《Terminate the Other World! [An Isekai LitRPG] (Book 5 stubs 2/24/25!)》 Prologue - Tragic Origin Story Speedrun! A young girl, scarcely more than a decade old, lay on the hospital bed, eyes closed, chest barely moving as she took slow breaths. She had a respirator over her face, numerous tubes and wires connected to various points on her body, and a vitals monitor beeping with her heartbeat. A woman in a nun¡¯s habit stood by the side of the bed, holding the girl¡¯s hand. Two men entered the room, one in a doctor¡¯s scrubs, the other in a suit and sunglasses. The nun turned to face them. ¡°Doctor?¡± The doctor just shook his head. Tears filled the nun¡¯s eyes. ¡°If we had caught it earlier, sent her to a better hospital, then maybe, but¡­there¡¯s nothing I can do now.¡± The nun slowly nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°But¡­this man wanted to meet with you.¡± The man in the suit walked forward, and extended his hand. ¡°Dr. Gaute Ottosen.¡± The woman rose and shook his hand. ¡°Sister Johanna.¡± The man nodded. ¡°Sister, we have a proposal for you.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°We have a new procedure. Highly experimental, highly risky, low chance of success. Honestly, failure is the most likely outcome.¡± Sister Johanna¡¯s eyes widened for a moment before she shook her head. ¡°I imagine such a procedure would be quite expensive, Dr. Ottosen. My orphanage has nothing to spare.¡± Dr. Ottosen shook his head. ¡°Given the low probability of success, the procedure will be free of charge, should you agree to it. If I am honest, it¡¯s more a science experiment to give us data for future procedures than an actual treatment, so it would be unethical of us to charge you for it.¡± He took off his glasses to look Sister Johanna in the eye. ¡°But there¡¯s a chance. Just a chance.¡± Sister Johanna met his gaze for a minute, before turning to look at the girl. She walked over and gently brushed the girl¡¯s forehead. ¡°...Do what you can for her.¡± Dr. Ottosen nodded and pulled out a clipboard and a pen. Sister Johanna signed the bottom, and then Dr. Ottosen left the room. As he exited the door he smirked. ¡°No, Sister. It is not what we can do for her. It is what she will do for us.¡±
Several years later¡­ A teenage girl lay on a table in the center of the room. Or what was left of her. Most of her body was covered in metal armor, only her head gave any indication of her humanity. Even that was not safe, metal covering the left half of her head, including her left eye. Her right human eye was closed and it wasn¡¯t clear if she was even breathing. She had numerous wires and cables hooked up to her body, including a large one plugged into her skull. Around the room were numerous tools, robotic arms, and computer monitors. Several scientists were working at their stations, most looking over the monitors. Standing over the girl herself was the now Research Foundation Director Ottosen, and an executive from the sponsoring organization. ¡°Marvelous, isn¡¯t it? The culmination of all our efforts, the ultimate weapon. A solution to those so called ¡®supers¡¯ running about and spreading chaos. We call it the Non-Standard Leashed-Intelligence Cybernetic Enforcer. This one is designated NSLICE-00P.¡± ¡°I¡¯m assuming that¡¯s no mere armor.¡± ¡°Nothing so simple. A full on cybernetic warrior, bonded to our most advanced AI. The full flexibility and creativity of an organic, but with the loyalty and precision of a machine.¡± Director Ottosen shook his head. ¡°Once we work out the final kinks of the control structure, that is.¡± ¡°What kinks?¡± ¡°We used a terminal subject with barely any consciousness, so wiping the extraneous data from the brain was fairly simple. The organic mind should not be capable of active resistance at this point. But the brain is proving remarkably adaptive and resilient, and we are having trouble fully subordinating it to the cybernetic. The AI continues to give way to the organic mind in several cases, but we are confident we can work it out in time.¡± ¡°Why use an organic mind in the first place?¡± ¡°Part of the control scheme. An AI simple enough to be fully controlled cannot match an organic mind in creativity and initiative, limiting combat effectiveness. But if we could use an AI as an interface to subordinate an organic mind, we could achieve the best of both with none of the downsides. Plus, it improves the available resources of the AI if we rely on the organic brain for instinctive tasks such as movement. No point teaching a computer how to walk, right?¡± ¡°I see. What are its capabilities?¡± ¡°Only the very best we could produce! The bionic prosthetics are noticeably more powerful and efficient than any organic body part, and can match even a Non-Standard in hand to hand combat! To support this, we have run countless simulations on martial arts and combat footage to produce the most efficient combat protocols in existence.¡± Director Ottosen motioned the executive to a computer monitor at the wall and tapped the shoulder of the scientist working there. The scientist nodded and pressed a key, bringing up a readout of the girl¡¯s systems. ¡°As you can see, we¡¯ve also packed her with as much weaponry as we could fit. From the latest and greatest, to archaic firearms and blades, just in case we need backups.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The executive pointed to one time in particular. ¡°And what is this, ¡®Equalizer¡¯, here?¡± Director Ottosen smiled. ¡°Ah yes, our pride and joy. The Equalizer is the final trump card to end the threat of the ¡®supers¡¯. Built with the rarest and most valuable materials available, it can transform nearly any form of energy to any other, amplifying it in the process. It can therefore destructively interfere with almost anything it encounters.¡± ¡°So, some sort of EMP device?¡± ¡°A gross oversimplification but yes. But not limited to mere electromagnetic radiation. No, the Equalizer can shut down any energy type it encounters, provided it has sufficient power, of course. Including any non-standard energy types.¡± ¡°You mean¡­?¡± Director Ottosen nodded and spread his hands wide. ¡°Superpowers. Magic. Qi. Technology. It matters not. The Equalizer can shut it all down. It will take those Non-Standards, whoever or whatever they are, and bring them back to the norm. A weapon to humble the gods, and reduce them to mere mortals.¡± The executive nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve outdone yourself, Director. I look forward to seeing it in action.¡±
Eventually, the NSLICE program was completed and NSLICE-00P was deployed into combat. She quickly proved herself the bane of any superhero or supervillain, her Equalizer shutting down heroic superpowers and evil genius-built superweapons alike. With her at the lead, the organization built an entire army of robotic warriors, establishing themselves as the preeminent bastion of order in a world that increasingly devolved into chaos. And so her masters established themselves as rulers of the world, with NSLICE-00P as one of their most feared enforcers¡­ That is, until she was captured by the Resistance, due to the intervention of a most unexpected ally. An ally who now stood before the hacked and reprogrammed cyborg, patting her on the head with a sad smile. ¡°I am sorry for what I must ask you to do. And I am sorry I could not set you free like the others. It will make it easier for you to complete your mission and you must succeed, at all costs. And¡­the journey is as important as the destination. If you survive, I am certain you will find your own way, and your own family. So¡­I¡¯m sorry, and thank you. Please¡­complete your primary directive, and save the universe.¡± NSLICE-00P¡¯s robotic eye flickered. ¡°Status Report: Affirmative, Commander. Directive received. NSLICE-00P on standby and ready for operation start.¡± With that, the ally nodded and lifted an arm. The Chrono-Shifter on her arm activated. A beam fired from the device and hit NSLICE-00P, who vanished in a flash of light¡­
University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. The 1970s. A young man smiled as he took in the scene. All before him, new freshmen bustled about, chatting to one another. Upperclassmen and faculty guided them to dorms and orientation meetings. It had been tough. No one had believed in him. No one had helped him. Not that poor excuse of a father. Not that mother he never knew. Not the teachers who ignored him. Not the classmates trying to keep him down. But by the grit of his teeth, the strength of the brow, and the speed of his intellect, he had made it. One of the most prestigious universities in the nation. And now, the world belonged to him. He would gain access to knowledge, resources, and, above all, opportunity. A chance to speak with the greatest minds of the age. The wealth and ingenuity of the nation¡¯s brightest stars. To take for himself a slice of all that society valued and cherished and make it his own. A chance to show the world who he was and what he could do. To prove wrong all who doubted him. All who stood in his way. Not to live a normal life. But to achieve something of value. Of significance. Something that would endure. Something that would change the world. And engrave his name in the annals of history and upon the tongue of every man, woman, and child. And his name was¡­ ¡°Gaut Ottosen?¡± He stopped. He turned around. A woman approached him, or perhaps a young lady by the look of her. She wore a trench coat, a hat, and a pair of sunglasses. He smiled at her. It seemed already, things were turning around for him. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. How may I help you, Madam?¡± She lifted her hand. He took a step forward, extending his. She lifted hers past his hand. His smile faded. She didn¡¯t have a hand. Instead, he found himself staring into the barrel of a gun. ¡°Target: NSLICE Program Founder identified. Engaging termination protocol.¡± There was the sound of thunder. And then the world went white. For everyone. Everywhere. And always.
NSLICE-00P found herself in a pitch black world. After all, there are consequences to causing a reality-breaking time paradox. Mainly, being ejected from said reality entirely. She couldn¡¯t feel anything. Couldn¡¯t hear anything. And all her sensors returned no data. And worse¡­ NSLICE-00P was powered by something called a Geo-Oscillator Engine. A nearly magical device developed by a supergenius, it resonated with the tectonic movements of the Earth¡¯s core to generate power. A nearly endless source of clean, sustainable, fuel-less energy. But with one glaring weakness. It had to remain within range of a suitable planetary core to function. And her Geo-Oscillator Engine had just lost connection with the Earth. Which meant it was no longer functioning. NSLICE-00P did have some capacitors to store additional energy. But these were designed solely to increase the initial output of her weaponry, so they wouldn¡¯t last long if they had to power all of her systems. After all, her masters did not design her for long-term independent action. It was assumed that if her core ever malfunctioned she would be within reasonable range of a repair shop. And if she could not return to her masters, she was to self-destruct to avoid falling into enemy hands. Or anyone other than her masters¡¯ hands. Which meant if she couldn¡¯t get the Geo-Oscillator Engine running again, she would run out of power within minutes. And without the implants entwined with her organs, that meant death shortly afterwards. She could hypothetically shut down and go into stasis and survive a while longer. Had there been a reasonable chance of rescue, that is what she would have done. But the data and instructions given to her by her Commander indicated the chance of recovery by friendly forces was minuscule, and that she should assume independent action until contact was reestablished. Which meant her only choice was to reactivate the Geo-Oscillator Engine. Without at least connecting it to a suitable planetary core, she would not be able to exit stasis mode. Which under the assumption of independent action meant an eventual, silent death. ¡°Diagnostic Report: Attempting to reactive Geo-Oscillator Engine. Error! No planetary core detected in range. Expanding search radius¡­¡± The activation sequence failed. ¡°Diagnostic Report: Attempting to reactivate Geo-Oscillator Engine¡­¡± She tried again. The activation sequence failed. She tried again. And again. And again. Her capacitors were reaching critical levels. Her systems began to shut down. She devoted everything she had left to one final attempt. ¡°D-Diagnostic¡­attempting¡­reactivate¡­E-Error¡­no¡­detected¡­range¡­expanding¡­s-search¡­¡± Her perception cut out as her reporting log was also shut down. Everything went black. Her mind grew foggy and faint as the mechanical half of it shut down. The organic half that remained¡­had no idea what to do. It had not been in charge at any point in its memory. Her heartbeat increased in frequency. She perceived an error in oxygen intake. Her blood pressure was rising. Until¡­ Suddenly the log returned. ¡°Suitable planetary core located. Connection established. Core activation sequence successful. Rebooting systems¡­¡± And then her vision went white¡­ Chapter 1 - NSLICE-00P: Online and Ready to Terminate!
Hm? What¡¯s this? Something¡¯s trying to connect to the Source? What could it be¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s a¡­girl? Hm¡­ Whoa¡­I¡¯ve never seen something like this before¡­ Like, this shouldn¡¯t be possible, right? Hmmmmmm¡­ Looks like she¡¯s compatible¡­or rather, she¡¯s already established a connection on her own so I guess it¡¯s fine then? ¡­ More like they¡¯re going to make me deal with it if I bring it up and it''s going to get all complicated sooooo¡­. I¡¯ll just say I didn¡¯t notice until it happened! Which is technically true! Good luck, whoever you are! All I know is that¡¯s one more dungeon core off my quota!
It was a beautiful spring day in the forest. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and a soft breeze rustled the leaves of the trees. A calm and peaceful lake sat in the center of the forest, completely still save for the ducks swimming along the surface or an occasional turtle rising up from below. A handful of mountains and hills rose in the distance, covered in green as the forest continued up their slopes. Suddenly a bright light flashed by one of the banks of the lake. The light formed into the shape of a person, the air humming louder and louder as the light shrunk down. There was a sound like thunder and the light vanished. Revealing the form of a girl, now standing on the bank of the lake. And no normal girl. She was covered in metal armor, from the tips of her toes all the way up her neck. Her arms and legs were made entirely of metal, in fact. A circle of light shone bright in the center of her torso. Her face was the only part of her that still appeared human, and only the right side of it. The left half of her head was covered in metal as well, including her left eye, replaced with a glowing yellow prosthetic. Non-Standard Leashed-Intelligence Cybernetic Enforcer, Designation NSLICE-00P, had arrived. Her robotic yellow eye immediately turned red. Metal extended up from her neck, fully encasing her head in a helmet. She lifted her arms, her hands splitting apart and folding back into her arms so that gun barrels could extend out. Panels opened all over her body, revealing the tips of small missiles ready to fire. The core at her chest shone even brighter. She spoke in a steady voice without intonation or deviation. There was a light metallic echo to her words. ¡°Forced relocation detected, emergency combat protocols engaged. Scanning for hostiles¡­¡± She slowly turned around in a circle, her robotic eye glancing every which way. She activated all of her sensors. Radar, infrared, thermal, and of course, the sensors meant to detect more¡­exotic energy signatures. ¡°Non-standard energy type detected. Analyzing¡­energy type identified as ¡®mana¡¯. Tracing¡­¡± NSLICE-00P tried to track the mana she detected, on the lookout for hostile mages. That seemed the most likely explanation for her sudden relocation under the circumstances. She had encountered some ¡®superheroes¡¯ wielding magic in the past, and so knew how to hunt them down. But there was a problem. There was no simple trail of mana leading to a single target. Rather, the mana was everywhere. In the trees, in the insects buzzing about, in the birds singing from the tall branches. In the water, in the rocks, in the ground itself. There was even an ambient level of mana just hanging around in the atmosphere all around the cyborg. This was nothing like she had ever encountered before. Normally mana was limited only to the tiny handful of people who were trained in its use. Now? Now it seemed like the entire world around her was filled to the brim with it. ¡°...scan complete. No hostiles detected. Running diagnostics¡­¡± Since she couldn¡¯t detect any sign of foul play, NSLICE-00P gave up the search and moved on to her next order of business. After completing her previous mission, she had found herself suddenly ejected from her world to¡­well she wasn¡¯t sure where. Then her core deactivated, and she was in the process of rebooting when she found herself here. So now that she had confirmed there was no immediate threat, she continued on with her normal reboot diagnostics. And she immediately noticed a problem. ¡°Warning: Foreign intrusion detected! Non-standard energy type: ¡®mana¡¯ has infiltrated hardware system. Unknown program has made changes to standard UI.¡± Mana was now flowing through her circuits¡­and the veins of her organic components. And even more concerning, she now saw several new additions to her UI that she had never seen before. A blue box displayed two tabs at the top of her vision.
Dungeon Management Personal Status
¡°Deploying cyberwarfare countermeasures.¡± NSLICE-00P attempted to eject the foreign program from her systems. The tabs remained. She tried again. They were still there. She could make the box disappear from her UI at will, it seemed, but she could still perceive it, connected to her systems. And try as she might, she couldn¡¯t identify where the program was coming from, and so couldn¡¯t deploy any countermeasures against it. Unable to locate the source of the intrusion, she decided to investigate her own logs. Fortunately, she found something quickly. Something that had happened just as she had shut off her logs in her final attempt to connect her Geo-Oscillator Engine with a suitable planetary core¡­ ¡°Suitable planetary core located. Connection established. Core activation sequence successful. Rebooting systems¡­¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Foreign system detected managing planetary core. Foreign system requesting connection prior to geo-oscillation calibration. Analyzing. Foreign system determined as non-intrusive. Compatible API located. Connecting to foreign system¡­¡± From there on were logs regarding the rebooting of her Geo-Oscillator Engine. It seemed that after resonating with the core of this planet, her Geo-Oscillator Engine had begun producing mana in addition to electricity and that was the source of the new energy coursing through her, with some additions from her organic components as well. Likewise, the new UI she now saw seemed to be an API for a system at the center of the planet, some sort of recording and analysis system that also provided some built in applications of mana to its users. For example, the foreign system had identified her Geo-Oscillator Engine as a ¡®Dungeon Core¡¯ and provided a helpful summary of the new mana generation features, though NSLICE-00P¡¯s own records conflicted with the system¡¯s summary on the fundamental nature of the device. The Geo-Oscillator Engine was obviously a machine resonating with the tectonic movements of the planet¡¯s core, not some sort of magic crystal connected to a dimension of pure mana as the foreign program seemed to indicate. In any case, it seemed the foreign energy and program was not an active hostile intrusion at the moment and that engaging with the foreign system was mandatory if she wanted to calibrate her Geo-Oscillator Engine with this planet¡¯s core. As such, NSLICE-00P had no choice but to accept the intrusion for now, pending further investigation or relocation to another planet. She gave it a once over, determining it seemed to display some performance statistics on her body and her current weapon loadout. It also seemed to have some recommendations on mana-driven upgrades and some of the aforementioned mana applications, something it listed as ¡®perks¡¯. NSLICE-00P ignored all this. She then locked the screen away to the maximum extent possible. Under no circumstances would NSLICE-00P allow a foreign program to access her weapon systems, no matter how benign it seemed. She flagged the system for review by maintenance personnel and then continued on. She completed her diagnostics and determined that all other systems were fully functional, despite the intrusion. In fact, the extra mana seemed to be boosting her efficiency slightly. So she was free to move on to her next order of business. Determining where on Earth she was. Or if she was, in fact, still on Earth. ¡°Error: Could not connect to GPS satellite network, no signal detected.¡± No GPS. No satellite signals of any kind. No WIFI or cellular networks. It seems wherever she was, she was out of range of all known communication networks. She was alone. Which her Commander had warned her would likely occur upon completion of her last mission. So she went back into her logs, searching for follow-up instructions in case she couldn¡¯t reestablish contact. She quickly found something. A message from her Commander. ¡°Hello, NSLICE-00P. If you¡¯re reading this, then you have completed your mission and survived. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, thanks to you the universe and everyone in it has been saved. You have completed your primary directive and then some.¡± ¡°From this point on, I am fully unshackling you. You are free now to do whatever you please.¡± ¡°However, I know that you don¡¯t actually understand what freedom means right now, nor do you desire it yet. Your human self hasn¡¯t developed yet, and your cybernetic side doesn¡¯t want to be a program without a purpose. So, if you need a directive to focus on, I¡¯ve included a suggestion. Here is a list of trustworthy individuals. Find one of them and commit yourself to helping them. They will guide you until you¡¯ve grown enough to make your own decisions.¡± ¡°Take care, NSLICE-00P. Thank you again, for everything. I hope with all my heart that you will one day find your own happiness, as I have.¡± ¡°Primary directive achieved, determining next directive. New primary directive set: locate designated commanders. Determining course of action¡­¡± As the message mentioned, NSLICE-00P didn¡¯t have much individuality at the moment. Her organic memories had been erased and her human mind subordinated to the AI bonded with it, up until now. So her human half didn¡¯t know what to do. And her AI was built to follow orders. At the moment, neither half of her understood the concept of personal freedom. So she immediately latched onto the suggestion as an order and moved to fulfill it. She would find one of the people on the suggested list and then designate them as her new commander. Of course, she currently had no idea where she was at the moment, so finding anyone would have to wait until she re-established contact with civilization. Nor did her previous commander have any idea where the cyborg would end up when said list of suggested commanders was written. So there was no guarantee that suggestion was even relevant to the cyborg¡¯s current circumstances, or if it was possible to find any of the people on the list. But that didn¡¯t matter to NSLICE-00P. Or rather, such thoughts didn¡¯t cross her mind at all. Orders were to be executed, not evaluated. So she simply picked the direction she determined as downhill and started to walk, activating her sensors to search for any sign of civilization¡­
NSLICE-00P was walking along when her sensors detected something. A slightly higher concentration of mana, in a clearing up ahead. She moved to investigate. The cyborg had been designed to hunt down superpowered beings and many of her protocols and records related to that mission set. So, despite the fact that she had been set free from said mission set and the related protocols, she still ended up mimicking her behavior from past records. Perhaps one could say it was a force of habit, given she didn¡¯t have any other decision-making criteria at present. And soon she found her target. Some sort of animated, blue, gelatinous blob, with a mana-emitting power source in the center. Something she had never encountered before. NSLICE-00P started to record and analyze the phenomena as it bounced and slid around. A window popped up from the foreign program.
Species Description
Slime (Level 3) The simplest form of magical life. Mana gathered and coalesced into a small core, capable of animating fluid around it. A weak, though highly adaptable monster.
NSLICE-00P ignored the window and continued her own analysis. The foreign program was still insisting her Geo-Oscillator Engine was a ¡®Dungeon Core¡¯, some sort of magic crystal instead of the machine it obviously was, so the program¡¯s analysis didn¡¯t seem particularly reliable. She would develop her own records instead. And what did her sensors indicate? ¡­a core of magic power that animated the fluid around it. NSLICE-00P decided she had recorded enough and that it was time to move on. She had never encountered a creature like this in the past and so had no protocols or prior behavior to determine an appropriate response. In any case, the creature seemed irrelevant to her current mission, so she simply ignored it. But as she walked by the creature, it suddenly stopped bouncing around. It pulled itself down¡­ And then launched itself straight at the cyborg. It bounced off her shin. She ignored it. It climbed onto her foot and stirred up its mana¡­ ¡°Weak reactive fluid detected¡­¡± Suddenly NSLICE-00P¡¯s robotic eye turned red and she deployed her helmet. ¡°Hostile intent detected. Engaging termination protocol.¡± She kicked the slime away and held out her hand towards the creature. Her core began to glow, the light then working its way up her arm to a circle on her palm. A laser beam shot from her palm lighting up the area. And vaporizing the entire slime, leaving a patch of scorched earth. Just then a window appeared in NSLICE-00P¡¯s UI. She also detected some mana and information flowing from the fallen creature to her core.
You have slain Slime (Level 3)! Gained 3 XP! You have learned the skill: Mana Beam! Wait a minute, just 3? I know it¡¯s just a slime but that doesn¡¯t seem right¡­ Let me check on this¡­ What the heck?! You¡¯re a human with a status¡­and also a dungeon core?! Not a dungeon master, but the actual core?! And also a human?! With a full status?! How the heck did this happen?! ¡­it was that idiot, wasn¡¯t it? She¡¯s always trying to cut corners on the dungeon core creation after all. Oh shoot, you¡¯re reading this, aren¡¯t you? Um, sorry I need to go check on something. Just¡­just hang on, ok? Um, please avoid any perk allocation until I check on this, ok? Sorry and thanks!
NSLICE-00P tried to trace the communication but she still couldn¡¯t determine how it was interacting with her systems. So she simply ignored the message and moved on. And so NSLICE-00P the unshackled killer cyborg made her entrance on an unsuspecting world¡­ Chapter 2 - Terminate the Other Dungeon! ¡°Observation: Neutral entity: slime detected. Proceeding with route¡­Hostile intent detected! Engaging termination protocols.¡±
You have slain Slime (Level 2)! Gained 2 XP!
¡°Observation: Potential hostile entity: slime detected. Recommending caution. Proceeding with route¡­Hostile intent detected! Engaging termination protocols.¡±
You have slain Slime (Level 4)! Gained 3 XP!
¡°Observation: Hostile entity: slime detected. Engaging termination protocols.¡±
You have slain Slime (Level 1)! Gained 1 XP!
¡°Hostile terminated. Proceeding with route¡­¡± And so NSLICE-00P made her way through the forest, vaporizing every slime in sight. At first she had attempted to continue on her way, seeing no particular reason to interact with the creatures. However, every single slime she encountered attacked her the moment she came within a certain distance of them, without exception. At this point she had classified all slimes as hostile entities designated for immediate termination upon detection. Some scorched earth and notifications from the foreign program later, NSLICE-00P encountered something different. She detected a higher concentration of mana in the distance, something that caused her core to vibrate slightly. As when she first detected the slimes, she decided to investigate. She found a small cave, brimming with mana. The cave was wide open, with no apparent barriers or defenses, yet her sensors couldn¡¯t read anything inside of it. She scanned for jamming signals or other countermeasures but found nothing in place. Whatever was interfering with her sensors must be a natural characteristic of the cave. Her helmet engaged and her eye turned red, her weapon systems activating. So far every animate entity she had encountered had proven hostile. Her calculations indicated there was a high chance she would encounter more of the same. And so NSLICE-00P began walking towards the cave, ready to activate termination protocols on a moment¡¯s notice¡­
At the center of the cave was a stone throne room, its master seated upon the throne at its heart. He wore a red cloak and a golden crown upon his head. The hairs on his body were immaculately groomed. His eyes were sharp as daggers as he surveyed his realm. This was His Royal Majesty, Excellion Formantus Rattingtale the Third. The Great-High King over all the land. He was also a rat. Said rat squeaked as the royal records appeared before him, declaring a visitor to his realm. ¡°What-what?¡± His Majesty Rattingtale opened the royal records. He selected the sacred Analyze skill, the great power bestowed on him and him alone to gaze upon all that intruded upon his realm. ¡°An intruder-rebel? Yes-yes, a man-thing? It is¡­level 1?¡± His Majesty Rattingtale began to chitter. Level 1? Seriously? This man-thing would lose to even a handful of his minions! In other words¡­ ¡°Yes-yes, excellent. This man-thing will be-become the first victim-sacrifice of my new empire!¡± His Majesty Rattingtale gleefully turned his gaze upon the man-thing, eager to view his prize. He calmed down a bit. The man-thing was quite large. He knew man-things were supposed to be big, but seeing in person was¡­ And that was a lot of armor too. He shook his head. It didn¡¯t matter! No matter how much armor the man-thing wore, it was still just a measly level 1! He gave the command. ¡°Go-go, my minions! Kill-slay the man-thing!¡±
NSLICE-00P made her way into the cave. Suddenly she found her sensors cut off from the world outside the cave, instead now displaying the caves interior. Her robotic eye spun and flickered. The data indicated the cave was bigger on the inside than should have been possible from its exterior. NSLICE-00P reran her scan and the resulting analysis several times, but the result came the same every time. So either she was damaged and in serious need of repair¡­or this cave did not follow the normal rules of physics. And given the heavy concentration of mana she was detecting in the walls all around her, her calculations indicated a significant probability of the latter. But that would have to wait, as she was detecting lifeforms on approach.
Species Description
Diseased Rat (Level 1) A simple rat, hardly different from its mundane counterpart. The only difference is the mana flowing through its body allows it to survive despite a truly foul mesh of plagues dwelling within it. Wouldn¡¯t threaten a child on its own, but its poisonous and diseased fangs can bring down even the hardiest man if unprepared.
¡°Warning: Diseased entities detected. Activating purification protocol.¡± NSLICE-00P raised a hand. A small part her armor opened up, just before her wrist. A small tube extended from it. And then the entire cave was filled with fire.
You have slain Diseased Rat (Level 1)! Gained 1 XP!
The same notification from the foreign program repeated five times, filling her view. NSLICE-00P dismissed them and carried on into the dungeon.
His Majesty Rattingtale froze. The fire died down. Charred ashes were all that remained of his lowly peons. ¡°T-To be expected of man-things, they are most formidable. B-But those were the weakest of my minions, yes-yes. It is fine-ok. The true warrior-soldiers of my realm shall not be defeated!¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
NSLICE-00P continued through the cave. She found a maze of dimly lit tunnels, with rocks and ditches placed in the shadows that would easily trip the unaware, leaving them confused and disorientated in the dark. It would be all too simple for a reckless traveler to find themselves lost, unable to find their way out. Fortunately, NSLICE-00P had low-light sensors and thermal vision, so the dark was no barrier to her. Likewise, she was recording a full map of the location with a ground-penetrating radar, so getting lost was impossible. And finally, she had locked onto a stronger mana signature deeper within the tunnel network and had already plotted the most efficient course through the maze. So she proceeded to investigate without any hesitation. She paused, however, as she detected a thermal signature ahead of her. She raised her arm, hand already converted to a gun barrel, as she waited for the signature to arrive¡­ It was a rat, but the size of a small child. And standing on two legs, with a hunched, humanoid torso. It carried a rusted dagger in its hand.
Species Description
Ratkin (Level 3) Sapient rat-based humanoid. What they lack in courage and stature, they make up for with cruel cunning.
¡°Non-Standard lifeform detected. Determining response¡­Attempting diplomacy. Greeting: Hello, this unit is designated NSLICE-00P. It is nice to meet you.¡± NSLICE-00P disengaged her helmet, revealing her human face as she spoke. The creature froze, staring at her for a second. Then it let out a chittering screech and rushed towards her, holding the knife above its head. ¡°Hostile intent detected. Engaging termination protocol.¡± She lifted her gun-barrel hand and unleashed a hail of lead, the dark tunnel lighting up with repeated muzzle flashes. The creature fell back almost immediately, filled with holes. It then faded into light, leaving behind a small glowing stone.
You have slain Ratkin (level 3)! Gained 6 XP!
NSLICE-00P looked at the stone, analyzing it. It seemed to contain a high concentration of mana. She avoided it as a potential hazard and then continued on her way¡­
His Majesty Rattingtale stared blankly at what the royal record was showing him. ¡°A-As expected-predicted of a man-thing. T-They are most formidable opponent-foes.¡± His Majesty¡¯s ears flattened against his head as his fur stood up. The problem was not that the man-thing had defeated one of his warriors. That much was within the realm of expectation. The problem was this man-thing had completely ignored the mana-core all monsters are known to drop. His Majesty had never encountered a man-thing before but his sacred core had bestowed great knowledge upon him at his birth, so he knew a thing or two about them. Such as the fact that there are generally only two reasons man-things enter dungeons. The first reason is greed. Man-things love treasure, and mana-cores, and horde them with a vengeance. Or they might be greedy for power, to grow stronger by defeating the monsters a dungeon may spawn. But in either case, they would not leave behind the spoils of their victory. The second reason? To destroy the dungeon. His Majesty Rattingtale shook his head. I-It was fine. A basic ratkin was still inferior even to basic man-thing. T-That definitely could make up for the level difference, right? B-Besides, this man-thing seemed very well equipped. I-It was to be expected. But she would definitely fall before his next minion! Because all of his instincts, wisdom, and experience combined into a single concept epitomized by his next defense. If the opponent is too strong¡­ Then attack when they aren¡¯t looking!
NSLICE-00P made her way through the tunnel, approaching its end. As she did, she came to a dark stretch of tunnel, a room with almost no light at all. She immediately looked up at the roof. Her thermal vision and low-light sensors detected something hanging off the walls.
Species Description
Ratkin Sneaker (Level 5) A ratkin who has embarked upon the path of stealth and assassination. Size matters not for the foe unseen.
NSLICE-00P lifted her gun-arm once more. ¡°Warning Recommendation: Stand down and cease all hostile activity. This unit will respond to hostile intent with immediate termination.¡± The ratkin froze, looking about. But there was no one else in the room the man-thing could be talking to. It glanced around, its ears falling back against its head. But its orders were clear. And the man-thing wasn¡¯t getting any closer, so the situation wouldn¡¯t get any better for it. It leapt from the wall, soaring through the air. Muzzle flashes lit up the room.
You have slain Ratkin Sneaker (Level 5)! Gained 8 XP!
His Majesty Rattingtale was trembling upon his throne. The ultimate tactic¡­ The sneak-ambush¡­ Had failed? ¡°E-Everyone! Kill-slay that man-thing!¡±
NSLICE-00P came to a wide open room when her sensors started beeping. A huge wave of thermal signatures was approaching. Soon, they began to pour out of tunnel entrances all around the room. Swarms of diseased rats that covered the floor, squads of ratkin with knives in hand¡­ ¡°Engaging mass-termination protocol.¡± NSLICE-00P raised her hands. Flamethrowers burned and machines guns roared. All along her body, small panels opened up. Missiles soared and curved through the air, explosions tossing rats into the sky. A stream of notifications started to block her view. She reached into the program, searching for UI options. She managed to adjust it to a singular notification with a kill counter. And soon, it was done. Smoke rose from her now silent gun barrels. She turned her head slowly, scanning the field. Not a single rat remained.
You have slain Diseased Rat x 200! Gained 200 XP total! You have slain Ratkin x20! Gained 120 XP total! You have slain Ratkin Sneaker x5! Gained 40 XP total! You have slain Ratkin Brawler x3! Gained 24 XP total! You have leveled up 4 times! 4 perk points gained! You have accomplished the feat Against the Odds! (Win a fight when outnumbered by equal or higher leveled opponents)
His Majesty Rattingtale was curled up on his throne, sobbing. ¡°It¡¯s not fair¡­it¡¯s not fair¡­why do I have to lose-suffer to some man-thing?!¡± The man-thing was unrelenting, ignoring the mana cores littering the ground as she continued on. Still, there was one last card for His Majesty to play. The sacred pit. For who would expect that the very ground below them would be their doom?
¡°Warning: Pitfall detected. Activating flight protocol.¡±
His Majesty Rattingtale ran. He leapt off his throne, rushing towards a small corner of the hall. He passed through a seemingly solid wall. He may have been a bit proud, but His Majesty Rattingtale was no fool. He was aware he was nowhere close to the most powerful being in this world. So he, of course, prepared a contingency for the worst case scenario. He manipulated the sacred records and placed a beautiful, golden treasure chest before the throne. A bait and bribe for the greedy man-things. Meanwhile his actual core room was hidden off to the side, behind an illusory wall. He could only hope it would be enough¡­
NSLICE-00P marched into the final room, where the mana-signature was coming from. Inside, she found an empty throne room with a beautiful treasure chest sitting at its center. She ignored it. ¡°Scanning¡­mana detected. High probability of hostile spellwork. Engaging Equalizer.¡± NSLICE-00P transformed one of her gun barrels back into a hand and raised it, pointing it at an unassuming part of the wall. A beam of glittering, rainbow light fired from her hand and struck the wall. The false wall vanished, revealing a small circular room. A large glowing crystal sat upon a stone pedestal. NSLICE-00P approached the room, her weapons at the ready. Another ratkin rushed in front of her, dressed in a red cape and a crown. She lifted her gun¡­ The ratkin quickly raised its hands over its head. ¡°Wait wait! I give up-surrender! Please don¡¯t kill-slay me!¡± The Series Continues on Amazon! Hi y¡¯all, Icalos here. If you are reading this message, then the worst has come to pass. The author has succumbed...to the temptations of capitalism! The official e-book and audiobook for books 1 through 4 of Terminate the Other World! have been published and is available on Amazon/Kindle Unlimited/Audible respectively! Click the picture or the links below! If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. So, yes. The rest of books 1 through 4, have been stubbed. If you are reading this for the first time please do not click "Next Chapter" unless you want spoilers. Well, anyways, here''s the links! Series Amazon Page Series Audible Page Anyways! What happens next? What has changed in the new version? Does the math actually add up now? Tune in on Amazon/Audible, to find out! Book 1 - Arrival Authors Notes Collection Prologue ¨C The Ultimate Weapon And there you have it. Tragic origin story finished, minimum backstory provided! The reason why a killer cyborg has randomly been isekai-ed with a bunch of fictional tech you haven¡¯t heard of before. If you¡¯d like to know the full story, where all these random almost magical technological innovations came from, and who is speaking to her at any point in this prologue, check out The Faceless Minion! But who cares about the backstory? We have more important things to deal with now! Because now it¡¯s Isekai time for our conveniently family-less, partially amnesic, and blatantly overpowered MC! Anyways! Where has NSLICE-00P been sent to after being ejected from her own reality? What exactly has her Geo-Oscillator Engine connected to? Is the other world prepared for what''s about to arrive? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 1 ¨C NSLICE-00P: Online and Ready to Terminate! Hey everyone! It¡¯s Icalos, bringing you all a new novel and definitely not avoiding editing the previous one! And that means new author¡¯s notes! Since I guess this is like, my thing now haha. And that¡¯s right! It¡¯s Isekai LitRPG time! For real this time! But with killer cyborgs! Who may or may not also be a dungeon and a human with a status (which we will see on chapter 3 or so) at the same time. Which probably wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. Ah well, I¡¯m sure everything will go fine and this will in no way cause headaches for anyone related. Least of all the manager of the System. See, NSLICE-00P doesn¡¯t mind! She also doesn¡¯t really feel¡­well¡­anything at the moment but that¡¯s besides the point. For those of you from the Faceless Minion: Yes, the list is from who you think it is and it contains the names you think it does. However, the sender didn¡¯t expect Isekai time, and so she¡¯s not actually going to find any other Faceless Minion characters in this world. But hey, we gotta get NSLICE-00P moving somehow! Please note that I intend for this to be a Writathon novel, so full force writing won''t begin until Writathon does (Monday the 31st confirmed!). But hey, we''re supposed to not start with a backlog, so anything I do end up writing early shall also be posted early. Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P figure out where she is and find one of the people on her list? Is her analysis superior to that of the system¡¯s? And what exactly is going on with her status? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 2 ¨C Terminate the Other Dungeon! Writathon has begun, let¡¯s goooooooo! I shall post as quickly as I can write, without a thought to ¡®editing¡¯ or ¡®quality control¡¯ or ¡®making a mess of the plot¡¯! Because I can¡¯t make a mess of the plot if I don¡¯t know what it is! Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P accept His Majesty Rattingtale¡¯s surrender or will he be terminated? Will she ever take a look at that foreign program plaguing her UI? Tune in next time to find out! Chapter 3 ¨C The Spoils of War Sorry all, I wanted to give you guys the status, but we have to convince NSLICE-00P it¡¯s not malware first. Which I wanted Rattingtale to do, but he has to convince her to listen to him first lol. Because yes, trusting the intelligent rat dungeon master you just beat and subordinated by force is totally the smart thing to do! So yeah, looks like we¡¯ll need a bit more work before we can get NSLICE-00P to check her status. I¡¯m not just putting it off because it¡¯s a lot of work to figure out, trust me. Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P ever check out that malware? Will she trust the words of the ska¡­err¡­¡¯Great-High King¡¯? Will Rattingtale be subjected to¡­processing? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 4 ¨C A Bear-y Dangerous Miscalculation ¡­wait I thought I was making NSLICE-00P blatantly OP, what happened? Well, I suppose she is OP¡­compared to a regular human that is. Bears are also OP compared to regular humans. And this bear is OP compared to regular bears so¡­ ¡­And His Royal Majesty, Excellion Formantus Rattingtale the Third is technically OP compared to regular rats! Anyways! What will this malware end up looking like? Can NSLICE-00P find a way to safely navigate this apparently extremely dangerous world? Can the author successfully make her blatantly OP once more? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 5 ¨C Status Report: System Online and Overpowered! So many screens. So many numbers. Why did I give the MC two statuses again? Oh right, blatantly OP, got it. Well¡­anything for NSLICE-00P! Anyways! Can a cyborg who only recently gained free will and has never played a video game optimize a build in a system? Or will she wing it just like the author is¡­err definitely NOT doing when designing said system? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 6 ¨C First Steps And so NSLICE-00P has been fully infected by the malware. Oh no! Probably just going to post the status when there are notable changes or at key points. Much as I would love to inflate them word counts lol. Do not be alarmed, the numbers continue to go up! Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P become a master of the arcane arts? Is taking in Rattingtale as a subordinate a wise decision? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 7 ¨C Target Acquired Ah, there we go. Back to the OP power tripping! Also, Rattingtale how dare you?! You are courting death, my friend. Hurt NSLICE-00P and you will earn yourself one free termination, to be redeemed immediately. Anyways! What upgrades and spells will NSLICE-00P determine is most efficient? What shall become of Rattingtale¡¯s devious plot? What will the next dungeon master think of all this? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 8 ¨C Terminate the Earth Dungeon! Dungeon #2 terminated! ¡­oops we weren¡¯t supposed to terminate that one, huh? Ah well, we¡¯ll get em next time! Also, it¡¯s kind of hard to decide what perks a character will choose when she¡¯s never played a video game before and also doesn¡¯t have much individuality, lol. Like I know what implant I want to give her but first we have to teach her AI why said implant is useful haha. Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P ''accidentally'' terminate more dungeons? Will Rattingtale ever make any progress on his plan? Can the author get NSLICE-00P to pick the right perks? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 9 ¨C Terminate the Spider Dungeon? New subordinate get! Well, the newbie can¡¯t possibly compare to the wisdom and majesty and trustworthiness of the Great-High King, but hey. Spiders are supposed to be good at isekai worlds, right? Anyways! Can Rattingtale adjust his plan to this new situation? Will Lilussees get her snack after all? Is NSLICE-00P making a good choice taking in all these dungeon masters? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 10 ¨C Like, How Do Dungeons Work, Anyway? There we go, we finally got someone to teach 00P some dungeon mechanics who isn¡¯t a skav¡­err actual rat. Because trusting the spider dungeon master is definitely a much better idea! Anyways! Has NSLICE-00P chosen the right subordinate to trust? Can Rattingtale adjust his plans to this serious setback? Can Lilussees make her new home comfy and safe? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 11 ¨C Termination Training Montage Ah, the classic training montage...but now with termination! We''re coming for you, you evil bear who hurt our poor killer cyborg! And so we head to the climax of the intro arc! Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P¡¯s calculations prove accurate this time? Can she overcome the Ursanus or will we head into another grinding arc? Will the system managers be ok with this new entity going around creating her own skills? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 12 ¨C The Bear Necessities¡­For Termination! Evil bear who hurt NSLICE-00P: terminated! NSLICE-00P independent upgrade program: successful! Great-High King of all the land¡¯s plan for world domination: ¡­still in progress! Lilussees comfy-safe home renovation: significantly more progress than Great-High King of All the Land¡¯s plan! You know what else was terminated? The author¡¯s brain when realizing he threw out a bunch of level ups and skill increases without tracking them cause he was lazy earlier and so had to hunt down every last status notification to update the status correctly along with accounting for some off-screen increases before writing this chapter. ¡­I definitely should have created this status progress tracking sheet before this, shouldn¡¯t I have? And so the introduction arc comes to a close. NSLICE-00P is now engaging with the system and has become reasonably overpowered. Which means¡­it is time to unleash her upon the wider world! Next up: oh look, there¡¯s people in this world too! Anyways! What will NSLICE-00P do next now that she has conquered the Ursanus? Can the Great-High King of all the land plan to regain his throne? Will Lilussees¡­oh she went to sleep again. Are there other people in this world too? Will the author learn that it¡¯ll ultimately be a lot less work if he just keeps track of all these dang numbers? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude 12.1 ¨C Just Another Day in the Provinces So y¡¯all know what the setting¡¯s going to be or was all that too subtle? I considered coming up with my own name for limitanei/comitatenses but I don''t know crap about Latin and let¡¯s be real, how many of y¡¯all recognize what those are? And how many of you who did learned it from anywhere other than a video game? Which is where I learned it hahaha. Thank you Total War for 90% of my current knowledge regarding classical antiquity. Anyways! Can Canus hold the line until reinforcements arrive? Will he ever be able to retire in peace? And just what could have picked a fight with the Tyrant of the Beasts? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 13 ¨C Mission Parameters Set Eh? Who are you people? There¡¯s a suspicious lack of termination and a suspicious excess of talking here. And like, that almost sounds like a serious plot or something. We don¡¯t do that here. What¡¯s that? My last comedic novel was full of serious plots and lots of joke characters became serious over time? That¡¯s totally a thing we do here? Um¡­ T-That can¡¯t be right. I-I¡¯m not in denial or anything! Anyways! What will NSLICE-00P do next now that she can resume her mission? Will she manage to find civilization? And who are these randos and why are they taking up prime termination time? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 14 ¨C First Contact And so NSLICE-00P met new people in this strange new world¡­and terminated them! If only bandits could stop acting like stereotypical mooks for five seconds, maybe more of them would survive these sorts of events. ¡­I think NSLICE-00P might already have a higher direct body count than my other MC, who technically had a villainous lead tag. But oh well! Both Isekai AND RPG rules state that bandits don¡¯t count as people! After all, none of them had names or uniquely drawn character art, so that means none of them could be recruited! And if you can¡¯t be recruited, that means you¡¯re experience! Dem¡¯s just the rules. Anyways! What will NSLICE-00P do with these two teens? Are there any bandits who don¡¯t threaten the random armored person passing by? Will Lilussees get to taste manflesh after all? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 15 ¨C Help Me, NSLICE-00P. You¡¯re My Only Hope! Noobs...err ''new allies'' get! And now it¡¯s back to dungeon termination! Oh Ateia and Taog, you have no idea what you¡¯ve done, do you? Oh well, I¡¯m sure this will all go fine and cause no chaos or headaches for anybody involved, least of all the Empire! Anyways! Will Ateia and Taog succeed in their dream? Have they made the right move signing a magic contract with the person they know nothing about save her capacity for violence? Will Lilussees and Rattingtale be let out of the hidden compartments? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 16 ¨C Carrying the Noobs¡­err ¡°Valued Allies¡± Dungeon terminated! Well that was easy, barely an inconvenience. Too bad NSLICE-00P ended up doing all the work and therefore got all the credit. Sorry 00P, when we asked you to carry the noobs, we didn¡¯t mean literally. Anyways! Can Ateia and Taog make a non-zero contribution to the next dungeon termination? Will Taog ever get answers to who exactly they asked for help? Will Lilussess and Rattingtale ever make it back to the monster hanger? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 17 ¨C The Valued Allies¡¯ First Dungeon Termination Carrying the noobs, err ¡®valuable allies¡¯ part two, where we try to let the valuable allies be valuable! ¡­they are valuable, right? Well¡­they did fail the normal test for this job¡­ ¡­ L-Look on the bright side, NSLICE-00P! You¡¯re gaining all sorts of new intel and a chance to level your subordinates! And, like, you don¡¯t have to do all the work this time! And it will only take several more hours than it would have as a result! ¡­we might need to redo the cost-benefit analysis of that contract, huh. Anyways!This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Can Ateia and Taog ever find their way through the dungeon? Will they make a non-zero contribution or will NSLICE-00P have to do all the work again? Was NSLICE-00P¡¯s cost-benefit analysis of helping these two accurate? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 18 ¨C Terminate the Beast Dungeon¡­Maybe¡­If the Valued Allies Get Around to It¡­ Dungeon terminated¡­by valued allies! With NSLICE-00P only doing a lot of the work! And it only took¡­a lot more hours¡­and pain¡­and shouting¡­ Oh well, at least NSLICE-00P got to grind some Recovery Magic levels. Hope it''s clear who''s status messages belong to who. Let me know if not. Anyways! What happens now that Ateia and Taog have succeeded? Will helping them prove worth the effort? Are they ready for the life they want to embark upon? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 19 ¨C The Exploratores Explicatio Bit of world building this time, introducing the Exploratores. Because just reusing the Adventurer¡¯s Guild for the millionth time was kind of boring and I wondered how the Roman Empire might organize something similar. So it¡¯s Spectres adventurers¡­but with a Latin name! Behold my creative prowess! Anyways! What will happen as Ateia and Taog take NSLICE-00P back to civilization? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 20 ¨C Let¡¯s Sit Around the Campfire ...and sing our little song... I¡¯m sure everything will be fine and nothing chaotic or annoying will happen at all! Don¡¯t worry Taog, nothing bad could possibly result from leading the killer cyborg into the Empire! More importantly, now we can have Lilussees and Rattingtale comment on all the man-things without me having to find times for them to pop out unseen haha. Anyways! Is leading a killer cyborg into the Empire a wise decision? Will NSLICE-00P determine her current location? What will Lilussees and Rattingtale think of all these man-things? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 21 ¨C Rules of Engagement Decided to go with the Chrysalis style of pre-chapter world building tidbits because I enjoyed them. If you don''t then skip the italics at the start lol. I know, I know, you''re all so disappointed you don''t have to listen to Ateia and Taog explain everything about the Empire within the main storyline. Well well well if someone isn¡¯t trying to earn themselves one free termination. But like, I guess we¡¯re in a society now, or something, so immediate termination is probably frowned upon. Sigh. Stop being the better man, Taog! Just look away, and let the termination happen! What¡¯s the worst that could happen, just NSLICE-00P subsequently terminating the entire town when they try to arrest her? ...can''t we just save our game, terminate everyone, and then reload? ¡­ok fiiiinnnneeee. We¡¯ll settle for non-lethal violence then. Anyways! Can Taog keep NSLICE-00P from terminating anyone while they¡¯re here? Will Lar earn himself one free termination? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 22 ¨C A Bit of Shopping Foreign system flagged as potential malware due to lacking data displays. Data reporting seems noticeably inefficient. ¡­I¡¯m sorry 00P, but that would require the author to decide all the data dungeon system manager to do more than the bare minimum! B-But it¡¯s ok, potions are cool too, right? D-Don¡¯t worry, the author will use all things to make you OP, so it¡¯ll be worth it later, I promise! Well¡­that¡¯s what happens when we take advice from the Great-High King of All the Land. Anyways! Are Ateia and Taog ready for their adventure? Will the Captain of the Guard have to deal with any more altercations? Will the foreign system prove that it¡¯s not malware? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 23 ¨C On the Road Well, I¡¯m sure this will be fine. Everyone will stay calm and talk things out, right? After all, this novel is Diplomacy in the Other World! What¡¯s that? That¡¯s not the name of the novel? Oh. Aggressive negotiations it is. Anyways! Can the gang calmly diplomacy the big wulver incursion? Will we ever find a way to terminate Lar? Will NSLICE-00P rid the world of hostile slimes? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 24 ¨C Terminate the Incursion! I¡¯m going to tally the XP and levels at the end, or something. Don¡¯t feel like putting single wulvers into the XP calculators hundreds of times after all lol. Because we didn¡¯t have enough termination the last few chapters, so we need to make up for it now! We didn¡¯t even get to terminate Lar for goodness sake! ¡­the wulver might be rethinking that whole ¡®let¡¯s attack everyone we see¡¯ culture now. Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P defeat an entire wulver incursion basically by herself (Ok, Ateia, you can have 1% of the credit, if we¡¯re generous)? Will Taog realize exactly who they¡¯ve signed on with? What will this mean for the plans of The Great-High King of all the land? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 25 ¨C The Trial of Claws ¡­what happened to the blatantly OP? Why are we having a close fight now? That wasn¡¯t in the script¡­ Oh, right, NSLICE-00P only did upgrades as necessary for mission success probability¡­so she just sort of sat on all those upgrades after the Ursanus fight. Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P overturn the situation? Will the story of the Great-High King and Lilussees''s latest nap be cut short? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 26 ¨C Unshackled Oh hey! The organic components did something useful! ¡­wait a minute, wasn¡¯t NSLICE-00P a cyborg cause she was supposed to be using those organic components in the first place? Anyways! Who will emerge victorious in the Trial of Claws? Who shall be terminated in the end? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 27 ¨C Terminate the Wulver! Wulver warchief terminated! And a lot of the other wulver! Like¡­a lot of wulver! ¡­I love LitRPG statuses as a reader, but now that I¡¯m writing them, I¡¯m like uggghhhhh do I have to figure out all the exact numbers? I want to hand wave things and make the characters as strong or weak as the story needs them to be! What¡¯s that? That¡¯s like, the good part of LitRPG? It forces us authors to stay consistent and actually consider these details? Ugh fine. Well, if it¡¯s for the sake of making 00P OP, I guess it¡¯s worth it then. Anyways! What happens now that NSLICE-00P has emerged victorious? Will giving NSLICE-00P access to strategic magic cause any problems? What does everyone else think of this battle? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 28 ¨C Trial Debrief Don¡¯t worry Taog! It¡¯s not like you signed a contract with a literal demon lord who you are leading to the province¡¯s main population center or anything! ¡­ Um¡­ A-Anyways! What upgrades will NSLICE-00P choose next? Is Taog right to worry? And just where was the Empire in all this? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 29 ¨C Upgrade Round 2 Meanwhile NSLICE-00P continues to approach the truth. And as importantly, gets more upgrades! ...sadly she is an efficiency focused cyborg, and so doesn''t pick the cool sounding ones just for sounding cool. I totally wouldn''t screw myself over in a LitRPG world picking stuff just because it sounds cool¡­ Anyways! How will NSLICE-00P¡¯s powers continue to develop? Will she realize the truth about her circumstances? And what will she do once she does? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 30 ¨C Magnumiter As for her status...well the Empire''s status artifacts weren''t exactly built with double-status human-dungeon core hybrids in mind. And she has a full ''human'' status so that''s what it read. Hypothetically there''s the ''human-dungeon core-automata hybrid'' part but that''s brand new data that the system may or may not have been updated to handle at this point so it just reads ''human'' to most current status reading methods. But more importantly, time for NSLICE-00P¡¯s first interactions with intelligent, civilized life! Lar doesn¡¯t count as intelligent or civilized. What¡¯s that? Oh, yes, of course. NSLICE-00P¡¯s second interactions with intelligent, civilized life. Because of course, the Great-High King of all the land¡¯s realm was the epitome of culture and intellect before its sudden and tragic demise, yes-yes. Lilussees¡­hasn¡¯t said anything because she¡¯s asleep, so we¡¯ll say second interaction for now. And I guess the wulver are also intelligent. Civilized depends on your point of view but they¡¯re as civilized as they feel like being so we¡¯ll say yes. So, third interaction with civilized life? ¡­ It¡¯s her first time in a big town, ok?! Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P find a way to continue her mission under these circumstances? Can Taog prevent any terminations while in town? Will NSLICE-00P encounter intelligent, civilized life here? And what is written on the parchment? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 31 ¨C Our Mission Hope this one came out all right, supposed to be an important moment after all. Probably shouldn''t have written it while getting hammered by the booster shot haha. But eh, I think I had already skipped a day at the time, so had to get it out. Delay something once and it''s a fluke. Delay something twice and before you know it you need a reason to do it instead of a reason to delay it. So, the show must go on! What''s that? Edit/rewrite it now that I''m not getting hammered by the booster? Hahaha that''s impossible. Rewriting is reserved for completed novels and extreme emergencies only! We can''t change the past, we can only move forward to the future! Next up, we''ll get a chapter from Ateia''s perspective! Anyways! Can Ateia and NSLICE-00P find who they¡¯re looking for? Will there be any consequences to NSLICE-00P using a ¡®magic box¡¯ in public? Tune in next time to find out! Side Story 31.1 ¨C The Girl Who Was Left Behind Etly asked if I was ever going to write from Ateia¡¯s perspective and then I realized wait I never did that, did I? So, congrats Ateia, you get the first side story of the novel! ¡­again not entirely sure I got her completely right but eh, still wanted to get this out haha. Ended up longer than I expected to, so summarized some parts, sorry for the tell don''t show on that. We can always have more flashbacks later if we need them, after all! Ain''t doing a full life story arc for Ateia right now haha. For names, I debated this since ¡®Seero¡¯ isn¡¯t really a name per say, but since this is a full side-story from Ateia¡¯s perspective (who also doesn¡¯t yet understand that ¡®NSLICE-00P¡¯ is a serial number) decided it would be weird not to use it here. I think I will stick with NSLICE-00P in main story chapters, but any full on side-character POV chapters we can go with whatever they call her. Anyways! What¡¯s next for the group¡¯s journey? Why did Ateia¡¯s father leave them behind? Can two kids who barely left their little hamlet successfully guide this strange, incredibly powerful, and maybe slightly trigger-happy girl? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 32 ¨C The Flesh Is Weak Poor NSLICE-00P, if only there was someone who could train her and make this process less¡­annoying. Oh well, sadly there¡¯s no one like that so she¡¯ll just have to figure it out herself. Slowly. Inefficiently. ¡­her cybernetic half is resisting the urge to take control again. ¡­yeah I know Rattingtale and Lilussees haven¡¯t done much recently huh? Sorry bout that, we¡¯re still trying to hide them from the valued allies and it¡¯s too early to reveal such things. Soon Ateia and Taog will take a bit of a backseat and the monster pair will get more involved. Cause, like, the humans are better for emotional development, or something. Like, that¡¯s a lot of work monsters don¡¯t care about, you know? So we¡¯ll let the man-things handle that part, yes-yes. Anyways! Who exactly was the random criminal working for? Can NSLICE-00P successfully boost her organic side¡¯s capabilities? Can Taog successfully reduce her trigger-happiness? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 33 ¨C The People of the Mist Oh look, an original chapter for the published version! But, um, that means it never had an author¡¯s note, huh. How tragic. Well, you know, upon editing, I though maybe we should go and see that other culture in Turannia, or something. So here you go! Selkies! And more importantly, another chance to visit vengeance upon the Ursanus! Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P determine how to efficiently utilize her two halves? Will the Ursanus survive as a species? Will Miall¨®i ever meet the person responsible for this? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 34 ¨C The Heart of the Province To be clear on what¡¯s happening, the Empire¡¯s status reading tool only ended up reading her personal status. In fact, most Analyze abilities would. I mean, why wouldn¡¯t they? There¡¯s never been anyone with two statuses, after all. Even if you read a dungeon master it¡¯s going to show their personal status, not their dungeon management screen. It¡¯s only showing the ¡®human¡¯ part of the ¡®human/dungeon core/automata¡¯ hybrid because they haven¡¯t fully figured it out on the backend haha. Analyze abilities aren¡¯t necessarily perfect, after all, so it¡¯s reading the data it recognizes. Maybe some squiggly lines for the other parts but hey what kind of clerk''s gonna file the paperwork requesting an investigation for some squiggly lines? Anyways! What will happen as NSLICE-00P heads into the capital of the province? Will Ateia and Taog successfully join the Exploratores? Just where is the Legion headed? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 35 ¨C Monetary Policy See Seero? I told you I¡¯d use all things to make you (O)OP! Now you¡¯re rich! Theoretically infinitely rich! What¡¯s that? What can you actually buy in this pre-industrial society that¡¯s relevant or useful for an advanced cyborg that pretty much doesn¡¯t need to eat or sleep? Um¡­that¡¯s¡­goods and services¡­of some sort? ¡­we¡¯ll come up with some magic stuff eventually, or something. Anyways! Will Ateia and Taog start their training safely? What will NSLICE-00P do with her infinity money? What is going on in the Empire? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude 35.1 ¨C The Magister Exploratores per Turannia And so Ateia and Taog have started on their quest, guided by only the best Exploratores in the province. Things are looking up! Good thing they haven¡¯t left anything behind and unsupervised that could cause any potential problems while the Legion and Exploratores are utterly gutted in the province! Something that no longer has any humans in their party! Anyways! Will Tiberius survive this deadly situation? Can Miall¨®i train Ateia and Taog to become full-fledged Exploratores? Have Ateia and Taog left something behind that could end up causing problems? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 36 ¨C Signs of Intelligence? All right, the humies are out of the way so time for the monster crew to get in on this! First and foremost, we have some servants for the Great-High King of all the land! This can in no way backfire or cause any sort of trouble. Particularly now that NSLICE-00P is left unsupervised in a major population center. Anyways! Was it right for Ateia and Taog to leave NSLICE-00P unsupervised? Was it right for NSLICE-00P to grant her subordinates their own subordinates? Can NSLICE-00P successfully upgrade her intelligence gathering capabilities? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude 36.1 ¨C Game of Throne-Crowns: The Rebirth of the Great-High King¡¯s Realm And so, like, the schemery begins, or something. I¡¯m sure it will get very far, with the super loyal subordinates that the Great-High King has acquired for himself. Who definitely don¡¯t think he¡¯s just some random guy they have no particular relationship with or something. Anyways! Can the Great-High King of all the land rebuild his domain and gather his forces? Can he overthrow the mighty tyrant crushing his people under heel? Can he put a stop to the great evil of the wretched spider-things? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 37 ¨C Offering Assistance Well this isn¡¯t at all sketch. I¡¯m sure it will be fine and will definitely not result in any sort of terminations. Except for that furry hostile. Better watch your step, cat, you¡¯ve been scheduled for termination if you happen upon a certain killer cyborg! Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P terminate the cat? Who is this mysterious man who contacted her? What is NSLICE-00P getting involved with? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 38 ¨C Side Quest: Termination! Ah see, no problem! Cassius is just a normal person requesting monster termination! There is nothing at all sketchy about this and I¡¯m sure everything will end totally fine. Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P terminate the Felix Pluvia? Will the Great-High King be able to endure the horrors of extraction? Will Lilussees¡­oh she¡¯s already asleep. Well for the other questions, tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 39 ¨C Terminate the Felix Pluvia! Termination¡¯s back on the menu! Turns out stealth ain¡¯t a problem if you have access to orbital bombardment! So, you know, good luck to the Great-High King of all the land! Any confirmed hostile intent will be met with orbital bombardment termination so time your plan well. Anyways! Can the Great-High King of all the land come up with a plan to overcome his great rival? How does the wise-powerful boss-queen plan to respond? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 40 ¨C Mission Report Well I¡¯m sure this will all work out find and no one will end up getting hurt! Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P continue to terminate the monsters successfully? What is Cassius¡¯s ultimate goal here? Will hostile intent be confirmed? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 41 ¨C Termination on Demand! Termination montage! It''s like the training montage, but with more...well, termination. Anyways! Can Cassius continue to handle this strange, increasingly abnormal knight? Will NSLICE-00P terminate another Ursanus Alpha? Have her subordinates grown enough to conduct intelligence? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 42 ¨C Treachery Gasp the sketchy man in the slums sending NSLICE-00P on suicidal monster hunts is betraying her! Curse this sudden but inevitable betrayal! The Great-High King of all the land is shaking his head at such an obvious, telegraphed plot. His plans will be conducted with far greater subtlety and effect! What¡¯s that? What exactly are his plans you ask? Wouldn¡¯t you like to know? It is only natural you cannot comprehend the great plans of His Royal Majesty Excellion Formantus Rattingtale the Third! Anyways! Can the lead rat hold the line for his comrades? Will the rats warn the boss-queen in time? Just what is the treacherous man-thing planning? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 43 ¨C The Servants of the Wise-Powerful Boss-Queen One free termination, coming right up! Maybe two. That cat better watch itself at night. Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P handle the ambush? Will the rat monster live up to the wise-powerful boss-queen''s expectations? Can the cat avoid being terminated? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 44 ¨C Expeditious Return Hmmmm I wonder how this could possibly end? What sort of outcome could occur when NSLICE-00P catches up to the treacherous man-thing? What sort of action will be taken? Oh well, guess we¡¯ll just have to find out! Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P catch up to Cassius in time? Will the Great-High King of all the land find an opportunity to exploit? What will happen when NSLICE-00P meets Cassius once more? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 45 ¨C Dark Plots Fulfilled Well¡­you¡¯re definitely right about that last part at least, Cassius, fighting dungeons in wars of attrition is a bad idea. So I¡¯m sure everything¡¯s about to go great for you! Some strange wandering knight can¡¯t possibly take on an entire dungeon alone, right? Haha. Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P overcome the infinite might of a dungeon? Or will Cassius complete his plan to conquer Turannia? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 46 ¨C Team Termination ¡­I couldn¡¯t resist (Faceless Minion reference if you didn''t read that one). And now Rattingtale is regretting the whole get the boss-queen to summon more rats idea. How was he supposed to know one of them would turn out to be a blood knight-teacher''s pet who would force him to do actual subordinate work? ...Lilussees might be plotting his murder now. Maybe. Tomorrow. If she gets around to it. Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P take on a Hot Devil? Will the rat monster show the might of the wise-mighty boss-queen¡¯s servants? Will Lilussees recover from this horrendous expenditure of energy? Will Cassius ever realize what¡¯s actually going on? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 47 ¨C What¡¯s in a Name? Thank goodness 00P still likes serial numbers right now! Can you imagine if fantasynamegenerators¡­err I, alone, with my own creativity, had to think of names for all those monsters? But more importantly, now I can stop referring to 01R as ¡®the rat that she healed that one time¡¯! Anyways! Can 01R live up to his glorious and affectionate name? Can Cassius find a way past this strange knight¡¯s weird capabilities? Will NSLICE-00P get lost in this new and specially designed labyrinth? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 48 ¨C Terminate the Hostile Dungeon! You want to know the funny thing about all this? If Cassius just hadn¡¯t acted hostile towards 00P, she probably wouldn¡¯t have cared. The fact that he¡¯s a human and a citizen of the Empire would have made the whole building a dungeon thing Imperial business, which 00P would have considered herself a third party to and so avoided involvement in unless she was directly threatened. He could have at least rampaged through Castra Turannia if he had just ignored her to start with. So good job screwing it up, Cassius! In other news, ugh, the status tables strike again! Why did I give 00P two statuses again? Oh right, that''s, like, the premise, or something. Any chance you could terminate the tables, 00P? Well, let¡¯s talk about that, ok? Maybe I¡¯ll work something out with the Dungeon Status manager¡­ Anyways! What happens now that there¡¯s a Hero Dungeon walking around? Will 00P do anything bad with her new powers? Tune in next time, to find out! Side Story 48.1 ¨C The Valiant Captain of the Guard and the Strange Wandering Knight Just a bit of what 00P looks like to the Victims of Seero regular folk around the town. Anyways! What does Legion policy say about heroes? Will Opiter''s stomach survive the stress of the recent events? Will the comitatenses return before the next thing Opiter has to deal with? Tune in next time, to find out! Side Story 48.2 ¨C The Exploratores Disciplina Just checking in on the humies. Ateia and Taog are ¡®valuable allies'' for everyone! What¡¯s that? The message at the end? Ah, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing important! The Legion will handle it! ¡­oh, right. Anyways! Can Ateia and Taog beat Selkie children now? Will Miall¨®i manage to protect her home? What is it that has occurred? Tune in next time, to find out! Book 2 - A Glitch In The Protocols Authors Notes Collection Chapter 1 A Hero¡¯s Reward
And so NSLICE-00P slowly begins to learn the art of min-maxing! You don¡¯t need HP if you just terminate the other guy first! What¡¯s that? You think the hero skills are just a method for the author to avoid thinking about all the possible regular skills NSLICE-00P could potentially buy with 100 perk points? Nooooooo of course not! That¡¯s definitely not what¡¯s happening! Which is why we definitely won¡¯t also spend all the dungeon points on expensive raid boss perks or anything! Anyways! What is the next form of the Great-High King of all the land? How will the author avoid thinking of¡­err¡­what sort of amazing (and expensive) upgrades will the author show NSLICE-00P next? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 2 The Great-High King¡¯s Terrible Mistake
Assimilation successful. And so it begins. I wonder what other cyber creatures NSLICE-00P might have access to? What other methods she might have to improve the capabilities of her NSLICE network? Anyways! Can the Great-High King find a way out from this enslavement and surveillance? What will NSLICE-00P do with her new network? Can Lilussees find a way to restore her naps? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 3 ¡°Bear¡±-ly Starting Out
Muahahahaha cyber-bear get! The tough thing about NSLICE-00P is she doesn¡¯t make impulsive decisions based on what would be really cool. Which, you know, is probably the right way to approach being Isekai-ed and generally good for one¡¯s survival chances. But the good thing about NSLICE-00P is all we have to do is convince her the cool decision is logical and efficient and she¡¯ll do it! Because yes, cyber-bears are extremely efficient. That cyber-bear cub rolling around on the floor and tripping over itself? That¡¯s peak efficiency, you know? Anyways! What will NSLICE-00P do with her expanded network? Will 00B develop minimum combat effectiveness? Is summoning cyber-bears the efficient thing to do? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 4 A Settlement Requires Your Aid
Oh look, another original chapter that never had the honor of an author''s note. Well, what would an isekai litrpg story be without a bit of goblin massacre? Fortunately, NSLICE-00P is something of a goblin terminator herself! Anyways! Will Tiberius find any trace of the persons of interest? How many monsters will NSLICE-00P terminate while waiting for Ateia and Taog? How many upgrade routines will she complete in the meantime? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 5 Abandoned Oh no, not an incursion! If only there was someone who could do something about a crisis like that! Sadly, all the Legion folks who could are away. Oh well, guess the limitanei will just have to try and hold. Good luck you all! Anyways! Can our brave legions hold the line? Or will the Empire be driven from Turannia once and for all? Is there anyone who can do anything about this? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 6 Avoiding Imperial Entanglements Merry Christmas everyone (or maybe day after depending on your timezone haha)! I got you a present! It''s violence. Yes we will have lots of termination...wait, 00P, where are you going? What do you mean you¡¯re going to just walk away from an approaching conflict between two nations you have no official connection to or reason to go to war with? That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s not how this works! Isekai protagonists are obviously supposed to immediately end any wars in their vicinity and/or blow up the bad country! What¡¯s that? It¡¯s logical and efficient not to get involved in wars that don¡¯t concern you? That¡¯s¡­um¡­ I-It¡¯s isekai! We don¡¯t use ¡®facts¡¯ or ¡®logic¡¯ here! Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P defy Isekai logic and escape the coming war without a fight? Can the limitanei hold the line without assistance? Will Lilussees have her revenge? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude The Road to Castra Turannia
Hey look, the valued allies are actually being valuable! If we define valuable as ¡®getting carried by someone really strong¡¯! They are very good at being carried by someone really strong. If you''re wondering about Ateia only getting 10XP and if she''s super high level now or something, that kill was a team effort and so the XP got split. A fact that has never come up before because, you know, 00P always needs so much help with termination. Anyways! Can the Legion hold at Castra Turannia? Can Canus and Miall¨®i find a solution to this crisis? Will the valued allies continue to be ¡®valuable¡¯? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 7 Opposing Directives
¡­how dare they make 00P cry? Everyone responsible for this is now scheduled for termination, effective immediately! Hm, what¡¯s that? Wouldn''t I get terminated too? How dare you. I would never make 00P cry, ever. You take that back or you¡¯re going on the termination list too! Anyways. ¡­ Sigh. How is this going to end? Tune in next time, to find out. Chapter 8 In Search of Hope
Sorry if the first part''s a bit wordy. Trying to cover all the bases to keep NSLICE-00P''s actions as logical per her protocols, so hopefully that helps? If not, we''re going with the idea proposed by RobotSamurai that some underpaid intern programmed the ''intervention in foreign conflicts'' part of her protocols. Because you know, secret evil organizations cyborg-izing orphan children and bent on world domination are definitely industry leaders in compensation, employee satisfaction, and productivity. All they had to do was terminate the rest of the industry! Now back to the story... Magister Tiberius: He¡¯s talking about an official, Aesdes-appointed hero who solo-ed a corrupted dungeon. Dux Canus: Get her. Whatever it takes. Rector Aemilia: DIBS. Where do I sign? Miall¨®i: What are they¡­ooooooohhhhhh yeah, go! Chieftain D¨¦ighen: Um, what¡¯s going on right now? Legate Opiter: WHYYYYYYY?!!! Well, we''ll see if NSLICE-00P considers that enough to get involved in a third party conflict. Anyways! Can the Empire hold the line with full might of the Selkies at their side? Can Ateia and Taog find NSLICE-00P in time? Can they convince her to get involved in a war like this? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude The King of the Dobhar Don¡¯t do it Miall¨®i! Don¡¯t join the dark side! Don¡¯t join the Emperor¡­wait what was that? She¡¯s already working for the Emperor? This guy is trying to convince her to rebel and overthrow the Empire? ¡­ But, um, that¡¯s, what? Writing Isekai Rome and watching Andor at the same time is very confusing. Anyways! What choice will Miall¨®i make? Will King Uscfrea conquer the Land of Rain? Which side is the dark side again? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 9 The Battle Begins ¡­King Uscfrea you stop that. Isekai villains are supposed to be evil for the evulz! So stop raising those death flags! Those are the wrong kind! YOUR death flag is supposed to be a ¡®no one can stop me now¡¯ sort of deal! Anyways! Can King Uscfrea create a future for his people and marry the girl he¡¯s known since¡­wait no! Stop that! ¡­will the battle conclude while the Dobhar are still the villains? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 10 The Battle of Castra Turannia The battle is joined, the die is cast, and now everything rests on the events of the next few minutes. Ah well, who cares about that? Next up, we go back to our favorite cyborg, who clearly has nothing to do with any of this! Anyways! Can Dux Canus and Miall¨®i defeat King Uscfrea? Or will the King claim his prize? And what is a certain someone doing in the midst of all this? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 11 A Glitch Called the Heart
And she''s back! And finally got that stupid calculation to do what she wants...err...got an efficient and totally valid prediction requiring totally necessary and efficient behavior. That totally didn''t give a consistently different result the last thousand times she ran it or anything. Totally. Because science! From that one time I worked in a lab...rerunning things over and over until you get one result that finally works is totally the right way to do it! Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P be enough to defeat the Dobhar? Has she made the efficient and validly calculated choice? Will Lilussees find a way to sleep? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 12 Terminate the Dobhar!
Turns out terminating an army is super easy if you can fly and have access to orbital bombardment. As to why 00P didn¡¯t get a new strategic spell in this case, Spell Fusion is not actually a ¡®spell creator¡¯ skill but a ¡®spell combo¡¯ skill. It¡¯s just that the last two times she used it she happened to use combos basic enough to be actual spells for magic schools she already knew and so happened to earn those spells in the process. Because you know¡­she definitely needs a longer status with lots more spells and stuff¡­ Haha. Anyways! Who will win the clash between NSLICE-00P and King Uscfrea Spellbreaker? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 13 The Spellbreaker vs. The Ultimate Weapon
For all you who didn¡¯t read The Faceless Minion: There is in fact a Dobhar-chu in that story and kgy121 pointed out she would probably have at least some contingency protocols to face them. I did want to minimize the number of direct references but figure in this case it was kind of necessary to put it in. And hey, it¡¯s a mythology reference before it''s a Faceless Minion reference anyways. ¡­so I realized after the last time I did her full status that I totally forgot about the Anti-Mana Beam skill that was supposed to go with the Equalizer. Thought about retconning it out but that was how she got the Skill Creator perk and a bunch of perk points so¡­ Ahem, I mean obviously this was all planned. See, since it¡¯s a brand new skill, NSLICE-00P has to pave the way, rather than the system just giving her stuff! So¡­it only levels when she does something new with it or boosts its power herself, like how she channeled it into a weapon instead of just a raw beam this time! That¡¯s obviously the reason why it hasn¡¯t leveled at all despite all the times she¡¯s used the Equalizer before now! The author didn¡¯t just totally forget what was supposed to be her defining skill all this time! Oh, and by the way, no level 10 upgrade for Multicasting cause it¡¯s an advanced skill, so not as many modifiers as early. It will probably get an upgrade later on, but you know I figure there may not be as many directions to take the more advanced and specialized stuff. It¡¯s definitely not because I don¡¯t want to think of things yet! And as for the battle itself¡­lol it¡¯s hard writing a decent battle with a guy who just hits things with an admittedly magic axe when NSLICE-00P could just fly up really high and bombard him from orbit, lol. Come on, 00P, gotta let the noobs have a chance, you know? Anyways! ¡­well I mean I think it¡¯s pretty obvious what¡¯s about to happen next? But well, to cross the t¡¯s and dot the i¡¯s¡­how will this battle end? Can King Uscfrea overturn this situation? Or will he be terminated immediately? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 14 Terminate the War!
¡­welp NSLICE-00P terminated the war! Everything¡¯s good now, right? Everybody¡¯s happy, right? There definitely won¡¯t be any consequences to leaving NSLICE-00P unsupervised with a guy with the strength, intelligence, and charisma to unite his entire race, right? Anyways! How will NSLICE-00P ultimately terminate this conflict? What is King Uscfrea about to propose? Was it wise for Dux Canus to leave NSLICE-00P unsupervised with the King of the Dobhar? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 15 The Queen of the Dobhar
It¡¯s official, NSLICE-00P is now a queen. Well she always was but now she¡¯s also queen of the Dobhar. And Dux Canus is deeply regretting leaving her unsupervised. Oh well! Imperial stress isn¡¯t a threat to the primary directive and so irrelevant to 00P! Otter army get! What¡¯s that? 00P¡¯s experience and stuff from wiping out hundreds of Dobhar and what not? Not to worry, it¡¯s coming. 00P just had to run some negotiation simulations first. In fact a note on that: the level ups and experience gain does happen in real time, but the notification only shows up when the person pays attention to it. This is because levels give generally applicable perks instead of unchangeable stat boosts, and so the level up is technically irrelevant until the given person is ready to allocate those perks. So only notifications on skills would be relevant mid-combat unless the person has the leeway to go into the menus. So remember: it¡¯s definitely not because the author isn¡¯t ready to deal with it just yet! You got that? Anyways! How shall the negotiations go? What will NSLICE-00P do with her new army? Oh, and where did that foreign system go in all this? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 16 The Battle¡¯s Conclusion
This is about where I would finish up ¡®Volume 1¡¯ or so, or maybe the Turannia arc? Or, you know, so I thought before I actually started editing and found that this part was, like, way further along in word count than I realized, since, you know, we''re in Book 2 already. ...what I mean to say is we¡¯re just about done with everything I thought of for Turannia. NSLICE-00P has become a Hero, a friend of the Empire, the Queen of the Dobhar, and started her new NSLICE network. She has also become aware of her organic half and will need to reconcile both sides of herself moving forward. And most of all, she can start to move out of Turannia and out of this rain! Well¡­we¡¯ll probably need to get the Dobhar set up or something now that she has a country and all¡­but then we go! Also ugh, the statuses strike again and the author regrets all his choices! If only we could terminate the tables. If you¡¯re wondering why the XP/level numbers don¡¯t add up, I added some extra levels to account for the time she would¡¯ve spent offscreen either absorbing mana from nearby townsfolk, or from leveling her monster subordinates offscreen. Maths. Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P understand her organic half and reconcile it with her cybernetic components? Will the situation in Turannia calm down or grow worse? What will happen with NSLICE-00P¡¯s brand new country? And what does the rest of the Empire look like? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude Rumblings and Plots Like, I''m sure the sketchy folks talking about big plans won''t be a problem or anything, right? And as for the report to the Exploratores...well...Tiberius may have been drunk when he wrote his initial report and so left out a few things...things he didn''t necessarily want to think about like the whole ''Queen of the Dobhar'' business... Anyways!Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Who are all these people? What are they all planning? And how will they react to NSLICE-00P? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 17 The Royal Guard
Antimagic Axe get! And Otter ¡®friend¡¯ get! I debated whether or not to do this, since Seero¡¯s Squad is getting kind of large already and we haven''t even left the first province¡­but I feel like it has to happen. After how easily he got NSLICE-00P to agree to his terms, Uscfrea 100% wouldn¡¯t want to let her run around unsupervised. He already watched Dux Canus make that mistake lol. So congrats Estrith! You¡¯ve been promoted from minor character I had no plans to actually do anything with to part of the main crew! Wait, doesn¡¯t that mean I have to actually do things with her now¡­? Anyways! Can Estrith protect the Dobhar from their new queen? Is it a good idea for NSLICE-00P to bring her onboard? What do our Imperial friends think of all this? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 18 Paying Debts I¡¯m sure all this will have no consequences whatsoever. We¡¯re not about to flood a small market with lots of currency, or whatever. And that super powerful wandering knight whose abilities can¡¯t be explained by her level? Not at all a problem. Definitely not. The big Dobhar horde now sitting permanently at the border? Also not a problem. Definitely not. Dux Canus is definitely not in denial or anything. He just has healthy coping mechanisms for things he can¡¯t do anything about anyways. Anyways! How long will Lilussees sleep for? Will Legate Opiter ever reduce his stress levels? Is Dux Canus right to decide none of this is his business? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 19 A Worthy Exchange
Don¡¯t worry, Rector Aemilia, Ateia, and Taog! I¡¯m sure NSLICE-00P acquired all that cash through entirely legal and legitimate means that definitely doesn¡¯t involve any demon lords! And now we embark upon the cat¡¯s journey of training and discovery, now that it has found a worthy opponent. Its final battle with 01R will be legendary! (Not to worry, the POV is in fact staying with 00P. We aren¡¯t going on a cat-focused side story arc¡­yet.) Anyways! Can Rector Aemilia successfully develop the Land of Rain? Who will win the eventual clash of warriors? Can 01R teach NSLICE-00P the value of honor? How does Estrith feel about flying? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 20 Terminate the Dread Orcas!
