¡¯s Assembly were underway and coming along swimmingly. We had our largest tank design fully operational, which was the one we were going to showcase. We also had all of our armored vehicles ready, including superior Steeds, proper APCs, armored cars, and regular cars. We also had new plane designs out, though those weren¡¯t as much of a priority and wouldn¡¯t be showcased. We did have artillery out though, as well as missile systems for aircraft and improved turrets. Not everything would be on display but Sawn and I were ready for shock and awe. On this particular day I just had to shape up a few more programs before pushing them for use, ones for sensor systems that we wanted to install on planes. Of course, I had been working all night in my office. My sleep schedule had recently come down to ¡®whenever I could¡¯ so it was morning and I¡¯d be going to sleep after this was finished. Umara should be waking up later. She had been doing nothing but practicing magic when I wasn¡¯t occasionally teaching her about enchanting or running around with her in tow. But as I put down words I suddenly sensed some new Auras come into the outer office. I ignored it and continued but then they got close to my door and I sensed Boris move to block them. The emotions got agitated. There were two people and I wondered who was ballsy enough to come demanding things in my own fucking office. I pat Umara¡¯s head, and she instantly woke up. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s here. You can go back to sleep.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¡­¡± She sighed and got up, rubbing her eyes as I stood to open the door. As soon as it cracked I heard conversing, thankfully no arguments. One of the people was talking in an overly formal dialect. ¡°...for months. If he¡¯s here we implore you to allow us a word.¡± ¡°Sir.¡± Boris ignored the man and turned when I opened the door. I looked at the newcomers, my patience thin since I was tired. I turned to the obvious man in charge, dressed in a fine suit and obviously rich. Even the butler looked rich, distinguished. ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± ¡°Sir Cooper.¡± The man stuck out his gloved hand, smiling widely. ¡°You can call me Vatsy. I¡¯ve been fighting to meet you for some time. You seem to be a very busy man.¡± ¡°Figure that out all by yourself?¡± I didn¡¯t even glance at his hand, instead frowning at his accent, making a guess. It was masked by this world¡¯s language but it was still distinct. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°I have a proposition,¡± He retrieved his hand and continued smiling, ¡°I was hoping we could discuss a form of partnership.¡± ¡°What form?¡± ¡°More political than financial, since I¡¯m sure you have all the money you could dream of in this world. It may only make you a king over primitives but that¡¯s better than being poor on Earth, is it not?¡± I stared at him for a moment before sighing and waving. ¡°Come in.¡± We walked back into my office, Umara nudging me with her Aura and speaking telepathically. ¡°Another person from your home?¡± ¡°From my planet, yes.¡± ¡°Is that a good thing?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say it guarantees nothing.¡± I sat down in my chair, Umara sitting beside me in her own, leaving Vatsy and his butler to stand. Boris closed the door behind us, waiting outside. I sighed again. ¡°So what do you want?¡± ¡°The Crown intends to impose regulation on your aircraft. Planes and helicopters both, as well as airfields and their management. They want control, and I happen to know people in their primitive instance of a parliament. I can make sure that the regulations don¡¯t come down too hard. After all, I wouldn¡¯t want you to be hindered in your attempt to move this blasted planet forward a few centuries. I quite loathe having to take a wagon everywhere there isn¡¯t a teleporter.¡± ¡°...Here¡¯s my problem with that, Brit.¡± He frowned at my remark while I forced down my drowsiness with my Psyka. ¡°I¡¯m actually quite fine with the Crown imposing restrictions. All it does is hurt them, nothing more than shooting themselves in the foot.¡± ¡°But it would cost you millions of coin, completely eliminating a whole section of your business.¡± ¡°And yet I don¡¯t care.¡± My face remained placid. The Kingdom was being idiotic. No surprises there. But now, I didn¡¯t have much of an issue with that. If they wanted to disadvantage themselves then I would let them, because now, I at least knew that no matter what they did, humanity as a whole would be perfectly fine. I had sent my newest designs produced during my little revolution to the Church. They had everything, and just as I would arm my own army, so too would they arm theirs. Except they would gear up on a much larger scale than I could, with more power behind their industry, and without the stupidity to boot. It could be said that by allowing the Kingdom to degrade their own power, I was preparing for the future. Besides, even if they imposed regulation on the aircraft, the tanks and armor that I was already rolling out would remain unaffected. We had already made plenty of planes, so those wouldn¡¯t be lacking. And as for the bombs, those were produced in Wonderland, securely stockpiled and only distributed to specific clients according to their needs. The Kingdom was only one of those clients, and once I had my army, I wouldn¡¯t need to go through them to get my hands on ordnance. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. I was the source. I was the creator and producer. The Kingdom might have the recipe for themselves but we had the industry. They could produce as much as they wanted for themselves. It wouldn¡¯t stop us from producing dozens of times more. Not to mention, Sawn was so filthy rich that we could buy all the Crystals we wanted from the Church, completely bypassing the Kingdom if we wanted to. I had already set up distribution points in the Holy See and within Wonderland, one of the things I had asked the Pope for. The Kingdom couldn¡¯t stop us because they knew absolutely nothing about our supply line, nor anything else going on in Wonderland. I had hard control over everything I needed to be concerned about. I had a supply of Crystals and we had bought and developed our own chain of material acquisition and processing. I owned the entire industry top to bottom, and I¡¯d never make the mistake of allowing the Kingdom to steal something from me, nor allowing them the opportunity to threaten me again. Their greatest mistake was allowing me to ever leave that room. I sighed and zoned back in on Vatsy. ¡°So? Anything else?¡± ¡°...Is there a reason you believe yourself to be so immune to their machinations? Do you not realize how deep the Kingdom hides its secrets?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking to me about the dark corners of the Kingdom then you¡¯re even more naive about what¡¯s going on than I thought. If that was your only proposal then you can see yourself out. I don¡¯t need political help.¡± ¡°Hang on.¡± He put up his hand right as Boris opened the door. Seeing as the conversation wasn¡¯t done Boris shut it once more. ¡°I know you understand that like you, I¡¯m from Earth as well, John Cooper.¡± ¡°Yeah? And?¡± ¡°Does that hold no weight with you? We must cooperate! There are few of us and this world is out to kill us! If we don¡¯t pool our resources and powers, we¡¯ll fade away and our superiority will die with us!¡± ¡°...See, now I have a problem with you.¡± I took out a cigar, lighting it while staring at Vatsy. I spoke after taking a few puffs, handing it to Umara so she could do the same. ¡°How long have you been here, Vatsy?¡± ¡°I came to this world around 8 years ago.¡± ¡°8 years. Around 4 years before I arrived. And yet, what do you have to show for it? Money? An Auction House? I sense nothing greater than Authority 9 power from you and yet you dare call yourself superior?¡± ¡°My talent is far from being spent. You could not possibly expect me to reach Authority 10 or break the Great Barrier in such a small amount of time. I¡¯m already considered a genius as it is!¡± ¡°And yet there are plenty of natives in this world who have outperformed you. You derive superiority from a bit of money and some shack in a black market? I consider what you¡¯ve done as downright pathetic, especially since you¡¯ve had double the time on this planet as I have.¡± I stood, walking up to him and sticking my finger against his chest, several inches below mine. ¡°I have more money than you. I¡¯ve built planes using this world¡¯s magic. I¡¯m about to roll out new machines of war. I¡¯ve been on the front lines and I¡¯ve killed more monsters than you can count. I¡¯ve revolutionized this world and I¡¯m just getting started. Yet the only reason I know who you are is because I¡¯ve been to a couple of your parties. I¡¯m a fucking legend and you¡¯re just some obscure figure in a black market playing the pompous Englishman. You¡¯ve. Done. Fuck. All.¡± I jabbed my finger against him with every annunciation, feeling my anger rise. ¡°So don¡¯t come here expecting to ride my coattails just because we come from the same rock. And don¡¯t you dare ever call yourself superior to anything but a steaming pile of dog shit again. You¡¯re a coward with misplaced priorities, focusing on playing politics and hoarding money instead of using your talent to solve the real problem. I could¡¯ve come to this world full of Earth¡¯s technology and springboarded from there but instead I find it a rotting swamp. Now I¡¯m left to fix it myself, all because a sorry excuse of a man, a fucking Brit, couldn¡¯t muster the balls to be anything more than a fucking waste of oxygen.¡± I felt a pistol appear in my hand, so I pressed it against his head, feeling the fear in his Aura despite his face remaining frozen. ¡°Unless you have something valuable to bring to this world, don¡¯t ever show your face to me again. Otherwise I might just kill you and wield your assets myself. Perhaps then your life would be of some value.¡± I continued looking into his shaking eyes a bit longer before sensing his butler get angry. I glanced at the older man before pulling away my gun and turning to walk back to my chair. ¡°Take your dog and leave. I have nothing more to say to you.¡± He stood there for a few more seconds before leaving silently. Boris peeked inside the open door before closing it once more, leaving Umara and I alone. ¡­¡­ Umara watched John walk over to his chair and stand beside it. He seemed calm, even though he sounded angry when talking with Vatsy. She hadn¡¯t expected him to treat the man like that, but she could understand. Still, she felt something when he got close. He set his hand gently on the back of his chair. The movement was smooth. There was no hidden thought behind it, no hesitation, no emotion. He simply set his hand down. Perhaps that¡¯s why she felt something off about it. The lack of emotion, the lack of anger, frustration, sadness, happiness, despair. All the common emotions that she could see in everyone else, that everyone had at least a little of. There was none of it. Maybe that¡¯s why she felt scared, why she had to stop herself from flinching when he grabbed the chair and slammed it across his desk full of screens and esoteric devices. ¡°FUCK!