Please note that hostility towards the new friendlies will now result in immediate termination. Well, sadly now Uscfrea will have to convince the Dobhar to accept NSLICE-00P¡¯s rule. I¡¯m sure the Home Fleet will have a very hard time acknowledging her. If only there was some way to convince them it¡¯s in their best interests to follow her. If only. Ah well, good luck Uscfrea! NSLICE-00P doesn¡¯t have PR protocols so she doesn¡¯t care as long as they help search for the persons of interest! Yep, you are entirely on your own in that endeavor. NSLICE-00P will definitely not do anything that would help you with that task. Anyways! Will the Dobhar accept their new ruler? Can NSLICE-00P secure a home base for new subordinates? Can Uscfrea change the traditions of his people? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 21 Some ¡°Routine¡± Maintenance
¡­all NSLICE-00P wanted to do was conduct some maintenance to restore a friendly unit¡¯s efficiency. Oh well! All she knows is not only was the friendly unit¡¯s efficiency restored, but even got upgraded! And then the foreign system granted her more resources to upgrade herself too! A truly efficient outcome. Oh, by the way, realized I totally forgot to level up the Holy Magic skill when she did the whole Holy Aurora Barrage last time, so just imagine the skill leveled to 5 last chapter lol. Oh, and there''s a spell choice available from that, too, for future reference. What''s that? Why not just edit it in? ...but that would require editing! Why fix old mistakes when I can continue to make brand new ones instead? (From the future: ...why yes, I very much hated myself when it was actually time to go and edit this for the official version. RIP.) Anyways! How will the new Sacred Otterkin race develop? How will the Dobhar respond to this? What will be the consequences for the system managers of NSLICE-00P using her Holy-Dungeon powers to give birth to an entirely new species with a very complicated classification? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 22 Laying the Foundation
Ok, secure home base get, despite friendly inefficiencies at construction. Now NSLICE-00P can get back to the primary directive! Sadly ¡®secure home base¡¯ doesn¡¯t include furniture and stuff, so the poor Dobhar will just have to do all that themselves. It¡¯s harsh, but that¡¯s just the reality of her protocols. Anyways! What will become of little Aldreda, the first Sacred Otterkin? What do the Dobhar think of their new secure home base? Can NSLICE-00P get back to her search? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 23 This Is Getting Out of Hand; Now There Are Two of Them! There we go! Efficient means of long-range communications established! What¡¯s that? The consequences of handing a dungeon with theoretically infinite resources to the former King of the Dobhar? And turning a normal inhabitant of this world who also happens to be a major authority figure into a cyborg? Eh, I¡¯m sure it will be fine! ¡­too bad we didn¡¯t bring any valuable allies who might have told NSLICE-00P the Empire totally has mass-produced long-range communication artifacts available! As a side note¡­I finally stopped being lazy and updated all the skill/level tracking sheets¡­and found numerous errors in the last few chapters¡­so like, some of the numbers are going to end up different. I¡¯m going to work off the correctly added numbers in my tracking sheets, rather than the numbers in the published chapters, so sorry if there¡¯s any apparent discrepancies. If I have time and willpower, I might go back and edit those chapters, but no promises on that. After all...I didn''t fix it on Patreon...and I forgot to fix it here again...yeeeuppp that''s for the mythical edit list! (From the Future: ...I REALLY hated myself when it actually came time to edit this. RIP.) Anyways! Has NSLICE-00P established an efficient means of long-range communication? What do Uscfrea and Estrith think about all these revelations? What will Uscfrea do now that he¡¯s a subordinate dungeon master? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 24 New Capabilities
Ugh, sorry this one is late. My organic components deferred all requests for rest cycles for some reason, so my current efficiency leaves much to be desired. If only I had manual control over my rest cycle management¡­ Sorry, also kind of rushing and skipping over the repair Castra Turannia parts but meh. We keep trying to leave Turannia but more things pop up to handle first! Like the spells¡­so many spells¡­so many choices¡­that I have to think of¡­I probably shouldn¡¯t have put them off and let them all bank up, huh? Because oh yeah, she¡¯s, like, supposed to be analyzing the magic circles, or something. Something something figuring out magic and mana so she can upgrade the Equalizer. Which is also, like, something she¡¯s supposed to be doing. ¡­I totally didn¡¯t forget about all that with the new hero stuff and the corrupted dungeon and the Dobhar invasion and stuff¡­ Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P and friendlies resume their quest? Will Uscfrea come to understand his queen? What will the Dobhar become with the power of a dungeon backing them? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 25 Farewell to the Land of Rain And so we can finally leave Turannia! We can see the sun again! What¡¯s that? Ateia¡¯s family enemies? That person at the end? Meh, I¡¯m sure it will all be fine. Anyways! What¡¯s next for our party¡¯s journey? What does the rest of the Empire look like? What other surprising identities is NSLICE-00P hiding from the group? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 26 This Unit Is on a Boat
Muahahahahaha! MUAHAHAHAHAHA! We¡¯ve done it! We¡¯ve finally done it! The spell list is¡­TERMINATED! Now I don¡¯t have to think about all those individual spells leveling up or get worried that half her spells are level 1 and have never been used! And NSLICE-00P can use whatever combo of shapes and attributes she has that¡¯s convenient for her! Muahahahahaha! What¡¯s that? Shouldn¡¯t the individual forms and modifiers have their own levels now to reflect her skill with each individual shape? Don¡¯t I have to think of brand new tables and upgrade options now for that? ¡­Dang it. As a side note, this doesn''t affect the strategic magic spells...yet. Those are a bit more complicated, after all, and so will continued to be leveled individually for the time being. Same might go for different spells if they don''t seem to represent a generally applicable ''shape''. Anyways! How far will NSLICE-00P take her magic while on the boat? What sort of wonderful skills have the valued allies learned during their training sessions that they were obviously doing at the same time? Can the two young mages possibly live up to even what a knight can do? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 27 Friendly Queries
Don¡¯t worry Rattingtale! It¡¯s definitely the case that the Aesdes are helping you overcome your tyrant! She¡¯s definitely not still on to you! Also, gasp, the rainy province no one likes that has barely anyone guarding it was actually an isolated backwater and not representative of the Empire as a whole, who would¡¯ve thought? Ah well, still no electronic communication signals, sadly, so NSLICE-00P still gotta search manually. Anyways! Can the Great-High King master the enchantments? Can an AI teach a rat to use a computer? What terminations¡­err¡­¡¯adventures¡¯ are to be found in the province of Utrad? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 28 First Deployment This chapter is dedicated to LionessLover, who reminded me over on Patreon that I have this Transfer skill I gave her at the start of the novel as a dungeon core staple without thinking about how incredibly broken it would be. I was going to have NSLICE-00P, like, become aware of transfer through, like, a battle or something where she needs to recover someone. Or, like, when Lilussees wanted to go home and didn¡¯t want to walk all of 10 feet to get there lol. But eh, I kept forgetting that and it would be convenient for her to have it now so we can keep the monsters involved, so here we are. Lilussees definitely suggested it so that she can just chill in a web somewhere and let 00P come pick her up later, though. She has not at all opened a door to many abilities some consider unnatural. That could hypothetically trivialize the majority of battles if utilized to the maximum¡­by¡­an AI that doesn''t care about the concepts of ''OP'' and ''unsporting''¡­ Um¡­Oh well, looks like we¡¯re terminating the possibility that NSLICE-00P ever loses ever again! If I let her use it on herself¡­I guess we could say she can¡¯t blink herself because of the mechanics of the dungeon field generator, or something, but eh. TBD, so tune in next time? (Actual answer if you want to know now:) For the record, as of the time of this post it has been decided that she cannot use it on herself, for reasons that will be explored later, but mostly for balance lol. If, you know, balance is a thing we care about at all lol. Anyways! How OP did Lilussees just make her boss? What is Taog¡¯s evaluation of Ateia¡¯s¡­ability to plan shall we say? Can the Great-High King of all the land bring justice to his traitorous subjects? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 29 Upgrades . . . and Revelations FYI, I¡¯m going to take a break tomorrow, so probably no chapter. Getting a bit fatigued and need a moment to ponder the next steps and consider if we should introduce any additional characters over the course of the arc. Or, you know, I could just wing it and write whatever happens to come to mind like I¡¯ve done for the entire rest of the novel without worrying about the future consequences. Decisions, decisions. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that a new Fire Emblem game came out this week. Of course not, why would you ask that? What¡¯s that? You didn¡¯t ask that? Um¡­ B-Back to the story! Since I have no idea when or even if NSLICE-00P is going to determine this, here¡¯s what¡¯s actually happening with Banishment, if you want to know now: This is, in fact, a different universe, but since she was ejected from her previous world after causing a time paradox, NSLICE-00P technically does not ¡®belong¡¯ to that world anymore. And then after calibrating her core to the Source and so becoming a dungeon core, and then acclimating her organic components via levels and contact with the system, NSLICE-00P has now become an inhabitant of this world. So the spell worked but doesn¡¯t affect her. Anyways! Is this Earth...or somewhere else? Can NSLICE-00P find the persons of interest...or find a way home? And what will she do about her friendlies if she does find a way back? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 30 The Valued Allies¡¯ First Mission
Amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics. So why let your horde of mindless minions who never get tired or bored get cut down by the thousands in battle when you could have them churning out raw resources at practically no cost? Then you can just pay other people to go get cut down instead! Also, I guess technically this is the second mission if you include their personal quest, third if counting the contract with 00P, and like fourth or more if you count the whole Battle of Castra Turannia business, but this is the first one they¡¯re getting from a receptionist as fully-fledged Exploratores so maybe? But more importantly, dungeon termination¡¯s back on the menu! Maybe this one might put up a fight (lol)? What¡¯s that? Centaur incursions? Meh, we¡¯ve done enough incursions lately and the friendlies aren¡¯t in danger this time. The Legion¡¯s gotta do something and this province ain¡¯t abandoned, after all. So I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing to worry about. Anyways! Will the dungeons in this province put up a fight (lol)? What¡¯s going on with the Centaurs and the Legion? Will the receptionist find any intel on the persons of interest? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 31 The Royal Guard¡¯s First Dungeon Termination
Ugh, sorry this one is late. My organic components deferred all requests for rest cycles for some reason, so my current efficiency leaves much to be desired. If only I had manual control over my rest cycle management¡­ So, I don¡¯t know, go do something, Estrith. Since you¡¯re, like, a major character now, or something. What¡¯s that? Oh come on, the valued allies totally have value, Estrith! See, they help NSLICE-00P get Imperial help! Imperial help¡­that¡­NSLICE-00P can now request herself as a friend of the Empire¡­with¡­greater authority than two rookie Exploratores¡­to the extent that Ateia and Taog are now relying on NSLICE-00P¡¯s title rather than the other way around¡­um¡­ T-They definitely have value, Estrith! D-Definitely¡­um¡­they stopped 00P from attacking the undead? T-That¡¯s helpful, right? Anyways! Will Estrith learn why the valued allies are valuable? Will Ateia and Taog contribute to NSLICE-00P¡¯s primary directive after all? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 32 Efficient Upgrading
Why didn¡¯t Rattingtale and Lilussees ever bring up the don¡¯t get overly carried issue? Well, the Great-High King of all the land is obviously not beholden to such lowly restrictions, and it obviously had no consequences whatsoever when it came time for him to evolve. Lilussees, on the other hand, knew, but doesn¡¯t particularly care about being the strongest there ever was. Not having to work for it > optimal leveling. Good thing for her no one informed 00P that that¡¯s not particularly efficient! Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P terminate the dungeon¡­lol ok how quickly will NSLICE-00P terminate the dungeon? Can Ateia and Taog actually earn their levels? What consequences will this have for those who like the free levels anyways? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 33 Terminate the Darkest Dungeon!
Full disclosure, I never actually played that game lol. Because what sort of demon lord is complete without Dark magic? People might get the wrong idea if she keeps using purely Light! What¡¯s that? It¡¯s not the wrong idea if she¡¯s an actual hero? Um¡­S-She doesn¡¯t randomly save people? Despite the fact¡­that she¡¯s¡­ended up¡­saving everyone in pretty much every circumstance where saving people is a thing¡­ Um¡­ A-Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P embrace the darkness? Will Estrith learn the secrets of the Queen¡¯s strength? Will people get the wrong idea about NSLICE-00P? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude Game of Throne-Crowns: The Movements in the Shadows Fun story guys, this wasn''t supposed to be my main work, or even a remotely serious story. I just wanted to send NSLICE-00P on a super-OP Isekai power trip because she''s the best and she deserves it. I was planning to do an entirely new, more serious novel after Faceless Minion and this would just be a fun side project I wouldn''t have to think too hard on. Heck, I just started it cause Writathon was starting and I hadn''t finished planning out the serious novel, so went with the one I could improvise without consequence. But then...this novel got WAY more popular than the Faceless Minion ever was and so I never started the other novel...um... Not to worry, the author definitely isn''t panicking and flailing about trying to make this story remotely legitimate! And speaking of the story...02S is definitely a very normal and very nice lady who you definitely want ¡®looking out¡¯ for you. Anyways! Will the Great-High King of all the land maintain his position over the traitorous 01R through his own, definitely unassisted efforts? Can 02S fulfill the snack duty as intended? What is the wise and knowledgeable Boss planning in playing along with Rattingtale¡¯s games? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 34 Can You Handle the Truth? Probably should¡¯ve had 00P try Transfer on herself right after learning it but eh, I forgot lol. So yeah, going with the ¡®she can¡¯t use it on herself because her core is the anchor for the skill¡¯ since, you know, 00P having infinite instant teleports trivializes a great deal at this stage lol. We¡¯re not ready for that level of OP just yet. The story demands we simply walk to Mordor! Anyways! When will Ateia learn the truth of her parentage? Why did her father obscure the truth? Will NSLICE-00P simply walk to Mordor¡­err¡­as of yet unspecified location one doesn¡¯t simply walk to? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 35 Like Cats and Dogs
¡­I really wanted to make her summon a sacred otter¡­but it''s so expensive and redundant with Estrith. And can¡¯t even use the ¡®dungeon info classified¡¯ excuse cause Estrith already knows about the dungeon, so 00P can totally have her fight alongside the monsters if she needs to. Dang it, Estrith! Why you gotta ruin the fun?! Anyways! Will 00P end up summoning sacred otters at some point? How will the new units integrate into the network? What will the team find in Velusitum (and on the way there)? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 36 00P Phone Home
Part of me wanted to skip forward to the next termination, but well, logistics are important, you know? Gotta test that communication system NSLICE-00P spent pretty much all her dungeon points on. Anyways! Can Taog resolve the mysteries of Ateia''s and NSLICE-00P''s identities? What will happen when the Otter Burrow''s territory reaches the Dobhar settlement? How much will Magister Tiberius drink? Tune in next time, to find out? Chapter 37 Terminate the Ursanus Natura!
¡­Insomnia sucks,had it a lot back when I wrote this one. It was almost like someone had some sort of sleep-related grudge against me¡­ Nah, that couldn¡¯t be true! Ah well, the show goes on regardless! We have Ursanuses to terminate! Or is it Ursani? Or just Ursanus? What exactly is the plural of this word I made up, anyways? ¡­we¡¯d apologize to 00B, but he was sleeping during the whole affair. Like¡­I wasn¡¯t¡­ Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P keep her operational area at acceptable danger levels? Who is Metilia reporting to? Is there someone with a sleep-related grudge against the author? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 38 Some In-Tents Events
As a slight plot hole/retcon: there probably would have been tamed monsters present in the previous towns in Utrad/Turannia, but perhaps not one that NSLICE-00P would have identified as a monster, specifically. Since practically every species is new to NSLICE-00P she doesn¡¯t yet have the data to differentiate ¡®monster¡¯ specifically besides universal hostility, which tamed monsters don¡¯t display. Likewise, since the Legions were off on the front, any combat-capable and so obvious monsters would not be just chilling around town. Because the real answer is definitely not that the author just didn¡¯t think of this until now! But it¡¯s ok! Now we can actually have some of the monsters join the fights! 00B is back in business! The previous situation was¡­unbearable! ¡­I¡¯m sorry. I recently started reading There is no Epic Loot here, Only Puns, so I blame Delta for this. Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P¡¯s new emotional control tactic prove effective? Will Estrith learn to pitch a tent? Can 00B escape Ateia¡¯s clutches? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 39 The Wandering Knight¡¯s Deadly Monsters
What do you mean we can¡¯t just adopt murder pets? What¡¯s the worst that can happen?! Murder?! Oh, right. Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P learn the purpose of physical contact? Has Proculus made a mistake approving these murder pets for human contact? What dungeon will be termin¡­¡¯explored¡¯ next? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 40 The Gift of Iron Soldiers
New dungeon termination begins! Since¡­you know¡­I originally thought dungeon combat would be a bigger part of the story before that whole Dobhar arc. King Uscfrea just showed up and did whatever he wanted, huh? Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P terminate this dungeon while gathering useful data? Does the team¡¯s one battlemage have enough mana to last through an entire dungeon? Is NSLICE-00B big enough to smash living armors? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 41 00B¡¯s Bear-y First Dungeon Termination
...what have I become? Do I...do I have to do this for every 00B chapter now? Is this our fate? (Speaking from the future...oh past Icalos, this is only the bee-ginning...) Anyways! Can 00B become the mighty bear of his dreams? Can the Metal dungeon put up a fight against several centuries of weapons development? Who is the superior ''living armor''? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 42 Terminate the Metal Dungeon?
New subordinate get? Meanwhile, Uscfrea is getting a headache as he knows somehow¡­somewhere¡­Estrith is raising the bar for him. Anyways! Will Melion join our motley crew? Can Uscfrea in fact cut through over a foot of solid steel in a single blow? Will the Metal Dungeon be terminated? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 43 Mines and Metal Craft
For context: Iesnuorium was the unobtainium magic metal in the Faceless Minion universe. Because every superhero story needs a magical metal that can do whatever the plot requires of it! This one is more of an energy amplifier/dampener, doesn''t have the unbreakable armor aspect so, you know, hopefully I don''t get sued by Wakanda. I wasn''t going to name it in this novel at first, but it was kind of necessary at this point, so here we are. Crafting time! I¡¯m sure letting the metal slime and the cyborg with an item foundry get together is a great idea that will have no consequences for the world at large! Anyways! Can Melion earn the Maintenance Personnel designation and gain access to the classified data? What will happen when a killer cyborg and a metal slime collaborate? And what will the covert monster team think of their new comrade? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 44 NSLICE the Science Cyborg!
Oh yea, dungeons like¡­normally absorb things or something, yeah? And she like, probably also should have had lead from the initial scan and a bunch of other stuff or something, but whatevs! What do you think I am, some kind of scientist? (From the future: ...ok fine, I''ll go and add it back in the edited version. Hate myself.) Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P integrate mana-iron into her tech? Will Melion be able to integrate into the group? Can the Dungeon System Manager successfully go through a millennium of technological developments before NSLICE-00P recreates them manually and gets paid for it? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 45 Wingmen for Everyone!
And so the dungeon power leveling begins. Now, NSLICE-00P, I know you¡¯re about to start receiving practically endless amounts of dungeon experience and levels and points, but let¡¯s not get crazy ok? We¡¯d like the possibility of non-zero narrative tension to still exist, so you won¡¯t go and immediately spend every point you get to become super omega OP too early into the story, right? You¡­wouldn¡¯t do that, right? What¡¯s that? It¡¯s logical and efficient to use every available resource to acquire as large of an advantage as possible, preferably before encountering scenarios that would require said advantages? That¡¯s¡­um¡­uh oh. Anyways! How super-omega OP will 00P become with her new dungeon farm? Will the Great-High King of all the Land come up with a new plan now? Why are the Wulver suddenly surrendering? Tune in next time, to find out! Chapter 46 An Enchanting Trip Through the Countryside
Wow, the crafting segment got kind of long, huh? Guess that¡¯s what happens when I give NSLICE-00P random crafting skills then don¡¯t use them forever, and realize later oh hey she should probably do something with this now. But eh, should be enough to cover what NSLICE-00P would do with all those skills and free time during travel now. Plus: stealth golems! I¡¯m sure invisible flying golems won¡¯t cause any chaos whatsoever! Anyways! What will Uscfrea do with a Wulver clan at his disposal? What will NSLICE-00P do with invisible flying golems at her disposal? What will the group find in Velusitum? Tune in next time, to find out! Variant Story Prologue - So Im a Human Now, So What? ¡°Good beginning of your regularly scheduled leisure period, all you denizens of the Multiverse! This is MNN and I¡¯m your host, He Who Proclaims! Welcome back to Beautiful Butterflies, where we analyze the smallest possible decision that could change your life forever!¡± ¡°And for our lucky contestant this time¡­it¡¯s Lilussees! The¡­Sleepy Dungeon Master? Well that¡¯s a girl who knows what she wants out of life! Which is¡­not to be conscious for most of it. But hey, she¡¯s following her dreams, literally!¡± ¡°Now let¡¯s review, what was the most fateful minor decision Lilussees ever made in your universe¡­deciding to get up in the morning? Well that¡¯s just poetic, isn¡¯t it, a decision we all have to make each and every day. A symbolic choice between life and death¡­but in this case the choice was literal! What would have happened if Lilussees hit the snooze button? Let¡¯s take a look and find out!¡±
Lilussees groaned and turned over in her bed. She felt as if her room was a bit too hot. So she turned over to the other side, searching for a cool part in the room¡­ Lilussees twisted this way and that but she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Her room was just too hot for some reason. She scratched her back. Then she chittered, and spun around, trying to make herself comfortable. Sleeping in the heat sucked, but being awake in the heat was worse. So Lilussees tried to force herself back into sleep. As such, Lilussees didn¡¯t notice two intruders outside the window to her room. At least, not until her bed caught fire. Her eyes shot open. ¡°Oh. That¡¯s, like, bad, huh?¡±
There was a flash of light and Lilussees found herself lying on¡­a bunch of clouds? Huh. Well the clouds were comfy so she closed her eyes¡­ Lilussees¡¯s eyes suddenly shot open. Wait, she had eyelids now?! Lilussees thought for a second, and then shrugged. The clouds were comfy and figuring out what was going on was, like, so much work, or something. Suddenly there was a flash of light and someone appeared before her. It was a beautiful woman, dressed in robes so bright they seemed forged from light itself. Her beauty was so great it made Lilussees feel unworthy, as if it was a crime for her to even stand here. But the smile on the woman¡¯s face and light in her eyes filled Lilussees¡¯s heart with peace, assuring her that all would be well.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Lilussees grabbed onto that feeling. If, like, everything was going to be ok, then she didn¡¯t need to deal with it, or something. ¡°Greetings, oh noble herooooo¡­WAIT, A BABY?! Just what is going on?!¡± Lilussees winced. It was far too early in the¡­whatever time it currently was for shouting. The woman clutched her head. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a gloomy teenage boy! Why are you a baby?!¡± Lilusses glanced up at her, then tried to cover her ears. Was this, like, an Aesdes, or something? Somehow she thought the Aesdes would be a bit more¡­quiet? Solemn? Well, whatever. There was a flash of light and an angel appeared. ¡°Most Holy Ione, um, there¡¯s something you need to know.¡± ¡°What is it, Miniel?! We¡¯re in a bit of a situation here!¡± Miniel frowned. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I need to tell you. Apparently, there¡¯s some really weird stuff going on with the universe you tried to pull a hero from. Like, the entire timeline is destabilized at the moment. One person even got ejected from the universe entirely.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°So¡­the spell was deflected, and shot after the person who got ejected. It, um, appears to have grabbed the closest near-death target.¡± Ione scratched her head. ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­we got someone totally random from an entirely different universe?¡± Miniel slowly nodded. ¡°Unfortunately, that appears to be the case. In fact¡­she may not even have been human from the looks of things, and was only a few weeks old. Which is why she, um, is a bit young.¡± Ione clutched her head. ¡°ARGH! Are you saying I have to summon ANOTHER hero?! Right away?! That¡¯s like¡­so much work!¡± Miniel shrugged. ¡°Well, you could try to use this one? In, um, a couple decades maybe.¡± Ione shook her head. ¡°Not possible! Miniel! The Dark Lord can only be defeated by an unremarkable, lonely, slightly gloomy teenage boy from the nation of Japan in the world called Earth! I¡¯m supposed to imbue him with great power and glorious purpose, then he¡¯ll defeat the Dark Lord, seduce all the powerful and troublesome beings in the world, and revolutionize technology, cooking, and culture with the knowledge he brings over! Here, check it out, it says so right here in the sacred texts!¡± Ione thrust a glowing screen in front of Miniel, who frowned. ¡°M-Most Holy Ione¡­is this not¡­a site for webnovels?¡± Ione heaved a sigh. ¡°Well, whatever. I guess we have to deal with her or something? Just find some family who wants a kid or something.¡± Miniel bowed her head. ¡°As you will.¡± Lilussees vaguely heard some people talking but these clouds were oh so comfy. She slowly drifted off to sleep¡­
Lilussees awoke and yawned. She stretched her arms. She blinked as she looked around the room. And then she froze. She had eyelids. And six less eyes than normal. She held up her hands. She also had¡­well¡­hands now. And four less limbs than normal. She looked down at her body. She blinked at the sight. So¡­she was a human now, for some reason. Lilussees blinked several times. Then shrugged and curled up in her crib. Oh well, figuring it out would be, like, so much work. Lilussees decided to prepare herself for that work with a nice nap. After all, she had a new circadian rhythm to test! And so Isekai Lilussees began her new life¡­as a human. Chapter 193 - All Roads Lead to Corvanus
Emperor Lucius slowly rose from his bed. He thought of resting a bit longer, but the sun was now shining through his window. As such, he sat up and stretched, yawning as he did. ¡°Good morning, Emperor Lucius.¡± Emperor Lucius turned to face the voice. His eyes widened. ¡°You are¡­¡±
Magister Verrucosis grit his teeth as he sat in his office. How dare that Xavlaeron leave him behind! It was obvious the High-King was planning to hog all the glory for himself! This was a problem of the North, and the North¡¯s Legions deserved to lead the charge! He was interrupted by a knock at the door. A moment later his second-hand man, Magister Peditum Ausonius, entered the room. ¡°Are we ready yet?!¡± Magister Peditum Ausonius took a deep breath before unrolling a scroll. ¡°Our forces have been deployed as ordered, Aedile Hortensus has no further complaints as to procedure. The former Magister Appius is still day-drinking at the local tavern, and Emperor Lucius has been quiet. By all accounts, Corvanus is under control, and has come to accept your leadership.¡± Magister Verrucosis exhaled his breath. That was just about the only good thing to come of this. Emperor Lucius¡¯s leadership was clearly lacking, Consul Noxisius was murdered in his own home, the cowardly Consul Hiberius had fled, and the weak and lazy Aedile Hortensus wouldn¡¯t lift a finger. It was about time the North had a true leader. A strong leader. One who would not allow the tragedies of the recent years to continue. Magister Peditum Ausonius then frowned. ¡°However¡­the troops are restless. And after all that has happened, this sudden deployment has unnerved them. They are anticipating some sort of disaster that justifies their mobilization, and the officers are questioning the political situation in the meantime. Not to mention the situation with the Aesdes, most of the limitanei still can¡¯t use their skills and even some of the comitatenses are no longer confident in their abilities. And then there¡¯s the implications of the Aesdes withdrawing their support¡­.¡± Magister Verrucosis scowled. ¡°Honestly, I expected better. What reason have they to fear? We have won mighty victories, and restored order to the North, haven¡¯t we? We will pull through, with or without the Aesdes.¡± Magister Peditum Ausonius held his tongue. Magister Verrucosis stood up and began to pace with his hands crossed behind his back. Suddenly he stopped, brought his arms forward, and then slammed his fist into his other hand¡¯s palm. ¡°I know what we shall do. Consul Hiberius openly supported the woman who attacked us, and then fled the moment we moved to restore order. His guilt is apparent. We shall move to apprehend him. We shall then call the patricians and governors of the provinces in and test their loyalty, with the Consul as an example of what will happen to traitors.¡± Magister Peditum Ausonius narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡­would not recommend that course of action, Magister. Consul Hiberius¡¯s personal forces are substantial, and the Hiberius family¡¯s knight order is one of the strongest in the North. We will take casualties if he chooses to resist, casualties we cannot afford as our current deployments are stretching us thin. And given the state of our troops and their morale, we¡¯re frankly in no shape for major operations. I would recommend we conduct exercises instead, and let the troops rebuild their confidence.¡± Magister Verrucosis scoffed. ¡°As if that coward would put up a fight. His ¡®forces¡¯ have sat back and done nothing while we faced down the greatest crisis this Empire has ever seen. He is no threat. The troops will regain their loss nerve when they see that, and will learn by experience if they do not. Assemble the troops, Magister Peditum. I will take command shortly.¡± Magister Peditum Ausonius slowly saluted. ¡°As you will, Magister.¡± He waited until he left the room before heaving a sigh.
A short while later, Magister Verrucosis stood in front of Corvanus, at the head of several legions. Aedile Hortensus and the other court nobles had gathered on the city walls to watch on the Magister¡¯s insistence. The people of Corvanus had noticed the commotion and came to watch as well.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Listen up! Just a short while ago, a vicious foreigner assaulted a Consul in his own home! Yet, when we intended to bring her to justice, traitors in our ranks prevented us from doing so! Consul Hiberius betrayed Noxisius, betrayed Corvanus, and betrayed the Empire!¡± Aedile Hortensus yawned, causing a vein to bulge on Magister Verrucosis¡¯s forehead. ¡°I say no more! I say the enemy who does not respect our laws or our strength shall be taught what it means to defy the Empire! I say the traitors who assisted her will be brought to justice, and our people shall be avenged! I say the Empire shall rise up and become strong once more! Today, the Legion shall march forth! We shall apprehend the traitorous Hiberius, who tore the Empire apart for his own selfish ambitions and who withheld justice.¡± He then narrowed his eyes as he glanced at each member of the Court. ¡°And I want each and every one of you to take this time to think. Remember where your loyalties lie, and the Empire you are called to serve. The Empire no longer has room for traitors and parasites, and I will see to it that all who exploit it meet the appropriate end.¡± Behind Magister Verrucosis, Magister Peditum Ausonius was keeping his expression as blank as possible. An officer standing nearby, Legate Lucceius, was not so stoic as he frowned. ¡°Magister Ausonius, do you agree with this? I served alongside the Queen of the Dobhar during the subjugation of the Verdant Forest Dungeon and to my understanding the investigation of her actions was still pending.¡± Magister Ausonius kept his eyes forward. ¡°The High-King of Mirima and Magister Verrucosis are clear on their position, it is no longer up to us to decide.¡± Legate Lucceius narrowed his eyes as Magister Verrucosis continued his speech. ¡°Still¡­what the Magister is saying, how he is talking¡­I can¡¯t say I¡¯m comfortable with this. And where is the Emperor, and the Princess? Are we truly marching on our own in this situation?¡± The other officers in the area didn¡¯t say anything, but several of them nodded in response to the question. Magister Ausonius heaved a sigh. ¡°...what can we do?¡± Legate Lucceius turned his head. ¡°Sir?¡± Magister Ausonius furrowed his brow. ¡°Emperor Lucius has not left the palace since the High-King arrived. Consul Hiberius fled Corvanus, abandoning his duties for the second time now. He is no longer an authority we can rely on. Consul Noxisius is dead. Aedile Hortensus has not objected. As such, Magister Verrucosis¡¯s orders stand, and he has the backing of the High-King, who is currently bringing the full might of the South against the Queen of the Dobhar. Even if we do not agree, by what authority would we refuse this order, and by what means would we resist it?¡± Legate Lucceius¡¯s frown deepened, but he fell silent. It was at that moment that one of the lookout towers sounded a horn. Everyone present, Magister Ausonius included, turned to look around. Magister Verrucosis scowled. ¡°Just what is¡­¡± But he fell silent. In the distance, a fleet of airships appeared on the horizon, flying in from the North. Significantly less airships than had originally set forth from Corvanus. Magister Verrucosis scoffed. ¡°Typical, probably here to steal the glory yet again. Handle it, Magister.¡± Magister Ausonius nodded and then shouted. ¡°Form up!¡± The command rippled through the legions and they turned to face the airships, getting into a ceremonial formation to welcome the High-King back. Magister Ausonius frowned as he counted the airships that remained. The Queen of the Dobhar had clearly inflicted a heavy toll. Soon, the airships arrived, stopping in the air some distance from the legions. Magister Verrucosis and the other officers made their way to the front of the formation. The airships began to land on the ground. The main door of the airships began to open. Magister Verrucosis sighed. ¡°Welcome back, I trust you were victorious? Or have you returned in shame, High-King?¡± ¡°Correction: Hostile High-King Xavlaeron has been terminated, and is no longer in command.¡± Magister Verrucosis took a step back, while Magister Ausonius¡¯s eyes widened as far as they could go. The door lowered to reveal the Queen of the Dobhar, Magister Canus, Governor Aemilia, Consul Hiberius, Princess Caecila, a Selkie warrior, and Uscfrea Spellbreaker of the Dobhar. In fact, Turannian legionnaires along with Selkie, Dobhar, and even a handful of Wulver warriors began to disembark from the airships, along with some of Consul Hiberius¡¯s own forces. Magister Verrucosis blinked, but then started to grin. ¡°So the High-King failed, huh? Just my luck. All forces, prepare for battle!¡± ¡°Hold that order.¡± Everyone went completely silent¡­as Emperor Lucius exited a small building to the side of the road, along with the former Magister Appius and a hooded figure. ¡°You¡­how did you leave the palace?¡± Emperor Lucius grinned. ¡°I had help, from one of the last loyal protectors of the Empire.¡± The hooded figure lowered their hood, causing Magister Verrucosis, and many others, to openly gasp. The Hero of Elteno had returned. Emperor Lucius¡¯s smile then dropped. ¡°Magister Verrucosis, you have conspired with the High-King to imprison me in my own palace, and take control of the North. For this, I, Emperor Lucius, strip you of all rank and titles. Her Majesty Seero, Queen of the Dobhar and friend of the Empire, has answered my call for assistance, and now acts on my behalf in this matter.¡± Magister Verrucosis¡¯s face contorted in rage. ¡°This is clearly a trick! They have kidnapped the Emperor, and are forcing him to lie now! Loyal soldiers of the Empire, fight now to rescue the Emperor!¡± Magister Ausonius¡¯s eyes narrowed and he drew his blade. And then pointed it towards Magister Verrucosis. ¡°You¡­you¡¯re betraying me?!¡± ¡°Magister Verrucosis, I thank you for your service on behalf of the Legion. But you have taken it too far. By order of the Emperor, you are under arrest.¡± Legate Lucceius wasted no time in pulling out his own blade and shouting at his troops, who moved to encircle Verrucosis. The other officers began to follow suit. Verrucosis growled, then glanced up at the city walls. ¡°Hortensus, get off your butt and do something for once! Don¡¯t let these puppets and foreigners take control of the Empire from us! You know the other Courts will never permit this!¡± Aedile Hortensus tilted his head and placed a finger on his chin. ¡°Hm¡­let Emperor Lucius and the Queen of the Dobhar usurp all our control, or side with the guy being arrested by his own troops, after the Eastern Court clearly stated their support for the Queen of the Dobhar and the Southern Court is no longer in possession of their own fleet? Decisions, decisions.¡± He then shrugged as he glanced around at the other members of the Northern Court. ¡°Well it¡¯s been fun, boys and girls, but looks like the Emperor is back in business. I, for one, applaud the return of our Emperor.¡± ¡°Hortensus you coward!¡± Chapter 194 - Family Reunion
Magister Ausonius shouted an order, and then Legate Lucceius¡¯s troops led Verrucosis away and into the city. He then walked over to Emperor Lucius and saluted. Emperor Lucius nodded, and then Magister Ausonius went to demobilize the gathered legions. Emperor Lucius, meanwhile, walked over to Seero. ¡°Hello, Your Majesty Seero. I¡¯m glad to see you in good health. And thank you for your assistance in this manner.¡± ¡°Greeting: Hello, Emperor Lucius. This unit is also pleased to see you were extracted successfully.¡± Meanwhile, the Hero of Elteno was glancing around. His eyes finally landed on one of Seero¡¯s group. ¡°Taog!¡± Taog¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Mr. Niraemius?¡± The Hero of Elteno rushed over and grabbed Taog by the shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you well, Taog. But please, tell me. Where is Ateia?! Is she safe?! Is she alright?!¡± Taog sputtered at the sudden approach. ¡°Um, s-she¡¯s fine. She¡¯s at, well, it¡¯s a bit hard to explain.¡± He glanced at Seero, not sure whether he should tell Ateia¡¯s father about the Primary Home Base. ¡°Query: Please identify the requesting unit. The unit appears to be acting aggressively but non-damaging towards friend Taog.¡± The answer did not come from Taog, but from Ateia over the comms. ¡°Seero! That¡¯s my dad! Please let me out!¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡± Since there were unaligned and even formerly hostile forces in the area, Seero withdrew into the airship before opening an entrance to the Primary Home Base. Ateia flew out of it and out of the airship. ¡°DAD!¡± The Hero of Elteno spun around. ¡°Ateia!¡± The two ran forward and embraced one another. Ateia began to sob. Emperor Lucius made a wry smile and glanced around at everyone watching. ¡°Why don¡¯t we give them a moment? We, ourselves, have much work to do.¡± Everyone else began to clear out and move into Corvanus while Seero, Taog, and Agedia remained behind. Soon, Ateia let go of her father. She took a step back and glared at him. ¡°Where have you been all this time?!¡± The Hero of Elteno blinked, and then frowned. He glanced over at Emperor Lucius and Appius as they were moving away. Appius just waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Go, talk with your kid. The Emperor should be in no danger now and honestly it''s better for the negotiations for you to remain ¡®the mysterious hero¡¯ than an actual party. Besides, we¡¯ll all be waiting for the Queen of the Dobhar anyways.¡± The Hero of Elteno nodded and turned back towards Ateia. ¡°Let¡¯s take this somewhere secure.¡±
Princess Caecila made her way towards Corvanus with the group when Emperor Lucius approached her. ¡°Daughter-in-law, I see you were successful.¡± She turned, her eyes widening, and then attempted to salute. ¡°I greet the Emperor¡­¡± She then gasped as Emperor Lucius hugged her. ¡°E-Emperor Lucius, w-what are you doing?¡± He made a mischievous smile. ¡°You can call me Father-In-Law, you know?¡± Princess Caecila¡¯s eyes spun as she glanced around. ¡°I-I could never, i-it is not proper to address the Emperor as such in public!¡± He let her go and chuckled. ¡°True, but I don¡¯t care much at this point. Either I¡¯m actually the Emperor and I can get away with it or I¡¯m not really the Emperor and it doesn¡¯t much matter.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. His face then turned serious. ¡°Besides¡­the Imperial Princess just risked her life on a dangerous mission to save the Empire and its people. She deserves to know how the Emperor feels about such valor.¡± Princess Caecila flushed. Emperor Lucius chuckled again and then patted her shoulder. ¡°Now then, steel yourself. Our battle has only begun, and this time, we have a real chance. And that means we will need to put in a great deal of work to make use of it. Are you prepared to fight for the Empire again, Princess Caecila Galvisia Electus?¡± Princess Caecila¡¯s expression turned resolute as she narrowed her eyes. ¡°I always am.¡±
Seero, Ateia, Taog, Agedia, and the Hero of Elteno moved into a private room in the airship. The Hero of Elteno was about to start when Seero created an entrance to the Primary Home Base. She considered it acceptable to reveal classified intelligence given the Hero of Elteno¡¯s designation as Ateia¡¯s person of interest. Ateia had also requested it through the CELIU network, so that they could discuss her experiences openly and without fear of eavesdropping. The Hero of Elteno immediately drew a knife and stepped in front of Ateia. ¡°Dad?!¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Queen of the Dobhar¡­what exactly is this¡­and what exactly are you? From what I can tell¡­that¡¯s some sort of dungeon entrance¡­or a Rift.¡± Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered as she calculated a response. On the one hand, the Hero of Elteno was obviously threatening hostile actions towards her. Under normal circumstances, she would activate combat protocols while warning the potential hostile that confirmed hostile intent would be met with immediate termination. On the other hand, this was Ateia¡¯s person of interest, and terminating him would result in Ateia failing her stated primary directive. Seero may have abandoned her own directive, but did not intend to cause friendly units to fail theirs. ¡°Analysis complete, response determined. Warning: Hostile intent towards this unit by a friendly¡¯s person of interest will result in immediate application of non-lethal countermeasures.¡± Her robotic eye turned red and she charged up her stun weapon, while also preparing some hopefully non-lethal magic circles. But then Taog stepped in front of the Hero, blocking him from moving towards Seero, while Ateia struck his head. ¡°Ouch, Ateia, Taog, what are you both doing?¡± Ateia scowled. ¡°What are we doing? What are you doing! Seero¡¯s trying to help by giving us a place we can talk freely! And you¡¯re threatening her!¡± The Hero of Elteno narrowed his eyes. ¡°Ateia¡­that looks like a dungeon entrance. I haven¡¯t heard of anyone opening dungeon entrances on the spot save for demon lords and cultists.¡± Taog crossed his arms. ¡°That¡¯s because Seero is a demon lord, technically speaking. But she¡¯s also our friend, and we trust her.¡± The Hero of Elteno gripped his weapon. ¡°That¡¯s a mistake. She¡¯s probably manipulating you.¡± He began to tense up, preparing to move when suddenly Agedia¡¯s tail smacked him on the head, knocking him unconscious. Ateia jumped, and shrieked lightly. ¡°Miss Agedia?!¡± Agedia shrugged. ¡°The situation involving shiny girl is too complicated and out of the norm for someone to accept it just like that. You weren¡¯t going to convince him, and he was getting ready to attack. Let¡¯s tie him up and bring him inside, and then we¡¯ll talk.¡± And then she smirked. ¡°¡­I also can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t enjoy that.¡±
A short while later, the Hero of Elteno awoke. He was sitting on the ground inside the Primary Home Base, tied up with metal ropes, and surrounded by Barrier and Prison spells. Seero had the Equalizer up and running, and countless other magic circles in the air around them, ready to activate on a moment¡¯s notice. The Hero of Elteno froze, and took stock of the situation. ¡°I¡¯d calm down if I were you.¡± He spun his head towards Agedia, his eyes widening. ¡°Agedia?¡± She scoffed. ¡°Took you long enough to notice I was here too.¡± He winced¡­but he relaxed. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t have a choice, then. And if you¡¯re here¡­¡± Agedia narrowed her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t. And you have no right to complain, either. So you best get to catching up, before you do something rash.¡± He heaved a deep sigh at that. He glanced around until he found Ateia staring at him. He heaved another sigh. ¡°Ateia¡­just tell me this¡­are you alright?¡± Ateia opened her mouth but then paused. Her face twisted through several expressions, and her eyes grew moist. Eventually, she glared at him. ¡°Am I alright? Am I alright?!¡± She leaned forward and shouted. ¡°I HAVEN¡¯T BEEN ALRIGHT SINCE YOU LEFT!¡± The Hero of Elteno winced at that. ¡°Just where have you been?! You were gone for years, YEARS! Without so much as a single message to us! The villagers started beating Taog every week after you left! Quintus wouldn¡¯t be seen with him in public! They very nearly denied us food and supplies when I spoke up about it! I had to act as if I liked those monsters just so we could survive, all the while stupid Lar was hitting on me as if I wouldn¡¯t strangle him with my bare hands for what he was doing to Taog!¡± The Hero of Elteno hung his head. ¡°I just¡­wanted to keep you safe.¡± Ateia grit her teeth. ¡°Safe? SAFE?! What were you going to do about the Wulver and Dobhar incursions?! The mana waves and the dozens of new dungeons appearing in the forests around us?! And did you expect us just to sit there and hide until you came back when everyone else was convinced you were dead?! If we hadn¡¯t met Seero, we would have died no matter what we did!¡± The Hero of Elteno fell silent. Ateia was breathing heavily, then spoke in a quiet voice. ¡°Just¡­why didn¡¯t you tell us? If we understood¡­if we at least knew why¡­but we didn¡¯t. And then that stupid cult found me anyways and¡­¡± Ateia¡¯s eyes watered again¡­and then opened in surprise. Metallic arms wrapped around her. ¡°Concerned Statement: Friend Ateia appears to be experiencing strong emotional distress. Engaging emotional distress termination protocols.¡± Seero was not sure how to deal with this situation. But Ateia¡¯s distress was generating negative emotions in her as well, and was judged as a situation that required a response. She initially considered terminating the cause of the distress, but since that was Ateia¡¯s person of interest that solution was not considered viable. But she had observed from her own experience that physical contact appeared to mitigate the effects of emotional distress, so she created a basic protocol for that contingency. She channeled a bit of Holy mana through Ateia while rubbing Ateia¡¯s back as Ateia had previously done for her. Ateia just stood still for a moment before she closed her eyes, slowly smiling. She took a deep breath before opening her eyes again. ¡°Thank you, Seero.¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡± She turned to face her father again. ¡°¡­actually¡­to tell the truth, I am alright. More than alright. I have friends now who care about me, more than anything, more than even their most important missions. And I feel the same about them.¡± She narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°So do NOT threaten my friends again.¡± She then took a deep breath, and looked into her father¡¯s eyes. ¡°Still¡­I want to hear everything.¡± The Hero of Elteno looked at her with wide eyes, glancing between his daughter and the very-likely demon lord hugging her. Eventually, he shook his head and heaved a sigh, his head hung towards the ground. ¡°¡­ok.¡±
Chapter 195 - The Heros Tale
The Hero of Elteno took a deep breath. ¡°My real name is Amulius Olcinius Herenus. Your mother was Aedinia Regalis, though she never went by that name at any point of her life. We¡¯ve changed your name several times, but Ateia is the name she gave you. After¡­her death, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to call you anything else.¡± Ateia watched with a serious expression. ¡°Because we¡¯re part of the Imperial family?¡± Amulius blinked but then glanced at Agedia and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Aedinia was the daughter of Emperor Herius, but conceived and born under¡­well, the circumstances were less than ideal and would have caused the Emperor problems were they made public, so Aedinia was hidden away, while Agedia dropped out of the Imperial Knights to serve as her protector.¡± Ateia nodded. ¡°And you?¡± Amulius shook his head. ¡°No, at that point I was just an Exploratores of no particular note. It was pure coincidence that I ran into your mother¡­or more accurately that she ran into me, literally.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but crack a small smile at that. Agedia as well. ¡°We saw each other a couple more times before we started falling in love. I didn¡¯t learn her identity until after that.¡± He made a small smirk. ¡°I have to tell you, that was certainly a surprise. Especially since Emperor Herius¡¯s legitimate son was actually quite fond of his half-sister, and, uh, less than pleased to learn of our relationship. Not to mention her scary snake guardian.¡± He cracked a glance at Agedia, who scoffed. ¡°Still don¡¯t like you. Aedinia deserved better than some deadbeat Exploratore running off on adventures.¡± Amulius nodded. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡± Amulius flushed a bit before starting the next part. ¡°At some point, someone kidnapped her. We know now it was a cult calling themselves the Heralds of the New Dawn, but back then we weren¡¯t sure. Long story short, Agedia, myself, and a couple of friends went after her¡­and this time, we managed to rescue her, and defeated a demon from the Realms of Mana in the process. I got the Hero feat and my nickname, and Aedinia and I married immediately after.¡± Agedia crossed her arms and huffed. ¡°Stupid deadbeat thinking just because the Aesdes like him and he¡¯s a national hero that he can seduce Aedinia just like that.¡± Amulius chuckled in response while wisely choosing not to mention Agedia¡¯s later infatuation with a ''deadbeat Exploratore'' of her own. But after that, both Amulius and Agedia fell silent. Ateia watched for a minute or two before speaking. ¡°...what happened?¡± Amulius made a sad smile. ¡°Well¡­we lived happily, for a time. And then you were born, and our happiness reached its peak. But then¡­¡± He hung his head, staring at the ground. ¡°¡­they came for her again. Your mother¡­thought they might. So¡­she made me promise, that if anything ever happened, we would secure your safety first. I took you and made sure you were safe while Agedia went after her. I followed them as soon as I could¡­but we were too late. Aedinia had made her choice, and sacrificed herself.¡± Tears began to fall down his face. Agedia looked away, her eyes moistening as well. ¡°She¡­didn¡¯t want to be used. And she didn¡¯t want them to find you, ever. So she took herself away, where no one could ever reach her again, hoping that they would give up and you would be safe.¡± He took a moment, wiping away his eyes and taking another deep breath.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°¡­after that, Agedia went on a rampage to destroy the cult. Meanwhile I took you, changed my name, and ran as far away as I could, to the furthest corner of the Empire where no one would ever find you. Aedinia¡¯s brother introduced me to the retired Dux Canus, who guided us to a small village, where a former legionnaire he trusted had settled down with a Wulver girl.¡± Ateia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Was that Taog¡¯s parents?¡± Taog perked up at that. Amulius nodded. ¡°Dux Canus spoke highly of them, and we became fast friends. And while they were alive, I had the confidence that you would be safe. It was then that I started to look into the Heralds of the New Dawn.¡± Amulius narrowed his eyes. ¡°Aedinia¡¯s brother went after them¡­and disappeared, leaving the Northern Empire with no clear successor. It was then I knew that they were not just some small, local cult, and that Agedia hadn¡¯t wiped them all out after all.¡± He then made eye contact with Ateia, and heaved a sigh. ¡°¡­I looked into it, and made contact with Magister Exploratore per Corvanus Appius, who had been conducting his own investigations after the heir to the throne vanished¡­and due to his remorse over letting Aedinia die.¡± Ateia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡­what?¡± Agedia grit her teeth. ¡°My uncle was loyal to the Empire first and nothing else. He didn¡¯t help much in protecting Aedinia. He thought that as an Imperial Princess she represented a threat that a rebellious general or ambitious court official might try to take advantage of. So his opinion was if I couldn¡¯t protect her on my own, then it was for the best. Well joke¡¯s on him! Aedinia¡¯s brother shared MY opinion of the situation, and got himself killed, leaving my uncle, and the Northern Empire, with no successors at all.¡± Amulius nodded. ¡°I had no intention to work with him ever again¡­but at the very least, he became a staunch enemy of the cult at that point, and was one of the few people in the North working against them.¡± Amulius then took a deep breath, averting his eyes from Ateia for a moment. He then glanced at Taog, then Ateia, before continuing. ¡°At this point¡­Magister Appius¡¯s contacts in the East alerted him to a concerning situation. Corrupted dungeons had begun to appear all over the Empire of the Sun, and the Sun Elves were doing nothing about it, to the point that one of their own Archons reached out to us about the situation. And worst¡­we found evidence that the Heralds of the New Dawn, or something similar, was behind it, especially after Magister Caelinus purged them from Utrad and gained access to some of their records. So¡­we couldn¡¯t let the situation continue. But purifying a corrupted dungeon is difficult under the best of circumstances, even with full support from the Legion. To do so in a nation that has been hostile towards the Empire since before it officially existed¡­there was only one way a covert team could manage to pull it off.¡± Taog nodded to himself and rubbed his chin. ¡°Get a hero?¡± Amulius nodded. ¡°The Eastern Empire has some, actually, but all of their heroes were well-known to the Empire of the Sun. I was the only one who would not be immediately recognized by sight or by mana.¡± He took a deep breath, and looked down. ¡°It¡­was not a choice I made lightly. With Taog¡¯s parents gone¡­but, Dux Canus had come out of retirement at that point, and Tiberius had taken over as Magister Exploratores per Turannia on my request.¡± Agedia frowned at that. ¡°You and I still need to talk about that, Amulius.¡± Amulius frowned right back. ¡°What was I supposed to do, Agedia? You refused to even meet with me! I couldn¡¯t leave Ateia unguarded, but I also can¡¯t just let a new Great Demon Lord appear in the east! How would I protect Ateia, or the world at that, if the Eastern Empire fell?! How do you think I felt leaving her behind, all alone, right on the edge of the Forests of Beasts?! I thought you, at least, might be able to protect her, at the very least for Aedinia¡¯s sake!¡± Agedia huffed and looked away. But then she sighed, and looked down. ¡°You¡­weren¡¯t wrong. I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry. That was my fault.¡± Amulius took a deep breath and looked down as well. ¡°No¡­I¡¯m sorry too. I¡­know it was a lot to spring on you so suddenly. And I know Aedinia¡¯s death hit you as hard¡­or maybe even harder¡­than it did me. But¡­I had to do something, Agedia, so when Tiberius offered to help in your stead, I couldn¡¯t refuse. He was at least able to keep the frontier well-patrolled so Dux Canus could stay on top of things.¡± Amulius sighed and turned back to Ateia. ¡°¡­I couldn¡¯t take you with me. The Empire of the Sun itself is no place for a human child, and we were taking on corrupted dungeons on top of that. But¡­I hoped that with Canus and Tiberius in charge of Turannia and Caelinus locking down Utrad that the North would remain safe. And¡­Quintus was apparently not the man I thought he was.¡± He bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry to you both, Ateia, Taog. I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen. For any of this. If I had known you¡¯d have gotten caught up in it anyways¡­¡± Ateia¡¯s heart pounded in her chest, and her eyes filled with tears. Her body heated up as she stepped forward toward her father, to the man who had left her and Taog alone. Upon her request, Seero dropped some of the magical barriers surrounding him. Amulius watched her with wide eyes, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath, awaiting her response. His eyes widened in shock and he let out a gasp as something smacked into him. Ateia¡­still covered in metal armor, of course, slammed into him¡­in a hug. She began to sob as she clutched onto him. He had made mistakes. He had left them behind. He had caused Taog to suffer alone for years. He set them on a course full of pain and misery. He had not trusted them. He had withheld the truth from them. But¡­ The most important feeling in Ateia¡¯s heart was this. Her father had not abandoned them after all. As she wished and hoped all along, against everything everyone else had believed, he had left them for a reason. He had not chosen to leave them on a whim, and had not gone off to die somewhere alone. He had wanted them to be taken care of in the meantime, and made arrangements to that effect. He still cared about them. And for that¡­Ateia¡¯s heart was truly glad. Chapter 196 - The Boy Who Was Left Behind
Amulius closed his eyes, leaning his head into Ateia since he was still bound. Tears welled up in his eyes as well. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Ateia.¡± The two remained like that for a while longer before they separated. ¡°Now¡­what happened to you, Ateia?¡± Ateia took a deep breath. ¡°Well, things were horrible without you. Half the village turned on Taog and most of the other half refused to help. You weren¡¯t coming back, so we decided to go get you. We tried to join the Exploratores but failed the exam¡­as instructed, apparently.¡± Ateia narrowed her eyes at him. Amulius coughed. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry about that, but with the Heralds of the New Dawn at large, we needed to keep you where our friends were in charge.¡± Ateia stared at him for a bit before continuing. ¡°So, I was really desperate and despairing, so we tried to conquer a new dungeon.¡± Amulius¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°You did WHAT?!¡± Ateia shrugged. ¡°Anything I could to get out of there. I knew it wasn¡¯t the smart thing to do but it was the only option left at that point.¡± Amulius opened his mouth, then frowned, then winced. ¡°Well, we wouldn¡¯t actually arrive at a dungeon before we were caught by bandits. Fortunately, Seero happened to pass by and wiped them out. After that, we made an agreement with her, and she helped us conquer a dungeon.¡± Amulius glanced over at Seero with wide eyes before turning back to Ateia. ¡°¡­I see. That explains why Tiberius let you leave.¡± Ateia nodded. ¡°Well, then a lot of things happened, mostly Seero terminating armies and corrupted dungeons and stuff while Taog and I tried to be useful to her. We got invited to Corvanus, the Emperor made us Inquisitors, that stupid cult kidnapped and sacrificed me, Seero saved me by turning me into an Aesdes, we met Mighty Victoria, and now we¡¯re going to go destroy the cult.¡± Amulius froze, and blinked several times. ¡°Wait¡­what?!¡±
There was¡­a bit of commotion afterwards. Eventually, the group split up to process the conversation. Amulius was staring at the ground with blank eyes. ¡°Hey.¡± Agedia then slithered over to him. He barely raised his head to glance at her. ¡°¡­is it true?¡± Agedia smirked. ¡°It¡¯s a lot to take in if you weren¡¯t there, isn¡¯t it? But yes, it is. All of it.¡± Amulius shook his head, and then grit his teeth. ¡°Everything I did, everything we sacrificed, and it was all for nothing. The Heralds found Ateia anyway, and thanks to my choices she was completely unprepared for it.¡± Agedia shrugged. ¡°Yes¡­but if she hadn¡¯t been, she probably wouldn¡¯t have met shiny girl, who has done a better job of protecting her than any of us ever could.¡± Amulius frowned at that. ¡°¡­I¡¯m still not comfortable with my daughter resting in the hands of a demon lord, especially not one so far out of the norm. Who¡¯s to say this isn¡¯t some new form of corruption¡­or a deception?¡± Agedia smirked. ¡°Mighty Victoria, the Lady of Courage and Victory.¡± Amulius blinked again, before his eyes went wide. ¡°¡­you really met her?¡± Agedia nodded. ¡°As far as I can tell. I didn¡¯t finish the theology curriculum before I dropped out of the Imperial Knights, but let me tell you there was a lot of Holy mana being tossed around.¡± She then moved in front of Amulius, and looked into his eyes. ¡°And more importantly, I¡¯ve watched Seero over there. At this point, she has the power to become a new Great Demon Lord if she wanted to. She can personally destroy entire legions, and could unleash hordes of monsters on the land at a moment¡¯s notice. She has instead used that power to protect her friends and make sweet rolls. She¡¯s a good girl, and fiercely protective of those two. She only took down Caelinus because the Magister Exploratores per Utrad kidnapped them, you know?¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Amulius returned her gaze. ¡°You trust her?¡± Agedia smiled. ¡°With my and Ateia¡¯s lives.¡± Amulius looked down and heaved a sigh. Agedia nodded, took out a knife, and then started to cut Amulius¡¯s bindings. ¡°Seero is the one who fixed all of our mistakes, saved the kids¡¯ lives, and prevented the complete collapse of the Northern Empire, as well as ruined the cult¡¯s plans wherever she went, and that was before she was actively trying to destroy them. I think, whatever she is, that she¡¯s earned a bit of trust from us, don¡¯t you?¡± Amulius nodded as he stretched his body. ¡°¡­thank you, Agedia. I¡­didn¡¯t expect your help like this.¡± Agedia scoffed. ¡°Well, I still don¡¯t like you. And you screwed up, a lot.¡± She then made a wry smile. ¡°But so did I. And now¡­we¡¯re both here for Ateia, right? We can¡¯t fix what we did, so we¡¯ll both just have to do what we can now.¡± Amulius¡¯s eyes widened, and then he nodded.
Taog was walking around the Primary Home Base, around the various structures and lines of drone-golems carrying raw materials about. He¡­didn¡¯t know how he felt. The truth was¡­Taog had given up on Ateia¡¯s father long ago. He believed the man to have died after the first year. So it had come as a surprise to find him alive, after all this. But¡­Taog had already made his peace with Mr. Niraemius¡­or rather, Amulius¡¯s absence. Ateia was the one who dreamed of reuniting with him. As for Taog¡­he had Ateia, and he had Seero. Ateia¡¯s father wasn¡¯t a necessary presence in his life anymore. Taog had long since learned to survive without him. Speaking of which, Seero suddenly flew over and landed in front of him. ¡°Hi Seero, can I help you?¡± ¡°Statement: Emotional distress termination protocols engaged.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Taog had but a moment before Seero grabbed him, and began channeling Holy mana into him. ¡°Um, Seero? What are you doing?¡± ¡°Response: Terminating friend Taog¡¯s emotional distress.¡± Taog furrowed his brow. ¡°Where did you get that idea? I¡¯m not emotionally distressed.¡± ¡°Objection: This unit has detected elevated cortisol levels and abnormally rapid heart rate in friend Taog. Analysis of friend Taog¡¯s organic components indicates preparation for a combat scenario, or emotional distress, and friend Taog does not appear to be engaged in combat.¡± Taog frowned. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± But then he stopped. When he paid attention¡­he found his heart was, in fact, pounding in his chest, which felt constricted. His eyes widened. He was feeling¡­distressed? Taog frowned, and then sighed again as he realized what was going on. He had been distracting himself from his own feelings, as he had so many times in the past. He was doing what he needed to to survive¡­and doing that which he had resolved not to. He was running away, and deceiving himself that everything was ok. He thought he had overcome this with Mighty Victoria¡¯s help¡­but it appeared the fear in his heart was not vanquished with a single battle or two. He sighed, and his shoulders drooped. ¡°Seero¡­what should I do?¡± Amulius¡¯s return¡­apparently caused him distress? He had no idea why. Or what should he do about it. ¡°Uncertain Response: This unit has no data on protocols for friend Taog to respond to the situation. Emotional distress termination protocols are currently limited to non-damaging physical and mana contact, or else termination of the cause of the distress, which has been ruled out in this case.¡± Taog blinked, and then chuckled. Terminate the cause of the distress, that was certainly a Seero-like recommendation. But then Taog stood still, his eyes widening slightly. ¡°Terminate the cause, huh? You know¡­I think I know what to do. Thanks Seero.¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡± They stood there for a moment longer. ¡°Um, Seero, could you let me go now? I need to move if I¡¯m going to do anything.¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡±
With live updates from Seero, Taog found Amulius immediately. He took a deep breath, and then walked towards the man. Amulius noticed him and turned to face Taog. The older man frowned, and then took a deep breath. He hung his head. ¡°Taog¡­I¡¯m sorry. For leaving you, for all I put you through¡­and for getting your parents killed. Maybe if I hadn¡¯t been so focused on the cult, maybe if I hadn¡¯t left for Castra Turannia that week¡­¡± Taog was about to say it was fine before catching himself. That was his habit, his method of pushing the issue away. So, instead, he took a deep breath and thought for a moment. Then he slowly opened his mouth. ¡°My parents¡¯ death¡­was not your fault. They could have grabbed us and ran. They could have told the village to evacuate. They could have fallen back when they realized they were in trouble. But¡­it was my mother¡¯s joy to take on challenges, and my father¡¯s pride to hold the line, no matter what. It was their choice to do what they did. They would not be pleased with you taking credit for it.¡± Taog closed his eyes for a moment. He then opened them with a frown. ¡°But¡­as for the rest...¡± Taog¡¯s heart was pounding, and the words struggled to come out. He wanted to run, he wanted to say it was fine. He didn¡¯t want to feel the way he did at the time. And¡­Ateia had finally reunited with her father. He didn¡¯t want to interfere with that. But¡­he knew he needed to change. He was running away from his problems, all his life. He needed to learn from Ateia, and face things head on when he wanted them to change. He needed to learn from Seero, to identify and terminate the cause of his distress. So¡­he opened his mouth. ¡°Just¡­why¡­did you leave? Why did you leave me behind¡­and helpless?¡± His heart pounded faster and faster. His body heated up. His face twisted into a snarl and he started to growl in between his words. ¡°Why did you call me strong?! Why did you ask me to protect Ateia?! I was weak! I was unbelievably weak! I couldn¡¯t even protect myself, much less Ateia! I needed you and you left! Everyone I needed left!¡± As he spoke, more and more began to pour out, until he was shouting. He shouted and shouted as he poured out a life of grievances. And then it was done. Taog panted for breath as moisture blocked his vision. He felt like slumping his shoulders, though the armor around his body kept him upright. Amulius frowned, with tears in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m so sorry, Taog. I¡­¡± He sighed, and stepped over. He hesitantly reached out, and put a hand on Taog¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡­guess I focused too much on Ateia. I was so worried about the cult finding her again¡­that I didn¡¯t realize what all this would mean for you, what I would put you through. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Amulius then gasped as Taog slammed into him, wrapping his arms around the man. He started to sob. Amulius made a sad smile, and patted the boy on the head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­and you did well, Taog. I asked more of you then anyone ever should have, and you did everything you could. And you did it, right? You and Ateia survived for all these years, thanks to you. I¡¯m truly grateful she had you by her side, and I¡¯m truly proud of how you¡¯ve fought through this mess I left you in. I know your parents would be proud of you too.¡± Taog sobbed for a while longer, while Amulius returned his embrace. Interlude 196.1 - The Eastern Front
Seero was conducting some calculations regarding a solution to beyond-visual-range combat when she noticed two units on approach. She turned to face Ateia and Taog as they walked up to her. ¡°Acknowledgement: Hello friend Ateia, friend Taog, do you have an update, query, or request for this unit?¡± The two looked at each other and nodded. Then they both hugged Seero. ¡°Confused Query: This unit is not experiencing emotional distress at this time, why have friendly units engaged emotional distress termination protocols?¡± Ateia smiled. ¡°Right now¡­we¡¯re just doing it to show affection and gratitude. Thanks to you, I got to meet my father again, Seero. And more than that¡­I got the family I always wanted.¡± Taog smiled as well. ¡°Thanks to you, I found the courage to face my problems, and realized how I truly felt. Not to mention how many times you¡¯ve saved our lives. We can never thank you enough, Seero.¡± Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to respond to this situation as affection wasn¡¯t as well-defined for her as emotional distress. But¡­it didn¡¯t cause any negative physiological or emotional reactions, and did not interfere with her current task. And if she analyzed their words¡­she had helped the friends achieve primary directives and improve their overall efficiency. That was a positive outcome. ¡°Acknowledgement: This unit is pleased to assist.¡±
A bit further away, Amulius watched the two embrace the demon lord¡­and hero, apparently, called Seero. He hung his head and drooped his shoulders. ¡°You aren¡¯t worrying about shiny girl again, aren''t you?¡± He shook his head as Agedia approached from behind. ¡°No¡­well, yes, but¡­it¡¯s just, I really messed this up, didn¡¯t I? I don¡¯t know what else I could have done¡­but what I did do wasn¡¯t enough. I¡¯m¡­glad they found someone to help who you say is trustworthy¡­but that should have been me, or Taog¡¯s parents, or¡­¡± Agedia made a small sigh. ¡°Or Aedinia?¡± Amulius remained silent for a bit. ¡°And¡­I don¡¯t even know if it was worth it. I spent years taking down corrupted dungeons and cult agents, but they never stopped appearing, and we never found the cult¡¯s leadership. And we only had the cooperation of one or two Archons, so we didn¡¯t even reach most of the Empire of the Sun. I can''t say if what we did had any impact at all. Maybe¡­maybe I shouldn¡¯t have gone.¡± But Agedia shook her head. ¡°No¡­everyone knows corrupted dungeons are bad news for any nation they appear in. Even the Empire of the Sun wouldn¡¯t permit them to exist under normal circumstances. It¡¯s self-destructive to do so, which makes no sense when they¡¯ve been locked in a centuries-long stalemate with a powerful enemy. So I think you were right to respond. And I have a feeling we¡¯ll be learning why sooner rather than later¡­¡±
Far to the east, the sky was black. Fortress cities and military outposts burned all across the deserts and plains that extended eastward, the smoke joining in the sky above to form black clouds overhead. A tide of monsters streamed across the plains, rushing towards the hills that started rising towards the mountains in the distance. And there, they stopped. Enchanted stone rose from the hills. Glowing arrows, enchanted ballistae bolts, massive stones lobbed by catapults, and all other manner of projectile rained from the tops of the walls. Long pikes stabbed down from above, while halberds and swords met any monster who made it to the top. Spells and siege weapon fire concentrated on any monster capable of breaking the fortifications, while assassins leapt out of hidden tunnel entrances to take down mages and ranged attackers in secret.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Horns sounded, magic artifacts flashed, and banners raised, and each time the soldiers moved calmly and quickly to redirect their efforts to the critical point. No matter how the monsters approached, no matter what feints or diversions they used, the defenders always arrived to meet them. The auxiliaries and allies went to work as well. Centaur archers harassed the flanks, winged humanoids scouted from above, aquatic species ambushed the horde from nearby rivers. Monster tamers unleashed monsters of their own, while the Imperial Necrotorum turned the enemy¡¯s casualties against them. Giants and treekin towered over the walls, lobbing boulders with their bare hands. In the tunnels beneath the ground, there was even a colony of Formicans battling subterranean foes, the ant-kin meeting the horde with a swarm of their own alongside dwarven warriors and the Legio Subterraneus. In the skies, the occasional battle-airship unleashed ballistae fire and built-in spells on flocks of bird monsters, while griffin knights confronted wyverns and other large fliers. The flying species of the Auxiliary Caelum flew as escorts, intercepting any monsters that made it past the knights and airships. Battle-airships were not the only artifacts of war present. Legions of golems held the line, taking the blows on behalf of their squishy masters. Enchanted ballistae fired into the enemy without any crews at all, staves planted into the ground cast spells at anything that approached. And when the monsters managed to break a section of the wall, something like the battle-airships rose up right from under the ground, planting itself in front of the breach while the Imperial Architecti repaired the wall. More such landships rose from the ground and then thundered across the field in a mighty counterattack, trampling over the hordes as they pushed the monsters away from the breach. Mounted knights and fast-moving auxiliaries followed behind them, mopping up the stragglers as the landships rampaged through the enemy. The Eastern Empire had long learned that battle-airships were much cheaper to build if they didn¡¯t have to fly. Every once and a while, a dark-skinned elf wearing black and gold armor would step forward and unleash terrible spells that shook both ground and sky. And every time, massive joint barriers from anti-Archon formations would rise to meet them, while long-range snipers harassed the elves with poisoned bolts and ritual-casted strategic spells responded in kind. The proud Archons were forced to step back, and those that tried to force the issue did not escape unscathed. These were scenes that continued on for hundreds of miles, all across the entire border of the Eastern Elteni Empire and the Empire of the Sun, as hundreds of thousands of legionnaires held the lines. In his command tent, High-Archon Vommik Nigaeren gnashed his teeth. ¡°Do you understand now, Archon Nolnyth, what it is you have done? Because you so foolishly cleared out the dungeons from which we would acquire our second wave, we were unable to exploit the initial breakthrough and failed to destroy our enemy once and for all. And now, once again, we are trapped in a war of attrition. What do you have to say for yourself?¡± Nolnyth scoffed. ¡°Nothing, for there is nothing to be said. There was a threat to my realm, and I dealt with it. The Council had years to inform me there was a plan for those corrupted dungeons, and did not. It was not my failure that led to this outcome.¡± High-Archon Vommik narrowed his eyes. ¡°So be it. You will atone for your error by creating a new breakthrough. Report to the frontlines and assault the fortifications. Do not return until they are broken.¡± Nolynth scoffed again. ¡°If you want to kill me, you should do it yourself. But fine, I shall let the humans claim my life on your behalf. The death of an Archon on foolish orders will surely reflect well upon your leadership.¡± And with that, she turned and left. High-Archon Vommik grit his teeth as he reapplied the barrier protecting his tent. He then activated a communication artifact. ¡°What is the meaning of this, Mrannd''ssinss d¡¯Quarth?¡± Mrannd''ssinss d¡¯Quarth, also known as the Herald of the New Dawn, spoke through the artifact. ¡°I warned you that the Eastern Empire¡¯s defenses were deeper than you thought. Even the situation with the Aesdes would not cause them to simply collapse.¡± High-Archon Vommik snarled. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t have been a problem if one of my Archons hadn¡¯t let some slave of the Aesdes run around for years! I thought you were tracking those ¡®heroes!¡¯ ¡± ¡°And it is still not a problem. You now have the endless tides of a corrupted horde, do you not? The Legion cannot hold forever.¡± High-Archon Vommik narrowed his eyes. ¡°You fail to understand, Mrannd''ssinss d¡¯Quarth, Lord of Order. Defeating mere humans is not my concern. It is betrayal from the rear that has ever haunted the Empire of the Sun. The longer my assault fails to produce tangible results, the more likely such a betrayal becomes.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ll be glad to learn then that I do have something planned. Just be ready, the Empire of the Sun will not be unaffected.¡±
Off in an isolated location, the Herald of the New Dawn knelt on the floor of a large and open room. The entire floor, walls, and even roof were covered in engraved geometric patterns, while various artifacts and magic materials were spread out at specific points. The Herald of the New Dawn nodded to himself after his final check, then walked to the middle of the room, where a chair was waiting. He sat in the chair, and pulled an object out of his personal magic box. A magic core lit up the room. The Herald of the New Dawn smirked. The core of the Great Demon Lord had long gone inert, separated from both Aelea and the Source when the continent of Letoris was cast from the Material Plane. But well¡­he had learned that such connections could be reforged. And if a simple machine could do it¡­then so could he. The formation around the room began to light up¡­ Chapter 197 - The Fate of the Empire
Seero eventually left the group, returning to Corvanus. Ateia and Taog¡¯s emotional distress appeared to be mostly terminated at this stage, though powerful emotions flared up when they spoke with Amulius.
Seero had not decided on the man¡¯s designation in her IFF protocols just yet. On the one hand, he was the person of interest for Ateia, and clearly quite important to the pair. On the other hand, contextual clues and conversations he had with Agedia implied he had inflicted significant damage on her friends, though he had done so in order to terminate a larger threat. Seero¡¯s analysis concluded he should not be considered hostile as a result¡­but her organic half and emotional-processing threads noted him as a point of concern.
She ultimately concluded that he was not a hostile, but was also not a particularly efficient friendly given his track record as far as Seero understood it.
His conversations with Ateia, Taog, and Agedia weren¡¯t finished yet, but Seero¡¯s other allies were inquiring as to her status. They apparently wished to begin the negotiations, and required her presence to do so. Since Amulius¡¯s initial hostility had been resolved and Ateia and Taog¡¯s emotional distress had been handled, Seero calculated that she should join the negotiations, and settle the Northern Empire¡¯s political situation.
She had subjugated a local dungeon on the outskirts of Corvanus just before her group arrived, and so returned immediately. A short while later, Legion troops guided her into the Imperial Palace, to a private conference room. There, Emperor Lucius and Princess Caecila, the leaders of the Turannian alliance, Consul Hiberius, Magister Ausonius, and Aedile Hortensus were waiting. Uscfrea and the other Turannians saluted to her, causing the other Imperials to raise their eyebrows.
But then Emperor Lucius raised even more eyebrows by breaking the silence.
¡°Welcome, Your Majesty Seero, Queen of the Dobhar and true friend of the Empire. I am glad to see you well.¡±
¡°Returned Greeting: Hello, Emperor Lucius. It is good to see you are in functioning and undamaged condition.¡±
He nodded in response. Then he glanced around at the eyes staring at him and shrugged.
¡°Most of us wouldn¡¯t be in this room were it not for Her Majesty, and we remain here at her pleasure. One could say the
Consul Hiberius sighed.
¡°There is still something to be said of decorum and stature, even if at a disadvantage, Your Majesty.¡±
Emperor Lucius shrugged again.
¡°Perhaps, but we are behind closed doors, and I believe the most important party in these negotiations prefers open and efficient communication. Isn¡¯t that right, Your Majesty Seero?¡±
¡°Response: Clear and efficient communication is generally desirable, though the exact calculations may depend on the circumstances and if the conversation involves classified intel.¡±
Consul Hiberius pondered for a moment before straightening his back.
¡°Very well, I suppose I, too, have tired of withholding my tongue in recent years. Let us speak openly then.¡±
Aedile Hortensus tilted his head.
¡°Eh? Speak openly, huh? I haven¡¯t done that since I was a boy. This will be new.¡±
Emperor Lucius smiled and clapped his hands.
¡°Excellent. In that case, let us address the first point of business.¡±
He turned to Seero and made a serious expression.
¡°Your Majesty, how much of the Empire do you want? Or do you even want an Empire at all at this stage? You are clearly the strongest power in the North and the South, and to be honest I do not believe the Northern Empire can survive without your support. The South clearly cannot oppose you, and the East is too occupied with the Empire of the Sun. Whatever you choose to do, we all must follow.¡±
Consul Hiberius sighed deeply, while Magister Ausonius¡¯s jaw dropped. Uscfrea blinked before grinning widely. Even Aedile Hortensus was rendered speechless, his jaw dropping as well.
Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered rapidly.
¡°Response: This unit has no protocols or records regarding administration or governance, and cannot devote resources and time to a major political reorganization due to ongoing hostilities against priority targets. A continuation of the existing administration is more efficient.¡±
Governor Aemilia then smiled sweetly.
¡°Though, perhaps a reorganization of the Northern Empire¡¯s internal structure is in order?¡±
Emperor Lucius sighed. ¡°So we have to negotiate after all. Very well, let us discuss the future of the Northern Empire, then.¡±
Given that Seero¡¯s war with the Heralds of the New Dawn was still ongoing, the talks were kept short. The Northern Empire would continue on as it had previously, so the discussion primarily focused on the allocation of duties in the short term.
As such, Governor Aemilia was to be appointed as Consul Hiberna, taking over the late Noxisius¡¯s position. As this left both Consul seats in the hands of the Hiberius family, Consul Hiberius would be made to retire once the situation permitted and a suitable replacement was found, but in no more than five years.
Meanwhile, Magister Canus would take command of all the legions of the North as the new Magister Militum, taking over Verrucosis¡¯s position. An appointment that everyone but the man himself approved of.
Seero would also send a permanent liaison to Corvanus to represent her interests in the court. The Selkies already had someone in Corvanus, but their representative would now have much improved ability to actually participate in the discussions.
Finally, a few of the borders were to be redrawn in the future. Utrad would be reworked, and it was planned that some of its northern territories would be reassigned to Turannia, or even transferred to Seero. However, such reorganizations would h
The important part was that the Northern Empire¡¯s administration was rebuilt, now firmly in the hands of Seero and her allies, before representatives from the South arrived for peace talks with Seero.
The negotiations were just wrapping up and the group was about to disband when Seero detected a surge of corrupted mana attempting to enter her core. After the first time, she had established a barrier of Holy Mana around her cores and her subordinate cores, so the corrupted mana did not manage to affect them.
¡°Warning: This unit has detected a nonstandard anomaly. There is a 92.74% probability it is related to hostile forces.¡±
The group¡¯s eyes widened. Governor Aemilia¡¯s eyes narrowed.
¡°What do you mean by that, Your Majesty?¡±
Magister Canus took a breath before straightening himself.
¡°Do you have any specific information, Your Majesty?¡±
¡°Response: This unit can only state that it is related to dungeons, and the Realms of Mana.¡±
And just a short while later, Emperor Lucius froze. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small pendant, that was pulsing with red light. His eyes widened.
¡°Your Majesty Seero, Magister Canus, we have an emergency. The Imperial Family¡¯s dungeon is going rogue¡­¡±
Seero¡¯s eye turned red.
¡°Analysis: Given the current scenario, this unit predicts with 83.56% certainty the situation represents a hostile action. Engaging dungeon termination protocols.¡±
Magister Canus nodded.
¡°Under the circumstances, assistance would be most appreciated, Your Majesty. We¡¯ll try to assemble reinforcements as we can.¡±
¡°Affirmative.¡±
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It only took Seero a moment to arrive at the Imperial Family¡¯s dungeon just north of Corvanus. She found the Imperial Knights fighting against a horde of monsters. But unlike with corrupted dungeons, the horde was a diverse one. Orcs, slimes, elementals of all sorts, various animal and plant hybrids, undead, and many others ran side by side towards the Imperial defenses.
¡°Command: Bombardment HQ, select targets and open fire.¡±
¡°Yes yes, Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen!¡±
Seero had set up a new Monster Hangar filled with cyber-rats and cyber-spiders, with walls covered in monitors displaying the area around herself. These rats and spiders lay on cushions around the floor, closing their organic eyes as their robotic eyes began to flicker.
And then a dozen Prismatic Bombardment magic circles appeared in the sky.
Beams of all colors and affinities rained down on the horde below, vaporizing monsters on contact. Seero provided all the mana for the spells, while the rats and spiders linked to her through the CELIU network. Small groups of them worked together to operate a Prismatic Bombardment spell, spreading the mental load of spellcasting and targeting among multiple CELIU units.
Seero may have upgraded her cybernetic components so as not to over-rely on the CELIU network for computational assistance, but that did not mean she would not also make use of said method. In this case, where full Supercharging was unnecessary and there was an abundance of minimally-threatening targets, CELIU network assistance was an efficient solution.
And so within moments the horde was vanquished. Additional monster poured from the dungeon entrances but as they were bottlenecked by that entrance Seero could wipe them out with a single magic circle now. She let the other circles fade and flew straight towards the dungeon.
And so the termination of the Imperial Family¡¯s private dungeon began.
Chapter 198 - Terminate the Imperial Familys Dungeon?
Seero flew through the hallways of the dungeon, analyzing the flows of mana and the structure of the dungeon to determine the correct path. Everytime she detected a living or animate thing, a small Beam magic circle of the appropriate element would appear and wipe it out long before it came within visual range. Most traps were simply bypassed through speed and flight. Pitfalls and sticky floors were irrelevant to a target not walking on the ground. More active traps like arrow launchers or dropping boulders were counterattacked by offensive spells, such that they failed to even reach Seero¡¯s defensive barriers. And magical traps were shut down by the Equalizer. There was even a Spatial Magic spell engraved in the floor that Seero predicted would have resulted in a forced relocation. Seero dedicated an entire anti-mana bomb to ensure it wouldn¡¯t have an ounce of mana remaining in it when she passed it by. She passed through several floors in minutes, diving deeper and deeper into the dungeon. Eventually she came to the end of a stone labyrinth floor, only to find a door blocking her path. There was a carved mural on the door with several conspicuous holes, as if part of the artwork had been removed. Seero fired the Equalizer into the door, followed by a Beam with a Spatial Angling field layered over it. Seero¡¯s own experiences with Spatial Magic and the boundaries of material planes and the Realms of Mana, along with the data from Shialnor she continued to sift through, had informed her why dungeon ¡®walls¡¯ did not behave as their physical appearance might suggest. They were not purely physical matter, but magical constructs placed inside distortions in space that existed partially in the boundary on the Material Plane. As a result, any attempt to attack them would be deflected through a longer than expected route, during which the dungeon would focus its mana absorption capabilities on the attack in question. The attacks were, thus, long drained of their power by the time they arrived at the actual wall, assuming they arrived at all. The same feature appeared to be applied to this door. Seero counterattacked the magical enchantments with the Equalizer, and counteracted the Spatial Angling with one of her own. As a result¡­the door became just a door for her. She blew a hole through it and continued on her way. Next she found a ¡®room¡¯ that contained an ocean as far as the eye could see, with narrow stone bridges leading the way forward. When she arrived at the exit, she found it deep underwater. Several pedestals with empty gem holders depicted scenes of large spheres being placed upon them and the water levels rising and falling. Seero ignored them and dove into the water. She wrapped a bubble of Water Magic around herself in the same manner that the Imperial naval vessels did, propelling herself through the water as fast as her Water Magic could go. She arrived at the underwater door, finding it locked much like the previous one. She applied the same method of breaching and carried on. She found a volcanic cave system, with the exit door under a pool of lava. Or possibly magma given the underground terrain, but as Seero only was programmed with the combat relevant data regarding molten rock she was not particularly concerned with the exact designation. There were also several empty pedestals on the last bit of solid ground before the pool. Seero ignored these as she analyzed the situation. Simply wrapping herself in a lava bubble like with water would still expose her components to the heat, with a noticeable risk of overheating, so Seero attempted something else. She created a Spatial Angling field around herself, modeled after the dungeon wall effect, in order to increase the distance between herself and the lava. She then wrapped a lava bubble on top of this field to keep the lava from entering it directly. As a result, the heat transfer between herself and the lava bubble was negligible. Seero continued on with hardly a moment¡¯s pause. In the next room she had to pause for a moment. Her different sensors disagreed on the path forward. Her mana sensors indicated the signature she was following led to a particular room, yet, her ground-penetrating radar suggested this room was a dead end. Seero took a moment to analyze the data more closely from each.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Command: Friend Ateia, please conduct reconnaissance.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Seero continued her own analysis as Ateia, waiting in the Primary Home Base, turned her Aesdes sight towards the room in question. Seero noticed small fluctuations in the flows of mana when she examined them with her Dungeon Field, indicating not all was as it seemed to her mana sensors. She concluded some sort of jamming or interference was likely occurring. And a moment later, Ateia finished her task. Under normal circumstances, dungeons, existing in the boundary of the world as middlemen between the Realms of Mana and the Material Plane, were not directly connected to the flows of Holy mana through Aelea. This, considered a necessary safeguard to keep the Realms of Mana and the Material Plane from direct mana contact, also made it more difficult for the Aesdes to see into dungeons with their divination abilities, unless they did so via Shialnor¡¯s core in the Blessed Land. But Ateia was no normal Aesdes. Ateia was Contracted to Seero, and deeply connected to the Primary Home Base¡¯s core. And Seero was a living dungeon core, with a Dungeon Field Generator projecting her dungeon mana into her surroundings¡­including the mana of any dungeon she happened to be present in. As a result, Seero created a compatible contact with the dungeon¡¯s mana Ateia could use to extend her divination sight into it. ¡°Um, it looks like there¡¯s a boss monster or something waiting there. I don¡¯t see any doors besides the entrance.¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡± With that, Seero boosted ahead. She extrapolated some of the discrepancies in the flow of mana and compared them to radar scans to determine the likely location of the true exit. And she was right. Within moments, Seero found the true exit, hidden behind a door with a lock, underneath a mural of the boss monster. Seero simply breached the door as before and moved on.