¡± He screamed, his rage overflowing all at once, previously perfectly withdrawn as if he truly were perfectly fine. He was so good at hiding it. ¡°FUCK THIS GODDAMNED ROCK! FUCK THESE WORTHLESS FUCKING IDIOTS! CAN¡¯T DO ANYTHING BETTER THAN SERVE AS SCOURGE FODDER!¡± Her eyes flickered as he threw the chair against the wall. It was a steel chair with reinforcement enchantments and yet he left finger impressions in it. Her eyes snapped toward him, her heart pounding and circulating mana. She knew she wouldn¡¯t have to fight her boyfriend and yet her body was telling her otherwise. She had to force down the effects of her adrenaline, force herself to calm down. She felt a bit of sweat bead on her forehead. She had seen what this man was capable of. She was confident that she had nothing to worry about. But volatility was scary, especially when you couldn¡¯t see it coming. She opened her mouth and almost choked, forcing herself to take a breath and prepare her words, lest she show her fear. ¡°John.¡± ¡°...Sorry.¡± He simmered down almost instantly, but something about that pissed her off. She frowned. ¡°Was that really necessary? He came to help.¡± ¡°He came to leech.¡± ¡°It was a transaction, like many others. You could use political help, and you know that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it. As I said, they¡¯ll only be hurting themselves.¡± ¡°Unless they institute restrictions that you¡¯ll inevitably break. Then you¡¯ll only give them the excuses that they need to bring down the hammer. I know how this works John. Probably more than you.¡± She walked up to him, enough adrenaline pumping through her system to make her think she was about to face an Authority 10. She reached out and grabbed his chin, moving his head so he was looking straight at her. ¡°You¡¯re burning bridges before they can even form. I know you¡¯re mad at their incompetence but kicking them to the side when they try to help is how you make enemies, and we¡¯ve got enough as it is.¡± ¡°If Vatsy has any brain he¡¯ll help me anyway. If he doesn¡¯t then he¡¯ll only confirm that he¡¯s too stupid for me to even consider him as an ally. And if he stands against me out of spite, then I¡¯ll kill him and take him for what he¡¯s worth.¡± ¡°And how much damage would be done in the process? By that time, you¡¯d probably be forced to retreat to the Church lest the Kingdom hunt you as a traitor! You know what the correct answer here is! You¡¯re just too pissed to be diplomatic!¡± ¡°No fucking shit, Umara!¡± She forced herself not to recoil at another surge in rage, not to react to the deep seated madness that peeked out from within his Aura. It was something she had never seen in him before. Something she had only glimpsed in the psychos of the black markets. Something that Royals on the battlefield were filled with. His voice fell low. Finally, she could see his depths. It was ugly. It was hateful. ¡°I¡¯m sick and tired of it. I¡¯m sick and fucking tired of sheer fucking stupidity getting in my way! If I only had to deal with the natives of this world then I would understand the Scourge still being a problem. But now I find out that there are more people from Earth, and not only have they refused to do anything with their talent, but they¡¯ve been hiding away with knowledge that will make the Scourge a fucking cakewalk to exterminate! It¡¯s all being left to me to fucking fix! I¡¯m the one who has to take all the fucking risk! I¡¯m the one who has to lose my friends! All because they couldn¡¯t use their fucking brains! The Scourge shouldn¡¯t be a fucking problem and yet their idiocy has killed millions!¡± Umara held her ground even though she could feel his Aura spread through the room so thickly that it stung her own, forcing her to pull it back into her body. Even after her Crown, his still remained wholly superior. She didn¡¯t know how powerful he had become in the past month or so. What she did know was that he was too smart to reason with. He had all the answers. He knew every path. She couldn¡¯t fathom his intellect nor the depths of his schemes. There was no reasoning with him because he had already reasoned everything. No, there were only two ways to change his course. The first was by arguing his principles, which was nearly just as impossible. The other way was by taking the issue out of his hands. Umara settled on her solution as he leaned forward. Perhaps he sensed her come to her conclusion. No, she knew he had sensed her. He was the master of the mind. There was little hiding from him. She could feel his rage-filled breath brush her face. ¡°Give me a good reason why I shouldn¡¯t just kill him and wield his assets for myself. Give me a good reason why I shouldn¡¯t just kill those who get in my way and take the tools I need to win this war.¡± ¡°...Where would it end?¡± Her eyes became firm, staring right back into those golden irises. ¡°Are you going to kill everyone? When others come to face you because you killed someone connected to them, are you going to kill them too? Why don¡¯t you just go and start a rebellion?! It seems to be the most fitting course of action for your logic!¡± He was silent. She knew he had thought it out. He had thought out everything he¡¯d need to do should he actually go through with killing Vatsy. He knew the repercussions and he knew how he¡¯d need to deal with them. He had pondered overthrowing the King. She knew he had. He knew the steps he¡¯d have to take to become King himself, and if he set his mind to it, she knew he could achieve that. But it wasn¡¯t about what he could do. It was about what he wanted. At least right now it was. She pressed. ¡°But you don¡¯t want to deal with that bullshit! I know it doesn¡¯t feel like it but those people do have some value to bring! They may not be pushing themselves to their greatest potential like you are, but that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re worthless enough to kill! You¡¯re just too angry to handle them and play nice! You know the smartest route involves diplomacy and you know that the greatest value comes from making them willingly work in your favor! Just because you hate politics doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t know it¡¯s the right answer to all of this!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t-!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not fucking finished!¡± She interrupted, feeling so much anger surge up in his Aura that for a second she thought he might bring out a gun and put a bullet through her eye socket. Her voice fell, and she spoke before his rage could build more, lest he block her out entirely. ¡°You also have someone who can play politics, who knows how to play the noble game. Someone who¡¯s good at putting on a smile and getting what she wants out of people. As your partner, she¡¯ll happily wield her skills to help you, to take angering problems off your hands and bring you the beneficial solution. She¡¯s not going to let you figure everything out on your own, but she also asks that you come to her for help. Not because you have no other choice, but because she¡¯s your most treasured ally, who you trust to handle things as you need them to be handled.¡± From the fourth word she felt his anger start simmering down. By the end, while he was still pissed, it was no longer overwhelming. It was like he had never considered the fact that she was there to help him. Perhaps he hadn¡¯t. With so many things going on that only he could handle, he had forgotten that she was even there. He muttered, as if reluctantly considering. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to have to play politics.¡± ¡°Dear, I¡¯m not forced to go back to that world. If I go back, it¡¯ll be because I have something to fight for, which means I¡¯m willing to. You¡¯re not asking me to dive into politics. You¡¯re asking me to help you. Leave it at that, and let me handle the rest.¡± ¡°...Fine.¡± ¡°Fine what?¡± She smiled, making John sigh. ¡°Umara, could you please go to Vatsy and find out what he wants, see if he can be of use to us?¡± ¡°Why yes, dear. I would be more than happy to help you in this busy time. Boris!¡± The assistant opened the door, Umara¡¯s voice having reverberated through the walls. She smiled at him. ¡°Please send someone to catch Vatsy before he leaves. I need to speak with him.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± He rushed out, Umara turning back and patting John¡¯s cheek before walking off. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a short while. You can get some shut eye until then.¡± ¡°Yes, dear.¡± She sauntered out, closing the door behind her. Only then did she finally let out a shuddering breath, her legs feeling weak for a short time as she walked out of the office to go catch the pompous Englishman. Chapter 245: Would Be Wiser February 27th, 626 Umara took a sip from her cup of tea, rather impressed with the flavor. The butler set down the kettle and stood to the side, ready to serve them should they indicate. She and Vatsy remained silent for a few moments, Umara scrutinizing his Aura, even though she had already done so before. Perhaps it was the talent of those who came from Earth, but Vatsy was still impressive despite John¡¯s general disgust for his lack of urgency. An Authority 9 Warlock after only 8 years of casual work and advancement, having started late in his life since he came from Earth as an adult. He really was a genius by every metric. Even his Aura was developed. But not as much as it could be. If John and Aki were any indication, people from Earth had endless potential. John hadn¡¯t been able to sense the depths of Aki¡¯s Aura and his was greater than Umara¡¯s. The fact that Umara could clearly see the bounds of Vatsy¡¯s Aura meant that, as John said, he really was too lazy. The man spoke and interrupted her thoughts. ¡°So, Madam Talerria. Can I assume you¡¯ve come in John¡¯s stead?¡± ¡°I have. I¡¯d like to start with an apology. John is still on edge. I hope you can understand and forgive, considering what we¡¯ve recently come back from.¡± She saw Vatsy frown, reluctance filling him. Being called lesser than a steaming pile of dog shit certainly wasn¡¯t conducive to healthy relations, but if Vatsy was worth his salt then he certainly knew what had happened two months ago on the frontlines. It was an attempt not to earn his sympathy, but force him to bend despite the poor treatment. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like Umara disagreed with what John said. She was pissed too. She just found it difficult to show it when John was overflowing with hatred and rage. He had enough for both of them. And she only needed to repair relations enough to get something out of Vatsy, perhaps spare him from John¡¯s wrath. She didn¡¯t want to see him walk down that road unnecessarily. Vatsy acknowledged Umara¡¯s apology with a few moments of silence before moving on. ¡°I can assume you will be at the King¡¯s Assembly?¡± ¡°Yes, as will John.¡± ¡°It was described as a meeting to discuss the future of the military¡¯s battle against the Scourge, but it is more an opportunity for political change. Nobles from all corners will be swept into this storm and they all want to ensure the continuity of their lines. This means favors and new laws, especially regarding weapons that can affect the life and death of their growing children in the military.