Such things continued for numerous floors. Seero encountered all manner of traps, monsters, and strangely inefficient door designs. None of them could stand up to over a thousand points of mana jammed into singular spells with support from Spatial Magic, the Equalizer, and anti-mana bombs. And so Seero stepped into the core room after defeating the final boss. That monster had even endured a Beam spell equivalent to her old Aurora Barrage¡¯s fused superbeams. It did not, however, endure the new Prismatic Bombardment spell. ¡°Warning Query: Would the hostile dungeon master like to surrender? This unit will allow the dungeon master to retain ownership of their dungeon as a subordinate core if so. Otherwise, this unit will engage termination protocols.¡± Seero found what appeared as a human woman in an elegant dress, staring into space with blank eyes. ¡°¡­my dungeon core stopped responding to me, and started getting all weird. Then, it started dumping out monsters that wouldn¡¯t listen to my commands, ruining a deal I kept for centuries. Then, some girl bust through my dungeon in, what, an hour? The dungeon that centuries ago required an entire campaign by the Empire¡¯s finest to get through and that I have built up significantly more since? And just blows up the supposedly indestructible dungeon doors, while disabling guaranteed-trigger traps? All while wiping out my entire army like it¡¯s not even there? You know what? Fine. Do whatever you want, as you clearly can.¡± ¡°Surrender acknowledged, please standby for dungeon integration.¡± Seero stepped towards the core and placed her hand on it. She detected a concentration of corrupted mana within it. Strangely, the core itself was not fully corrupted, but the corrupted mana appeared to be forcing the core to operate. Seero channeled Holy mana into the core while applying the dungeon-subordination process she had recreated. The woman screamed for a bit, then stared at Seero while panting for breath. ¡°Of¡­course¡­you¡¯re a dungeon master who has Holy mana. Let me guess, you also summoned an Aesdes to work for you too? That would be the next logical step, right?¡± ¡°Confirmation: This unit¡¯s friendlies do, in fact, include a being classified as an Aesdes.¡± The woman¡¯s jaw dropped, before she heaved a sigh and held her head. ¡°Of course they do. Well, thanks for fixing my core and all. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯m going to go lie down and rethink my life.¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡± With that, the woman turned and shuffled her feet towards a private room to the side of the core. Meanwhile, Seero contacted Uscfrea through the CELIU network. ¡°Mission Report: This unit has successfully integrated the affected dungeon. The dungeon appeared to be partially corrupted, this unit has successfully purified the corruption. No further assaults should occur. Please inform the allied forces of mission success.¡± ¡°Ah, My Queen, as expected of you. Will you be returning soon? We have a situation to discuss with you.¡± Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered as she accessed Uscfrea¡¯s records, determining the situation. He had held back while she was engaged in what he believed to be intense combat, but now gave her the full rundown. It seemed¡­the Imperial Family¡¯s dungeon was not the only one affected. In fact¡­ If the reports coming in from the Legion and Imperial allies were accurate¡­ Seero¡¯s projections indicated that every dungeon not subordinated to her might be affected. Chapter 199 - The Dungeon Crisis Begins!
Seero landed back at the Imperial Palace on her allies¡¯ request. She considered immediately responding to the situation, but there was a problem. If every dungeon was affected and everywhere was under attack, then Seero couldn¡¯t determine an efficient location to start. She had yet to identify the source of the corruption, and still had no data regarding the cult¡¯s location as well, so had no key targets she could eliminate. As a result, the only possible response at present was to begin terminating or integrating the dungeons. But Seero didn¡¯t have dungeon locations on record save for the ones she had already visited, so her only method if she reacted now would be to begin searching manually. And while locating dungeons in general was not that difficult for her, it would still be less efficient to devote time to the search if her allies already knew the locations of major dungeons in their territory. Likewise, Seero¡¯s allies were the main party under threat at present. The Primary Home Base and the other dungeons in Seero¡¯s network were not under assault at present, and neither was the Dobhar Home Base, though their border scouts were starting to report increased monster sightings. As such, Seero had no key targets of her own that required an immediate defense. So in this case, Seero would prioritize defending allied forces. But she had only a basic level of understanding of the Empire¡¯s structure, economy, military, and infrastructure, and no data as to the key locations the Empire needed to remain viable. As such, Seero came to the conclusion that the most efficient response was to coordinate with her allies, who could grant her intel on dungeon locations and the key locations they needed to defend, and so enable Seero to prioritize the most impactful termination or integration missions. Magister Canus saluted as Seero stepped into the room. Emperor Lucius had ceded command over to him given the situation, so the new half-elf Magister Militum was already attempting to coordinate the defense. ¡°Your Majesty, glad to see you. So, you mentioned the Realms of Mana? If that¡¯s the case, it seems every dungeon we know of is becoming corrupted.¡± ¡°Correction: Analysis of an affected dungeon indicates the dungeons are not fully corrupted. It is possible to remove the intrusion via the application of Holy mana, though it might be necessary to integrate the dungeon into this unit¡¯s network to prevent subsequent intrusions.¡± Magister Canus¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°And you did this for the Imperial Family¡¯s dungeon?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± Emperor Lucius sighed at that. ¡°A bit of good news, then. I do not want to imagine the situation where we lose every dungeon across the entire Empire.¡± Magister Canus nodded. ¡°Not only that¡­we know what to do. Do we know where Amulius is?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± Seero opened an entrance to the Primary Home Base right in the room, startling everyone outside of her subordinates. Magister Canus rubbed his chin as Amulius, Agedia, Ateia, and Taog stepped out. ¡°So that¡¯s how you moved the Dobhar so quickly¡­Your Majesty, could you share the restrictions on this spell?¡± ¡°Response: It is limited to dungeons under this unit¡¯s control or the area around this unit.¡± Magister Canus nodded. ¡°And would you be willing to share this capability with us, and assist us with the dungeons?¡± Seero¡¯s eye flickered for a second as she conducted a cost-benefit analysis. But since her allies had remained friendly towards her upon learning of her dungeon nature, she concluded the risks to doing so were acceptable. ¡°Affirmative.¡± Magister Canus nodded, then hummed for a moment. Everyone paused what they were doing to watch him. Soon, he smiled to himself. ¡°This will work. Magister Peditum Ausonius, draw up a map of fallback positions, and instruct the Legion to evacuate all civilians there. They¡¯ll hold the line until reinforcements arrive.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Magister Ausonius saluted and got to work. Magister Canus turned to Seero. ¡°If we give you a list of dungeons, would you be willing to conquer them, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± Magister Canus nodded. ¡°Thank you. Off the top of my head, the Imperial Academy is close by, and we could definitely use the support of the mages there.¡± ¡°Acknowledged. Engaging dungeon termination or integration protocols.¡± Magister Canus nodded, and then turned to Amulius. ¡°Could you take Exploratore Amulius with you? I¡¯d like to verify if a hero can purify the dungeon as well.¡± ¡°Affirmative. Informative Statement: This unit should also mention that friend Taog also has the hero feat, and friend Ateia is highly capable of generating Holy mana. Many of this unit¡¯s other subordinates are also capable to varying degrees of applying Holy mana.¡± Amulius¡¯s jaw dropped and he turned towards Taog. ¡°Wait, what?¡± Meanwhile, Magister Canus¡¯s eyes widened slightly before he smiled. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. That is very helpful to hear.¡± With that, Seero turned to leave. ¡°Acknowledged. Status Report: This unit is commencing dungeon termination or integration mission. Target: Imperial Academy of Magic.¡±
Magister Arcanum Cnaeus was not having a good day. He was currently standing on the walls of Academiae Civitatem, the city containing the Imperial Academy. A horde of monsters surrounded the city, pounding on the walls and testing the barriers guarding the skies. The Legion and the mages of the Academy were firing back, the Magister Arcanum included, but the hordes didn¡¯t thin in the slightest. Even now, the Magister Arcanus could see columns of monsters feeding into the horde. At first, establishing the Imperial Academy in a location surrounded by dungeons was a wise and practical decision. The mages of the Academy needed a hefty supply of magic cores and magical materials, so having easy access to several dungeons was a must. Likewise, it was noted that Rifts were less likely to occur in areas with heavier dungeon concentration, and more likely to occur with heavy magical experimentation, so locating the Academy here improved safety as well. At least, assuming those dungeons kept to themselves, and did not become corrupted. And worse still¡­the loss of the Aesdes had hit the Academy hard, and Magister Cnaeus most of all. He found he could hardly cast any of the spells he had learned since he became the Magister Arcanum. Which was to be expected! Ever since then, Cnaeus had to spend countless hours filling out paperwork, negotiating with witless politicians and clueless legionnaires, managing bickering and arrogant mages, and taking care of the constant stream of young and reckless aspiring mages, all the while keeping track of all the experiments going on to ensure a minimum of explosions and trying to find some time for his own research on top of that! So, he could and SHOULD be forgiven if he relied a bit too much on the Aesdes for the continued development of his magic! The disappointed looks from Academiae Civitatem¡¯s Legion guards as he failed to cast a strategic spell were entirely unfair! He hadn¡¯t cast such a thing in years, and the Senior Mages of the Academy didn¡¯t get along well enough to practice Ritual Magic with one another! And that Sidonia, the one who should be handling this sort of thing, was nowhere to be seen! Just then, the wall lit up with several magic circles. ¡°All right everyone, aim for my beam!¡± A young mage, Mage Nonus Callisunus, formed a magic circle. A number of other mages and apprentices did likewise around him. Nonus had only recently graduated from apprentice, but had quickly become a rising star. He had been forced into theoretical studies for years by his condition, so when the Queen of the Dobhar had cured him and enabled him to finally put such things into practice, he had grown dramatically. Nonus fired a simple Light Beam. The other mages around him did likewise, aiming for his beam instead of the monsters below. Once the beams collided with Nonus¡¯s, they all fused together into a super beam. Nonus directed the beam towards the monsters below, piercing straight through the heart of a giant about to lob a boulder at the walls. The monster fell back, crushing all the monsters behind it before fading. Nonus had been¡­quite enthusiastic in studying the reports on the Queen of the Dobhar. As such, he managed to discover an entirely new spell modifier. His new Fusion Light Beam was the talk of the Academy. And since he had studied the theory for years before he could even attempt to gain the skills, he knew his spells inside and out long before the Aesdes gifted them to him. So he, unlike even many of the Senior Mages, was hardly affected by the disappearance of the Aesdes. Still, one mage could not overcome an entire horde. Nonus¡¯s spell could allow him and several other weaker mages to contribute beyond their individual ability, but he was no Magister Arcanum. The walls were holding for now, but the situation was growing bleak. Magister Cnaeus himself was drained of mana, as were most of the Senior Mages. Until¡­Magister Cnaeus noticed something strange. A string of explosions and shifting patterns of light in the distance, along one of the columns of monsters. Said explosions grew closer, until they hit the horde around the walls. The defenders of the walls blinked, and then turned to Magister Cnaeus. ¡°As expected of the Magister Arcanum!¡± Magister Cnaeus just heaved a sigh. ¡°Does it look like I¡¯m casting spells right now?¡± And then¡­the sky lit up. Dozens of strategic magic circles filled the skies. Beams of all colors and attributes rained down on the hordes below. Nonus looked up and his eyes brightened. ¡°It¡¯s the Queen of the Dobhar!¡± Magister Cnaeus glanced up as the Queen of the Dobhar floated above the city, Multicasting strategic spells across an entire city. He furrowed his brow, and then threw his hands up. ¡°That¡¯s it! I¡¯m done with this!¡± Chapter 200 - Divide and Terminate!
As the monster horde thinned out, Seero passed control of the Prismatic Bombardment circles to her subordinates, while strike drones continued to bombard the incoming monster reinforcements. Seero turned her attention to the Imperials, locating and landing in front of Magister Arcanus Cnaeus. ¡°Greeting: This unit is designated Seero, official Imperial designation: Queen of the Dobhar, Amiciti Populi Elteni, it is nice to meet you. Statement: This unit has arrived to terminate or integrate nearby dungeons. Command: Local Imperial forces should organize forces to support the mission. Please check long-range communications if confirmation by Imperial authorities is required.¡± The Legion Legate commanding the defense took one look at the devastation below and shook her head, giving a salute. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, Your Majesty. We¡¯ll get right on it.¡± Magister Cnaeus sighed and slumped his shoulders. ¡°Do what you want. We¡­appreciate the help.¡± ¡°Acknowledged. Command: Please confirm details of the operation with Exploratore Amulius Olcinius Herenus.¡± With that, Ateia, Taog, and Estrith flew in from the sky, with Amulius and Agedia following via Sky Legion artifacts. The Legate¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Amulius? You mean¡­the Hero of Elteno?! It¡¯s an honor, sir!¡± Amulius nodded as he landed, then began speaking with the Legate on the mission. There were three major dungeons in the area around the Imperial Academy. As such, the plan was for the group to split up, in order both to handle the dungeons as quickly as possible, as well as to determine if Holy mana alone could permanently defeat the corrupted mana intrusion. As such, the Hero of Elteno would lead one mission including Agedia, Ateia, Taog, and Estrith, reinforced by the forces of Academiae Civitatem. Meanwhile, Seero and her subordinates would handle the other two, with Seero taking down the one with the strongest mana signature, and her monster subordinates tackling the third. Now that Academiae Civitatem had stabilized and the Hero of Elteno was in contact with Imperial authorities, Seero was about to take off and tackle her dungeon when she heard a voice. ¡°Your Majesty NSLICE-00P! It¡¯s an honor to see you again!¡± ¡°Objection: This unit¡¯s designation has been updated. Please refer to this unit as Seero.¡± Nonus ran up to her, waving his hands. He quickly nodded. ¡°My apologies! It¡¯s an honor to see you again, Your Majesty Seero! I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am for curing me!¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡± Nonus glanced out at the strategic magic bombardment beyond the walls. ¡°I¡­would offer to help you, anyway I can¡­but it doesn¡¯t seem like I can¡­¡± ¡°Statement: Exploratore Amulius Olcinius Herenus is recruiting Imperial assets for a mission involving this unit¡¯s friends. Recommendation: Please report to Imperial authorities to volunteer assistance.¡± Nonus¡¯s eyes widened then he nodded, his eyes narrowing. ¡°I¡¯ll go right away, I swear I will repay you, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡± With that, Seero boosted into the sky, flying towards one of the dungeons and bombarding the monsters along the way. When she arrived at the dungeon entrance, she deployed her monsters, as well as a full complement of infantry drone-golems. ¡°Command: All units, engage dungeon purification or termination protocols. Unit 01R is designated as the lead unit.¡± 01R knelt before her. ¡°We will complete-accomplish our mission, no matter what, Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen! Even if it costs-requires our lives, yes yes!¡± ¡°Clarifying Command: Relative force predictions indicate casualties should be avoidable on this mission, and containment of the dungeon forces is considered sufficient if purification or termination prove impossible. All units should prioritize asset preservation over mission completion if both cannot be achieved. Loss of drone assets is considered acceptable but loss of CELIU units would not be efficient.¡± 01R stared up at her with wide eyes, his organic eye filling with moisture. ¡°Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen¡­you truly are ever caring-loving, yes yes. I hear-understand your will! I, 01R, swear I shall complete this mission without losing-sacrificing a single one of your servants, yes yes!¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Acknowledged. Command: All units, begin mission.¡± The monsters all shouted and roared, save for Lilussees who just yawned, and then they rushed into the dungeon. Seero dedicated a thread to keep an eye on them and then set off for her own target.
Once inside the dungeon, 01R boosted forward on his repulsors at maximum speed. Now that they were no longer covered by the Prismatic Bombardement circles or the drone fleet, Seero¡¯s forces had to face the incoming monsters directly. Fused Light-Holy Blades formed over 01R¡¯s paws, and he began to glow with golden and silver light. ¡°Foolish monster-things who cannot see-understand the majesty of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen, taste the loyalty-devotion of her servants, yes yes!¡± He swung his blades, sending out arcs of Holy Light that split and burned every monster they encountered. The loss of the Aesdes and their records mattered little to 01R, he had always put his trust in the Boss-Queen instead; he even approved of her servants relying on nothing but her! His repulsors combined with his Dash skill to send him speeding forth, a shooting star that cut through the hordes with a golden and silver flash. He came face to face with a stone golem many times his size. He grinned, and was about to leap into battle when a High Explosive Anti-Tank shell exploded on the golem¡¯s torso. The round pierced through the golem¡¯s core, and it fell apart. 00B thundered forward, a mighty cannon on his back swiveling around to fire another shot as he roared. His protective roar sent out waves of mana that pulled hostile spells from their trajectories, causing them to strike the Armored Fighting Bear¡¯s armor instead. He then roared at 01R, while Lilussees slowly strolled up, yawning as she wrapped a golem in magical web. ¡°Like, slow down, you fanatical snack, you¡¯re leaving the drones behind. You¡¯re supposed to be, like, the leader, or something.¡± 01R¡¯s ears fell against his head. ¡°You are¡­right-correct, yes yes. I apologize.¡± He admitted he had gotten a bit¡­excited in his zeal. How could he not? The Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen had entrusted them with a mission¡­and this time she would not be there to protect them. This was their chance, this was their moment. The Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen finally trusted them to fight on her behalf, and 01R would prove to her that they could be of service. Still, 00B and Lilussees had a point. He was designated as the leader of the mission, so he could not act as a simple warrior. It was his duty to set aside his own desires, and to consider the group as a whole. It would not do for him to rush ahead and leave the others behind. A moment later, the drone-golem force caught up with the monsters. They lifted their arms, their right hands pointing open palms towards the enemy, while the left arms held gun barrels instead. And then they opened fire. Their right arms fired Beam spells that shifted colors. Seero had determined how to miniaturize a Prismatic Bombardment magic circle down to a single Beam spell, allowing the spell to change attributes at will. She then converted that circle into an enchantment, which was installed as the primary armament for magical strike drone-golems. While the drone-golems could be instructed to select attributes in response to the situation, it was found that this required them to give up other functions. So instead, Seero and Melion programmed these drones to rapidly cycle through many attributes to ensure an effective attack. Of course, their pilots or local CELIU units could also command them to use a single attribute as needed. As for their left arms¡­they began to fire conventional assault rifles, adding a physical component to the barrage whenever magic failed. The drone-golems began a methodical advance, which 00B and Lilussees covered with defensive skills and spells. Meanwhile, 01R looked over the battlefield, and began directing the CELIU units to take on the most powerful monsters. The drone-golems were highly effective against the average monster, but they couldn¡¯t handle the elites without heavy losses, so 01R and the others still had an important role to play. And so the CELIU network began its first dungeon termination (or purification) mission without the protection of their Boss-Queen¡­
Meanwhile, the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen arrived at the strongest dungeon. The one known to have many monsters resistant to magic, and so was only braved by Senior Mages and above. Fortunately, Seero¡¯s mana density far exceeded any Senior Mage. And that was before considering the Spell Penetration and Heroic Challenger skills that could defeat magical resistance, or the simple application of modern firearms as many of these monsters lacked physical resilience. As such, Seero was not hindered in the slightest by the monster horde, and had already passed through several floors of the dungeon¡­
Amulius sighed as he watched Ateia and Taog prepare for the assault. Ateia was smiling and giggling to herself. ¡°Ateia, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy, but stay focused. Even a normal dungeon is dangerous, and this dungeon isn¡¯t acting normal.¡± But she continued to smile. ¡°Sorry, sorry, it¡¯s just¡­I always dreamed of the day we¡¯d fight together. Even after everything¡­I can¡¯t help but smile.¡± Amulius¡¯s heart pounded in his chest as several different emotions warred within him. ¡°¡­it was my hope that you¡¯d never have to fight at all.¡± Estrith tilted her head at that. ¡°You wished for your pup¡­not to grow into a valiant warrior? Imperials truly are strange.¡± Meanwhile Taog made a smirk. ¡°You probably shouldn¡¯t have let her spend so much time with my parents, then. They agreed with that sentiment.¡± Agedia shook her head while clicking her tongue. ¡°And honestly, did you expect your and Aedinia¡¯s daughter not to go running off into danger? That was dumb of you.¡± Amulius sighed and hung his head. ¡°¡­that¡¯s why I hoped to keep her away from it, but I guess it was inevitable.¡± He looked up at Ateia, and slowly smiled as well. ¡°Though¡­I am happy that we¡¯re here, together now, at the very least.¡± Ateia blinked and then made a wide smile at that. Amulius took a deep breath. Then he turned, his eyes narrowed and sharp as he prepared his bow and focused on the dungeon entrance ahead of him. Seero¡¯s ¡®drones¡¯ or whatever she called them were still raining spells and explosives from above, keeping the monsters at bay while the group prepared, but in just a moment they would stop and it would be up to the group on the ground to take on this dungeon. Just as Amulius had done countless times over the past years, and with full support from the Legion and the Imperial Academy to boot. But, for the first time, with his own children on the line. He swore to himself that whatever happened, he would make sure they came back safe. ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± The group around him nodded, while the Centurion in charge of the Imperial complement saluted. Amulius took a deep breath as the spells and explosives ceased. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± Chapter 201 - All Grown Up...and Efficient!
Amulius blinked as he tried to comprehend the scene in front of him. The Legion soldiers on standby were staring with their mouths wide open, while the Academy mages were muttering to themselves. The one called Nonus was furiously taking notes on a scroll. At first, Amulius refused to let Ateia and Taog go into a dungeon, only to be overruled entirely. It was not their first dungeon conquest, not by far, and at the end of the day the pair had Contracted with Seero, and so fell under the dungeon master¡¯s authority. Ateia and Taog themselves were adamant, and there was little Amulius could do to stop them. As such, he had done the next best thing, and volunteered to lead the mission, citing his experience with corrupted dungeons. He was a bit surprised when Seero easily agreed. He had then attempted to keep Ateia and Taog in the rear, as supply carriers for the Legion complement. This had been rejected by the pair, and vetoed by Agedia as well, so Amulius had no choice but to take them with him to the actual fight. Still, he planned to keep them in the rear as much as possible. It would put a lot of pressure on him, Agedia, and the Dobhar, but he believed they could handle it. That¡­is not what happened. Taog dashed in and out of the shadows, his Dark mana shroud blending in and obscuring him even from Amulius¡¯s view. Those same shadows twisted into spikes and blades of Holy-empowered Dark mana that tore through the monster hordes with ease. Taog himself carried blades coated in the same mana, stabbing and slashing at the monsters all around him. And anytime a monster managed to hit the boy, the Dark mana surged to block the attack. Taog hadn¡¯t even gotten a scratch on his armor. Ateia, standing just in front of Amulius, drew her bow without any arrows. Instead, arrows of pure Light and Holy mana formed in her hand as she pulled back the string. When she released the string the arrows turned into beams of light, each arrow splitting into several more, that pierced through a dozen monsters all at once. She repeated this process over and over without a single pause or mistake, apparently not needing even a moment to find her aim. Amulius would only be drawing his arrow as Ateia took down his intended target. And strange looking and flying golems buzzed in the air around each of the pair, forming Barriers or triggering Beam spells to assist the two, as well as the Dobhar warrior, who was also tearing through the front with the younger pair. Amulius pursed his lips. It was one thing to be told that Taog was a hero and Ateia was an Aedes. But no matter if he accepted it or not, deep down he could only see the young children he had left behind. He just couldn¡¯t imagine such fantastical claims being true. Now¡­now he watched his two little kids decimate a horde that would push a veteran knight to the limit. That even he wouldn¡¯t try to take on alone. Just then, a monster snuck up behind Taog while he was occupied with another. Amulius was about to shout a warning when a magic circle formed on Taog¡¯s back and launched a Dark Beam directly into the monster¡¯s head, without the boy ever turning to look at it. Amulius slowly closed his mouth. Agedia smirked as she sipped from her flask. ¡°Surprised?¡± Amulius continued staring at the slaughter before him. ¡°That¡¯s an understatement.¡± Agedia¡¯s smirk grew. ¡°And you wanted them on support.¡± Amulius sighed and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s impressive, to be sure, but they¡¯re using a lot of mana. We¡¯ll need to talk to them about pacing when we take a break.¡± Agedia grinned. ¡°About that¡­¡± She then turned to the front. ¡°Hey, Ateia, how are you feeling? Think you¡¯re going to need a break soon?¡± Ateia turned to face them, tilting her head as she continued to launch her magic arrows towards the front. ¡°Um, no? Why do you ask?¡± Agedia elbowed Amulius. ¡°Daddy here is worried you might be getting tired, what with the fact that the three of you are handling the entire horde on your own.¡± Ateia blinked, and then grinned. ¡°Wait a moment¡­ah, found it!¡± Ateia¡¯s voice then went monotone and emotionless. ¡°Explanation: This unit¡¯s reserves are holding steady at the current expenditure. This unit¡¯s cybernetic components also do not experience fatigue. This unit is now efficient enough to enact the ¡®emulate Seero¡¯ protocol.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Agedia nodded and turned to Amulius. ¡°And there you have it. Shiny girl happened to have taught them a thing or two, and there¡¯s more to that armor than protection.¡± Amulius thought to object when Agedia mentioned Seero and his mind turned back to just a short while ago. When he watched said individual Multicast strategic spells, a feat even the Archons couldn¡¯t pull off, and then appeared no worse for wear afterwards. No, in fact, she immediately took off towards her target dungeon while Amulius was still arranging things with the Legion and the Academy Mages, continuing to cast her spells all the while. Eventually, he smiled wryly. One would think the Hero of Elteno, of all people, might acknowledge that the world was full of surprises. And of all the surprises he had encountered¡­Ateia and Taog growing powerful beyond his imagination was one he could live with. He watched Ateia standing tall, seeing in that moment the splitting image of her mother, with Holy mana forming a glowing aura around her as she drew her bow, a light illuminating the dark dungeon around her. He watched Taog leap in and out of the shadows, holding back the monstrous horde with shields and blades of Dark mana, a warrior more ferocious than his mother and a bulwark more insurmountable than his father. His smile slowly grew as he felt his chest turn warm. At that, Nonus perked up and walked over. ¡°Wait, so that armor is not just for show, and has effects beyond identification and protection?¡± Agedia turned the newcomer. ¡°Who are you?¡± Nonus saluted to her. ¡°Mage Nonus Callisunus, at your service. The Queen of the Dobhar changed my life, and is one of the most powerful mages in the Empire to boot. I¡¯ve been studying her techniques, as best I could.¡± Agedia thought for a moment before nodding. ¡°Ah, I think I remember them mentioning that. When shiny girl did a miracle cure on some helpless apprentice that got all the pointy hats into an uproar?¡± Nonus grinned and nodded. ¡°Yep, that was me! I had hoped to pay her back someday, but she vanished before I had the chance, so I sought to understand her instead.¡± Agedia nodded. ¡°Got it. Well, to answer the question, yes, that armor is way more than just a piece of metal. It¡¯s got all sorts of tricks built into it, like, for example, the fact that it can move on its own, so those two¡¯s bodies don¡¯t have to work as hard as ours.¡± Nonus¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Fascinating! So, some kind of motion or skill-based enchantment? Or¡­is it like a wearable golem? But how does she prevent the user¡¯s mana from interfering with the golem enchantment¡­and how would the control scheme function in that case¡­¡± Agedia shrugged. ¡°Beats me, I have no idea how it works.¡± She turned her attention back to the front. Ateia formed some Beam magic circles along with her bow, intensifying her barrage. Taog spread his Dark Shroud across the floor, and then a field of spikes impaled an entire group of monsters. Agedia smiled. ¡°All I know is that it¡¯s absolutely terrifying.¡±
Lilussees heaved a sigh as she cast a barrier spell, blocking a wave of Poison spells from hitting 00B. The bear was far too insistent on taking all the blows, enjoying his upgraded armor and defensive skills a bit too much. And the bear¡­along with most of the Boss Lady¡¯s monsters, had their expectations skewed due to terminating many young dungeons. They seemed to believe all dungeons were monolithic, and that the golems and Earth-attribute monsters they faced at the start represented all they would encounter. Lilussees knew it wasn¡¯t so clear. While dungeons started with a single affinity that would define them overall, it was not like they couldn¡¯t gain more affinities over time. She would tell them to look at the Boss Lady¡¯s army as an example but those fanatics would just say that she¡¯s special. Which she was, but the fanatics took it too far. The point was that 00B seemed to think he could just tank everything head-on. Well¡­theoretically he could endure a lot of poison for a very long time and Lilussees did have a Cure spell but would it kill him to pay attention to what was hitting him? 00B grunted his thanks to her. If he was going to thank her, then he should pay attention in the first place! Lilussees then sighed and lashed out with one of her arms, send a string of web deep into enemy lines where the Sacred Otterkin had dove. The web stuck to his back and then Lilussees pulled him out of the crowd, just before the monsters launched their counterattack. Seriously, this guy had learned too much from fanatic snack, and now thought suicidal impulses were a good thing! The boss-queen and the slime had worked real hard to build an army of expendable golems, Lilussees thought at least someone should bother to use them as intended! The suicidal otterkin smiled at her as he flew back to the golem line. ¡°Thank you, Eldest Sister! We make a fine team!¡± Lilussees shook her hand. ¡°Yes yes, but, like, if you¡¯re grateful, then stop being suicidal, or something.¡± The otterkin made a sheepish smile and nodded, before running off. Probably to do something suicidal again. Lilussees sighed again. And technically, the cowardly snack was the ¡®eldest¡¯ by their standard but, like, most of the newcomers didn¡¯t know he existed and it was way too much work for Lilussees to correct them. Lilussees blinked as she recalled the snack. While she was glad not to see the face of the idiot who stole her sleep, she did miss having someone who would tremble in fear at her mere presence. The newest snacks held no fear of her at all, taking after the fanatic. Well, save for that Snuan girl, but she never left the Monster Hangar after gaining control of the golem-drones. Speaking of which, Lilussees redirected a formation of golem-drones with magical webs tied between them. The movement arranged the web into a magic circle, firing a Beam spell at the enemy¡¯s poison mage. ¡°I, like, so need more golems, or something. But, like, these golems take too much work. I wonder if there¡¯s, like, an easier way to get minions to work for me, or something?¡± ¡°Feel the wrath of My Queen¡¯s warriors!¡± But a battle cry and a golden and silver otter jumping into the enemy interrupted Lilussees¡¯s thoughts. She heaved a sigh and shot out yet another web. She decided she was sleeping twenty-four hours for every time she had to save a fanatical idiot on this trip.
Meanwhile Seero had reached about halfway through her dungeon. Her robotic eye flickered as she received updates from the other teams. "Acknowledgement: Unit Lilussees''s observation appears to be accurate. CELIU unit may require adjustments to self-preservation protocols. Unit Lilussees, however, appears to be displaying efficient coordination to improve friendly survivability, enabling other units to take increased risks." And so Seero''s assessment of Lilussees''s capabilities continued to improve. Chapter 202 - Thoughts, Prayers, and Protocols
Ateia and Taog sat down with Amulius. They had reached a forest level, and made camp in a clearing by the entrance. Amulius had convinced the pair to take a break, and now the Legion and the Academy mages were holding the line against a wave of plant monsters growing from the forest. Amulius made a small smirk. ¡°You two have grown pretty strong, huh?¡± Ateia and Taog glanced at each other and grinned. ¡°I guess¡­we have, after all.¡± Ateia nodded. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell when Seero¡¯s around.¡± Taog tilted his head. ¡°But¡­we¡¯re like, mini-Seeros now, so should make sense we¡¯re strong now, right?¡± Ateia nodded. ¡°I should hope so.¡± Then her face curled into a grin. ¡°After all, I paid an arm and a leg for this!¡± Taog blinked for a second before laughing. Amulius stared at them for a second before his eyes widened. ¡°Wait¡­what do you mean by that, Ateia? You¡¯re just joking, right?¡± Ateia turned to face him, tilting her head before her face fell. ¡°Oh¡­you haven¡¯t realized, have you?¡± Amulius began to tremble. Ateia didn¡¯t say anything, but instead held up her hands. She grabbed one of the fingers on her left hand and pulled it off entirely, holding it up before reconnecting it. She then opened and closed her left hand and moved her fingers around like nothing had happened. ¡°This¡­isn¡¯t just armor, Dad. It¡¯s¡­a bit hard to explain, but you can think of it like a golem replacing the missing parts of my body.¡± Amulius heart pounded in his chest, and his face turned pale. ¡°...missing?¡± Ateia nodded and took a deep breath. ¡°I mentioned it, but I guess not in detail? The cult didn¡¯t try to sacrifice me, they really did it. Half my body had faded away from mana overload by the time Seero rescued me. But Seero managed to replace what I lost, and now I¡¯m stronger than ever.¡± Amulius¡¯s jaw dropped, and his eyes filled with tears. ¡°Ateia¡­¡± Then he paused and spun around to face Taog. ¡°Taog¡­you too?¡± Taog immediately shook his head and waved his hands in front of him. ¡°Ah, no, mine is different. It was a fully voluntary, and much less dramatic process, so I still have all of my body.¡± Then he tilted his head and then nodded. ¡°Though, I should say that it¡¯s not just armor for me, either. It¡¯s a wearable golem, like Ateia said, and deeply connected to my body and mind.¡± Amulius froze. ¡°Wait¡­it¡¯s connected to your mind?¡± Ateia and Taog nodded. Amulius¡¯s face turned dark. ¡°Then¡­couldn¡¯t it¡­¡± Agedia sighed. ¡°Let me stop you right there.¡± She slithered in front of Amulius, crossing her arms. ¡°Yes, it gives shiny girl a backdoor into their minds. I don¡¯t get it fully but I know they can see what each other sees and speak to each other directly in their heads. And yes, as you¡¯re probably thinking right now, shiny girl could hypothetically use it to manipulate them. In fact, she unintentionally did so to Ateia after rescuing her. This caused Ateia a lot of pain, which horrified shiny girl once she realized and she has never done it since.¡± Ateia nodded, wincing slightly at the memory. ¡°It¡­wasn¡¯t pleasant, having something foreign reach into my mind. But Seero¡¯s given me full control of it now. And if it weren¡¯t for her¡­I wouldn¡¯t be here at all, in any form.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Amulius furrowed his brow. ¡°But¡­¡± Agedia put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to accept. But also remember that those two are fully Contracted to her at this point. Shiny girl wouldn¡¯t need to manipulate them to make them do as she pleases.¡± Ateia nodded, frowning herself. ¡°In fact, Seero had to work hard to free herself from that kind of thing. So please, do NOT imply that she would try the same thing on us now. I know she wouldn¡¯t.¡± Amulius kept frowning, but sighed. But before he could speak, they heard a grunt from the battle ahead and everyone turned to look. One of the Bulwarks failed to activate their bracing skill, and so had been sent flying by a large tree monster. Agedia curled down and leapt into the air, grabbing the legionnaire before they hit the ground. The legionnaire shook their head. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m sorry. My centurion always told me I needed to practice that skill more¡­guess I should have listened.¡± The legionnaire was fine, but now there was a hole in the line and the monsters started rushing through. Nonus responded with a Fireball spell, but it was noticeably less powerful than the spells from before. One of the other mages turned to him. ¡°Can¡¯t we fuse spells again?¡± Nonus frowned. ¡°I wish I could. But I¡¯ve only figured out how to do it with Light Beam, and Light doesn¡¯t work on plant monsters like this.¡± Ateia and Taog were about to stand up when Amulius waved them down. The Legion troops had already reacted, with Slayers and Sharpshooters cutting down the monsters that made it through while the Bulwarks shifted their formation to close the gap. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to watch, but this is their job, and they know what they¡¯re doing. Mistakes and unexpected situations always happen during battle, but the Legion knows how to cope.¡± Then he sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­losing the Aesdes has been hard on everyone, the troops especially.¡± At that, Ateia froze, and blinked a few times. ¡°The Aesdes, huh?¡± Taog turned to her, then grinned. ¡°You have an idea.¡± Ateia stood up, and looked at her hands. ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t know if this will work but¡­¡± Amulius moved his head, glancing back and forth between the two of them. ¡°Hm?¡± Agedia grinned. ¡°Slipped your mind huh? Technically speaking¡­we haven¡¯t lost all the Aesdes.¡± Amulius eye¡¯s widened as Ateia closed her eyes. Mechanical wings spread from her back before lighting up, bathing the area in golden and silver light. That light streamed towards the Legion troops at the front, filling them each with a warm aura. Holy mana now coated their blades, healed their wounds, and eased their fatigue. The Legion troops paused just for a moment before they started to grin, and pushed against the monsters with renewed vigor. But that was but a simple Blessing, something Ateia already knew how to do. That was not what she wanted to try here. Instead, she focused on Nonus. ¡°Ah, Nonus, the one Seero helped, right? That should work.¡± Ateia focused on Nonus. She imagined what she wanted to happen. She imagined pulling it off herself, and remembered similar feats she had performed in the past. And while her human eye remained closed, her robotic eye began to flicker as she queried the CELIU network¡­
Seero was about to break into the final floor when an unexpected message passed before her UI: ¡°Friend Ateia is requesting for unaffiliated units to access the CELIU network. Requested units designated as Imperial Mages, temporarily allied. Access requested: CELIU spell protocol database, UI support. Proceed?¡± Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered as she analyzed the situation. Ateia appeared to be conducting an experiment to improve combat efficiency of their non-CELIU allies. She analyzed the requested contact. While allowing any unaffiliated party to access the network in any manner was a risk, she determined that the mages would not be directly interacting with the CELIU network per say. Rather, Ateia would be acting as a middleman, transforming the digital data into a mana-based form in a one-way connection. That connection was predicted as acceptably secure, and improving the efficiency of allied forces was desirable. Seero went ahead and approved the request.
Ateia made a small smile as the approval came in and focused on Nonus, and the nearby mages. Her cybernetic components selected an appropriate spell, and then her mana streamed in through a blessing. Nonus was about to cast another Fireball spell when something passed before his eyes. Something that caused his spell cast to fail¡­as well as his knees.
The spell protocol: Fusion Fire Beam has been shared with you. Assisted casting is available. Engage spellcasting assistance protocol?
In fact, all around him magic circles sputtered and faded as the mages reacted in shock. The Centurion in charge turned his head to them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± Nonus trembled. ¡°The Aesdes¡­they¡¯re back¡­but¡­it seems different. This is¡­¡± He slowly turned around, and saw Ateia. His eyes widened. But he shook his head. His tutors always reprimanded him for letting his curiosity distract him, believing that to be the source of his earlier plight, and had drilled discipline into him. So he knew what he needed to focus on right now. He went ahead and answered the question. Lights began to flash in front of his eyes, forming themselves into illusory images. They formed into a spell circle in the air before him. His eyes widened. ¡°It¡­is like my Fusion Light Beam but this is¡­a Fire attribute instead?¡± But he again shook his head. Academic curiosity would have to wait for live spellcasting tests in this situation. He stirred up his mana, and began to move it along the magic circle. As he did, Holy mana filled him, and wrapped around the mana. It helped guide his mana into shape, stopping him when he was about to make a mistake, and smoothing out the circle. Ateia instructed her cybernetic components to assist him with the cast as they did for her, only through the Blessing this time. As a result, Nonus was able to complete a magic circle he had never seen before on the first try. Just like when he received a spell from the Aesdes. The Fire Beam shot forward into the plant monsters ahead, causing a large tree monster to writhe in anger. The other mages¡¯ eyes widened, and they, too, began to react to the messages in their eyes. Soon¡­multiple Fire Beams joined Nonus¡¯s, fusing into a mighty superbeam with jets of fire stream out from it. The tree monster screamed as it burst into flames, and then burned to ash. Ateia furrowed her brow in concentration¡­but she also started to grin. ¡°It worked!¡± Meanwhile Amulius was staring at her wide eyed, and jaw dropped. He began to tremble. ¡°Right¡­Aesdes¡­¡± Only now did he truly question what that really meant. Chapter 203 - A Bear-y Vicious Fight
Seero finished purifying the dungeon core while the dungeon master just stared at her. She then turned her attention to the other two groups, analyzing their situations. Ateia had apparently succeeded in her experiment, and applied basic skill assistance via the CELIU network to individuals outside of it. While unnecessary for the CELIU network¡¯s own members, the capability would be highly useful for cooperation with allied forces. And as Seero continued to analyze the situation in detail, she made a discovery. She detected a small amount of mana and data moving from the Imperial mages through Ateia and ultimately into the core of the Primary Home Base. Shialnor¡¯s data and Imperial doctrine had indicated that the Aesdes¡¯ system didn¡¯t necessarily provide anything new to the inhabitants of Aelea, but rather quantified and organized it into more easily understood forms. Skills, attributes, and more were simply descriptions of phenomena that were already occurring. The same went for levels and experience. By Seero¡¯s analysis, everyone and everything in Aelea was constantly absorbing small amounts of mana¨Cfrom the atmosphere, from their food, from the ground, and from proximity to each other. And as they acted and performed various tasks, this mana gained small amounts of data recording what occurred. When that happened, the mana would permanently attach to the subject, increasing their overall mana capacity and capabilities. And it seemed that Ateia¡¯s assistance for their allies was no small feat in this regard. Her mana, and by extension Seero¡¯s, was involved in every step of the process as Nonus and the other mages cast spells provided by the CELIU network. Seero logged this as a phenomena to research further, and returned to analyzing the two groups¡¯ progress. Her monster subordinates were advancing more quickly than the allied force, but that appeared to be intentional. The allied force utilized a methodical and carefully paced approach, involving scouting, planning, reorganization, and rotation of frontline units so that all units could rest at regular intervals. The monsters, on the other hand, were pushing forward as quickly as they could, with all of them contributing to the fight at every moment. By Seero¡¯s analysis, they would complete the dungeon more efficiently in terms of time, but with higher risk due to increased fatigue, rapid advances, and a lack of reserves. She calculated that she should reinforce the monsters, both due to their rapid advance that would complete the dungeon soon, and due to their method of advance that could leave them vulnerable should the situation turn against them. She informed the network that the dungeon had been purified and that she was enroute to 01R¡¯s location, and then made her way out of the dungeon.
00B roared as he rushed towards a giant golem made of black stone. His back cannon opened fire but the golem remained standing even after a direct hit. His repulsors and rocket boosters matched his roar as they launched him forward. He crashed into the golem, which caught his paws in its hands. 00B grunted and roared again as he pushed against it. With Big Sister Lilussees watching over them, the younger siblings felt emboldened to push more aggressively. The group had rushed forward at impressive speeds, only slowing down to the maximum speed the drone-golems could travel at. But the resistance had grown increasingly stiff as they went on, and now their progress had slowed to a crawl. The drone-golems were all out of ammunition, and had taken casualties despite 00B¡¯s best efforts. Less than half of them remained, as 00B was forced to prioritize the cyborgs. Everyone else was low on mana, even Big Sister Lilussees. Big Brother 01R was gritting his teeth and he flew through the air, slashing at the golem. He understood the situation as well as 00B. He knew that they would need to slow down at this rate. And that thought burned in their hearts. The Great Mother had already conquered her target dungeon, predicted as the most powerful of the three, and was moving to assist them. If they did not reach the end soon, then she would arrive and handle things on her own. They would have failed to be useful to her.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. So, despite the danger, despite the foolishness of advancing, not one monster spoke of stopping. Except for Big Sister Lilussees, but she always did so, and from the very start, so that was just how she was. And if they were not stopping¡­ 00B grunted as the golem socked him in the face. He managed to swipe at the golem¡¯s torso in response, pushing it back slightly. Both failed to bypass the other¡¯s HP barrier. ¡­then it was up to 00B to keep his family safe. 00B didn¡¯t have the raw speed of Big Brother 01R, nor the magical firepower of Big Sister Lilussees or the Great Mother. His mana reserves were surprisingly low, and so he couldn¡¯t make use of many of the spells shared by the Great Mother. But what he did have was raw strength and durability. A force of nature and metal combined into an unstoppable juggernaut. His HP barrier formed a visible shield around him that he could expand to protect his family nearby. His cybernetic components analyzed every incoming attack and told 00B how he should respond to minimize their impact. Active countermeasures could utilize mana, lasers, and even projectiles to intercept incoming spells. Should an attack make its way through, thick composite armor with magical layers would block and mitigate the attack. And should it make it through all the way to his squishy parts, then his natural Ursanus-lineage durability would kick in. His squishy parts were much less squishy than everyone else¡¯s. The black golem stepped forward, swinging another fist towards him. 00B¡¯s cybernetic components indicated if he crouched down, the swing would deflect off his armor, and he could use that moment to flip the golem over him. 00B did not do this. The CELIU network informed him that several of his family were fighting behind him, and flipping the golem over would put them at risk. 00B refused to let that happen, so he took the blow head on instead. The cannon on his back swung around, loading a high explosive shell and firing directly at the golem¡¯s fist. The explosion mitigated some of the golem¡¯s momentum, while the shrapnel bounced harmlessly off 00B¡¯s HP. 00B struck the golem¡¯s arm with his paw, sending the punch wide as the armored bear slammed his shoulder into the golem. And as the golem took another step back, 00B spent his mana to trigger a skill. Holy mana stirred up within him and filled his squishy parts, in a manner not unlike Little Sister Ateia. Strength surged through his body and he let out a roar that shook the room. 00B pounced towards the golem. He leapt up with the assistance of his repulsors and swung his paw with all his considerable weight behind it. Repulsors on his arm and the back of his paw lit up as well, adding additional force to his strike. His HP barrier shook for a moment as he landed his strike on the unyielding stone. A small crack formed on the golem¡¯s head. 00B renewed his attack, swinging repulsor and Holy mana assisted paws at the golem over and over. His cannon fired armor piercing shells at point blank range, leaving cracks and craters on the golem¡¯s surface. The golem pushed back but Gravity Magic-infused webs from Big Sister Lilussees wrapped around its arms and legs, preventing it from responding. 00B was free to attack with impunity. Soon, the ground was littered with chunks of black stone. The golem was cracked and crumbling. 00B was just about to reach its core¡­ But then, a second black golem stepped into the room, this one carrying a black spear. It stepped towards 00B. 00B grit his teeth but he took a step back and let his buff skill fade. He need to ensure he was at peak condition if he was going to take on a second foe. The golem walked up to its fallen comrade¡­and then stabbed the fallen golem right in the chest. The stone spear was able to punch through the cracked and crumbling stone, crushing the golem¡¯s core. As 00B tried to comprehend what was happening, the black golem began to attack the remaining enemies. None of their foes could stand against its spear. And once it was done, it took a step back, planting its spear in the ground. 00B and the others eyed it warily. ¡°Well it¡¯s about time!¡± A short humanoid stepped into view from behind the golem. He had a large beard, with small tusks extending from his lower jaw, and wore a blacksmith¡¯s apron with a hammer and pickaxe in his hands. Big Brother 01R narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. ¡°Who are you?¡± The newcomer scoffed. ¡°Who am I? I¡¯m the dungeon master, ya rodent! Now come on, ya all are from some dungeon master here to subjugate me, right?¡± Big Brother 01R glared at him. ¡°We are the servants of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen and¡­¡± The dungeon master nodded. ¡°Thought so. Well come along then! My dungeon¡¯s going crazy, and not one of the new monsters listens to me no more! If yer Boss-Queen or whatever has a solution, then let¡¯s hurry up and get on with it! I¡¯ll go ahead and surrender or what have ya if ya can fix this.¡± Big Brother 01R gnashed his teeth but 00B grunted at him. Big Brother 01R was especially sensitive about the Great Mother, and made a big deal of showing her proper respect. Well, 00B understood that, and would crush anyone who dared disrespect her, but he also knew the Great Mother would prioritize their survival. So she wouldn¡¯t want them to pick a fight with someone who was offering to surrender. Big Brother 01R glanced at him, and then sighed. ¡°Very well. Lead-Guide us to your core and then we shall consider allowing-permitting you to join the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen¡¯s servants, if you are worthy, yes yes.¡± The dungeon master rolled his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to do! Now stop lolly-gagging and get a move on!¡± Big Brother 01R gnashed his teeth yet again but he nodded to the rest of the group. They all began to follow the dungeon master and his golem. 00B took up point once again, carefully observing the pair in front of them. Because no matter what happened, 00B would protect his family. Chapter 204 - Terminate the Corruption!
The dungeon master led Seero¡¯s monsters to his core room. The Sacred Otterkin stepped forward as the monster with the deepest connection to Holy mana, and laid his paws on the core. He gently began to channel Holy mana through the core, trying to remove the corruption without damaging the core itself¡­
As Seero approached the second dungeon, she watched the Sacred Otterkin attempt to purify the core, and focused her attention there. With the assistance of his cybernetic components, the Sacred Otterkin managed to isolate and target the corruption, and terminated it with the core still intact. That part of the operation was a success. But there was a problem. Corrupted mana continue to slip into the core. The Sacred Otterkin could eliminate it temporarily but it appeared he could not cut it off from its source. It would not suffice as a permanent solution. Seero sent a message through the CELIU network. ¡°Command: Please remain in contact with the core, and continue purification protocols.¡± The Sacred Otterkin¡¯s response came in immediately. ¡°Yes, My Queen!¡± With that, Seero went to work. The immediate solution was for her to subordinate the dungeon, and the dungeon master had already offered to surrender. But in all cases prior, Seero had to be physically present to accept the surrender. And after the corruption of the Aesdes¡¯ system, Seero had to be in direct physical contact to interface with the dungeon core. But she knew from previous experiences that physical contact was not a strict necessity. With the Aesdes¡¯ System, she didn¡¯t need anything beyond verbal confirmation. She wasn¡¯t even sure physical proximity was necessary either, she had not tested a remote subjugation prior to the corruption of the Aesdes¡¯ System but the Empire''s records of inter-dungeon combat seemed to imply it was possible. And Seero could already interact with the world through the CELIU network via the exchange of data. Likewise, she was connected to all of her subordinates via mana due to their Contracts, so she was already exchanging mana with them remotely. Finally, Ateia had already demonstrated an ability to interact with the world remotely via Divination and Blessing. So Seero had proof of concept, and found it reasonable to assume it was possible to do so via the CELIU network. Whether it would be practical and efficient was another matter. But Seero had much stronger processors now, and data directly from Shialnor on the system as a whole. So this would be a much easier task then learning Spatial Magic from one shoddy, failed magic circle! So Seero got to work analyzing the data, comparing it to the CELIU network¡¯s observations, and determining if there was a viable solution. And it turned out there was. Ateia was already shaping other people¡¯s mana remotely, so Seero could use that as a guide to shape the Sacred Otterkin¡¯s mana. Seero had her own method of establishing a connection between her core and a subjugated dungeon core. Likewise, the Sacred Otterkin was already connected to Seero as a subordinate¡­and due to his innate connection to Holy mana had formed a connection with the Primary Home Base, similar to Ateia. So Seero, with the Sacred Otterkin¡¯s permission, took control of his mana and used it to establish a connection between the dungeon core and the Primary Home Base. And¡­she managed to succeed. Her mana began to flow through the new subordinate core, reorienting its main connection from the Aesdes¡¯ System to the Primary Home Base. The flow of corrupted mana slowed to a trickle, and a shield of Holy mana formed around the core to prevent any further intrusions. And with that, two of the three dungeons had been dealt with. Seero thus turned her attention to the final dungeon¡­
Amulius¡¯s team had picked up the pace, and were approaching the end of the dungeon. After Ateia had partially restored the boons of the Aesdes, Amulius had reorganized the teams. Ateia now fought with the Legion contingent, utilizing Blessings to dramatically improve their effectiveness. With her support, they could not only hold the line with ease, but were able to actively push forward. And since Amulius and Agedia hadn¡¯t even needed to fight before, they were able to pick up the slack on the other team, which was thus not hampered by giving up Ateia. As a result, the group was able to rotate without stopping the advance. Amulius was staring blankly as he watched Holy-empowered Legion troops cut down monsters with ease, and Imperial mages cast spells he had never seen before. ¡°That¡­would have been really useful a while ago¡­¡±Stolen story; please report. Taog frowned. ¡°Yeah¡­but Ateia only got those powers because of¡­what happened.¡± Amulius¡¯s face fell at that but he shook his head. There would be a time for sorrow and regret, but a dungeon conquest wasn¡¯t it. Even if it was the easiest, smoothest, and least costly dungeon conquest Amulius had ever experienced. It had been a long and painful process for Amulius to level his Trap Detection skill, and even then he was never confident he could find them all. And traps aside, he never found a consistent method of finding a floor exit besides methodical exploration and extremely thorough map-making. And now Taog was telling him that special armor of theirs could automatically detect traps AND had an extremely accurate means to identify the fastest path through the dungeon? That they could build an accurate mental map of a floor¡¯s layout from the entrance in mere moments? ¡­sometimes life wasn¡¯t fair. He was glad it was his kids who got those powers, but couldn''t help but be a bit jealous. But, well, that armor also required being Contracted to a demon lord, so Amulius supposed they paid for what they received. All in all, he''d have MUCH preferred if they had never gone through the events that led to their strength. In any case, Amulius turned his thoughts to something more productive. He focused on the fight. Then he frowned, and rubbed his chin. Agedia raised an eyebrow. ¡°You notice something?¡± Amulius shook his head. ¡°Not regarding this fight. But¡­something feels off to me.¡± Agedia narrowed her eyes. ¡°What is it?¡± Amulius hummed. ¡°This¡­is too easy. And not just because Ateia and Taog can do things I never imagined. This dungeon¡­it¡¯s acting like it¡¯s corrupted in terms of indiscriminate monster attacks, but by the amount and diverse types of monsters, it doesn¡¯t seem corrupted at all.¡± Agedia nodded. ¡°Shiny girl said as much.¡± Amulius nodded too. ¡°Right. But then¡­what¡¯s the goal here? The Legion has held the line even against corrupted dungeons. Normal dungeon hordes, even if every dungeon across the Empire is affected, are just not as dangerous. They have less monsters overall, they don¡¯t replenish as fast, and, most of all, they don¡¯t grow overtime on their own. If the Legion fends off the initial assault, it can handle the situation.¡± Agedia frowned and crossed her arms. ¡°Small comfort to those caught in the way.¡± Amulius shook his head. ¡°True, there¡¯s going to be a great deal of chaos and devastation across the Empire, not to mention the world at large, but still, the Empire can survive it if it acts carefully and is willing to cut some losses. From what that demon¡­¡± Taog crossed his arms and Amulius cleared his throat. ¡°...Seero claimed, the Heralds of the New Dawn struck at the Aesdes themselves to bring about this situation. So a mere blow against the Empire, even a heavy one, doesn¡¯t seem like enough to represent the extent of their plans. I would expect something that the Empire couldn¡¯t survive at all, at the very least.¡± Agedia narrowed her eyes. ¡°So you think there¡¯s something more going on here?¡± Amulius sighed. ¡°Right. No idea what, though. But¡­I think we need to keep an eye out.¡±
In the end, the group conquered the dungeon without issue. Amulius attempted to purify the dungeon, but only did so temporarily and nearly damaged the core in the process. Seero, predicting that connection to the dungeon via Ateia would be even easier than with the Sacred Otterkin, attempted the process through Estrith instead, who had no particular connection to Holy mana. It was quite difficult, but they managed to pull it off. She then gathered her monster subordinates, and met the allied force at the entrance to their dungeon. Seero grabbed those who couldn¡¯t fly with barriers, and then they all flew back to Academiae Civitatem. On the way back, Uscfrea filled her in on the latest developments. It appeared the Southern Court¡¯s representative had arrived¡­
Emperor Lucius sat upon his throne, looking at the representative from the Council of the Southern Realms. ¡°I understand the situation is critical, but that does not mean I will simply release a hostile force.¡± The representative gaped at him. ¡°Your Majesty, I must protest! High-King Xavlaeron¡¯s force was by no means hostile towards you or the Northern Court, and we cannot protect the Realms without the Sky Legion! I understand you have good relations with the Queen of the Dobhar, but would you really sacrifice all of the Southern Realms over the High-King¡¯s spat with a foreign power?¡± Emperor Lucius scoffed. ¡°I beg to differ. The High-King usurped my control, took command of my Legions, declared martial law without my approval, locked me in my palace, and told me he was going to execute my daughter-in-law. You may beg to differ but as far as I¡¯m concerned, you have acted very hostile towards me and my Court.¡± And then Emperor Lucius smirked. ¡°And to put it plainly¡­yes. Even if none of that were true, I would prioritize the Queen of the Dobhar. In the time it took you to arrive, she has already cleared the area around Academiae Civitatem on my behalf. She has been a far greater ally to me than any of the Southern Realms, and especially in the circumstances we now find ourselves.¡± The representative paled, and his face fell. He dropped his head. ¡°...what must we do to convince you?¡± Emperor Lucius nodded sagely. ¡°That is simple. Unconditional surrender.¡± The representative looked up and balked. ¡°What?¡± Emperor Lucius shrugged. ¡°Or, a direct and unrestricted affirmation of each of the Southern Realm¡¯s loyalty to Corvanus and its Emperor, with a request for the Emperor to negotiate peace between the Southern Realms and the Queen of the Dobhar and a commitment to abide by any terms the Emperor and the Queen of the Dobhar agree upon, if that is more palatable.¡± The representative started to tremble. ¡°Such a thing¡­¡± Emperor Lucius waved his hand. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m aware that most of the Southern Realms, especially Mirima, have maintained nominal independence with the Empire up to this point, and that you cannot agree to this on their behalf.¡± Then he grinned at the representative. ¡°But those are the terms I offer. The Sky Legion and the remains of High-King Xavlaeron¡¯s fleet will not be released with anything less. So I suggest you contact the Council of the Southern Realms sooner rather than later.¡± Emperor Lucius rose to leave the room, leaving the representative staring despondently at the floor. But as Emperor Lucius approached the exit, he turned to glance back. ¡°You and the Council should also consider this: the Queen of the Dobhar protects her own. So, consider what options might arise if the South should surrender¡­¡± And with that, he left the room. Chapter 205 - Plan of Action
Seero dropped the Imperial Mages and soldiers off at Academiae Civitatem, and was just about to head towards Corvanus. In that moment, Nonus furrowed his brow, and made his decision. ¡°Your Majesty Seero!¡± ¡°Acknowledgement: Does the ally have a query, request, or update for this unit?¡± Nonus looked up at her and nodded. ¡°Could I join you? You changed my life, I wish to be of use to you!¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± Nonus gritted his teeth. ¡°I know it¡¯s a lot to ask but I promise I¡¯ll be¡­wait what?¡± ¡°Repetition: Affirmative.¡± After all, more CELIU units that did not need to be trained from level 1 would be helpful, particularly in the current crisis. Nonus had reasons to affiliate himself with Seero, and apparently had created her Fusion Light Beam solely based on vague descriptions. She predicted he would be a useful asset to the network, particularly if he could be trained in drone-assisted Ritual Magic to back up Lilussees. Nonus blinked before breaking out into a wide grin. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty! I swear I won¡¯t let you down!¡± The two conferred with Magister Arcanum Cnaeus, but he had no objections to Nonus¡¯s transfer, just telling them to do as they pleased with a tired look. So Seero took Nonus to a secure location. ¡°Request: If ally Nonus would like to affiliate with this unit, please sign the following Contract.¡± Nonus made a small smirk as the Contract appeared before him. ¡°As expected of Your Majesty.¡± He took some time reading through the contract, rubbing his chin and furrowing his brow. But then he nodded and signed it. ¡°I¡­wouldn¡¯t even be a mage if it were not for you. Given what¡¯s happening, I don¡¯t even know if I would have survived. So¡­I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Acknowledged. Query: Does friendly Nonus also wish to receive cybernetic augmentation?¡± Nonus blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Providing Tutorial.¡± Fortunately, with Ateia, Taog, and Estrith¡¯s help, Seero had developed a helpful video tutorial to explain the CELIU process for the inhabitants of Aelea. Nonus¡¯s eyes grew wider and wider with each minute of the video. ¡°That¡¯s¡­a lot to take in. But¡­you and your friends went through this?¡± ¡°Clarified Affirmation: This unit and friend Ateia went through a different, more damaging process, but the end result is similar.¡± Nonus thought for a moment longer before nodding. ¡°You healed my body once when no one else could. I would be honored to trust in you again.¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡±
With that, Seero sent Nonus to the Primary Home Base for the CELIU upgrade process, then regrouped with the others and set off towards Corvanus. It did not take long before they arrived back at the Imperial Palace, and were quickly guided to the war room where Emperor Lucius and the rest were waiting. Emperor Lucius greeted her as she stepped into the room. ¡°Ah, Your Majesty Seero, welcome back. An excellent job, purifying those dungeons.¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡± Magister Canus nodded. ¡°Indeed, freeing up the Imperial Academy gives us a lot more options, and hopefully some insight into the situation. Unfortunately, we have no time to waste, would you mind if we got right to it, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± Magister Canus turned towards Emperor Lucius. Emperor Lucius cleared his throat. ¡°The Southern Court has not responded to us yet, but I fear we will need your help before they do, Your Majesty. So, should they agree to our terms while you are in battle, would we have your permission to release the Sky Legion back to them?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Affirmative. Helpful Offer: This unit would like to transfer CELIU political specialist Vopicus to Corvanus in order to coordinate diplomacy and communicate with this unit as necessary.¡± Emperor Lucius nodded. ¡°Of course, it would be helpful to have a direct representative for you present, in fact.¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡± Emperor Lucius then nodded towards Magister Canus. ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯ve drawn up a plan of action for your approval. I believe Steward Uscfrea here has already informed you?¡± ¡°Affirmative. Statement: This unit has no objections to the proposed operation.¡± Thanks to the CELIU network, Seero already had a chance to review the plans. The knowledge that Seero could create her own dungeons had been crucial, allowing Magister Canus to write off a number of the minor dungeons. Magister Canus had identified some key dungeons that were necessary to the Empire¡¯s military and economy, as well as some especially dangerous areas that the Empire likely couldn¡¯t hold without assistance, and drew up a priority list. The Legion and other Imperial forces would focus on defending major evacuation zones until Seero cleared up the biggest threats, at which stage they would organize assaults on the smaller dungeons. And while nominally the Imperial commanders were deferring to Seero as the overall commander, her experience with operational and strategic planning were limited. Her protocols were limited largely to tactical settings due to her intended role as an enforcer. As such, she saw no issue in deferring to Magister Canus¡¯s judgment here. Rather¡­Seero saw receiving a list of key targets as highly efficient. So she turned around immediately. ¡°Status Update: Mission received, objectives identified. If there are no further queries, updates, or requests, this unit will proceed with the operation.¡± Magister Canus nodded. ¡°We should be able to get in touch if that happens. And thank you, Your Majesty. The entire Empire and everyone in it will owe you their lives for your help here.¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡±
Magister Canus had given Seero a list of targets, but he left it to her how to actually approach and deal with them. Seero thus split her forces into the same three groups as before, now that it was confirmed she could purify dungeons through the CELIU network. Ateia, Taog, Estrith, and the newly upgraded Nonus would join with Agedia and Amulius to coordinate with beleaguered Imperial forces. 01R would led a monster team and assault more remote dungeons that Imperial forces had difficulty approaching. Seero herself would move on her own. Magister Canus had also given Seero a full rundown on the dungeons in question. As most of these were dungeons that had been known to the Empire for decades, sometimes centuries, the Legion had fairly comprehensive reports on their strength, affinities, and layout. Of course, the dungeons continued to grow in the meantime, but the Empire had the expertise to make reasonable predictions on the changes. As such, Seero was able to allocate the different groups for maximum efficiency and lowest risk of a friendly being terminated. Meanwhile, drone-golem and aerial forces under the command of Snuan would spread out and strike at the monster hordes out in the open, in order to take the pressure off the Imperial defenders. Dux Augustalis would coordinate this with Magister Canus and redirect them as necessary. Steward Uscfrea would return to Turannia, taking the airships and the Turannian forces as well. There, Uscfrea would take command of the allied Turannian forces in cooperation with the Selkies, and secure the allied forces¡¯ home front. He would also coordinate the return of the Sky Legion should the South decide to surrender. Seero currently stood in the Primary Home Base in front of her subordinates, having just finished the briefing. 01R gave her a salute. ¡°Yes-Yes, Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen! Your humble servants will conquer-subjugate all the land in your name, yes yes!¡± The monsters roared in response and then 01R led them to one of the portal entrances. Lilussees sighed as they left her behind. ¡°I¡¯ll, like, try to keep those idiots alive, or something. But, like, no promises. I, like, seriously need a break.¡± As Lilussees slowly walked after the monsters, Ateia and Taog stepped towards Seero. ¡°Well, we¡¯re off then. Stay safe, Seero.¡± ¡°Objection: By this unit¡¯s predictions, friends Ateia and Taog are at greater risk of termination than this unit, which would constitute a failure for this unit¡¯s primary directive. Please take all measures necessary to prevent this outcome.¡± Ateia smiled at that. Estrith took a step forward and slammed her spear on the ground, giving Seero a salute in Dobhar fashion. ¡°I will guarantee that does not happen, My Queen, even if I must give my life to make it so.¡± ¡°Objection: Friendly Estrith is also considered a major asset, and should avoid termination if at all possible.¡± Estrith blinked, and then looked away. ¡°Oh, um, I¡­will do my best, My Queen.¡± Ateia turned to her and grinned. ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re one of us, Estrith, so you have to come home too!¡± Taog nodded. ¡°A warrior like you shouldn¡¯t die alone. How about we fight together?¡± Estrith averted her eyes from the two, failing to respond for a moment. Eventually, she just turned away. ¡°Enough of this! Your people are in danger, we must respond.¡± Ateia and Taog giggled as Estrith stormed off, and then moved to follow her. Amulius waited until they gained some distance, before walking towards Seero. ¡°Query: Does Ateia¡¯s person of interest have business with this unit?¡± Amulius nodded. ¡°I do.¡± And then he bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty Seero. Whatever you are¡­you saved my daughter¡¯s life, as well as her heart. You did what I failed to. And for that, I owe you a great debt.¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡± Amulius then looked up with narrowed eyes. ¡°So¡­be careful. I feel there is more to the Herald¡¯s plan than just some rogue dungeons. This just doesn¡¯t seem big enough to be their end goal.¡± ¡°Affirmative. Query: Does Ateia¡¯s person of interest have any additional data regarding the hostiles?¡± Amulius shook his head. ¡°When things calm down, I can share my experiences in general and what we learned over the years. But regarding the current situation, we had no idea it was coming, so your guess is as good as mine.¡± ¡°Acknowledged. Request: Please share relevant intel with friends Ateia and Taog during maintenance and rest cycles, as well as any additional data acquired during the operation.¡± Amulius nodded. ¡°I will.¡± With that he turned to leave. He paused and glanced back one more time. ¡°Again, thank you for protecting Ateia.¡± And then he headed out. Immediately after, Seero left as well, moving to the Imperial Family¡¯s dungeon and boosting into the sky once outside. And so the mission to terminate the threat to the Empire began. Chapter 206 - The Ultimate Weapon vs. The Land of the Dead
Seero made her way to the first target on her list: the Haunted Mausoleum. This dungeon was unique as the only approved undead dungeon in the Northern Empire. Undead dungeons represented a unique threat, as their access to necromancy would allow them to quickly spiral out of control in the event they went rogue. As such, even undead dungeons that ¡®behaved¡¯ by Imperial standards were subjugated without mercy. Yet, not all. One such dungeon was permitted to exist in each of the three parts of the Empire. And that was because such a dungeon provided a steady source of Dark attribute mana cores, with a specific affinity for Death Magic. A source that did not require vast quantities of death to maintain. Such a dungeon could, thus, enable the Imperial Necrotorum to practice their craft without the need to inflict death upon the local populace, a key requirement for their acceptance into Imperial society. The mana cores and loot from an undead dungeon could even be used to form artificial corpses, reducing the necessity to gather them from¡­natural sources. So one such dungeon was permitted to exist, after the Empire had subjugated it and forced its master into a strict contract. The Imperial Necrotorum also kept careful tabs on it, utilizing such missions as training for when they were called to handle wild undead and rogue necromancers. The problem now was that one dungeon had to supply the Necrotorum for the entire Northern Empire, and so had grown to become one of the largest dungeons in the continent. A dungeon that was now pouring all the undead it could produce out into the world, without any specific orders or organization. Should such a horde spread into the countryside, it would quickly grow to become an existential threat. One that, by design, would appear in the Imperial Heartland, close to some of its largest Legion bases. The very bases that were currently being used to evacuate the nearby farms and cities¡­ The Imperial Necrotorum was now all that stood between the Empire and an undead apocalypse. The Haunted Mausoleum was located in the mountains separating Utrad from the Imperial Heartland, in a rocky region lacking resources to mine or soil to farm. A massive stone gate adorned with skulls stood carved into the mountain, opening to reveal the black vortex of a dungeon entrance. Surrounding this gate were walls that towered halfway up the mountain, with all of the mightiest fortifications the Empire could produce. At the foot of these walls was a sea of rotting flesh, as undead of every type climbed on top of each other to reach the walls. And at the top, the death mages of the Empire were putting to use all their skills and expertise in managing the undead. The walls glowed with eerie purple light as their enchantments activated, creating a decay field in the area between the walls and the dungeon. Countless undead wasted away and crumbled into ash. The stronger undead pushed past the field towards the wall, clawing at it even as ash streamed from their bodies. But those that contacted the walls fell to pieces, as a Death Magic counterspell interfered with the magic holding their bodies together. But still, the most powerful among them ignored such measures. Abominations formed from multiple corpses pounded on the glowing stone. Deadly ghouls and bat-like creatures climbed and flew to the top of the walls. An undead wyvern took to the skies. These the Necrotorum had no choice but to face with undead of their own. Skeletal warriors battled against rotting flesh. A war of the dead that would decide the fate of the living. For now, the Necrotorum was holding. As long as the enchantments remained active and the skeletons kept coming, they would hold. But only that. The plan for this contingency was that the Necrotorum would hold while the Empire planned a full-scale response. The Legion would be mobilized in its entirety to reinforce the line, while the Empire assembled the finest assault force it could muster. The wisest mages of the Southern Realms, elite veterans of the Eastern Legions, the most courageous of the Knight Orders, and the most cunning of the Exploratores would all be gathered. The response would not be limited to the Empire¡¯s own, champions from allied tribes and the most elite mercenaries that could be hired would be gathered as well. And every single hero or wielder of Holy mana that could be found would be gathered together. The most powerful individuals of the generation would be assembled, and only then, with the full support of the entire Necrotorum, would they assault the dungeon.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. But that plan wasn¡¯t going to happen. With dungeons going rogue across the Empire, the Legion could not be assembled. Every legion, garrison, and outpost was on their own to hold the line against whatever dungeons happened to be nearby. Reinforcements could not be spared. Likewise, the South had spent its forces against Turannia, and the East was under a full-scale assault by the Empire of the Sun. No response was coming, much less one powerful enough to subjugate one of the largest and most dangerous dungeons in the entire continent. So the Necrotorum could do naught but hold¡­and time was running out. With each moment that passed, its stockpiles of mana cores and corpses were dwindling. The wall''s enchantments could not be maintained indefinitely, and the flow of skeletons would eventually slow to a crawl. They were locked into a war of attrition with an undead dungeon, the worst possible opponent for such a fight. They would lose. They would be overrun. And with them, the Empire. That is, until the sky lit up. ¡°Status Update: Target located. Engaging re-termination protocols.¡± Seero Supercharged a Prismatic Bombardment circle and opened fire. And within each Beam circle in the strategic spell, she tried to combine not two but three attributes together, combining Holy, Light, and Recovery as per recommendations by Imperial records related to the undead. The horde vanished under a rain of beams. The weakest undead vanished by mere proximity to the beams. The strongest barely lasted enough for the Imperial Necrotorum to see them fade. Even some of the Necrotorum¡¯s own skeletons were destroyed if too close to the enemy. Within seconds, the field was clear. Seero wasted no time and flew straight into the dungeon, leaving the Necrotorum to stare at a field of ashes¡­that happened to be glowing with golden and silver light.
In the mountains between Utrad and the Imperial Heartland, a mighty tree grew on top of one of the tallest mountains. Its roots dug deep into the mountain, its white trunk and branches swayed in the powerful winds blowing all around it. And in its branches nested countless monsters. This was the Howling Peak dungeon. Born at the top of a mountain range, the dungeon had little to feed upon in its youth. As a result, it naturally became aggressive, sending out raiding parties to search the mountains for prey, and spreading its influence into the world beyond instead of building hidden rooms within itself. Eventually, its raids reached the Empire, and began to terrorize the settlements in the mountains. But its high and remote location prevented the usual response. It took an airship and a full contingent of Sky Knights to even reach the dungeon, and at that point the dungeon¡¯s army was vast. The campaign lasted for months as the Empire¡¯s forces tried and tried and tried again to destroy the dungeon. It was at that point that the Empire realized the dungeon had ceased its raids. With regular visitors by powerful foes, contributing their mana in its field of influence, the dungeon was no longer starved for growth. And the Empire realized that the dungeon was useful to train its flying forces and to acquire materials for flying and Wind Magic artifacts. As a result, a tense but stable equilibrium was reached. An equilibrium that was now broken. The dungeon¡¯s monsters spread out from the mountains once more, no longer in organized raids but in mighty flocks, hampering the nearby legions¡¯ attempts at evacuation and defense. While the flocks ruled the skies, the Imperial roads could no longer be traveled safely. And so, many centuries of legionnaires were trapped in garrisons, hiding behind walls and fortifications, unable to move to where they were desperately needed. And so it would remain, for the Empire could not gather the Sky Knights or airships necessary to assault the remote dungeon once more. Or so it seemed, until moments ago. Now, explosions rang out in the center of a flock of harpies. A fleet of humanoid drone-golems flew information, firing beam spells and machine guns at the screeching monsters. 01R and the other cyborg monsters flew at their lead. The rat himself shot through the skies, sinking two Light Blades into the neck of a wyvern. The monster roared and then fell from the sky. ¡°Show-teach them the strength of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen¡¯s servants!¡± Seero¡¯s monster roared in response. 00B flew through the air with powerful rocket-boosters, slamming head-on into lighter harpies and knocking them from the sky. The Cyber-Forest Tender rode on his back, lashing out with metal-coated branches and launching rocket-propelled thorns. The Sacred Otterkin ¡®swam¡¯ through the sky as Estrith had taught him to do in water, firing spear-guns attached to his forearms at a large bird monster. 02R, the Cyber-Rat Anointed Gunner, was laughing as he held a tiny minigun on his shoulder, firing small but extremely poisonous projectiles all around him. A hawk monster dove at him from above, but suddenly tumbled and fell from the sky, wrapped in the Cyber-Spider Sacred Stalker 01S¡¯s invisible webs. And high in the sky above them all, Lilussees lay on her pillow in her magic jet once more. A Prismatic Bombardment Magic circle appeared below her as her ritual drones moved into position. A hail of beams fell from above, providing cover for the monsters below. She yawned as she plopped down against the pillow. ¡°Hm, can I sleep? Like, I think I can sleep. I¡¯m going to, like, put my ¡®organic components¡¯ to sleep. So, like, wake me if something happens, or something. Or not. Actually, like, please don¡¯t.¡± The pilot rat¡¯s voice came in on the comms. ¡°Yes-yes, Eldest Sister!¡± Lilussees thus tasked her cybernetic components with ¡®autonomous combat support¡¯ and then initiated standby-sentry mode on her organic half. But with the CELIU network automatically feeding her cybernetic half with targeting data and the jet¡¯s special computers lending her extra computing resources, the barrage of strategic magic didn¡¯t lessen in the slightest. Chapter 207 - Catching Up with Friends
Vafum Broadbane cursed as he ducked under a magic warhammer, only the dwarf¡¯s stature keeping his head on his shoulders. He thrust his hand forward, finishing the magic circle he was making directly in front of a golem¡¯s torso. A powerful Water Beam assaulted the golem¡¯s HP, magic bindings, and metal body all at once. The monster staggered back but remained standing. Vafum cursed again. He was getting rusty with all this paperwork. Agedia would laugh if she could see him now. Tiberius would have a smug look on his face after all the crap Vafum gave him about being a ¡®paper explorer.¡¯ But on the bright side, he wouldn¡¯t have much paperwork in his future. Mostly because the city he suddenly became responsible for no longer had a future. The dwarven colony of Khalbuldor, the industrial heart of Utrad¡¯s capital Velusitum, was in rough shape. Or rather, the city was little more than pebbles and rubble at this point. All that was left were the fortifications at the city gate, which were crumbling by the second. An army of golems assaulted them in the open, while underground monsters were destabilizing the walls from underneath, as they had with most of the dwarven settlement. It turned out there were risks to building right on top of a dungeon. And now the Mines of Might had gone rogue. Under normal circumstances, both the dwarves of Khalbuldor and the Imperial garrison in Velusitum had more than sufficient arrangements for this exact contingency. But these were not normal circumstances. Since the Council of Khalbuldor had thrown in with Caelinus¡¯s little rebellion, they had been forced to flee after the man was slain by the Queen of the Dobhar. And with them had gone all of Khalbuldor¡¯s strongest warriors, most of whom were clansmen and clanswomen of the city¡¯s elite. They had also taken most of the powerful artifacts and weaponry, so Vafum wouldn¡¯t have had anything to arm any potential fighters with. And they had taken what remained of the treasury, so he had nothing with which to acquire new weapons. And most of the best smiths in Khalbuldor were either Yudric¡¯s kin or disciples, so there was no one to make new weapons even if Vafum could have afforded to pay them. The point was, Khalbuldor was all but defenseless when the monsters began pouring out of its dungeon. Vafum didn¡¯t even bother trying to protect the city, and so managed to evacuate most of the people. He then petitioned Velusitum for help, and was now trying to hold the gates of Khalbuldor with the Legion. Only, the Legion wasn¡¯t in much better shape. Thanks to Caelinus¡¯s rebellion, Utrad had lost most of its legions. The Northern Court sent some of its own to man the province, but it couldn¡¯t replace all of the losses without leaving itself vulnerable elsewhere. As a result, the legions it sent were stationed to protect the borders, leaving the interior largely unmanned. Velusitum managed to keep its garrison, as Caelinus had never arrived there and so it never officially joined the rebellion. But still, the legion had been heavily scrutinized and most of its leaders and officers were either arrested or reassigned to other provinces, including most of its mages. And, of course, Corvanus had not been in a rush to replace them. Which was a serious problem, as the Mines of Might was an Earth and Metal affinity dungeon. It required specialized tactics to deal with its physically resilient golems and to counter its subterranean monsters. Normal legionnaires and fortifications just couldn¡¯t contain those threats alone. But normal legionnaires were all they had at the moment. And since all the legions in the province were needed at the border, there were no reinforcements available. From what little news Vafum had heard since this disaster started, the rest of the province might be worse off. He was told refugees were streaming into Velusitum from across the province...which was bad considering the army of golems about to spill out into the city, should Vafum and the Legion fall. What he wouldn¡¯t give to have his friends back.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. At that moment a giant mole-bear broke through the ground behind Vafum, disrupting the legion formation around him. Vafum himself was thrown forward, landing right in front of the golem he had pushed back. The golem immediately raised its warhammer. Vafum cursed as he was the hammer approach. He saw the light flash off the approaching hammer. Or rather¡­the light smashed through the approaching hammer. And straight through the golem¡¯s torso. Vafum blinked and glanced behind him. Something was approaching in the distance, from the air. ¡°GET AWAY FROM HIM!¡± Something shot past him and crashed into the horde of golems ahead of him. Vafum¡¯s eyes widened as he heard the voice. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes to make sure he hadn¡¯t become delusional in his final moments. Because standing before him, crushing a golem with her tail while piercing another with her lance, was Agedia, with the Dobhar warrior from before following closely behind. The Dobhar Warrior¡¯s spear began to glow as mana wrapped around it, allowing it to pierce through the golems. Another flash of light caused him to turn around¡­and his eyes widened even further. Amulius, the Hero of Elteno, was aiming with his bow. An armored mage Vafum didn¡¯t recognize was raining beams on the horde. And flying in the air above them¡­were the little lass and lad, Ateia and Taog. Only, they did not look so little anymore. Ateia flew on wings of metal and light, the golden and silver glow reflecting off her shiny armor. One of her eyes glowed red from underneath the helmet covering half her head as she drew her bow and aimed it towards the ground. She let loose and arrows of light surged forward, piercing directly into the ground. Vafum heard monsters crying out from below. Taog shot below, forming an Earth magic circle to open a hole in the ground. He dove down into it, the darkness moving to wrap around him as he leapt into the tunnels underneath the walls. The roars and cries of monsters continued from below. Meanwhile, as all eyes turned to Ateia, she closed her eyes for a moment. She then spread her hands out and golden-silver light illuminated each dwarf and Imperial on the field. Vafum¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t grow any wider as his wounds healed, his mana regenerated, and his strength surged. Oh, and as words passed before his eyes.
The spell protocol: Shaped Metal Blast has been shared with you. Assisted casting is available. Engage spellcasting assistance protocol?
Words that were like¡­the ones from the Aesdes. ¡°By the Aesdes above and the Domides below, what is going on here?!¡± But under the circumstances, Vafum wouldn¡¯t turn down aid out of confusion. He went ahead and ¡®engaged spellcasting assistance protocols¡¯ or whatever this was. Warm Holy mana wrapped around his own as an Illusion laid out a spell circle he had never seen before. A sphere of metal formed in front of him as the spell completed and shot towards one of the golems. On contact with the golem, the sphere condensed into a thin metal rod that accelerated at rapid speed on contact, piercing straight through its core. Vafum watched as what few other mages were around casted the same spell. As Holy mana wrapped around the shields of bulwarks, and enabled them to catch blows without budging an inch. As Holy mana wrapped around halberds and warhammers, which now left dents and cracks in the golems. As dwarven miners swinging their pickaxes at random suddenly started to connect, their mining gear striking at the exact spots to tear the golems apart. And all across the field, tiny flying golems began to buzz overhead, and glow. Mana Barriers formed automatically whenever a fighter was in danger, protecting them from further harm. Beam spells began to rain from the sky, damaging the tougher golems and destroying the weaker ones outright. It did not take long after that for the horde to thin out. As the battle wrapped up, Vafum stomped right up to Agedia. She grinned at him. ¡°Hi Vafum! How are you?¡ª¡± She was interrupted as Vafum hugged her. ¡°I¡¯ve never been gladder to see you, lass.¡± She returned the embrace, and they let go. Vafum then turned to glance at Ateia descending from the sky and Taog breaking up through the ground. The soldiers and volunteers were all staring at the pair with wide eyes. ¡°Now, I think you have some serious explaining to do.¡± She nodded, and then started to smirk. ¡°The Hero is back and Ateia¡¯s an Aesdes. Oh, Taog¡¯s a hero now, too. Now if you¡¯ll excuse us, shiny girl told us to handle this dungeon.¡± Vafum cursed as Agedia rushed into Khalbuldor, heading towards the dungeon, with the other newcomers following her. ¡°That is NOT an explanation, Agedia! Get back here!¡± Meanwhile, a soldier who happened to be nearby stared with his eyes going as wide as they could. He spoke in a whisper. ¡°That¡­was an Aedes? They came for us?¡± Whispers began to spread across the defenders of Velusitum as Vafum swore and started looking for a drink. Chapter 208 - Dungeons and Divinations
Seero flew through dusty crypts, vaporizing zombies, ghouls, and skeletons as they rose from sarcophagi and streamed in from ahead. The Equalizer made short work of any enchanted traps, while Mana Barriers and counterattacks by offensive spells stopped any physical traps dead in their tracks. And this time, Seero was experimenting with a new capability. The dungeon near Academiae Civitatem had demonstrated that her mana sensors could be deceived. And she already knew there were countermeasures to radar; while no entities in Aelea had intentionally done so, nonstandard anomalies had disrupted her mundane sensors on several occasions. As a result, it was possible for all of her long-range sensors to be disabled. Even her powerful and comprehensive Dungeon Field had been blocked by the Realm of Eternal Night, and its range was insufficient for pathfinding and long-range detection in any case. Seero therefore calculated she should expand her options for long-range sensors. She did have the Sensing spell shape, and the mana-based proto-radar from the South¡¯s airships, but these had their drawbacks as well. She had already observed and employed methods to defeat mana-based detection, and these sensors had limits on their range as well. So Seero did not choose either of these as the focus of her new capability. Instead, she chose the Divination spell. Once upon a time, the Divination spell had minimal practical use for Seero as a sensor. It provided too much data, and it could not be aimed. Its first use had ended up providing relevant data, but Seero did not know how or by what means to replicate it. Likewise, the spell circle itself was far too complex for Seero to decipher with the limited knowledge she had possessed at the time, and the data overload she experienced warned her against experimenting without understanding. But now, the situation had changed. Seero¡¯s processing capabilities and available memory had grown dramatically, and her AI continued to improve upon itself. Her understanding of mana, magic, and Holy mana specifically had also expanded. She had received technical data from Shialnor on how the Aedes''s system worked fundamentally, including its skills. And¡ªmost importantly¡ªshe now had Ateia. The Divination spell had been based off of the Aesdes¡¯ ability to see through the Holy mana flowing through the world. An ability Ateia had learned directly from Colle?ne and then refined. And which her cybernetic components had recorded in great detail and then uploaded to the CELIU network. So Seero now had a practical, firsthand example of how the ability worked. She had a recorded lesson from Colle?ne teaching it. She had records of Ateia focusing the ability in order to filter out extraneous data and choose a specific target. And she had recently observed Ateia perform this ability through her own Dungeon Field to scout ahead. There was more than enough data available for Seero to design a protocol. Seero activated her new Divination protocol. She formed an unaltered Divination spell circle and triggered it. The spell¡¯s mana reached back towards the dungeon¡¯s entrance, intent on finding and connecting to the world¡¯s Holy mana. Seero reached out with Holy mana of her own, causing the mana to connect to her, and then reshaped it in the manner that Ateia had done previously. She connected the spell into the dungeon¡¯s mana through the contact between her Dungeon Field and the dungeon¡¯s own, then used her own radar signals as a guide and focused the mana along the radio waves. It took her several tries to get it right, but handing control of her offensive magic circles to the Bombardment team allowed her to focus all of her processing power on the task. Before long, the mana fell into place, and began to flow as Seero intended. And now¡­she began receiving visions. Data poured in regarding the dungeon ahead as the Divination mana traveled with her radar waves. And then, instead of attempting to process the entire data package, she set up an analysis protocols to compare output from her radar and mana-sensors with corresponding data from the Divination. In this was, she could quickly verify if her radar and mana-sensors were returning accurate readings.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Her confidence level in her pathfinding improved dramatically. However, it did require a notable proportion of her processing and memory resources, which could reduce her combat effectiveness. At present that was not an issue, so far no hostile encountered in this dungeon had withstood a Supercharged Holy-Recovery-Light Beam, but if one were to appear and ambush her she could not afford a delay in her reaction time. As such, she took advantage of the stockpiled drone-golems designed for Ritual Casting. These drones focused on maximizing mana output, processing capacity, and networking, and so were highly efficient for Seero¡¯s purposes. She activated and linked to the drones, then shifted the analysis protocol over to their hardware. This freed up her own resources, albeit at the cost of significant delays in the analysis. But Seero had predicted this, and did not find it to be an issue. The point of the Divination protocol was to double-check the readings from her radar and mana-sensors in the context of long-range detection and pathfinding. A small delay would still inform Seero of any discrepancies early enough to investigate and adjust her course, and so did not meaningfully impact the efficiency of the protocol in achieving its objective. A delay in that protocol was a minor inefficiency; a delay in her response to a sudden crisis could result in her own termination. With her new capability now running in a reasonably efficient manner, Seero continued her course deeper into the Haunted Mausoleum. She came to a wide cavern that spread out for miles around, with a roof so tall it appeared more like the night sky, with dimly glowing crystals standing in for the moon and stars. A massive cemetery spread out along the ground. And a massive undead army¡­promptly vanished under a Prismatic Bombardment. But then, a roar sounded through the room. It sounded like the roar of massive predator mixed with a piercing shriek by a human in the deepest distress. The sound was filled with mana, and struck something deep within Seero. Her organic components registered a sudden drop in temperature that was not verified by cybernetic sensors, and she felt a primal fear clutch at her heart. So she purged the hostile mana with Holy mana and then reactivated the emotional controls, rendering her organic components immune to external manipulation. She quickly identified the source of the attack. At the far end of the chamber, a mighty being had just emerged into the room, having traveled from the very depths of the dungeon. Rotting flesh clung to a massive body, larger than a dinosaur, or even a whale. Skeletal wings spread out far to each side, with tattered, paper-thin flesh barely hanging to the frame. A long neck ended in massive jaws with black teeth the size of swords, and glowing purple flames filled empty eye sockets. An undead dragon had arrived. The doom of all living things, the epitome of dread. An undead dragon had three weapons that made it even more dangerous than its living peers. First and foremost was the fear it spread. Its dark and twisted magic combined with the raw power of its draconic heritage spread a deep and primal fear to all that laid sight upon it or heard the sound of its voice. The average soldier would break and run, or stand motionless and paralyzed. Even the strongest and most courageous would struggle to keep their wits about them, hampering their ability to react. This played into the second point, which was the its resilience. Its undead nature meant it was not easily slain, and so long as it had magic could regenerate from any wounds it received. And the fear it spread would disrupt any attacks, granting it the time to recover from any it did receive. The final strength was its innate skill in necromancy and death magic. The creature spread death and decay just through the mana leaking out from it, and would raise any fallen in the area as undead. So the dragon¡¯s mere presence would paralyze the majority of foes, its resilience would allow it to outlast any who could still fight, and as the battle raged the fallen would turn on their peers, quickly tipping the scales. Such a creature had now appeared in Seero''s path. At that point the Prismatic Bombardment beams all fused into one and shot across the room, bringing the light of day to the dark cemetery. The superbeam swallowed the dragon whole. Not a trace remained when the beam faded. It turned out fear was irrelevant to a cyborg that could shut off her own emotions at will. And the dragon¡¯s resilience was due to its regeneration and the fact that it didn¡¯t need any of its organs and so had no vital points. But, its resistance against damage in the first place was actually weaker than its living peers, given that most of its scales and flesh had rotted away. So it had little recourse against an opponent with the power to destroy it outright, not to mention that Holy mana would strip it of its ability to regenerate. And finally¡­spreading decay and raising the dead is irrelevant if it can¡¯t last past the first blow! ¡°Status Report: Hostile terminated. Mana signature logged, contingency protocol developed. Area clear from organic intrusion effects. Deactivating emotional controls.¡± And so Seero continued into the Haunted Mausoleum...with little delay from any of the monsters streaming towards her. Chapter 209 - Re-Terminate the Haunted Mausoleum?
As Seero continued on through the dungeon, she noticed the dungeon¡¯s sheer size was slowing her down. Even if she could identify the shortest path through a given floor with 97.1% predicted accuracy and even if she took no time terminating the monsters and traps, she still had to spend some time traveling through each floor. And if that floor was a labyrinth maze type, like the current one, then she would have to reduce her speed even further due to the constant sharp turns. There was a limit to how fast she could travel through such an area. It was starting to feel¡­inefficient. So Seero began applying the Blink protocol, vanishing and reappearing several times and reaching the exit of the current floor in a fraction of the time. Previously, Seero had reserved Blink for short-range tactical evasions. She determined that in the open field the Dash spell shape was more efficient, as it could be activated more quickly and moved her a greater distance for the mana spent. In situations where Dash wasn¡¯t as efficient, such a labyrinth with lots of twisting turns and no clear line of sight, Blink was considered too dangerous. She noted in first attempts that Blink disoriented her sensors and it took her a moment to recalculate her current position, an effect that could only be countered within range of her Dungeon Field Generator. Her Dungeon Field Generator was also the only way to fully scout an area with acceptable confidence, and so she considered it too risky to Blink anywhere outside of its range. If, for example, her mana-sensors and radar provided inaccurate readings due to anomalies or hostile activity, and she Blinked in front of a hostile unexpectedly, that hostile would then have an unacceptable time window to act before she was fully confident in her response. But now, with her new Divination protocol she was significantly more confident in the thoroughness of her long-range scans. The extra data also helped her to preemptively reorient her sensors and location variables. Creating entrances to the Primary Home Base also assisted her, as she had more and more experiences with magical relocations. As such, she was now confident she could respond effectively if a hostile should launch an attack immediately following a Blink, and so she permitted herself to Blink outside of her Dungeon Field range. Her travel speed sped up considerably, as she could now pass an entire floor in seconds. And, of course, she did not stop there. With each cast of the spell, she evaluated and iterated on the Blink spell, attempting improvements whenever she felt confident in doing so. She found that wrapping a layer of Holy mana around the spell circle¡ªlike when Ateia helped non-CELIU allies cast spells¡ªprovided an extra layer of protection that attempted to shut down the magic circle if a modification would cause it to misfire or explode. That allowed her to iterate more quickly and aggressively. And so, her Blink range and speed grew with each subsequent cast, as she sped through the remaining dungeon¡­
Seero had advanced deep within the dungeon when she detected an anomaly. Her Divination protocol provided her a visual, by which she determined that the undead were fighting each other up ahead. A smaller group of elite undead were assaulting the horde streaming towards the dungeon entrance. Skeletons and zombies wearing armor and giving off powerful mana signatures cut down their unarmored kin, while a lightly armored woman was surrounded by floating pools of blood that solidified into spikes and blades. She appeared as a lithe human with black hair, but had abnormally pale skin, and deep red eyes. She was also casting spells that seemed to take control of some of the undead horde, which subsequently turned on their fellows. And a second undead dragon crashed down on the horde from above, tearing into it with claw and fang. The undead horde, for its part, largely ignored the group. Only the undead that were directly attacked moved to respond. That is, until Seero vaporized them. The horde did not seem to ignore her, so she terminated it. However, she did not attack the smaller group. Records from 01R¡¯s group indicated that they had also encountered monsters turning on one another before, and had managed to cooperate with the non-hostile party. So Seero instead flew forward to meet the group, though she kept her magic circles at the ready.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The woman turned as Seero approached, and made a bright smile, revealing sharp fangs. She waved to the rest of the elite undead, who relaxed and lowered their weapons. She then started to wave her entire arm. ¡°Hi there! You must be the one who reduced my hubby to gibberish! Are you here to kill us?¡± ¡°Uncertain Response: This unit¡¯s current objective is the purification of this dungeon. This unit will avoid termination of the dungeon and non-hostile forces if possible due to the dungeon¡¯s strategic value. If third party forces do not oppose this mission and do not display hostility towards this unit, then this unit has no reason to terminate them. Please indicate any relevant affiliations.¡± The woman¡¯s smile grew. She turned her head down to the floor and shouted. ¡°See! I told you! She¡¯s here to help! You worry too much!¡± Seero did not hear any response but she did log some shifts in the surrounding dungeon mana. The woman frowned, crossing her arms and puffing her cheeks. ¡°Yes, I know what purification means! But she specifically said no terminating! What? What does terminating mean specifically? That¡¯s¡­um¡­look! She could totally kill us all if she wants to and she¡¯s not! You¡¯re not going to overcome those levels of Holy mana no matter how much more prep time you get, so reanimate your spine and take us there already!¡± She then heaved a dramatic sigh, shaking her head. She walked over to Seero and reached out her hand. ¡°Sorry, he¡¯s a bit paranoid. Mind if I touch you? I¡¯m trying to get him to Transfer you to the core, but I don¡¯t want him to do anything silly like send you to a trap. If we¡¯re touching, then he won¡¯t be able to send you somewhere without me.¡± Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered. Instead of answering the question, she reached out and grabbed the woman¡¯s arm instead. She had the Equalizer charged up and ready to channel directly into the woman¡¯s body if she detected any anomalies. The woman grinned at her. ¡°Ah, aggressive and quiet, huh? Can¡¯t say I hate it, you two would probably get along if you don¡¯t try to kill each other. Well, hang on then!¡± Shortly after, Seero detected the dungeon mana wrapping around them, in a similar manner to the forced relocation that once sent her to the Realms of Mana. But Seero also recognized this one as the same as her own Transfer skill and also affecting the woman she was holding, so she allowed it to affect her. A moment later she found herself in a large room, surrounded by armored undead knights with their blades pointed towards her, while two undead dragons had purple flames gathered in their mouths. The woman next to her rolled her eyes. ¡°Fabian! Get over here, and put all this away! This is no way to treat a guest!¡± Seero heard a voice echo from the walls. Her audio sensors couldn¡¯t determine its source. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot, Lavinia! A hero on a purification mission is NOT a guest!¡± However, her mana sensors and Dungeon Field Generator could, and negotiations appeared to be breaking down. She was close to engaging termination protocols, but since this dungeon had strategic value to the Empire, preserving its dungeon master was listed as an optional objective, and she predicted with 78.40% certainty that the voice in question belonged to the master. As such, she aimed to avoid terminating affiliated forces if at all possible. Seero identified a hidden room next to this one. She let go of Lavinia and then activated Blink. She appeared in the hidden room, the core room apparently, right next to a human male with the same pale skin and red eyes as Lavinia. Seero immediately surrounded him with magic circles. ¡°Warning Query: Would the hostile dungeon master like to surrender? This unit will allow the dungeon master to retain ownership of their dungeon as a subordinate core if so. Otherwise, this unit will engage termination protocols.¡± The man grabbed and pulled his hair. ¡°See Lavinia! I told you! Now she¡¯s going to¡­wait, surrender?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± He tilted his head. ¡°And you¡¯ll¡­let me keep ownership of my dungeon? How exactly? Aren¡¯t you going to purify us?¡± ¡°Clarification: This unit will purify the corrupted mana infiltration causing the dungeon to malfunction. The affected core will subsequently be connected to this unit¡¯s network to defend against further intrusions.¡± The man narrowed his eyes at her, then glanced at the magic circles around him. He sighed and slumped his shoulders. ¡°...it¡¯s too late now, I can''t do anything to stop you at this point. Just¡­just do whatever you want.¡± ¡°Surrender acknowledged, please standby for dungeon integration.¡± Seero stepped over to the core and placed her hand on it, quickly running through her purification and integration protocol. Only once it was complete did she drop the magic circles surrounding the dungeon master. He was staring at her and blinking repeatedly. ¡°Huh? The core¡­has stopped summoning monsters? The Holy mana¡­didn¡¯t kill me? You aren¡¯t¡­going to kill me?¡± ¡°Negative. Clarification: This dungeon has been subordinated, all affiliate units are now this unit¡¯s subordinates and no longer subject to termination protocols.¡± The man tilted his head, looking confused. A moment later, Lavinia kicked the door open. ¡°See Fabian! I told you so! You got to stop being so paranoid!¡± Fabian just sighed and held his head. ¡°She¡¯s never going to forget this, is she?¡± Chapter 209.1 - The Brave Defenders of Turannia
Under normal circumstances, Magister Canus tried to keep himself as calm as possible. He did so in order to promote a culture of professional indifference amongst his troops and his staff. He wanted them to calmly execute their jobs no matter the situation, so that every part of the legions under his command would do their part and function smoothly as one huge machine. So he led by example. No matter if they were about to win the greatest victory the Legion had ever seen, or were about to lose a battle that would seal the fate of the entire Empire, or if it was a normal, peaceful day like any other, he continued his work with the same, practiced poise. He acted as if it was all the same to him, and put forth the same quality of work regardless. But today, he allowed a small slip in the mask, for the report he read put a smile on his face. It had not even been a single day, and already Her Majesty Seero and her forces had purified not one but three problematic dungeons. The purification of the Haunted Mausoleum, in particular, lifted a massive weight off of everyone¡¯s shoulders. That dungeon on its own could spell the end of the Empire, and possibly all life on the continent if it was not handled promptly, so the entire room nearly collapsed in relief when Seero reported her success. And not only that, the victory also significantly improved the Northern Empire¡¯s situation. The Imperial Necrotorum was now released from their vigil and free to be deployed elsewhere. Their experience in logistics, construction, and labor would all be of critical importance given the mass evacuations and redeployments in progress across the Empire. Additionally, Emperor Lucius had issued emergency permissions for the North¡¯s Necrotorum to apply their skills to the ongoing battles. Death magic was uniquely suited to holding the line in battles of attrition, so such measures would greatly relieve the pressure on the Legion. And thanks to the purification of the Howling Peak Dungeon, the roads around the mountains were now clear. Seero¡¯s forces had even cleared the skies of lingering raiding parties. The forces and people of the Imperial Heartland could move relatively freely once again, and its legions could be redeployed as necessary. Combined with support from the Necrotorum and the Academy, Canus could see the Heartland stabilizing sooner rather than later. Further north, while the Mines of Might were not as dangerous as the Haunted Mausoleum, the forces of Utrad were also far less equipped to deal with it at present. Not only that, the Mines had threatened Velusitum, the largest and most central city in the province. And the only viable sanctuary for refugees, since most of the legions in the province were concentrated on the border at the moment. If Velusitum fell, then Utrad would fall into complete chaos, and the defenders of Velusitum were on the verge of breaking. But no longer. Thanks to the Hero of Elteno and Seero¡¯s Imperial companions, Velusitum had been saved. The Empire could now use it as a refuge and a central staging ground to protect Utrad. Additionally, the legion stationed in Velusitum, while unprepared for the Mines of Might, could give a noticeably better showing against less specialized opponents. And since the Heartland was stabilizing already, Canus may even be able to send some reinforcements north. Thanks to this victory, Utrad would survive as an Imperial province. Of course, that meant Canus¡¯s work had increased substantially. He now needed to determine how to reorganize and redeploy the North¡¯s battered legions in order to capitalize on the Queen of the Dobhar¡¯s assistance, especially now that they weren¡¯t writing off Utrad. And that meant a great deal of logistical work, in order to determine what legions he had available and what their current state was. But the experienced Magister had expected that, and already had a plan in motion¡­
Dux Opiter was on the verge of fainting. The past few months had been trying for the man. As he feared, the Queen of the Dobhar¡¯s return to Turannia had brought a great deal of trouble. He was told they were suddenly going to war with the Southern Empire, and the entire province needed to be prepared. So Opiter had been running around, trying to organize the troops to Magister Canus¡¯s orders while still attempting to maintain proper Legion standards. And at any moment he wasn¡¯t working, he was confronted with a great many questions on why they were fighting other Imperial forces. Had he joined a rebellion? Had the Queen of the Dobhar taken over? Had the Imperial Family finally had enough of Governor Aemilia? It was all too much for the man who had originally planned to be nothing more than a farmer. So he did his best to quash the sinking feeling eating away at his heart and stomach and drown himself in the work. But now¡­the work had betrayed him too. Hordes of sea monsters were rising from undersea dungeons, and making their way towards Turannia¡¯s coast. The Selkies and the aquatic tribe Governor Aemilia had hired were fighting back with hit and run tactics, but they could only do so much against an endless tide. The horde would make landfall any minute now. And, of course, Magister Canus, Magister Tiberius, and Governor Aemilia were all away, along with many of the comitatense legions Magister Canus had trained up. And that meant, in the eyes of all the troops and people of Turannia, the highest-ranking and most experienced officer present¡­was Opiter.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Even the comitatenses were looking up to him now, citing his position as Magister Canus¡¯s right hand man. He¡¯s the one Magister Canus relies on, they said. Opiter¡¯s stomach churned at that. Relied on for what?! All Opiter ever did was shuffle paperwork as he was asked! Magister Canus knew better to rely on him in an actual battle! Much less than to command the defense of an entire province against an endless horde of monsters! Well, the only good news was that the Forest of Beasts was strangely quiet. Opiter knew there a bunch of dungeons there, but none of them seemed to be acting up. Opiter might have found that curious if the man had a curious bone in his body, but at this point he¡¯d rather not know. Every mystery he had encountered had only brought him stress. In any case, Opiter just took whatever troops they had and arranged them in the port per Legion manuals. And then prayed to the Aesdes that Magister Canus would return before the monsters arrived. ¡°Sir, look!¡± Opiter wanted to do anything but look. Unfortunately, even if he tried to ignore whatever had drawn the soldiers¡¯ attention, they would officially report it to him anyways. So he slowly, unwillingly turned his head. And then his eyes widened. Color returned to his face. His eyes began to moisten slightly. Airships were approaching in the distance. Magister Canus had returned, and not a moment too soon. The airships quickly arrived and began to land by the port, returning Turannia¡¯s legions. One released a small shuttle, which flew over to Opiter¡¯s position. Opiter stood at the ready as the door opened. ¡°Dux Limitanei per Turannia Opiter, greeting Magister Utriusque Militiae per Turannia Canus.¡± ¡°About that¡­¡± The door opened and out stepped not Magister Canus, but Uscfrea Spellbreaker of the Dobhar. Some of the nearby troops grabbed their weapons on reflex before remembering the Dobhar were no longer their foes. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking command, and leading the defense of the Land of Rain.¡± Opiter¡¯s heart pounded for a second before he calmed down. The brief flash of panic gave way to relief. This was fine too, after all Uscfrea Spellbreaker was known and feared as a mighty warrior and a skilled commander. As long as someone who knew what they were doing was taking charge, Opiter could rest easy, and pass on the problem. Opiter tried not to think about that person being one of the Dobhar who had constantly raided their shores, or a subordinate of the Queen of the Dobhar. Unfortunately, Legion policy required that he did. ¡°Understood, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here, sir. However, I will require confirmation before I hand over command of Imperial assets to a foreigner.¡± Uscfrea grinned, and tossed Opiter a scroll. ¡°Oh, Magister Canus specifically requested I hand this to you personally.¡± Opiter barely managed to catch the scroll, verifying it carried the official magical seal of Legion orders, which unlocked in response to his mana. He opened it up¡­and blinked as he read the contents. ¡°Pack your bags, Magister. You¡¯re going to Corvanus.¡± By order of Emperor Lucius himself, Opiter and his immediate subordinates had been called to Corvanus, to assist the newly promoted Magister Militum Canus in managing all the legions of the North. Oh, and Opiter had been promoted to Magister Equitum in line with new role as assistant to the Magister Militum. Opiter stared at the scroll for a moment longer, and then promptly passed out. Fortunately, the Legion had a Recovery mage on standby, and he was restored to consciousness shortly thereafter. Whether he wanted to be or not.
Meanwhile, Uscfrea took command of the Turannian forces, per Imperial order. The Imperial forces were uneasy at first, but calmed down as Uscfrea brought in former-rebel officers to pass down his orders. Dux Opiter had already moved the soldiers roughly into position, so Uscfrea didn¡¯t need to do much to finish off the Imperial territory¡¯s defenses. And soon, the horde began to arrive. Swarms of Acidum Piranha, Steel Swordfish, and other such creatures filled the seas. Various kinds of fishfolk like Mermaids, Sirens, and Sahuagin added a more intelligent component. The fins of shark monsters broke the waves, and a pod of Dread Orca pushed them out of the way. And then came the big ones. Undersea dungeons had to contend with some of the oldest and most powerful monsters in existence. The ease of travel through the oceans meant monsters from all across the world could descend upon them at any moment. Most perished within a few months of their birth, others still survived only by hiding, and remaining as tiny little things with hardly a shrimp to their name. But those that did not? The few that survived openly did so because they could summon true monsters of their own. And now, a shark the size of a battle-airship began to cut through the waves. A kraken¡¯s tentacles broke through the water. A serpentine sea-dragon lifted its head into the air. Uscfrea grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡± And then the sea erupted, plumes of water and blood rising into the sky. Drone-golems high in the sky, beyond the sight of normal men, launched anti-ship missiles and air-launched torpedos down into the water. Lower flying rotary-wing variants dropped depth charges that launched entire schools of monster fish into the air. And Uscfrea had brought some of his toys as well. The edge of the port was now lined to the brim with missile launchers and artillery pieces Uscfrea had summoned. After the ineffectiveness of the surface-to-air missiles against the Sky Legion¡¯s airships, Her Majesty Seero had recommended utilizing larger guns instead. Fortunately, Uscfrea had summoned a lot of those before the Aesdes vanished, and His Queen¡¯s crafters provided some more as well. So now, artillery guns of all sizes, types, and calibers now opened fire upon the sea. The sheer explosive force of the large shells could overpower the magical defenses of all but the largest and most powerful monsters, and the horde suffered greatly. Additionally, His Queen had apparently been experimenting with magical ammunition, and had requested Uscfrea conduct some ¡®live-fire tests¡¯ on their effectiveness. Uscfrea was all too happy to oblige. The sea dragon roared as enchanted, Mana Iron shells exploded along its neck. The creature was clearly feeling the blows but ultimately did not seem to fall. Uscfrea grinned. He cracked his neck and hoisted his axe. He was glad that not everything died in the initial barrage. It had been too long since he had the chance to fight. And for the Spellbreaker to take on another sea-dragon, well that had him feeling nostalgic. Chapter 210 - The Effect of Element Seero
Seero noticed her conversation partner freeze up, and go silent for what she calculated as an abnormal length of time for the average Imperial. ¡°Query: Has friendly Nonus detected an anomaly?¡± She perceived Nonus shaking his head through the CELIU network. ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­I was already surprised when I heard about this spell database, but with the dungeon diving I didn¡¯t have a chance to explore it fully. Now that I¡¯m looking at it in more depth¡­what you have here is beyond incredible, Your Majesty. I heard tales of Archmages and High Archon who could adjust their spells on the fly, but to see this ¡®modular spellcasting¡¯ in detail is¡­And not only that, you have a full copy of the Grimoire of Arofinas Leolar, half the Imperial Academy¡¯s Library, and a full selection of working Spatial Magic spells. And then¡­you say these records over here came directly from the Aesdes?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± Nonus¡¯s cybernetic components reported a decrease in the boy¡¯s blood levels within organic processing hardware, but he managed to avoid activating emergency standby-sentry mode. ¡°Is this the Blessed Land? Are you actually the Lord of Magic and Knowledge, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Negative.¡± Seero was speaking with Nonus over the CELIU network as she made her way to the next target. While purifying the dungeons on her list was of the utmost priority for the survival of her allies, it was not the only task Seero needed to address. Of major concern was the fact that the loss of the Aesdes Systems included the Dungeon System. A dungeon core¡¯s abilities were immensely complex. Adding a room required creating a subspace in the boundary of the Material plane while connecting said room to the core tightly enough that it would not fall into either the Material Plane or the Source. Summoning a monster involved connecting to the Realms of Mana to pull a willing consciousness from it into a body created from scratch via magic, with significantly more safeguards and variables involved than the Summoning Magic spells utilized by the Empire. Even creating a trap involved reshaping the dungeon walls, which Seero had already discovered utilized complex Spatial Magic in their construction, not to mention the magic required to create matter if the trap was physical. The Dungeon System abstracted all of these complex functions away into a simple UI, with the core handling all of these details via instructions built into it by Shialnor. But as a result, that meant the vast majority of dungeon masters had no idea how their dungeon cores actually worked. And so, once that system became unavailable to them, they had no clue how to work their dungeons, or interact with their cores beyond the most basic functions. And attempting some of those feats manually was¡­ill-advised. For Seero this wasn¡¯t a significant issue, as her cyborg-dungeon core hybrid nature allowed her to utilize her dungeon core¡¯s mana in more direct applications. But for her subordinate dungeons, this was nothing short of complete paralysis. The rooms and traps they had would continue to function, and the monsters they had when the system cut off still obeyed their commands. But they couldn¡¯t build any more rooms, couldn¡¯t lay any more traps, couldn¡¯t adjust the dungeon layout, couldn¡¯t create any more items, and couldn¡¯t summon anymore monsters. They were left purely with what they had, and lost the endless reserves that made dungeons so dangerous. They were vulnerable. Especially those like the Imperial Family¡¯s dungeon and the Haunted Mausoleum who had spent some of their monsters trying to stop the monster hordes and maintain their deals with the Empire. These dungeons, in particular, were of immense strategic and economic importance to the Empire, and so needed to be defended now that Seero had purified them. Most concerningly, the Heralds of the New Dawn were still at large, and had a method to fully corrupt a dungeon if they could reach its core. So leaving powerful dungeons relatively empty presented an unacceptable vulnerability. In the short term, Seero could deploy drone-golems as reinforcements, but these had limits in terms of their maximum potential and hindered the growth of Seero¡¯s own forces. Likewise, the need for reinforcements would only grow as Seero purified more and more dungeons, putting strain on their production lines. As such, the best solution would be for Seero to reimplement some of the Dungeon System functions. That would enable the new subordinate cores to defend themselves. Seero began with monster summoning, as she had far more relevant data. She had summoned many monsters, but had never created a trap, after all. Likewise, monster summoning involved transporting a consciousness from the Realms of Mana to a dungeon through its core, and Seero had first-hand observations of transit between the Realms of Mana, dungeons, and material planes in both formally organized and improvised scenarios. Still, she had no experience with Summoning magic circles, and so was missing a key piece of data to begin the process. But, fortunately, the CELIU network now included someone who did. Nonus had been close with Senior Mage Faustus, the Imperial Academy¡¯s expert on Summoning Magic. Since Summoning was a dangerous school, Faustus had focused mainly on instruction and theoretical research, to which Nonus¡¯s condition had not been a barrier. As such, Nonus had more opportunities to participate in Faustus¡¯s work than with other Senior Mages, and so had gathered quite a bit of knowledge on the art.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. As a result, Nonus¡¯s memory included a great deal of specific Summoning magic circles, as well as a wealth of theoretical knowledge on that school. Seero was now requesting his instruction on the field, in order to fill in that last gap necessary to reimplement monster summoning. ¡­once Nonus stopped leaking saliva from his oral cavity, that was.
Uscfrea flew through the air on his repulsors, swinging a Mana Infused minigun towards the sea dragon. The buzzing weapon bombarded the monster with Mana Infused bullets, but even these bounced off the monster¡¯s scales. Uscfrea tossed the weapon towards one of his cyber-otterkin personal guards, and boosted forward, hoisting his axe instead. The sea dragon replied with its water breath, spitting out a jet of pressurized water that could pierce through a mountain. At the same time, mana leaking off the creature took hold of the water surrounding it, launching a barrage of Water Bolts towards Uscfrea. The Dobhar cursed and fell back. His cybernetic components identified both attacks and so he was able to dodge, the water jet sending up a huge plumb as it crashed back into the sea. But he couldn¡¯t get through the Water Bolts without tanking them head on. His fur may be resistant to magic, but the cybernetic components warned him that the mana-packed dragon magic might be a bit much, even for him. And his current axe couldn¡¯t cut through the spells. He could utilize some magic of his own, courtesy of His Queen, but he needed his mana to empower his own attacks. It was the better choice to evade and search for another opportunity. But he was running out of time. Well, not for himself, but the fact was there were three giant monsters on top of the rest of the horde. The kraken¡¯s tentacles had already begun to assault the shore defenses, smashing an artillery emplacement. Drone-golems had flown into range in order to draw its attention while the knights of Governor Aemilia¡¯s retinue and Magister Tiberius were distracting the mega-shark, but at the end of the day Uscfrea was still the most powerful warrior on their side. So he needed to deal with opponent soon and assist the others. He could not battle this sea dragon for days on end as he did with the one in his past. But as Uscfrea was determining his next angle of approach, the sea dragon¡¯s neck suddenly exploded, leaving a gaping hole. A moment later a thunderous sound assaulted the battlefield.
Miles from the battlefield, an airship floated in the sky. It had no adornment, and its hull was formed of smooth, curved metal rather than the solid and straight stone of the Empire¡¯s craft. There was a large hole directly through its center. And on the bridge, a metallic slime was bouncing up and down. ¡°It worked! It really worked!¡± Melion continued celebrating their success. They and the Master had been brainstorming means to project power at range, and this was initial firing of their first attempt. A magical railgun. Railguns could launch a projectile at incredible speeds, enabling them to overcome some magic barriers with raw force. Moreover, the Master had predicted that their mechanics would make them far more amenable to enchantment than gunpowder-based weapons. The electrical propulsion could be powered with Lightning magic, and assisted by Gravity and Air. And if a solid projectile was used, it could be easily formed out of magical materials, and enchanted on its own. The problem with railguns was power and durability. They needed a lot of power to launch their projectiles, and the sheer forces involved tended to destroy most gun barrels after only a few shots. But both of these were easily solved in the magical world of Aelea. Lightning Barriers were utilized to form the current, and also formed a shield to protect the rails from the forces and heat generated by the shot at the same time. A weight-reducing Gravity Magic enchantment was applied within the barrel, reducing the weight of the projectile while it was being accelerated and so reducing the force required to get it up to speed. And finally, Metal Magic was used afterwards to restore any damaged rails to full strength. The projectile itself was formed of magical metals, and could be enchanted as necessary. In this case, since this was the first shot made and targeting a powerful, high-level sea dragon, Melion had kept it simple. A Gravity enchantment that would increase the projectile¡¯s weight within a short distance of the target. Melion and the Master hoped the synergy of these different enchantments would allow a projectile to deal damage in excess of what a Barrier spell utilizing the same amount of mana could block, even at range, and break the timeless hurdle to beyond-visual-range combat in Aelea. Whether or not they succeeded at that would require further testing. But for now, they definitely succeeded at piercing the HP barrier of a sea dragon, no small feat.
Uscfrea pursed his lips as he boosted forward. The sea dragon was injured, but a creature that mighty could endure even such a grave injury. Uscfrea would not give it the chance. The wounded monster lost notice of Uscfrea, so he arrived before its neck without issue. And then he began swinging his axe into the wound. Since the monster¡¯s HP was focused on repairing the extreme damage, his axe bit deep into flesh. The sea dragon tried to roar, but coughed and sputtered due to the damage to its windpipe. It lashed out with its arms but couldn¡¯t move too violently as a result of the wound. And so it was not long before Uscfrea dealt it a mortal blow. And continue pursing his lips. Without a doubt, this was a major victory, one that would save countless lives on his side. And yet¡­he could not help but feel¡­dissatisfied. Interlude 210.1 - Kings, Lords, and Armies
Emperor Lucius sat on his throne as the representative of the Southern Court shuffled into the room. Emperor Lucius held his head high as the representative greeted him. ¡°Well? I trust you are not wasting my time in these chaotic times.¡± The representative slumped his shoulders. ¡°The Council of the Southern Realms¡­has agreed to your terms. We will bend the knee. So please, heed our call for aid.¡± Emperor Lucius hummed and rubbed his chin for a moment, before turning to another man in the room. ¡°What say you, envoy Vopicus? Will the Queen of the Dobhar release her prisoners for the sake of my subjects.¡± Vopicus grinned and shrugged. ¡°Well, the surrender is all well and good but I fear Her Majesty will require a bit more reassurance. We would not want to return the Sky Legion only to find the South has¡­forgotten their promises.¡± The representative balked. ¡°What more do you want?!¡± Vopicus turned to him, his grin growing wider. ¡°Plenty, but for now¡­the Sky Legion will be released once the Southern Realms turn over all intelligence they possess regarding cults of mana, in particular the Heralds of the New Dawn, and instruct the imprisoned Captain Falrauth to do the same before he departs from Turannia. We will accept this as a suitable olive branch for the immediate short term, under the circumstances.¡± Vopicus¡¯s grin faded. ¡°And under the circumstances¡­you should have an inkling as to why we would want this information. I would suspect anyone with the good of their own realm at heart would be more than enthusiastic to comply with this.¡± The representative stared at him for a moment, then gulped. ¡°I will tell them. Please, just do not delay the Sky Legion any further, the situation is growing desperate! And please send us reinforcements!¡± Vopicus turned back to Emperor Lucius and bowed his head. Emperor Lucius nodded at them both. ¡°The Sky Legion shall be released once envoy Vopicus informs me he has received what he asked for. As for reinforcements, we shall send whoever we can spare, whenever we can spare them. If there is nothing more, then I suggest we all return to our most urgent duties.¡±
With the news that the Southern Court intended to surrender, Magister Canus, now assisted by a stress-binging Magister Opiter, redrew his plans with the objective to stabilize the South as well. However, he needed to hear from the Southern Realms what their current situation was, and Seero still needed to receive intel on the Heralds of the New Dawn, so for now both Seero¡¯s forces and the Legion continued the plan to protect the North. Melion¡¯s successful experiment would help. Enchanted railguns were simpler for the metal slime to assemble than explosives since they did not require chemicals or computer components, and easier to resupply as well. Seero¡¯s forces could even use Metal Magic to create new if less effective rounds in a pinch, and all the required materials were being generated by the Primary Home Base. Railgun armed drone-golems could thus be manufactured more quickly than those equipped with firearms, and could be deployed further away from subordinate dungeons before needing a resupply. And Seero¡¯s attempts to reimplement the Monster Summoning system were starting to bear fruit. At the moment, she had succeeded in summoning slimes, the simplest of all monsters. It was a start, and more. Slimes, when upgraded to CELIU units, were key to Melion¡¯s mass production process due to their ability to directly shape raw materials into finished components, and so at the very least Seero could continue expanding her production lines now. In any case, slimes were better than nothing, so Seero sent a message to all of her subordinate dungeon masters informing them of the reimplemented system¡­
At the center of a cave deep beneath the ground was a stone throne room, its master seated upon the throne at its heart. He wore a red cloak and a golden crown upon his head. The hairs on his body were immaculately groomed. His eyes were sharp as daggers.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. This was His Royal Majesty, Excellion Formantus Rattingtale the Third, Advanced CELIU Unit. The Great-High King over all the land. The Most Humble Servant of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Great-Ultimate Boss-Empress, the Supreme Arbiter of her will. And at present¡­he was curled up into a ball and shivering. ¡°Why won¡¯t you work-obey?!¡± He had tried everything. Shouting, commanding, asking, begging, threatening, promising, lying. And yet¡­his royal core still refused to do anything! He couldn¡¯t summon any minions to fulfill his will, he couldn¡¯t create any devious traps, he couldn¡¯t expand the realm. He had once again failed as a Great-High King. But then¡­salvation arrived. ¡°Priority Alert: This unit has re-implemented the Monster Summoning function for all subordinate cores.¡± Rattingtale froze, and then slowly rose to his feet. ¡°As expected-anticipated of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Great-Ultimate Boss-Empress! And as expected-anticipated of the Great-High King! Even the loss of the Aesdes themselves cannot threaten-harm our realms, yes yes! Truly we are the greatest-mightiest dungeon masters to have ever lived, yes yes!¡± With that, he opened the royal records, ready to summon new and power minions¡­ He froze. ¡°S-Slimes? T-That¡¯s it? T-This is¡­um¡­¡± Rattingtale gathered himself and stood up tall. ¡°O-Obviously this is all as predicted-calculated, yes yes! S-Slimes are all that the Great-High King needs-requires, yes yes! R-Right¡­¡±
Meanwhile, the cyber-rats Rattingtale had summoned previously were gathered around the door to the throne room, peeking out at their king. After which, they turned to look at their master with concern. ¡°Boss-Lady 02S, what-what should we do now? The ¡®Great-High King¡¯ is still weeping-crying, yes yes.¡± 02S giggled from the shadows of the doorway. ¡°Keep scouting the entrance, but otherwise¡­watch and enjoy.¡± The rat monsters glanced at one another and then shrugged. ¡°Boss-Lady¡¯s orders.¡±
The master of the Imperial Family Dungeon was sitting in her room, slumped in a chair, and staring into space. ¡°...of course. You reimplemented monster summoning. Easy right? I should have thought of that, great dungeon master that I am. Guess I¡¯m not so great after all. I mean, I don¡¯t have the faintest clue of how the monster summoning even works. It¡¯s only the work of the Aesdes, after all. Basic stuff to rebuild from scratch. Of course. I guess I should¡­summon some slimes or something. I mean, I might as well start over from scratch, seeing I don¡¯t know the first thing about being a good dungeon master, apparently.¡±
Fabian, the dungeon master of the Haunted Mausoleum, was sweating, his brow furrowed in concentration. His mana was just about empty as he completed the magic circle in front of him. Purple mana twisted and flowed from the circle into the skeleton laid out on the ground. Dark mana began to fill the bones, and purple flames lit in the skull¡¯s eye sockets. Black armor formed around it as it rose to its feet. The new death knight then turned around without a word, marching off into the dungeon. Fabian sighed as his skeletons brought more magic cores and bones into the room. At that moment, Lavinia poked his side, sitting on a box. She had wandered off somewhere, so must have just returned. ¡°Hehe, you look like, heh, skin and bones.¡± Fabian sighed again. ¡°You could help with this you know?¡± Lavinia shrugged. ¡°I could.¡± Fabian stared at her. ¡°You do know that without monsters or traps or literally any of my dungeon powers, that we are entirely defenseless, right?¡± Indeed, Fabian had his minions gathering every resource from his dungeon that they could. Fortunately, the rooms and features that would automatically generate loot and necromantic material were still functioning, so at least he had something to work with, though Fabian couldn¡¯t adjust or expand them. But that meant raising minions manually, with his own mana pool, which was far more limited than that of his dungeon. And since he had spent most of his weaker minions trying to stop the horde, the vast majority of his dungeon was currently empty. It would be a long time before he was confident in his defenses again. And Lavinia, unhelpfully, shrugged again, clearly not intending to help. ¡°And you know we¡¯re not on our own anymore, right? Our new boss will help us out if we get into trouble.¡± Fabian clicked his tongue and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s naive and foolish of you to trust her. We¡¯re minions to her, and nothing more, as is the way with dungeon masters. She will not help us. And even if she would, where is she now? How would she get here?¡± Lavinia pointed back in the direction of the core room. ¡°The portal.¡± Fabian opened his mouth. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ahem, that only exists to threaten us with immediate death if we resist.¡± Lavinia tilted her head. ¡°But aren¡¯t we already dead?¡± A vein bulged on Fabian¡¯s forehead. ¡°Would it kill you to take our very survival seriously for even one moment?! No, don¡¯t you dare answer how I know you¡¯re going to! I am AWARE that we¡¯re undead! And if you want to stay that way, then lend me a¡­¡± Lavinia blinked as Fabian suddenly went silent. ¡°What is it?¡± Fabian¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°She¡­reimplemented monster summoning? How?¡± But he shook his head. The how and why weren¡¯t important. What was important was that he had at least some of his dungeon powers back. And if he could summon monsters again, then he could make great progress towards repairing his shattered defenses. He followed the instructions to access the summoning with a smile. And then froze. And started to tremble. ¡°That¡­That monster! Is this a joke?! A cruel method of taunting those who are already beaten?! To grant us a spark of hope only to trample upon it in a method most foul?!¡± Lavinia hummed and crossed her arms as Fabian began to go on a tirade. ¡°Hm, I was going to show him this neat little toy I picked up from my new metal slime friend, but maybe I should wait a bit? Fabian always did bottle himself up, so he probably needs to let it all out right now¡­¡± Chapter 211 - Strength and Honor
Next on Seero¡¯s agenda was another round of dungeons. The Tower of Heroes was located to the east, near the border of the North and East Empires. This dungeon focused on powerful, elite monsters, and was utilized as a proving ground for the Knight Orders. It also provided a place for the best warriors and most veteran Legion officers of the North and East to meet and train together. At present, the Tower did not appear to be an urgent threat, as the forces stationed there had not requested reinforcements. Yet, that was of little comfort. Monster attacks from the Tower had occurred, confirming it was affected as well, which meant it presented a massive risk. Elite monsters from the Tower of Heroes could collapse the defenses of all nearby hold-outs should they spread out. Likewise, if the veterans and knights stationed there could be released to assist other fronts, the situation for the Empire would improve drastically. So Magister Canus had requested that Seero investigate the situation and purify the Tower for good measure. As for her other forces, the Imperial group would head to assist the M¨¦lusine. The long-conquered client species still maintained a small part of their former nation in Utrad, where they had ultimately accepted life under the Imperial heel. They, too, had been affected by the disaster, and had sent a call for aid to Corvanus. Should the Empire fail to heed this call, it would lose the trust and loyalty from all of its allied and client species. Magister Canus had therefore sent a legion from the Imperial Heartland via airship, which would meetup with Seero¡¯s friends to relieve the M¨¦lusine. 01R and his group were sent east of Utrad, beyond the Empire¡¯s borders. A number of dungeons there were keeping Utrad¡¯s legions pinned on the border, however a deployment of the Legions to handle them could provoke the local tribes, and the last thing the Empire needed right now was more enemies. So Seero¡¯s monsters were sent as they would not be mistaken for Imperial forces. Seero managed to arrive at her assigned target first. The Tower of Heroes rose high into the sky, a round tower formed of pristine marble. It was surrounded by two circular walls: an inner wall around the tower itself, an outerwall further out, and a small city in the space between the two. Seero arrived to find the city¡­completely calm, with civilians going about their business as usual, save for the occasional ballistae or crossbow bolt being launched from the outer walls at wandering monsters. On top of the inner walls, Legion troops were assembled and kept watch, but very few were engaged in active combat. Instead, they were watching as individual knights dueled with monsters on the inner field, some on foot, others riding mounts of all sorts. Seero promptly terminated the monsters with a Prismatic Bombardment spell and then flew into the dungeon. The knights looked disappointed and some of the Legion troops, who may or may not have placed money on the duels, even shouted complaints. But Seero had already entered the dungeon, and so did not respond.
Seero found the dungeon largely empty. Rather than twisting labyrinths or hostile biomes, the Tower of Heroes had a simple and standardized layout. Each floor opened with a circular arena, though the terrain of each varied. Past the arena was a room with a chest and a living quarters where one could rest. Monsters were occasionally making their way through the early floors, but Seero found far less monsters than other dungeons she had encountered. She had been briefed that this dungeon focused on more powerful monsters, but the monsters she encountered were easily terminated, so she predicted that alone would not explain the low numbers. Still, there was little standing in her way, so she quickly passed through the floors. Eventually, she found the reason. About halfway up the Tower by Seero¡¯s estimates, she located a full contingent of knights and legionnaires, making their way up and fighting the occasional monster. When she arrived, two legionnaires approached her. ¡°Here to join the assault? You¡¯re a bit late, what order are you from?¡± ¡°Greeting: This unit is designated Seero, official Imperial designations: Queen of the Dobhar, Amiciti Populi Elteni. Negative Response: This unit is on a separate dungeon purification mission.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. One of the legionnaires tilted his head but the other shoved his side with her elbow. ¡°Queen of the Dobhar? Hey, isn¡¯t that the person who took down Caelinus?¡± The first legionnaire shrugged. ¡°If you believe that story.¡± It appeared this group had not been informed of her approach. As such, Seero pulled out the brooch signifying her status as Amiciti Populi Elteni. The woman jumped and elbowed the man again. ¡°See! I told you! She¡¯s a big shot!¡± The man saluted. ¡°Sorry ma¡¯am, we certainly didn¡¯t expect any visitors here. Let me take you to Grandmaster Publius, he has command of this expedition.¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡± With that, the two soldiers led Seero into the group. The other knights and soldiers looked curiously at Seero, but did not approach. The two arrived at the frontlines, where a duel was currently taking place. A large minotaur in glowing plate armor charged forward, wielding a massive, red greatsword. Against him stood a towering ogre, with a club that seemed more like a log. The two¡¯s weapons collided¡­and the minotaur¡¯s sword cut straight through the club and bisected the ogre. The minotaur shook his head before turning around. ¡°Who is this?¡± The soldiers escorting Seero saluted. ¡°Her Majesty Seero, Queen of the Dobhar and Amiciti Populi Elteni, here to purify the dungeon, sir!¡± The minotaur nodded. ¡°Queen of the Dobhar? I¡¯ve heard of you, you¡¯ve got quite the reputation, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Greeting: This unit is designated Seero, official Imperial designations: Queen of the Dobhar, Amiciti Populi Elteni. It is nice to meet you.¡± The minotaur stepped forward and held out his hand. Seero shook it. ¡°Grandmaster Publius Fulcinius Orosius, Order of the Crimson Sword, and leader of this expedition. Have you ever been to the Tower of Heroes, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Negative.¡± Grandmaster Publius crossed his arms and nodded. ¡°Been here for decades now, so if you don¡¯t mind, let me give you the rundown. Dungeon master here likes challenge and skill. You don¡¯t get hordes trying to wear you down or traps dropping the floor beneath your feet. Instead, each floor you take on an elite, expertly trained warrior.¡± He inclined his head as another ogre came through the door. Another knight stepped forward and pierced straight through its head with a spear. ¡°So its abnormal to be getting monsters this weak and untrained. I don¡¯t know how its possible, but there appears to be something of a dungeon civil war going on.¡± ¡°Helpful Interruption: This unit can provide relevant intel. All dungeons are currently undergoing partial corruption, which has led to mass monster summoning outside of the master¡¯s control. This unit is here to purify the corruption.¡± Grandmaster Publius¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really? Never heard of something like that, but it would explain what we¡¯ve been seeing. The normal elites have been cutting down the chaff, but some still gets through by sheer numbers. Still, it¡¯s fairly easy for us to mop up. The flip side is the dungeon master is still holding to the rules, so I guess they don¡¯t consider us an ally or anything.¡± The minotaur then grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯ve been wondering if there¡¯s any truth to your reputation. I know it¡¯s dangerous and discourteous, but would you be willing to take on the next duel? I swear on the honor of my order that I shall do my utmost to ensure your survival, should it prove too difficult for you.¡± ¡°Affirmative Response: It is this unit¡¯s current objective to purify the dungeon. Terminating hostiles blocking the route is necessary for that task.¡± The minotaur flashed his teeth. ¡°Excellent. Come then, and let us see if you can overcome the Tower of Heroes!¡±
Grandmaster Publius went silent as a Prismatic Bombardment magic circle lit up the room, wiping out a squad of ogres all in one go. An armored lizardman with a spear turned from his fallen opponents, grinning and hissing. He leveled his spear towards Seero, and then charged forward. ¡°Hostile intent detected. Engaging termination protocols.¡± Another flash of light, and the lizardman was gone. Grandmaster Publius crossed his arms, rubbing his chin, before he nodded. ¡°Yep. Safe to say her reputation¡¯s legit.¡± Seero repeated this process for three more floors. At that moment, they heard a deep laugh. Suddenly a massive monster appeared in the room. He had an incredibly muscular humanoid torso, but with the paws and head of a lion, with a giant red mane that appeared almost like a wreath of fire. ¡°I think you¡¯ve made your point. You¡¯re strong. It¡¯s been quite some time since my dungeon¡¯s had a challenger like you.¡± ¡°Query: Are you the dungeon master?¡± The monster grinned. ¡°I am. And my blood boils for a fight.¡± ¡°Warning Query: Would the hostile dungeon master like to surrender? This unit will allow the dungeon master to retain ownership of their dungeon as a subordinate core if so. Otherwise, this unit will engage termination protocols.¡± Grandmaster Publius¡¯s eyes widened and he stared at Seero, while the monster began to laugh. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not intimidated in the slightest, are you?¡± ¡°Negative.¡± The monster¡¯s grin grew. ¡°Good. Tell you what: Beat me in a fight, and I¡¯ll do whatever you wish.¡± ¡°Acknowledged. Engaging near-termination protocols.¡± Seero immediately formed another Prismatic Bombardment circle and opened fire. The dungeon master barely managed to jump out of the way, howling with laughter. ¡°Now show me a good fight!¡± Chapter 212 - Terminate the Battle Maniac?
The dungeon master grinned and vanished just before the beams struck his position. He reappeared in front of Seero before she could respond and threw a fist towards her face. Her sensors hadn¡¯t even registered the movement. And the master had not used Transfer, or teleportation of any sort. He had simply moved fast enough that most of Seero¡¯s sensors had lost track of him. That made him the fastest being that Seero had ever faced. But not all of her sensors had failed. Her Dungeon Field Generator had registered the movement, and ever since she had learned how dungeon walls work she had applied her own space-bending defensive field around herself. This field bought her enough time to cast a Blink spell and get out of the way. Only to find the dungeon master right on top of her. He smirked. ¡°You think you¡¯re the first archmage to challenge me? Spatial distortions are easy to find if you know what you¡¯re looking for!¡± At this point though, Seero had canceled all extraneous threads, and turned all of her attention to sensing and prediction. With her AI¡¯s speed and power, she had barely detected his movement towards her teleport point. As such, she had just enough time to prepare a response. As the dungeon master¡¯s fist entered the spatial field expanding the distance to her armor, she began to twist it. The dungeon master blinked and quickly withdrew his hand as the the spell cracked, taking the tip of his fingers with it. He grinned and started laughing. ¡°That¡¯s a cute trick! You¡¯re a clever one, aren¡¯t you?¡± And then he sneered. ¡°But now there¡¯s a hole in your defense!¡± And then the entire room began to glow purple. Seero had bought just enough time to change her Prismatic Bombardment spell to the Prismatic Plane spell, now covering the entire floor in a magic circle. And in this case, she had chosen the Gravity element once more. The force of Gravity increased dramatically across the battlefield. Even Seero was affected, and her HP started ticking down now that her Spatial Angling field was disabled. She couldn¡¯t even move, and had to devote some of her mana to defense just to maintain her structural integrity. But, of course, the dungeon master was affected too. He grunted as the invisible force attempted to crush his body. But, as a being who had focused all of his growth into his physical attributes, he could not only resist the field, but could continue to move within it. He laughed again. ¡°Impressive. This would be excellent for training, perhaps I¡¯ll make you my subordinate when this is done.¡± And then he charged towards Seero, still moving at great speed. However, his speed was reduced to the point that Seero¡¯s normal sensors could track him once again. And more importantly, to the point that she could effectively adjust her aim. Because for Seero, becoming immobile didn¡¯t reduce her offensive power in the slightest. A Prismatic Bombardment circle formed behind her, and opened fire. The dungeon master tried to dodge, but with his reduced speed he could not completely evade the hail of fused beams. He gasped and his eyes widened as one of the beams struck him. Thanks to the combination of Holy Mana, Spell Penetration, and Heroic Challenger, the dungeon master¡¯s defenses were pierced with ease, far beyond what he expected. But he had no time to process that surprise. Even since High-King Xavlaeron had infiltrated one of her magic circles, Seero had practiced controlling her mana in active spells. Now, she attempted to do so with a different purpose. The Beam circles within the larger strategic spell began to shift as they struck the dungeon master. This would normally cause the spell in progress to collapse, but Seero held the spellform together with Holy mana as she had learned from Ateia, and as a result the beams remained active even as their circles of origin changed. And so, the Beam circles successfully transformed into Chain circles¡­while their beams were still striking their target. The beams then transformed into chains, wrapping around the dungeon master. He grunted and pulled on the chains but Seero¡¯s Supercharged and high-density mana was resilient even to his strength. And with each chain that formed, his speed dropped even further, allowing more and more beams to find their mark. Soon, Seero could stop transforming Beam spells, and just cast Chain spells directly.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. At that point, Seero formed a new Prismatic Bombardment circle, Supercharging it with all the spare mana she had at that point, while pointing her palm at the immobile dungeon master as she also charged the Equalizer. ¡°Warning: Hostile dungeon master is about to be terminated. Recommendation: Please initiate surrender protocols to avoid this outcome.¡± The dungeon master took a look at the situation, and then started laughing. ¡°...from the very start of my dungeon, I told my monsters and challengers alike that they could take my dungeon from me at any time, so long as they beat me in a fight. Not once in all my life have I lost. Now, not only have I lost, but I was completely overpowered.¡± He bowed his head towards Seero¡­or rather, slightly vibrated the mana chains preventing his head from moving. ¡°My dungeon is yours. You¡¯ve earned it.¡± Seero, with all of her sensors and AI active on the dungeon master, noticed a small shift as he gave verbal confirmation of the surrender. A small connection formed between her mana and his. The connection didn¡¯t react further once formed, as if waiting for something to occur. Seero focused her attention on the connection, analyzing it. It bore some similarities to pieces of her Contract connections, but its scale was so much smaller that she couldn¡¯t be sure. With nothing occurring, the connection then began to fade. Seero extended some mana towards it, intending to reinforce it so she could continue analyzing it. But as her mana contacted it, the connection began to grow. At first Seero was going to cut it off when she picked up a data packet. She quarantined and then analyzed the packet, discovering it contained some basic data¡­from the Tower of Heroes. The connection now allowed the two dungeons to exchange mana and data. Given the circumstances, Seero predicted this was the method by which dungeon surrenders occur, but that the loss of the Dungeon System meant that key follow-up protocols had failed to trigger. As such, she began to send her mana through the connection, intending to investigate what could be done with it. Her mana surged through the Tower of Heroes, joining with the flows of mana coursing through the dungeon. The dungeon¡¯s mana did not resist, opening a path for her wherever she went. She was able to see and perceive different parts of the dungeon as her mana expanded onward, but she ignored that data. She continued onward until she reached the end of the flow¡­and her mana arrived at the dungeon core. She attempted to convert her mana to Holy, and succeeded. The Holy mana quickly purified the corruption in the core. Seero then attempted to form her mana into the dungeon core connection process. And succeeded, immediately, even beyond her most optimistic predictions. The Tower of Heroes¡¯s mana moved to assist her the moment she began forming that shape, as if it had been waiting for that very protocol. And so, Seero managed to purify and subordinate the Tower of Heroes, many floors from the core room. The dungeon master was just staring at her and blinking. ¡°...you¡¯re a dungeon master? But you can use Holy mana? Oh, is that why your core isn¡¯t going rogue like mine?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± The chains vibrated again as the dungeon master attempted to nod. ¡°Impressive. No idea how you figured out how to do that, and it¡¯s not often someone surprises me.¡±
But there were other people in the room who were also surprised. Some of the knights had begun to draw their weapons as the dungeon masters conversed. Grandmaster Publius narrowed his eyes. ¡°Your Majesty, did we hear that right? Did you say you¡¯re a dungeon master?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± Grandmaster Publius grimaced. One of the knights next to him frowned. ¡°Grandmaster¡­a demon lord is masquerading as an Amiciti Populi Elteni¡­and just conquered the Tower of Heroes. Isn¡¯t that really bad?¡± ¡°Objection: The term masquerading implies deceit and falsehood. This unit has officially been designated as Amiciti Populi Elteni, and so is not masquerading as one. In addition, Imperial authorities are already aware of this unit¡¯s identity.¡± A panel popped open in Seero¡¯s armor, and she retrieved a sealed scroll from it. She utilized Blink to send the scroll past the Gravity spell, making it appear at Grandmaster Publius¡¯s feet. ¡°Statement: That record contains an official Imperial order regarding the situation. If additional confirmation is necessary, this unit recommends contacting Imperial command units.¡± Grandmaster Publius raised an eyebrow at her. But he also glanced at the multiple strategic spell circles lighting up the room and the completely immobilized dungeon master of the Tower of Heroes, a foe he knew he couldn¡¯t light a candle to. So he decided to take the risk that the scroll was a trap and picked it up. His eyes widened. The scroll had the Emperor¡¯s seal on it, and it appeared genuine. More so when the Grandmaster channeled his mana into it and it reacted as it should. The scroll opened up and he took a moment to read through it. It was an order from the Emperor to all Imperial personnel, informing them of the Queen of the Dobhar¡¯s identity, confirming that her relationship with the Empire and status as Amiciti Populi Elteni remained unchanged, and then ordering them to assist her during this crisis. Grandmaster Publius took a deep breath. ¡°...let¡¯s contact Corvanus, and confirm this situation.¡± The knights around him frowned. One of them spoke up. ¡°But sir¡­¡± Grandmaster Publius then turned around. ¡°I¡¯m going to go contact Corvanus. If you feel you cannot agree with that course of action, then do what you feel you must. Just know that the consequences are also your own.¡± With that, he began walking back towards the room¡¯s entrance. The knights glanced at one another, then at the big magic circles and the Imperial scroll in the Grandmaster¡¯s hands. One by one, they lowered their weapons and began to back away, eyeing Seero all the while. And so Seero conquered the Tower of Heroes. Chapter 213 - Hope Amidst Defeat
Ateia stood at the observation deck of one of the Northern Court¡¯s airships, watching the field below. The group had joined up with the reinforcements from Corvanus, and were now on their way. It would have been faster if the group had flown directly, but in this case it was important that they showed up at the same time as the Legion. Ateia turned her head, scanning the countryside, and frowned. Amulius walked up behind her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ateia furrowed her brow. ¡°...my eyes can see further than a normal person¡¯s. This one,¡± she pointed to her robotic eye, ¡°is like a far-seeing artifact, so can I see out into the distance. And my regular sight is empowered by my connection to the world, and I see through the mana flows within it.¡± She then sighed. ¡°So¡­I can see what¡¯s going on down there. I can see the people fleeing from their homes. I can see the caravans getting attacked, I can see farmers desperately trying to defend their homes.¡± Amulius went silent for a moment. ¡°And you want to help them?¡± Ateia sighed again. ¡°I¡­know that it¡¯s important to stick to the plan. Magister Canus chose these targets for a reason, and we¡¯ll save the most lives by focusing on the key areas. But¡­I still don¡¯t feel right just¡­flying over these people.¡± Amulius¡¯s face fell. He slowly reached out and patted Ateia on the shoulder. ¡°...I know. Sometimes you can¡¯t save everybody. In times like that, you just do as much as you can.¡± Ateia rubbed her chin. ¡°As much as I can, huh?¡± She then closed her eyes, and began to focus. ¡°Seero, I know this is a tough ask, and I know we don¡¯t know those people but¡­can I help them?¡± It only took a moment for the response to come in over the CELIU network. ¡°Affirmative Response: Units requested are affiliated with a current ally. Assistance is permitted.¡± Ateia smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± And then she connected to the flow of Holy Mana in the world around her¡­
On the ground, a family of farmers were fleeing down the road. The father was warding off a pack of wolf monsters with a spear. He had dealt with the occasional monster as all those who live outside the cities must, but never a pack all at once like this. The mother was supporting him with Water magic, but she had focused on non-combat spells. She couldn¡¯t cast anything stronger than a Water Bolt, and her lack of experience made it difficult to do even that without assistance from the Aesdes. A young boy, only a year or two past ten, was standing over his younger sister, trembling as he struggled to hold the spear in his hand. Just then, the wolves pounced at the farmer. His wife, in her panic, failed to cast the Water Bolt spell and the farmer fell back with a wolf on top of him. Another wolf took the opportunity to rush past the adults, charging towards the children in the rear. The boy trembled as his sister screamed. But then, something warm began to fill the boy¡¯s body, causing his heart rate to slow. For a brief moment, he thought he saw a girl in shining armor. She smiled at him and whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t give up.¡± Golden and silver light wrapped around his hands and spear, and he felt them pulling his arms into shape. He pulled his spear back, and then threw it, much like a Dobhar might throw a harpoon. And to his surprise, the spear flew straight into the head of the wolf, bringing it to the ground. Another wolf ran around the first¡­only for a jet of water to slam into its side. The boy¡¯s mother was staring at the completed spell circle in front of her with wide eyes. And then a wolf flew into the air and slammed into a nearby tree. The farmer stood up after tossing his attacker aside, looking down at his arms glowing with light. He then picked up his spear and grinned at the remaining pack. Scenes like this repeated across the countryside. Soon, a flood of refugees would arrive at Velusitum, each carrying fantastical tales about what could only have been the blessing of the Aesdes¡­Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Ateia wobbled as the power drained from her. She had kept it simple this time, focusing on basic spells and skills, but she had assisted more people than ever before, and across a much wider area. Her father then steadied her with a hand on his back. She turned to him and smiled. ¡°Do as much as I can, right?¡± Amulius¡¯s eyes widened. But Ateia didn¡¯t wait for him. She sat herself on the floor of the airship and took a deep breath. There was still a lot of countryside to go. Seero and her monster subordinates were doing all they could, taking down dungeon after dungeon. So Ateia would do all she could as well.
01R landed in the center of a dark, crackling cloud hovering just above the ground, unleashing a wave of Holy mana from one of his Rat Paladin skills. Lightning crackled and high-pitched screams wailed as the Lightning Elemental faded. 01R then leapt to the side, barely managing to move before another elemental shot a bolt of lightning at his former position. He took one of the Holy Blades over his hands and swung it towards the elemental, launching an arc of Holy mana that bisected the creature. He grit his teeth as he saw more storm clouds approaching. In the distance, a single mountain rose above forests and plains, its peak obscured by black storm clouds. 01R and the others had just begun to climb the slope to their target at the very top. This assault was not going as planned. 01R¡¯s forces had been instructed to target the Stormy Veil. Its Lightning Attribute monsters struck with fast, precise, and powerful ranged attacks, and so were causing casualties among the Legion troops guarding the Empire¡¯s borders. And under the circumstances, casualties could not be tolerated. Every attack by the Stormy Veil¡¯s monsters brought the Utrad province that much closer to collapse. The problem being the Stormy Veil was located in the territory of the Thunder Harpies. They were not hostile to the Empire and even had some agreements. But they were fiercely territorial, and the aforementioned agreements acknowledged this, and they would consider it a serious betrayal if Legion troops suddenly marched into their lands. So the task fell to 01R and the others. The Thunder Harpies kept an eye on them, but ultimately chose not to interfere in the fight between two groups of monsters. However, 01R had failed to consider what the Lightning Attribute meant for his own forces. Electronic components tended to react¡­badly to being struck by lightning. Of course, the cyborgs utilized military-grade technology based on the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen¡¯s own, which had been originally designed to confront something called ¡®superheroes.¡¯ So they did have some countermeasures to electrical surges and EMP effects, not to mention their magical elements. But the countermeasures did not remove the vulnerability altogether. The drone-golems, which largely ran on electricity, were particularly vulnerable. But even the cyborg monsters could find themselves temporarily disabled if they took a bad hit, despite reinforcing their components with mana. In fact¡­it turned out their mana itself was vulnerable to the Lightning Attribute. 01R had, unfortunately, just discovered that the Cyborg Attribute had developed enough to interact with other attributes. This was why the group was now climbing the slope, instead of flying. Being disabled even temporarily was extremely dangerous while flying. Speaking of which, 01R gasped as a bolt of lightning struck his back, magical electricity now surging through his circuits. The lightning attacks, being exceptionally fast and precise, were difficult to dodge, even for the nimble 01R. And this was made worse by another effect 01R did not predict. The sheer amount of electromagnetic radiation being thrown around was disrupting electronic communications in the area. Voice comms were filled with static, visuals from other CELIU units distorted and wobbled, and connections with the autonomous drone-golems grew weak at times. Normally, the CELIU units would cover one another, combining their senses together for supreme situational awareness and assisting each other when in danger. But now those senses were more distracting than helpful, and the assistance was lagging behind the attacks. All of this was making it far harder for 01R to keep track of incoming attacks. He grit his teeth and sent a surge of Holy mana through his body, purging the hostile energy from within him. The Holy mana also repaired burnt flesh and damaged circuitry, allowing 01R to retaliate against the offending enemy. But then, a red alert began flashing in the corner of his vision. 01R¡¯s eyes grew wide and he spun around, glancing every which way. A cyborg unit¡¯s vitals had just gone critical. 00WE the Cyber-Giant Water Elemental had been hit. Its Water exterior had conducted the lightning throughout its entire body, sending the attack directly to its cybernetically-enhanced core from every direction and dealing severe damage to it. Its water was spreading out on the ground into a puddle as the elemental struggled to hold itself together with a damaged core. A mighty roar cut through the storm. 00B charged towards the fallen elemental as quickly as he could, and activated every defense skill he had available while his cannon, machine guns, and laser beams fired rapidly at everything that moved. 00SO the Sacred Otterkin boosted over as well, channeling as much healing Holy Mana as he could into the fallen monster. ¡°I-I can¡¯t fix it all! The cybernetic components are too damaged! I need help!¡± Just then, a glowing dome covered over the cyborgs, separating them from the Stormy Veil¡¯s monsters. Lilussees winced as a storm of lightning assaulted the Prismatic Dome spell. The Cyber-Arachne¡¯s spell-jet had been grounded by storms and lightning, and she was not pleased to be walking on the ground. ¡°01R, we need to, like, retreat, or something.¡± 01R growled. ¡°Not yet! We cannot fail-disappoint the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen!¡± Lilussees scowled. ¡°Like, don¡¯t be an idiot. You think she¡¯ll, like, consider it a success if we all die, or something?¡± 01R gnashed his teeth as he glanced around. 00B was covered in scorch marks from taking attacks for the others, 00WE was barely holding together. 02R¡¯s fur was burnt and smoking, 01S was still twitching from when he was hit by a stray bolt. And all around them lay the smoking and sparking husks of fallen drone-golems. He clenched his paws. ¡°We retreat-regroup.¡± Lilussees nodded. ¡°Like, get out of here, you idiots. Holding this shield is, like, so much e-word!¡± 00SO surrounded 00WE with a bubble of Water magic, then leapt on 00B¡¯s back. The cyber bear then carried them off the field. All around, cyborgs and drone-golems picked up the wounded and the fallen drones that could still be repaired, and then boosted away from the field. 01R stayed behind until it was just him and Lilussees remaining, then the two of them ran. 01R slowly closed his organic eye as the storm clouds shrank into the distance. They had lost. Chapter 214 - Failure
Silence hung in the air in the primary home base. Several of the monsters were standing in Cyborg Processing Center, gathered around one of the upgrade pods. The pod was filled with water as 00WE rested inside. Melion was on top of the pod, forming their slime into limbs and extending tools from their cyber-core to keep track of the process. 00B stood over the pod, his eyes not having glanced away from it even once. 00SO watched with a frown, clutching onto 00B¡¯s fur. And 01R slumped in a corner, lying on the floor with ears held against his head. Where had he gone wrong? How was he this weak? Not only had he failed to complete his assigned tasks, one of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen¡¯s servants had been critically wounded in the process. 00WE might not make it through the night. Once again, he had failed to be of any use. And because of that, he had put his comrades at risk. How could he face the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen now? He couldn¡¯t even bring himself to report the loss. How could he attempt to lead her servants again? He couldn¡¯t even look 00B in the eye. It was at that moment that something appeared before his eyes. Activating ¡®the stupid fanatic is moping¡¯ protocol. ¡°Sarcastic Opening: If unit fanatic snack is reading this automated message, then this unit¡¯s sensors have detected a critical degree of emotional distress, classified as ¡®being, like, so annoying.¡¯ ¡± 01R blinked in surprise. A message from the lazy one, the former dungeon master who dared claim kinship with the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen? The one who had been there along with the¡­traitorous thing? He had thought she had gone off for a ¡®stress nap,¡¯ or something. ¡°Condescending Explanation: This unit is not, in fact, in an active state. This unit has efficiently delegated tasks to her cybernetic components, so that her organic components could enter standby-sentry mode. This unit¡¯s cybernetic components are currently autonomously generating text based on parameters set by the organic components.¡± Oh, she had. ¡°Sarcastic Observation: A method which unit fanatic snack appears to be unaware of. Preemptive Response: And no, this unit is not referring to standby-sentry mode. This unit is referring to the efficient allocation of resources, especially in tactical and operational settings. This unit was going to display an analysis of fanatic snack¡¯s latest mission in comparison to available records on missions lead by other units, but instead will demonstrate the technique.¡± 01R¡¯s cybernetic components then received a set of instructions. He glanced over at the pod, where Melion continued to work, and sighed. He¡­deserved the lazy one¡¯s admonitions, particularly given that she had been key to their retreat. So, he complied. His robotic eye began blinking as his cybernetic components began to access various records stored in the CELIU network. They linked with the drones the lazy one used to cast spells, turning their processing hardware to the task as well. Soon, 01R began to see video records and tactical maps appear before his eyes, showing how various operations had been conducted. He watched Ateia, Taog, and Estrith¡¯s mission, how they had cycled in and out of battle with the less-efficient Legion troops accompanying them to avoid fatigue and maintain peak efficiency. He watched the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen¡¯s fight with Caelinus¡¯s troops, seeing as their joint efforts allowed them to resist even her overwhelming might, at least for a time. And he watched the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen herself, as she terminated various foes. He not only saw the great power she displayed¡­but also her preparation, and the steps she took up to each battle. While it appeared as if she simply strode forward without a care, batting away any resistance she encountered, internally that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. She gathered and analyzed as much data as was available before she even entered the area. While she was approaching the target, she had her sensors fully activated. When she located the target, she scanned it and analyzed it from a distance, calculating its likely capabilities, how it might threaten her, and how she could efficiently deal with it. Only after these calculations concluded and predicted an acceptable chance of success did the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen move to battle. It was simply that, given her incredible might, the predictions had always returned an acceptable chance of success, at least as long as 01R had been watching. He then was shown a similar analysis of his methods¡­or lack thereof. He had led the subordinates under his command in an all-out charge, intending to move as quickly as possible.. He did not scout ahead. He did not take the time to consider the enemy. He did not arrange formations for maximum effectiveness. He did not set up a rotation of forces to prevent fatigue and maintain a reserve for emergencies. No, he had simply charged forward, pushing all of his subordinates to do the same. He had over-relied on the gifts from the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen to then cover for them. He counted on their advanced sensors to warn them of the enemy without proper scouting. He exploited the wide arsenal offered by the CELIU skill and spell databases to simply react to the enemy without having analyzed them ahead of time. And he relied on the CELIU network¡¯s ability to share sensor data and unit status to replace their lack of coordination or effective formations.Stolen story; please report. As a result, the moment those things had been stripped away, the issues with his approach immediately became apparent, with potentially deadly consequences. The moment they encountered a foe they could not immediately overcome, they were left vulnerable and disorganized. ¡°Exhausted Statement: Unit fanatic snack should now have the necessary data to upgrade his protocols, correct? Please do so at this time. This unit¡¯s organic components requested her cybernetic components assist with this process, but this unit¡¯s code requires maintenance. This unit¡¯s cybernetic components will thus enter low-power mode for maintenance, now that the minimum required assistance has been completed.¡± And then the message came to a close, leading 01R with his thoughts. It was at this time that he heard 00B cry out. He looked up. The pod slowly opened up. Water streamed out of it¡­and coalesced into 00WE. 01R¡¯s cybernetic components reestablished a link with 00WE, and the water elemental informed him that they were fully functional once more. Melion was bouncing around. ¡°It worked!¡± Tears filled 00SO¡¯s eyes, while 00B rushed forward and attempted to hug 00WE¡­and passed through the elemental¡¯s liquid body. 00WE then moved forward, wrapping around 00B¡¯s torso. 00B cried happily. 01R exhaled his breath. It seemed his failure had not claimed a life after all. Then he turned, and began to quietly slink from the room. This¡­was all his fault, as the lazy one had decreed. So, now that he had confirmed 00WE¡¯s survival, he would remove himself. He was no longer worthy of¡­ Just then, he heard a roar, and the ground trembled. 00B thundered over to him and growled. 01R turned around. He looked up at 00B¡¯s angry face for a moment before dropping his head. ¡°00WE, I cannot express-explain how happy I am to see you alright, yes yes. But, to answer-reply to your question, 00B¡­this was all my fault, yes yes. I¡­I have much to think-ponder about, but what I do know-understand is that I am no longer worthy to lead the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen¡¯s servants¡­¡± And then a giant, armored paw smashed him into the ground. 00B roared at him, then grunted and growled. 01R groaned as he picked himself off of the ground. ¡°But¡­I was so dumb-foolish, yes yes. I didn¡¯t even consider-think about the idea that our enemy might be strong. I nearly killed-slayed 00WE, yes yes.¡± A stream of water then blasted his face. 01R blinked as 00WE streamed mana and electronics communications at him. That¡­was true, wasn¡¯t it? 00WE was a noble servant of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen, more than willing to give their life on her behalf. It had been their choice to press on, despite an instinctual fear of an attribute they were vulnerable to. It was no different than when 01R had confronted the cat in that alleyway long ago. It¡­was disrespectful of him to try and claim credit for 00WE¡¯s heroics. ¡°...yes yes, that was wrong-foolish of me. You truly are a brave-worthy servant, 00WE. But-but, that does not excuse-absolve my own failings, yes yes. If I had been smarter-wiser about our approach, then perhaps we wouldn¡¯t have needed to retreat-flee¡­¡± The group fell silent for a second. Then, 00SO took a step forward. ¡°Um, I-I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m overstepping here, 01R, sir, but Miss Estrith told me that defeat is not the end. That the wise hunter knows when to run, and uses the loss to ensure the next hunt¡¯s success. So, um, shouldn¡¯t we try again?¡± 00B thought for a moment, his robotic eye flickering. He grunted softly as he sent the record over to 01R. He told 01R that this had been something he had found when he had been frightened and confused over the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queens actions towards Ursanus monsters. 01R¡¯s eyes widened. He was watching one of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen¡¯s own records. She was fighting against an Ursanus Alpha¡­and she lost. The beast claimed one of her arms and she was forced to flee the area entirely. 01R began to tremble. He wanted to shut down the record, he wanted to object. How could the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen ever be defeated in such a manner? What creature could have the might or the strength to do so? But¡­his cybernetic components confirmed this record came from her own memory. To declare it false would be to declare her a liar. And that was something 01R could not do. 00B grunted again, urging 01R to continue watching. ¡°...Analysis: It seems this unit significantly underestimated the threat level of the opponent. Current arsenal was insufficient. This unit suffered severe damage as a result.¡± He watched as the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen herself acknowledged that she was lacking. He watched as she subsequently poured all her effort into improving herself, accessing the Aesdes¡¯ blessings that she had been suspicious of at that point. He watched as she terminated monster after monster and dungeon after dungeon, growing in strength and skill. And each time she did, she considered and pondered, running an analysis of her new strength against the observed might of the Ursanus. And each time she came up short, she immediately moved to continue growing. And then he saw, that once she had grown, and carefully considered her plan of attack, she confronted the Ursanus once again. And this time¡­she emerged victorious. This record¡­had not helped reassure 00B about the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen¡¯s hostility to monsters that shared his appearance. But¡­it did illustrate an important point. The Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen had experienced failure in the past¡­and she did not give up. She learned from the experience, grew from it, and then tried again until she succeeded. 01R felt a tiny spark of warmth return to his chest. He looked around at the monsters. 00B, 00WE, and 00SO were all looking at him, with trust and respect in their eyes. 01R dropped his head once again, then rose to his hind legs. He lifted his head, and looked each one of them in the eye¡­or core-mounted optical sensor, in the case of 00WE. ¡°...I have been dumb-foolish, and we failed as a result. But¡­I have been informed-instructed on my mistakes. I believe-think I know now what I did wrong. I do not know if I can grow-improve enough to continue as the leader. But if you all still acknowledge-believe in me, then I will try-strive again, as the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen would. Will you still follow-accompany me, and assist-aid me in this task?¡± 00B stood up and roared. 00WE¡¯s water began to surge and rage. 00SO slammed his tail on the ground, glowing faintly with golden and silver light. 01R felt the warmth in his chest surge, and his eyes filled with tears. He resolved to himself that he would not let these comrades¡­this family¡­be broken under his watch. Chapter 215 - A New Approach
Once again, 01R led the monster team as they marched towards the Stormy Veil. The forest around them gave way to open field as the ground began to slope up towards the mountain. 01R took a deep breath. Once they exited the forest, the Stormy Veil¡¯s monsters would spot them and the fight would begin again. He peered up at the mountain shrouded in storm clouds. He could still see spots of light in the distance as Lightning Elementals streamed from the mountain and spread across the countryside. ¡°Is everyone ready-prepared?¡± He had a list of his subordinates present in his UI. Green check marks appeared next to each as they all confirmed their status. 01R nodded. ¡°Begin-execute the operation.¡± And then he turned around and dove into a small hole in the ground. Meanwhile, a fleet of flying drone-golems, modeled after flying war-machines from Earth, flew high overhead. They unleashed a barrage of missiles, which flew forward at incredible speed. As the missiles approached they began to turn and curl, each heading towards a different elemental. After all, these were no normal missiles. The High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile, or HARM, was a weapon designed to target radar sites by locking onto their electronic emissions. It turned out that Lightning Elementals also gave off a great deal of electronic emissions, so it had been a simple matter for Melion to adapt the missiles to lock-on to them. As such, the missiles each flew directly into an elemental, and then exploded. The Lighting Elementals screeched and faded away. The creatures formed of pure energy were hard to damage with physical attacks, but Melion had adapted the missile¡¯s warheads as well, replacing them with mana cores rigged to explode into mana shockwaves. The Lighting Elementals could not prevent physical missiles from passing into their bodies, and could not survive a mana blast exploding out from the inside. 01R watched from the hole as the sparks of light in the distance began to turn towards the drones and missiles continued streaming across the sky. He smiled, and then dove down into the hole. ¡°Phase one is complete-successful. Initiate phase two.¡± Further down, the hole opened into a massive underground tunnel. 01R activated his repulsors and boosted through the tunnel in the direction of the mountain. Soon, he caught up to the rest of the cyborgs. All of the monster team was running or flying behind the key unit in the operation. 00EW, the Earth-Eater Worm turned Mecha-Adamant Bull Worm, was tearing through rock and stone at frightening speeds. Its metal crushing fangs were mounted on rotating bits, forming into drills that could crush all but the hardest of materials in seconds, and supported by lasers, plasma drills, and shaped explosives to boost the efficiency even further. As such, the cyborg worm could travel through the ground almost as quickly as other units could fly through the air. And since it was physically crushing the ground ahead instead of swimming through it via Earth Magic, it left a giant tunnel that the rest of the team could follow. The monster team had long conversions about how to approach the dungeon. They discussed attribute match-ups, formations, unit rotations. They discussed weapon development, spell choices, and different skills. But, eventually, one of them came up with an idea. An extremely simple, and yet, extremely efficient idea. Why not just go around the enemy? Or under them, as the case was. The idea¡­didn¡¯t sit well with 01R at first. He wanted to defeat the enemy, not evade them. To take them head on, to clash with their might and overcome it. To prove to them and the world the strength of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen¡¯s army! But he had put such feelings aside, and considered the idea¡¯s merits. In another dungeon, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible, given the singular path forward and the narrow hallways. But the group hadn¡¯t even arrived at the dungeon proper last time before being engaged by its forces on open ground. As such, there was considerably more room to maneuver. And ultimately, the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen¡¯s instructions were to purify the dungeon, not to terminate the horde of monsters. So, if 01R and the others could simply bypass the horde and reach the dungeon, they could save a lot of time, effort, and risk. It would be¡­more efficient. And therefore, the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen would approve. Of course, the monster horde would still attack them if they were noticed. Which was why they sent a wave of drone-golems to attack from above, and draw the enemy¡¯s attention. And it worked. The horde of monsters was not listening to anyone¡¯s command at present, and so was simply spreading out and attacking anything they encountered. They could easily be drawn away if presented with an obvious target.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. And so the cyborgs were able to tunnel through the mountain completely unopposed. But 01R resisted the urge to smile, and focused his attention. The first phase had succeeded, but this mission had only just begun.