¡± Umara nodded, finally realizing what was going to be happening. Sure, Vatsy wanted a piece of the gargantuan pie known as Sawn Industries, but it wasn¡¯t as if he had come without something in exchange. The recent fall of the Treehouse and Stronghold Charlie meant that Nobles would have to step up to ensure the Scourge couldn¡¯t simply march across the River of Desolation. But of course, they didn¡¯t see the Scourge itself as an issue to fix, but an inevitable problem that they had to protect themselves against at the expense of others. When fighting resulted in nothing but losses, they chose to avoid it rather than solve it. The King¡¯s Assembly, in a way, had nothing to do with the fight against the Scourge. It was a political battleground and Vatsy had come to John looking to help protect him and his new industry from the turmoil. It would naturally demand favors from John but that¡¯s what it meant to be political allies. There were no prices in this game, only promises. And you couldn¡¯t make promises without the reputation to back them, which John had just shattered in Vatsy¡¯s mind. Umara felt her head ache thinking about how she would go about this, but at the same time, she wasn¡¯t too worried. She changed the subject once more. ¡°You and John are from the same place, yes?¡± ¡°Something like that. You could think of us as people from two different distant cities.¡± ¡°On the planet Earth, right?¡± Vatsy eyed her, Umara resting back into her chair while combing her hair. She was glad that her hair had grown quickly in the last two months. It was back to resting between her shoulder blades, just as she liked it. But it was no longer gray. It was sheer white and subtly glowing silver, like the light from the King Blood of Unholy Light. Even her eyebrows and eyelashes were white. She had been jarred when the little strands of hair had come back in and revealed their color, but she had also found that it afforded her the mystique to captivate others when she talked. She was regularly stared at everywhere John brought her. He had described to her the ethereal nature of her voice and presence due to the Crown. She decided that it was perfectly suited toward things like this. She smiled. ¡°I heard about everything from John. You two are otherworlders, from Earth. He says he¡¯s from Texas.¡± ¡°Of course he is.¡± ¡°But I suppose like in every place, there are divisions between peoples. What is it that he called you?¡± ¡°I am from England, of the United Kingdom on the island of Great Britain. That is all you need to know.¡± Umara chuckled. John had shown her a map of his world, educated her on the difference between his United States and other countries. It seemed to be a great source of his pride, to be from America, because unlike her world, Earth was full of different nations. It was like the feud between the Church and Kingdom, except between nearly 200 different countries. She was no longer surprised that he hadn¡¯t cared about making Vatsy angry. He didn¡¯t care that they were from the same world. Vatsy was from Europe, which John seemed to regard with some disdain according to his descriptions of the various continents of Earth, though not as much disdain as others. She decided to play dumb. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know much about the differences between your allegiances, but I do agree with your previous words. You and John are a scarce breed. There are not many from Earth and it is good to take care of each other in an unfamiliar world.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to think so.¡± ¡°No, he just doesn¡¯t care. John Cooper has built himself an empire that, in recent months, has become bigger than anybody realizes. He coins the phrase, ¡°Too big to fail.¡± Whatever the context, John doesn¡¯t need your help. He¡¯ll get by just fine because in the end, he¡¯s the one in control of the industry. The Crown can¡¯t take that away from him with any amount of legislation. And perhaps the main reason why he disregarded you in not so nice terms is because you have failed to realize that.¡± Umara¡¯s smile never left her face, Vatsy¡¯s becoming uglier. ¡°I have come here today, Vatsy, because I believe John wasn¡¯t entirely correct in his judgement. We do want your help, but the price must be in accord with what you give. You will soon learn of what John Cooper has done to Sawn Industries, the things he has made, the scale he has expanded to. He plans to treat the upcoming Assembly as a showcasing event. This is to say, if you want to help us, you should do so before Sawn Industries skyrockets in value once more. Take it as a gesture of my goodwill, to warn you of the recent changes.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°...What do you believe my services to be worth?¡± ¡°I think you should answer that for yourself. I will not demand anything of you now, and I will give you nothing now. But I believe your help will be valuable. I want to expect it during the Assembly.¡± ¡°You expect me to help you with nothing to show for it? Do you believe I work for free?¡± ¡°Do you want the favor of John Cooper?¡± Umara asked in retort, the smile fading. ¡°You said it yourself, Vatsy. You want to be safe. You want protection. You want to know that if the Kingdom falls into the gutter, that you¡¯ll still have a way out. You don¡¯t want to be chained to those you deem lesser. John Cooper is, for all intents and purposes, the sole controller of the behemoth known as Sawn Industries, perhaps the only entity besides the Kingdom and the Church as a whole that can guarantee such safety. There¡¯s nobody better for protection than they who produce weapons of war. So if you want in, then you¡¯ll need to earn our trust, not the other way around.¡± ¡°Prove myself to you? Do you not know what I own? Not even John Cooper can know the depth of connections and influence I have through the Polaris Market and the Royal Family.¡± ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t know. But he also doesn¡¯t care, not unless it affects him one way or another. If you stay neutral then he¡¯ll continue on as he has. But if you help him, show him that you really can assist him in a meaningful way, he won¡¯t just befriend you, but he¡¯ll make sure you can continue to operate as you have. I¡¯ve seen his generosity.¡± ¡°An American being generous?¡± ¡°Believe it or not, Vatsy. I speak it to you as it is. It¡¯s up to you to decide what side you want to be on before the Assembly.¡± Umara stood, barely holding back a roll of the eye. ¡°We can discuss more on the day of the Assembly, if you wish. You can contact me through my Aerial.¡± Umara put out her wrist, Vatsy watching before finally standing and tapping his Aerial to hers. Their info was exchanged, Vatsy muttering. ¡°What are you to him? You are the daughter of a Duchess. Does he intend to marry you?¡± ¡°That is the hope. Is there a problem with that? Am I too lowly?¡± ¡°I have said those words not because your people are less than human, but because of the knowledge that we possess. If you¡¯ve been told anything about Earth then you know that the technology we wield isn¡¯t fathomable to you. Our superiority comes from our knowledge of the universe.¡± ¡°My knowledge of the most powerful teleportation spells does not make me a Sovereign. I would be fatally arrogant to think it does.¡± Vatsy was silent, Umara turning to walk out. ¡°Good day, Vatsy.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­ March 1st, 626 ¡°I appreciate you, Hans. I know you must be busy.¡± ¡°Of course, sir. We would never allow you to present yourself at the King¡¯s Assembly without suitable wear. Please, enjoy yourself knowing you¡¯ll look among the most majestic.¡± ¡°Thank you. I will.¡± I grabbed three rings from Hans, walking out of the dark store. The few pairs of suits that I had bought from this place long ago were still nice, but now that I had all the money I could ever want, I decided that I needed to spend a bit more. Even Umara had come here to get herself some dresses, though I haven¡¯t seen them yet. I headed back to the Hotel and once I was in my room, I went to the bedroom. Umara was in the bathroom when I announced myself. It seemed she was hiding until she was presentable. I quickly got changed as well. I put one of the rings on my left index finger, and my clothes vanished into it. Then they were replaced by my newest suit, the most pristine and luxurious set of clothing I had ever owned. Umara and I decided to go with a black theme, both because neither of us wanted to wear flashy colors and to symbolize our mourning for the people we lost during the retreat from the Treehouse. The suit was a set of black pants and shoes, both of them a matte that drank the light. My top was composed of four layers. The shirt was pure black. The vest was black with slightly discernable dark purple trim. The coat was black with individual fine purple threads that traveled in an artistically weaved design across the entire body, only seen with a subtle flash if the light hit it just right. It wrapped my torso tight enough to fit and display my form but not tight enough to look like a wrap. Then there was an additional overcoat that went down to my shins, also with the same purple accent threads, but additionally interweaved with thin silver metal thread to match Umara. Thankfully my hair had grown back quickly enough to style it well for this occasion, as did Umara¡¯s. I was able to simply comb it back, so there was no need for a hat. I also left a bit of stubble. Umara said she liked it so I decided not to shave it clean. I looked at myself in the full body mirror of the room, extremely pleased with how everything came out. I didn¡¯t think I could ever look this good, but seeing it now, I supposed it was a matter of course. I was handsome as it was. I could pull off anything. I heard the door click, about to turn around before hearing Uamra. ¡°Face the window! I¡¯m not adjusted yet¡­¡± I turned away with a smile, taking a step to the side while Umara hurriedly took the mirror. After a handful of seconds though I turned back around, seeing her gown. She was wearing a full length dress with a leg slit at her thigh. All black, it had the same thin silver metal thread woven through it just above the slit, blooming into the design of roses. Around her chest it rose into lace, exposing some cleavage and the bulk of it ending at the height below her shoulder, more lace extending around her arms and resting at the bicep before dropping down to cover her arms in thin sleeves. Then across her upper chest and shoulders were thin strands of thread that weaved into a filigree lace choker adorned with intricate silver and subtle White Crystal jewels. I saw her ear cuff for the witch hat, tying it all together well with her styled hair, freely flowing but still nobly kept. She put the finishing touches on a few strands of hair before staring at herself. I walked behind her, searing her image into my mind. ¡°How do I look, do I look alright?¡± She tilted her head back, looking up at me. ¡°You look beautiful.¡± I put a hand on her arm, putting us together as we judged our profiles in the mirror. I sighed slightly. I couldn¡¯t even blink. I was captivated. ¡°You are the most beautiful woman I could ever conceive of.¡± She silently looked back down at the mirror, barely holding back a smile as we simply stood there, her body leaning against mine. It was only after a full minute that she muttered. ¡°We¡¯re going to catch a lot of eyes.