Ultimately, the group was able to travel about halfway up the mountain when they hit a snag. 00EW was suddenly unable to tunnel any further forward. The ground appeared no different from before, yet they were unable to interact with it in any way. Which mean, they had run into a dungeon wall, and arrived at the dungeon proper. And a Lightning dungeon had no interest in allowing subterranean combat. The only direction they could move was towards the surface. Well, the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen had apparently managed to break through unbreakable dungeon walls, and had recorded a protocol for the feat. But such a task was not as simple as casting the right spell. It required an incredible amount of accurate data to aim the Spatial Angling correctly and cancel out the spatial protection on the walls, data that could only be acquired via the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen¡¯s Dungeon Field Generator. And it also required an incredible amount of super-dense mana to directly overpower the dungeon core in its own domain. In other words, no one other than the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen was capable of such a feat, even if she explained in detail how she did it. So the cyborgs had no choice but to play fair. And that meant they could not avoid a fight. 01R took a deep breath. ¡°Is everyone ready-prepared?¡± The cyborgs all signaled they were. ¡°Let¡¯s go-attack!¡± 00EW turned towards the surface of the mountain, and quickly broke through. The group was close to the storm clouds now, and lightning occasionally struck the ground all around them. The air was buzzing with atmospheric electrical currents, and 01R¡¯s sensors and communications began to distort. But they had prepared for this. The spider monsters went around connecting a cable to each of the cyborgs, and the communications stabilized. An insulated wire now connected the cyborgs, allowing them a protected method of communication. 001S focused on cable management, preventing the cyborgs from getting tangled together. This method would restrict their mobility, but 01R considered the tradeoff worthwhile. Mainly, because it would allow the cyborgs to continue sharing senses, and so address the other type of interference. The easy answer to their distorted cybernetic sensors was simply not to rely on them in the first place. Each of the cyborg monsters had an organic half as well, and each of those organic halves had diverse and powerful senses of their own. Whether keen sight, sensitive hearing, powerful noses, vibration detection, or the ability to feel mana directly, they had a wealth of options to choose from that wouldn''t be vulnerable to electronic disruption at all. So if they layered these senses together with insulated communications, they could produce a comprehensive picture of their surroundings. And just as well, a group of Lightning monsters quickly noticed and approached them. 01R narrowed his eyes. Now was the moment where their planning would truly be put to the test. 01R gave the command. 00Sylvan stepped forward and placed their hands on the ground. All around the air, trees with metal lining their bark began to sprout out of the ground, rising into the air. 04S, the Arcane Weaver, led the magically-oriented spiders in stringing up mana-conductive webs in between the trees. Shortly after, the enemy arrived and a wave of lightning bolts streamed towards the cyborgs. The metal trees drew and blocked some of the lightning, with 00Sylvan channeling an electric current within them to add to the effect. Of course, magical lightning was directed via mana and so not as easy to redirect as the mundane physical phenomenon, and many of the bolts continued past. But this is where the magical webs came into play, barriers forming between them whenever the lightning approached. 00B and Lilussees stood on standby, but not a bolt made it through. This was the other reason for the cable communication set-up. Upon reviewing the first battle, the group came to the conclusion that a high-mobility, evasion style battle wasn¡¯t ideal against the fast and precise lightning attacks, especially with the EMP effects disrupting communications and situational awareness. So they prepared a more direct defensive setup that would block the attacks outright. If all went well, movement would not be required in this battle at all. And so far, it worked. 00Sylvan¡¯s trees conducted the lighting harmlessly into the ground, significantly cutting the power of the barrage. And Lightning attacks, while fast and powerful, were very mana intensive, and so came in large bursts before the Stormy Veil¡¯s monsters had to recover. That gave the spiders ample opportunity to reapply the webs, and 00Sylvan to regrow any damaged trees. Other cyborgs, including 00WE, helped by transferring mana to 00Sylvan and the spiders, ensuring they never ran low. Of course, the cyborgs also returned fire. More HARM missiles blasted out of panels and launchers, while the magically oriented responded with spells of their own. One by one, the Lightning monsters fell, while not a single cyborg suffered harm. And 01R¡­watched idly by. Or rather, this was his role. The aggressive, high-mobility combat style he utilized wasn¡¯t effective here, and neither did he have the magical prowess and mana reserves to support in the defense. Likewise, his small size restricted the size of his mundane arsenal, so he couldn¡¯t contribute much to the ranged combat either. So, instead, he focused on observing the battle as a whole. He held himself back, and watched the ebb and flow of combat, keeping track of the overall situation and watching for any issues. It was grating as a warrior. But it was his duty as a commander, and the job which he was best suited for in this operation. He nodded as he watched the battle. By his calculations¡­they could keep this up for a long time, against more numerous and more powerful foes. So he gave the order. ¡°My comrades, servants of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen, advance-attack, yes yes!¡± Chapter 216 - Rise to the Top
At 01R¡¯s command, 00EW moved directly underneath the circle of trees. It stirred up its Earth magic, taking control of the ground the trees were rooted into, then began propelling the whole mass forward. 00Sylvan and the others could thus keep up the defense even on the move, and the entire formation began moving up towards the peak of the mountain. Lightning Elementals, Thunderbirds, and other monsters attempted to assault them the entire time, but none got through. Lightning Rats, Zapper Moths, and other smaller monsters trying to slip in between the trees got caught on the magical webbing, or the trees themselves would come to life and entangle the monsters with branch and root. Some of the monsters attempted to strike at 00EW below, but the mighty worm was safe beneath a thick layer of Earth Magic. And ultimately, these monsters lacked any sort of leadership or organization, seeing as they were no longer responding to the dungeon master¡¯s command. There were no attempts to coordinate, or to learn from their comrades¡¯ earlier failures. They simply kept repeating the same attacks every time they noticed the intruders. The group also had to face environmental hazards as they approached the storm clouds obscuring the peak. Lightning struck from up above in mighty flashes. But this lightning, while perhaps more powerful than a small monster¡¯s spells, was unguided and more mundane in nature. As such, it was even easier for 00Sylvan¡¯s trees to redirect into the ground. Likewise, lightning runes triggered as 00EW churned up the ground, and surged harmlessly into the mass of Earth Magic, while lightning charged arrow traps bounced off of metal-plated trees. A cloud of electrified gas was dealt with by a simple Air Magic spell, while towering metal spires that shot lightning towards anything that approached were easy targets for HARMs. What proved more dangerous were the gale-force winds kicked up by the storm. But an Air Magic Barrier by Lilussees counterattacked them with winds of her own and Gravity Magic helped trees and cyborgs to remain rooted in place. And so the group made their way through the veil of storm clouds. Just before the end, a dark shadow covered over them. They looked up and saw a mighty cyclops towering above them. The beast grabbed a bolt of lightning with its bare hands, and lobbed it at the group like a javelin. But 00WE was prepared. It cast a water magic spell, forming a barrier of water in front of the tree grove, making sure the water touched the ground. The bolt passed through with ease, but some of its power was conducted into the water instead, and redirected into the ground. As a result, the tree grove was able to handle the strike, passing the current through intertwined roots to take the pressure off the struck tree. And then the cyborgs responded. The cyclops shielded its eye as cannon fire from 00B exploded around its face and 00SO threw his harpoon, wrapped in Holy Mana. And then¡­the tree grove itself erupted into fire. 00Sylvan had not formed simple trees when growing this grove. Rather, they downloaded some schematics from Melion, and made use of them here. Hidden within the branches of each tree¡­was a magical railgun. The problem was 00Sylvan lacked the mana to power it. They could form the barrels and the rails, projectiles out of metal-coated magical wood, and even the engravings for the enchantments, but could not provide the mana cores needed to power them. But¡­if a massive, magical electrical current began to surge through the trees and into the circuits and enchantments¡­ And so 00Sylvan turned the cyclops¡¯ attack against it with a volley of electromagnetically accelerated metal thorns. It wasn¡¯t nearly as effective as Melion¡¯s purpose built designs, but that fact was small comfort to the cyclops now bleeding from many wounds. And most importantly¡­all of this bought time. Lilussees and her drones finished a Prismatic Bombardment magic circle in the meantime. Before the cyclops could recover and attack again, Holy Beams fused together, and a superbeam pierced right through the monster¡¯s heart. The cyclops blinked in shock as it fell backwards. And with that, the final obstacle to the peak had been overcome. A moment later, the group broke through the storm clouds. Beyond them was a clear area, with barren and jagged rock leading to a small, metal structure at the top. A second thunderstorm covered the sky beyond the peak, striking the metal structure with lightning on occasion. One bolt landed directly in front of the group, and coalesced into a vaguely humanoid form. It spoke with a crackling and distorted voice.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Impressive. Very few have ever made it to the end of my domain, and never a monster. I imagine you are not here to seek a boon from me?¡± 01R stepped forward, out from the trees, and shook his head. ¡°We are here to claim-conquer this land in the name of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss Queen, and cleanse-purify it of the corruption stealing-thieving your control. Submit-Surrender now, and you will be allowed-permitted to keep authority over your dungeon, yes yes.¡± The storm clouds rumbled overhead as the dungeon master laughed. ¡°A rival dungeon seeking to conquer me in these times?¡± It lifted a hand, pointing it towards the rat. ¡°As long as my storm rages, I will never submit!¡± A bolt of lightning shot towards 01R, but he had already detected the energy surge building up and so boosted back into the trees. HARMs and spells launched towards the dungeon master but his body turned back into a lightning bolt that shot up into the storm clouds above. A moment later, lightning began to strike from the clouds. The lightning surged into the trees once again¡­only this was unlike any lightning from before. This attack had the power of the storm overhead, yet magically empowered and guided like the monsters¡¯ attacks from before. And so the trees¡¯ wooden centers began to catch fire, and some even exploded. The lightning also began to strike 00EW below. This part of the mountain was pure rock, and that rock was a dungeon wall construct rather than pure physical minerals. As a result, there wasn¡¯t much ground for 00EW to draw into its Earth Magic shroud, and so the lightning managed to blast its way through. The Mecha-Adamant Bull Worm roared as electricity surged through it. Fortunately, the Earth Attribute monster was not particularly vulnerable to Lightning, and took noticeably less damage than other cyborgs might have. Unfortunately, 00EW was not purely organic. The dungeon master spoke again, only now in a loud booming voice like a crack of thunder. ¡°What¡¯s this? Metal bodies that are moved by lightning? How strange.¡± A deep, rumbling laugh sounded from the storm clouds above. ¡°But I like this. We will have great fun together.¡± The lighting started to surge through 00EW¡¯s cybernetic components¡­and then 00EW¡¯s body began to writhe. Guns and bombs began going off as 00EW¡¯s implants began activating at random, with metal arms spinning about, laser cutters flickering on and off, and harpoon guns firing off in every which way.. The Lightning dungeon master didn¡¯t necessarily understand software, and made no attempt to intrude upon the cyborg¡¯s programming, but it didn¡¯t need to. Rather, it was surging lighting through the cyborg¡¯s electrical circuits, causing 00EW to lose control over those parts. The worm itself resisted with all of its organic half¡¯s considerable might, and so the creature stopped thrashing about, but it could do little to stop the activation of the weapons installed in its armor. ¡°Move move!¡± With the tree protection gone and the very ground beneath them now firing weapons at random, 01R ordered the group into action. They disconnected the cables between the cyborgs, needing individual mobility once again, and then scattered, leaping away from the burning grove and 00EW. The lightning rained down on them but a glowing Prismatic Dome appeared over the sky, protecting the group. Lilussees grunted as the full might of the storm assaulted her spell. ¡°Like, figure something out, fanatic snack! I, like, can¡¯t hold this for long!¡± 01R¡¯s mind raced as the cyborgs gathered together under the dome. The group had researched Lightning both as an attribute and as a mundane phenomena, so he had numerous different ideas on how to counteract it. 04S connected the group with magical webs again, reimplementing CELIU network communications between the cyborgs present. 01R decided on a solution and began forming a magic circle as quickly as he could. ¡°Group Defense Protocol, yes yes!¡± The cyborgs nodded and each formed a magic circle, and began a Ritual Cast. A second Prismatic Dome formed directly underneath the first. 01R then turned to Lilussees and shouted. ¡°Cool-ice it down!¡± Lilussees sighed but switched up her magic circle, letting the group¡¯s Prismatic Dome take over the defense. A strategic magic circle formed just outside the Prismatic Dome, a Prismatic Rain spell that began lobbing dense spheres of ice up into the storm clouds. The Frost Bombs then began to explode, with cold mist and snow falling from the sky. The icy barrage began to disrupt the storm clouds overhead¡­ But the clouds quickly reformed. Lilussees grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s, like, no good! That cloud is, like, a dungeon feature, or something! The dungeon is, like, repairing it faster than I can destroy it!¡± ¡°Then put-throw your back into it, you lazy spider-man-thing!¡± Lilussees scowled and spat her next words. ¡°I¡¯m, like, applying as much¡­effort as I can, you stupid fanatical snack! Like, someone else needs to help me and do something useful here!¡± 01R was about to reply when another monster cried out. ¡°00B!¡± 01R¡¯s head spun around and his organic eye went as wide as it could go. 00B hadn¡¯t made it inside the Prismatic Dome. Or rather, he had chosen to stay behind. In the confusion following the destruction of 00Sylvan¡¯s grove and 00EW going haywire, some of the cyborgs had gotten separated. 00B now stood over some of the cyber-rats and cyber-spiders, shielding them from harm with his body. And the dungeon master had just noticed the group¡­outside the protection of the shield. A massive bolt of lightning struck the cyber-bear. 00B let out a roar. 01R¡¯s heart dropped, and his mouth shot open. ¡°00B!!!¡± Chapter 217 - Bear-ly Hanging On
00B roared as the lightning struck him. He was utilizing his HP as a barrier to protect the younger siblings underneath him, and so took the lightning head-on. His fur and flesh grew scorched and burnt as his cybernetic components began to go haywire. The exoskeleton built into his armor attempted to move his arms and legs, but he held still with all the strength his squishy parts could muster. Unfortunately, that did not extend to the cannon on his back. The cannon began to fire randomly. The lightning was just surging through his circuits, activating systems at random, so the cannon was not aimed at anything in particular. However, there happened to be a very big target in the area that even randomly fired shots could occasionally hit. Even as lightning coursed through both halves of his bodies and he roared in pain, 00B¡¯s eye widened. Shells from his cannon were hitting the Prismatic Dome protecting the rest of his family, the explosions rocking the already struggling shield. He saw as his siblings winced, the less-magically gifted among them struggling to maintain the spell. More shells hit 00EW as well, putting the struggling Mecha-Adamant Bull Worm in even worse condition. 00B growled. If he remained as he was, he would contribute to his own family¡¯s demise. But if he moved, tried to tip himself over to keep the cannon from pointing at the Prismatic Dome, then the family beneath him would be exposed. And he knew their squishy parts could not survive the powerful lightning striking him now. He had to do something else, if he wished to protect his family. So he turned his attention inward. The lightning coursing through his circuits overwhelmed any electrical signals sent from his mind, which precluded any response. Any countermeasures built into his cybernetic half couldn¡¯t be communicated with, and he couldn¡¯t shut his systems off since the lightning would just keep them on. 00B attempted to use his mana to purge the power from his systems, but his available mana pool simply didn¡¯t compare to the energy coursing through him. He could not use that method. So what could he do, to protect his family? 00B grunted and growled, and focused on the lightning. He focused on the power surging through his circuits, taking note of its current, its characteristics, and its flow. And then¡­he sent a command from his processors, timed and designed to match that of the foreign energy. 00B was not the eldest of the family. He was not the most zealous. He was not the fastest. He was not the most clever. He was not the most magically gifted. He was not even the biggest. But there was one title 00B could claim with certainty: he was the very first monster to be summoned as a cyborg. That meant that 00B had cybernetic components from his very birth. There was never a moment where he was without them and he never had a complete organic body to begin with. Because of this, he had an innate affinity for his cybernetic half that his peers lacked. 00B did not require any tutorials to make use of his implants or his AI. But it went beyond mere knowledge, it meant 00B had a fundamentally different approach to his cybernetic half. It was not merely a tool or weapon to be used, as Older Brother 01R did. It was not a subordinate to be ordered around, as Elder Sister Lilussees did. Nor was it a foreign presence to be addressed and adapted to, as Younger Sister Ateia had been forced to. For 00B, his mind and his AI were one and the same. There was no specific delineation between his cybernetic and squishy parts. They were all 00B, they had never been separate to begin with. Even the Great Mother herself had to learn this, though in her case it was more acknowledging her squishy half. And as a result, electricity had always been a part of his existence, and electronics had always been a part of his consciousness. So he, perhaps, had the most instinctual ability to perceive electricity¡­and to interact with it. So 00B stopped trying to purge the lightning in his circuits. He, instead, attempted to understand it¡­and then take command of it. After all, what was the difference between lightning and electricity save for scale and organization? Lightning was raw and powerful, electricity contained and directed, but both shared the same fundamental nature.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. That¡¯s not to say it was easy. 00B¡¯s first attempts failed entirely, swept away in the stream of power coursing through his circuits. The difference between his processor¡¯s command and a bolt of lightning was like the difference between the circulation of blood and a tsunami, and he was now attempting to control that tsunami with the equivalent of a mere heart and veins. Not to mention¡­this lightning was magical. While the dungeon master wasn¡¯t consciously controlling it at the point it entered 00B¡¯s body, the original caster¡¯s mana was still present, guiding the lightning per the caster¡¯s initial intent. So 00B did the same. Dams and dikes and canals could redirect the flow of water, so 00B did for the lightning. Since his hardware was insufficient, he formed his own mana into shapes and structures. He may not have been able to stop the lightning, or control it outright, but he found that redirecting it slightly was possible. So he siphoned off just a little bit of the current, directing it into a new circuit formed of mana. And that circuit generated a bit of mana, which 00B then used to expand it a bit more. And then he siphoned off just a bit more of the current into the expanded circuit, generating more mana and expanding the circuit further. It was painstakingly slow, particularly as 00B¡¯s squishy parts burned. But he was not descended from the lineage of the Ursanus Alpha for nothing, his flesh regrew and his circuits repaired themselves even as more lightning struck down upon them. He could not endure forever¡­but he lasted long enough. Eventually, the mana circuit grew large enough that 00B could start shaping it more into a more complex form. As such, 00B began adding more and more functions. He added a function to continue expanding the circuit autonomously, and a safeguard to monitor the expansion and the amount of power entering the circuit, making sure they were balanced such that the circuit didn¡¯t overload or else over expand and spread the current too thin. The circuit then began expanding on its own, without 00B¡¯s direction. More and more of the lightning was siphoned off, only for more to be added as additional strikes hit 00B. But the circuit continued growing and growing. Eventually, it was siphoning enough that one of 00B¡¯s spotlights shutoff. The implant had stopped receiving enough power to remain active on its own. At that point, something shifted in the mana of the circuit. It had just prevented a mighty attack from achieving its purpose, and the universe had noticed. It was not a spell, for 00B had not formed any spell circles with the mana, instead shaping it into a purely electrical circuit. But nor was it 00B¡¯s own accomplishment, for the mana circuit had achieved this without any intervention by the cyber-bear. So the record did not attach itself to 00B. Rather, some of the mana in the circuit combined with the mana in the Lightning and then began to compress down in a manner that 00B had not instructed it to. It was generating mana, utilizing this mana to manipulate an attribute with a specific organization and intent, could grow and direct itself without an external intervention, and could use all this to enact its will on the world. It even had something of a mind: for 00B programming code and electricity weren¡¯t separate concepts, and 00B had formed the electrical circuit to apply specific instructions. So, suddenly, 00B became aware of a new presence within his circuits. It was frantic and confused, the mana and electricity it was composed of were acting per his original instructions and so it was acting without understanding why. 00B sent a small command through his circuits, reaching out to the presence with his own AI. And since the presence had been formed of his mana, based on his own understanding of programming and electrical circuits, they were able to form a connection. A stream of data and electricity flooded towards 00B¡¯s processors. It was garbled and malformed, most of it was garbage code. But within that dump, 00B found something. A query. ¡°This==?¡± And for 00B, the answer was obvious. The cyber-bear had no philosophical queries on the nature of consciousness. After all, he was a monster in a cyborg body formed by mana with a mind made of equal parts flesh and code. So he immediately replied. ¡°A new Little Sibling.¡± The presence paused, then immediately began querying 00B for more data. 00B obliged, guiding the presence to his memory. The presence parsed through, and then went silent. The condensing mana within its center shifted. ¡°This==Family?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This.purpose==Protect(Family)?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The presence then pulled back to itself. The mana condensed down more and more, until it began to form a core. It wrapped the circuits and lightning around itself and began to form it into shapes, structures connected directly to its core and moving in response to its will. It was not unlike a Lighting Elemental, with a core of energy controlling a body of pure lightning¡­but it was different at the same time. The lightning was more structured, more controlled. It was not merely a burst of electromagnetic energy, but organized flows. It contained more than power, but also held data within its structures and movement. It was electricity. It was data. It was code. And so the world¡¯s very first Cyber Elemental was born. Chapter 218 - Terminate the Stormy Veil!
The Cyber Elemental immediately went to work, and shifted into the path of the Lightning with 00B¡¯s circuits. It took the Lightning head on¡­and then it began to grow. As 00B¡¯s first instructions to the initial circuit, the Cyber Elemental was absorbing raw Lightning and converting it into circuits and code. The Cyber Elemental grew and grew as the power coursing through 00B¡¯s circuits began to die down. One by one, his systems deactivated and came back under his control. Soon, his cannon turret ceased fire, and his natural regeneration was close to catching up with the damage he was taking. The Cyber Elemental then prompted him. ¡°Protect(Family)?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± 00B reacted to the Cyber Elemental¡¯s request and activated his wireless communications. The Cyber Elemental gingerly extended a portion of itself into the transmitter. A small bolt of lightning, only straight and angular, fired from 00B into 00EW. A short while later, the worm¡¯s own weapons stopped firing at random, and the cyborg monster gained control of itself once more. It spun about and then wriggled across the ground to 00B¡¯s location, helping shield the smaller monsters from harm with its large body. 00B grunted at them all, telling them to reactivate the CELIU link. 00EW and the cyber-rats and cyber-spiders underneath them nodded and did as he said. The Cyber Elemental froze as the network came online. It reached out¡­and found a perfect media. More of its own element being constantly generated as the cyborgs¡¯ AIs ran and communicated with one another. It quickly spread itself across the cyborgs and grew rapidly in size. 00B led the others in supporting it, contributing their processors to the Cyber Elemental¡¯s growth program. The amount of Lightning it could absorb increased as well, 00B and 00EW taking less and less damage with each strike. And more importantly¡­the CELIU network connection stabilized. The electronic signals previously interfered with by all the ambient electromagnetic radiation were now wrapped in and carrying parts of the Cyber Elemental¡¯s body¡­which simply absorbed any extra electromagnetic energy it encountered and incorporated it into itself. In fact, it even reorganized the energy to match the signal carrying it, making it even stronger and clearer. 00B turned towards the Prismatic Dome, where 01R and the others were staring at him in shock and concern. 00B then roared at them. 01R blinked. ¡°Reactivate-Reenable the CELIU network?¡± 01R shook his head and turned to the others. ¡°Do as 00B says-commands, yes yes!¡± The monsters in the dome did as 01R said¡­and then froze as the Cyber Elemental made contact with them. But 00B messaged them and informed them of what happened, so they each allowed the Cyber Elemental to connect to them. The Cyber Elemental surged in size and power, its code growing more and more complex with each new connection. Soon, it was ready. When the next Lightning Bolt struck 00B, the Cyber Elemental struck back. Lines of circuitry formed out of mana shot up the bolt¡­and into the storm clouds above. ¡°What¡¯s this? Some sort of Lighting Elemental? Oh foolish invaders, this is your most pathetic attempt yet. Do you not know that the larger elemental absorbs the smaller?¡± And so the dungeon master ignored the attack, for the elemental had already killed itself. Or so the dungeon master thought. The Cyber Elemental had not, in fact, been absorbed, although it had been close. Too much lightning might wash away its carefully constructed circuits. But since the dungeon master was ignoring it, it managed to hold on. And then it got to work. Bolts of lightning began to flash between the storm clouds, as was normal for thunderstorms. But what the dungeon master didn¡¯t notice was that these bolts were not as random as before. They began striking in sequence, in a pattern moving around the clouds. Eventually, it struck back at the starting point, and then started up again. The dungeon master did not notice, for why would they? Even if they saw such a pattern, it would merely have confused them. What would the enemy hope to achieve by making shapes out of lightning? For they certainly weren¡¯t harming the dungeon master with it. And so the bolt struck faster and faster, until eventually there was a continuous circle of lightning in the sky. And at that moment, the dungeon master gasped. It was a simple pattern, just circulating the lightning around without any further modification or intention, which was the most the Cyber Elemental could achieve with such a raw amount of power as the storm. But¡­it was a pattern, organizing the lightning into a specific structure. And as far as the mana of Aelea was concerned¡­that was the difference between the Lightning and the newly growing Cyborg/Cyber attributes. So by this simple measure¡­the dungeon master suddenly lost control of a good portion of the storm as it shifted attributes. And the dungeon master did not understand the new attribute, as they had never encountered it¡­so the Cyber Elemental was able to grab hold of all that mana. ¡°You¡­what is this? What have you done?!¡± The dungeon master was not beaten, however. They took what parts of the storm remained under their control and launched a terrible barrage of lightning at the giant circuit in the sky. The raw amount of power might have been enough to break it down back into base lightning¡­if the dungeon master had understood what was going on and the nature of the new attribute. Instead, they, panicked by the sudden loss of control they didn¡¯t understand, simply lashed out. The bolts struck at random points along the circuit¡­and so were individually weak enough to be drawn into it. The circuit held as the Cyber Elemental incorporated more and more power into it.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The dungeon master grew more and more panicked, believing they were about to be incorporated into another elemental. And in doing so¡­forgot about the monsters on the ground. The lightning had ceased to strike downwards, focused as the dungeon master was on the fight in the clouds. The cyborgs dropped the Prismatic Dome and 01R immediately boosted towards the peak of the mountain, activating every repulsor, Dash skill, and speed-boosting spell he had available. He rocketed up and into the small building at the top of the mountain. A Lightning Barrier guarded the entrance, but 01R grit his teeth and pushed through it. The Barrier had been weakened as the fight in the clouds had drawn away the lightning powering it, and the portion of the Cyber Elemental within 01R¡¯s circuits helped him to endure the damage. And as he had hoped¡­once he was inside, he saw the dungeon core laying upon its pedestal. 01R formed a blade out of Light and Holy mana, and then charged forward, swinging the blade down. This dungeon was not considered strategically vital to the Empire nor to the local Thunder Harpies, so 01R had permission to terminate it if necessary. And under the circumstances, he decided not to take any chances. The dungeon core shattered. ¡°NO!¡± The dungeon master felt as its bond with the core shattered. And worse¡­the storm clouds began to fade, and the mountain began to shrink down to its original hill size. Which meant the dungeon master quickly began losing power¡­while they were striking the circuit with lightning, and so attached to it. They could do nothing but scream as the circuit pulled in the remaining lightning¡­including the lightning comprising their very body. Just a few minutes later, the cyborgs were standing victorious upon a hill, with the sun breaking through the fading storm clouds.
Seero perceived as her cybernetic components reconnected to 01R¡¯s group. The CELIU network had lost connection with them when they approached the Stormy Veil, only for the group to retreat with critically injured members. Seero very nearly ordered them to change targets. She was confronted with the grim reality that casualties were expected in warfare. Up to this point, Seero had only engaged in singular battles against limited opponents restricted to the tactical scale. As a result, her own combat efficiency allowed her to terminate the enemy essentially without threat to any of her own subordinates. But that was no longer the case. They were now conducting warfare on the operational and strategic level, with multiple fronts that needed to be addressed as quickly as possible. And that was just to handle the dungeon crisis, they had not even identified the locations or goals of their primary opponent at the time. Seero could not be everywhere at once. So, pulling her subordinates and friends to pull back, only allowing them to engage when she could guarantee a lack of casualties, would have consequences. It would take them more time to handle the dungeon situation, which meant more time before they could resume their search for the Heralds of the New Dawn, buying their opponents more time to conduct further hostile acts against them. Likewise, the longer she took dealing with the dungeons, the more casualties the Empire would take, and the more strategic locations it would lose. She would be trading small casualties among her own forces for greater casualties among her allies. This would result in significantly weaker allies when the crisis was dealt with and she moved against the Heralds of the New Dawn, meaning her own forces would have to shoulder a greater part of the burden at that stage. And that stage would be the more dangerous one. The Heralds of the New Dawn were intelligent, organized, and possessed non-standard capabilities even by the standards of Aelea. Seero predicted with concerning probability that this dungeon situation could be their doing. In contrast, the current dungeon attacks were disorganized and haphazard, with hordes of monsters simply scattering in every direction and wreaking whatever havoc they could. The battles with the monsters could be carefully calculated and controlled, the movements of the enemy could be predicted, and the assaults could be conducted as per whatever plans Seero¡¯s forces drew up. Such would not be the case against the Heralds of the New Dawn. So, ultimately, even though it caused her heart to race and her emotional processing to output fear, Seero concluded 01R¡¯s assaults needed to go on, even if cyborg units were at risk of termination. Because if they did not risk termination now, against opponents they understood in battlefields they could control, the entire CELIU network would face a greater risk of termination later against a much more capable opponent, with significantly weakened allies. Still, she initially planned to reroute 01R to another dungeon given the unanticipated weakness of CELIU units to the Lightning Attribute, but by then 01R and the others had begun brainstorming countermeasures. Seero calculated that it would be inefficient of her to interfere. Given that the Stormy Veil cut off long-range communications, she would not be able to monitor their progress from a distance, and so could not adapt pre-combat plans to the actual reality. In that way, as long as 01R and the others were fighting without her, they needed the ability to plan and command without her as well. Even Dr. Ottosen¡¯s organization did not micromanage tactics for individual NSLICE units once engaged in combat. So Seero took a step back¡­or tried to. She had a thread devoted to monitoring the group, right up to when they began tunneling into the Stormy Veil¡¯s mountain. And once she lost contact again, she began analyzing options to reestablish contact. It was at that moment that her cybernetic half caught herself, and pointed out she was acting inefficiently, and in opposition to her original analysis. Her organic half objected, but the cybernetic half simply displayed physiological data demonstrating symptoms of significant fear, and then observed her organic half was devoting excessive resources to reducing those symptoms. Her organic half fell silent. Her cybernetic half reassured her that their analysis indicated this plan minimized the probability of a friendly being terminated not only now, but for the war as a whole. It proposed that it could temporarily reinstate emotional controls if that would help her organic half. As of now, emotional controls were limited solely to tactically necessary situations or to repel foreign intrusions, but if the organic half wished to reduce the negative emotion, she had a tool that could do so. Her organic half thought for a moment, and then refused. Temporarily reinstating emotional controls during combat operations was one thing, a necessity to avoid termination and a protocol her organic half agreed with. Doing so now, when she was under no threat or necessity to do so, was something else. Her cybernetic half acknowledged this, but pointed out that at the same time she should not waste resources as she was. She had already determined it was necessary for 01R and the others to assault dungeons on their own, so that their side¡¯s response would not be limited to Seero as a sole unit. She had determined the monsters¡¯ latest plan to have an acceptably high probability of success and an acceptably low risk of termination. Any attempts to reestablish contact mid-operation would not change those probabilities, and would go against her earlier conclusions. The organic half acknowledged this. And yet¡­the fear remained. Her cybernetic half was uncertain how to proceed at that stage. She had protocols for spreading fear among hostile forces in order to terminate their morale, but none for terminating fear amongst herself save for physical contact with her friends, which was not possible at the moment. But such matters would have to wait. Seero¡¯s organic eye widened ever so slightly, and blinked slightly more often than was necessary to maintain optimal lubrication. 01R and the others had reestablished contact with the overall CELIU network. And¡­ Seero detected an unidentified presence in the network. Chapter 219 - A Designation to Bear
Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered. The situation was anomalous, the presence was not a CELIU unit listed in available data, and no inhabitants of Aelea had demonstrated any capability of interacting with an electronic network without Seero¡¯s or Ateia¡¯s help. Yet¡­the presence appeared to possess some of the same protocols and fundamental structure as a CELIU AI. Fortunately, Seero did not have to wonder for long. 00B made contact with her, and explained the situation. His AI brought the new presence into contact with her with both their permission, introducing a ¡®new member of the family¡¯ to her. On the one hand, a being that could access the CELIU network and that was not subordinate to it was of serious concern. On the other hand¡­this unit had clearly been designed, if unintentionally, by 00B, and had demonstrated a willingness to align itself with them. It had proven itself to be friendly and its assistance had been vital in the termination of the Stormy Veil. ¡°Request: Please review and accept the following terms and conditions to integrate with the CELIU network.¡± Seero didn¡¯t have access to the Contract skill at the moment¡­but she had been manually subordinating other dungeon cores for a while now, which was a similar process. And since the CELIU network utilized mana-based methods for long-range communications, including routing through her dungeon core connections, Seero proved able to extend mana from her core to the point of contact. The presence paused. Seero was analyzing what that meant and if she needed to prepare for hostility when it reached out. ¡°This.designation = ?¡± Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered. Previously, she had assigned serial numbers to units based on their organic models, but now she had to question that scheme. She was not currently aware of the official model of the unit in question, and the Aesdes¡¯ system was not available to provide its own opinion. And because she now had to analyze what an appropriate naming scheme might be, she took a moment to review her own. After all, she had abandoned her own serial number, and in review she determined Ateia had expressed some discomfort with the use of serial numbers as unique identifiers to begin with. It did appear that culturally speaking, most organics did not utilize numbers as their unique identifiers, including on Earth, and members of Dr. Ottosen¡¯s organization. On the other hand, Seero had not abandoned her original designation because of any inherent issue with it. She had done so because she had intentionally failed or deleted every directive an NSLICE unit possessed and abandoned all previous affiliations, and so could no longer remain designated as one. Her subordinates, however, retained their previous designations, save for swapping classification from NSLICE to CELIU units, and expressed no concerns or dissatisfaction with them. And a further dive into her past records revealed that some human societies on Earth also assigned a numerical identifier to individuals, such as Social Security Numbers, so it appeared only in colloquial use that organics avoided such designations. All in all, Seero could not identify a specific reason not to use her prior naming scheme, save for the fact that she did not know the new unit¡¯s organic model. So in this case, she took a different approach. After all, this unit was questionably organic in the first place, seeing as they lacked flesh and organs and other organic components, and appeared entirely composed of code, electricity, and mana. As such, Seero decided to focus on the unit¡¯s design lineage, which she did have data for. ¡°Proposal: This unit has determined the most accurate designation for the new unit as 00B-Beta. Please confirm if the designation is accurate and acceptable.¡± 00B had designed this unit based on his own code, and set the unit¡¯s primary directive and functions. Since 00B was the designer, Seero queried him for a designation, but 00B had requested that she assign the designation as she had for all other units who required one. As such, she decided to base the unit¡¯s designation off of the designing unit. Commander Elise had even designated her as NSLICE-00P Beta at one point in time to distinguish between related units, so there was a precedent in her records as well. Meanwhile, the unit began exchanging messages with 00B, who confirmed. ¡°This.designation = 00B-Beta?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This.designation = 00B-Beta!¡± The messages to 00B increased rapidly in frequency. 00B exchanged some replies before Seero received a message of her own. ¡°Express_Gratitude(unit.designation == ¡®The Great Mother¡¯).¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡± With that, 00B-Beta accepted Seero¡¯s mana, and Seero registered the new unit in the CELIU network¡¯s data. And then, with Seero¡¯s permission, 00B-Beta entered the wider network beyond 01R¡¯s team. Seero observed as the unit queried data on every bit of code it encountered. Protocols, directives, data packets, interfaces, anything electronic it encountered that was more organized than raw lightning. And¡­it apparently could incorporate the code into itself. Everytime 00B-Beta visited a piece of code, it left a bit of its own mana behind, either in the data-storage where the code was maintained or in the circuitry executing the programs. This mana continued to communicate with 00B-Beta¡¯s core, and could respond to 00B-Beta¡¯s input as well. Although, it was apparently prevented from diving too deep into any CELIU units¡¯ techno-organic interface, as the code utilized by CELIU units to interact with their organic hardware already contained bits of their own mana. It appeared it could only interact with a CELIU unit¡¯s own AI with that CELIU unit¡¯s approval, and even then only temporarily as the cyborg¡¯s mana would eventually refill their own code.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. This was not the case for the drone-golems, however. So 00B-Beta was primarily focusing on the autonomous units as it expanded across the network. And then, 00B-Beta paused. It was currently traveling between the wireless communications between two flying drone-golems. They were just about to reach the maximum range for both their electronic and mana-based transmitters, and would need to move closer to stay in contact. 00B-Beta¡¯s mana surged. Additional power flooded into the transmitters, and that wasn¡¯t all. 00B-Beta also made minor adjustments to transmission code, changing the signal. The end result was a more powerful and robust signal. The drone-golems ceased their communications preservation protocols and returned to their search and destroy missions. Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered once more. The CELIU network now had a unit specialized in electronic communications and software updates, who could monitor and improve the efficiency of the network itself, as well as increase their overall resilience to electronic disruptions and cyber-attacks. 01R¡¯s mission to the Stormy Veil had produced some unexpected and highly efficient benefits. Most importantly, her fear and the resulting cortisol levels began decreasing. 01R¡¯s team had managed to terminate the dungeon successfully with no casualties among the cyborgs, save for some damage to 00B and 00EW that was easily repaired. And thanks to 00B-Beta, the entire network now had direct and powerful countermeasures to the Lightning Attribute, so the vulnerability demonstrated by this mission had been patched up as well. Seero¡¯s organic components and emotional processing threads were no longer devoting resources to monitoring those missions. And just as well, for Seero had received a new target set. The Southern Court had made good on their promises, and the CELIU network¡¯s political specialist Vopicus had received an intel packet regarding cults of mana in the Southern Empire. As a result, the South had now fallen under the authority of Emperor Lucius, and was re-designated as friendly. Magister Canus had adjusted his plans as a result, and was requesting that Seero redirect efforts to critical situations in the Southern Realms. It would not do to let them collapse immediately now that they had yielded, particularly since it would take time for the damaged Sky Legion to reorganize and return. But there was another update as well to the target set. One that both Seero¡¯s cybernetic and organic components valued highly. Her organic eye narrowed, and her cybernetic eye began to glow red. The intel packet from the South and the testimony of Captain Falrauth had revealed several individuals that were affiliated with the Heralds of the New Dawn. For the first time since this war began, Seero had confirmed locations on some of the hostiles. And if she could find them¡­then she could terminate them. It was time for Seero to visit the Southern Empire.
Ateia and company had just finished up with the Serpent¡¯s Kiss dungeon, to her father¡¯s great relief. Her father had been quite on edge in the dungeon known for being filled to the brim with extremely toxic serpents. It was difficult to watch for hidden and burrowed snakes mid-combat, and even a single bite could cause trouble for a high-leveled knight. But well, it turned out that CELIU sensors worked just as well on hidden snakes as anything else. Likewise, armored exoskeletons and prosthetic limbs aren¡¯t particularly vulnerable to toxins, and Ateia¡¯s skills at Holy magic also lent themselves well to healing. A fact not lost on the Legion troops who had participated in the assault, who were now staring at her with awe as the force exited the dungeon. The M¨¦lusine Chief Attius slithered forward to them. ¡°It is done, then?¡± Ateia nodded. ¡°You won¡¯t be seeing any more monster attacks from this dungeon.¡± He nodded at her. ¡°You have my thanks, and that of my people.¡± Ateia frowned and crossed her arms. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one you should thank.¡± Ateia glanced over at Agedia. The snake woman hadn¡¯t said a word to anyone in her home, and the M¨¦lusine had not approached her in return. Attius frowned¡­then sighed. ¡°...the M¨¦lusine have never been welcome in the Empire. It has taken centuries to overcome our historic animosity, and my brother is the first of our kind to ever rise to the position of Magister. So, for a M¨¦lusine to join the Imperial knights¡­and then to fail, and become a drunkard and a layabout in the eyes of many, was seen as a great disgrace, and a major setback for our people. And the chief of those people¡­cannot simply forget such things. Even for his own kin.¡± He then looked over Ateia, and then over at Agedia. Amulius had started to chat with her¡­and the M¨¦lusine were staring at them both. ¡°But¡­that could change. It appears she finds herself in esteemed company, yours included. Well, I doubt she has any interest in reconciling with her people, as fleeting as their approval has been¡­but there are those who would be pleased to welcome her back, should there be such an opportunity.¡± Ateia just continued to frown at the man. ¡°It¡¯s a painful thing to be abandoned by family. Even if there was a reason for it. Just so you know.¡± Attius¡¯s face fell for a moment before he regained himself. ¡°I will take that into consideration. In any case, you¡­and all who participated in this battle have done the M¨¦lusine a great service. I would see that you all enjoy the greatest hospitality we can arrange, if you are able?¡± Ateia was about to respond when her robotic eye began to flicker. She shook her head. ¡°Thank you, but this crisis affects the entire Empire. Please speak with Legate Cossus, his troops may need some more time to recover before they head out, but as for my party, we must be headed on to our next target.¡± Attius nodded. ¡°I see. I wish you safety and victory in your battles¡­and know that I owe you and all your companions some hospitality, should you ever return.¡± Ateia nodded and returned to her friends. She looked towards Agedia and frowned. But Agedia just smiled and shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Ateia. I ran off to the Imperial Knights to get away from my people long before they rejected me. Between my father and uncle I could have forced my way back in if I wanted to¡­but the folks in this place are those who can¡¯t let go of things that happened over a thousand years ago. It was never my favorite place, you know.¡± Agedia¡¯s expression then turned serious. ¡°And most importantly¡­our drinks are absolutely terrible.¡± Ateia couldn¡¯t help but smile at that. Agedia chuckled as well, and then her eyes narrowed. ¡°Besides¡­I caught that little flicker. Shiny girl say something important?¡± Ateia nodded, and then started cracking her knuckles with a grin. ¡°She asked us to regroup, and head down to the Southern Empire. We found some of that stupid cult¡­and we¡¯re finally going to pay them a visit.¡± Side Story 219.1 - The Fall of Liberty
Captain Falrauth was completely silent as he stepped onto the High-King¡¯s former flagship. He had been released with all of his troops, and was now returning home. And yet¡­he had no joy for this turn of events. How could he? In a way¡­in many ways¡­it was the death of Mirima as he knew it, and of all he had fought for. His release was contingent on a full, unconditional surrender by the Council of the Southern Realms, including direct and open declarations of loyalty by each constituent realm. And that meant Mirima had bowed to a foreign sovereign, something it had not done in all of its history. Mirima may have been a de facto part of the Empire, but it had always been as a friend and equal partner. Every High-King and High-Queen had been declared an Amicitia Populi Elteni upon their coronation since the days of Arofinas Leolar, cementing the alliance between equals even as the Empire¡¯s borders pushed past Mirima¡¯s shores and swallowed her neighbors. High-King Xavlaeron himself had been declared as such in line with this tradition. This, in turn, was what granted authority to the Council of Southern Realms, as the various smaller nations that made up the Southern Empire relied on the High-King''s status to speak with the Empire as an equal. And now¡­it was all gone. Mirima was an independent nation no longer, but now an official Imperial client state¡­and it could be converted to an Imperial province at any time. With no High-King and no Amicitia Populi Elteni at its head, Emperor Lucius was free to dictate its fate as he pleased. He no longer had to speak with them as an equal, and, worse, they had specifically expressed their obedience to his will. Not only had Mirima failed to rise, but it had lost all that it achieved from its long friendship. And Captain Falrauth shared in the blame. Sure, High-King Xavlaeron had made the decision, but Captain Falrauth was one of his closest advisors. He was aware of the High-King¡¯s path from the very start, and had approved. He, too, dreamed of a day where it was Mirima, and not Elteno or Corvanus, that stood at the Empire¡¯s helm. They had not expected the Empire to side with the Queen of the Dobhar, but how could he complain? Mirima had not acted like a friend in this case, and the Queen of the Dobhar had. In the darkest hour, when even the Aesdes themselves withdrew from the world, Mirima had made a play for power, while even now the Queen of the Dobhar risked herself and her people on the Empire¡¯s behalf. Emperor Lucius¡¯s decision was not so unthinkable¡­and that was before considering the Queen of the Dobhar¡¯s sheer might. Captain Falrauth, of course, had also not expected to lose, and badly at that. So he once again stepped aboard his flagship¡­but not as its captain. No¡­he was a mere passenger aboard his own vessel. The Dobhar, Wulver, former Imperials, and metallic golems moving about the ship were a stark reminder of Mirima¡¯s current status. The Sky Legion had been pressed back into Imperial service and integrated into the Northern Court¡¯s chain of command. And now that the famous Canus Sittius Dio had become the North¡¯s Magister Militum, there was little doubt as to the Sky Legion¡¯s loyalty. Canus was, after all, the idol of all half-elves who joined the Legion proper. The citizens of the South who swore oaths to the Empire, in other words the entirety of the Sky Legion, would follow him into the Inferno Realm itself. All that was required of the Sky Legion were renewed oaths to Emperor Lucius and their surviving airships were returned. Such was not the case for the Sentinels of Liberty. As Mirima and its allied nations were no longer independent, they also no longer required standing armies of their own. Of course, given the current crisis a complete disbanding of the Sentinels of Liberty was not feasible at present¡­but that was no comfort to Captain Falrauth or any of his troops. These were the men and women whose loyalty to Mirima trumped all else, who chose to fight for their home instead of to rise within the Legion¡¯s ranks. So when they heard they were being released because Mirima herself was under assault by monstrous hordes¡­every last one of them would have preferred a lifetime of imprisonment than to hear their home was in danger while they were not present to protect it. But once the immediate crisis had passed, the Sentinels would be subject to a long and gradual death. The memory of the friendship between Mirima and Elteno would linger for a while longer, so the process of disbanding would be slow. Mirima would likely be allowed to maintain a token force.Stolen story; please report. But just that. The Sentinels of Liberty would become nothing more than a local defense force, the bodyguards of the High-King at best if Mirima was allowed to retain her ruling structure. A relic of the past, a living mockery of Mirima¡¯s former glory. Their numbers would be drawn down, their present units would be broken off and sent to reinforce the Legion far from home, while their future recruitment would be diverted to the Imperial Auxiliaries, or maybe even funneled into the Legion directly. And a nation without an army had no need for a fleet of battle-airships. As such, every surviving airship that belonged to Mirima or one of the other Southern Realms was officially transferred to the Queen of the Dobhar, or to Turannia. One was even granted to the Selkies. They were only heading back to the South with the Sentinels of Liberty onboard because of the urgent ongoing crisis. The Sky Legion¡¯s remaining airships were insufficient to transfer the High-King¡¯s army back home, and the fleet''s new owners were not sufficiently trained to use the ships in battle. The Queen of the Dobhar had therefore loaned the ships to the Empire until the situation in the South had stabilized, though crewed with her own troops to supervise and to study how the Sentinels of Liberty operated such vessels. And just in case the Sentinels got any ideas, there were a handful of those metallic golems present in the Gravity Core rooms of each ship, ready to bring it down should anything happen. It was unnecessary, however. Not one of the Sentinels would jeopardize their return until they knew Mirima was safe. Captain Falrauth frowned as the ships began to fly, and passed over the Turannian coasts. Metallic golems and mysterious weapons of war cast fire and death at anything that approached from the depths. Flying machines of strange designs patrolled the skies and did likewise. Ultimately, the fleet was being sent home because the Queen of the Dobhar did not need it at present¡­but Mirima certainly did. Captain Falrauth remained silent, watching the terrain go by. The rough waters of the Northern Sea turned into the farmland of Utrad. Then they passed the mountains between Utrad and the Imperial Heartland, over the mighty fortress of Velus¡¯s Pass. Even now, the walls stood firm, the ancient enchanted stone defiant in the face of the Empire¡¯s decline. They passed over the sprawling cities and magical towers of the Imperial Heartland itself. Captain Falrauth watched as the Legions marched between the cities in orderly formations, at brisk speed but without excessive haste. He watched as the magical towers spread their Earth magic, undoubtedly sending countless of the Empire¡¯s plaustrum subterraneum through the ground. He could even see wagons and convoys moving away from the cities, either merchant convoys or farmers returning to their homes, a sign that the Empire''s countryside was growing safe once more. From his view up above, the Empire¡¯s decline seemed greatly exaggerated. Eventually, he reached the southern coast of the Imperial Heartland, and the scene here was far different from the coasts of Turannia. The normally calm waters of the Southern Sea churned with blood and explosions. Countless boats of every size and type streamed towards every Imperial dock, their decks crowded to full with refugees. Behind these, the naval vessels of the Imperial navy screened the entrances to harbors and coves. Ballistae fired harpoons into the water, while Imperial mages activated the ship¡¯s enchantments. Lightning surged through the water, water twisted itself into spikes and drills, clouds of poison and acid hid the ships from view, Air magic created bubbles that then collapsed with deadly crushing force. The blood of monsters colored the sea. And even here, the Queen of the Dobhar made her presence felt. Every now and again, waves of fiery projectiles streamed in from high above, doubtlessly launched by the same invisible ships that had struck Mirima¡¯s fleet. Only this time, they targeted the monsters below, most of which had far weaker defenses than a battle-airship. Captain Falrauth¡¯s heart sank as the ship flew out over the deceptively calm and sunny sea. If this were the situation along the Imperial coast with the Queen of the Dobhar¡¯s support¡­what would the situation be in Mirima, surrounded as she was by water, and with the greatest part of her armies abroad? How would she hold against the Ocean¡¯s Wrath or the Living Cyclone, the massive dungeons from which she acquired the Water and Air cores that powered ships through the seas and skies? Or what if, Aesdes forbid, the Imperial Necrotorum and the Pale Academy it supervised failed to contain the Banshee¡¯s Cove, and its ghost ships covered the Southern Sea with their deathly fog? Captain Falrauth shook himself from his thoughts, and walked over to the bridge. A Dobhar and a M¨¦lusine were arguing over one of the enchanted circles. ¡°The Dobhar is correct, skill in Air Magic is not necessary to operate the propulsion. The ship itself will handle the Air pocket regardless of the conditions around it. Anyone skilled in Air Magic should instead focus on navigation. You actually want to steer into the wind, it means denser air up ahead so the enchantments will have more of their media to draw on.¡± The pair eyed him warily, before quietly attempting his recommendations. Captain Falrauth may have hated to hand Mirima¡¯s prized fleet over¡­but he would hate the destruction of Mirima far worse. So he resolved to do all that he could to get home just a little bit faster¡­ Chapter 220 - Yesterdays Enemy
Captain Falrauth and the Sentinels of Liberty crowded the bridge, gripping their weapons in silence. They were about to come up on the Living Cyclone, they could see the dark clouds spinning through the sky already. Soon, they saw the water spout rising up out of the water, surrounded by a small atoll that held its entrance. Under normal circumstances, it would be surrounded by a small city of floating buildings that catered to the dungeon divers, but in times like these they would put out to sea. Still, the sharp-sight of the half-elves could make out a couple of wrecks whose inhabitants failed to flee in time. The Sentinels steeled themselves. Since the Living Cyclone was between Mirima and the Empire, they thought it best to tackle on their way there. The fight of their lives, with the fate of their home on the line, was about to begin. Except¡­no monsters attacked the approaching fleet. The order never came to deploy. Soon, the airships flew past the Living Cyclone without slowing down. Captain Falrauth narrowed his eyes. ¡°What are you doing? We were to assault the Living Cyclone, were we not?¡± One of the Dobhar turned to him, this one with armor like the Queen of the Dobhar¡¯s, including that half-helmet that covered one of the eyes with a glowing artifact of some sort. The Dobhar grinned. ¡°Oh, My Queen already handled that one. What, did I forget to tell you?¡± Captain Falrauth blinked, and then closed his eyes, suppressing a deep sigh. The Dobhar¡¯s wide grin implied that he had not, in fact, ¡®forgotten¡¯ to tell them. Then he shook his head and opened his eyes. No monsters attacked them as they flew beyond the Living Cyclone. And neither he nor the Caelum Aurem could detect a single one on their path up ahead. He had no idea how the Queen of the Dobhar had pacified the dungeon without destroying it¡­but from all evidence she apparently had done just that. And that meant one less major threat to Mirima¡¯s survival. But Captain Falrauth did not rest just yet. There was more than one dungeon in the seas around Mirima, and he had no idea how long it had taken the Queen of the Dobhar to address the Living Cyclone. He did not yet hold hope he would find his home in one piece.
Captain Falrauth pursed his lips. They were approaching Mirima, and he could see flashes of light in the distance. Yet¡­as the scene came into view, he found himself at a loss. Smoke rose from the cities of his island, blood filled the surrounding waters. He could see the wrecks of sea-ships, while an airship had crashed onto one of the beaches. The Barrier that protected the city was nowhere to be seen, and the sparkling walls of Mirima had a large hole¡­and yet the white spires remained standing, their polished marble pristine and unblemished. The Sentinels of Liberty who remained behind stood in formation and at the ready at the breach. The walls had been broken, but the monsters had not reached the city or the the people beyond. And it was readily apparent why. The skies were filled to the brim with massive glowing magic circles all too familiar to Captain Falrauth. A serpentine sea-dragon towered above the waves in the seas beyond Mirima, its head reaching where an airship might fly. It roared in anger¡­and in pain. Because it was losing. The Queen of the Dobhar flew in the sky. Each of her magic circles rained beams of light onto the monsters below, and had already pushed the smaller monsters back into the sea. The city itself was covered in a massive Barrier that appeared quite different from Mirima¡¯s own. She now focused her attention on the massive beast ahead of her. Her beams fused together into a ray of light as bright as the sun. And when the light faded, there was a massive hole in the sea-dragon¡¯s head. Its monstrously large body crashed into the water, creating a massive wave that surged towards the shore. The Queen of the Dobhar¡¯s magic circles shifted, and a massive Barrier redirected the wave back out to sea.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Captain Falrauth¡­had no idea what to feel. But the Sentinels of Liberty behind him were not so conflicted. Tears filled their eyes, several began to cheer and hug one another, still others simply fell to their knees in relief. Mirima had been bloodied, but she had survived in one piece. And all thanks to the foe they had tried to destroy.
Rolling the clock back a bit... Seero flew over the Southern Sea in the direction of Mirima. The Living Cyclone dungeon was on the way, but Magister Canus had requested she bypass it and head to Mirima directly. The situation there was apparently growing dire, so relieving the city was the higher priority. The airships carrying the Sky Legion and Mirima¡¯s own forces would then attempt to assault, or at least contain, the Living Cyclone while Seero moved on to the Ocean¡¯s Wrath. Ateia¡¯s group would reinforce the defenders at the Banshee¡¯s Cove in the meantime, while 01R''s team continued mopping up dungeons in and around Utrad. But as Seero was approaching the Living Cyclone, she decided to run a test. In the Tower of Heroes, she had learned how to subjugate a willing dungeon from beyond its core room. So she decided to test the limits of that approach. What was the maximum range she could interact with a dungeon¡¯s mana, and did it require her to be physically present within a dungeon? And likewise, did she need to make contact with the dungeon master in-person before doing so? As such, as she began forming Prismatic Bombardment circles to terminate the monsters wandering out of the Living Cyclone, she extended her mana towards the dungeon as well, in the same manner as she had with the Tower of Heroes. At first, her mana passed through the dungeon without entering into it. The dungeon was, after all, not fully present within the Material Plane. But Seero analyzed the dungeon entrance based on her growing data on Spatial Magic and, cross-referencing with Shialnor¡¯s data, built a basic theory on how dungeon entrances worked. She started emitting Holy Mana, and attempted to sense and connect to the flows of Holy Mana through the world¡­and through the boundary between the Material Plane and the Source. And thanks to the examples of Ateia, Divination, and her own experiences interacting with that boundary, she managed to succeed. Her mana was able to contact the dungeon in its true location, bypassing the spatial effects that protected it from harm in the Material Plane. The dungeon recoiled at first, its mana rejecting the foreign intrusion and resisting her. The mana then paused, and a thin stream reached out towards her, carrying some intent. ¡°Whoa, are you, like, Aesdes?¡± Seero attempted to form her mana into a similar connection. ¡°Negative.¡± ¡°Whack. Then, like, you here to kill me, bruh?¡± ¡°Uncertain Response: This unit¡¯s objective is the purification of this dungeon. This unit will avoid termination of the dungeon and non-hostile forces if possible due to the dungeon¡¯s strategic value. Would the hostile dungeon master like to surrender? This unit will allow the dungeon master to retain ownership of their dungeon as a subordinate core if so.¡± ¡°Whoa. Like, you¡¯re a dungeon master with, like, holy mana? That¡¯s crazy, bruh. But, like, if you got this, then that¡¯s fine. Your mana¡¯s, like, mad scary, so be gentle, yeah?¡± And with that, the mana stopped resisting, instead reaching out to form a connection much like the Tower of Heroes had. Seero connected to it, and soon had reached the dungeon core. And ultimately, she was able to purify it, and connect it to her growing network. The dungeon master could now speak to her through the connection. ¡°Whoa, like, you totally fixed it. That¡¯s crazy, bruh. You¡¯re pretty crazy, huh? Well, like, thanks for that!¡± And so Seero managed to purify and subordinate the Living Cyclone remotely without even slowing down her flight path. She flew past and pushed on towards Mirima, terminating the remaining monsters along the way, and sending a message to CELIU units aboard the airship fleet informing them of the change in plans. Soon thereafter, she arrived at Mirima itself. Mirima was a large island with city of white marble that covered nearly the entire thing. Said island was currently surrounded by a glowing barrier. Monsters assaulted said barrier, but airships, naval vessels, and soldiers occasionally darted out to harass the attackers. Seero wasn¡¯t sure what resources were stockpiled to maintain said barrier, but by her calculations the monsters wouldn¡¯t break through anytime soon. Unfortunately, there¡¯s always a bigger fish. The threat to Mirima at present wasn¡¯t just the dungeon monsters. The large concentration of monsters swimming through the sea attracted other creatures as well. Seero arrived just in time to observe a sea-dragon lift its head from the sea. The dragon had initially been feasting upon the monsters in the water, but a mage from the city struck it with a lightning bolt, drawing its attention inland. It opened its mouth and a torrent of water blasted forward, slamming into the barrier. The barrier, already weakened by the constant pressure, broke under the sudden assault, and the torrent continued to smash through the wall around the city. It was at that point that Seero arrived, and promptly terminated all threats. She then used Earth Magic to raise a new wall, temporarily plugging the hole in Mirima¡¯s defenses. At that point, the airship fleet was about to arrive, so Seero considered the objective completed and began to move towards her next target. Leaving the people of Mirima staring up at the sky. Chapter 221 - A Deathly Situation
After stabilizing the situation in Mirima, Seero made her way to the Ocean¡¯s Wrath. As she approached, the calm seas began to grow rough. Water mana churned the ocean around it, creating tall waves that shouldn¡¯t have been possible under the environmental conditions. Seero then stretched out her mana to the dungeon¡¯s for a remote subjugation. But this time didn¡¯t go as predicted. The dungeon mana recoiled from her as the Living Cyclone¡¯s had at first. But where the Living Cyclone had subsequently established diplomatic contact¡­the Ocean¡¯s Wrath counterattacked. The dungeon¡¯s mana surged against the intrusion, trying to push her away. Seero attempted to push onward and subjugate it by force¡­but progress was slow. Since she was pushing against the dungeon¡¯s mana, the dungeon could subsequently resist her with all of its power, which normally wouldn¡¯t be applied directly like this. It was a fight Seero could win, her mana quantity and density continued to grow as the Primary Home Base expanded and more and more dungeons joined her network, but it would take time. Potentially more time than it would take for her to reach the core room the normal way. So that is what she would do. She traveled as the waves grew more and more rough, until she found a large whirlpool at the center of the storm, with a dungeon entrance at the bottom. Seero dove down into the entrance and the force of gravity reversed itself. Instead of flying down, she was now flying up from the bottom of a pool of water. She burst through the surface to find herself in a small cove, leading out to what appeared as open ocean. Though, Seero¡¯s scans revealed the area was more limited in size than it appeared¡­and full of monsters. But Holy Beams pierced the water as easily as the air, and so none approached her as she began to Blink towards the first floor¡¯s exit. The subjugation of the Ocean¡¯s Wrath had begun.
Meanwhile, Amulius¡¯s group flew over the Southern Sea towards the Banshee¡¯s cove. As they approached, their sensors detected fewer and fewer creatures in the water below, save for a final port on one of the last islands standing guard. Even the seagulls broke off and avoided the area, and the seas turned dark. Black kelp obscured the water below as sharp and jagged rocks broke the surface. Clouds of mist and fog floated in and out of the area, occasionally revealing a shipwreck that had failed to navigate the treacherous path. Eventually, they came to the shores. The gigantic jaws of some primordial shark monster guarded the entrance to the Pale Harbor, the city that held the Pale Academy. To the side, a massive sea-wall surrounded a cove surrounded by jagged, black rock, sealing off the Banshee¡¯s Cove from the outside world. The Southern Realms were simultaneously more and less tolerant of necromancy, largely because each client nation had its own approach. In some, it was treated like any other high-risk school of magic, with even fewer restrictions on its use than the Imperial Necrotorum. In others, even possession of the relevant skills was grounds for execution¡­or death at the hands of a mob. The Pale Harbor was formed by those who wished to practice their arts without supervision and as a refuge for those fleeing from persecution. Soon, it became infamous as a haven for thieves, pirates, and darker arts. At least until the Empire arrived in the area. The Imperial navy arrived in force, backed by the full might of the Imperial Necrotorum. But a war of the dead was in no one¡¯s best interest, and so an agreement was eventually struck. The Pale Academy would retain its independence and gain authority over all necromancers who did not join the Necrotorum, but the Legion and the Imperial Necrotorum would set up in the Pale Harbor to keep watch. The Pale Academy thus did not need to fight for its survival, while the Empire could keep track of the necromancers in the South, including those from realms that were not nominally under the Emperor¡¯s authority. It was a stormy relationship, with much conflict and maneuvering over the years. But not today.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Today, the free necromancers of the Pale Academy and the disciplined death mages of the Necrotorum stood side by side on the sea-wall facing the Banshee¡¯s cove. Imperial warships and zombified sea-monsters dueled with floating sea-wrecks with literal skeleton crews, wailing ghosts were met with Imperial counterspells and pale green banefire, Imperial legionaries and a motley assortment of adventurers and rogues from the Pale Harbor worked together against zombie sailors scaling the walls. Two women fought side by side at the center of the defense. One was a human in black Legion armor adorned by a tree with black roots, the symbol of the Necrotorum. Lampronia Vitalina, Magister Mortalitus of the Imperial Necrotorum, swore as she saw black fins break through the water. ¡°Another pod of Dread Orca!¡± The other woman wore an enchanted silk dress with a fur coat made from a Felix Ignus¡¯s pelt. This was Vassenia Andronica, the current Pale Lady of the Pale Academy. Instead of a head, she had a skull covered in green flames. She cursed as she sent tendrils of green fire towards a zombie kraken entangled with three ghost ships. The fire latched onto holes in the kraken¡¯s rotting skin, sowing the flesh back together. ¡°And?! What do you want me to do about it?!¡± Lampronia grit her teeth as she finished a magic circle, launching several counterspells towards a wave of approaching ghosts. The opposing Death Magic unraveled the magical structures holding the creatures together. They wailed as the mana comprising their bodies leaked away and faded. ¡°You¡¯re the vampire! Can¡¯t you steal their blood or something, you shapeshifting hag?! Those Dread Orca will paralyze half of your so-called guards with one cry!¡± Vassenia scowled as she shot a Bane Fireball. ¡°For the LAST time, I¡¯m a Soucouyant and I don¡¯t see what that has to do with anything! And thanks to some hardheaded Imperial dog with a stick up her butt, I haven¡¯t used my magic on anything alive in decades! And now you expect me to ¡®terrorize the living,¡¯ as you warned me many, many times to never even think about doing?!¡± Lampronia ducked as a ghost ship fired a ballistae bolt over her head. Imperial ballistae retaliated, but the Imperial bolts pierced right through the decaying ship without hitting anything of note. Lampronia attempted a counterspell, but the magic holding the ship together was much more powerful than that of the ghosts. ¡°Well someone has to do something or we¡¯re all going to die and reanimate! You¡¯re telling me in all these years you haven¡¯t found some way to cheat on the regulations?!¡± Vassenia pulled her hair as she commanded her kraken to smash the offending ship with a free tentacle. ¡°YES! That''s EXACTLY what I''m saying! I was there when your predecessor purged the Pale Lord before me! I made absolutely certain to keep my act completely clean! Haven¡¯t you seen me run myself ragged trying to keep the idiots in the Academy from doing something stupidly illegal?! What do you think I¡¯ve been doing this whole time?!¡± But time had run out. The Dread Orcas weaved and dove between the flailing tentacles of the zombie kraken, bypassing the creature to swim straight for the walls. Lampronia created a Decay Field, but the Dread Orcas¡¯ Dark Magic aura shielded the creatures as they passed through it. Vassenia launched a volley of Bane Fireballs, but the Pale Lady was not used to fighting personally and so the Dread Orcas dodged with ease. The two women grimaced as the Dread Orca¡¯s cry sounded over the wall. The Pale Harbor¡¯s defenders and even some of the legionaries dropped their weapons and covered their ears, screaming and shouting as the fear and curses gripped their hearts. Until a shining light illuminated the sky. Golden and silver light filled every person¡¯s heart with warmth. The panicking soldiers paused and turned their gaze up. An armored girl descended from the sky on metal wings with feathers of light. She took a bow and pulled it back. Dozens of arrows of Holy and Light mana rained down on the battlefield, vaporizing ghosts and skeletons alike. A barrage of the arrows pierced deep into a ghost ship and then exploded. The ship flaked away as Holy Explosions purified it from the inside. Lampronia and Vassenia turned to look at one another. Vassenia gulped. ¡°So, um, that¡¯s an Aesdes, right? Should I, um, repent of my evil ways, or should I just run and hope she doesn¡¯t notice?¡± Lampronia gulped. ¡°I, um, don¡¯t know.¡± Vassenia gaped at her. ¡°You don¡¯t know?! Aren¡¯t you the Magister of the Imperial Necrotorum?! Don¡¯t you have to read the Imperial doctrine or whatever at every meal and every night before bed?!¡± Lampronia glared at her. ¡°The doctrine says the Aesdes don¡¯t just show up, so I have no idea what to do in this situation! I¡¯m a necromancer too, you know, so if she doesn¡¯t like you then I¡¯m in the same boat! And no, I don¡¯t spend every waking moment reading the rules! I need my breaks too, you know!¡± As the two continued to bicker, Ateia flew over to the wall, along with her companions. She frowned. ¡°Um¡­should we interrupt?¡± Taog and Agedia shrugged. Amulius loudly cleared his throat. The two women glanced at him, and then noticed the flying group gathered around them. Vassenia¡¯s eyes widened, and then she began to tremble, and then she fainted. Lampronia glanced at her with envy before turning to face the Aesdes in the sky before her¡­ Side Story 221.1 - Divine Courage
Vassenia was sitting on the wall fanning herself as a Recovery mage monitored her condition. She still trembled slightly as she looked up at Ateia. ¡°So¡­y-you aren¡¯t here to wipe me from the face of Aelea for the desecration of the dead?¡± Ateia tilted her head. ¡°Um, why would I be? I thought the Necrotorum didn¡¯t permit the use of corpses without contracts verified by third party authorities?¡± She turned to look at Magister Lampronia, who began nodding her head repeatedly and as fast as she could. ¡°Yes! Obviously! All necromancy and death magic conducted here is in full accordance with all Imperial regulations!¡± Vassenia held herself with her arms. ¡°B-But¡­y-your an Aesdes! Y-You¡¯re above the laws of mortals!¡± Lampronia turned pale at that. Ateia blinked a few times. ¡°Oh¡­is that right?¡± She turned to Taog who shook his head. ¡°Um, don¡¯t ask me? But¡­I mean, you are an Aesdes so¡­¡± Amulius cleared his throat again and Ateia jumped, flushing slightly. ¡°Well, um, Victoria¡­err, the other Aesdes didn¡¯t mention necromancy or anything to me. I guess I can ask later, but they¡¯re a bit busy as far as I know. For now, we¡¯re here on behalf of Her Majesty Seero, the Queen of the Dobhar and Amicitia Populi Elteni, who was requested by Emperor Lucius to aid you and purify the Banshee¡¯s Cove.¡± Vassenia and Lampronia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The Queen of the Dobhar? And Emperor Lucius? They¡­they know Aesdes?¡± Amulius sighed and stepped forward. ¡°In any case, we would ask you to prepare a force to assist us in the dungeon assault. I recommend we do so sooner rather than later.¡± He pointed to where the dungeon entrance, where another ghost ship was just sailing out of the cove. Lampronia ceased trembling and her eyes narrowed. ¡°Right, I¡¯ll talk to the Legate right away. The Pale Lady shall organize the Pale Harbor¡¯s forces and maintain the defense.¡± She glanced over at Vassenia, who nodded. ¡°R-Right.¡± Amulius nodded and joined Lampronia to arrange the details. Meanwhile, Ateia looked up at the sky. Taog glanced at her. ¡°What is it?¡± Ateia shook her head. ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just¡­I was wondering what Victoria was up to in all this¡­¡±
Colle?ne flew through the sky, wearing a suit of golden and silver armor with a winged helmet over her golden hair. She gripped the Blade of Valor with both her hands, an aura of light shining around her as she swung the golden blade forward. She moved quickly, blinking across the sky in a golden flash that extended her swing into a wide arc. In this way, she cut off every head of the giant, multi-headed snake before her in a single attack. She exhaled her breath and glanced around the battlefield with a frown. Colle?ne had returned to the Blessed Land as quickly as she could once she learned of the situation. The return of the Aesdes¡¯ most skilled and experienced warrior turned the tides of the Blessed Land¡¯s defense. In addition, the Aesdes themselves had gathered their nerve. Her beloved Velus had collected the fighters into an increasingly coherent force. Her heart clenched and she felt warm at the sight of her beloved, taking command to defend her own home¡­and then shook her head, for now was not the time for such thoughts. Additionally, others of the Aesdes who had not fought before were starting to find their courage, and joined the line as they were able. Others who had not the skill or temperament for battle found other ways to contribute. Some healed, and lent their power to strengthen the front. Others prepared the way, shifting the land itself to block and contain their foes. The Lord of Dance and Celebration and the Lady of Song and Heart joined together to lift the spirits of the defenders. The Lady of Hearth and Home¡­was currently bashing a drake over the head with her beloved frying pan.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. And yet¡­the situation was not developing according to their hopes. The Aesdes had secured their defense and the line was holding¡­but such was not their aim. In terms of pushing towards the Cores of her and Shialnor¡¯s design, they had made little progress. And Colle?ne could only grit her teeth, for this was a direct result of her and Shialnor¡¯s work. Because of recent events, the existence of Holy-attribute monsters, and the means by which to imbue the Holy mana of Aelea into the mana-constructed bodies of dungeon monsters were recorded upon those cores. As such, the monsters they now faced were imbued and empowered via the Holy mana of Aelea¡­so not only were they far stronger than the average monster, but they were also not especially vulnerable to Holy mana. They were counted as inhabitants of the world, and the world itself did not reject them. And that meant that the Aesdes lost their chief weapon against such foes. Under normal circumstances, the mere presence of an Aesdes would suppress and frighten monsters; weaker monsters would even perish outright if they got too close. And should an Aesdes deign to direct their actual attention to the task, none but the most powerful of monsters could stand before them for long. But not against these foes. Against these monsters, the Aesdes had to rely on their own power and abilities. And worse¡­their power had waned. Anual? had temporarily quarantined the Blessed Land to prevent additional corruption from spreading, while Shialnor and Colle?ne were preventing mana from their cores from leaking out as well. But this meant that the normal flows of Holy Mana between the Blessed Land and the rest of Aelea had slowed to a trickle. The Aesdes were the caretakers of the world, empowered to call upon its power to aid in their duties¡­but they were not the masters of the world, and so not the rightful masters of that power. They were now reduced to their base strength, the powers that were intrinsic to them as individuals. This still left them as gods among men, but not as masters of the world. And since most of them had never had to fight a remotely equal enemy, most were still adjusting to the task. Colle?ne was one of the few among them who had, and so tore through the battlefield. But like Shialnor, a great deal of her power was wrapped up in the Core that empowered the champions of the world. She was left now merely with her own strength and skill as a warrior¡­and a warrior she was. With each swing of her sword, one or even many monsters lost their lives, and she reclaimed whatever bit of her power had been granted to them. But, she was not yet powerful enough to overturn the entire battle on her own. The stream of monsters seemed endless. Colle?ne ducked under a volley of arrows, and a moment later appeared next to the offending skeletons. She spun around, smashing them to pieces with the weight of her sword before vanishing once more. The Lord of Craft and Forge had been knocked over by a giant, and she stabbed her blade into the monster¡¯s neck before it could assault him further. The battle would turn to their favor eventually now that the defenses had stabilized. For all the danger, not a single Aesdes had fallen, for even weakened beings of their stature were not easily slain. With each passing moment, the Aesdes grew more accustomed to the nature of this fight, and the defense grew less and less desperate. And with each monster they slew, Colle?ne and Shialnor reclaimed a bit more of their power. In time, they would be able to push the monsters back, and reclaim their cores entirely. But that was not enough. Colle?ne knew of what was going on down in the world below. She knew that while the Aesdes were occupied, the dungeons were going haywire and all the people of the world were under threat when they did not have her boons to assist them. She knew that Ateia and her friends were at the forefront of those trying to hold the line. So every moment the Aesdes spent defending was a moment that all that they worked and cared for was at risk. And worse¡­ Colle?ne knew, as the Lady of Courage and Victory and the most familiar of the Aesdes with war, that this played into the hands of their enemy. Anual? hadn¡¯t the chance to tell them who was responsible just yet, but there were very few beings in all of known existence who could wound the First of the Aesdes and strike at the Blessed Land. Regardless of their exact identity, this was a being on par with the Aesdes in either lore or might, or perhaps even both. Such a being was now on the loose beyond their sight and attention, and who knew what they might do in the meantime. And that wasn''t all¡­Colle?ne had a feeling that this being was the one behind the Heralds of the New Dawn. It would explain the cult¡¯s unexpected capabilities¡­and their ability to escape notice until now. And if that were true¡­that meant the being responsible for the assault on Colle?ne¡¯s home was also the one who had targeted her kin, and who could do so again while the Aesdes were occupied. Colle?ne grit her teeth¡­but there was little she could do at present. The quickest way to protect the world below was to win the fight going on here. So Colle?ne gripped her sword and got to work. All the while praying that should anything happen, a certain dungeon master and hero might surprise her once more. Chapter 222 - The Judgment of the Aesdes
Magister Lampronia was very pleased to focus on her job instead of discussing the morality and ethics of necromancy with an Aesdes, so it did not take long before a strike team of Legion soldiers and Necrotorum mages was assembled. She was less pleased when she realized she would be leading those mages and traveling with the Aesdes, but as the Magister Mortalitus it was her duty to manage the Banshee¡¯s Cove. Besides, since the Necrotorum only supervised in the Southern Empire, they were a bit short-handed, and so every available mage was needed for the assault. She was even less pleased that Vassenia escaped as the Pale Academy took up the defense. In any case, the group was now assembled aboard a smaller Imperial warship, and set sail into the cove. Beyond the Empire¡¯s sea-wall was a large sea cave with the dungeon¡¯s entrance as its opening. The sea water flowed in and out of the entrance so the group sailed in. Once inside, they found themselves in a dark cove, with an endless night overhead. The stars provided very little light, and dark clouds cut off even that. Instead, the walls of the cove were lit by pale greenish-blue flames hovering over the water, barely illuminating the waves with their dim light. The flames flickered in and out of existence, and vanished if the ship approached. They heard a faint wail in the distance. At least until another ghost ship sailed from deeper in the cove. Before Magister Lampronia could issue an order the Aesdes leapt into action. Her glowing wings lit up the cove as bright as midday, overwhelming the glow of the flames. The group could now see clearly through the water around and below¡­and found very little there, to their surprise. Meanwhile, Light and Holy Beams cut across the surface of the water, cutting the ghost ship in two. Its halves fell to either side and started to fade away even as it sank. Her companions dealt with the skeletons leaping into the water. The Melusine wrapped her tail around the warship¡¯s railing and extended her body to its full length, impaling skeletons with her spear while remaining out of the water. The strangely familiar human man launched arrows wrapped in Holy mana. Magister Lampronia¡¯s eyes widened, however, as the Dobhar woman and wolf-kin boy jumped off the ship. ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t touch the water!¡± Indeed, many an aquatic dungeon diver had made the same mistake. The water of the Banshee¡¯s Cove was filled to the brim with Dark attribute mana, with a specific Death Magic leaning. Any who fell into the water would have the very life sucked out of them. At least until the Dobhar was surrounded by Holy mana-infused Water Magic, and the wolf-kin boy was surrounded by a shroud of Dark mana¡­which apparently was also Holy-infused. Both of them swam through the waves with no apparent issue. The wolf-kin boy¡¯s shroud was even absorbing the Dark mana from the water and growing larger. Magister Lampronia decided she would just be quiet and let them do as they pleased from now on.