¡± ¡°That was inevitable. Let them look. Let them be jealous.¡± I bent down and kissed her neck, her hand reflexively moving to my own and clenching it slightly. Her body writhed a bit, a hot breath coming out and surprising me. ¡°You alright?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. I¡¯ve just been a bit more¡­ sensitive, lately.¡± ¡°This is about the time for the Crown to finish settling in. Is it painful?¡± ¡°No, not painful. Quite the opposite¡­¡± My brows raised a bit as her face and neck flushed. I lowered my hand, deciding to test something. I brushed my palm over her thigh, sliding it into the slit in her dress and moving in. Her breath shuddered. Sensitive indeed. She had been completely cold over the last two months, absolutely nothing able to get her in the mood. I hadn¡¯t cared since I was either busy or tired 24/7 anyway, but she had been a bit depressed because she thought it was the side effect of being sterile. Now though, it seemed like those instincts of hers were coming back in full force. Terrace had told us it would take around two months for the Crown to settle in completely, especially since the King Blood wasn¡¯t the only ingredient. The timeline was matching, so maybe her reproductive system was finally active again. A good sign. ¡°Y-You shouldn¡¯t¡­ We¡¯d be late.¡± ¡°Hmm, I suppose that would be wiser.¡± My hand moved in anyway, finding a thin undergarment that came with her dress, and feeling it already sopping wet. She clutched my neck harder as my fingers glided over the soft wet fabric, pushing, pressing, and kneading my way around. Her neck flushed red along with her face as I looked ahead at the mirror, taking in the sweet, agonizing picture of her face. ¡°So, I¡¯m thinking we wear the gold accent suit and dress tomorrow. We can save purple for the last day. What do you think?¡± ¡°Sou¡­ Go¡­ Fuck¡­¡± ¡°You know, since the third meeting will be followed by a gala, and we can¡¯t wear the same thing all three days. That would be so ignoble.¡± ¡°Shu¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± I glanced back down at her as she pulled on my neck. ¡°Shut up¡­ and kiss me.¡± ¡°Well, if you insist.¡± I smiled and went in for some tongue, simultaneously slipping my hand under her undergarment. Her body arched, her breath hitching as her fingernails threatened to split my skin in climax. We stayed that way with locked lips until around a minute later, when she finally came back down from her high enough to speak. Her breathing picked back up as well, as if she was tired, her skin from her upper chest to the tops of her ears completely flushed. ¡°Holy¡­ shit¡­¡± ¡°I know. And we¡¯re only two minutes late. Should we run?¡± ¡°N-No, I need to change¡­¡± She got embarrassed since her undergarment was basically soiled now, fluid dripping down her legs. I picked her up and carried her to the room. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll help clean up.¡± Chapter 246: Apocryon March 1st, 626 The outside of the Royal Palace was as luxurious as someone would expect. Massive pillars held up a huge stone roof 150 feet above a man¡¯s head. With no walls, the pillars surrounded a floor of white and gold tiles that gleamed with the sun¡¯s light. The entire structure looked, from any Earthling¡¯s eyes, like an oversized Greek temple such as the Parthenon. It was merely the entrance to the Palace as a whole, an open air plaza for those visiting. Two large and pristinely cleaned roads led in and out of the plaza where currently, a few dozen carriages and closed vehicles rolled into. Just outside the plaza was a cluster of helipads bringing in the nobles who were rich enough to order a helicopter and influential enough to have already gotten one despite the months long queue. There were dozens of people within the plaza itself already, most lingering around standing tables that servants brought small foodstuffs and pastries to. The doors leading into the Palace proper had yet to be opened, as it wasn¡¯t yet the designated time the King had decreed to enter. Not that any disrespectful noble would ever be late. All intended to arrive early, before the doors opened, and they would all wait for the King, not the other way around. More and more people gathered. Nobles, rich merchants, Generals, Brigadiers, Marshals, Sovereigns, famous enchanters, celebrities of the arts, their families, and anybody else who had the clout to find a way to be here at this historic gathering. A King¡¯s Assembly hadn¡¯t been called in over 20 years. They were only called for matters that concerned the Kingdom as a whole, matters that demanded the attention of everyone with a smidge of authority or influence to their name. Those who received the request to present themselves were the most critical. They could bring whoever they wished, and nobody outside of the requested or their entourage could show themselves. This meant everyone who was present within the Palace would have a connection of some form to the most important people in the Kingdom. This made it the most seismic gathering of people in the world, and made the Assembly a time of extreme change and turmoil. Four hours past sunrise there were already 300 people gathered, the number constantly rising as vehicles ejected their occupants. Opulent carriages gilded with gold, White Crystals, and the insignias of families from all corners of the Kingdom came and went without end. Beautiful women, rich men, and people of disastrous power filled the large plaza. A few hundred servants rushed about to make sure that each of their needs and wants were catered to while the personal servants coordinated with the Palace servants to make sure masters couldn¡¯t be displeased. Counts were common and Earls and Marquesses were rising in population. At some point Dukes and Duchesses started to arrive, most of them wearing a half cape or sash denoting their military careers with medals and insignias. Six hours past sunrise and the plaza was looking crowded despite its expanse. Chatter reverberated off the ceiling, which was covered in vast art pieces depicting the glory of past figures of the Kingdom. Everyone was distracted or in conversation, speaking with political allies and opponents, networking or referring to old promises and debts. The battle had already started and yet like the snacks, they were only a taster, an appetizer before the main dish. Talexia disembarked from a vehicle only an hour before the Palace doors were supposed to open. Her arrival was announced, as it was for other Marquesses and Dukes, and she caught most eyes. Faey and Ikhor were with her, both of them stepping out, dressed in their best for the occasion. There was nothing more formal than this, all three of them presenting completely new clothes designed especially for this occasion. The three walked in, Faey standing left of her mother and Ikhor right of his wife. Their faces were neutral, Faey allowing a small smile as she glanced around at the statues and artwork along the pillars. Once they had arrived at a small table nearest to the doors to the Palace, Faey sighed and glanced at her mother. ¡°When were Umara and John coming?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. They said they would be here not long after us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send her a message.¡± Faey tapped her Aerial with a smile, sending a quick message. Then she waited, other people coming up to her parents for talks. Some of her friends flagged her down as well, so she went to mingle. 10 minutes passed, then 20, and she still hadn¡¯t gotten a response. When 30 minutes had gone by, Umara messaged back and said they¡¯d be there soon. She sighed and waited some more, wondering what was holding them up so long. They were already in the capital and supposed to be nearby. John¡¯s house wasn¡¯t that far, so it couldn¡¯t take them long. She was slightly absentminded with her friends, all noble girls from other households that she had clung to at the Magisterium. She just wanted to see John. She continued to glance at the road leading into the Plaza where more carriages and vehicles rolled into, dropping off nobles and celebrities with greater and greater renown. She tried to figure out which one could be theirs but was always disappointed to see other faces pop through the doors. She turned away and focused on her conversation with her friends. Trying to pick him out would be no good with this many people and vehicles. But then she started to hear murmurs, glancing around before a shout came from the front. She and her friends snapped their heads to the road, eyes widening when they saw the vehicle. No, it was no vehicle. It was a metal monster. A behemoth. It came rolling across the road on two rough sets of metal double treads, standing 17 feet tall, 60 feet long, and 45 feet wide. Its body was completely covered in slanted plates of metal armor, all of them stacked with thick enchantments that visibly glowed with power. On top of its main body were two thick barrels mounted on two separately rotating segments, one on top of the other. The barrels were 15 feet long and the hole in them were 5 inches in diameter. There were also four double barrel manned turrets, one on each corner of the tank. Faey stood and ran over, watching as the tank rolled into the plaza and forced crowds apart as it crushed some tables and parked itself right in the middle of the area. It was monstrous, Faey reading the name plastered on its side in crude paint. Regret. The two main guns rotated to face two different directions before it screeched to a halt. Royal guards were already swarming it, surrounding it and pointing at it with spears, looking hilariously pitiful as a result. It sat there for several seconds. In that time, Dukes moved closer, and a couple of Grand Dukes emerged from within the Palace, the doors finally opening. Faey gawked when a hatch suddenly opened on the body and saw John climb out. He stepped onto the metal armor beside the massive gun, then reached down, a soft hand responding with a reach and taking his. Umara emerged, strikingly beautiful, her ethereal presence compelling everyone¡¯s attention . Faey¡¯s eyes snapped back to John though, soaking up every bit of sharp masculinity radiating from that large frame. Why her sister had to be blessed with that man, she didn¡¯t know, but her envy was a foe she fought often. The two climbed down the tank gracefully, Umara floating down with air magic and John¡¯s shoes affording him the same capability. They landed together and quickly earned the intimate blades of the guards. ¡°State your identity!¡± John looked at them with indifference, as if he couldn¡¯t see their spears pointed right at him. In his hand appeared the gilded letter from the King, stamped with the Royal seal, and he flourished it as confidently as he should. ¡°I am John Cooper, allowed entry by the King¡¯s summons. If you¡¯re intending on threatening a guest, then go ahead, keep pointing those spears at me.¡± ¡°We are the King¡¯s Guard.