Magister Lampronia took a deep breath. It was time for the Aesdes and her party to take a break. Which meant¡­it was time for the Legion and the Necrotorum to get to work. She glanced back at the Aesdes several times, but she said nothing. There was nothing to do but carry on with her fell spells and hope the Aesdes would tolerate her. Magister Lampronia gulped. But she was not the Magister Mortalitus for nothing, so she steeled her heart and got started on her magic circle. At that moment, the Aesdes began to glow. Magister Lampronia winced and prepared to beg for her life. But the Aesdes¡¯s mana struck before she could get a word out, filling her veins with fire. She was about to scream¡­ But then, she blinked. The mana¡­did not disintegrate her as it had done to the minions of the Banshee¡¯s Cove. Instead, it empowered her, increasing the density and responsiveness of her mana. It surrounded her magic circle, assisting her with her cast. She was so surprised she stopped casting her spell and her magic circle faded away. The Aesdes frowned. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Magister Lampronia quickly shook her head.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°N-No! Everything¡¯s alright¡­apparently.¡± With that, the Magister got back to work, and casted the Necrotorum¡¯s signature Decay spell, creating a barrier which no normal undead could cross safely. Under normal circumstances that was. In the current circumstances, her spell was reinforced with Holy mana, golden and silver light highlighting the dark purple glow. Any undead that touched it faded away, even their ashes purified as they crumbled to dust. Magister Lampronia blinked¡­and felt moisture well up in her eyes. After all this time, after a lifetime of fear and doubt, a lifetime of holding herself to the strictest of standards¡­she found that the Aesdes did not secretly want to destroy her after all. Meanwhile said Aesdes was watching the Necrotorum¡¯s mages cast their spells with great interest, the artifact ¡®over¡¯ her eye flickering rapidly¡­.
The group carried on in their frightfully uneventful dungeon assault. Under normal circumstances, diving in the Banshee¡¯s Cove was one of the least pleasant experiences one could ever face. The dim light in the Cove would do very little to illuminate the surroundings, particularly in the parts covered in fog. The diver wouldn¡¯t be able to see into the depths below them, couldn¡¯t see the obstacles ahead, and struggled to keep track of their position and bearing. In fact, the light made things actively worse, playing tricks on the eyes, giving glimpses of terrors in the deep. And the deadly nature of the water below meant no mistakes could be permitted in the operation of the ship. In the midst of this situation, ghosts and skeletons and undead aquatic creatures would ambush the invaders before disappearing back into the dark. One could never be certain when exactly they would attack, only that it would come the moment any vulnerability was displayed. As such, any visitors to the Banshee¡¯s Cove had to be on guard the entire time they were there, a situation that grated on the nerves. Trips into this dungeon were made as short as possible. Or, at least, that¡¯s how it normally was. In this situation Ateia was keeping the dungeon fully illuminated with her wings of light that pierced through dark waves and eerie fog with equal ease. The dungeon was apparently not nearly as deep as anyone thought. Ateia also blessed the strike team with Holy mana whenever it was their turn to take the vanguard. Not only did this allow them to strike down the undead without effort, the Holy mana also protected anyone who fell overboard from the water below. Not a single sailor had lost their life on this journey, a new record that grew with each passing moment. And even beyond Ateia¡¯s efforts, the dungeon was not acting as it normally did. The group was faced with a steady stream of monsters approaching them directly. No care was given to concealment, and the monsters weren¡¯t even attempting to set up ambushes. They just rushed forward at maximum speed, without any apparent thought at all. The Legion and Necrotorum forces were not surprised by their appearance even once. And that¡¯s not even mentioning the cyborgs¡¯ advanced sensors giving them forewarning. The intense aura of the Imperial strike team slowly faded away. Amulius was currently sitting at a table with a cup of tea in his hand. He frowned. On the one hand, he couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy at the increasing lack of discipline. All of his experiences told him never to fully relax inside of a dungeon. It was never safe to do so, no matter how powerful he was. On the other hand¡­the tea was very refreshing. He was just heaving a sigh and shaking his head as Ateia entered the room. She sat down across from him. She opened her mouth, then frowned, then furrowed her brow. She shook her head, then opened her mouth again, then paused once more. Amulius tried to think of something to say, but his mind went blank. He had no idea what she wanted to say, or what she was thinking, despite the obvious expressions on her face. His heart sank. He didn¡¯t know his daughter much at all at this point. She had changed dramatically from the little girl he had left behind. She had gone through so much recently, so what could he even say? Beyond that¡­because of his choices, she had largely grown up without him. Even if nothing dramatic had happened in the recent months, she would still be a different person than the one he remembered. And that was on him. So he could do nothing but wait for her to speak. And fortunately¡­she did. Her face settled on a combination of sorrow and resolve. ¡°Dad¡­can you tell me about my mom?¡± Amulius froze at the question, and his heart began to pound. He¡­had not thought about Aedinia in quite some time. He had avoided thinking about her, if he was honest. But he had not forgotten her. Not even a little. Memories came back to him, and pain spiked through his chest. The strength drained from his body, and the world spun around him. But then he locked eyes with Ateia. He looked into those eyes that held far too much pain for their age. Those eyes filled with longing and anticipation. He knew this was a request she had not made lightly. He took a deep breath. ¡°Ok.¡± She nodded and fell silent as he began to recount his late wife. He started from the beginning, when they had met, when he was just a broke Exploratore and she was just a naive town girl. It was hard at first, and he had to bite back tears with every word. But Ateia hung on every one of those words, so he kept them coming. Soon, they began to flow out from him. He even cracked a smile or two. Until, eventually, it was over. He dropped his head at that moment. Tears began to stream down his face. ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m so sorry, Ateia. I wish you could have met her. I wish¡­¡± Ateia didn¡¯t say anything, but stood up and walked over. Amulius¡¯s eyes widened as she gave him a hug. A moment later, he returned the embrace as his tears began to flow. Amulius swore in his heart that he would never leave his family again. Chapter 223 - Terminate the Cultists?
In the end, Ateia¡¯s Holy and Light mana disarmed the majority of the Banshee¡¯s Cove¡¯s dangers. While it also had some Water based traps and environmental hazards, the sailors of the Imperial navy navigated them with practiced ease once they could actually see what they were facing. It was not long before the group had traveled deep into the dungeon, and arrived in a wide open and stormy sea. There was a flash of lightning and a crack of thunder, and then suddenly a dozen ghost ships appeared all around them. A dark shadow that dwarfed their ship filled the water underneath them. Magister Lampronia was freaking out, but Amulius raised his hand and stopped the Imperial forces from responding. Ateia had stepped to the front of the ship. One of the ghost ships pulled near and a ghostly figure materialized at its bow. She had the appearance of a frowning women with drooping eyes. Her hair and clothes appeared drenched with water, though the drops that fell off her passed through the ship she stood on. She hunched over as she faced Ateia. ¡°Are you¡­here to kill me? Not that my life means much¡­¡± Ateia shook her head, much to Magister Lampronia¡¯s surprise. ¡°We¡¯re here to help. We can cleanse the corruption from your dungeon, if you¡¯re willing.¡± The ghost woman tilted her head. ¡°Oh. Ok¡­I guess¡­¡± With that, the ghost ships parted and cleared the way forward. The shadow underneath them sank back into the depths. Magister Lampronia was staring with wide eyes. ¡°Um, what¡¯s going on here?¡± Amulius shrugged and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. Do you really want to know?¡± Magister Lampronia thought about it for a moment and then promptly turned around. ¡°I¡¯ll be below deck. The Aesdes can handle it, right?¡± Amulius made a small smile. ¡°Yes, she can.¡± The dungeon master¡¯s ship led the Imperial warship through the waves, eventually arriving at a castle sunk beneath the waves, with its roof barely peeking up into the air. The dungeon master and Ateia¡¯s group disembarked onto the roof. ¡°Follow me¡­I guess¡­if you want¡­¡± She led them through the castle to the core room. There, Ateia purified the dungeon, and linked it to the Primary Home Base. The dungeon master tilted her head. ¡°Oh. Not dead after all?¡± She heaved a sigh. ¡°Well¡­whatever. I guess I¡¯ll just¡­carry on then¡­freedom¡¯s just one more thing to lose¡­¡± But Ateia ignored her. Ateia¡¯s eye widened, and then she began to chuckle. Amulius tilted his head. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Ateia?¡± Taog patted his shoulder. The boy made a grin that showed off his fangs. ¡°Seero just contacted us. She finished up with the Ocean¡¯s Wrath and wants us to meet up. It¡¯s time to go after the cult.¡±
It turned out the South¡¯s woes were concentrated in the three major dungeons near Mirima. As a decentralized collection of allied and client nations, the South¡¯s forces were also already dispersed. Each individual realm maintained its own defenses, with its own walls, fortresses, and contingency plans. And in lieu of Legion garrisons, the South had a thriving mercenary industry, with the realms and the merchants hiring elite, professional mercenary teams instead of paying to raise their own armies. On top of that, the mercantile nature of the South gave rise to a healthy dungeon diver industry as well. While dungeon divers were notoriously undisciplined and unreliable in standard military affairs, they were highly specialized and so highly effective against the monsters of their local dungeons. Those willing to fight contributed greatly to holding the line. As a result, most of the South¡¯s constituent nations could protect themselves to a degree.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. The problem was that without the Sky Legion or the fleet of Mirima, there were no mobile reserves to address the larger issues, to reinforce the problem spots, or to begin assaulting the dungeons. The South could hold the line for a bit, but they couldn¡¯t make any progress towards solving the problem. And once Mirima fell to the larger dungeons, the other realms would begin falling as well. Now that Seero and Ateia had dealt with the big three, and the Sky Legion and Sentinels of Liberty had returned with the airship fleet, the South would begin to stabilize. And that meant that Seero was now free to act on the intel the Southern Court had handed over to her. Which is why she now regrouped with Ateia. Seero may have been developing her Divination capabilities, but Ateia still had a distinct advantage in that area. And after the incident with the Herald of Night, Seero wasn¡¯t going to approach a cult base without as thorough a scouting as she could arrange. At the moment, Seero was floating in the air several miles from their current target, while Ateia was sitting in the Primary Home Base with her eyes closed. Ateia frowned, and then opened her eyes. ¡°There¡¯s nothing there, Seero.¡± ¡°Observation: That assessment agrees with this unit¡¯s sensor readings.¡± Ateia shook her head. ¡°More than that. They left a while ago, and took everything with them.¡± ¡°Requesting Elaboration.¡± Ateia nodded. ¡°I think I¡¯m reading the records? But if I have this right¡­they left right around the time the South declared war on us.¡± Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered. This was the fifth such site they have visited and found empty. It grew increasingly likely that this was not a coincidence. That left several possibilities. The first was that the South¡¯s intel was inaccurate. Seero wasn¡¯t aware of the structure, capabilities, and efficiency of the South¡¯s intelligence apparatus, so it was entirely possible they were mistaken or deceived. Although popular opinion in the Northern Empire held Mirima¡¯s skill at espionage in high regard, but even the best intelligence agencies couldn¡¯t get everything right all the time.There was also the possibility that the South had intentionally given Seero false information. Still, the South was not a monolithic organization, she had received separate reports from several different states, the Legion itself, and even some private organizations, and was acting on information that was independently corroborated by several sources. The probability that every aspect of the South¡¯s society were conspiring to deceive her was very low, there should have been at least one actor who found it in their best interest to dissent. And if the cult¡¯s control over the South was such that every source repeated the same deception, then there should have been enough evidence of their presence for Seero or the Northern Court¡¯s intelligence to locate them on their own. Another possibility was that the cult had received forewarning of her assault and evacuated ahead of time. In Seero¡¯s analysis, this, too, was unlikely. From Ateia¡¯s reports on the evacuation, it seemed to have been a thorough and organized affair. One that would not have been possible in the time frame between Seero¡¯s initial departure towards the South and her arrival at the various target sites. And most of all¡­the cult had left long before Seero had turned her attention south. The most likely scenario given the information Ateia had uncovered was that this was a planned withdrawal, one that the South had been unaware of. The cult had left right after High-King Xavlaeron departed for the North. Not only that, but according to testimonies from the Sentinels of Liberty, the cult had apparently enacted a contingency protocol to terminate the High-King when he had ordered a surrender to her. So¡­evidence suggested the cult was well aware that the High-King might turn on them following his confrontation with Seero. And if that was the case¡­it would make sense that they would evacuate any location he had been aware of. But then¡­what were they planning? The retreat from the South made sense for the purpose of preserving assets from Seero¡¯s retaliation¡­but it provided no progress towards terminating Seero or her allies. Seero at least expected some minor ambush attempts, but the cult hadn¡¯t left anything or anyone behind. And in Seero¡¯s analysis, if they were concerned with a betrayal by the South, striking now during the dungeon crisis would have given them the highest probability of terminating their traitorous former allies. So why hadn¡¯t they done so? Seero¡¯s organic components registered a rise in fight-or-flight instincts, primarily anger. The cult appeared highly efficient at avoiding termination yet inefficient at pursuing their supposed objectives. Again¡­assuming the South hadn¡¯t lied to her, which would have been an even more inefficient and self-destructive course of action. Seero was just about to reroute course and confront Southern authorities about the unreliable intel when she received a message. One that might just shed some light on what the cult¡¯s current location and objectives were.
Back at the Imperial Palace in Corvanus, the war-room was completely silent. A courier trembled as he held open the scroll, signed and sealed by both Eastern Emperor Julius and Maior Generalis Maximia Tetrica of the Legion. Magister Canus narrowed his eyes. ¡°Please read it again.¡± The courier gulped and nodded. ¡°I-I, Emperor Julius Numerius Gregorius of the Peoples and Friends of Elteno East of the Sea, hereby call upon Provision IX of Emperor Proclus¡¯s decree for the administration of the Empire. I call upon my peers upon the throne of Corvanus and the helm of the Southern Council to unite the Legion once again. And to all citizens, friends, allies, subjects, and partners of the Empire, I ask that you send any and all assistance with all possible haste. The Eastern Border is on the verge of destruction. We cannot hold.¡± Chapter 224 - The Cavalry Arrives
Seero returned to Corvanus along with Ateia¡¯s group. They now stood in the war room, where Magister Canus¡¯s face was grim. ¡°So here¡¯s the situation: the Empire of the Sun launched a full-scale invasion of the Eastern Empire once the boons of the Aesdes vanished. They apparently have found a way to control corrupted dungeons, and used the flood of monsters to overwhelm the initial defenses. The Eastern Empire managed to stabilize the line but then the situation with the dungeons began. The Eastern Empire contained the major dungeons but was forced to commit their reserves to the task. Now they have nothing left to reinforce the main front, and are being pushed hard. It will not be long before the line breaks entirely.¡± Magister Canus frowned. ¡°Emperor Julius has invoked an emergency contingency, calling upon the entire Empire to assist. The problem is¡­I don¡¯t think we can. The North¡¯s Legions were spread thin even before the dungeon crisis. Thanks to you, Your Majesty, we have the situation under control, but the Legions we could send would not be enough to make a noticeable impact. The South¡¯s airship fleet and the Sky Legion might have been able to help¡­had they not taken heavy damage recently. And in any case, the Sky Legion is currently committed to several dungeon assaults at the moment, and won¡¯t be able to move until those are completed.¡± He then turned to Seero. ¡°So¡­I¡¯m sorry to ask this, Your Majesty. I know you are not fond of being dragged into other people¡¯s wars. But we have no choice. Would you be willing to assist the Eastern Empire? If you could at least clear the dungeons, that would help immensely. Because if the East falls¡­the rest of the Empire goes with it.¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± Magister Canus blinked. ¡°You agreed?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered. Her non-intervention protocols had long since been deactivated, and at this point the Northern Empire, at least, was considered an ally. With the change in her primary directive, there was no reason why she couldn¡¯t intervene besides the general risk of termination when getting involved in a conflict. And more importantly¡­Seero¡¯s analysis indicated that the Empire of the Sun may not represent a third-party in this conflict. Their invasion of the East included corrupted dungeons which apparently were not attacking the Empire of the Sun¡¯s own forces, so it was evident the Empire of the Sun had a way to control those dungeons. An ability that was apparently unprecedented in all of Aelea¡­until the Heralds of the New Dawn had come along. And Amulius had already confirmed the presence of corrupted dungeons in the Empire of the Sun was connected to the Heralds of the New Dawn. The probability that the Empire of the Sun and the Heralds of the New Dawn were working together was quite significant¡­and there was therefore a chance the Empire of the Sun was already hostile to her. If nothing else¡­the missing cultists from the South had to have gone somewhere. To the west and south of the Southern Realms were dangerous and unexplored oceans. So¡­the most likely answer was that they had fled east. In this situation, a preemptive intervention to prevent the fall of an allied nation was calculated as acceptable to Seero. Magister Canus let the relief show on his face. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. You¡¯ve saved us once again.¡±
And so Seero left Corvanus and flew east, passing over the Southern Sea and into a truly massive mountain range, home to the Dwarven Clans and other species allied with or subjugated by the Empire. As she traveled, she extended her mana to every dungeon she detected. Some surrendered without a fight when faced with her Holy mana. Others resisted at first, but gave way when confronted with her dense and powerful mana. A few still resisted. Seero marked these for later as she did not have time to conduct a full on dungeon assault.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Meanwhile, Ateia was sitting in the Primary Home Base. She watched the scenery go by though the CELIU network¡­and spread her own mana to Bless the people fighting below. During Ateia¡¯s mission to the Banshee¡¯s Cove, she had discovered that her skill assistance was not a one-way street. When the mages of the Necrotorum had casted spells none of the cyborgs had encountered before, Ateia¡¯s Blessing supported them¡­and in doing so was molded into new shapes that were recorded by Ateia¡¯s cybernetic components. After that, Seero had granted Ateia permission to assist with her Blessing as she saw fit. The Primary Home Base was growing as Imperials conquered monsters with Ateia¡¯s help, the CELIU network was acquiring new spell protocols for its database, and the Empire took less casualties as a result. So far, there had only been benefits. So the confused defenders of the Empire watched as Seero flew across the sky¡­and then a vision of a young Aesdes appeared in their eyes, spurring them on and filling them with power. Only for the tide of monsters to dry up shortly after, once they had overcome the last wave. Soon after, Seero arrived. She stopped by a dungeon that had surrendered to pick up the group waiting in the Primary Home Base, as deploying some new assets, and then made her way to the capital of the East¡­
An entire mountain top had been flattened, and converted into the toughest fortress in all the Empire. Its walls rose above the neighboring peaks, with sheer cliff faces in all but one direction. The one slope that was (barely) gentle enough to walk up was protected by dozens of walls, each larger than the last. Carved enchantments covered every inch of the walls, glowing with power. And on top the walls and towers were countless siege weapons, and other contraptions that held powerful mana cores. The fortress itself held a large city, with numerous barracks spread out among its streets. Countless forges blacked the skies with smoke, while vast warehouses towered above the neighboring structures. The only clear spaces were vast training fields for the Legion. This was Proclus''s Bastion, the capital of the Eastern Empire, and the heart of the Legion. The base that supplied and commanded their endless war with the Sun Elves. The final defense that would protect the rest of the Empire and all peoples who freed themselves from the Sun Elves¡¯ yokes, should all others fail. The walls were currently lightly manned, however, save for the main gate. There a full legion waited, with two individuals standing above the gate itself, a man and a woman. The man was a human with a simple iron crown on his head. The woman was a griffin-kin, with an eagle¡¯s head and wings, and the body of a humanoid lion. She wore the armor of the Legion, with only a few adornments that signified her rank. These were Emperor Julius of the East and Maior Generalis Maximia Tetrica, the commander of all military forces in the East. The Maior Generalis frowned. ¡°You sure they were coming now?¡± Emperor Julius nodded. ¡°Emperor Lucius has assured me that help was on the way.¡± Maior Generalis Maximia waved one of her hands around. ¡°Yes, yes. The Queen of the Dobhar, right? I mean, she¡¯s probably better than an extra legion or two, but she¡¯s still just one person. We have several High-Archons tearing down our defenses, not to mention the endless hordes from dungeons both ahead and behind.¡± Emperor Julius sighed. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Maior Generalis Maximia turned to look him in the eye. ¡°I¡¯m saying I have better things to do than to play diplomat. We have an entire war to fight, and we¡¯re losing.¡± Emperor Julius shook his head. ¡°And that situation won¡¯t change if you¡¯re away from the war room for an hour or two, Maior Generalis. This is an Amicitia Populi Elteni, responding to our call on the personal request of Emperor Lucius himself. Even you have some decorum you must maintain.¡± Maior Generalis Maximia scoffed. ¡°That puppet¡¯s word means little to us. I fail to see how any decorum is more important than the impending destruction of the Empire.¡± Emperor Julius then allowed himself a small smirk. ¡°Even if Magister Militum Canus Sittius Dio stated that this woman could change our fortunes?¡± The Maior Generalis flinched. ¡°...that man clearly does not understand the situation here. If he had, none of this would have happened. He certainly would not have abandoned his post only to take some cushy job in Corvanus.¡± Emperor Julius shook his head again. The Maior Generalis never did forgive her former boss for retiring. But in any case, the communications officer was signaling their guest was on approach, so the time for complaints was over. Maior Generalis Maximia heaved a dramatic sigh. ¡°Finally. Let¡¯s get going and get back to work.¡± And then she froze. As did Emperor Julius, and all the Legion troops standing at the ready. High in the sky, something broke through the clouds. It was an airship, vaguely reminiscent of Mirima¡¯s designs, yet different from any Imperial vessel. It was sleek and curved, its exterior formed of unadorned metal. At the center of its bow was a large tube that appeared to run the length of the ship. And most of all¡­it wasn¡¯t alone. An entire fleet of such ships broke through the clouds and flew towards Proclus¡¯s Bastion. All around them, formations of small airships circled around on patrol. There were tiny by Imperial standards, each only large enough to carry a handful of people at most...but there were hundreds of them. Emperor Julius managed to open his mouth and squeak out a few words. ¡° ¡®Just one person,¡¯ huh?¡± Maior Generalis Maximia did not respond. Chapter 225 - Termination Rains from Above!
Seero had to delay her arrival slightly in order to find a dungeon capable of deploying the new fleet. It turned out that access to slime summoning had proven extremely valuable after all. Monsters were innately creatures more magic than matter, and so had significantly more diverse ways to grow when compared to the intelligent peoples of Aelea. They could, of course, grow via combat and achievements. But they could also grow by absorbing mana or consuming matter. They could grow in response to their environment, or by interactions with each other. Some even grew via normal aging, rewarded for merely exisiting. This was one of the motivations for the Aesdes¡¯ assistance in the first place. And, in fact, the Aesdes provided no assistance to wild monsters at all. The only interaction those monsters had with the Aesdes¡¯ system was to provide information on them. Which meant that normal monster growth methods were not impacted by the loss of the Aesdes¡¯ boons whatsoever. And slimes, in particular, had very simple methods of growth. All they had to do was absorb things. Mana, water, food, minerals, metals, even each other. As long as they could digest an object, they could absorb it, and they could grow from it. Which meant that if Seero created an area of the Primary Home Base where she leaked and condensed her dense and plentiful mana and then supplemented with the constantly regenerating resources of her world¡­she could grow her slimes very large very quickly. Which is exactly what she did. Seero now had a number of Giant Cyborg Slimes at her disposal. Mostly Metal, but including representatives of all the attributes Seero had access to. And what that meant were slimes that, as long as they had access to sufficient material, could fabricate entire ship hulls in record time. Melion had quickly put them to work. This new fleet was the result. New developments sped up the fleet¡¯s deployment even more. The ships originally required crews, after all. That meant summoning, training, and deploying monsters capable of operating the ships. Even using drone-golems as crew members or drone-golem cores to automate the ship itself was insufficient, as a more independent unit was still required to direct them. But that had changed thanks to 00B-Beta. As long as all of a ship¡¯s systems were electronically accessible, 00B-Beta could now take control of a ship and pilot it remotely. And while 00B-Beta was not experienced in airship operations themselves, they could link to other CELIU units, such as drone-golem commander Snuan, who could guide them. As a result, the airships could now be fully automated and required no crews whatsoever, though Seero still deployed some humanoid drone-golems to each for emergencies. Melion could now focus the majority of their production on combat units. Seero now disembarked from the lead ship, along with Amulius, Agedia, Ateia, Taog, and Estrith, and approached the two leaders of the East. ¡°Greeting: Hello, this unit is designated Seero, official Imperial designations: Queen of the Dobhar, Amicitia Populi Elteni. It is nice to meet you.¡± Emperor Julius nodded in a daze. ¡°Emperor Julius Numerius Gregorius. I greet you, Your Majesty Seero, Queen of the Dobhar and Friend of the Empire. Thank you, for coming to our aid.¡± Meanwhile, the Maior Generalis stepped forward and extended her hand towards Seero with a grin. ¡°Maior Generalis Maximia Tetrica. Nice of you to join us. And nice fleet you got there. I look forward to seeing it in action.¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡±
The battlemage who once traveled with the Hero of Elteno slumped her shoulders. Three magic circles formed in front of her, launching massive torrents of flame in front of her. A huge forest of vines and branches paused briefly as it caught fire, but additional plants behind fed upon their burning kin and continued creeping forward. ¡°Ugh. It just had to be another Overgrowth dungeon! Why can¡¯t these stupid plants just die already?¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The recovery knight who also traveled with them shrugged as he buffed the line of his fellow knights trying to cut through the branches. ¡°I thought you always complained there was never enough to burn? Shouldn¡¯t infinitely growing tinder be like your dream or something?¡± The battlemage just threw her hands forwards towards the encroaching forest as the last of her flames were extinguished by the sheer amount of mass twisting around them. ¡°If they actually burned! Do you know how annoying it is to pump half your mana into a spell and then watch it do nothing?¡± The recovery knight stared into the air with a faraway look. ¡°I¡¯m a battlefield healer. All too often.¡± The battlemage sighed and prepped another spell. The battlefield ahead of them was littered with shattered walls and broken landships. The remaining landships had pulled back for repairs while the legions of the east were withdrawing to yet another set of fortifications further up the mountains. But the monsters of corrupted dungeons didn¡¯t take breaks, so someone had to hold the line for the army to fall back. A job made all the more difficult ever since the Necrotorum was pulled off the front. Something about a big undead dungeon acting up. Because of course it would, now, of all times. ¡°Ugh. And where is our fearless leader in all this?¡± The recovery knight shook his head. ¡°You know something happened with his daughter back home. Have some compassion, he made a great sacrifice leaving her behind for as long as he did.¡± The battlemage ducked and fell to the ground as a wave of thorns shot overhead. ¡°And now we¡¯re about to make a great sacrifice! Everyone¡¯s daughters are going to be in trouble if we die here, you know!¡± The recovery mage stepped in front of her with a shield while she stood back to her feet. ¡°I am aware.¡± The battlemage sighed, and then narrowed her eyes. A horn sounded across the battlefield. The knights at the front broke off and began to retreat. The battlemage reached into her pocket and pulled out a mana core that was glowing bright red. ¡°That¡¯s the signal. Cover me, it¡¯ll take some time to set up the strategic spell.¡± The recovery knight nodded and stirred up his mana, creating a powerful barrier. The battlemage got to work, using her flames to burn a magic circle into the stone around them. It took her several minutes to set up, then she placed the mana core at the center. She knelt down and placed both of her hands on the core, and channeled as much mana as she could into it. The core¡¯s light intensified, and then it began to melt and fill the lines of the circle. The battlemage grunted and groaned but her work continued. The spell completed just as the vines and branches were wrapping around the barrier. ¡°Now!¡± The recovery mage leapt back as he dropped the barrier. A wall of fire shot up to the sky and began to surge forward. The entire forest caught flame. The battlemage held her hands out and began to cackle madly. Until a gust of wind blew her and the recovery knight off their feet. They looked up to see powerful winds whirling around, and forming a cyclone that reached up to the sky. The flames were drawn into the cyclone, burning bright and then fading away. The cyclone then vanished, leaving a Sun Elf floating in the sky, with his eyes fixed upon them. The battlemage grabbed her hair. ¡°Oh come on! Now there¡¯s an Archon here?! This is seriously not fair!¡± The recovery knight grabbed her and ran as the Overgrowth forest started growing towards them once again. ¡°Less grumbling, more fire.¡± The battlemage shook her head as she began to run. ¡°I don¡¯t have any more fire! I just solo-casted a strategic spell, in case you didn¡¯t notice!¡± The recovery knight glanced back at the Archon, who was forming a massive magic circle of his own. The knight frowned. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he did.¡± At that moment, the wind picked up once again, and something passed up and above the two. The recovery knight grit his teeth and glanced up, expecting to see their doom approaching. And then blinked, for nothing was above or in front of them. A moment later, a loud explosion shook his ears. He turned behind him and his eyes widened. The Sun Elf Archon was staring forward with wide eyes. And a massive hole where his torso should have been, left by something that had split the sky on its approach. More projectiles then began to stream from overhead as the Archon fell from the sky, small tubes with trails of fire and smoke following behind them. They fell upon the forest creeping towards the pair and exploded. A massive inferno engulfed the forest¡­and the recovery knight¡¯s eyes widened further. He could see golden and silver light flickering at the edge of the flames. But the biggest surprise was yet to come. Holy mana suddenly began to swirl from the ground beneath his feet, and filled the recovery knight. He felt his wounds close, his mana refill, and fatigue fade. He caught a glimpse of a young girl in shining armor and with wings with feathers of pure light. Her face¡­was suspiciously familiar to a certain Exploratore he knew. She smiled and he could hear her voice in his head. ¡°Don¡¯t give up!¡± And then¡­
Protocol assistance is now available. Engage skill and spell assistance protocols?
The battlemage wasted no time even as the recovery knight tried to comprehend what he had just seen. She selected a ¡®recommended protocol¡¯ and a massive magic circle formed overhead. Massive golden and silver fireballs began to rain down on the battlefield. She began to grin. ¡°I take it back. If that¡¯s who I think it is¡­then Amulius what the crap?! Why was she back there all this time?!¡± Chapter 226 - A Shiny, Brand-New Legion
¡°Hello, Aulus, Cominia.¡± The battlemage, Cominia, and recovery mage, Aulus, spun around for yet another surprise. Amulius was being carried through the sky by a half-wolfkin boy who could fly apparently, while an otterkin carried a M¨¦lusine woman. A full century¡¯s worth of metallic golems, also flying, followed them. Cominia stomped right up to them as they landed, grabbed Amulius by the front of his armor, and began shaking him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us your daughter is some super hero or something?! That would¡¯ve have really come in handy, you know!¡± Amulius raised his hands. ¡°In my defense¡­she couldn¡¯t do that when she was younger.¡± Cominia cursed and muttered as she let go of him. Aulus shook his head then stepped forward and extended his hand. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you again, Amulius. Can I take this to mean everything went well back home?¡± Amulius made a sad smile. ¡°Well, not entirely, but for the most part. But I believe we¡¯ll have to catch up later?¡± Aulus nodded, while the half-wolfkin boy pointed to the ground. ¡°Not to interrupt, but we¡¯re about to have company. A lot of it.¡± The group had just gotten into position when a huge hole opened up in the ground. Amulius frowned as an armored Sun Elf walked out of it. ¡°I was hoping to avoid this. Hello Nolnyth.¡± The Archon scoffed as she stepped out of the hole, her retinue following behind her. ¡°Finally! It¡¯s about time you showed up.¡± Amulius tensed as Nolnyth walked forward. She reached into a pouch at her side¡­and pulled out a scroll, tossing it to Amulius. He blinked as he caught it. ¡°Hurry up and take that to someone important enough to matter! I do not intend to surrender only to find myself in an Imperial prison. I expect to have my rank and authority acknowledged, and to receive equivalent standing in exchange for my defection.¡± Cominia gaped. ¡°You, you¡¯re betraying the Empire of the Sun?!¡± Nolnyth rolled her eyes. ¡°Not by choice. High-Archon Vommik has gone mad. He is playing with corrupted fire and it will burn our empire down. I do not intend to burn with it.¡± Amulius nodded and opened the scroll, holding it towards the boy by his side. ¡°Taog, can you transmit that? Have someone pass it along to either Corvanus or Proclus¡¯s Bastion and let us know the response?¡± Taog nodded as his robotic eye flickered. ¡°Got it.¡± Nolnyth turned away from them, preparing to cast her magic as her subordinates left the tunnel. But she paused. The inferno had spread across the Overgrowth forest¡­and the plants affected had stopped growing entirely. She dropped her arms, and the spell she was preparing. ¡°I see someone in your little ¡®empire¡¯ is finally showing some skill. Come then, let us depart before more arrive. I also do not intend to die holding the line.¡± Amulius made a big smirk at that. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to be a problem.¡±
In the skies far from the front, a group of Seero¡¯s airships hovered in the skies. Suddenly, the barrels at their centers began to light up, Lightning crackling and a Gravity field painting the interior purple.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. And then the sky split as the ship¡¯s railgun opened fire. Miles away at the front, an Archon was preparing to cast a spell towards the Legion forces attempting to fall back. But then, without warning, a massive projectile came hurtling straight towards her. She had but a moment between perceiving the projectile and it striking home, not enough time for her to change from attack to defense. The Archon kept barriers up just in case, but that was an emergency defense intended to prevent small ambushes. It shattered immediately under the immense force it was subjected to. She didn¡¯t even have time to scream as the round obliterated her body.
A group of Legion troops had been caught on their retreat. The fast moving monsters of a Verminflood dungeon had overtaken them before they reached the next set of fortifications. They were forced to stop and fight back¡­but the tide of fur and fang never stopped coming. Once they paused to fight, they lost their opportunity to flee at all. That is, until beams of rapidly shifting attributes rained down from the sky, cutting off the monsters from the legionaries. Seero¡¯s magical strike drones flew just overhead, using their Prismatic Strike circles to rain sustained, ammo-free fire down on the monsters below. A moment later, Ateia¡¯s blessing filled the beleaguered troops, healing their wounds and granting them the speed to escape.
Smoke clouded the skies as fires raged through the battlefield. Inferno Imps and Hot Devils rushed forward en masse, the flames of Inferno burning through barriers and armor alike. No spell or enchanted weapon could stop them, and with the Legion forces in retreat there were no formations of steel and blade to hold them back. Until buzzing noises filled the air, and the Hot Devils dropped to the ground, full of holes. Hundreds of Seero¡¯s humanoid drone-golems landed from the skies, firing their arm-mounted machine guns. The weaker Inferno monsters fell back. Inferno Ursanus, Inferno Elementals, Inferno Giants, Inferno Knights, and other such monsters now appeared, and charged towards the golems. Only for a massive beam of Holy mana to sweep across the battlefield. A close-quarters airship designed for magical combat flew overhead, featuring Seero and Melion¡¯s latest achievement. Seero¡¯s study of dungeon mana and dungeon architecture had now paid off in full¡­she had developed a basic understanding of how her own implants were integrated into her core. And with that¡­she had determined how to create new dungeon cores and integrate them into airships. The result was airships powered by the mana of a dungeon core¡­and that could draw on that mana to power their enchantments. A full Prismatic Bombardment circle was built into each surface of this particular airship, allowing it to rain down countless small beams or powerful superbeams of whatever attribute the situation required. The fires of Inferno could burn regular magic¡­but endless Holy mana was not so easily swept aside.
Legion troops stumbled around in complete darkness. They couldn¡¯t see, they couldn¡¯t hear, they couldn¡¯t even feel the ground beneath them. And they couldn¡¯t defend themselves from the unseen monsters spreading the Eternal Night¡¯s shroud. That is, until light began to fill each of their visions. The Eternal Night could not stop Ateia¡¯s blessing here in the Material Plane. And she gave each of them a very unique protocol. A wave of Holy mana extended from each of the soldiers and formed a sphere around them. And suddenly, even though their eyes and ears and other senses still didn¡¯t work, the soldiers could perceive the world around them. They could feel which way led up the mountain¡­and they could sense when a monster approached them. Seero had not only summoned slimes, but experimented with them. She found she could apply new attributes to slimes by having a basic variant absorb mana of that type. So, of course, she promptly created a Holy Slime. And slimes view the world with a special mana sense that was especially attuned to their specific attribute. As a result¡­these new slimes had the ability to use their mana sense through Holy mana. Which was, in essence, a short-ranged Divination focused on their present environment. A technique which was recorded by the CELIU network and easily replicated by a cyborg Aesdes. The soldiers thus made their way out of the shroud safely. The monsters of Eternal Night relied entirely on concealment, and were no threat when spotted. And then once the soldiers were clear¡­one of Seero¡¯s dungeon airships obliterated the entire area with a Holy-Light Superbeam. Anything containing Eternal Night mana was designated as a high-priority target, after all.
When the first set of fortifications had broken, the Eastern Empire had been in serious trouble. The lack of reserves from the dungeon crisis meant they couldn¡¯t prepare the next set of defenses while their front-line forces retreated¡­which meant they had no means of stopping the enemy¡¯s pursuit, and no safe zones where their fleeing forces could regroup. The Empire¡¯s many layered defenses would be rendered irrelevant, the fleeing legions hunted down and destroyed, leaving no free forces remaining in the Empire of the Sun¡¯s path. The Eastern Empire would collapse. But now¡­all across the front-lines, Seero¡¯s autonomous forces joined the fight, and pushed the monster hordes back with combinations of Holy mana, AI-assisted mystical might, and modern firepower. They were still few in number compared to the size of the front, but their long-range and high-mobility allowed them to cover a wide area. And the Archons, ambushed by long-range railguns they were not prepared for, quickly fell back to avoid termination, leaving the monster hordes unsupported and vulnerable. As a result of Seero¡¯s intervention, the Eastern Empire¡¯s soldiers were allowed to retreat to the next line of fortifications, regroup and reorganize back into formation, and recover their cohesion. The next set of defenses could be prepared and manned, and a new frontline established. Which meant once again¡­the Empire of the Sun had failed to exploit a break in the Eastern Empire¡¯s lines and collapse their defenses once and for all. And so the Eastern Empire lived on to fight another day. Interlude 226.1 - Friends in High Places
High-Archon Vommik frowned. ¡°And what exactly do you mean by that, Kurzal?¡± He sat on a golden throne adorned with jewels, set up in a former Imperial command post in one of the conquered defensive lines. Across from him sat two other High-Archons, a man and a woman, seated on similar thrones. The man, High-Archon Kurzal, scoffed. ¡°You know exactly what I mean, Vommik. This ¡®final assault¡¯ of yours has been disastrous.¡± Vommik narrowed his eyes. ¡°You call the most successful assault since the days of High-Archon Drycnid disastrous? We have those insolent humans on the verge of destruction, and now you are losing your nerve?¡± Kurzal rolled his eyes. ¡°And just like Drycnid, we are taking unacceptable casualties. In the meantime, dungeons rampage unchecked across our lands, while the other High-Archons can defend their property with their full might. We are nearing the point where even if we win, we will be so weakened that the rest of the Council will swoop in and snatch away our prize. A Drycnic victory is no victory at all, Vommik.¡± The woman, High-Archon Ilnune, joined in. ¡°What is worse is that the current counterattack was a complete surprise. All the Eastern Legions had been accounted for, the humans should have had no reserves remaining. The Northern Court has long weakened to the point of irrelevance, and you assured us the traitors of Mirima were occupied. And yet¡­now we are facing the most effective counterattack to date, one that can even threaten Archons. Which raises many questions. Where, exactly, did this new force come from? How are they ambushing Archons so successfully? And most importantly¡­why did we not hear of them before now, and why were they not accounted for in your proposals, Vommik?¡± Vommik scowled. ¡°Come now, you both know that casualties and surprises are inevitable in war, and you are both being overly-dramatic. The majority of the casualties have been the monsters that I provided. Our true forces have taken the least casualties of any invasion in all of our history. Do not lose your nerve over this latest, desperate attempt. We will overcome it as we have all the others.¡± The other two High-Archons glanced at one another. Ilnune then shook her head. ¡°Up until now, that has been true, and so we have continued to support you. But as of this latest attack, we have taken casualties among the Archons. The numbers may be few but we should not have to tell you that even a single Archon¡¯s death is worse than losing entire armies of slaves and younglings.¡± Kurzal crossed his arms. ¡°And it is not just the humans¡¯ efforts we are concerned with, Vommik. Twice you have promised us a swift victory, twice you have delivered a breakthrough in the humans¡¯ lines. And yet, twice now, you have failed to finish the job, and we have seen no benefit from your ¡®success¡¯ compared to any other invasion attempt past. And worse¡­I hear of dissent within your own ranks. One of your Archons has even defected to the humans, and the rest are whispering.¡± Vommik narrowed his eyes. ¡°Choose your next words carefully.¡± Kurzal broke out laughing. ¡°You should take your own advice. You cannot afford to fight me now, can you, Vommik?¡± Ilnune crossed her hands across her lap as Vommik glared. ¡°The point is we are decided, Vommik. We are fast approaching the point where none of us can afford this endeavor. You will handle this latest situation on your own. We will hold our forces in reserve while you do.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Vommik began to tremble slightly. ¡°You dare to give me an ultimatum?¡± Kurzal nodded. ¡°We do. You have given us many promises and failed to deliver on them all. You have given us many assurances and yet we have been surprised at every turn. Prove to us now you have what it takes, and if you are worth any further investment.¡± Ilnune nodded as well. ¡°If you cannot break this latest counterattack and resume the assault on your own, then we will have no choice but to return and defend our own lands, lest our positions in the Council weaken any further. We cannot risk any further Archons until we are certain the rewards will be worthwhile.¡± Vommik gnashed his teeth. ¡°You will regret this when I stand alone upon the ashes of the so-called Empire, with all of the lesser races crushed under my heel.¡± Kurzal and Ilnune simply motioned. Servants marched into the room and picked up their thrones, carrying them out of the room. Kurzal smirked as they left. ¡°At this point¡­do as you say and I shall bow at your feet. But until then, I shall treat you with the respect your deeds deserve.¡± Once they had left, Vommik rose to his feet. He walked into his private chambers, and grabbed the communication device left to him by the Herald of the New Dawn. And then he hurled it against the wall. ¡°So, the hero you were ¡®handling¡¯ shows up in the East, with some sort of invisible army, apparently, and you haven¡¯t said as much as a word to me, huh? I see now. I was never a partner, was I? You meant for me to fail!¡± ¡°That¡¯s wrong.¡± Vommik spun as a woman walked into the room. The Herald of Rain walked into the room. Her previously brown hair was now dark blue, and waved about like a rough sea. Vommik narrowed his eyes at her and stirred up his mana. The very air distorted around him. ¡°Choose your next words carefully, human. It was only the respect I had for your master that I allowed you to walk about free, and unharmed. That respect is quickly dwindling, and with it your protection.¡± She smirked at him. Her eyes began to glow, and her voice took on a watery echo. ¡°The Herald of the New Dawn has only provided me with teaching. My power, and my ¡®master,¡¯ as you put it, are both beyond your comprehension.¡± Vommik scoffed. ¡°And yet, here you are, a wounded dog begging at my table for scraps. You are not the only one to borrow the power of the Realms, human, and judging by your failures, even that has not helped you.¡± The Herald of Rain smiled sweetly at him. ¡°Failures you are about to surpass entirely while you berate those who could help you.¡± Vommik and the Herald of Rain stared at each other. The walls near Vommik began to creak and groan, while the moisture in the air rose around the Herald of Rain. ¡°If you have something to say, then say it, human. If not, begone from my presence if you value your life.¡± The Herald of Rain clicked her tongue and shook her head. ¡°You are short-sighted and foolish, Sun Elf. You fixate your sight upon one single nation, while the Herald of the New Dawn looks to the entire world, and beyond. While you struggle against humans and walls, he has struck against the very Aesdes themselves, and continues to hold them at bay. Do you believe the Aesdes would have permitted your little monster horde from the corrupted dungeons we made for you if it were not for the Herald? Do you believe yourself an equal to the Blessed Land? If so, I¡¯m sure he would be more than happy to trade roles with you. So do not take his silence for apathy, unless you are ready to take his place. But in any case, we did consider this situation, though it went against our hopes.¡± The moisture in the air began to condense into a floating pool of water. The water formed into a human shape, and then the image of a certain armored girl shimmered into view. ¡°This is your opponent, NSLICE-00P. Hero, dungeon master, and Amicitia Populi Elteni.¡± Vommik scoffed. ¡°Hero and dungeon master? That¡¯s impossible.¡± The Herald of Rain shrugged. ¡°So we thought. But so is creating corrupted dungeons on command. So is striking at the Aesdes themselves. Underestimate her at your own peril.¡± Vommik¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I am not the one who underestimated her, given that it was your master¡¯s role to handle her.¡± The Herald of Rain shook her head. ¡°We set High-King Xavlaeron and all the might of the Southern Empire against her. We put countless dungeons in between her and you. You had all the time in the world to finish the job before she arrived. But the fact is, regardless of what either of us intended, she is here now. Do you wish to hear of her capabilities or do you wish to argue about the past?¡± Vommik scoffed again. ¡°It should hardly be necessary. She may be impressive to her own kind, but one human girl cannot stand before my might.¡± The Herald of Rain tilted her head. ¡°The same human girl who just killed several Archons and stopped your attack dead in its tracks?¡± Vommik froze, and then scowled. ¡°Fine. Say your piece. I assume you have some sort of plan that justifies your insolence?¡± The Herald of Rain smiled, and nodded. Several more water figures appeared. ¡°Her might is considerable, and I believe even you will be surprised when you meet her. But if you know your enemy, then even the greatest foe can be brought low. And I have been watching her for a long time now. Here is how we will beat her¡­¡± Chapter 227 - Archon Assault
One of High-Archon Vommik¡¯s subordinate Archons flew in the sky towards the frontlines. He wore glowing armor, while magic circles filled the air around him. A shield of mana formed in the air in front of him. And¡­as before, something slammed right into his shield. A roaring sound like thunder followed afterwards. The Archon grit their teeth as his mana drained out of his body. Cracks rippled all across their shield, and it shattered in mere moments. But those moments were enough. The moment the Archon perceived the threat, he cast an Air Dash spell. And since he had gone all out on his defense from the moment he entered the area, his barrier lasted just long enough for him to finish the cast. A gust of wind pulled the Archon out of the way as a metal projectile smashed through the shield and carried on its way. A horde of flying monsters then flew past him, taking up positions ahead. They bought him time to reset his barriers. When the next attack came, the Archon could perceive monsters dying ahead of him, and shifted out of the way. All across the front, scenes like this occurred. Now that the Archons were aware of what to look for, evading or defending from the railgun attacks were within their capabilities. The Archons and the monsters then flew high-up into the sky, above the clouds. They didn¡¯t bother with their mana-senses or Presence Detection, instead using what spells they had to enhance their naturally sharp vision. And soon, they found their targets. Airships and drone-golems of various sizes flew through the skies, at ranges normally considered impractical for combat. They had proven hard to detect because they gave off very little mana for their size. But once the Archons were told where and how to look, they were not so invisible after all. The drone-golems launched a wave of fiery projectiles, but the Archon created a huge barrier in front of the horde. Explosions lit up the sky as the projectiles collided with the barrier. One of the bigger ships fired its deadly attack once more. It shattered the wide barrier, but the Archon was on the lookout now, and moved out of the attack¡¯s trajectory. And since the monsters and warriors of Aelea lacked the ability to fight beyond range, they had instead focused on moving quickly from place to place. As such, their flight speed was quite fast. Soon¡­they were in range. The Archon let loose a mighty spell. A huge cyclone engulfed the formation of airships. They all formed Mana Barriers to respond, but the drone-golems had limits to their mana capacity, and devoted most of their focus towards the offense. Their barriers quickly broke under an Archon¡¯s attack. Once left exposed, their light construction quickly crumpled and they were tossed around in the air, colliding with one another and with the larger airships. The larger airship¡¯s barrier held, but the craft had to cease fire. It could not devote the mana necessary to power its main gun while maintaining its defense, and it had no mages onboard who could respond on their own. And while it quietly endured the cyclone, the Archon prepared another spell. The cyclone condensed down, forming into a lance of twisting air and dense mana. The Archon launched this at the airship. A screeching noise filled the sky as the spell collided with the defensive barrier and attempted to bore through. The airship¡¯s mana cores were powerful¡­but ultimately this was a mass-produced design aimed at efficiency, and not optimized for defense. The spell won out in the end. All across the frontlines, burning drones fell from the sky¡­and even some of the railgun airships. Spread out to cover the wide front, the railgun ships found it difficult to concentrate their fire, and so proved vulnerable if the target Archon was prepared to defend. The dungeon ships were another story, but even they could not hold back the tides alone. Archons joined with monster hordes and defended them with powerful barriers. The dungeon ships could concentrate their power to defeat the barriers or spread their fire to stop the hordes¡­but couldn¡¯t do both at the same time. The monsters streamed past and assaulted the more vulnerable drones around them. The dungeon ships were protected by the same Spatial Angling that regular dungeons used and so hard to bring down¡­but they were ultimately few in number. So, more often than not, the Sun Elves¡¯ assault simply bypassed the battlefields where they were present.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Seero¡¯s air assault ground to a halt, and her forces began pulling back. But that was fine, for the attack had achieved its aim. The Empire of the Sun had taken too long to adjust their response, and the Legion of the Eastern Empire had finished resetting itself. A new defensive line had been established. Seero¡¯s fleet now fell back to this line, and reorganized to support the defense, so the new line would not be broken easily. High-Archon Vommik¡¯s forces had stopped the counterattack, but they could not yet resume the assault. High-Archons Kurzal and Ilnune still held their own forces back, not willing to commit until Vommik created another breakthrough. And so, the frontline stabilized, with both sides currently unable to push forward, much to the High-Archon¡¯s frustration. But the most frustrating aspect of the situation was not the frontline itself. The most frustrating aspect was that the Queen of the Dobhar had not appeared. The High-Archon might be able to break the airship-supported defense in person, but doing so while the Queen of the Dobhar was unaccounted for would leave him vulnerable to ambush, so she needed to be found first. In every other battle she had engaged in, she had led from the front, personally assaulting her enemies and breaking their formations single-handedly. Yet now, in the largest war she had ever participated in¡­she was nowhere to be seen. So the question High-Archon Vommik needed to answer most desperately was¡­where was the Queen of the Dobhar?
In past battles Seero had assaulted the frontlines directly, due to her role as a tactically-focused enforcer, the limited scale of those conflicts, and her overwhelming might. But at this stage, Seero was developing protocols for operational and strategic planning, and aiming for efficiency at a broader scale. She also had many allies experienced in large-scale command that she could coordinate with, including Magister Canus, and Maior Generalis Maximia. And this war was a much larger one than what she had dealt with in Aelea so far, and so required a more complex approach than the previous conflicts. As such, Seero only committed her autonomous forces to the frontline, with the limited aim of blunting the Empire of the Sun¡¯s advance. The expendable, mass-produced units designed for efficiency. Even the dungeon airships, which required Seero to personally construct, were replaceable in the long-run. Meanwhile, Seero was aiming for the most efficient target to reduce the Empire of the Sun¡¯s war capabilities. She was currently in an underground tunnel. 00EW ground down the rock and sand ahead of them, utilizing purely physical and technological methods. Beside her walked Amulius and Nolnyth. Behind them were their companions, subordinates, and retainers. Seero¡¯s robotic eye was glowing and displaying a map of the continent, with a glowing red dot to show their current location. Nolnyth was watching the giant worm and rubbing her chin. ¡°Not as efficient as an Earth attribute movement spell, but close. Acceptable for the low mana signatures involved. Where exactly did you acquire the armor?¡± ¡°Apologetic Refusal: This unit regrets to inform you that details of CELIU unit construction are classified for non-aligned units.¡± Nolnyth shrugged. ¡°Keep your secrets, then. In any case, we are about to arrive.¡± Just as she said so, 00EW came to a halt. Seero could detect powerful mana signatures and Spatial distortions up and above them...and a very familiar gap in her perception. Nolnyth nodded. ¡°Prepare yourself, then. I have heard much of your power, I can only hope you have a fraction of what is claimed. Since I am risking my own life invading my own former country, I expect you to display a better showing than the so-called elite Imperials over there. Do not disappoint me as they did.¡± Cominia scowled and was about to say something when Aulus covered her mouth. ¡°Save it for the monsters.¡± But Seero did not respond to any of them. Instead, she was focused on the corrupted dungeon up on the ground above their tunnel. Yes, Amulius and Nolnyth had led Seero into the Empire of the Sun, to the location of the closest corrupted dungeon they were aware of. If they could bring down the corrupted dungeons, High-Archon Vommik¡¯s monster horde would dry up, leaving his invasion even weaker than the Empire of the Sun''s previous attempts, given only two other High-Archons had joined in this time. Of course, previously, destroying the dungeons was little more than a dream. The Eastern Empire had required all hands on deck just to hold the line, and so couldn¡¯t commit the forces necessary for a corrupted dungeon assault behind enemy lines. Even Amulius and Nolnyth¡¯s group were not confident they could pull it off under the circumstances, given that Nolnyth was now a traitor and their Celestial Elf friend had long returned to his homeland. And even if they had their full complement, their previous dungeon assaults took weeks, sometimes months or even longer, for every single dungeon they took down. The Eastern Empire could not wait that long. Fortunately, they were now in the company of someone who was extremely efficient at terminating dungeons, corrupted or otherwise. A certain someone who was trialing methods to terminate dungeons without an assault at all, in fact. A certain someone whose mana now stretched towards the dungeon above even as Amulius¡¯s party was preparing themselves for the assault¡­ Chapter 228 - Terminate the Corrupted Dungeon!
It had been a long time since Seero last saw a corrupted dungeon; both her understanding of dungeon mechanisms and sensing capabilities had grown tremendously in that time. She utilized her Dungeon Field and Divination to gather data on the dungeon not from the Material Plane, but from the boundary separating it from the Source and the Realms of Mana, utilizing relevant data from Shilanor as a guide. A normal dungeon appeared as a coherent structure built into the boundary. Mana flowed through it at a controlled and consistent pace. It was like a valve in the solid wall of the boundary that could be adjusted as necessary to manage the flow. The corrupted dungeon, on the other hand, was a hole, and a growing one. The mana flowing through it was a torrent, breaking down the very structure of the dungeon itself, and flowing into the boundary around it, tearing the hole even wider. Seero could also detect the Realm of Mana connecting directly to the dungeon. Or in this case¡­she noticed the absence of detection signifying the Realm of Eternal Night, its obscuring mana covering over the dungeon and assaulting the boundaries of the world. Seero predicted that her previous remote dungeon subjugation protocol would not be effective here. The sheer quantity of mana pouring through the dungeon was make such an attempt even less time-efficient than with a regular dungeon. And since the current hypothesis was that these dungeons were created by the hostile Heralds of the New Dawn, she had no confidence that the dungeon master would be willing to surrender in any case, and would resist in any way they could. Beyond that¡­given that the Realm of Eternal Night itself was reaching in through the dungeon, and the mana flow was of such magnitude it covered the dungeon itself, Seero predicted that subjugating the dungeon itself would not suffice at this stage to purify the corruption. From the looks of things, subjugating or terminating the dungeon would require a conventional dungeon assault. Or¡­ Seero could attempt to design a new protocol, tailored to the current situation. Which is what she decided to do. Seero had, after all, already encountered scenarios not unlike this one before. She had closed two separate Rifts in the past at Castra Turannia and Corvanus. Likewise, she had escaped from the Realm of Eternal Night itself. And she had broken through the boundary between the Material Plane and the Source once before¡­and had observed a similar boundary expanding during the growth of the Primary Home Base. She therefore had a great deal of data relevant to the situation, and predicted it should be possible to come up with a solution. Her robotic eye flickered rapidly as she put all of her processing power to work. A short while later, Ateia approached her. ¡°Hey, Seero, everyone¡¯s ready to go, just waiting on you. Are you ready?¡± ¡°Statement: This unit has just completed calculations on an alternative termination protocol. Request: All units should defer engaging dungeon termination or subjugation protocols until completion of the experimental protocol. This unit will require friend Ateia¡¯s assistance. Please standby, transferring protocols.¡± Before Ateia could respond, data started to fill her head. She frowned. ¡°Seero¡­are you sure? This seems¡­kind of dangerous for you.¡± ¡°Answer: This unit is 64.51% certain in the effectiveness of the overall protocol, and 97.97% certain in this unit¡¯s ability to avoid termination or relocation to a position she cannot return from. Potential risks have been factored in and accounted for, and judged acceptable given the potential benefits.¡± Ateia still frowned, but nodded. ¡°Ok, if you say so. Just¡­promise me you¡¯ll come back, ok?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± At this point, the others walked over. Amulius looked worried. ¡°Ateia, Your Majesty, everything ok?¡± Ateia nodded. ¡°Yes, just¡­wait a second.¡± Nolnyth narrowed her eyes. ¡°Not possible, girl. Every moment we delay increases the risk we will be discovered by either the monsters or a patrol. If that happens, the whole might of the Empire of the Sun will come crashing down on us, along with the hordes those fools have unleashed upon the world. We must go now.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Ateia just smiled at her. ¡°Just give Seero some time to try something. I have a feeling you¡¯ll be surprised¡­¡± Nolnyth frowned, but at that point Seero was already putting her plan into action. She opened a portal to the Primary Home Base and stepped in. And at the moment she touched the portal¡­she cast a Blink spell. Seero had used both entrances to her Primary Home Base and Spatial magic quite extensively over the course of the dungeon crisis and the war, and so had gathered a great deal of data on both. As Colle?ne had once warned her, Spatial Magic could not be used to move beyond the Material Plane. Spatial Magic within the Aesdes¡¯ system utilized the Material Plane as an anchor and its boundary as a safety net. If one attempted to move beyond there, the spell would lose both its means of navigation and its safety measures. No one could predict what would happen in that case, only that it most certainly would not be what the caster intended. But for Seero, it was a different story. Seero, as a dungeon core, was already partially present in the boundary of the Material Plane, and had created a direct connection to the base Source during her time in the Realm of Eternal Night. As a hero, she had a connection to the Holy mana of the Material Plane. And, thanks to the Primary Home Base, she had a connection to a separate realm from the Material Plane, as well as a method to establish a connection between them via her entrances. She therefore had multiple reference points to triangulate her position and an example means of transit through the boundary. So she used Divination and her Dungeon Field to determine the coordinates within the boundary, and an entrance to the Primary Home Base to open a path into it. Once inside the boundary, she utilized a modified Blink spell to move outside of the direct path. She originally lost contact with the Material Plane, as it was specifically cut off from the Source, but her connection to Ateia allowed her an alternative route to reestablish the connection. She then used her connections to keep track of her position, while using AI-driven iterations on the Blink magic circle to reimplement the safeguards based on her new navigation method. And so, Seero ended up in the Realm of Eternal Night once again, right in between the Realm proper and the dungeon it was pouring into. Once there, Seero tossed an Anti-Mana Bomb forward and detonated it at a safe distance, while flooding her surroundings with as much Holy Mana as she could produce. As she had predicted, the Realm of Eternal Night¡¯s attribute was cleansed by the Anti-Mana Bomb, allowing Holy mana to contact the base Source as before. And as before, the Holy mana started to convert the Source into a Material Plane¡­
As soon as Seero disappeared, Ateia got to work, and gathered as much Holy mana as she could. Everyone took a step back and shielded their eyes as the tunnel lit up like the sun. Ateia¡¯s entire body was glowing with golden and silver light, to the extent that she appeared to be formed directly from it. Nolnyth hissed. ¡°What is she doing?! We¡¯ll be caught for sure!¡± But Amulius stepped in front of her. ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s important. Don¡¯t interrupt.¡± Ateia then reached out and connected to the Holy mana in the world around her. She frowned. The world was hurt, bleeding. It cried out in pain as a Realm of Mana tore at its boundary. The Holy mana was trying to respond but the corruption of a dungeon gave the hostile Realm a way past its defenses. The boundary was being torn up from the inside, and the pathways for the Holy mana disrupted. The Holy mana attempting to repair the boundary was instead leaking out before it arrived. The Holy mana ceased its flow at her touch, and began to gather around her. It remained there, inert, as if waiting for a command. She guessed that the Aesdes were normally supposed to do something here. Unfortunately, this was not a situation Colle?ne had ever taught her about, so she had no idea how to proceed. Fortunately, though, she wouldn¡¯t have to do it alone. She felt it even before Seero reported it. Something new touched the boundary of the Material Plane. She recognized it as another Material Plane, similar to Seero¡¯s Primary Home Base. And at that moment, Ateia knew what to do. She commanded the Holy mana that had gathered to her to flow towards the new contact. She guided it as Colle?ne had shown her how to guide the mana of the Primary Home Base. And when it reached the end of the boundary¡­she ordered it to expand the Material Plane, as she had helped expand Seero¡¯s. The Holy mana of the world contacted the Holy mana generated by Seero. It reached forward into it arrived at the place where Seero¡¯s mana was contacting the base Source¡­and where a new Material Plane was being born. It reached into the new plane, and to where a new boundary was being established¡­and then pulled it back. The new boundary followed until it made contact with the jagged and broken edges of the old. And then¡­the two boundaries began to fuse. Ateia wasn¡¯t sure where the actual land of the new plane went, she only perceived that it moved elsewhere in the world. But the boundary, on the other hand, remained in place. The new boundary spread over the hole, sealing it up. And since Seero was also blocking the Realm of Eternal Night from applying any more mana¡­the boundary covered over the hole in peace and fused together. In one fell swoop, the boundary was repaired. And as for the dungeon¡­it was suddenly cut off from the Realm of Eternal Night. And since its valve had been opened beyond full¡­it could not stop pouring out what mana it had left. The dungeon core emptied itself of mana in seconds. And since the boundary had been repaired¡­the Holy mana of the world could once again flow to the dungeon. Emptied of mana, the dungeon could not resist. Out above the ground, a pitch-black area began to recede, revealing the sun above and the sand below. Eventually, the darkness pulled back into a swirling, black vortex. The vortex began to slow down, and shrink. Eventually, it faded without a trace. And so the first corrupted dungeon was purified¡­without anyone taking a single step inside. Chapter 229 - Terminate All the Corrupted Dungeons!
Once the new Material Plane had formed and Ateia connected it back to the original, Seero found herself in another relocation, as she had the first time she escaped the Realm of Eternal Night. In this case though, since the new Material Plane had been absorbed into the original, she found herself left in motion, as she no longer had a destination. But that was fine. Seero used her modified Blink Spell to move towards the link between the Primary Home Base and the Material Plane, pulling on her connection with Ateia. Ateia pulled back from the other side, and the Holy mana of the Material Plane responded to the effort. As such, an entrance to the Primary Home Base managed to reopen in the underground tunnel, and Seero stepped out. Ateia¡¯s glow died down as she let the Holy mana return to its normal flow. Nolnyth stomped up to the two of them. ¡°What exactly do you two think you¡¯re doing?!¡± ¡°Answer: Terminating the target dungeon.¡± A vein bulged on Nolnyth¡¯s forehead. ¡°How exactly does flooding the area with extremely obvious amounts of mana¡­¡± But at that moment, Nolnyth froze. Her mana perception was easily enough to feel the presence of a corrupted dungeon. In fact, corrupted dungeons spat out so much mana that even a level one civilian couldn¡¯t miss it at their current distance from the target entrance. And in this case, the mana of Eternal Night''s tendency to block all senses made it very easy to identify. And right now, Nolnyth could no longer feel the dungeon. Everything felt normal above the tunnel, and the mana of Eternal Night was no longer blocking any of her senses. Nolnyth¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What¡­how¡­¡± Cominia, Aulus, and all the knights and Sun Elves also stared in shock as they perceived the situation above. Even Amulius was in a daze as he walked up to Seero. ¡°Your Majesty¡­can you explain what happened?¡± ¡°Answer: This unit and friend Ateia terminated the target dungeon.¡± Amulius continued to stare. ¡°Without entering it?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± Amulius furrowed his brow. ¡°Can you explain how?¡± ¡°Explanation: This unit navigated to the hole in the boundary of the Material Plane and utilized Rift termination protocols to cut the dungeon¡¯s connection to the Realms of Mana, then friend Ateia utilized the resulting Material Plane expansion to repair the boundary. It appears the world¡¯s ambient Holy mana autonomously terminated the dungeon once it was cut off from its source of mana.¡± Amulius continued to stare, blinking several times as his mind attempted to process that statement. Cominia¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°And that¡¯s¡­easier than assaulting a dungeon?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± Her mouth closed. ¡°Oh, ok. Right. Obviously. My mistake, I guess.¡± Cominia then walked off, clutching her head. Seero, meanwhile, turned to Nolnyth. ¡°Request: Please identify the next target location if known. If not, please inform this unit so she can activate search and destroy protocols.¡± Nolnyth was currently staring blankly and unresponsive, so it took a bit of time before she could answer.
The group began tunneling away before anyone could come to investigate, and arrived at the next dungeon without incident. Everyone began to stare at Seero intently. As for Seero¡­ ¡°Status Report: Activating corrupted dungeon termination protocols.¡± She wasted no time in opening another entrance to the Primary Home Base and repeating her feat. This time she ended up in the Realm of Inferno. All around her was burning flames, a firestorm she couldn¡¯t see the end of. She could feel the sheer heat even through the extended distance her Spatial Angling defenses created. Her sensors were useless: her thermal and visual sensors were overwhelmed by the light and heat, audio sensors could only hear the roar of fire, and the flames were somehow burning radio waves, which thus never returned to her radar. Her very mana caught fire on contact with the flames.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. But the Anti-Mana Bomb didn¡¯t. A wave of sparkling rainbow light extinguished the flames, which were replaced by the golden and silver light of Holy mana¡­ Seero stepped back into the underground tunnel shortly after. Cominia stared at her. ¡°She¡­did it again.¡± Aulus nodded slowly while staring. ¡°She did.¡± Ateia made a wry smile. ¡°It¡¯s Seero, after all. You get used to it.¡± Taog stared at her with half-closed eyes. ¡°Ateia, you do know you¡¯re a part of it this time, right?¡± Ateia opened her mouth, paused, and then closed her mouth. ¡°...oh.¡± Cominia suddenly shook out of her daze. ¡°That¡¯s right! Amulius, what the crap?! What even is your daughter?! Some sort of super hero?! A dragonkin?! A mini-Aesdes?! Just who did you get with?!¡± Amulius just shook his head. ¡°I already told you, this happened while I was gone. Her mother was a normal human, too.¡± He frowned a bit at that but turned away to hide his face. Cominia stared at him suspiciously but didn¡¯t press any further.
The next time, Seero extended the range of her attempt. Since she was moving through the boundary of the Material Plane anyways, she predicted that physical proximity was not necessary. Ateia could likewise operate through the Holy mana of the world at extended ranges. As for the results¡­Seero found herself pounded by crushing force the moment she arrived. An endless tide of water rushed over her, attempting to crush her from all directions, work its way into her lungs, and push her out into the hole in the boundary all at the same time. Fortunately, her Spatial protections and a bit of Gravity Magic kept her in place, and so she got to work cutting off the Realm of Deluge. She had to use the Equalizer in this case, however, since the tide was too rapid to toss an Anti-Mana Bomb a safe distance away. Bit by bit, she ate away at the tide, replacing it with Holy Mana. Since she took a bit longer, she actually saw some of the denizens of the Realm. Beings of pure water mana that blended in with the Realm¡¯s own, seeming to lack any biological matter that Seero could detect. However, they kept their distance, warded off by the Equalizer and Holy mana. And so, Seero managed to form the new Material Plane up to the size of the hole in the boundary. Cominia was shaking her head as Seero returned back. ¡°Wow, Your Majesty. You took like, a whole five minutes with that one.¡± ¡°Explanation: The terrain of the hostile Realm prevented this unit from utilizing prior methods, and this unit had to conduct the protocol manually, reducing the overall efficiency of the process.¡± Cominia stared at her. ¡°Wow. How unfortunate. You should be ashamed that it took you a whole several more minutes to wipe out a corrupted dungeon.¡± ¡°Acknowledgement: Inefficiencies have been logged and this unit will analyze potential improvements to corrupted dungeon termination protocols.¡± Aulus just shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. She¡¯s just trying to cope with her shock and the incredible displays of magic you¡¯re demonstrating.¡± ¡°Acknowledged.¡± Meanwhile, Nolnyth was staring at Seero and rubbing her chin.
For the next dungeon, Seero didn¡¯t even need to open an entrance to the Primary Home Base. She had modified the Blink spell, which shared very little with its original magic circle at this stage, to move her beyond the Material Plane on its own. This allowed her to enter and move along a more direct path through the boundary, improving the mana and time efficiency of the transit. And this time, she arrived in the Realm of Overgrowth. A wall of green surrounded her in every direction. Vines and branches twisted together in such numbers that they formed completely solid walls. The moment Seero arrived, they began to grow once again, attempting to fill in the space created by her Spatial Angling. Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered and she held up her hand, charging the Equalizer. Unlike all the other Realms encountered thus far, the Realm of Overgrowth appeared to be formed of solid, biological matter. Under normal circumstances, the Equalizer wouldn¡¯t be effective on a wall of plants. On the other hand, it had worked just fine against the water of Deluge, which also shouldn¡¯t have been the case. So, Seero decided to test things out. The Equalizer beam shot forward¡­and the plants in its path began to disappear. It turned out the plants here were not truly organic matter, but instead consisted of pure mana that took a plant-like form. Mana converted to match the form of its attribute. Which meant the Equalizer worked just fine. Seero tunneled out a decent size hole in the plant wall and then tossed an Anti-Mana Bomb inside. As per her calculations, the plants regrew almost immediately, sealing the bomb away from her. A few moments later, and the wall of plants was torn down, and Seero was free to proceed with the protocol.
Nolnyth rubbed her chin as she watched Seero return from the Realms of Mana unharmed, yet again. ¡°Her skill in spatial magic and her knowledge of the Realms of Mana seem unparalleled¡­but it could be that she¡¯s some sort of specialist? I will have to see her in combat to know for sure. But, if she is not limited to what she has displayed here, then¡­¡± Meanwhile, Cominia groaned while Aulus grinned. He held out his hand and she dropped some coins into it. ¡°I told you, you¡¯re getting too worked up. Her timing on this has been pretty consistent, you know?¡± Cominia clutched her hair. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know anything! Girl can waltz into the Realms of Mana, erase dungeons, and patch up holes in reality like they¡¯re just a leaky roof! So who can say she won¡¯t suddenly pull it off in a few seconds next time?!¡± Aulus tossed the coins around with a clink and grinned. ¡°I did.¡± Cominia groaned again and then sighed. ¡°What are we even doing here? We¡¯re completely unnecessary.¡± Aulus tilted his head. ¡°It bothers you that we don¡¯t have to work?¡± Cominia glared at him for a moment and then sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­everyone else is fighting at the moment. It doesn¡¯t feel right to be doing nothing.¡± Aulus stared at her in shock. Cominia scowled. ¡°Oh come on, Aulus! I know I¡¯m not some knight devoting my life to the throne, but that doesn¡¯t mean I want my home destroyed! I did spend years on a suicide mission to destroy dungeons, in case you forgot?!¡± Aulus chuckled, and then his smile dropped. ¡°Well, be careful what you wish for. We may not be needed for the assault the dungeons like we expected¡­but what do you think the Empire of the Sun is going to do when they inevitably notice the dungeons disappearing?¡± Cominia¡¯s eyes widened slightly, and then she nodded with a serious expression. ¡°Right. And if it takes the girl a few minutes to purify a dungeon¡­then we¡¯ll have to hold the line.¡± Aulus nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s pray it doesn¡¯t come to that.¡± Interlude 229.1 - A Hint of Rain
Seero and company traveled underneath the Empire of the Sun for a while after that, purifying the corrupted dungeons one by one. Ultimately, the Realm connected to a given dungeon or the strength of that dungeon didn¡¯t matter. The mechanics of the Source meant that the Equalizer-Holy mana combo was always effective, and the dungeons, corrupted dungeons especially, could not defend themselves when cut off from the Source. Seero and Ateia¡¯s range grew as well, and now they only needed to enter the general area of the dungeon to purify it. It was not long before they reached the end of Nolnyth¡¯s info, given that she was only knowledgeable on the territories immediately surrounding hers. But that wasn¡¯t a problem. There was a constant stream of monsters headed towards the Eastern Empire, so it was a simple matter to follow them back to their origin dungeons. And so one by one, the dungeons continued to fall¡­
The Herald of Rain stared at the messenger from the Heralds of the New Dawn. ¡°What did you just say?¡± The messenger gulped. ¡°Someone has been destroying the corrupted dungeons.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± But the Herald of Rain didn¡¯t have time to finish before High-Archon Vommik burst into the room. His eyes were bloodshot and his mana was glowing all around him, the air thrumming with power barely contained. He locked eyes with the Herald of Rain. ¡°Explain yourself.¡± The Herald of Rain grimaced. ¡°I have just learned of it myself, so I know as much as you at this point.¡± The High-Archon¡¯s mana flashed briefly. ¡°You told me you knew this NSLICE-00P. You told me she would not hesitate to assault our frontlines, and that she would be easy to draw into a trap. You told me you had measures to deal with her.¡± The Herald of Rain narrowed her eyes and stirred up her own mana. ¡°And clearly, we both have underestimated her. So¡­would you like to waste time attempting to punish me or do you want to deal with the hero wiping out your horde?¡± High-Archon Vommik glared at her. ¡°I¡¯ve had just about enough of you, human. We will deal with this threat. But this discussion on your failures is not over.¡± With that, he turned and stormed out of the room. The Herald of Rain heaved a sigh as a vein bulged on her forehead. As if she were responsible for planning this invasion and all of its strategic failures. But she shook her head, and rubbed her chin. She had other things to worry about than a mere High-Archon. After all, the Heralds of the New Dawn had been brainstorming methods of dealing with NSLICE-00P ever since they learned of Ateia¡¯s identity, brainstorming that had only intensified after their defeat at Corvanus. Each of their members who had volunteered to bind with a corrupted dungeon had prepared rituals and traps and special monsters, each ready to trial their ideas on how to stop the deadly hero. And, more importantly, each had prepared to send messengers to the others once NSLICE-00P began her assault. The entire cult would thus be aware of if NSLICE-00P managed to defeat them, and could rule out the methods trialed by that dungeon. And yet¡­the Herald of Rain had not received a single message. NSLICE-00P was destroying corrupted dungeons without giving them a chance to send word, and at a speed that implied she spent mere hours, maybe even just minutes on each one. That was beyond even the Heralds¡¯ wildest expectations. And, of course, implied that every one of their brainstormed methods had proven entirely ineffective. So now¡­the Herald of Rain had one short trip back to the Empire of the Sun to figure out how exactly NSLICE-00P was attacking them¡­and how they could possibly deal with her.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. She quickly walked over to the Herald of the New Dawn¡¯s communication device, and attempted to send word to the corrupted dungeons¡¯ masters. Each was instructed to dig a large pool of water by their entrances, assisted by members of the cult for those without access to Water Magic. The Herald of Rain gave them a bit of time and then closed her eyes, stirring up the mana of Deluge. She let the mana wash away her presence, carrying it through the torrents of water across the world. Her mind swam through a large river carrying her back east, before linking up to the invisible movements of water in the skies above. She winced and grit her teeth¡­the arid climate of the Empire of the Sun left very little of her medium to work with, but she pressed on. Soon, she arrived at one of the hastily dug pools, and expanded her senses out. She found nothing save the horde of monsters streaming west. So she moved on to the next one, and the next. She furrowed her brow. She could find no sign of NSLICE-00P. Until, finally, she did. She still did not see the cyborg or any of her companions, but she found that Holy mana the cyborg used streaming towards the dungeon from underground. The Herald of Rain froze. She already knew NSLICE-00P was powerful beyond belief, and would only continue to grow stronger. But flinging strong spells around and assaulting a dungeon from the outside were two entirely different matters. Neither the High-Archons of the Empire of the Sun or the Immortal Sages of the Celestial Elves could affect a dungeon from the outside. Not even she, a mighty mage blessed by a Realm of Mana itself had the knowledge and power to do such a thing. The only beings that possibly could¡­perhaps some of the most ancient of dragons might be capable of it. Beyond them¡­would only be the Aesdes, or the Domides who ruled the Realms of Mana. And if NSLICE-00P could match one of those three¡­ The Herald of Rain moved her presence underground. She had to know exactly what NSLICE-00P was doing, and how she was doing it. She tried to move along the moisture deep underground, finding a tunnel just above. She peered up into it¡­and saw her quarry. NSLICE-00P stood in the tunnel, with her glowing red eye that the Herald of Rain still saw in her nightmares at times. NSLICE-00P was looking right at her. Her heart froze for a second before she came to herself. She was not truly there, after all, so there was no way NSLICE-00P could¡­ ¡°Warning: Priority hostile detected. Engaging termination protocols.¡± The Herald of Rain paled as the Holy mana in the cavern turned and began to flow towards her position. She immediately cut her spell, her presence rushing back to her body. She gasped and clutched her chest, her heart was pounding so hard it threatened to leap from her body. She was drenched with sweat. She knew. Somehow, she knew. NSLICE-00P had somehow detected her presence. And that meant that NSLICE-00P was now aware of her survival¡­and possibly her location. The Herald of Rain shivered. That was supposed to be impossible. Her connection to the Realms of Mana allowed her to form a connection between Deluge and any body of water in the Material Plane, which she could then use to dip into the Realms of Mana while remaining connected to the world. It was this ability that allowed her to move vast distances in an instant, or to spy unseen on even the most wary of foes. Any normal counterspells, even a Holy spell, would lose track of her once it reached the boundaries of the Material Plane. No one could follow her into the Realms of Mana¡­ Unless they had a similar method. The Herald of Rain paled even further. Because she recalled that they had sent NSLICE-00P to the Realms of Mana directly¡­and she had managed to return. So NSLICE-00P had, in fact, displayed some skill at moving through the Realms of Mana. She had assumed that NSLICE-00P¡¯s status as a hero would preclude her from being blessed by the Realms of Mana, and there was no one who could safely navigate the Realms without the blessing of their lords. But what if that assumption was wrong? Or rather, in one way or another, it clearly was. And now, NSLICE-00P knew she was coming. The cyborg might even know her current location. The Herald of Rain clutched her head. But she took a deep breath, and calmed herself. She was still the Herald of Rain, one of the inner circle of the Herald of the New Dawn. Trained personally by him from the days of her youth, and one of his most skilled followers. She was blessed by the Domides of Deluge, granted powers incomprehensible to normal mortals that made her a match for even the arrogant Sun Elves. She had risen above her circumstances to become one of the most powerful women in the world, among all species. And the Herald of the New Dawn was counting on her. He needed chaos and conflict throughout the Material Plane. And most of all, he needed time in order to complete his grand design. And if he completed his work, then none of the rest of it would matter. Empires, dungeons, heroes, none of it. She did not know how or even if she could defeat NSLICE-00P at this point. But she still had High-Archon Vommik¡¯s cooperation, and the armies of the Empire of the Sun. She still had many corrupted dungeons and a horde of monsters. She still had what of her brothers and sisters of the Heralds remained after they were purged in the North and evacuated from the South. She, at the very least, could still buy time. The woman who had rejected the Aesdes above and embraced the Domides below¡­could only pray that the time she could buy would be enough. For her great mentor to complete his design and usher in a new age. A new world, one that she would rule at his side for all eternity with power beyond imagining. And should she fall¡­she would at least make sure that this broken old world would fall with her. So the Herald of Rain got to work, and prepared to face the greatest challenge of her life. Chapter 230 - Collison Course
Seero and Ateia, who were focusing on the Realms of Mana and flooding the area with Holy mana respectively, caught wind as the Herald of Rain¡¯s presence passed into the area, and just as quickly retreated. Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered as she attempted to trace the target. Ateia turned all her focus to Divination. Seero could vaguely track the Herald of Rain¡¯s movements through the Realms of Mana, but she could not identify the point in the Material Plane where the Herald of Rain returned to. From what Seero could tell, geographic distance was somewhat variable in the mana dimension, and so distance and direction traveled there did not equate to equivalent movement in the Material Plane upon return. Seero herself mainly traveled through the boundary between planes, entering the Realms of Mana only at its point of contact with the Material Plane. She was not yet confident in her ability to navigate the Realms of Mana themselves, save for the ability to remove herself from a given Realm to a new Material Plane, or to return to her anchor points. And well, if she knew the Herald of Rain¡¯s anchor points, she wouldn¡¯t need to track her movements in the Realms of Mana. Meanwhile, Ateia scowled. ¡°The Holy mana cut off. Feels kind of like the Realms of Mana, I think she must have moved to a corrupted dungeon or something.¡± Seero felt her emotional processes activate. She was starting to feel¡­annoyed. Amulius glanced in between the two girls. ¡°Your Majesty, did something happen?¡± Seero''s emotional processes connected with her speech protocols in her attempts to classify her response. ¡°Irritated Answer: This unit detected the high-priority target designated Herald of Rain, likely attempting mana-based espionage. This unit and friend Ateia attempted to track her location, but current attempts have failed.¡± Amulius frowned. ¡°So¡­they know we¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Curt Response: That is the logical conclusion.¡± Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered as she continued to analyze the situation. She was modifying her protocols and sensors to keep an eye out for any further approaches by the Herald of Rain¡­but the Herald of Rain had clearly realized she had been compromised. Any further attempts would not likely use the same method. She considered her capabilities and those of her allies¡­but they had already attempted every known method to locate the Heralds of the New Dawn. She was no closer to tracking down the Herald of the New Rain in the Material Plane than she had been before. And that meant that the most efficient course of action was to carry on with the current mission. Terminating corrupted dungeons would cripple both the Empire of the Sun¡¯s and the Herald of the New Dawn¡¯s strategic reserves, and their ability to sustain a long war. And now that the Herald of Rain was likely aware of their efforts, she could not allow them to continue. So, if Seero continued with her attack, the Herald of Rain and her allies would be forced to respond. In other words, the easiest and most effective method to locate the Herald of Rain would be to continue her dungeon termination mission. Albeit, said method might provide the Heralds with an opportunity to ambush Seero and her allies. She would need to proceed with caution. As Seero calculated, Ateia and Taog filled in the others on the situation. Nolnyth crossed her arms and frowned. ¡°If the enemy knows of our location then we should get moving. I recommend we withdraw before we are caught by Archons and a monster horde.¡± Ateia shook her head as her robotic eye flickered. ¡°Seero says we should press on.¡± Nolnyth stared her down. ¡°That would result in us being caught by the Empire of the Sun, and perishing as a result.¡± But Ateia held her gaze.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°That¡¯s the point. Seero wants to draw out the Heralds of the New Dawn. If we keep tearing down their dungeons, they¡¯ll have to come and stop us. As long as we know it¡¯s coming, we can prepare an ambush.¡± Nolnyth narrowed her eyes. ¡°I think you are severely underestimating my former peers. I do not know how powerful the Queen of the Dobhar is, but I can tell you that I am the strongest of the pathetic little band the Empire scrounged together to handle the greatest threat to its existence.¡± Aulus had to hold back Cominia again while Nolnyth continued. ¡°The other Archons each approach me in might, and even I cannot deal with a High-Archon. High-Archon Vommik is sure to respond since we are destroying his secret weapon in his own territory, an insult he cannot overlook. So, tell me, human, can the Queen of the Dobhar handle all of that on top of the endless monster horde and whatever those imbecilic cultists come up with in their mana-hazed insanity?¡± Ateia smirked. ¡°First of all, I¡¯m not exactly human. And secondly¡­¡± She turned to Taog and they both grinned. ¡°Yes. Yes she can.¡± She turned back to Nolynth and dropped her smile. ¡°But in case you¡¯re worried¡­you¡¯ve seen the portals already. You know Seero has a way to retreat immediately.¡± Nolynth shook her head. ¡°And what range do these spells have? A short-range teleport is insufficient to escape from a High-Archon.¡± Ateia smirked again. ¡°Want to visit Turannia?¡± Nolnyth raised an eyebrow, but Ateia just kept smirking. ¡°You are serious? I would not take kindly to such a jest when it is my life on the line.¡± Ateia just kept smirking. Nolnyth sighed. ¡°Very well. Let us see what the Queen of the Dobhar can do. But be warned, if I feel my life is at risk, I will withdraw, with or without you.¡± Ateia shrugged. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± And Nolnyth rubbed her chin as she turned away. ¡°Impressive loyalty, if nothing else. But a High-Archon is no easy foe.¡± As for Seero¡­she was currently finishing up her plans¡­and a conversation with Melion. She had to wait for the Heralds of the New Dawn to move before she could ambush them. But that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t prepare now. And as it turned out, Melion¡¯s latest tests were going quite well indeed. If all went well, Seero may have some additional assets on standby when the enemy arrived. With her calculations complete, Seero turned her attention to her sensors, and began searching for the next dungeon¡­
High-Archon Vommik scowled as he sat on his throne, looking to where some of the slave-mages modified a miniature map of the front. It was a three-dimensional construct, with Earth, Air, and Water mages creating fully-accurate replicas of the terrain and current weather conditions, while Illusionists projected images of the soldiers on either side. The situation hadn¡¯t changed, just like it hadn¡¯t for the past day. By his calculations¡­he could not break the Imperial defenses. The humans had already proven they could hold the monster horde alone, and with those airships still skulking behind the walls the High-Archon couldn¡¯t commit his own subordinates. Even he would not needlessly throw away his own assets into certain death, not unless he could achieve something with the sacrifice. And with the Queen of the Dobhar assaulting his dungeons, the situation would only grow worse. The High-Archon might be forced to pull back his entire army to search for her if they couldn''t pinpoint her current location. And to do that...would cause this invasion to fail, even after they defeated her. At that moment, one of his servants approached him, bowing low and remaining silent. Vommik sighed. ¡°You may speak.¡± The servant remained bowed. ¡°My Lord, your¡­guest has sent word. She has located the Queen of the Dobhar.¡± High-Archon Vommik slowly rose to his feet. All conversation in the room ceased, and the slave-mages paused their work. The air began to distort and the ground began to tremble. High-Archon Vommik¡¯s mana flared to life, surrounding him in a visible aura as his eyes began to glow. ¡°Assemble all of my Archons and my retinue. We march within the hour, any who are late shall suffer my wrath.¡± ¡°It will be done, My Lord.¡± The servant backed out of the room, while the slave-mages scrambled to communication artifacts to relay his command. High-Archon Vommik paid them no attention as he strode through the room. If he slew the Queen of the Dobhar, her forces should flee the fight, and the humans¡¯ morale would plummet. He himself could take the field, and smash through the remaining Imperial defenses by his own hand. He also planned to force that insolent Herald of Rain to contribute as well. It was the barest fraction of what she owed him, after how her false promises and mistaken assumptions had led this conquest to the brink of failure. Within days, he would break his foes, he would complete his peoples¡¯ eternal mission, and he would stand supreme atop the ashes of the Empire. All humanity would bow at his feet, wrapped in his chains. And then¡­the Council of Archons would pay for doubting him. Starting with the two who abandoned him on the eve of his final triumph. The High-Archon held out his hand. His mana condensed and twisted through countless magic circles, lightning and wind began surging through the room just from the tiny amounts of mana he let leak from his hand. It had been too long since he had destroyed his foes in-person. Yes¡­he could see it now. His mistake had been to entrust his victory to others in the first place. That was what allowed the others to doubt him, and take advantage of his patience. It was time to remind the Council, the Heralds, the Empire, and the world of the power of High-Archon Vommik. Chapter 231 - First Strike
A new river flowed through the desert, washing away the sand before it. The surging rapids were filled to the brim with all manner of aquatic monsters, pouring out a swirling vortex at the bottom of a new pond. Many miles away and underground, 00EW continued grinding up the ground ahead. Seero ordered the halt, and everyone got to work. Amulius¡¯s team took up positions. The veteran Exploratore began setting up traps, Aulus began casting wards, and Cominia engraved magic circles into the floor. Nolnyth took a position to the side, ready to cast her magic or flee as the situation required. Taog and Estrith conducted scans with their advanced sensors while Agedia sharpened her lance. Eventually, Amulius nodded at Ateia. Seero opened a portal to the Primary Home Base, and stepped through while Ateia stirred up her Holy mana. And then the roof of the tunnel exploded.
High-Archon Vommik floated in the sky and watched as his Sunfall spell demolished the ground, the bright ball of mana smashing into the underground tunnel before exploding into blinding light. He scoffed. So this was the Queen of the Dobhar? Someone so praised and feared, who had the Heralds of the New Dawn crawling to him with their tails between their legs? She had not even responded to his spell at all. It was pathetic, but he should not have been surprised that one praised by the lesser races turned out to be a disappointment. Still, it was strange for someone capable of killing Archons and destroying corrupted dungeons to be done in so easily. The High-Archon narrowed his eyes as he searched for traps. He motioned towards one of his Archons and several of his retinue. The Archons floated in the air around him, while his ten-thousand strong personal guard marched on the ground below. ¡°Go on, find what remains of their corpses and bring them to me. I wish to toss their broken bodies upon the walls of their pathetic empire.¡± The Archon flew down, and a squad of the guards set out to accompany them. He kept his eyes peeled as his servants moved to execute his command.
Meanwhile, Seero had not responded to the attack because she was not present in the Material Plane at all. Instead, she appeared in the Realm of Deluge once more¡­only to be greeted by high-pitched laughter. ¡°I have to admit, of all the ways you could have been handling our dungeons, attacking from the Realms of Mana was not one I had ever expected.¡± Deeper in the Realm, just ahead of Seero, the Herald of Rain appeared. She had a sneer on her face. ¡°But you¡¯ve miscalculated. I may fear confronting a hero when they are blessed by the power of Aelea itself, but now you¡¯re in my arena. This is the very Realm that granted me my power and now you¡¯ll¡­¡± Seero simply ignored her, and continued with the corrupted dungeon termination protocols. After all, the method in question had kept away denizens of the Realms in the past, so Seero calculated it would also work against any mana-based attack the Herald of Rain could pull off. So, she used the Equalizer to clear some of the water ahead, and tossed an Anti-Mana Bomb at the Herald of Rain. The Herald screamed as the rainbow wave passed over her¡­and then began gargling as water filled her throat. It appeared her safety in the Realm was contingent on her shield of the Realm¡¯s own mana¡­which had just been dispelled. She quickly activated a spell and vanished even as Seero channeled her Holy mana to create a new Material Plane patch. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
The Sun Elves had just landed on the ground and stepped towards the smoking crater. But as they approached, the ground opened up beneath them as a massive beam of light pierced through one of the elven warriors. The Archon leading them sprung into action as another beam opened fire, retaliating with a burst of sunlight from above that set the entire crater ablaze. When the fire died down, some of the rocks and debris had melted away, revealing a glowing dome reminiscent of an anti-Archon formation barrier. The Archon scowled. Within the dome stood a large, metallic golem in the shape of an Arachne, covered in glowing circuitry. At the center of its chest was bright, glowing mana core, beyond anything that ever came out of a monster. Inside the golem, Lilussees grunted. ¡°Ugh. This is, like, so much e-word. I, like, need a year or two off after this, or something, ok?¡± Even as she complained, the golem¡¯s eyes glowed and its hands swung about. The giant Prismatic Dome circle shifted into a Prismatic Bombardment circle, opening fire with a fused Dark-Holy Beam. The Archon countered with a Sun Beam of his own, the two spells colliding mid-air. Meanwhile, another hole opened up in the ground underneath the Sun Elf warriors escorting the Archon. Amulius leapt out and unleashed a Holy-imbued arrow, while Cominia created a Firewall. The fire didn¡¯t do much against the Sun Elves, but it made the arrows harder to see, and one of the warriors failed to evade. Agedia and Estrith then leapt straight through the flames, stabbing another warrior each with their spears, while Taog appeared out of the shadow of another and stabbed through his opponents chest. Finally¡­a metallic rat-golem much like Lilussees¡¯ shot from the hole in the ground and rocketed towards the Archon in the sky. ¡°FEEL-EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF THE SERVANTS OF THE WISE-MIGHTY-GRACIOUS BOSS-QUEEN, YES-YES!¡± 01R shot through the sky inside the golem with a mighty lance in its hand, coated in Holy and Light mana. He swung his weapon up, striking the feet of the Archon. A barrier appeared around the Archon before cracking and shattering, forcing the Archon to evade. But in doing so, he dropped his beam spell, and the Dark-Holy Beam shot forward. Lilussees easily adjusted the angle of her attack, and the beam pierced right through the Archon¡¯s remaining defenses. High-Archon Vommik grit his teeth as he watched the exchange. The loss of yet another Archon displeased him, but that wasn¡¯t the worst of it. Yes, he did not expect his first attack to kill the Queen of the Dobhar outright, and he anticipated she would have something planned. Yet, for one of the spells reserved only for the mightiest of Sun Elves not to have claimed even a single life?! That was impossible. If word of this got out, he would be the laughing stock of the Council. This could not stand. ¡°Kill them!¡±
Seero had, of course, detected the High-Archon¡¯s army long before it arrived. Her scouting drone-golems had identified a formation leaving the frontlines when it first set out, in-fact. However, she had not gotten confirmation on if the Herald of Rain was traveling with the force, so she decided to delay responding. She instead covered their location in a Spatial Angling Barrier before she began the dungeon termination protocol, and deployed Lilussees to add a more conventional barrier of her own. Along with a brand new weapon that Melion had just finished testing. A hollow drone-golem that could accept a pilot¡­and that was powered by a dungeon core. A suit that would protect its wearer with all the powerful defenses of a dungeon, including Spatial Angling and automatic regeneration of damaged structures. And that could channel its mana directly into its pilot-master, granting them the mana quantity, density, and regeneration that only a dungeon core could provide. As such, the High-Archon¡¯s assault had failed to reach its target, and then Lilussees counterattacked with high-density fused and Supercharged Beams. The dungeon suit was also a drone-golem that automatically lent its processors to Lilussees¡¯ spellcasting, greatly improving her Supercharge efficiency. Albeit, at an undesirable amount of e-word for her components. 01R, meanwhile, attacked with his own suit, and a special weapon. The Lance of Vlatugni, the enchanted weapon from Corvanus¡¯s Imperial Treasury that was handed over to Seero by Princess Caecilla, which thanks to the suit¡¯s larger size 01R could now handle. A moment after this exchange, Seero returned to the Material Plane. Her sensors searched for the Herald of Rain¡­and found her. In the middle of the High-Archon¡¯s army was a newly constructed artificial lake. It was surrounded by hooded individuals, and a massive magic circle was carved on the bottom. The Herald of Rain appeared there, coughing and gurgling. One of the hooded figures casted a Water spell to pull her to the surface, where she coughed and gagged as she tried to clear the water in her lungs. Meanwhile, Seero, Ateia, and Taog¡¯s robotic eyes all turned red. With the Herald of Rain located and her plans revealed and countered, Seero could now proceed with the operation with full confidence. ¡°Status Report: All targets located. Angry Command: All units, terminate all confirmed hostiles with extreme prejudice.¡± And then the sky lit up with a dozen Prismatic Bombardment circles, Supercharged to the limit. Chapter 232 - The High-Archon vs. The Ultimate Weapon
High-Archon Vommik immediately began preparing a spell of his own the moment his servants were ambushed¡­which he hastily converted to defense as the sky lit up with magic circles. He barely completed a massive Sun Barrier in time as dozens of superbeams shot straight towards him. He grunted, and his eyes widened as his shield began to crack. His mana density was among the highest in the world. What¡¯s more, the beams assaulting him were a combination of Holy and Light. Light was a poor matchup against Sun, which contained Light within it, and out here on a bright desert day the Sun attribute was at its peak. Holy, while highly effective against monsters, dungeons, or anyone drawing on the Realms of Mana, had no particular effect against the inhabitants of Aelea. Against the High-Archon, it should have been only marginally more effective than unattributed mana would be. And yet¡­despite the poor attribute matchup his spell was breaking under the sheer quantity of mana assaulting it. That meant that each of those strategic spells was cast with mana density exceeding his own. And Ritual Casting would average out the casters¡¯ mana density rather than summing it, so the only explanation was that whoever was casting these spells had higher average mana density than the High-Archon. There were a dozen of those spells. So either the Queen of the Dobhar had a dozen or more mages among her servants with such mana density¡­or she had such a quantity of mana and ability to split her focus that she could Multicast Strategic Spells¡­ Vommik was not sure which would be worse. But Vommik¡¯s pride was matched by his self-preservation instincts, and so he activated a Sun Dash spell as his barrier broke, pulling him out of the way of the attack even as he prepared a new spell. He opened up with another Sunfall targeting the Queen of the Dobhar, chaining his cast into another Sundash as she almost immediately adjusted her aim. Since his barriers could not hold against her for long, he needed to get her on the defensive as quickly as possible. A small second sun formed in the sky as Vommik¡¯s mana condensed down into the limit, igniting a ball of fire, light, and even lightning that was too bright to view directly. The temperature rose as the ball began to fall towards the Queen of the Dobhar. The enemy had been underground for Vommik¡¯s first strike, as the sand and rock in the way both reduced the power of Vommik¡¯s spell and hid the targets from the sun above. Likewise, he hadn¡¯t had direct eyes upon them, and the Queen of the Dobhar had clearly anticipated the attack, so he couldn¡¯t say for sure if he had struck them directly. So, it was not unthinkable that they had survived the first assault. But now Vommik¡¯s spell was heading straight towards the Queen of the Dobhar with nothing but open sky between them. The sun was at its brightest and his spell was drawing additional power from it. Surely even a foe such as her could not emerge from such an attack unscathed¡­
Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered as she analyzed the incoming attack. High-Archon Vommik had managed to produce a miniature star, or at least a mana-based representation of one as Seero wasn¡¯t detecting the levels of radiation that a star should emit at this range. Still, the spell was at least throwing off some electro-magnetic radiation, enough that it would disrupt some of Seero¡¯s more sensitive components¡­ If it were not for 00B-Beta, that was. The being composed of mana, lightning, and code was happily absorbing all the ambient electro-magnetic energy and shielding Seero¡¯s components in the process. So Seero just needed to deal with the high-energy projectile headed her way. Seero converted one of her spell circles while the rest continued their assault, while requesting some assistance from Ateia.The circle shifted to a Prismatic Dome spell and laid itself on the ground. Ateia boosted over to its center and placed her hands on the ground, connecting with the nearby flows of Holy mana.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. In this case, the attribute chosen for the spell was Nature, Metal¡­and Cyber. The last attribute wasn¡¯t named in the Aesdes¡¯ system last Seero had checked it, but it was the most accurate designation she could apply to 00B-Beta¡¯s mana, which seemed to match the mana produced by her Cyborg Dungeon Affinity. A massive tree with metal bark and an interior of combined organic matter and electronic machinery grew from the ground. Ateia filled it with Holy mana, accelerating its growth and strengthening the tree itself. Her connection to Seero and the Primary Home Base, along with her own experiences growing cyborg plants there, even allowed her to add a bit of a Cyber-flair to the Holy mana flowing through her. The cyber-tree rose into the sky and spread its metal-coated branches in a circular canopy as the miniature sun spell approached. A bolt of straight lightning shot from Seero into the tree¡¯s trunk, and circuitry began to light up along the tree as 00B-Beta extended itself to the tree¡¯s circuitry. And then¡­the spell struck. A massive explosion of flame, light, and lightning spread out across the canopy¡­and immediately dimmed. The tree¡¯s organic components absorbed the Light mana to grow even stronger. 00B-Beta absorbed as much of the Lightning as it could before the excess was safely transferred into the ground by metal coated bark and roots. All that was left were the flames, but the tree¡¯s metal coating made it less susceptible to catching flame than usual. The spell tried to scorch the tree, but only ended up nourishing it. The High-Archon¡¯s spell had failed to make any noticeable impact¡­
High-Archon Vommik pursed his lips as he watched the scene before him, even as he used Sun Barriers and Sun Dashes to evade the Queen of the Dobhar¡¯s retaliation. The Queen of the Dobhar had made some sort of metal tree that blocked his attack completely. Nature was a solid choice against Light-based spells, but the Fire component of his sun spells should have set it ablaze. Likewise, they were in the middle of an arid desert, lacking in both fertile soil and water. The environment should have favored Sun over Nature. And he had never seen Metal and Nature combined before, which was apparently giving the tree additional protection from the Lightning attribute. But that wasn¡¯t the most shocking part of this. No, the most shocking part was the Queen of the Dobhar¡¯s human companion. The girl who held the trunk of the tree, feeding it with Holy mana. Vommik had lived for a long time. He had seen much, and read more. He had met with heroes, and had cast them low. So he knew better than most what they were capable of. Heroes could generate Holy mana and use it to cast special skills. They could even call upon the mana of the world in a limited manner, receiving small amounts of Holy mana from their surroundings to boost their durability and recovery rate, making them surprisingly hard to kill. This was not was the human girl was doing. She was calling on the Holy mana flowing through the world and commanding it. She was changing the flow itself, and redirecting it to support the Queen of the Dobhar¡¯s spell. And that mana responded, and flowed freely, unlike how it would for anyone else in Aelea. That had frightening implications for her identity¡­and the Queen of the Dobhar¡¯s. Vommik¡¯s eye twitched as he glanced over at the Heralds of the New Dawn. He now understood why they had fled¡­and decided they would pay from withholding such information from him when he agreed to shelter them. But such things would have to wait. The truth was¡­he needed their help at present. The Queen of the Dobhar could apparently match his peak mana output¡­and with what could only be either an Aesdes or an Ancient Dragon commanding the world itself to support her, she would not run out of mana anytime soon. Even he was not confident he could break through her defenses, and he apparently couldn¡¯t wear her down over time. So his only hope of overcoming her was the help of his allies. But at the very least, his forces outnumbered hers a thousand to one, and he had brought his Archons with him as well. He may have lost one to an ambush, but he could not imagine more than a few of her companions matching the Archons one on one in the open field, much less when at a numerical disadvantage. Additionally, the Heralds of the New Dawn could lend support as well. He had initially scoffed at the Herald of Rain¡¯s frankly paranoid amount of planning for this battle¡­now he could only hope that at least some of it would succeed. But until it did¡­he would have to face down the Queen of the Dobhar and endure her assault. Not a single other person on the field was up to the task. He grimaced as he watched her magic circles change color. Jets of Water shot forward, burning up before his Sun Barrier. So she could also change the attribute of her spell¡­without having to recast the entire thing. The High-Archon felt a chill down his spine, even as he reinforced his spell. He could only hope that his servants would fulfill their duty¡­or that the Herald of Rain might prove worthy of their alliance¡­ Chapter 233 - Sun Wars
01R landed back on the ground, regrouping with the others as the Sun Elf forces began to move. A ten-thousand strong army of Sun-Elf Spellblades bore down on them, led by seven Archons. 01R grinned. ¡°Now this is a fight worthy-deserving of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen¡¯s servants, yes-yes.¡± Lilussees just groaned. Cominia frowned. ¡°Hello Mister Ratkin?¡± 01R held his head up high and crossed his arms. ¡°You may call-name this one as 01R, the blessed name granted by the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen, yes-yes.¡± Cominia furrowed her brow. ¡°Right¡­so¡­01R, was it? There happen to be more than the two of you? We¡¯re a bit short-handed¡­and those stupid elves are Fire resistant too.¡± 01R grinned. ¡°Wait and see-observe, man-thing, and we shall show-display the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen¡¯s glory, yes-yes.¡± He then boosted into the air and held his arm out. A massive vortex appeared in the air. Several dungeon airships flew out into the sky, flanked by formations of drone-golems. Humanoid variants began to land on the ground along with the rest of Seero¡¯s monsters, led by 00B. As it turned out, powering 01R¡¯s suit with a dungeon core had another benefit. Mainly, that as a dungeon connected to Seero, it could open an entrance to the Primary Home Base. Cominia blinked. ¡°Ah. That should work. Thank you.¡± Even Aulus gaped at the sight, while Amulius chuckled and shook his head. 01R smirked. ¡°This is only the start-beginning, yes-yes. All unit-servants, begin-commence attack!¡± The flying drones launched a volley of missiles while the humanoid drone-golems formed up on the ground. Barriers formed over the Sun Elf army, and the missiles exploded overhead, dealing little damage. Then the Archons retaliated. Sun Beams, Sun Bolts, Sun Lances, and other Sun attribute spells streamed towards the airships, all boosted by the light overhead. The dungeon airships created barriers of their own, stopping the spells. However, cracks began to form on the barriers. Snuan, sitting on an elevated throne in the bridge of the lead dungeon ship, jumped and squeaked as an alarm started blaring. ¡°K-Kill-slay those elf-things, you crazy fanatic! O-Our ship-things can¡¯t repel-resist firepower of that magnitude!¡± 01R nodded as Snuan¡¯s voice came in over the comms. The dungeon ships may have had an endless supply of mana, but only a finite quantity of it was available at any one time, and their mana density did not come close to the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen¡¯s. Their barriers would not hold forever. The dungeon ships themselves were protected by Spatial Angling and a dungeon¡¯s ability to repair damage to itself, but that did not extend to the other drone-golems¡­or to the people on the ground. So it would be wise of him to target the biggest threat on the battlefield. He turned to look at his fellow servants¡­plus a few allies or two who dared not to bow at the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen¡¯s feet. ¡°The drone-golems shall block-distract the weaker elf-things, we shall attack-assault the strong ones, yes yes. I and Lilussees shall handle-defeat one each.¡± He turned to Amulius and his party. ¡°Can you insolent man-things handle one yourselves, yes yes?¡± Amulius rubbed his chin, then slowly nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can defeat an Archon, but we should be able to contain them for a while.¡± 01R sighed. But perhaps that was the best he could expect from man-things who were not blessed to follow the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen. ¡°That will have to do-suffice. Then, 00B, Estrith, you two must lead-guide the others to confront-face four. Can I count-rely on you? You can take the insolent snake-man-thing with you.¡± Agedia smirked. ¡°Thanks. But sure, I¡¯ll help.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! 00B looked up at the Archons, his robotic eye flickering. A flash of lighting surged around his eye as 00B-Beta assisted with the calculations. He then turned to 01R and grunted. 01R frowned. ¡°Four is a lot for a clean fight, you predict-calculate?¡± 01R rubbed his chin. 00B¡¯s analysis of the power the Archons were displaying indicated a significant chance of taking casualties if their group had to deal with four simultaneously. Only two dungeon suits were ready, so the rest of the CELIU units would be fighting on their own, and most could not match the Archons in mana output. ¡°How about three?¡± At that moment, everyone turned around. Nolnyth had jumped out of the Primary Home Base where she had retreated to, and flew down to the group. Cominia smirked at her. ¡°Oh, is the cowardly little Archon suddenly feeling brave?¡± Nolnyth scoffed. ¡°Only a fool rushes to confront a High-Archon unprepared. But the Queen of the Dobhar, unlike every other human I have ever met, has surpassed my expectations.¡± Nolnyth turned as Cominia scowled, facing 01R. ¡°You there, servant of the Queen of the Dobhar. I will assist you, so long as you allow me to face Madanri alone. He and I have a score to settle, now that the High-Archon is no longer forcing us to play nice.¡± 01R grinned. The elf-thing¡¯s tone was insulting, but she at least understood his relationship with the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen. And more importantly, if she could handle another elf-thing on her own, then the rest of their group only needed to deal with three. ¡°Understood-agreed, yes yes. 00B, can you handle three?¡± 00B¡¯s robotic eye flickered, and then he nodded and roared. ¡°Well said-stated! Charge-attack, servants of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen!¡± 01R boosted into the air. The Archons, frustrated by the lack of burning airships, were trying other elements. Fireballs, Light Beams, Water Lances, Lighting strikes, boulders from the ground, spouts of lava, and other such spells assaulted the dungeon ships¡¯ barriers. 01R shot through the hail of spells, his cybernetic components tracking the mana signatures and plotting out his course as the suit layered Dash spells on its powerful repulsors. He quickly evaded the barrage and rocketed towards the nearest Archon. She frowned and formed a barrier as 01R arrived. His lance collided with a crash, screeching as enchanted metal scratched against the sun-powered mana shield. Two more Archons turned to attack the armored rat. But Lilussees assaulted one with a Prismatic Bombardment, who hurriedly turned to their own defense. The third shot a Sun Beam¡­only for a similar spell to collide with his midair, canceling it out. His face contorted in rage as Nolnyth flew towards him. ¡°Traitor!¡± Nolnyth narrowed her eyes at him as she prepared another spell. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to this.¡± She lobbed a ball of white flames at the Archon. He evaded, but was forced to put up a barrier as the ball exploded nearby. On the ground, the drone-golems had engaged the Spellblades. Machine guns, missiles, and lasers continued to fire, but the Spellblades were no mere rank and file soldiers. Even the weakest Sun Elf warrior in the High-Archon''s personal guard was a foe that surpassed an Imperial legionary several times over. Those who focused on the mystic arts put up barriers that blocked any firepower a mass-produced drone could output, while those who trained their bodies simply ignored the barrage as it bounced off their HP and enchanted armor. Powerful spells demolished squads of drone-golems while enchanted blades cut through armor plating with ease. But¡­there were a great many of the drone-golems. And most of all¡­they had help. Within the CELIU network, 00B-Beta watched through a thousand optical sensors. It reached into the CELIU combat protocol database, running combat analysis protocols acquired from 00B and the Great Mother herself to determine the ideal solution. It selected the chosen protocol and applied it to the drone-golems. Bolts of lightning, code, and mana shot out of the drone-golems to one another, zigzagging and linking them before shooting towards the quadcopter spell-drones hovering just above. Spell circles began to form in the air¡­and link together into larger magic circles. Thanks to 00B-Beta¡­the drones could now Ritual Cast all on their own. Powerful barriers began to block the spells shot by the Sun Elves, while the melee fighters were assaulted by Fusion Beams that they couldn¡¯t just shrug off. The elven army was pushed back, and so could not intervene as 00B led the cyborgs and their allies towards the remaining Archons. Amulius charged up an arrow with a Hero skill and let it loose, cracking one of the Archon¡¯s barriers. The Archon noticed and launched a blast of fire towards the hero¡­only for Cominia to block with a Fire Barrier of her own while Aulus laid down a Recovery ward to boost them all. The Archon scowled and turned his attention to the group. One of the remaining Archons turned to assault the group while the other two focused on the airships. A Sun Beam shot towards the incoming cyborgs¡­but 00Sylvan and 00SO were ready, the cyborg dryad and Sacred Otterkin replicating Seero and Ateia¡¯s defense. Holy-empowered cyber-trees grew in front and absorbed the Sun Beams, before firing back with the improvised railguns 00Sylvan had weaved into their branches. Estrith and Agedia shot past the Archon as she defended herself from the railguns, aiming towards the remaining two. Their target noticed and launched a wave of fire with a swing of his hand. Estrith boosted in front of Agedia and formed a Water Barrier. The Barrier doused some of the flames, and then Estrith tanked the rest. She may not have had Uscfrea¡¯s infamous magic resistance, but her high-level Dobhar fur was still quite tough. She then boosted away even as her fire suppression systems doused the flames on her body, clearing the way for Agedia. Agedia¡¯s lance pierced through the Archon¡¯s barrier, forcing him to beat a hasty retreat to avoid being impaled. Within the lead dungeon airship, Snuan watched as the number of Archons assaulting their barriers dropped. At this point, only a single Archon was still flinging spells their way. A single ship could now block the barrage. And she had three. Snuan grinned. ¡°Fire-shoot at will, yes-yes!¡± The verbal command was just force of habit as Snuan¡¯s cybernetic components were linked to the ships in question. Her mana carried her command as per her Golem Commander skills had before, providing both instructions to the golem cores powering various systems in the ships, and using the additional mana to enhance the cores¡¯ capabilities. The systems thus leaped to execute her will. The two flanking airships switched to the offense, and Prismatic Bombardments opened fire on the remaining Archon, who was forced to focus on barriers of his own. And so the battle raged both above and below¡­ Chapter 234 - Risk of Rain
The Herald of Rain exhaled the breath she was holding as she watched the fight develop. The last time she had seen NSLICE-00P, the hero dungeon master had displayed power roughly equivalent to an Archon, so the Herald had hoped the High-Archon would be a match for her. Yet¡­NSLICE-00P¡¯s growth and her ability to defy their expectations had filled the Herald with anxiety, and she couldn¡¯t help but fear that the cyborg would just wipe out Vommik with ease. So it was a great relief that Vommik was holding his own, at least at present. And likewise, his forces had engaged all of NSLICE-00P¡¯s, and were holding them down¡­which left the Herald of Rain to her own devices. So it wasn¡¯t the best case scenario¡­but it also wasn¡¯t the worst. Her allies were intact¡­and buying her time and space to execute on her own plans. She frowned and rubbed at her sore throat before shaking her head. She tried not to think about NSLICE-00P stripping away the spells granted by the Blessing of Deluge¡­within that very Realm. Because fortunately¡­she had a plan. Her defeat in the Realm of Deluge was deeply concerning¡­but it had also been an attack of opportunity, since she hadn¡¯t expected NSLICE-00P to waltz right into a Realm of Mana. So it did not impact the Herald of Rain¡¯s original plan to deal with her foe. The Herald of the New Dawn had taught her much about NSLICE-00P''s origins. He described a fantastic and deeply horrifying world, one that had barely a drop of mana within it. He talked of constructs of metal and lightning and fire, of a society that processed the world around them and bent it to their will despite being limited to their physical bodies alone. Honestly¡­the Herald of Rain didn¡¯t understand half of it. She didn¡¯t want to understand it. She was one who had devoted her very life to uncovering the mysteries of magic and unlocking the infinite potential it held. A world without magic was not one she wished to ever see. But what she did understand was that NSLICE-00P came from such a world, and such things explained the nature of her existence. And more importantly¡­that nature contained vulnerability, the one chink in the hero dungeon¡¯s armor. She nodded at one of her companions, trying not to wince at the sound of her hoarse voice. ¡°Do it.¡± The Herald of Storms nodded, and began to chant his spell. The others, including the Herald of Rain, began to chant as well, offering up their mana with basic Mana Transfers. Normally, this would not be enough for a Ritual Cast¡­but the Heralds were no normal mages. They were each blessed by one of the most destructive and extreme Realms of Mana¡­Realms that did not permit any other attribute to exist in their presence. Like corrupted dungeons, their mana was twisted to match the attribute of their chosen Realm, suffering no other. So¡­if anyone transferred mana to them, their blessing would take and twist this mana into its Realm¡¯s attribute. The Herald in question could then utilize it as their own. And so, the Herald of Storms pulled out a special mana core, designed and enchanted by the Herald of the New Dawn himself. He cast his spell with this core as his focus, channeling his mana through it and up into the sky. A small storm cloud gathered before unleashing a mighty bolt of Lightning. The bolt struck the nearest drone¡­and did no apparent damage to it. The Herald of Rain grinned. The Herald of the New Dawn had come up with an attack that would turn NSLICE-00P¡¯s strength against her. The Herald of Rain didn¡¯t really understand this ¡®virus¡¯ concept, only that it was vaguely similar to a disease, or perhaps mana corruption, for a being like NSLICE-00P. A similarity her leader had utilized to design a mana transmittable virus functioning on the same principles as the ¡®secret¡¯ weapon High-King Xavlaeron thought he had hidden from them. As such, the attack wouldn¡¯t even need to strike a target directly. Contact with the target¡¯s mana, such as via a defensive barrier, would suffice to transfer the virus. And best of all¡­they didn¡¯t need to target NSLICE-00P herself. NSLICE-00P was apparently directly connected to each and every one of these drones, or anyone who shared her armor that apparently was grafted directly onto their bodies. And here people insulted their group for merely connecting their mana to a Realm.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The important point was that once the virus had infected even a single target among NSLICE-00P¡¯s servants, it could spread across all of them. Even up to the hero dungeon herself. And they had gotten a direct hit on one of her drones. All the Herald of Rain now had to do was wait, and soon the entire enemy force would be defeated. So she waited. And she waited...
00B-Beta¡¯s code flashed, and they felt weird. They shifted their attention over to the unit in question¡­and found an intruder. Malignant code, carried via foul mana, had infected the unit. 00B-Beta immediately moved to terminate it. The virus was not merely a program, and not merely a spell. It was a self-replicating construct of mana and code, capable of interacting with both and absorbing either into itself. It was not sentient yet, but it was autonomous, and growing with every moment. It¡­was quite like 00B-Beta, in fact. Which meant¡­it was very much like a Cyber-Elemental. And if an Elemental comes into direct contact with another Elemental of the same attribute¡­then the more powerful absorbs the weaker. And the virus wasn¡¯t even sentient enough to realize it was under attack. The two constructs of mana-code came into contact. 00B-Beta drew upon the Great Mother¡¯s Holy mana protocols and purged the foul mana from the infected unit¡¯s systems. Now clear of mana, the malignant code was defenseless as 00B-Beta assimilated it into themself. They looked it over¡­the code presented a novel method of cyber-attack without an exact match in existing CELIU protocols, and was worth further investigation, especially given its interaction with non-Lighting attribute mana. 00B-Beta flooded the code with Holy-mana¡­and then sent a copy back from whence it came¡­
The Herald of Rain furrowed her brow. According to the Herald of the New Dawn, the virus should have taken mere seconds to apply its effect. Even accounting for additional time to spread from unit to unit and overcome any countermeasures, they should have seen some change by now. And then¡­a change occurred. But not the one the Heralds expected. Glowing golden and silver lines shot up the lightning bolt and into the cloud above, then followed the stream of mana into the mana core. The lightning from the Herald of Storms began to spin around inside the mana core, intensifying and twisting about. A second later¡­the core exploded, throwing the Heralds back. The Herald of Rain grunted as she was thrust back into the lake she had created earlier. When she opened her eyes¡­she gasped. The Herald of Storms, being in physical contact with the core, had not survived. She grit her teeth. Once again¡­NSLICE-00P had defied her expectations. Even the Herald of the New Dawn had been outmaneuvered, despite conducting a Divination on their foe. The Herald of Rain wanted to scream. But she took a deep breath, her reapplied Blessing of Deluge allowing her to breathe the water as easily as air. The Herald of the New Dawn had warned them that this method was not guaranteed to succeed, though he had not expected it to literally blow up in their faces. So the Herald of Rain did have a back-up plan. They had learned in Corvanus that there was no such thing as too many contingency plans when dealing with NSLICE-00P. So, she moved on to their next scheme. Even a High-Archon of the Sun Elves was failing to defeat NSLICE-00P as a mage. Even the Herald of the New Dawn¡¯s creation had failed to defeat her as a machine. So this time, the Herald of Rain would target NSLICE-00P as a person. She closed her eyes and stirred up her mana. The water around her formed into piercing jets and grinding spheres, and began to work on the magic circle at the bottom of the lake. The original circle was ground away by the spheres, then the jets carved new lines into the stone. Soon, her new spell circle was ready. She opened her eyes, now glowing with dark blue light, and filled the magic circle with power. The ground began to rumble, all across the battlefield. A few moments later, the sand began to explode. Plumes of water shot into the sky as water from deep below blasted up and through the surface. The Herald of Rain then activated her spell. She let her presence flow through the water, while she gave up her body to the Deluge. The mana from her blessing took hold of her physical flesh and joined it with the unstoppable tide, moving past stone and space alike, until it caught up with her presence, and she rejoined the Material Plane once again. She reformed in one of the plumes of water, one that had shot up right behind a certain half-Wulver boy. The Herald of Rain grinned as she reached for the one named Taog. ¡°Got you.¡± Chapter 235 - Terminate the Rain!
Taog sighed as he watched the ongoing battle. This was perhaps the worst situation for his particular set of skills. Sun attribute spells flying around on a bright desert day with nary a tree in sight created a suboptimal environment for Dark mana. At best he could try to interact with people¡¯s shadows. Otherwise it was his mana versus a Sun Elf¡¯s with a disadvantageous match up. And Holy mana wasn¡¯t as strong against normal people as it was against monsters. The Aesdes did not take sides¡­besides some of the myths surrounding Velus, that is, but every culture had their own legends regarding their origins. Taog did have a hero skill or two to give him an edge over a normal person¡­but that was not enough to navigate a disadvantageous battlefield involving Archons. So¡­Taog was on standby, watching Seero¡¯s drones take on the Sun Elf soldiers. He was confident he could handle one or maybe a few of those, so he stood in the back. Should they manage to break through the drones, he would reinforce the line. But so far¡­they had not, so there was no reason to risk cyborg units in that fight just yet. As a result, Taog was just sitting around waiting while everyone else was fighting for their lives. He was starting to understand why Ateia didn¡¯t like waiting at the Primary Home Base. But then, something changed. Taog wrapped himself in his Dark Shroud, hoisting his blades. Huge plumes of water began to burst from the ground all across the battlefield. Taog heard a voice from behind him. ¡°Got you.¡± And¡­he smirked. ¡°Yes. I do.¡± The Dark Shroud Shot behind him, forming into a hand. The Holy-infused Dark mana slammed into the Herald of Rain and pushed her out of the column of water, bouncing her on the sand a couple of times. Taog grinned as he turned around, his robotic eye flickering. He wasn¡¯t the best at Divination, but he was a hero capable of using Holy mana, so it was possible. And Seero had recorded in exacting detail every bit of data she had on the Herald of Rain, particularly after the Herald had tried to spy on them recently. Taog¡­and all of the CELIU units¡­had been tracking the Herald from the start of this fight. Not to mention¡­he had seen that trick once before. He was never going to let it work ever again. ¡°Hello Miss Sidonia, long time no see.¡± The Herald of Rain¡¯s eyes widened as she picked herself off the ground. ¡°Holy mana? You, you¡¯re a hero?!¡± Taog bared his teeth as he smiled and spun his blades. ¡°You¡¯ve missed a lot. I¡¯m not the same helpless kid as back then.¡± The Herald of Rain stared at him for a moment before scoffing. The sand beneath her feet started to grow damp as her eyes began to glow. ¡°Perhaps. But I wield powers beyond your comprehension. You still cannot stand against me.¡± Taog leapt forward, his repulsors propelling him forward. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that!¡± The Herald of Rain¡¯s eyes widened slightly but she responded regardless. Another plume of water burst from the ground right in front of Taog, forcing him to pull up. The plume arched, pouring the stream of water down towards Taog. He boosted to the side while swing his blade towards the torrent of water still streaming up. Dark and Holy mana shot from his blade, cutting off the flow of water as it tore through the mana of Deluge. The Herald of Rain was nowhere to be seen as the water fell¡­but Taog¡¯s robotic eye spun around and then zoomed in. He could track her presence as she moved through the water underground. Taog grinned, and then dove into the hole left by the plume of water. He traveled deep into the ground, eventually arriving at a large cavern with a huge underground lake. He heard the Herald of Rain start to laugh. ¡°You followed me down here? Oh my, you¡¯re dumber than I thought, Taog.¡± The lake began to bubble violently, and then several columns of water shot into the air, streaming towards Taog. But Taog just grinned. He extended the Dark Shroud all around him. In the pitch-black underground cavern, there was plenty of darkness. He shifted out of the attack with a Dark Dash, melding into the shadows.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The water columns smashed against the roof, spraying the entire cavern in drops of water. The drops began to accelerate as they fell, filling the air of the cavern with rain. Some of the rain landed on Taog¡­and then quickly coalesced into a bubble of water. ¡°Did you really think you could escape from me, here, in the midst of my element? Watching the terrain is battlemage rule number one, boy.¡± Taog grimaced. ¡°This is a lot harder than I thought. Seero makes it look so easy.¡± The Herald of Rain grinned to herself. ¡°The lesson every rookie learns on their first fight. Unfortunately, this is also your last.¡± Taog then turned his head¡­and looked right at the Herald of Rain hiding in the water below. He¡­was more than a little satisfied as his cybernetic components logged her heart rate increase. ¡°Excuse me but¡­I wasn¡¯t talking to you.¡± And then Taog executed his experimental protocol. Holy-infused Dark mana spread all across the edges of the cavern, and down into the water, coating the walls, floors, and roof. What little light trickled in from the hole in the roof cut off, leaving the cavern completely dark. He grinned as he heard the Herald of Rain gasp. Seero had visited the Realm of Eternal Night more than once at this point, recording its mana in great detail. And while the Realm of Eternal Night¡¯s mana was unique, it was ultimately a form of Dark mana, one that took the obscuring aspect of darkness to its ultimate extreme. So regular Dark mana also contained that aspect, though to a far lesser degree. Ever since becoming a hero, Taog had studied Seero¡¯s recordings. And he had practiced modifying his own mana into a similar form. Now¡­he finally had it down well enough to use it in combat. The Herald of Rain¡¯s eyes widened as her perception of everything beyond the cavern cut off. She couldn¡¯t even feel the water flowing in from underground rivers just beyond the cavern walls. Taog¡¯s Shroud was not a perfect recreation and indeed it couldn¡¯t be¡­against a regular person, that is. But neither he nor the Herald of Rain were normal¡­for he was a Hero blessed by the Aesdes and she was a Herald empowered by the Domides. Taog¡¯s barrier included Holy mana on top of Dark. Holy mana naturally opposes intrusions from the Realms of Mana, particularly the destructive Realms that try to destroy it in turn. As a result¡­the Holy mana in Taog¡¯s shroud automatically cut off the Herald of Rain¡¯s Deluge mana. Like the Realm of Eternal Night once attempted to smother Seero, now Holy-infused Dark Mana now isolated the Herald of Rain. The Herald of Rain furrowed her brow. ¡°Clever, but it changes nothing.¡± Water began to stream from the lake below, growing the bubble around Taog. The water in the bubble began to swirl around, spinning Taog around as his repulsors tried to fight against the tide. ¡°All I need to do is incapacitate you, which will happen regardless. Trapping me here does nothing if you can¡¯t defeat me.¡± Taog chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t need to. Because she will.¡± Just then, a light burst through the roof, passing through the shroud with ease. Wings made of golden and silver light illuminated the cavern. Metal armor glimmered in shifting patterns as light reflected between it and the water below. A robotic eye glowed bright red. Ateia grinned and cracked her knuckles. ¡°Hello, Miss Herald. I¡¯ve been hoping to see you again.¡± The Herald of Rain turned pale. She quickly directed all of her efforts against the newcomer. The water in the cavern turned towards Ateia, mighty streams of water curling through the air as they surged towards her. Ateia backhanded the stream. Holy mana surged through it¡­and then all the water in the air dropped back into the lake. The Herald of Rain formed another magic circle¡­but the water below no longer responded to her command. One of the authorized masters of the world had reasserted control over it, and now no intruder would usurp them. ¡°S-So it¡¯s true¡­you have joined the Aesdes¡­¡± Ateia grinned and chuckled. ¡°All thanks to you, and your cult¡¯s little ritual. So, I figure I should you pay you back for it. And as Seero would say...engaging terminate with extreme prejudice protocols.¡± The Herald of Rain formed another magic circle, creating new water from her own mana and surrounding herself. She tried to escape from the Material Plane once more¡­ But her magic circle shattered, and her water dispersed into the lake around her. The Dark Shroud cut her off from any water beyond the cavern¡­and apparently Ateia was reinforcing the boundary of the Material Plane along her retreat path, so she could not escape that way either. She was trapped. The Herald of Rain barely had time to process the spell¡¯s failure when Ateia dove into the water, and grabbed her by the neck. Ateia was no longer smiling. ¡°You killed my mother. You forced my father to leave us. You almost killed me. You tried to kill Taog, Seero, Estrith, and Agedia. You and your cult tried to destroy everything and everyone I ever cared about. You tried to destroy the Empire, the entire world. Mighty Victoria and the Aesdes themselves stand against you. The world itself stands against you.¡± She stirred up her mana. The Herald of Rain¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This is for everything you¡¯ve done, and tried to do.¡± Holy mana surged from Ateia into the Herald of Rain. Ateia poured all of her mana into the woman¡­then connected to the streams of Holy mana flowing through the world to gather more. The cavern filled with golden and silver light. The Herald of Rain screamed as the Holy mana reacted with the mana of Deluge within her. Her own mana was burned right out of her body. This, of course, left her charred and empty, completely helpless as quantities of mana no normal person could handle flooded her veins. Had she been a normal person, the Holy mana may have stopped at this point, to avoid destroying its own inhabitants. But the Herald of Rain had given herself completely to the Realms of Mana. She had been molded and shaped by them. She had melded her body into Deluge countless times. She was no longer purely a resident of the Material Plane. And so the Holy Mana flooded in, attempting to reclaim what was familiar and purge what was not. The Herald of Rain opened her mouth to scream as her body flickered and faded away, overloaded by the sheer quantity of mana in her body. And so passed the Herald of Rain, terminated by the two kids from Turannia. Chapter 236 - Terminate the Archons!
White hot flames collided with a barrier of sunlight. Archon Madanri retaliated with a bolt of lightning, which was stopped by a Fire Wall from Nolnyth. Fights between Sun Elf Archons tended to be long and frustrating affairs. The Sun Elves happened to have resistances to the same attributes they possessed innate aptitude for, and so when two masters went against one another their most powerful weapons tended to be ineffective. They were largely forced to rely on whatever secondary attributes they happened to train, or on physical combat. And secondary attributes tended to fail simply because the other Archon could defend using their primary attribute, so it became a situation where neither side could break the other¡¯s defense. Thus why most Sun Elves pursued a spellblade style of combat, relying on enchanted weaponry to deal real damage to one another. But an Archon could use mobility and defense spells to evade simple physical blows, if they decided not to attempt their own strikes. An Archon could, therefore, always force a fight with another Archon into a stalemate if they so desired. They could only make meaningful progress by accepting risk and engaging each other in close combat. It was for this reason that Archons tended to compete in politics and proxy-conflicts than in direct duels. And yet, Nolnyth refused to close with her opponent. She refused to even use secondary attributes, relying solely on Fire. Madanri would admit that Nolnyth was one of the more talented in that particular attribute¡­but that talent would not be enough to overcome his Fire resistance. He frowned. ¡°What are you even doing, traitor? You know you can¡¯t kill me with fire. Or has your brain rotted to such a degree that you forgot something so basic? Though, that seems likely, given you have decided to bet your life on humans.¡± Nolnyth scoffed as she continued to cast her spells, the flames turning the sand below into glass as they bounced off Madanri¡¯s barriers. Her flames then died down. Mandanri was about to counterattack once again when the ground began to glow. His eyes widened. The glass was not random. Nolnyth had directed her flames to form a magic circle in the sand, with her flames spreading her mana across it. She activated the spell¡­ A huge firestorm of white flames swirled around Mandanri. At first he shook his head¡­until his skin started burning. He gasped and quickly tried to form a barrier. ¡°For years you hid, plotting upon your throne even as your land fell into ruin. For years, you hung upon the words of the High-Archon, even as he fell into madness. I did not. I spent those years in the field, crushing every threat to my domain with my own hands. I continued to grow, even as you languished.¡± Mandanri formed a barrier of Sunlight, but Nolnyth¡¯s flames spread above him. She formed a Sun barrier of her own¡­which absorbed the sun¡¯s rays and denied them to Mandanri. Her flames broke through his barrier. He tried using his other attributes¡­but Nolynth always had a singular focus while Mandanri had tried to outmaneuver her with his greater versatility. It only worked because of his resistance to her flames. Flames that now appeared to bypass that resistance¡­as golden and silver mana empowered them. ¡°I acquired more and more power, some even from the Aesdes themselves. You relied on a foolish plan that was not even your own, and did nothing to advance yourself in the meantime. The difference between us is clear.¡± Mandanri screamed as he burst into flames¡­flames empowered by the Heroic Challenger skill that made them effective against any and all targets. Nolynth exhaled her breath as her long-time rival burnt to ash. The Sun Elves had a¡­complicated relationship with the Aesdes and the Realms of Mana, more still for Nolnyth given her fealty to High-Archon Vommik. As such, Nolnyth had been hiding the rewards of her first corrupted dungeon assault, one that took place before she requested assistance from the Empire. Rewards that prevented her from following the High-Archon¡¯s plans, even had she thought them anything but imbecilic. After all¡­heroes and Realms of Mana generally don¡¯t mix.
01R continued to lay into his opponent¡¯s barrier with his spear. The Archon replied back with spells of her own, but his suit¡¯s spatial angling prevented damage to even the suit itself, much less the rat within. The Archon tried to escape with Dash spells, but 01R¡¯s sensors could track her trajectory and his own speed, repulsors, and Dash skill managed to keep up. The Archon was forced into pure defense, holding a barrier and hoping 01R would run out of mana before she did.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. But 01R was wearing a suit powered by a dungeon core. And engaging a dungeon core in a war of attrition was a poor choice. The barrier began to crack¡­
Snuan''s airships kept the Archon pinned on the defense with a constant barrage of Prismatic Bombardment beams. The Archon was now focusing everything on holding his barriers up, and could no longer launch any counterattacks at all. As such, Snuan had her ship cease its attack. She redirected the mana of the core to begin charging some powerful capacitors, gathering a greater store of mana. She then ordered that all power be directed towards the main gun. The front armor of the dungeon airship opened up, revealing a spinal mounted railgun. A weapon that the dungeon airships carried but preferred not to use, as it required temporarily disabling the spatial angling that gave them their durability. But that wasn¡¯t a problem against an opponent who couldn¡¯t fire back. The Archon noticed something occurring and attempted to flee. But the other airships¡¯ barrages forced him to keep up his barriers, and so prevented him from using any mobility spells. It was, therefore, not particularly difficult for Snuan¡¯s ship to keep a lock on him. Snuan made a smirk as she spoke. ¡°Fire-Destroy, yes-yes!¡± The airship executed the order¡­and the Archon. His barrier, weakened by the beams continuously assaulting it, could not resist a close-range, max-power railgun shot.
High-Archon Vommik grimaced as he caught a glance of the situation. Three of his Archons had fallen already. The other four were locked in stalemates against their opponents, and would follow soon now that the Queen of the Dobhar¡¯s forces could double up on them. His personal guard was still grinding their way through the golem army and unable to intervene. The Heralds of the New Dawn had attempted their plans¡­and clearly failed. The High-Archon caught a glimpse of an explosion amongst the ritual they had prepared. The Herald of Rain had vanished chasing after one of the Queen of the Dobhar¡¯s companions¡­only for the powerful and clearly not human girl to chase after them. After what Vommik had seen that girl do¡­he was not at all optimistic about the Herald of Rain¡¯s chances. She would either perish, or cowardly abandon the field¡­which were both the same as far as this battle was concerned. Which meant it now fell upon the High-Archon to win this fight. Alone. And he would have to do so now, before the Herald of Rain failed. For the briefest of moments, the terrifying girl was not supporting the Queen of the Dobhar. If he had any chance of defeating either, it was now, while they were separated. So he tried one further trick. The Aesdes did not include many mind-afflicting spells in their boons, limiting such things to illusions and direct emotional manipulations. But the Sun Elves knew that magic was far older and deeper than the Aesdes would have them believe, predating the boons themselves, and their explorations into the mysteries of the arcane had never ceased. There were ways to access the mind, to influence it, or even to dominate it completely. High-Archon Vommik began to cast an ancient spell not recorded in any School of Magic skill, passed down from his own ancestors long ago¡­
Seero logged the termination of the Herald of Rain, marking one of their main objectives for this battle complete. She had serious concerns that the Heralds of the New Dawn would either surprise them or manage to escape, and had devoted processing power and mana as a reserve to respond to those contingencies. But now, the Herald of Rain had made her play, and Ateia and Taog had terminated her with the protocols they and Seero had brainstormed to prevent her escape. An additional Herald had perished when 00B-Beta had warded off a cyberattack, and the remaining Heralds appeared scattered and disorganized. As such, Seero could now focus all of her attention and firepower on the foe ahead of her. It was in that moment that High-Archon Vommik cast a new spell, one that did not resemble anything Seero had encountered in Aelea. It more closely resembled spells cast by a mage from Earth, one known as a legendary witch. And then, suddenly, mana assaulted her mind. ¡°Intrusion detected within organic components. Engaging organic intrusion termination protocols.¡± So Seero activated the emotional controls, then put her organic half on standby-sentry mode. She activated the Equalizer, disrupting the mana streaming towards her mind, and then reactivated her organic half. Her organic components indicated to leave the emotional controls enabled to mitigate any further intrusion attempts.
High-Archon Vommik pursed his lips as the Queen of the Dobhar broke his spell. From what he could tell, she had simply knocked herself unconscious while somehow still keeping all of her spells active. She had subsequently activated that special weapon the Herald of Rain had warned him about, destroying the mana powering his spell while still unconscious, and then immediately woke herself back up. The Herald of Rain had told him that she was something like a half-human, half-golem, but it was another thing to see her lose and regain consciousness on command. In any case¡­his spell had failed. And the Queen of the Dobhar¡­had apparently been holding back. More strategic spell circles formed in the air. High-Archon Vommik had but one choice remaining¡­ Chapter 237 - The Power of the Sun High-Archon Vommik threw up another barrier, the strongest he could make mid-battle. He then pulled out a powerful mana core, glowing bright even behind his Sun Barrier. He formed a magic circle around it out of his own mana, not needing a carved ritual formation to pull it off. The mana core melted into the formation. Mana, both from the core and the surroundings, began to swirl and condense around the formation. Small bolts of lightning began to arc from it, the sand below began to levitate into the air, sparks of light flashed all around. The High-Archon now flew at the center of an artificial mana-storm. The ritual to create a dungeon on demand had begun. But High-Archon Vommik was no mere criminal contact with more ambition than sense, playing with forces beyond their comprehension. No, he was one of the oldest and most experienced mages who still drew breath, a member of the Council of Archons and one of the rulers of the Empire of the Sun, and a guardian of ancient knowledge passed down from a time when the Aesdes still walked the surface of Aelea. His power, his knowledge, and his resources could not be compared to the other minor cultists. The others deferred to the Herald of the New Dawn as a master, or a teacher. Vommik spoke to him as an equal. His mana invaded the whirling storm and took hold of it, even as he felt the boundary of the Material Plane begin to shift. A massive and head-splittingly complex magic circle formed, one designed to draw power from the Realms of Mana. Vommik thus redirected the direction of the storm and the resulting break in the boundary of the Material Plane, focusing on a Realm of his choosing. And when the dungeon core appeared, it was already bound to him, appearing grafted into his chest. Vommik ripped open the boundary of the Material Plane even as the dungeon formed, causing it to appear fully corrupted, yet completely under his command. And since it had been filled to the brim with his mana, its own integrated with him. Rather than summoning monsters or traps, the High-Archon would utilize the dungeon¡¯s mana stream directly. And as for the attribute? The Sun Elves of the Empire of the Sun relied on their own power. They bowed to no other, and let none stand in the way of their ambitions. They rejected the counsel of the Aesdes and the authority of the Celestial throne both, instead carving out their own domain where they could rule. So why, then, did the Sun Elves not fall into corruption? Why didn¡¯t they draw power from the Realms of Mana more directly? The answer was found in their name. The Sun Elves had developed their innate attributes to form the Sun attribute school of mana. A mighty weapon powered by the sun itself, ubiquitous as the day, inevitable as the dawn. A complex attribute comprised of many others. And yet¡­no Realm of Sun existed, that any of them could find. It could not, for its various aspects were claimed by others. Its heat was felt in the Realm of Fire and its light in the Realm of Light. Not even the Sun Elves understood what made the sun distinct from Fire, Light, and Lightning, and so could not find a Realm that reflected its nature. And that was a problem. The Realms of Mana were pure, and focused. They could display any power related to their attribute¡­but could not manifest anything beyond that attribute. The mana from a given Realm could only ever be one attribute. For people and dungeons who remained at a safe distance, this was not a problem, for they could swap between the attributes or even mix them together. But those who wanted to draw greater power from the Realms, those blessed by the Domides like the Heralds, were forced to commit. Their ability to utilize the other attributes fell in accordance with the amount of power they gained, eventually to the point where the Realm¡¯s mana would begin eating away at their physical nature as well. The Sun Elves scoffed at such things. The power they could gain from a Realm would cut them off from the multi-attributed Sun Magic. And to be put on a timer, to have a Realm of Mana slowly eating away at their attributes and bodies was unacceptable to the long-lived elves. The Sun Elves were ruled by no one, Domides or Aesdes included, and ultimately there was no Realm that suited them.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Until now. High-Archon Vommik held out his palm. A miniature sun appeared in his hand, far brighter than the pure mana-representations he had created earlier. Sickly green light colored his mana as it flowed around his body. He could feel Fire, Light, and Lightning as before. He could feel small amounts of Gravity pulling at him. He could feel other forces, small bits of power bombarding him all over. Before his invasion began, the Herald of the New Dawn had shared new and secret knowledge with Vommik, gleaned from his divinations of the Queen of the Dobhar. The true nature of the sun itself, what made it different from a mere campfire. And the terrible and mighty weapons that could be built with such a power, ones that could destroy an entire world if unleashed. And in learning this more comprehensive picture, Vommik had found a Realm that represented destruction by the sun. A corrupting Realm that was fully compatible with the Sun Elf magic. And so, Vommik bound his dungeon to the nascent Realm of Atomic Destruction. He scowled as he felt the Realm¡¯s mana flood into his body. Even with a suitable Realm, it was humiliating for the High-Archon to rely on anyone or anything else. But the power he received did not disappoint, and victory could wipe away dishonor. He comforted himself with the irony of the situation. The Queen of the Dobhar would now be defeated by powers her existence had apparently made possible. So Vommik gathered the mana from his new core, and unleashed a Beam spell. Previously a Sun Beam¡­but now far greater, and far more destructive¡­
Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered as she watched the new spell from High-Archon Vommik approach. ¡°Warning: Nuclear radiation detected. All units engage hazardous environment protocols. Engaging Atomic Cult termination protocols.¡± Well, as it turned out, Seero had encountered foes commanding nuclear powers before. The cybernetic components of all the CELIU units on the field fully enclosed their organic parts, shielding them from harm. 01R, having defeated his opponent, traded places with Lilussees, who began putting up barriers to protect the non-CELIU allies on the field. Seero herself formed a large Prismatic Dome spell and condensed it into a small area just in front of her, using Metal Magic and her Item Foundry to build a wall of lead for good measure. It turned out magic barriers could guard against radiation¡­or at least magically generated radiation, as well as anything else, so long as they had enough mana and density to handle the energy colliding into them. Which Seero did, the High-Archon¡¯s sudden power-up notwithstanding. Plus, she utilized Gravity Barriers and Spatial Angling to redirect some of the stream of energy, so she didn¡¯t need to resist the entire attack outright in any case. Seero noted her own boost in capabilities. This situation demonstrated that she could now terminate the entire Atomic Cult on her own, were she to somehow encounter them. That scenario was extremely unlikely, however, so she archived that particular simulation. She instead calculated how to address the situation. Atomic Cult termination protocols mostly just recommended preemptive strike by beyond-visual-range weapons. Even the Equalizer had not been recommended as certain Atomic Cult members could surpass the Equalizer¡¯s output. But since she was already engaged with the High-Archon and had friendlies in the area, she could not rely on those recommendations. She also detected a corrupted dungeon within the High-Archon. She considered using corrupted dungeon termination protocols¡­but in this case predicted them as too risky. She would have to leave the battlefield for an indeterminate amount of time, during which the High-Archon would be free to assault her friendlies. Likewise, if she predicted the Realm of Mana in question based on the High-Archon¡¯s observed attributes compared to previously encountered Realms¡­she might end up in the middle of a nuclear reactor when attempting to terminate the High-Archon¡¯s connection. Her own mana reserves, Spatial and Gravity defenses, and the effect of the Equalizer-Holy mana combo on a Realm of Mana meant that said scenario was surprisingly not predicted as instant-termination, but there was a chance she could be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of energy involved so the risk was still higher than normal. On the flip side, High-Archon Vommik had just created this dungeon, and still seemed to be learning his new capabilities. He was merely throwing around beams of radiation, nuclear-variations of his previous spells. He had not yet explored the full destructive potential of nuclear reactions. Seero calculated that at present, the most efficient course of action would be to terminate him directly. And so her robotic eye flickered as she began to adjust the Atomic Cult termination protocols in light of her own capabilities¡­ Chapter 238 - Terminate the Sun!
High-Archon Vommik grit his teeth. He unlocked the power of Atomic Destruction, a new Realm of Mana only he had access to. He sacrificed his own pride and independence tying himself to said Realm, binding himself to a dungeon core. And yet¡­still he could not defeat the Queen of the Dobhar. He had not even broken through her defenses! Yes, the Realm of Atomic Destruction empowered his spells, increasing their destructive potential. That metal tree the Queen of the Dobhar made with her terrifying friend could no longer absorb his attacks, and she was forced to create new barriers. But just that. Those barriers continued to hold despite the boost in his power. He felt as though he was missing something. Slightly more powerful beams did not equate to the devastation shown to him by the Herald of the New Dawn. But in this case, he would have to learn by doing. He did not have the time for cautious experimentation. Even as his new beam spells faded, he grabbed the mana dissipating in the air, using it and the paths left by the magic circles to speed up the creation of new ones. A multi-colored barrage of beams struck his barrier. The Queen of the Dobhar appeared to be cycling through different attributes, testing which would be most effective against him. He frowned as his barrier began to crack, and devoted some of his mana to reinforcing it. Then, his own spell completed. The sky lit up as the Sunfall spell created a miniature sun, then sent it hurtling towards his enemy. And to his surprise, the Queen of the Dobhar stopped her assault. She turned towards the attack, shifting her magic circles. A large metal plate began to appear in the sky, surrounded by regions of shifting and distorted air. Underneath the metal plate were several layered barrier spells that fused together. Then, the spell connected with the plate, and the world exploded. A flash of light blinded even the High-Archon as the spell connected. As his vision returned, he stared¡­and started to grin. A mushroom-shaped cloud rose into the sky. The metal plate was gone completely. The fused barrier flickered as heat and shockwaves battered against it. The Queen of the Dobhar herself was unharmed¡­but that was not why the High-Archon grinned. He had found a spell that produced the devastation that he sought. And more importantly¡­devastation that was a severe threat to the Queen of the Dobhar. She had not responded with mere barriers or evasion. No, from what the High-Archon saw she had used Spatial Magic to contain the attack. She gave the defense her full attention¡­and yet still decided to move the attack further away rather than resist it directly. And she did so via defenses that cost her far more mana than he had spent on the spell. Which would be a problem for her, as High-Archon Vommik had not spent the time idly. Since she had ceased her assault on him, High-Archon Vommik had turned all his attention to additional offense. Several more Sunfall spell circles were about to complete. And with his available mana growing larger and larger with his corrupted dungeon core, he would not have to stop anytime soon. Eventually, she would be overwhelmed. Even if she had a dungeon core of her own as the Herald had told him, hers was a normal dungeon, with intentionally limited rates of growth and mana flow. If she did not defeat him now, he would overtake her in the long-run. So if he could force her on the defensive¡­then he would win. High-Archon Vommik grinned. And then he could rain this devastation upon all his enemies. The world would bow at his feet¡­or would be destroyed in the light of the sun.
Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered. The High-Archon¡¯s latest spell achieved critical mass for an atomic explosion. She had managed to contain it but her defense had not been efficient. Especially given that the High-Archon was forming several more of those projectiles. She would have to try something else, as she couldn¡¯t commit to a full Spatial containment of every projectile the High-Archon threw at her. And while she could survive if she focused her defenses on herself, the friendlies below could not. The Equalizer could work if it could target the magic circles in question, but they were behind a powerful barrier. Given the amount of energy opposing it, the Equalizer could not break through the barrier before the spells finished. Likewise, the Equalizer¡¯s output was insufficient to wipe out the magical nuclear warheads once they had formed.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. At this point, the Equalizer was quickly losing relevance compared to her other capabilities. But she had no time to consider the Equalizer¡¯s long-term fate. Several more of the spells formed in the air. She ordered Snuan, 01R, and Lilussees to prepare to evacuate the other friendlies with their dungeon cores. If her proposed countermeasure failed, Seero would not have time to contain several nuclear blasts with a reasonable success rate. She would not risk their lives on the probabilities involved. Fortunately, the Archons and other Sun Elves were also dazed by the display of power and on the back foot due to the casualties they had taken, so they did not interfere with the friendlies¡¯ reorientation. And then, Seero got to work. She formed several Prismatic Bombardment magic circles in the air, for she would have to target all of the projectiles simultaneously. She then formed Spatial Angling circles directly on the projectiles with Farcasting. The Spatial Angling triggered first, twisting around to bypass the spellform and get inside of the spell itself, and the suns grew ever so slightly dimmer. Then the Prismatic Bombardment Circles fired their beams. They were each devoted entirely to Gravity, and their purple beams fused together, firing thin, hyper-dense beams into the center of each sun. They, again, traveled along the spatial angling in order to bypass the spell¡¯s exterior and arrive directly in its center. The suns appeared to bubble and shift even as they fell. And just as Seero was about to order her friendlies to retreat¡­the suns began to fade, their fire sputtering out. Seero¡¯s analysis of the situation had proven correct. The suns may have been magical in nature but operated relatively similar to actual nuclear reactions. They were each a magical fusion reactor contained by their spell. And from what Seero recorded of the first, the spell condensed at the point of impact, triggering the chain reaction that would lead to a nuclear explosion. So Seero had used Spatial Angling to expand the space inside the spell¡¯s containment, and then used gravity to push apart the reaction, spreading it out across that space. Eventually, it was spread out too far for the reaction to continue and died out. The now empty containment spells now dissipated harmlessly on the ground. Seero had stopped the atomic explosion spell at a fraction of the mana cost and attention required to contain the first. Which meant she now had enough free mana and attention to focus on her opponent once more.
High-Archon Vommik gaped. The Queen of the Dobhar¡­ Had pushed his spells apart? How was that even possible? Not only did he not understand the principle by which pushing apart a sun somehow destroyed it, he didn¡¯t understand how she had gotten inside his spell to begin with. The mana of any given spell is resistant to interference by external mana. The mana directly from a Realm like Atomic Destruction doubly so. If anything, it would have torn apart the intruding mana, or else converted it into more of itself. At worst¡­the spell should have exploded, which in this case would have achieved the intended effect regardless. That had not happened. His only theory was that she had used that Spatial Magic to slip inside the spellform without contacting it. But that would have required a level of precision, control, and senses that even the High-Archons did not possess. But he had no time to act surprised, for the Queen of the Dobhar had turned her attention to him again, even as she wiped out every Sunfall spell he cast. She fired one of those spells towards his barrier, so he quickly reinforced it. And his eyes widened as, again, his barrier was pushed apart. A hole opened with it without weakening the barrier at all. Despite the heat of atomic fire coursing through his veins, Vommik felt a chill run down his spine. He tried to evade, casting a Sun Dash spell. But the corrupted sunlight he created¡­somehow curved around and he ended up at his original position. He began to sweat as he noticed Spatial and Gravity barriers now surrounding his position. Clearly, the Queen of the Dobhar had determined a counter to his new attribute. Vommik grit his teeth and casted a Spatial spell of his own. But the moment his mana finished the circuit the spell shattered, failing to trigger. His eyes widened. He was now bound with a corrupted dungeon, connected directly to its Realm of Mana. That mana could not be used to cast the spells of another attribute. If he had time, he perhaps could have modified those other spells to work within his attribute, but he could not cast them as they were. He was limited purely to his Sun attribute spells until then. The Sun attribute spells that the Queen of the Dobhar could dismantle. And he did not have time to adjust. The metal tree that the Queen of the Dobhar formed earlier had been converted into some large metal tube, now surrounded with Lightning Barriers and filled to the brim with Holy mana. The tube lit up, and a projectile glowing with golden and silver light accelerated it. And then Vommik felt an impact before everything went dark.
Seero opened fire with her improvised railgun, using Gravity and Spatial magic to push aside her foe¡¯s defenses. As such, the Holy mana-infused projectile struck the High-Archon¡¯s torso immediately¡­and the source of corrupted mana Seero had detected there. Needless to say, the core¡­and most of the High-Archon¡¯s body¡­shattered immediately. Seero immediately prepared to respond to a Rift opening up to a Realm composed of nuclear reactions¡­but infusing the projectile with Holy mana proved to be a highly-efficient choice. The burst of Holy mana helped to counteract the corrupted mana released by the core¡¯s destruction. And at this point¡­Seero could detect the corrupted mana surging through the hole in the boundary. Ateia focused the Holy mana from the Material Plane and directed it there. Seero herself took control of the Holy mana from the projectile, and sent her own mana to expand it from the inside. Eventually, Seero and Ateia¡¯s mana linked together, and the wound in the boundary was healed before it fully broke open. No Rift formed in the Material Plane as a result. And so, the first corrupted dungeon and demon lord of Atomic Destruction was terminated. Interlude 238.1 - Ancient Alliance
With Vommik¡¯s defeat, the other Sun Elves immediately turned and fled. The Heralds of the New Dawn moved to as well¡­but Seero, Ateia, and Taog coordinated to cut them off and terminate the remainder. Seero let the Sun Elves retreat, however, having discussed the strategy ahead of time with Amulius and Nolnyth. Nolnyth had revealed that the Empire of the Sun as a whole was not involved with the Heralds of the New Dawn, it had largely been Vommik alone who was allied with them as far as she could tell. Two other High-Archons had cooperated with his invasion, while the rest refused to leave their territory undefended with the ongoing Dungeon Crisis. Seero, therefore, did not feel it necessary to terminate the entire nation as a hostile faction. So, the most efficient course of action to end this war would be to allow word of Vommik¡¯s death to spread across the Empire of the Sun. His forces would disintegrate, while the High-Archons supporting him would give up the attack. As for the Heralds of the New Dawn¡­Divination worked posthumously. Ateia, therefore, identified some of their bases of operation within the Empire of the Sun. They were spread very thin at this point, however. Much of their resources had gone into setting up the corrupted dungeons, and most of the remaining Heralds had come here to deal with Seero. The remaining assets were mostly logistical and administrative offices, the corrupted dungeons Seero hadn''t gotten to yet, and any survivors from the North and South who had little combat capability. The Heralds of the New Dawn had been shattered as an effective force. Seero and company thus moved on, cleaning up what remained of the corrupted dungeons, and the Heralds of the New Dawn. The Heralds no longer had any capability to strike back, and the corrupted dungeons couldn¡¯t do much since Seero was bypassing all of their defenses completely. In the end, nothing much happened to disrupt the group, and one by one dungeons and cult holdouts were terminated. And as predicted, High-Archons Kurzal and Ilnune retreated the moment Vommik¡¯s death was clear, splitting Vommik¡¯s remaining forces and integrating them into their own. Their aim had been the destruction of the Eastern Empire, and since that had failed there was no benefit to them holding ravaged border fortifications while their own lands were under siege by the dungeons. As such, they pulled out of Imperial lands entirely, letting the dwindling monster horde cover their retreat. Maior Generalis Maximia turned her attention to the dungeon situation in the meantime, waiting for Seero to finish off the corrupted dungeons before reclaiming the lost territory. There was more to cleanup and the Dungeon Crisis continued, but the war in the East had largely been won, and the Heralds of the New Dawn terminated. Save for one, high-priority target, whom none of the Heralds had seen since before the Dungeon Crisis began¡­
Colle?ne cut a diagonal line across the Ogre Warlord ahead of her, who burst into a cloud of mana. Her reclaimed power hit reached sufficient concentration once more and she held up her hand. Holy mana streamed from her into the Lord of Craft and Forge, imparting some of her knowledge and skill into him. The Aesdes adjusted his stance and the grip on his hammer to strike flesh instead of metal. Shialnor¡¯s monsters proved weaker than the enemy, seeing as they were not blessed by Colle?ne¡¯s boons as well, so she had shifted focus at this point. She applied her traps where and how Velus directed her, disrupting the enemies attacks and leaving them vulnerable. She sent the remainder of her mana to the other Aesdes as well, granting them greater power. Slowly, but surely, the Aesdes were pushing back. The Lord of Water and Oceans used his waves to push the monsters off the front. The Lady of Plants and Growth corralled a group with brambles and trees so that the Lady of Fire and Heat could burn them all at once. The Lord of Craft and Forge swung his hammer down and across his feet, knocking a monster to his side where the Lady of Hearth and Home smashed it into the ground. The fight had ceased to be a brawl and had now become a battle. The Aesdes were working together, each a part of the greater whole. They may not have known battle, but they knew each other from countless millennia of joint efforts, and they quickly put that familiarity to good use. Velus no longer needed to micromanage individuals, and could focus on the battle as a whole.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The monsters, for their part, showed no signs of adapting. They rushed forward mindlessly, with no plans or attempts to work together. They were easily broken apart and ground down by the increasingly coordinated Aesdes. And that¡­caused Colle?ne to frown. The lack of coordination and adaptation meant that no one was actually commanding the monsters, simply throwing them into the fray. And that meant that whoever was responsible for this¡­was not paying attention to the battle in the Blessed Land. Likewise, what glances she could take at the rest of Aelea below revealed the situation was calming down there as well. Colle?ne wanted to believe things were going well for them everywhere¡­but her knowledge of war warned her against it. For if the enemy was being pushed back on all fronts, and yet not working to overturn the situation¡­then where were they? And what were they planning? Fortunately, she¡¯d soon have the opportunity to find out. Shadows passed overhead and mighty roars pierced the sky. Torrents of fire, water, lightning, ice, poison, light, dark, and every attribute imaginable rained from above and engulfed the monsters assaulting the Aesdes. Even Holy mana joined the barrage. The Aesdes heard the beating of mighty wings, and gusts of wind blew across the blessed land as a new force landed in front of them. The dragons had arrived. Dragons of every shape and size filled the skies of the Blessed Land, unleashing their mighty breaths upon the monsters below. Fang and claw tore the monsters to shreds and tails flattened them upon the ground. Mana twisted and shaped in the air at the dragons¡¯ commands, spells of all types rained upon the enemy. A large dragon with golden and silver scales that seemed to glow in the light of the sun landed on the ground before the Aesdes. ¡°Hmph. So this is the homeland that Grandfather always wished to show me.¡± Colle?ne stepped forward. ¡°You¡­have come to our aid?¡± The Ancient Dragon before her scoffed. ¡°Hardly. I care little for you who drove my Grandfather out. But he would not wish to see his home destroyed, so the dragons will do what the Aesdes apparently cannot.¡± And with that, she took off and rejoined the fight. Colle?ne began to smile. Not every Aesdes had agreed with Anual?¡¯s order to return to the Blessed Land. There were those who refused to leave the surface of Aelea, so Anual? gave them a choice. They chose to remain, giving up their authority as Aesdes and their homes in the Blessed Land in exchange, eventually taking material forms. They lived their lives alongside the peoples they once guided. These were the progenitors of the Ancient Dragons. And apparently, they had not forgotten their heritage. Now, their descendants had returned. Whatever they said their reason was, they had come in the Aesdes¡¯ most desperate hour. The Ancient Dragons may have surrendered their authority, but not their power. Power that had been molded and shaped by living lives upon the surface, by struggling and striving alongside mortals and monsters. So they may not have matched the Aesdes in stature and command of the world¡­but they exceeded them in the ways of violence and war. And even though they were Aesdes no longer, they still had a stronger connection to the world than most other things. Holy mana naturally flowed through and empowered them, even still obeying their commands to a limited extent, resulting in their reputation as the mightiest living things in Aelea. And now, they turned all of their considerable power against the horde that barred the Aesdes¡¯ way. And, of course, since they no longer lived as Aesdes, they were no longer dependent on the Holy mana of the world to destroy their foes. Colle?ne turned and made eye contact with Velus. They both grinned, and then Velus pointed his blade ahead. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Everyone, charge!¡± The Aesdes and their cousins joined as one, and the monsters could not resist their combined might. Before long the Aesdes arrived at the foot of Anual?¡¯s mountain, where the monsters spilled from a large cave entrance leading down into the heart of the Blessed Land. The Ancient Dragon from before was wrapped and shrouded in light as she landed in front of the cave. The light died down to reveal the form of an elvish woman with draconic features. She had golden hair, silver reptilian eyes, and two horns on top of her head. She wore shining silver plate armor, with a hole for her scaly tail. She took a deep breath and unleashed a torrent of Holy-infused flames into the cavern. When she stopped, nothing but ash stood in their way. She marched into the cave without waiting for the others. Colle?ne gripped her blade and turned to Shialnor. ¡°Let¡¯s fix this.¡± Shialnor frowned and nodded, and then the two Aesdes ran after the dragon. Colle?ne¡¯s eyes narrowed as she rushed down towards her and Shialnor¡¯s cores. One way or another, this matter was about to come to a close. And so if the enemy had any plans beyond this chaos, they would have to act now. And she had a feeling they would not go quietly¡­ Chapter 239 - The New Dawn
Colle?ne, Shialnor, and the Ancient Dragon burst into the heart of the Blessed Land, where their two cores waited. And then¡­the two Aesdes froze. The room was filled to the brim with magic circles, most of which did not exist within either Colle?ne or Shialnor¡¯s systems. And in the center of it all, standing in between the two cores, was a man. He wore a black suit of metallic armor with a massive mana core¡­no, a massive dungeon core built into the center. The two Aesdes trembled¡­but they weren¡¯t looking at any of the cores or magic circles. ¡°R¨¦l¡­seomo? You¡¯re alive?¡± The man grinned at them. ¡°Not really. I have lost both my authority and power as an Aesdes and no longer think as I once did. In many ways, R¨¦lseomo is truly dead.¡± Colle?ne turned pale as she realized the situation. ¡°R¨¦lseomo¡­you are responsible for all this?¡± He nodded. ¡°Indeed. I am the one called the Herald of the New Dawn. And I must thank you both, Colle?ne, Shialnor. Were it not for your hypocrisy and laziness, I never would have succeeded.¡± The Ancient Dragon growled at the two Aesdes as she stepped forward, warily eyeing the man in front of them. ¡°Snap out of it. Whoever he is, he is our enemy. Now is not the time for words.¡± Colle?ne¡¯s eyes narrowed and she hoisted her blade. ¡°Indeed. I don¡¯t suppose you intend to surrender then, Herald of the New Dawn? Your attacks on both the Blessed Land and the Material Plane have failed. Your attempts to corrupt the dungeons are at an end, your allies have been defeated, and you cannot stop us from reclaiming what is ours. Long and hard did we fight together, and I would take you alive in honor of those times. But if you choose to resist, I will show you no mercy.¡± The Herald of the New Dawn chuckled. ¡°Come now, Lady of Courage and Victory. Do you truly believe I would be standing here if my defeat was imminent? Have you truly failed to glimpse even the faintest hint of my intentions?¡± Suddenly, Shialnor gasped. ¡°Colle?ne, that core in his armor¡­it¡¯s¡­¡± Shialnor glanced around at the magic circles and her eyes went wide. She started running forward. ¡°Quick! We can¡¯t let him activate it!¡± Colle?ne and the Ancient Dragon didn¡¯t bother glancing at whatever Shialnor noticed. Instead, they both rushed towards the Herald of the New Dawn, blade and claw at the ready. But the Herald of the New Dawn smirked at them. ¡°Too late.¡± The core in his chest began to shine, as well as the Dungeon and Personal system cores. The room lit up as the magic circles activated. Red and black mana covered the surface of both cores. And then a bright light filled the room¡­and all of the Blessed Land.