¡± A man suddenly walked through the crowds, large and overbearing in presence, with shined, intricate armor covering his body and a cape that flowed behind his steps. The Marshal of the Royal Guard, rumored to soon be advancing to Authority 12. He had a gray beard but his presence was only bolstered by his age. Wisdom tempered by years. Lethality tempered by battles. Everyone backed away from him as far as they could before being stopped by those who still wanted to get a good look. He stepped up to John, both of them the same height. John didn¡¯t feel as overwhelming as the Marshal but there was still something about him that kept him in the minds of others. Perhaps it was the massive metal beast behind him. The surrounding guards all lifted their spears. With the Marshal here, there was no more need to be on guard. He alone was enough to secure the area from anything short of a Sovereign. Faey was nervous, the two looking like they were about to fight to the death. ¡°We ensure the sanctity of the Royal Family from all threats, no matter who or where. What is this thing you¡¯ve brought, and why have you driven it into the Plaza of the Royal Palace?¡± ¡°Well, how nice of you to ask!¡± John smiled nefariously, turning and waving to the mountain of cold steel behind him. Faey looked closer at the surface of the metal, suddenly seeing engravings across the body of the monstrosity. She saw names, ages, words beneath them. As she concentrated on it, she started to hear voices echo in her mind. The words started to radiate in her vision, feelings of desolation welling up within her. Goosebumps rose upon her skin, her breath hitching in fear when she realized what those words were, who the names belonged to. The crowds nearby, which started to chatter, hushed as the vehicle began to impose its weight upon the Plaza. ¡°This is a gift, Marshal. A monument! To you, it will soon be known as the M300 Superheavy Battle Tank. 640 thousand pounds of cold steel, enchanted to the Authority 9 standard. Two 5 inch smoothbore main guns capable of launching a 50 pound projectile at nearly 2500 meters per second. Four double barrel high-explosive spell turrets. All terrain treads, and a full environmental seal with vacuum rated self-sustainment capabilities. It is a warrior unto itself, a weapon the likes of which this world has never seen. But to me¡­¡± John¡¯s face fell, his gaze forlorn, the entire Plaza falling silent. Yet Faey could hear the screams. She could hear the spellfire, smell the blood, dirt, and metal. She gazed at one of the names carved into the armor of the tank. Gerul Fazenborn, 29 years old. And she didn¡¯t merely read the words underneath. They flashed through her mind. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. The cold blizzard, a Steed being upturned as hundreds of monsters swarmed them. ¡°Jump out! Bring up a line! Fuck, we aren¡¯t going out like this! I refuse to die like this! Fucking kill them! Bring up-!¡± The flashing memory was suddenly interrupted, Faey¡¯s body jerking when she nearly felt the massive talon of a horrible monster rip through her neck. She felt sweat bead on her neck, realizing what this construct was. These were the death throes of the fallen, the echoes of the dead, all of them inscribed into the metal of that tank. She pulled her eyes away and focused on John. ¡°This Battle Tank is what could have been. If I had enough time, this would¡¯ve been the weapon to hold the line. It is a weapon that will save millions, and yet it hadn¡¯t been made in time to save those who needed it most. So Marshal! This is my gift to the King! To the Kingdom as a whole I bestow this machine of war! Revel in its harrowing beauty! I want all to gaze upon what could have been! And then I want them to remember this as we hold deliberations. John walked up to the Marshal, to his side, and spoke in a low tone that yet everyone could hear, only just barely above the screams radiating from glimpses at the tank. He glanced at the letter still in his hand and whisked it away. ¡°I am here at the request of the King, Marshal. But I am not here as an enchanter or inventor, and I did not respond because of his request.¡± ¡°Then, whose authority do you present yourself by?¡± ¡°Not authority, Marshal.¡± John waved toward the tank, the screams, the bloodshed, the echoes of death radiating from the metal and images imposing themselves onto the Marshal¡¯s mind. ¡°I am here as their Envoy. Do not deny their voice.¡± John¡¯s arm lowered as he continued walking, Umara¡¯s arm linked to his. The cries of the slaughtered, their throes of regret, spilled forth from the metal coffin. Not afraid they wouldn¡¯t be heard, but a condemnation to those who knew they deserved it, and a reminder to the naive and heedless. Those who the Assembly had been called for were here. He was here, who carried their afflictions. ¡­¡­ ¡­ The sound of heavy breathing echoed from an alleyway, yet no passerby could see any figures when they walked by, dismissing it as a hallucination or trick of the wind. Until there was a sudden blast of power, and a body came shooting out, colliding with another building and cracking the reinforced stone wall. Some black market buildings were built sturdier than others, yet the one who crashed into it lamented that fact, every ounce of impact shooting through her body. She clenched her teeth, forcing herself to stand, yet feeling her knee give out. She looked down and noticed a bloody line there. Her tendon hadn¡¯t been cut but for some reason her mind didn¡¯t seem to believe that. She couldn¡¯t seem to use her leg. The attacker appeared in front of her, an invisible blade snaking its way around. She couldn¡¯t see it, but that hadn¡¯t stopped her from feeling every ounce of dread the blade carried. The number of battles it had been through, the number of lives it had reaped, both human and Scourge. She couldn¡¯t yet fathom its abyssal depths, and that was merely what that blade carried. She looked up, seeing her attacker step out of his invisibility. It was a casual show of unfathomable skill that she couldn¡¯t hope to match, which pissed her off to no end. She moved to attack again but he raised his hand in protest. ¡°Stop. You¡¯re losing the point of this fight. Again.¡± ¡°...I know what the point is.¡± She spoke, yet her head fell, as if she didn¡¯t believe her own words. He sighed. ¡°Theoretically, you do. But your body doesn¡¯t reflect that. Nothing you¡¯ve done in the past 20 minutes has been for the sake of unearthing your Aura. This fight is an opportunity and you¡¯re treating it like a game of survival. Too much time on the battlefield.¡± Plex clicked his tongue, looking down at Tana¡¯s pitiful figure. She was bruised and beaten, but according to him, that was all for the sake of learning. When pain was associated with failure, avoiding pain meant success. A simple formula that didn¡¯t seem to be working as he had intended. ¡°At least you don¡¯t complain as much as John though. Or demand as much. After all the things I¡¯ve done for him, and he ditches me to run off to the military with his girlfriend and make his riches. Then he dumps his friend on me for training without another word. Or even a token of payment!¡± ¡°I apologize for being the burden that I am.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like apologies.¡± Tana chuckled at that. ¡°John says the same thing.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t compare me to that ungrateful buffoon! I don¡¯t like apologies because I prefer money instead! It has nothing to do with the principles that kid thinks he holds so close to his chest.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Tana straightened her body out, the lingering effects of Plex¡¯s attacks fading. They were as mysterious as they were effective, which only spoke to his ability. Yet he wasn¡¯t the greatest teacher, as she had learned. ¡°I can get you paid.¡± ¡°By your father? Wasn¡¯t he that cheap son of a bitch out in the eastern orchards? Or do you come from a different Choron line?¡± ¡°...Yes, yes, and no.¡± ¡°Heh, then I won¡¯t count on it. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll just go hunt John down. Lord knows the kid is damn near one of the richest men in the world now. Heh, back when he was still scrounging for coin doing odd jobs-¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to get back on track, please.¡± Tana interrupted before Plex could engage in more storytime. Like some old man reaching the end of his lifespan, he had no issues talking for an hour at a time, and that was if he didn¡¯t go off on a few dozen tangents. Plex clicked his tongue again and waved his finger. ¡°Alright girl, listen close. I see what you¡¯re trying to do but it¡¯s impossible as you are now. Putting it simply, you fucked up somewhere along your path and you¡¯re trying to backtrack more than develop yourself, but you can¡¯t even do that properly.¡± ¡°...Yeah.¡± ¡°So, tell me where it all changed? I¡¯ll give you some counseling and go charge John some more.¡± Plex leaned against a nearby wall, Tana sighing and doing the same, just out of weakness. John may have been busy with his little revolution but he didn¡¯t forget about his friends. After much deliberation and self loathing, Tana had decided to take him up on his offer. So he dropped her on Plex¡¯s lap in the Founder¡¯s Market without even asking him for assistance. It was nothing more than a sharp demand and Tana had to press the man lest he get bored and ignore her. She wasn¡¯t disappointed in Plex as much as she was herself. After several days of training and getting to know each other, Plex had been able to figure her out and the quality of his training, if it could be called that, skyrocketed. By now he had obviously seen through her, and yet what he saw wasn¡¯t hopeful. He had hit the nail on the head and she decided to simply spill everything. ¡°I hadn¡¯t had any path back at the Magisterium short of making myself faint. But then I saw Anarchy, and right after that, according to John¡¯s words, I was clinically dead for a few hours. While teetering on the edge of death I felt something. It wasn¡¯t something that I had to reach out for, but something I had to fall into. But I was scared of it so I didn¡¯t allow myself to. That¡¯s when I woke up, and after that, I adjusted my Auric path based on what I had felt. It made me faint, made me nearly invisible to the senses, but it wasn¡¯t great. It was unfinished, scrappy, but far less than a proper technique.¡± ¡°That thing you felt.¡± Plex looked her dead in the eye. In a rare moment of seriousness, she was able to feel his breadth of experience. She didn¡¯t know how powerful the man was but that was precisely why she was so meek before him. Like John, she could feel nothing, and that was always the most dangerous feeling. ¡°That was real Death. Had you fallen into it you would¡¯ve simply died. You¡¯re lucky that you got out of it. That by itself is impressive, but like any dream, it is fleeting. Your own mind dispelled those feelings to protect itself and so you¡¯ve never been able to make use of it since.¡± Tana remained silent. She didn¡¯t know if he was correct, but it was probably the closest guess to the truth that she had ever heard. In hindsight, it made sense. But she just couldn¡¯t be sure, and that wasn¡¯t because she doubted him. She simply didn¡¯t have that feeling anymore. You couldn¡¯t make use of something that wasn¡¯t there anymore. ¡°...So what do I do? Do I have to die again? A clinical death as John put it?¡± ¡°No.¡± Plex shook his head, thinking seriously for a second. Tana remained silent, pondering about what John was doing at the moment. She knew that the King¡¯s Assembly was ongoing but she could bring no value to John there. This training was far more important for her. She also wasn¡¯t interested in seeing her father, who was assuredly present in every form. That man would never ignore an opportunity like that. Finally, Plex snapped, an evil grin on his face. ¡°I have just the thing for you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°That will be a surprise. Follow. He should be sleeping but that¡¯ll make it all the more effective.¡± Plex shot off, Tana quickly following despite her bruises screaming at her. They bounded across buildings before arriving at the Trenches. Tana frowned at the smell and sight of bodies across the ground. The Trenches were a relatively small part of the market but they were a tightly controlled wasteland where all the undesirables flocked to. A small pond of no rules, all headed by one man. Tana didn¡¯t know much about it short of John¡¯s stories. It was just as disgusting as his sparse recollections. They even ran across a drug fueled orgy in broad daylight, right in the middle of an intersection. Sweat, fluids, blood, and smoke were creating literal puddles on the dirt floor. Tana had to look away before she got nauseous. Finally, they made it to the center, the only place with any semblance of structure or order. A gang owned the nearby structures and they were the only things put together in this hellscape. With all kinds of magical tools they patrolled and fended off any drunken Magi. In fact, they were patrolling so thoroughly that she wondered if they were being paranoid. What was there to defend against so vehemently? They bypassed the majority of the guards and landed right in the courtyard outside the headquarters. Once there, Plex turned to Tana. Already they were catching attention. ¡°You experienced death, Tana. And if you didn¡¯t have the talent, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to see that. But you need a sharp reminder of it. You¡¯ve lost it, but not just because your mind purged the memory.¡± After saying that, he waved his invisible blade. A sharp explosion of power later, and a major chunk of the headquarters building was blown away outright. Tana couldn¡¯t see anything but the result. She figured that he was trying to piss off the boss of this place. Was she supposed to fight him? If fights with Plex weren¡¯t going to be beneficial, then why would a fight with this head honcho be any more? She wondered, but only until an Aura spilled out of the building, seething with such rage that it sent shivers up Tana¡¯s spine. For a moment she thought a King Blood was here. But that was impossible. Plex looked at her seriously. ¡°This opportunity will only be afforded to you once. You experienced death of the body and your body still remembers that. The experience has fused into your flesh and blood. But you can¡¯t make use of it, because no matter how much knights hate it, the body is only half of the weapon that is the human being.¡± The Aura from the headquarters continued to spill out, washing over Tana and filling her vision with hallucinations of a dreaded hell. It reminded her a lot of John¡¯s illusions, but far less complex. Instead, their reality came from the sheer power behind them. They were real because the person behind them was telling her that it was real, and he had the power to impose that upon her with impunity. Black spikes rose from the ground, pricking her eyes with the mere sight of them. ¡°PLEX! YOU UNGRATEFUL SON OF A BITCH!¡± The roar almost made Tana pass out with sheer pressure, as if the Aura could snuff out her mind by itself. Perhaps it could. She looked back at Plex, wondering what the man got her into. He smiled at her. ¡°Death of the body. Death of the mind. Acquire the other half, and maybe then you¡¯ll find what you¡¯re looking for. John won¡¯t give that to you, but Apocryon will. Completely and utterly.¡± Tana¡¯s head snapped back to the headquarters, seeing a lunatic walk out of the building. He was seething with bottomless hatred, but she wondered why. How could destroying a part of a building warrant such thorough hatred? Looking back at him for questioning only made Plex laugh. ¡°Hehe, you see, Apocryon is only able to sleep once every few months. So naturally, he hates being woken up. Anyway, use this chance wisely. I¡¯m out!¡± Plex promptly disappeared, Tana staring into thin air and gawking. Then, goosebumps rose on her skin, her body moving on pure instinct and dodging one of the many thousands of black spikes that were jutting out of the ground. She looked back and found Apocryon, that psycho, looking down at her from only three feet away. His eyes were bloodshot, his clothes mere rags, chemical burns all over his skin and his body lean but unhealthily pale. His voice came out with a shudder, his rage overwhelming. ¡°Have you come to fucking kill yourself, girl? Why were you with that human piece of excrement?!¡± ¡°...I¡¯ve come to see if death is really as powerful as he claims to be.¡± Tana drew her sword, her Aura barely resisting Apocryon¡¯s to rest with her own body. The very act of moving placed strain on her mind. ¡°Show me.¡± ¡°With pleasure.¡± Apocryon gave her a mad smile before she suddenly felt a spike shoot through her spine, so fast and so powerful that even with all her Vigor she couldn¡¯t resist it. She was paralyzed, incredible pain shooting through her nerves, yet she was barely able to dispel the feeling with her Aura. The spikes were illusions. Apocryon was a warlock, she was partially sure, but those spikes still weren¡¯t real. At least, that¡¯s what she initially thought. When four hundred new spikes came and shot through every square inch of her body impaling her thousands of different ways, she wasn¡¯t so sure anymore. She felt her mind slipping as sheer pain overwhelmed her. The only reason she could remain conscious was because Apocryon willed it. He walked up to her body, still skewered by all those barbed spikes. ¡°The last man that dared to disturb me lasted 53 hours. You will know death, just as you will know pain.¡± She tried to scream as the spikes started growing through her body, tried to rationalize how it was possible that Aura was capable of such. But she couldn¡¯t scream, her mouth mangled, and her mind was so overwhelmed that there was no thinking to be done. Apocryon reached out and grabbed her, ripping her disfigured body out of those spikes and making them shatter before throwing her toward the headquarters. The two disappeared within, Plex watching from afar, a neutral expression on his face. After some time he sat down, still watching, quietly waiting. Chapter 247: Ease of Use March 1st, 626 After the doors opened to the Royal Palace, all of the nobles and prestigious persons flooded in and were guided to the Hall of Patrons. It was a massive hall made for events such as this, filled with tables and comfortable seating arrangements a level above the Plaza but being much more spacious, with two floors that allowed double the seating to accommodate the sheer amount of people. The hall was rich, walls covered in artifacts, paintings, statues, enchantments, and raw gold. Every square inch of material, visible or not, was expertly crafted and shaped. Hundreds of servants made sure that when everyone sat down, all of them were catered to. A lunch would be held first, and only then would the first meeting begin. As someone who received a direct invitation from the King, a table was set aside for me and those who I invited. But of course, I had brought nobody but Umara. And since everyone was required to declare their specific guests beforehand, given that I only come with one, Umara and I were accommodate a single, relatively small table for our dining experience. The two of us were near the middle of the second floor, where all the noble patrons were dining, above the rest of the crowds who had to deal with the first floor like peasants. We stuck out like a sore thumb, everyone else having entire families or entourages around them, massive tables accommodating a dozen or two people each. But Umara and I couldn¡¯t find it in ourselves to care. We simply spoke to each other for the duration of the lunch, indulging in the premium food, ignoring everyone around us. Our words were exclusive, the wonders of Aura and magic ensuring that nobody else could eavesdrop. Not a single person came to interrupt us, even though we earned long stares and dozens of messages on our Aerials. It was quite funny for the two of us. Nonetheless, what we did sent a message. I had no illusions about the power dynamic surrounding me. I knew that there were dozens of people who held interest in my industry, nobles who wanted my machines of war to bolster their own forces, others who wanted to tap my resources. I knew that any noble worth their salt had heard about the mines and processing facilities I had bought up. And while I kept a tight lid on everything, the most general facilities still had hundreds of workers, many of which were common folk, and it was impossible to keep information from spreading. Of course, nothing that ever spread could risk anything of mine, so I wasn¡¯t concerned. But just because I wasn¡¯t concerned didn¡¯t mean others wouldn¡¯t take it upon themselves to impose. An event like the King¡¯s Assembly was a political battleground for a reason, and anybody atop of it was a part of it, whether they liked it or not. And yet I was refusing to play. In the eyes of others, I was a foolish young man who knew nothing about anything, a child who had dove head first into the ocean of noble politics and made big waves before daring to simply sit back and act haughty, as if nothing could concern me. Would it be childish of me to say that they were the ones who knew nothing? I didn¡¯t care either way. I knew how to think ahead and I had ensured my industry with independence. My vertical integration didn¡¯t rely on any noble I didn¡¯t have an absolute or predictable relationship with, which was to say that the land my mines and facilities operated on wasn¡¯t under the jurisdiction of anyone besides Talexia or the Raven Family and the Whetted City, two entities who I knew wouldn¡¯t ever betray me. Both because of personal ties as well as because right now, I was making them assloads of money. The Holy See wasn¡¯t the only entity that received my tech. While not as fast, the Raven Chief was revamping his mining, material processing, manufacturing, construction, and even agricultural industries. Sooner rather than later, his material industries would be outproducing the whole of the Kingdom by themselves, which would only help me later on. It was safe to say that my few allies were absolute, and no noble could affect or hamper me if I didn¡¯t want them to. Not unless they used the law against me, but I had my own plans for that, most revolving around my middle finger. Lunch passed leisurely for Umara and I. Neither of us were particularly worried about how things would go. Recent experiences made us rather numb to anything but the worst stresses a person could feel. Something like a tea party in the Royal Palace, while completely new territory for both of us, was hardly scary. Getting stared down by Brigadiers and Marshals? As if that could compare to a King Blood or Corrupted at the same levels trying to murder us in the worst possible fashion and barely managing to escape with our lives after killing thousands of monsters. After lunch finally came to an end nearly three hours later, everyone finally started to divide. Only those directly given a letter were allowed to attend the meeting, as well as a single person the invited had the option of bringing. Everyone else who had been brought along were to wait outside, whether that was mingling in the hall where music was playing and food was endlessly served, or bouncing around to private rooms made available, engaging in background political maneuvering or secret affairs. As if every wall didn¡¯t have an ear behind it. Umara and I, along with all the other invited, were led to the Assembly Hall. There, we were seated around a massive golden table covered in beautifying jewels, carvings, inlaid metal and glass, and enchantments. The King sat at the head of the table, the side of which was completely reserved for him and the 4 Grand Dukes of the Kingdom of Dragon Tongue who were able to show up. The first was Grand Duke Anselma Sephiar, someone I had spoken to personally. Considered perhaps the smartest Warlock, and some would argue the smartest person, in the Kingdom, he headed the Magic Spire and led the greatest magical development projects humanity has ever seen. That was until I showed up, of course, but that was besides the point. The second was Grand Duke Intama Ozineth. He was Talexia¡¯s direct superior, one of two Sovereign warlocks in the Warlock Corps. He wasn¡¯t a tall man but he was a pretty boy with blonde hair who opted to wear flashy suits instead of warlock robes. No matter, because those suits were loaded with powerful enchantments anyway. I didn¡¯t know much about the man beyond that. The third was Grand Duke Adam Uzoras, a Sovereign knight of the Knight Corps. He was the Sovereign stationed at the Treehouse when it fell, the same Sovereign who was too cowardly to fight the enemy and ran away, leaving everyone to die or fight for their own retreat. A man with a sharp beard and beady eyes, he looked rather distinguished, gentlemanly and pleasant. I still remember when he first arrived at the Treehouse during Polly¡¯s promotion to Brigadier General. Too bad that he was a scum sucking cretin not worth the talent he was given. The fourth was Grand Duke Haley Omaev, another warlock of the Warlock Corps. She was an older woman, aged gracefully, either approaching her second century or beyond it based on her gray hair and power. I knew people could live far beyond 100 years. Umara¡¯s family had a couple ancestors beyond their second century. It was still a bit jarring to see such an ancient being in person though. I could feel the experience behind her. Another one of Talexia¡¯s superiors, I had never met, seen, or heard anything about her beyond the fact that I was placed under her command for a time when I went into the military. Since Marshals were usually the ones to handle business, I only ever heard or saw their names from reports, not a Sovereign¡¯s. I had little intel about the old lady, not enough to make an impression beyond her simple but rich appearance. The other three Grand Dukes that I knew of were Grand Dukes Petula Tahith, the warlock who had been stationed at Purple Sky when it fell to Anarchy, Grand Duke Duscellis Kinior, a knight, and Grand Duke Phero Runneas, another knight. Those three couldn¡¯t be here today as they were manning other bases, making sure the Scourge couldn¡¯t launch a sudden attack while the Sovereigns were away. The immediate sides of the table sported those closest to the King. He had advisors, a few Generals, and other nobles and politicians closely tied with the Royal Family. That included the Ibarin Dukedom, the family that the Queen hailed from. Beyond them, further away from the King, was everyone else. Other nobles, Maruqesses whose statuses didn¡¯t warrant them a close seat, Dukes who didn¡¯t care to fight for a closer spot, and other influential personages who held power beyond the obvious noble title. To my right was Umara, and to her right was Sawn, who came alone. Polly had been invited, so she brought Jasmine and the two of them sat beyond Sawn. To my left was Ikhor and to his left was Talexia, who made sure she would be near me. To her left was the Raven Family Chief, who had made sure to sit next to a familial ally. The Talerrias and Ravens went back centuries. Naturally they would stick together. Besides them, there were Full Generals and Major Generals spotting the chairs. After all, this Assembly was called primarily due to recent catastrophic defeats on the war front. Everyone here had some kind of hand in the war effort, whether that was directly or indirectly, economically or politically. It was the only reason I had been invited specifically. I myself have become an integral part of the war as a whole. My inventions, and now riches, afforded me a massive amount of influence. Some might think that my brashness or arrogance meant that I didn¡¯t understand the kind of influence I had. Those people were idiots and not worth any more than an acknowledgment that they existed, and by extension they wouldn¡¯t be the true players in this game. Those with any brain would understand that I didn¡¯t lack self awareness, and even then, there was nobody here who could truly grasp the extent of my intellect and how thoroughly I understood my position. There was naught a single person in the Kingdom who had ever come close to understanding the kind of power Psyka afforded me, so long as Maxwell wasn¡¯t considered a part of the Kingdom. It took half an hour for everyone to finally settle around the table. Once there was silence, the King spoke. ¡°Welcome, everyone. You all have my gratitude for responding to the King¡¯s Assembly.¡± He gave his greeting, a whole prepared speech that meant nothing to me. ¡°Today is the first day of our deliberations. Today, we will discuss the topics that will demand our attention for the following two days. Naturally, the reason this Assembly was called is the fronts of our war against the Scourge. With the recent fall of the Treehouse and the fall of Purple sky only a few years ago, the coverage of our western and northwestern fronts have been critically reduced, giving the Scourge an opening to launch attacks on the bases before the River of Desolation. Thus, by the end of the third day of the Assembly, we must have an answer to our dilemma, as well as all the problems surrounding the establishment of a new front. We will ensure that these failures cannot repeat themselves, but it will take the cooperation of everyone here today. So, let us officially begin our first assembly.¡± The table flashed with his announcement. I saw a name card appear in front of me, obviously with my name on it. It was the same for everyone else. I was able to quickly memorize every face, name, and title at the table. It was, however, not the only thing I noticed given a bit of time and observation. My Aura was pulled in. Nobody was letting theirs run free here. Only the Sovereigns were allowed to, and even they were keeping themselves quiet, otherwise there¡¯d be a whirlwind of power in the hall and nobody would be able to think straight. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. However, just because my Aura was reduced to my body didn¡¯t mean that I couldn¡¯t see what was installed below the floors. The Aura Shields of the Third Claw. Holding back the urge to look straight at them, I could sense a large room directly below us. It took a few seconds but I was able to quickly see through the Shield they had boxed the room in, as if trying to make it some kind of magical Faraday Cage. I likened the Shield to a compromise between a maze and an encryption. The Aura Shield could be seen through because it didn¡¯t actually block Aura, nor magic. It simply forced them through so many layers of translations and misdirections that the observer simply couldn¡¯t make sense of what was left, thus inducing the illusion of having seen nothing at all, as if they were looking at solid ground. But in the end, the Shield was non-destructive, like a blurred image or refracting glass pane. All the data was still there, and it could get through the Shield. All you needed was an observer encoded with the right directions to get through the shield, like a formula or password to an encryption. Or, you just needed to be smart enough to decipher it yourself. It was possible for me because I could track thousands of avenues at the same time, easily seeing through the maze they tried to misdirect everyone else through. Even Sovereigns, so long as they didn¡¯t brute force it, would be tricked by it. And even they could only brute force it if they knew it was there in the first place. They probably did know, could probably see the tiny passive magical conduits through the floor and track them to an odd structure underneath them. But they obviously didn¡¯t care. The 22 observers in the room weren¡¯t aimed at them. I spoke through my telepathic connection with Umara, which had been active this whole time, I may not be able to use it over distances, but when we were this close, it was easier than breathing. [The floor has ears.] [Sorry?] [There are people watching us from below. Secret observers in a room beneath the hall.] I tapped Umara¡¯s mind, feeding her an outline of the room. She kept her eyes up. Smart girl. [Oh. That somehow doesn¡¯t surprise me. Third Claw?] [Most likely. That or just another covert branch of the Royal Family. All the same in the end.] [Mm. I¡¯ll make sure to be careful. If you could, alert my mother and those it may concern. We don¡¯t want them thinking they can speak freely, even in private rooms.] [Of course.] I quickly did so, informing Sawn, Talexia, Ikhor, and the Raven Chief plus his wife. All of them were grateful for my warning, not that they weren¡¯t already planning to be careful. It wasn¡¯t crazy to imagine that every wall had an ear. I remained silent as the King went over the various topics that needed to be discussed. It took him an hour just to do that. First was consolidating and evaluating the total manpower of the military. After having lost over a quarter of a million troops over a 4 month timespan, the military was in dire need of a consensus and redistribution of power. The consensus could be done, but before they could adjust forces they needed to establish where new bases would be built. New battle lines needed to be drawn, new bases needed to be built, and most importantly, the manpower had to come from somewhere. Yet another topic of deliberation. Where would the soldiers come from? With so many people having died, that wasn¡¯t as easy of a question to answer as it was before the fall of the Treehouse, and not simply because the pool was smaller. Besides the more obvious military matters, another matter of deliberation was my aircraft and their role on the battlefield. It was clear to everyone that they needed to be an integral part of every army. Close air support, bombing runs, air transport. They were extremely valuable offensively, defensively, strategically, and logistically. They were the only reason the Treehouse hadn¡¯t fallen much sooner, the reason that although we had lost so many troops, we took many more monsters with us. Nobody could deny their role or their utility. The question was, how many were there, and how would they be distributed across the entire theater. Almost all of them had been sent to the Treehouse because for a time, it was the sole focus of the Scourge, and Sawn wanted me to have as much support as possible. That would no longer be the case. Other Generals, and more importantly, other Sovereigns wanted to get their hands on aircraft and armament, and as far as they knew, there was an extremely limited supply. That would be a great surprise for them, to hear that now it was quite the opposite, but now wasn¡¯t the time to mention it. The time would come later. Of course, my aircraft wasn¡¯t the only economic topic. A massive movement of soldiers, as newly constructed bases would demand, would require a massive economic movement as well. Weapons to manufacture, armor to craft, vehicles to construct, food to transport, workers to send off, and many, many tons of materials to process and enchant. There would be people losing a lot of money and people making a lot of money, which would be decided by the taxes involved as well as subsidies from the Crown and who could fight for a good position. The positions would be determined by who could win the political battles after everyone left this room. But the taxes, and the new laws instituting them, would be determined by the King and the concessions of the advisors, Grand Dukes, and Dukes. This was only because each industry had its limits, unlike my own. That was a thought I needed to make sure Umara and Sawn kept in mind for when nobles started coming to us in an attempt to force us any one way. Of course, we wouldn¡¯t be able to outright avoid everything, but I had my plans for that which we couldn¡¯t ignore. After an hour or so of discussing which topics needed to be discussed, the meeting moved on to discuss the recent defeats themselves. Reports were passed around, the prime report being Polly¡¯s since she was, officially, the only surviving intelligence agent at the level of General. She was only a Brigadier General but based on seniority, she was considered the one and only person who had a true grasp on the fall of the Treehouse. Nobody else had survived to say otherwise, short of the Sovereign. The assembly went and blabbed about the defeat, nothing I didn¡¯t know in intimate detail since it was only a reflection. They wanted to know where things went wrong, who went wrong, and why it went wrong. An hour later and the blame was being passed around, nothing but conjecture since anybody they could blame was dead. Nobody would blame the Sovereign, and although some scrutiny was thrown Polly¡¯s way, she was only a Brigadier General, so it wasn¡¯t like she could take responsibility even if she wanted to. It was never in her hands. It was a lot of talk that went nowhere, nothing unexpected. So another hour later and they finally started to shift topics from what went wrong to how they would attempt to recover. It was only light talks. The King delegated the tasks of getting a consensus to the Generals who in turn gave out the commands via Aerial to subordinates to collect data for the next day. After that a large map was brought out and many people started giving input about where new bases should be constructed. Arguments quickly ensued. Many nobles wanted the bases to be placed closer to their cities so they could become a transfer hub, which would make them money. Benefits were masked with strategy, more blaming was thrown around, as if supply lines were ever the issue, and then they started talking more logistical details. That¡¯s where my name was thrown around. I kept silent, even when mentioned, simply staring and watching. Marquesses went around blabbering as if my silence was somehow an agreement to hypothesize my cooperation. Airfields and planes were contrasted with wagons and Rails. The pros and cons of both were weighed with major biases since none of them knew the true costs of construction and manufacture. I said nothing. Now was not the time for me to get involved. The only people talking were the small time nobles who happened to own territory near the River of Desolation. They wanted to make sure that if transportive logistics were to utilize aircraft, I would know that their doors were open for quick and easy accommodation. As if I couldn¡¯t just make a supply center myself and reap every benefit instead of sharing with them. Their talk was nothing but assumptions, not worthy of me even considering, nor deserving of my voice. But the point was to open the topic for discussion in the first place, to flesh out the many possibilities so that when everyone retreated to private rooms, they would have the ideas at hand and ready to weaponize for the most possible benefits. Because of that, it became clear that I was a major player. My planes had a nearly equal impact on the general economy as it did the military. It was subtle only to normal citizens who occasionally saw them in the air. Every noble knew that I had the capacity to take over transportation and logistics in every industry, from agriculture to mining, and that was just with planes, not even considering new vehicle and even train designs Wonderland had already tested. So when I multiplied the number of aircraft in circulation, and then added hyper efficient vehicles and trains on top of it? The effects would be global and I would be at the center of another small revolution. They knew it. I knew it. Question was, would they try to hurt me, or help me? And who would I cooperate with? It was all up to me. I had all the cards. The benefits of being a monopoly. I could make or break everything. My decisions could affect where bases were built, if new cities were created behind them. The only downside was that if the King could see that as deeply as few others could, then he might try to stick his hand in my business, forcefully. I could still do little before the monarchy, the supreme power of this land. There were no laws that could protect me from him because he and the Sovereigns could change them to suit their interests. And if I fought it, I¡¯d lose everything instead of just a small portion of my business. My balancing act was with him, not other nobles. And yet, how we balanced each other would reflect through those same nobles, the pawns in this game. I could see it all. Extremely few knew that I could. And yet I loathed playing the game. I had to be careful about outright refusing, but that fact only pissed me off more. It was why I gave the Church all my tech already. In their hands, it would thrive with or without me while I fought for a slice of the pie in the Kingdom. No, not a slice of the pie. I had made my own pie and now I had to dish it carefully, balancing between revealing how large my pie was and showing everyone that there were limits to the slices I gave out so that they didn¡¯t think they could take advantage of my success. Hmm, I loved pies. I started dozing off at some point, the lessers around the table continuing to argue, continuing to throw my name out occasionally. I just pondered other things worth my brainpower, and yet every word uttered was still memorized in perfect clarity. After another handful of hours and absolutely no productive conversation later, the King finally ended the first meeting. Everyone rose and left the hall, moving into the dining area once more where dinner was already being prepared. The next two meetings would be the juicy ones. Dukes and Sovereigns would finally start speaking, and I¡¯d probably have to step in. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if I ended up talking to some with Sawn, making deals and promises. After all, Sawn and I were the head of the defense industry, and by bringing the tank here we had already shown that we were here to advertise. We had many new products and all of them would affect these deliberations. I planned to let Umara handle the deals behind closed doors, however. I could control myself and play politics but I had no interest in doing so. I¡¯d piss off too many people simply because I knew I could, but since I agreed that it wasn¡¯t the smartest route, I had to let Umara handle things first. If they fell out of her hands, then I¡¯d happily step in and draw the hard line. I¡¯d be the bad cop in that situation and perhaps then people would rethink whether they wanted to give Umara a hard time. Dinner came and went, Umara and I seated at another small table by our lonesome. Several people finally came up to us during that time, asking for our presence behind closed doors. Umara stepped up and handled all of them, and after those who came realized that I wouldn¡¯t be entertaining them personally, they deferred to her. Of course, I¡¯d be there anyway, but they knew where I stood. And so dinner ended. Night had fallen by then and yet there was much to be done. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the majority of those at the table would be pulling all-nighters. Umara and I would be, most likely, and then we¡¯d be getting straight into the next day and meeting, perhaps buying ourselves a couple hours of sleep, if we were lucky. Finally, the time came to enter the ¡®private¡¯ rooms of the Royal Palace. I could see Aura Shields everywhere, one or two people behind them, watching, recording, and stashing data for later. How much dirt and info they had remained to be seen, but I didn¡¯t plan on being naive either. I had already planted my seeds in the Church. The Kingdom would not be exempt from this, but I wanted to go straight to the core. I hardly cared about little nobles and their scandalous affairs. I wanted the deep, dark secrets of the Third Claw. They knew how to isolate information just like the Church did. But now, I was in the Royal Palace. There was no better place to inject another seed program. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t allow me to go wandering. But once again, I had my own plans, and it started on the first night. Umara and I entered a room, inside being a Marquess of a southern territory, one rich in agricultural exports. Naturally, he was interested in our products, and I had decided to start with this little noble. We gave our greetings, and after some pleasantries, Umara smiled and brought out a little box. ¡°Marquess, I have a gift for you.¡± She held out the box, opening it to reveal an Aerial. Gilded, luxurious, comfortable, more functional than any other Aerial. A new user interface, a built in browser, intuitive access to Nodenet sites. It was easy, it was pretty, and mostly importantly, it was free. Umara pushed the box forward, the Marquess taking it with glimmering eyes. ¡°Sawn Industries¡¯ newest Aerial. We want you to have it, a token of our goodwill. With it, we¡¯ll be able to engage in more business with each other.¡± I barely held back a smile as the Marquess put it on, replacing his old one. The new Aerial automatically transferred all his data, all his contacts, all his messages with a simple tap. He was shocked at how easy it was. How he could simply start using his new fancy Aerial with no trouble or hassle. In fact, he was so pleased that he tossed the old one across the room, reveling in our nice gesture and flattering us with compliments, eager to please and get in our good graces. All I saw was the first of its namesake Umara gave the man a stunning smile. ¡°It is called the Trojan. We hope you enjoy its ease of use.¡±