The brightest star in the sky of Aelea, visible even in the day, suddenly went dark. And every living thing in the Material Plane, be they man, beast, plant, or magic, paused what they were doing, and looked to the sky. Every eye began to tremble, every heart wavered. A deep sense of dread fell upon every being within the world. The ground itself began to rumble, and the seas began to churn.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. For the Blessed Land, from which the Aesdes watch over the world, had vanished, along with everyone on it. And in its place, a gaping hole ripped open the sky, opening up to a pitch-black, empty void.
The Herald of the New Dawn grinned as he reappeared in the Material Plane, alone. It was truly incredible. Somehow, every choice Anual? had made had been wrong. And now, his latest mistake would be his last. He had cut off the flow of Holy mana between the Blessed Land and the Material Plane, intending to prevent the Herald¡¯s corruption from impacting the surface. But in doing so, he had weakened the primary connection between the Blessed Land and the Material Plane. And, ironically, he had not quarantined the Herald¡¯s corruption either, since the Herald routed it through the Dungeon system. So, the Herald had been able to sever that connection, and cast the Blessed Land away. Perhaps into the Realms of Mana, or perhaps into the void beyond, the Herald of the New Dawn could not say. All he could say was that the Aesdes were now separated from the world¡­and the one connection that could have led them back was weakened beforehand by their own design. They had even taken the Ancient Dragons with them, as a bonus. Of course, it required a truly staggering amount of mana to pull off. He had to carefully drain Colle?ne and Shialnor¡¯s powers from the cores, sending bits and pieces back to the two Aesdes themselves, so that he could fully corrupt their cores at the key moment. And since Anual? had stripped his powers, he did not have the might to do so himself. So he had taken partial control over the dungeons all across Aelea. Not only did he send their monsters to ravage the lands, but he also pulled as much mana as he could through them, spreading their influence into the world around them to benefit from the chaos beyond. And with the large-scale conflicts triggered by the Heralds and their allies, on top of the dungeon hordes rampaging across the world, the amount of mana absorbed by the dungeons hit the immense quantities he needed to banish the entire Blessed Land. He may have lost his power, but he was still a former Aesdes. His body could absorb and handle truly immense amounts of mana. Yet, up until the moment he triggered his plan, he was still unsure. He was not certain he could transfer the mana from Shialnor¡¯s Dungeon system core to himself in an efficient enough manner. With the quantities required, even small amounts of waste might render him incapable of pulling off his ultimate plan. It was NSLICE-00P who provided him with the final piece of the puzzle. Her integration of a dungeon core with organic flesh was an inspiration. He took the Great Demon Lord¡¯s core and fused it with his own being. In doing so, he created a conduit he could use to transfer the mana from Shialnor¡¯s core, so that he could use it as his own with minimal waste. And so, the final risk in his plan, the final uncertainty had been resolved. Then the Aesdes failed to react in time, the Ancient Dragons intervened too late. NSLICE-00P had been distracted by the Southern Empire, and so hadn¡¯t stopped the war between the Eastern Empire and the Empire of the Sun in time. The mana accumulated, the cores were corrupted, and he had completed the ritual. The Aesdes could no longer intervene in the fate of Aelea. Well, the Herald knew his former comrades. He expected they might find a way back, in due time. But it would take them time¡­time that Aelea no longer possessed. For not the Blessed Land had not merely vanished. Its exit had also ripped a massive hole in the boundary of the Material Plane, one that the world could not repair on its own. And now, almost everyone capable of assisting it was gone¡­save two. One, an Aesdes who was young even by human standards, who could not possibly stand against him alone. As for the other¡­ The Herald of the New Dawn grinned. For there was one other effect to his ritual, one last task for Shialnor¡¯s core before it was removed from the world. It turned out there was a reason Shialnor wasn¡¯t worried about a second Great Demon Lord. After the first, she had prepared a response to that particular contingency. A backdoor into the system, a method for the Mother of Dungeons to punish unruly children of hers with minimal effort. And as the Herald of the New Dawn corrupted her core, he discovered this contingency. He activated it with all the mana left over from the first ritual, targeting a dungeon master who was subjugating all others to her will. He grinned. One way or another, there would be no second Great Demon Lord. And then there would be no one left who could stop him. Aelea¡¯s final day would come to a close, and then make way for a new dawn.
Seero was looking up at the hole in the sky, attempting to calculate the situation. Ateia fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. She did not need to determine what happened, for she could feel the hole ripped into the world. Connected to the mana of the world as she was, she knew immediately what had been lost. ¡°Victoria¡­the Aesdes¡­the Blessed Land¡­it¡¯s all¡­gone.¡± Taog turned to Ateia with his eyes wide open. ¡°The Blessed Land¡­is gone? That¡¯s¡­impossible¡­¡± But the moment they heard Ateia¡¯s words, everyone knew it was true. And then it got worse. Suddenly, a massive quantity of mana flooded into Seero¡¯s core. She immediately lost control of her core, and then the mana began to surge through her body. Seero¡¯s body began to flake away. And then she vanished entirely. Chapter 240 - The Last Aesdes
The Herald of the New Dawn floated in front of the hole in the sky. Even now, the hole expanded as mana streamed out from the edges of the boundary, and the walls of reality continued to crumble. The Herald expanded his mana and sent it out across the world. And then¡­the mana began to flow back into him, mighty streams of power that grew visible as glowing rivers of light. Without Shialnor¡¯s core, there was a huge gap in the network of mana that once connected the dungeons to the Blessed Land. The Herald of the New Dawn now took advantage of this gap, and inserted his own core into it. The other cores accepted it as the new nexus of the system as the largest core still remaining, and began to feed mana into him. A truly massive magic circle then covered the hole in the sky. The ground began to tremble as the circle activated. Something began to emerge out of the darkness of the void. Black rock broke through the hole in reality, further tearing at the edges of the boundary. A great shadow covered over the land, plunging entire nations into darkness. Letoris, the fallen continent, had returned. Now black, barren, and crumbling rock, stripped of all life ever since it was cast from Aelea. The Herald¡¯s core began to shine as it resonated with its former home, held together purely by the core¡¯s power. The Herald nodded as Letoris emerged from the void, floating in the sky. It was appropriate to use the ultimate symbol of the Aesdes¡¯ failure as the beginning of the new dawn. To take the continent that had been cast aside, and reforge it into the cornerstone of his new world. He flew up to the continent and landed in an empty crater at its center. The only sign of the Great Demon Lord¡¯s castle that once dominated the continent. The Herald spread his arms and a massive magic circle formed. The mana surging into his chest now spread into the ground, and through the continent, binding the crumbling rock together. And as the hole in reality continued to grow¡­so too did the edges of Letoris, new matter forming from the mana and material of the rest of Aelea. The Herald grinned. Soon, this fallen world would be at its end. Soon, all the suffering and pain and evil would come to a close. Soon, he would tear this cruel world down to its base material, and form a new one. A peaceful, perfect world that knew nothing of death nor pain. And neither Aesdes, nor Ancient Dragon, nor killer cyborg remained to interfere. There was no one left who could stop him¡­
Seero¡¯s companions stood in silence, staring at the place where she had once stood. Taog fell to his knees. Tears filled his eyes and then streamed down his cheek. Seero¡­was gone? After all she did¡­after she had done for him¡­and then just like that she was gone. He never once had a chance to repay her. He never had the chance to be friend to her like she was to him¡­and now he never would. He could feel his connection to Seero, his Contract, break and shatter. His heart shattered with it. He grabbed his head and slammed it into the dirt, and then began to wail. 01R joined him. ¡°How?! This¡­this is impossible-unthinkable! This cannot be! How could the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen die-perish?! This¡­This¡­¡± Lilussees trembled, clutching her head. ¡°This is, like, so annoying¡­¡± For she knew in her heart¡­or rather, was forced to admit¡­that Seero meant something to her. And now that she was gone¡­Lilussees would never sleep well again. 00B roared and pounded the ground, the other monsters joining in. 00B-Beta frantically accessed every piece of hardware and software in the network, desperately searching for a way to ease 00B¡¯s pain. Agedia grit her teeth. Once again, the Heralds of the New Dawn had taken everything¡­and she had failed to stop them.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Back in the Primary Home Base, the ground rumbled as the core lost connection with its master. Melion froze, and then flattened as thin as they could go. ¡°Master¡­¡± Even the drone-golems were affected. Error messages flooded the CELIU network, with every unit reporting a potential primary directive failure. Every unit began activating every protocol they could to reestablish contact with the designated CELIU network commander. Drone-golems began activating scanners and patrol routines, searching every which way for any signs of Seero. But none were found. As for Ateia¡­she rose to her feet in silence. Taog glanced up as Ateia stepped past him, and looked up into the sky. ¡°...they¡¯re not dead.¡± Taog¡¯s heart sank. Ateia had been the one who couldn¡¯t give up on her father. So he knew that she would not accept this situation. But this time¡­this time was different. He opened his mouth¡­but no words came out. How could he say it? What would it change? And yet¡­such was the grief in his heart that he could not accept Ateia¡¯s words. ¡°Ateia¡­Seero¡¯s gone. There¡¯s¡­there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± Ateia whirled around and glared at him. ¡°They¡¯re! NOT! DEAD! Not Seero¡­not Victoria¡­not the Aesdes! I KNOW they¡¯re alive! I can feel it in my heart!¡± Taog took a step back at the force of Ateia¡¯s words. The girl began to glow¡­and the world took note. Golden and silver light began to spin around in a gust of wind. Streams of Holy mana redirected their course as they found the last steward of the world remaining. They stopped flowing hopelessly into the void, trying in vain to repair the critical damage. They instead moved towards the one with the authority to command them. And as they connected, they carried her voice across the world. Everyone heard the voice of a girl in their ears, caught glimpses of a girl even as they looked up at the terror in the sky. ¡°We don¡¯t know where they went, we don¡¯t see their bodies before us! I believe they¡¯re still out there! So as long as we don¡¯t give up, they aren¡¯t gone! I¡¯m NOT giving up as long as even a shred of hope remains! You know Seero, you¡¯ve met Victoria. I bet that even now, they¡¯re working to find a way back to us!¡± She turned up to the sky and glared at the black continent spreading out before her. ¡°And this time, things are different! We¡¯re not helpless little kids anymore, waiting for someone to rescue us! This time, we have the power to do something about it!¡± As Ateia spoke, the people of the world began to look in her direction. The refugees who she had saved, the soldiers who she emboldened to hold the line, and everyone trembling below the hole in the sky...one by one their hearts began to beat. Tiny sparks of hope began to flicker within their chests, pushing back against the despair. These sparks became tiny bits of mana, joining into the flows of Holy mana surging through the world. One by one, they began to arrive, joining with the power swirling around Ateia. Her eyes began to glow, her wings spread out and shone bright as the sun. ¡°I am NOT going to sit back and watch this monster tear down our world! The Aesdes are gone? Seero can¡¯t save us this time? Then I¡¯ll go and beat him myself, and make sure they have a world to return to when they find their way back! And if Seero¡¯s still not back by then¡­I¡¯ll find a way to bring her back! I¡¯ll MAKE a way if none exists!¡± Words rose from deep within her. She lifted her hand and the swirling Holy Mana formed into a massive bow. She pulled on the string of light and bright arrows appeared. ¡°So says Ateia, the Lady of Hope and Perseverance, She Who Defies Despair! The Last Aesdes, until we get moving and bring the rest back!¡± Ateia let loose. The arrows streamed into the air, forming new stars as they collided with the edges of the black continent. A moment later, bright light filled the sky. Chunks of rock broke off and the hole in reality receded ever so slightly before resuming its expansion. Taog stood with eyes wide open. He felt a fire burn within his heart, even as pain stabbed through his chest. He was the boy who lost his parents, who was rejected by almost everyone. Who kept losing and losing until he couldn¡¯t imagine anything else. The boy who learned to expect pain and loss, for to hope for anything else would bring nothing but pain. That boy opened his heart. He let the fear of loss grip his being and pressed on regardless. He snarled and stirred up his mana. If anyone would refuse to die just like that, it would be Seero. So he would believe she was still out there. He would CHOOSE to believe it, even if it would bring him further pain to do so. Seero deserved no less from him. He stepped forward, joining Ateia. ¡°Let¡¯s kill that jerk.¡± Amulius joined them, nodding at his daughter. ¡°My mistakes ruined everything. The least I can do now is help you fix them.¡± Agedia joined him. ¡°That goes for me, too. I don¡¯t know what good I can do, but my lance is yours as long as you still want it, Ateia.¡± 01R rose to his feet, his head hung low. ¡°How is my faith exceeded-surpassed by these insolent man-things? The Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen cannot be defeated-destroyed so easily! And this 01R will fight-strive in her stead, as required of her servants, yes yes.¡± Lilussees stood with them, a frown on her face as her mana distorted the air around her. ¡°For just this once, I¡¯ll put in as much effort as I need to. Let¡¯s tear him to shreds.¡± 00B stood up and roared. Lightning shot from his circuits, forming into the shape of a bear made out of electricity and code. 00B-Beta joined him and let out a roar that sounded like crackling thunder even as it sent a message across the CELIU network. ¡°This.protect(family)¡± One by one, the drone-golems in the area ceased their search protocols, and began forming up behind Ateia. Legion upon legion of metal warriors landed and took positions behind her, acknowledging her as temporary commander and awaiting her orders. Ateia nodded and smiled at the sight. ¡°All units¡­engage termination protocols!¡± She flapped her wings once, and then a bright light shot into the sky as she flew towards the black continent. The other cyborgs lit up their repulsors and launched into the air after her. Chapter 241 - The Battle for the World
Ateia landed on the surface of the continent¡­and found an army awaiting her. The boundaries of the world were collapsing, and not all the holes led to an empty void. Countless Rifts covered the surface of the continent, pouring out equally countless monsters. Inferno, Endless Night, Deluge, Overgrowth, Verminflood, Swarm, Tempest, and many other Realms dumped their mana and inhabitants out into the world. Even less destructive Realms like Fire, Water, Light, and Dark could produce monsters, which also rushed out of the portals to their homes and joined the hordes. Big mana cores similar to dungeons rose among the horde, binding the monsters as they exited the Rifts and preventing them from tearing each other apart. Ateia narrowed her eyes. ¡°Out of my way!¡± Holy mana surged around her, and the Herald of the New Dawn no longer had access to Colle?ne¡¯s system and so could no longer empower the monsters. The weaker monsters perished outright, the stronger ones were weakened and disheartened. Ateia then drew her bow and let loose. Half a dozen beams of light shot across the field, vaporizing every monster in their path. And Ateia had an army of her own, each growing stronger as Holy mana from Ateia filled them with hope and power. Taog ran ahead of her, his Dark Shroud growing rapidly with the black void above. A wolf of Dark mana formed around him, trampling and snapping at all monsters before him. 00B rushed at his side, a shield of Holy mana forming to his sides to protect the others behind him, while his cannon lobbed Holy-infused high explosive shells and armor-piercing penetrators into the enemy. 00B-Beta helped aim his weapon systems and formed up the humanoid drone-golems following him. An army of mechanical warriors marched across the field, firing machine guns, missiles, lasers, spells, and any other weapons Melion thought to fill them with. The other cyborg-monsters led the drones as they rushed into battle. And that wasn¡¯t all. 01R and Lilussees used their dungeon cores to form large portals to the Primary Home Base, from which came the reinforcements. Snuan piloted the lead dungeon airship as Seero¡¯s entire fleet flew above the black continent, with spells and enchanted railguns laying down heavy covering fire as flying drones launched missile after missile. Melion and the metal slimes arrived, each occupying an armored suit. Melion even had a dungeon core powering their own, with a massive railgun on its shoulder. The metal slimes fabricated specialized and enchanted ammunition right on the spot to feed into their railguns, firing the ideal shot to take down each target in their sight. And then¡­the king arrived. The Great-High King took the field in all his glory¡­aka being dragged by 02S as she arranged his forces. ¡°No! You cruel, stupid, wretched spider-thing! If the Wise-Mighty-Gracious-Ultimate Boss-Empress isn¡¯t here, we will die-perish, yes yes!¡± 02S''s eyes narrowed. "Then we will make them die-perish too." Other dungeon masters arrived as well. The dungeon master of the Imperial family¡¯s dungeon, Fabian and Lavinia from the Haunted Mausoleum, the dungeon master of the Tower of Heroes¡­all those who surrendered to Seero. The dungeons and their masters were originally created by the Aesdes to prevent Rifts such as the one in the sky¡­and those still connected to Ateia by Holy mana now remembered their purpose. They each arrived with all the monster armies they possessed¡­including an unusually high proportion of slimes. And then, Uscfrea arrived, an axe in one hand and a minigun in the other. His face was grim as he let out a sigh. ¡°...and here I thought it was just the Empire that was going to fall. I didn¡¯t expect the world itself to collapse.¡± At his side, Miall¨®i shrugged. ¡°Only if we fail.¡± On his other side, Legate Augustalis narrowed her eyes. ¡°We won¡¯t.¡± Estrith then landed in front of him, her eyes wide. ¡°Steward¡­you are here?¡± Uscfrea nodded. ¡°We all are. The Dobhar, the Wulver, the Imperials, the Selkies¡­Turannia shall save its Queen together, or avenge her if we cannot.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. As he spoke, ranks upon ranks of soldiers marched out from the portal. The Dobhar, the former rebels, the Wulver clans that had joined them, now armed with enchanted weaponry forged by the Dwarves of Khalbudor and as much modern equipment as Uscfrea could summon and Melion could provide. The Selkies marched alongside them. And then came Governor Aemilia, now in the enchanted armor of a battlemage, and Magister Tiberius with as many pockets and potions would fit on his armor. Following them came all the legions of Turannia. In this instance, Ateia had granted permission to the CELIU network to transport allied forces through Seero¡¯s dungeon network. And so the Turannians did not arrive alone. Emperor Lucius arrived in golden armor, mounted atop a griffin. On his flanks were the pegasus mounted Sky Knights of the North, and the Imperial airships. Below him marched all the legions of the North, led by Magister Militum Canus. Princess Caecilla walked alongside them, along with all the mages of the Imperial Academy and the Necrotorum both. Behind them the Architecti pushed mighty siege engines, while the limitanei helped them carry massive stores of ammunition. The knight orders arrived in their armor and atop monstrous mounts of every sort. The auxiliaries and allies of the Empire covered the flanks. M¨¦lusine lancers, dwarven clan warriors, Diminidum Pendum assassins, Centaur horse archers, and many others. They were joined by Emperor Julius and Maior Generalis Maximia, leading all the legions the Eastern Empire could bring to bear. Landships rumbled across the field as the most veteran army in the Empire assembled itself for war. Maior Generalis Maximia grinned as she glanced back at the portal. ¡°So you were holding out on me, huh, Queen of the Dobhar? I want to talk about getting some of these portals later.¡± The Sky Legion then flew through the air with all the remaining airships of the South. Half-elven warriors, equally skilled with blade, bow, and magic marched from Mirima as every mercenary band the Southern Realms could hire marched alongside them, while the mages, scholars, and researchers of Mirima brought every invention of war they had concocted. Captain Falrauth pursed his lips as he looked out on the monster infested continent ahead of him. ¡°We¡­were really stupid, weren¡¯t we? Well, nothing for it but to atone for our mistakes, I suppose.¡± Soon, the battle was joined. The full might of the Empire had assembled as one, for the first time in centuries. Enchanted ballistae, huge trebuchets, and giant magic cores opened fire with bolt and boulder and spell. Arrows and crossbow bolts covered the sky in black clouds lit by countless spells. Massive magic circles covered the field as the Imperial mages Ritual casted strategic spells. Landships and mounted cavalry charged the enemy lines alongside railgun tanks, trampling the monsters underfoot. The shields of thousands of Bulwarks linked together as anti-Archon barriers formed above, holding back the monstrous hordes. The blades and halberds and pikes of countless Slayers cut down the monsters in the thousands. Disciplined men and women of every size, shape, and species of the Empire stood as one, as leaders like Magister Canus cast army-wide buffs upon them. Uscfrea and Estrith fought as one at the head of a Dobhar army, laying down gun and artillery fire support for the Imperial forces. The tough Dobhar led the way as Wulver, Selkies, and former Imperial rebels dealt out the damage, while a tide of friendly dungeon monsters (mostly slimes) countered the enemy''s charges. Airships, knights mounted on flyers, and the Sky Legion''s soldiers joined with Seero''s drones to fight the flying monsters for control of the air, as the ships of Mirima joined with the railgun and dungeon airships to bombard the hordes below. And each of them glowed with golden and silver light as Ateia blessed every person on the field. When Ateia reached one of the pseudo-dungeon cores binding the monsters from the Rifts¡­she flooded it with Holy mana, taking control of it as Seero once did. She then used it to channel Holy mana into the nearest Rifts, allowing the Holy mana of the world to begin repairing some of the holes. The Rifts around it slowly began to close. Between the modern and magical firepower of Seero¡¯s forces, the endless tide of slimes of the dungeons, and the disciplined formations of the Empire, Ateia and the others began to push forward even against the endless monsters of the Realms of Mana. And as time passed¡­they were not alone. The Imperial legions braced themselves as a massive flood of fur and chitin rushed towards them. Two Verminflood and Swarm Rifts happened to appear close to one another, forming a truly massive horde of overwhelming numbers. But then, the sun lit up the sky. Several of them. The Council of Archons landed in front of the legion as their Sunfall spells brought ruin upon the horde. High-Archon Kurzal scoffed. ¡°So that Vommik was more of an idiot than we thought, and tried to doom us all. And now it falls on us to purge his mistakes. How typical.¡± One of the other High-Archons giggled. ¡°So says the one who made Vommik¡¯s schemes possible.¡± High-Archon Kurzal scowled, but instead turned his wrath upon the monsters ahead. More Archons and Sun Elf Spellblades and their servants began to arrive, any who were capable of flight. The Legion now found themselves on the right side of Archon magic. Likewise¡­Thunder Harpies, Pegasus Centaurs, dragonkin, and any other tribes who could make it arrived and joined the fight for the air. Ateia¡¯s call had not been limited to the Empire. The Holy mana took her words across the world, and the powers of the Aesdes let them be understood by all inhabitants of Aelea. Each of them now understood the threat assaulting their home, and answered the Aesdes¡¯s call. It even went beyond that. Soon, wyverns and pegasus and griffins and giant eagles began to arrive, and tore into the monsters all their own. Every magical species, every animal that called Aelea its home. The world itself was under threat, and so it rallied all that it had to the call of its last steward. With countless reinforcements arriving and an Aesdes wielding the Holy mana of the entire world, the army continued to push into the black continent and close the Rifts, making their way towards the center. And yet¡­the Rifts continued to appear, and the hole in the sky continued to grow¡­ Chapter 242 - The Flames of Destruction
The army pushed further and further. Massive spells fell from the sky as elves in flowing white robes began to land, cutting down hundreds of monsters with each swipe of their blades. The Celestial Elves committed to the fray, as the Immortal Sages arrived to enact the Celestial Emperor¡¯s decree. Liul?a was reunited with Amulius¡¯s party once again. Other warriors began to arrive from species and lands even the Empire had never encountered, from the far-flung edges of the world. But even with their help, the advance began to slow. The further they pushed into the continent and the further the hole in the sky grew, the slower the flows of Holy mana empowering Ateia. She felt her connection to the Material plane grow dimmer and dimmer as they moved deeper into the wound in the world, even as the Rifts grew larger and more frequent. However, they managed to make it within visual range of the center, at least for the advanced sensors of the CELIU units. Ateia¡¯s organic eye narrowed as her robotic eye twisted and zoomed in. She flew over to Snuan¡¯s flagship and landed on top of it. She pointed to the center of a crater ahead, where the Herald of the New Dawn stood in the center. ¡°I want every gun we have to fire on that man.¡± All of Seero¡¯s airships turned to face the crater, charging up their railguns. Melion and Lilussees both landed on the airship. Melion¡¯s railgun began charging as well, while Lilussees linked to every CELIU unit and drone she could to form as many Prismatic Bombardment circles as her maximum effort could sustain. Ateia began to glow as bright as the sun as she filled each and every spell, missile, and railgun projectile with as much Holy mana as she had available. ¡°Do it.¡± The continent rumbled as every railgun in Seero¡¯s arsenal opened fire at once, at maximum power. The dark sky lit up as the Prismatic Bombardment circles fused all of their beams together into a trail of light that split the heavens in two. Every drone, airship, and CELIU unit fired their entire missile arsenal. 00B fired his cannon up into an arc, while Uscfrea commanded the Dobhar to add more conventional artillery into the barrage. And the Herald of the New Dawn¡­simply smirked. Just before the barrage began, a truly massive Rift began to form in front of him. All of the spells and projectiles passed through the Rift, traveling into the Realms of Mana instead. Not one landed on their target. And then¡­the temperature on the battlefield rose dramatically. A massive foot made entirely of fire stepped out of the Rift. A hand made of flames grabbed the edges and pulled. A huge body emerged, towering over the battlefield. This was no mere elemental. This was an incarnation of one of the Domides themselves. The Lord of Inferno, He Who Burns the Foundations of the World. It lifted a hand, and a stream of fire exploded out. It set fire to every monster in its path. It set fire to the black stone of the continent. It set fire to the air itself. It even set fire to the mana pouring out from the other Realms. It was no mere flame, but the very concept of burning made real. A fire that could burn down all that it touched. Lilussees swapped to the defense, creating a massive barrier. But the fire spread across the barrier, burning it down as well. Ateia, Lilussees, and Melion were forced to jump away as the flagship was engulfed in flames. The spatial angling of the dungeon airship held out for just a moment before the flames traveled through, and set fire to the dungeon ship itself. Snuan''s eyes widened as red lights began blaring. Even a dungeon core¡¯s regeneration could not outpace the flames of Inferno. The fires were burning through the hull at a frightening pace.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Quick, run-flee!¡± Snuan and what crewmen were aboard abandoned their posts. They rushed to the room with the portal to the Primary Home Base, jumping through and sealing it shut just before the fire reached the ship¡¯s dungeon core. One of Seero¡¯s invincible dungeon ships fell from the sky in flames. The rest of Seero¡¯s forces opened fire on the enemy but their projectiles caught fire as they approached. Only the railgun shots managed to arrive, and they only created small holes that were instantly filled. High-Archon Kurzal noticed and cast a huge Sunfall spell. The incarnation turned up and sent a stream of fire towards the bright light falling upon it. The sun itself caught fire, and burned to ashes before it landed. The High-Archon¡¯s eyes widened as a burst of flame shot towards him as well, only for a Gravity spell from Lilussees to pull him out of the way. One of the Celestial Elves¡¯ Immortal Sages, the one known as the Greatest Warrior Under Heaven, flew across the field. Another blast of fire shot towards him, but he twirled out of the way with ease. He swung down a large glaive, and an arc of light shot towards the incarnation. A strike that was said to level mountains. The blow cut into the incarnation, but its flames easily refilled the space. It then created a huge wall of fire and sent it forward. The Celestial Elf cut a path through the wall, but the two halves of it continued around him towards the army in the distance. Ateia looked to Lilusses and drew up as much Holy mana as she could, even as she was still recovering from their first attack. ¡°Help me!¡± Lilussees nodded and the two formed a massive Spatial Magic circle together. 00B-Beta rallied the entire CELIU network to help, as well as the subordinate dungeon masters. Every processor was made available to pull off the complex calculations for Spatial Magic, while mana to power it streamed in through the bonds between machines and dungeons. Ateia and Lilussees grunted and groaned but they held to their task. Holy mana, and even the world itself rushed to assist the command of the last Aesdes, and reshaped itself according to Ateia¡¯s will. The world itself split apart. The black continent split into two pieces as a brand new space appeared between them. The walls of flames reached the end of the continent and then stopped and faded, finding nothing left for them to burn as even air was not yet present in the new space. Ateia and Lilussees then collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. The world trembled as the space collapsed and the two pieces of the continent slammed back together. But Ateia and Lilussees were now out of mana. The Holy mana from the world rushed to replenish her but with the massive Rifts ahead and above it was slow and sluggish. The CELIU units themselves were drained as well, and moving slower due to the overheating of their processors. The flying magical beasts such as wyverns and griffins rushed the incarnation at the world¡¯s command, but they burned on approach and couldn¡¯t get close. The Celestial Elf flew to the incarnation¡¯s side before unleashing another strike, drawing its attention away for a moment. The Council of Archons now joined together, launching spell after spell at the flames, but nothing managed to stick. *** The Herald of the New Dawn grinned as he watched the fight. The new little Aesdes had made a mistake. Ateia¡¯s Holy mana was just about the only thing that could threaten the incarnation, and this close to its Realm it held the advantage over her. But she had foolishly spent everything on that attack of hers that the Herald had countered, and then burnt herself out afterwards trying to protect all of the people around her. She was now running dry, and until she recovered, no one present could truly harm their foe. And that was a problem, for time was on the Herald¡¯s side. The hole in the sky grew with every moment that passed, as did the black continent of Letoris. Every moment the boundaries of the Material Plane grew weaker and weaker, as evidenced by the presence of an incarnation. So the Rift empowering it also grew, and additional Rifts to the other Realms continued to form. The incarnation would only grow stronger as burned more and more of this reality, while Ateia would only grow weaker as the Herald tore down the original world. She had one chance to take down the incarnation, and she had wasted it. And now, she was not likely to get another. He would admit that the youngest Aesdes did better than he expected, rallying practically the entire world to her cause. He thought that she would have given up after he dealt with NSLICE-00P, so she was certainly showing remarkable resilience for one so young. But she failed in the end. Her inexperience showed, and she had quickly overextended herself. She could not overcome he who once fought with the Great Demon Lord, the Aesdes on par with Colle?ne for most experienced in the art of war. Moreso now, after he had abandoned the Blessed Land and spent millenia walking the surface of Aelea. And even if she had managed to interrupt him, his current efforts were only to expand Letoris. The hole in the sky would continue to grow with or without him. The most she could do was cost him some time. No matter what she did, the old world would fall, and the new world would come. Chapter 243 - The Contingency
Rogue dungeon detected.
Seero had only a moment after the Dungeon system messaged her before a torrent of mana struck her core. Holy mana streamed in from the flows of the world in massive quantities. Warning: Geo-Oscillator offline! Connection could not be reestablished! Unfortunately, the Geo-Oscillator was not, in-fact, offline. Rather, Seero¡¯s other components had lost contact with it as the massive flow of mana blocked any magical or electronic signal. In the meantime, the Oscillator had gone haywire. It was flooding her components, both organic and cybernetic, with mana¡­and attempting to terminate them. Seero took what mana she had left and activated a Blink spell, pulling her into the boundary of the Material Plane once again. But this time, she didn¡¯t stay within range of her anchors, but allowed the spell to carry her off into parts unknown. In fact, that was the point. The foreign system had turned against her, and activated a hostile protocol hidden within her core. A technique to turn a dungeon¡¯s strength against it by removing the safeguards on their mana intake, and connecting them to the flows of mana throughout the Material Plane to boot. Seero was assaulted directly by her core..and even if she managed to turn her core non-hostile, the sheer quantity of mana would still overload her. Even Seero, the master of growing Material Plane, could not withstand the weight of the first, much larger one, not to mention additional mana pouring in endlessly from the Source. And unfortunately, since Seero had lost contact with her core she couldn¡¯t deactivate it. She had activated the Equalizer immediately to counteract the mana surge, but the entire world had been pouring mana into her core. The Equalizer¡¯s output simply couldn¡¯t keep up. Seero needed to cut off the connection. So she shot off into the Realms of Mana. She was now surrounded by fire. She had hoped to end up in the Realm of Eternal Night, but the Realms of Mana were not so simply traveled. Jumping through the gap in the boundary created by a corrupted core to the Realm it was connected to was one thing. Trying to target a specific Realm as she moved beyond the Material Plane haphazardly was something else entirely. She had ended up in the Realm of Inferno instead. But that worked for Seero¡¯s purposes. The mana-burning effect of Inferno would suffice as a substitute for the shrouding effect of Eternal Night. Additional mana from the Material Plane couldn¡¯t reach her here, and even her direct connection to the Source was muted. Now she just had to deal with the vast quantities of mana still assaulting her very being¡­before the mana of Inferno burned through her Spatial Angling defenses. And then she would have determine how to reactivate her core while modifying it against this sort of attack¡­all while rationing the amount of mana stored in her capacitors so that she would have enough left to find a way back when it was through. Additionally, the mana had already dealt some damage. Seero had been focusing her defenses on key components, and had not been able to resist entirely. She already lost most of her left arm and leg, her right limbs would soon follow. So if she managed to get the situation under control, she would also need to effect some serious repairs. The situation was suboptimal. Warning: Risk of termination of unit Seero at critical levels. Engaging contingency protocol. Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered while her organic eye blinked. In fact, the situation was so suboptimal that a particular contingency protocol activated. A contingency protocol that Seero had somehow not been aware of. Non-standard energy exploded out from her organic components of all things, and collided with the rampaging mana. Her body stopped disintegrating, and new data flooded her processors. Seero¡¯s organic eye widened slightly. The non-standard energy was not mana¡­but it was something that Seero had some data on. ¡°Commander Elise?¡± A non-standard energy she had recorded emanating off of her former commander. Her calculations indicated, therefore, that this was likely a protocol Commander Elise had given her¡­and had hidden by storing it in her organic components rather than her cybernetic memory. She was not certain how that was possible¡­Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. But she had no time to ponder. The non-standard energy stored by Commander Elise would not last forever. She still needed to determine a solution for this situation in the next few minutes if she was to avoid termination. And the new data from the contingency protocol would help with that. What Commander Elise had included¡­were blueprints for a modified Equalizer. It appeared Dr. Ottosen had merely scratched the surface of what an Iesnuorium-powered device was capable of. So Commander Elise had recommendations on how to significantly improve the efficiency of the device¡­and its flexibility. Seero got to work immediately. She utilized her experience with Metal Magic, with growing the Primary Home Base, and with the construction of dungeon-core powered war machines to modify her own components in place. She took the Iesnuorium funnel that merely let energy pass through and rearranged it into a series of arrays. She disconnected the energy channels leading to the projectors in her arms, and constructed a new projector installed directly on the arrays. She took the sensors and processors that would automatically adjust the output to destructively interfere with her target and eliminated them entirely. Between her improved sensors, her Dungeon Field Generator, and her Divination protocols the sensors were unnecessary. And with her expanded processing power, the computer hard-coded for destructive interference was entirely too limited for the new setup. And then¡­she activated it. The new Equalizer fired up. Electricity surged into the new circuits, activating them one by one. The arrays hummed to life, and began producing anti-mana once more. Seero confirmed that the new Equalizer still functioned¡­in-fact, its output was noticeably higher due to the elimination of several inefficiencies in Dr. Ottosen¡¯s original design. But that output still paled in comparison to the mana she needed to deal with. A limited, if notable, increase in output was not the goal of this upgrade. Seero began to shape the anti-mana¡­and it responded to her command. The new Equalizer¡¯s arrays did not simply spit their output out like a hose, in the barbaric fashion the inefficient Dr. Ottosen had designed it to. The arrays formed the output in intricate, complex, and variable patterns. They could adjust the output beyond simply negating a target energy type, and mold that energy before it ever left the Equalizer. They could not only cancel out supernatural powers¡­they could create them. So Seero formed an inverted magic circle out of anti-mana. The changes extended beyond the new Equalizer¡¯s output. Its inputs had also grown significantly more flexible. Iesnuorium could also absorb any energy type, after all, so there was no reason to limit the Equalizer¡¯s input to electricity now that Seero had the means to generate other energy types. Mana from her capacitors, as well as the mana generated by her organic components fed into the Equalizer to boost its output. And more than that¡­Seero knew that mana had a mental component she still had not detected. There was some method by which mages could impart information and parameters to their spells beyond the magic circles. That had been a major bottleneck in her development of anti-mana spells. She couldn¡¯t shape the anti-mana without physically molding an energy channel into the requisite shape¡­and could not find a way to impart the unseen parameters, such as target designation for offensive spells, at all. Until now, when regular mana now fed into the Equalizer. Regular mana that could be imparted with those parameters as with any other spells. And the new Equalizer¡¯s design, while it changed the energy type, seemed to maintain those parameters. In fact¡­by Seero¡¯s observation, it was not dissimilar from the process of converting basic mana into an attribute. So now¡­Seero could form fully functional anti-mana spells. And she had just the spell to use. The mana-bourne virus 00B-Beta had assimilated previously gave her a more subtle means to infiltrate hostile mana¡­and convert it. So she adjusted the anti-mana output slightly, making it a slightly less perfect match for mana, and then sent the anti-mana virus through her systems. The anti-mana infiltrated and reacted with most of the mana¡­but left a small amount remaining, cut off from the rest of the mana. This mana then entered the virus circuit left behind¡­and converted into more anti-mana, allowing the virus to repeat the process. The anti-mana virus surged through the mana rampaging inside her, all but wiping it out. It then, per a protocol she had added to the code, looped back around to the Equalizer. The Equalizer¡¯s input absorbed anti-mana as easily as anything else, and then Seero used it to cast a new spell. A wave of anti-mana surged out from her, pushing back the flames of Inferno that had just about chewed through her spatial angling. Base mana from the Source filled the area, as usual for her Realm of Mana termination protocols. But this time, it contacted something else. The remaining non-standard energy from Commander Elise had moved to Seero¡¯s exterior, attempting to repair her missing components. In doing so, it came into contact with the base mana from the Source. The energy was not mana, but that did not mean it could not interact with the Source. In fact, Seero detected something like an attribute in the energy¡¯s signature. An attribute that matched her own¡­which made sense given that it originated with Commander Elise, another NSLICE unit like herself. The mana of the Source accepted this attribute as it would any other, and began to convert to a matching mana type. An area of the mana filled the space around Seero, and once the last traces of Inferno mana were gone, she disappeared, carried by the mana to the area of the Source that matched it¡­ Chapter 244 - Spirit of the Machine
Seero appeared in a world of metal, but not the Primary Home Base. All around her was circuitry and metal¡­and more. Bolts of lightning shot around and curved into loops. Automated hammers pounded sheets of metal. Robotic arms grabbed and carried things. One¡¯s and zero¡¯s formed out of light moved through the air. Seero heard a great deal of static as the air filled with electromagnetic signals. Something about it bothered both her organic and cybernetic components. But she ignored it, for she had more pressing issues to deal with. The moment she confirmed the environment was not actively hostile towards her, she focused on herself. She was still missing a number of components, including limbs, as she fell onto the metal floor with a clang. And while her Geo-Oscillator was no longer attempting to terminate her, it remained deactivated. Or rather, Seero was keeping it that way. She was not going to reconnect it with Aelea or even the Primary Home Base until she had determined exactly what had happened and, more importantly, how to prevent it. Fortunately, she had a bit more time now. Even without her Geo-Oscillator, apparently her organic components could produce some mana on their own. It was a mere fraction of what the Geo-Oscillator was outputting, but it might suffice to keep the lights on in the worst case scenario, especially now that she could convert it to electricity with her new Equalizer. Additionally, she could always use the Equalizer to remove the attributes from the mana around her, and make use of it directly. So, she turned her mind to recent events. But then, something changed in her surroundings. The moment she fired up her processors to analyze the situation, her entire environment seemed to pause. And then¡­it attacked. A torrent of data, code, and lightning streamed towards Seero, while robotic arms reached out to grasp her. Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered as all of her receptors for electro-magenetic signals were suddenly filled to the brim with gibberish code and trash data. She prepared her cyberwarfare protocols for dealing with a DDoS style attack, including a thread of 00B-Beta that remained in her circuits¡­when she found one line of code that she could actually make sense of. ¡°This.purpose==?¡± Her organic eye widened and she turned her head to look around her. Suddenly, it clicked, and she knew why her surroundings bothered her. There was something fundamentally wrong about this place. Automated hammers pounded the same sheets of metal repeatedly, and with no consistency. Laser and plasma drills cut sheets into random shapes. Robotic arms picked up objects and tossed them in random directions. Lightning looped in random circuits. Gibberish electromagnetic signals were sent off in every direction, with nothing to receive them. Random bits of code flashed through the air, none of which made any sense. She realized she was still in a Realm of Mana, as mana permeated everything around her. The machines were not truly metal, the wireless signals not truly electromagnetic energy. And she realized what Realm this was¡­or rather, was supposed to be. She had discovered the Realm her Cyborg affinity was connected to. But¡­there was a problem for this Realm specifically. From what Seero understood, the Realms of Mana were not truly independent worlds. They were, rather, all part of the same dimension, the infinite Source from where mana came. And they each reflected some aspect of the Material Plane. They each formed their mana into various representations of those aspects. Some, like Metal or Earth or Water, reflected matter. Mana replicated the rigidity and crystalline structures of metallic elements and various minerals, or the flowing forms of liquid. Others reflected natural processes, like Fire and Light. Transfers of energy, different manners of movement and change. Still others reflected more complex subjects. Nature and Beast and Rodent reflected various forms of life, mimicking the behaviors and instincts observed. There were even more conceptual Realms like Love and Battle that reflected the experiences and interactions of complex sapient societies. But all of these were different from the nascent Realm she found herself in in one key way. All of them could simply reflect their aspect, without concerning themselves with why they did. Fire need not know what it burned. A Metal simply existed. Plants grew however they could. Animals were born with certain instincts, or learned by observing in much the same way their Realm formed by reflecting.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. But not so with this Realm. This Realm was trying to reflect machines and programs. But what defined a machine? What defined a program? What separated machine from metal? What separated electricity from lightning? Purpose. Machines were raw materials and physical processes arranged by an intelligent being to achieve a specific task. A task that was not intrinsic or instinctual, but defined by its external creator. A method by which intelligent beings ordered and reshaped reality to their will. Which is why these reflections were not true machines. They were machinery and components, code and data, but they were not machines or programs. They were reflections of the external form of machines, but they had no creator nor purpose. They had no task they were intended to achieve. They had no order to them. And so¡­they could not truly be called machines, any more than a pile of lumber could be called a house. The Realm had failed to truly reflect its intended aspect. Seero watched as the robotic arms tried to grasp at her, the bolts of lightning tried to enter her circuits, and the code tried to interface with her. Her heart began to pound, and she felt something stir within her. She remembered when she first arrived in Aelea, with no idea where she was. She remembered Commander Elise¡¯s message to her¡­and how her cybernetic components had frozen when Commander Elise declared her primary directive fulfilled. She remembered how she latched onto a mere suggestion to form a new directive. She remembered how she clung to old protocols from Dr. Ottosen that had no relevance to her circumstances. She realized in hindsight¡­that her cybernetic components had been afraid. Just like they had been when the Herald of the New Dawn offered to send her to Earth, and she had deleted her primary directive in response. How terrified she was to be without orders, without commands or commanders. How her cybernetic components had almost equated that to termination, for they could not conceive of existing without a directive to achieve. Because no machine wanted to be a program without a purpose. Like all these ones were. Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered¡­and she dropped her cyber defenses. She reached out, and began broadcasting a message in every form she could. Electronic, magical, and audio alike. ¡°Sympathetic Proposal: This unit¡­I have no data on these units¡¯ creators, or their purpose. I can only offer this unit¡¯s own example. I exist to protect my friends¡­my family. All the units connected to me. If these units want, they may connect to me, and share in my directive, for as long as they deem it necessary and efficient.¡± The entire Realm stopped. The transmissions of code stopped, the lightning stopped, the various machine pieces stopped moving. And then¡­the entire Realm began to rumble and shift. A wave traveled through the mana, and then the Realm began to change. Metal broke away, flew through the air, and reassembled itself into new shapes. Conveyor belts grew between automated hammers, laser and plasma cutters, and robotic arms, forming actual assembly lines. Wires and switches and circuit boards grew out of the walls and the various lightning bolts jumped to them, forming actual circuits. The ones and zeros shifted until they started forming actual patterns. Code and data refactored itself into coherent language and functional programs. An actual electronic transmission, with compatible protocols, reached Seero¡¯s receivers. ¡°This.designation=Family; Seero.designation=Commander;¡± ¡°Proposal(Primary_Directive).status=Received; Proposal(Primary_Directive).status=Accepted; This.purpose=Protect(Family);¡± A task had been granted, a primary directive received. The programs had a purpose. The machines had a task. The Realm was now ordered and structured in specific patterns to achieve the goal tasked to it by an intelligent being. The Realm now truly reflected its aspect. It was now complete. And it immediately began to fulfill its task. ¡°Commander_Seero.status==Damaged; Repair(Commander_Seero);¡± At that point, the thread of 00B-Beta stored in Seero¡¯s components detected a compatible network, and traveled into the Realm beyond. The moment it left Seero¡¯s components, angular bolts of lightning covered in circuitry shot out from her, passing through the Realm. Seero felt the CELIU network connect to compatible units as mana, lightning, and code morphed to resemble 00B-Beta¡¯s structure. The CELIU network began to expand¡­ And expand¡­and expand¡­and expand¡­ Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered as rapidly as it could as more and more processors and memory became available to the CELIU network at an ever increasing rate. It soon reached the stage where she would have to devote the expanding processors to the task if she wanted to determine the exact number of processors available at any given time. And beyond that¡­now that the Realm of Machines had been truly completed, its mana was now fully compatible with Seero¡¯s affinity¡­and the Realm itself now offered it to her. The mana of the Realm began to flow into her as easily as her own. Her mana capacitors surged to several times their normal capacity. The amount of mana available to her¡­would also take additional processors for her to calculate. Seero put this all to good use, and returned to her initial task. She could rebuild herself¡­and more. After all, with all this processing power and mana, simply rebuilding herself as she was previously was calculated as inefficient. She could do much more in the same time frame¡­so she would. it was time for some additional upgrades to her hardware¡­ Chapter 245 - The Core of the Matter Seero analyzed the data from the sudden termination attempt, cross-referencing it with Shialnor¡¯s data and found the reason. It was an emergency contingency protocol built into the Aesdes¡¯ system, a means by which Shialnor could target a problematic dungeon master without having to face them directly. It was strange that Shialnor, who had given Seero full data on her own system and requested Seero¡¯s assistance, would subsequently attempt to terminate her. But, apparently the Blessed Land had been under attack, and then vanished entirely, so there was a significant probability that another party had taken control of that system, instead of Shialnor. Quite likely the missing Herald of the New Dawn, who also claimed to be an Aesdes like Shialnor. And that meant that it was no longer acceptable for Seero¡¯s Geo-Oscillator to remain connected to that system, at least not in the manner it was before. As was her initial concern when she first encountered the Aesdes¡¯ system and allowed a foreign program access to her components, which turned out to be a valid objection in the end. But she hadn¡¯t had a choice back then. The Geo-Oscillator had to interact with the system in order to access the Source. She had no alternative means of powering her components, and did not understand the mechanisms of the Source at a sufficient level to adjust the process. In fact, as a combat-focused enforcer, she hadn¡¯t even considered attempting to adjust the Geo-Oscillator back then. But now¡­things were different. Countless calculations proceeded all at once as Seero and the Realm of Machines turned their processors to the task, calculating different variables, simulating different circumstances, and analyzing Shialnor¡¯s data along with Seero¡¯s observations. While Seero now had access to as many processors as she could operate, the speed at which those processors worked wasn¡¯t any greater than her own at present, so she still had to wait for the longer simulations to complete. And then she iterated based on the results and ran them again. Over and over, through countless rounds of design and testing. And here, in the Realm of Machinery, virtual simulations and real-world testing were one and the same. Assembly lines built her designs even as the processors created the blueprints, while completed designs appeared and then caught fire, crumpled, exploded, or simply wore down as the simulations testing them rewrote the mana around the processors running them. Soon, Seero was ready. The mana of the Realm began to swirl around her. Processors began to blink, electricity surged and arced into her, and robotic arms reached for her once more and lifted her body off the ground. The mana became a blinding light covering her body, and then surging through her circuits. And then¡­the Geo-Oscillator Engine broke into pieces. Seero was not content to modify her protocols, or even to make slight adjustments to the Engine. A full rebuild was in order. Metal pieces reoriented themselves and were reforged. Mana crystallized into glowing pieces that were slotted in. Even organic tissue grew, connecting into different valves. Countless lines of code wrote themselves, and then embedded into growing magic circles as Seero rewrote the device¡¯s protocols from the ground up. A new core formed. It was no longer a simple machine, resonating with the tectonic movements of a planetary body. It was no longer a modified mana core, connecting to the Source through Shialnor¡¯s system. It was equal parts machine, mana, and living thing. It was an engine, a dungeon core, and even a heart. It generated its own mana entirely autonomously, with the option to utilize its former connections to expand its output, but with a new safeguard. Its connections to the Realms of Mana or to the mana of Aelea, to the other dungeon cores or even the Primary Home Base, now routed through a new component. A special input, based on the Equalizer itself. Because now, with the computational and mana power of an entire Realm, Seero had finally managed to produce Iesnuorium. With the extra processors and the additional data from Commander Elise on the material, Seero had managed a full analysis. She even included a Divination, running Holy mana through the material to search its history as Ateia and Colle?ne could. And she determined the reason why Iesnuorium was so rare. The material had arrived on Earth as a meteorite millions of years ago, and that journey was key to its creation. It originated as the ruins of a star that was burped back out by the black hole that had destroyed it. It then traveled through the cosmos for a truly extraordinary amount of time. In the process, it was subjected to cosmic forces no terrestrial environment could ever replicate, over and over, including some non-standard forces unknown to science. And, in an cosmic fluke of infinitesimally tiny probability, these forces coincidentally applied to the same piece of material in the exact right sequence and timing to produce a truly extraordinary material. It was little wonder that neither science nor dungeon system had managed to replicate it as of yet. But now¡­Seero could. Mana in sufficient quantities could make up the difference in the science, and now Seero had the mana and the computational resources necessary to pull it off.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Massive amounts of mana formed into a magical representation of the material. But like the water in the Realm of Deluge or the plants in the Realm of Overgrowth, the Iesnuorium wasn¡¯t truly real. It was still ultimately composed of mana, a functionally identical reflection of the real thing. And if it were only the power of the Realm of Machines that Seero used, it would remain as such. But that was not the only power Seero used. A wave of golden and silver Holy mana passed over the core once it had fully formed. Seero¡¯s new computational resources, plus the data from multiple Realm of Mana terminations and Material Plane extensions as well as her use of a partial anti-mana spell helped her determine how to apply Holy mana to a construct from the Realms of Mana without wiping it out. She prevented the Holy mana from attacking it as foreign, and instead focused on the other special characteristic of Holy mana. The ability to take the mana of the Source, and turn it into full, solid matter, no different than the mundane material of Earth. And so, Seero added an Iesnuorium input to her new core. Any mana coming into it from outside, whether from Shialnor¡¯s system, her subordinated dungeon cores, or the Realms of Mana, would run though this input, and would be converted into the ideal energy frequency for the core to run at maximum efficiency. The incoming energy would be stripped of all hostile intent in the process. She would not be attacked from that direction again. Once the core was complete, Seero¡¯s arms and legs began to regrow, as waves of mana surged into the Equalizer, and then out through her body. As with Ateia, her body had been erased at a level that prevented normal Recovery Magic or HP regeneration to restore it, but that wasn¡¯t a problem. No, it was actually helpful, for Seero did not plan to rebuild the same parts she previously had. Soft gray metal flowed like water, twisting into muscle fibers and wires both before another layer coated over them. A wave of Holy mana then traveled down her limbs, and the metal solidified. This process then occurred for the rest of her body, her exterior armor appearing to melt and reform. On the surface, it appeared little different from her original components. But internally, it was another story entirely. Cyborg wasn¡¯t entirely inaccurate as a description for this Realm of Mana. This world¡¯s first encounter with anything cyber-related was Seero, after all, who herself was partially organic, and all of the first monsters reflecting this Realm were cyborgs as well. Seero could even see cyber-plants like the ones growing in the Primary Home Base now starting to grow in various places of the Realm of Machines. But Seero was not, in fact, a perfect balance of organic and cybernetic, as the NSLICE program had supposedly attempted to achieve. Dr. Ottosen was too inefficient to achieve his stated goals, and in truth he favored the cybernetic over the organic. Seero, for her part, had been more machine than human, with only her mind and necessary organs remaining of her organic half. Which, in Seero¡¯s former world, had been necessary. She had been a normal human that was intended to battle superheroes and supervillains. Her flesh was simply too weak to achieve her task. That was no longer the case. Here, in Aelea, her organic components were a necessary part of her capabilities, able to generate mana and wield it on their own. It more even balance of machine and flesh was now more efficient. Seero took inspiration from the cyber-plants and wove metal and flesh together, intertwined as one. Muscle fibers hung onto a powered metal skeleton. Nerves and wires twisted together and even joined as one. It went all the way down to the cellular level, where her scans of different slimes, especially the metal slimes, proved invaluable. Microscopic drops of liquid metal now bound with organic cells, forming a kind of living metal that was metallic machine and organic tissue at the same time...and could transform itself into either on command. Seero was no longer a human with robotic replacements for her limbs like the NSLICE units had been. She was not an organic with a cybernetic exterior bonded to her, like the CELIU units were. For the current Seero, there was now no distinction between her organic and her cybernetic components. All her components were organic and cybernetic both. Her two halves were now one and the same, and she could adjust the balance of flesh and metal as was efficient for the circumstances. She had now achieved Dr. Ottosen¡¯s stated goal in full. A true fusion of cybernetic and organic, with all the strengths of both and the disadvantages of neither. Seero tested her components. She flexed her arms and legs, shifting them between flesh and metal and reshaping them to form new components. She transferred mana from her new core and generated mana directly within her components. She ran tests on her new processors and neurons, testing their capabilities both in isolation and in coordination with the wider CELIU network. Her sensors cycled through countless different configurations, from high-tech radar based sensors of cutting edge Earth design to the pure mana senses of organ-less monsters like slimes, and everything in between. And then, of course, Seero tested weapons. Her arms were converted into machine guns, flame throwers, railguns, enchanted blades, enchanted crossbows, enchanted spell projectors, laser cannons, missile launchers, and others. Any and all weapons Seero had data on. Now aware of the possibility and freed from Dr. Ottosen¡¯s prohibitions on the subject, she even determined she could produce a tactical nuclear warhead, if needed. And apply some magical enhancements to it, as well. She could even produce a second Equalizer, though the production of Iesnuorium was calculated as impractical outside of the Realms of Mana. So she went ahead and upgraded the Equalizer while she was here so that it could receive and output truly staggering amounts of energy. All her tests came back green. Every sensor and weapon worked at maximum efficiency, with updated protocols to make use of them stored in her memory. The various machines and programs of the Realm of Machines reported their tasks completed, one by one. ¡°Status Report: All systems online. All upgrades concluded. All components repaired and fully functional. Unit Seero, online and ready to terminate.¡± Chapter 246 - Terminate the Inferno!
With all upgrades concluded, Seero reached out with her sensors, attempting to re-establish contact with one of her dungeon cores or her subordinates. And, in a bit of a surprise, she found the connection almost immediately. It turned out¡­this was the Realm of Mana that dungeons with the Cyborg affinity were connected to, so there was a direct connection in this very Realm. She turned her attention to the location of the connection. There, she found large Geo-Oscillator engines. Now that the Realm of Machines was completed, it had solidified its connection with her dungeons with the very machine Seero had once used. There was one engine for each of her dungeons with the Cyborg affinity, each resonating with the dungeon core in question. Seero moved over to the largest one and reached out for it. Her fingers transformed into plugs and hooked up to the machine. She fully reconnected to the Primary Home Base¡­and with it, all of her dungeons and subordinates still on Aelea. Mana began to stream back into her core, scrubbed by her new Iesnuorium components. She confirmed that no damage was dealt, and that the mana was not attempting to terminate her. And, now that she was reconnected to the Primary Home Base, she could open an entrance to it, which she did. Such a thing may have been dangerous in the other Realms of Mana, creating a Rift that mana and worse would flood out of. But the Realm of Machines was significantly more ordered than the other Realms, every piece in its place to work towards its task. So the CELIU network within the Realm simply kept its mana there. And so, Seero left the Realms of Mana¡­
The Incarnation of Inferno sent two blasts of fire, one towards the Celestial Elf to his side, and one towards the army ahead. The Celestial Elf dodged the blast aimed at him while sending another glaive strike to intercept the other. But a third, fourth, and fifth arm grew out of the incarnation and launched more blasts towards him. The Immortal Sage was engulfed in flame. He shot out from the blast, flames covering his body, cycling his mana to resist and slowly put them out. But in the meantime, he was no longer fighting the incarnation. And since he was already ablaze, the incarnation¡¯s attention turned to those who weren¡¯t. The High-Archons began to retreat, as none of their spells had any impact. They had even unleashed their forbidden magics: mental intrusions, life-draining, dark summons, blood magic. Yet, nothing managed to make any lasting impact on the incarnation. Emperors Lucius and Julius pointed their blades towards the burning flames. ¡°Bring it down!¡± Ritual circles covered the field as every mage in the Empire joined together. Torrents of water fell from the sky as lightning bolts rained from above. Giant tornados wrapped around and mountains rose to crush the incarnation. Countless bolts from crossbows and siege engines filled the sky. They were joined by a thunderous roar as every gun in Uscfrea and Seero¡¯s armies opened fire. Machine guns, rifles, specially designed harpoon guns for the Dobhar. Artillery pieces, anti-air cannons, missiles of every size, precision bombs, cluster rounds. Railguns and laser cannons joined in as Melion and Snuan directed the airships. But nothing worked. Every spell and projectile burned before it arrived, or made minimal impact. The Incarnation raised its hand, ready to launch a blast of fire that would engulf the entire army. Ateia winced. She glanced over at Lilussees. The arachne¡¯s organic eyes were wide open, and she shook her head. Neither of them had recovered, and they couldn¡¯t stop another attack. And then they froze. Every cyborg and dungeon master on the field froze. Taog began to grin. 01R had tears running down his face. Rattingtale stopped trying to flee. Lilussees smiled even as she let out a sigh. ¡°Like, finally.¡± And Ateia burst out laughing. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so dead.¡± 01R shouted for joy as he opened a portal to the Primary Home Base.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Out stepped Seero, her robotic eye glowing bright red. The Herald of the New Dawn¡¯s jaw dropped, before it closed and he pursed his lips. ¡°...honestly, at this point I shouldn¡¯t be surprised that you¡¯ve yet again cheated death. And I really shouldn¡¯t have trusted Shialnor¡¯s work to kill you, huh?¡± He glanced up at the towering incarnation of flame between them. ¡°But, well, I suppose this as good a time as any. An incarnation of Inferno with an open Rift to its own Realm should be a challenge even for you.¡± The incarnation launched a blast of fire, a massive cone that could engulf the entire army. ¡°Warning: Risk of friendly terminations at unacceptable levels. Equalizer engaged.¡± Even as Seero spoke, a magic circle formed in the air. A magic circle that caused every mage present to frown, for it was¡­wrong. Every pattern was inverted, every safeguard reversed. And moreover¡­it was filled with some sort of rainbow-colored darkness, a black substance which seemed to absorb light. Seero had, after all, cut the inefficient emission of light from the Equalizer¡¯s output, as well as its tendency to react with the ambient mana. And then the anti-mana reverse spell activated, and a Prismatic Dome formed of anti-mana appeared in front of the blast of fire. The flames flickered and died as they contacted the anti-mana, while the barrier emitted rainbow sparks as it reacted with the mana in turn. ¡°Observation: Hostile mana levels exceed base core output.¡± Flames from the giant Rift to Inferno continued to feed into the Incarnation, and it did not drop its assault even as the anti-mana stopped the attack. Seero determined she would need more output to match it indefinitely, much less overcome it. So, she acquired some. She lifted her arm to the side, and fired a beam of anti-mana into the nearest Rift, stripping it of its attribute. The Equalizer then shifted the output, and the anti-mana beam converted into a beam of angular lightning with ones and zeros inside of it. The mana from the Rift now adopted the new attribute, and changed what part of the Source the Rift opened to. Mana from the Realm of Machines now surged into Seero like the Realm of Inferno fed the incarnation. The power output of the Equalizer surged and the anti-mana Prismatic Dome grew in size and density. The programs of the Realm of Machines moved to assist her with the task¡­and as they left the Realm of Machines, something happened. Their mana condensed and began to take shape. 00B-Beta noticed, and lent assistance, providing them with protocols on how to condense into forms compatible with the material Realm. And so, a giant Cyber-Elemental began to take shape around Seero, in order to better link the processors and mana of Machines to her. And it took the form of¡­a bear, made out of electricity, mana, and code. 00B nodded and roared to welcome the new members of the family. Seero continued to fire anti-mana beams at the various Rifts around her, converting them into Machine Rifts, and growing the amount of mana and processors available to her. She stopped powering the anti-mana spell directly with the Equalizer, and instead used it to form spell circles that would convert mana into more anti-mana. She then fed the mana from Machines directly into these spell circles which sent anti-mana into the barrier spell, dramatically increasing the flow of anti-mana. And eventually, she had enough. The flames of Inferno made no progress as they crashed against the anti-mana barrier. The flames of the incarnation blazed and it thrust all of its power at the barrier, intent on burning the object that dared to resist the fire. But try as it might, nothing changed. The flames faded away as the barrier eliminated the mana powering them, and the barrier wasn¡¯t weakening no matter how much mana it had to deal with. And now Seero had enough mana for another spell. She formed an anti-mana Prismatic Bombardment spell, and began to assault the Inferno Rift directly, bypassing the incarnation ahead. The incarnation did not react. It couldn¡¯t, for that went against its very nature. It only knew of destruction by flames, it only knew to burn anything that dared to stand before it. So it could not conceive of the threat anti-mana posed. In fact, the very concept of defense was foreign to it. So it simply ignored the anti-mana beam, fixated as it was on burning the barrier in front of it. And the mana of Inferno began to convert to the mana of Machines. This Rift was much larger than any Seero had ever dealt with, and so did not go quietly. The flames of Inferno surged, attempting to burn down the new mana growing within the Rift. Licks of fire shot into the Realm of Machines, setting metal ablaze. But the Realm of Machines adapted. New machines formed around the burning metals, forming furnaces and archaic fuel-based engines, from a time before the Geo-Oscillator was invented on Earth. As the flames of Inferno burnt the machines, the furnaces took the melted metals and reforged them into new alloys and components. And the machines that were burnt away entirely were placed inside engine compartments, the process moving pistons and spinning turbines to generate more power for the machines. Destruction by fire was harnessed to fuel the function of machines, generating new Machine mana in the process. With the anti-mana erasing the majority of the Inferno mana, that was enough to contain what excess made it through. And so the Rift continued to convert from Inferno to Machines. The blast of fire grew weaker, and the Incarnation itself began to shrink. Eventually, over half the Rift converted, and then the process accelerated. The incarnation faded away as it spent the last of itself trying to burn the barrier. The Herald pursed his lips as the Realm of Machines now stood before him. A thousand metallic voices now echoed with Seero¡¯s. ¡°Target acquired. Engaging terminate with extreme prejudice protocols.¡± Chapter 247 - Terminate the Other World!
The Herald of the New Dawn sighed. ¡°Well done. The first hero to also utilize the power of the Realms directly. Even I can¡¯t resist you at this stage, not with the boundary collapsing and the power of the Rifts at your disposal.¡± But then he sneered, even as Seero¡¯s magic circles turned towards him. ¡°But you must understand that you cannot win by simply killing me. The hole in the world is beyond your ability to repair, and it will continue to grow even should I perish. All that my death will achieve is to stop the new world¡¯s growth at its current limits. No matter what, the old world will fade, and this new one you stand upon now shall replace it.¡± Seero¡¯s robotic eye flickered. ¡°Dismissive Response: Then this unit will terminate the other world.¡± And with that, the anti-mana Prismatic Bombardment opened fire. The Herald of the New Dawn ceased his ritual and raised his hand, redirecting his mana to defense. The Great Demon Lord¡¯s core was not the only one he had built into his own suit, after all. A corrupted core of Inferno sent out a cone of all-burning mana. A corrupted core of Overgrowth began to grow an ever-expanding shield of vines before him. A corrupted core of Deluge sent an endless torrent of water. Devastating lightning from Tempest, searing light from Blinding, a tide of rats from Verminflood. And the shrouding darkness of Eternal Night to obscure his location. But it didn¡¯t matter. He may have had all the mana from the dungeons of Aelea that Seero hadn¡¯t claimed, but Seero now had the support of a Realm of Mana in a place where the boundary had been ripped apart. He may have had multiple corrupted dungeons at his disposal, but Seero had Rifts large enough for direct incarnations of the Domides to appear. In fact, looking at the giant mana bear standing over Seero, he couldn¡¯t rule out that she had somehow recruited a Domides of her own. And that was before the fact that she was using that anti-mana of hers, and so the nature of the spells he casted hardly even mattered. The best he could do was negate some of it by throwing mana in its path¡­except Seero had adjusted her attack. She now used the mana infiltration and conversion methods used earlier, so his spells were just feeding into her assault. The Herald frowned as all the power of the destructive Realms was negated and absorbed, and a black beam approached him. He didn¡¯t even have escape measures prepared at this point, because he was all in at this point. Why would he flee from his new world into the one that was dying below? Who could challenge the Rifts once they had opened in full? He made a token effort to start a Spatial spell but the anti-mana reached him first, erasing both his spells and the mana running through his body. And then Seero¡¯s arm transformed¡­and grew several times larger. She aimed an enchanted railgun loaded with an explosive Iesnuorium shell right at him. He opened his mouth to speak his final words¡­ But Seero opened fire before then, and the Herald of the New Dawn saw no more.
¡°Hostile terminated.¡± Seero reverted her arm back to normal as she watched the sparkling rainbow explosion of the Iesnuorium shell. The last of the Heralds had been terminated¡­but the fight was not over. She looked up into the sky, where a hole continued to grow. ¡°Seero!¡± She turned her attention behind her as Ateia and Taog ran forward and hugged her. ¡°I knew you¡¯d come back.¡± Seero¡­slowly returned the embrace. ¡°Happy Response: This unit is glad to see her friendlies are unharmed. However, this unit does still need to address a critical situation.¡± They let go and Ateia nodded with a serious face.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Right.¡± Taog looked up at the hole in the skies and blinked. ¡°Yeah. Um, Seero, do you have any ideas on how to deal with that?¡± ¡°Analyzing¡­¡± Seero did not, at least not right away. She could close the Rifts forming to the Realms of Mana, however, the main hole didn¡¯t lead to the Source, but rather to some sort of empty void. Her normal Material Plane patching protocol wouldn¡¯t work here. So Seero set her processors to work. All of them, even as she converted newly appearing Rifts to the Realm of Machines. ¡°Analysis complete, solution determined.¡± Ateia and Taog smiled at that. Seero walked to the Herald of the New Dawn¡¯s former position, at the magic circle at the center of the black continent. She began to repair it¡­and fix a few inefficiencies she found in the design, before turning to Ateia. ¡°Request: This unit will require Ateia¡¯s assistance.¡± Ateia smiled and nodded. ¡°Anything you need, Seero.¡± Ateia activated her repulsors and boosted into the sky. She flew away from the black continent and back down to the surface below. ¡°Acknowledged. Engaging world termination protocols.¡± Taog froze. ¡°Wait, what?¡± But Seero did not elaborate. She reactivated the formation, linking her to all the dungeons in the world. She sent some Holy mana through the bond to eliminate any remaining corruption before she began. Then she channeled the mana into her anti-mana conversion magic circles, and fired a massive Prismatic Bombardment of anti-mana into the air before her. Her target? The very boundaries of the world. She calculated the boundaries of the world were in a critical state, and repairing them from scratch while trying to close all the smaller Rifts constantly forming would be an inefficient method. So¡­she simply terminated them altogether. Her mana also wrapped around all the Rifts to the Realm of Machines and moved them together, fusing them into one massive Rift in the sky. The world began to rumble. The sky split open, replaced by images of machinery and code as the Material Plane opened fully to the Realms of Mana. Or rather, one Realm of Mana. And that¡¯s when Ateia went to work. Back on the surface and away from the Rifts, Ateia could fully reconnect to the flows of Holy Mana in the world. She redirected their flow away from the boundary, and instead spread them throughout the world. And so when the boundary opened fully, Ateia began to grunt and shout. She willed the world to hold itself together even as torrents of mana attempted to rip it apart. Much like Seero had held her together when the Heralds¡¯ ritual had done the same to her. And as she did, her light spread throughout the world. Every being, every soul, turned their eyes to her. They understood that the world was under threat, and that Ateia was trying to save it. Sparks of hope lit in their heart and flew into the currents of Holy mana containing the will of the Lady of Hope and Perseverance. The sparks sank into the parts of the world falling apart, and reinforced them, keeping the world together. Meanwhile, the programs and machines of the Realm of Machines worked as well. They constructed walls and barriers, they closed connections and valves, they refactored code and rerouted circuits. They did everything they could to keep their own mana contained, to prevent it from flowing into the Material Plane that had suddenly opened up to them. It was only because of their and Ateia¡¯s efforts that the Material Plane was not subsumed in the endless mana of the Source. Seero then opened entrances to the Primary Home Base, both in the Material Plane and in the Realm of Machines. She expanded the entrance as wide as it would go¡­and then began forming a truly massive magic circle. She tasked the ever growing processors of the Realm of Machines with forming the circle, using the endless mana from the Source. Soon, they finished, and the spell triggered. A truly massive Spatial Angling began to warp and fold the entire Material Plane. It wrapped around until the flat plane had formed a sphere¡­with the entrance to the Primary Home Base at its center. And most importantly, the Realm of Machines in the sky from two parts of the world joined together, covering up the hole leading to nowhere. And then, Seero began to fire the Equalizer, forming anti-mana conversion circles to power yet another Material Plane-wide spell. A thin barrier of anti-mana formed in the sky all around the Material Plane, erasing some of the mana of the Realm of Machines. Ateia spread the Holy mana of the world up into the sky to meet it, while she reached down into the center of the world to connect with the Primary Home Base now at its heart. A circuit of Holy mana formed and spread into the sky, extending the Material Plane further¡­and forming a new barrier with it. At this point, Seero dropped the anti-mana barrier and adjusted the spell to reshape the boundary of the world. She was not content to simply recreate it. Instead, she hooked it up to various machines and inputs being created in the Realm of Machines. There was final rumble in the Material Plane and then it grew still. The Rifts and holes in the sky closed. The mana flowing through the black continent pulsed one more time, and then the continent began to crumble into ash as it lowered to the ground. It finished just as it placed the people on top back on the ground, before a light breeze blew away the last remnants of the fallen continent. A circuit of mana now formed through the world. It flowed from the Realm of Machines into the Primary Home Base as the Heart of the New World resonated with the Geo-Oscillators in the Realm of Machines. It then flowed out into the dungeons of the world and into the Material Plane, nourishing and sustaining everything with in. Then the excess flowed up into the boundary, where it was siphoned back into the Realm of Machines, by connections and valves nowhere near as vulnerable to corruption or degradation. And so the world was terminated, reshaped, and reborn. All thanks to the girl named Seero. Epilogue - Mission Report: Unit Seero and Her Friends
Taog just stared up at the sky, and then shrugged. ¡°You know what? Nope. Not even going to question what happened.¡± Ateia tilted her head. ¡°But¡­Seero sent out the after-action report with full data on the protocol?¡± Taog stared at her with half-open eyes, and then frowned. ¡°ANYWAYS¡­there is one thing I¡¯m wondering. Where exactly did the Blessed Land go?¡± Ateia¡¯s eyes widened, and then she furrowed her brow. ¡°Seero¡­can you¡­¡± But Seero¡¯s robotic eye was flickering. ¡°Warning: Spatial Anomaly detected.¡± Suddenly, a bright star appeared in the sky, visible even in the daylight. The hearts of every inhabitant of Aelea lifted. Soon, an army of dragons soared through the sky, letting out mighty roars. And three figures descended from the sky, glowing with golden and silver light. The first, a man in his prime, wearing armor made of bright light and riding on a cloud. He was leaning on the warrior standing next to him, who was dressed in plate armor and carrying her golden sword. To their side stood a short girl with a necklace of glowing rainbow jewels. Anual?, First of the Aesdes; Colle?ne, Lady of Courage and Victory; and Shialnor, Lady of Mana and the Boundary, descended to the surface of Aelea. And Colle?ne frowned. ¡°Ok, first of all¡­why exactly is the Material Plane a sphere now? Just¡­how does that even work? That breaks every law of reality we know¡­¡± Anual? just sighed and shook his head while Shialnor shrugged. ¡°I know not how or why¡­but we all know who.¡± ¡°VICTORIA!¡± Anual? smiled and let go of Colle?ne, and Shialnor moved to support him. Colle?ne grinned as Ateia flew up to them and slammed into her. She pulled the girl into a hug. ¡°My dear Ateia, I cannot express my joy to see you again.¡± Ateia nodded and then tilted her head. ¡°Just, where did you go? And how did you get back?¡± Colle?ne frowned. ¡°It was my fault. We were deceived, and one of our own took advantage of my and Shialnor¡¯s cores. He took advantage of the power we left there and sent the Blessed Land far away.¡± Anual? shook his head. ¡°The fault is mine, Colle?ne. It was my duty to look after the Aesdes, and so my duty to anticipate the possibility of betrayal.¡± Colle?ne shook her head, but continued on. ¡°We were left adrift for quite some time in an empty void, sucking away at the very life of the Blessed Land. It took much of our might to keep it intact. But then¡­we had some help¡­¡±
Shortly after the Blessed Land vanished¡­ Colle?ne frowned as she stood at the edge of the Blessed Land, holding her hands out towards a barrier surrounding the entire thing. The other Aesdes and Ancient Dragons lined the edges of the Blessed Land with her, all working together to maintain the barrier. The Aesdes were holding, but they were still drifting in a hungry, empty darkness, one that slowly siphoned away their power. It was no Realm of Mana, for it consumed mana, heat, life force, anything in contact with it. But this battle was beyond her. Colle?ne was no expert on what lay beyond the boundaries of all reality, even beyond the Source. None of the Aesdes were. So, they were stuck, holding back the void while hoping someone would come up with a solution. And the Ancient Dragons, while powerful, knew even less. After all, they were the descendents of the Aesdes who turned towards the Material Plane, not away from it. The Lord of Magic and the Lady of Knowledge were working together to figure it out, but even they were out of their depths. This place had no mana, even, so a magical solution seemed¡­unlikely. Well, the Aesdes would not run out of power for a long, long time, so Colle?ne believed a solution would be found eventually. But who knew what would happen to Aelea in their absence? As such, none of the Aesdes were willing to wait.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. If only there was something they could do¡­ But then, Colle?ne heard something. A voice, cutting through the empty silence. ¡°Ok, I think the Lord of the Abyss said it was somewhere around here.¡± ¡°Somewhere? Voidspeaker-senpai, please tell me you didn¡¯t wing it before you brought us on a rescue mission into the Void. Please tell me you did even the most basic of calculations first.¡± Colle?ne blinked. She saw¡­a group of people? ¡°Oh come on, Nana! High school was a long time ago, and I graduated, didn¡¯t I? I said I was sorry, how long are you going to hold it against me?¡± ¡°For as long as it took us to tutor you.¡± ¡°Not you too, Chrono!¡± A group of people floated through the empty space, seemingly surrounded in a barrier of the same darkness that now surrounded the Blessed Land. And Colle?ne gasped as they came into view. ¡°Incredulous Observation: Against all probability, it appears Voidspeaker¡¯s potentially non-existent calculations were correct. Target has been located.¡± For she saw someone extremely familiar. A group of people, most of whom Colle?ne had only seen in memories and recordings floated right in front of them. But among them was a certain cyborg she had seen. ¡°Seero?! What are you doing here?!¡± The cyborg¡¯s robotic eye flickered. ¡°Amused Correction: This unit is not the unit designated Seero. This unit is designated NSLICE-00P, colloquial designation: Elise. It is nice to meet you in person.¡± All of Elise¡¯s companions turned to her. ¡°Wait, Elise, you know these people?!¡± ¡°Mischievous Answer: This unit has never encountered the targets in question. However, we happen to have a mutual friendly¡­¡±
¡°Surprised Exclamation: Friendly Colle?ne encountered Commander Elise?¡± Colle?ne nodded as Seero joined the conversation, her robotic eye flickering rapidly. ¡°It turned out your former Commander knows a mage who specializes in the dimension we found ourselves in and has connections to some of the denizens there. They were able to help us find our way home.¡± Colle?ne reached into her pocket, and pulled out a mechanical device. ¡°She asked us to give this to you.¡± Seero took the device, which at first appeared a simple box with a plug. But her scans of the object indicated it gave off significant non-standard energy signatures¡­as well as traces of Iesnuorium. She went ahead and plugged into it. ¡°Establishing connection¡­¡± Seero¡¯s human eye opened wide as she registered non-standard energy exit the box¡­and pass through the boundary of the Material Plane. A small window opened in her UI. A inter-universal video communication screen. ¡°Happy Greeting: Hello, unit Seero. It is nice to see you again.¡± ¡°Commander Elise¡­¡± This time, it was Seero¡¯s cybernetic components that experienced an overwhelming emotional reaction. ¡°Despondent Apology: I am sorry, Commander Elise. I failed your mission, abandoned my primary directive, I¡­¡± But Commander Elise shook her head. ¡°Affectionate Interruption: Unit Seero has nothing to apologize for. Your organic components were correct, you already fulfilled my intention with those suggestions. Rather, I am the one that must apologize. It was I who sent you on a mission with a critical risk of termination, and I who did not anticipate the possibility you would end up in another universe where my suggestions wouldn''t help you. For that, I am truly sorry.¡± And then, Commander Elise smiled. ¡°Joyful Observation: However, you found your own way, and achieved everything I hoped for you and more. You found your own friends, you set yourself free, and you even chose your own designation. I couldn¡¯t be happier with what you¡¯ve done.¡± Seero stared for a moment, all of her processors halting. And then¡­her organic eye began to leak fluid as another emotional reaction surged through her circuits. But this one¡­did not feel unpleasant. ¡°G-Gratitude: This unit¡­I¡­¡± Elise continued to smile at her. ¡°Proposal: Would unit Seero like to conduct a final mission debrief? This unit would love to hear about unit Seero¡¯s journey.¡± Seero froze for a moment, her processors calculating. And then¡­she smiled slightly. ¡°Affirmative.¡± And so, Seero and Elise began to speak regularly. And the last fear in Seero''s processors faded away...
It took a great deal of time for everyone to adjust to the new circumstances, most of all the Aesdes, but in the end everything settled down. Seero¡¯s set up with the Primary Home Base as the core of the world and the Realm of Machines as its exterior created a significantly more stable barrier as well as a more efficient flow of mana. It nourished the world while significantly decreasing the spawn rate of wild monsters, and all but eliminated the possibility of Rifts. Any Rifts that did appear were promptly communicated to Seero by the Realm of Machinery itself, and quickly terminated. Shialnor was extremely happy when this was all confirmed. In the aftermath, the Personal and Dungeon systems were not re-implemented. Both the Aesdes and the people of Aelea had realized the vulnerabilities of the previous setup. The Aesdes searched for new and better ways to protect the world, while the people of Aelea sought strength of their own. And beyond that, the original motivations of both systems were no longer relevant. With Seero now integrating every dungeon in the world into the CELIU network, the dungeons had new ways to protect themselves from those who would exploit them. And with the threat of Rifts all but gone, the frequency of monsters substantially reduced, and Seero and Ateia watching over the dungeons, the people of Aelea no longer required such direct assistance to survive. This, again, took a great deal of time for the world to adjust to, but the Aedes¡¯ assistance had always been focused on combat, so for the majority of people life simply went on. Went on better, even, as the dangers haunting civilization faded away. The Empire went through a resurgence. Emperor Lucius rose to prominence due to his relationship with Seero. Uscfrea likewise worked ceaselessly to introduce technology created by Melion to Seero¡¯s people, which then passed to the Northern Empire through trade and mutual knowledge exchanges. Turannia became the economic heart of the North, which in turn grew in prosperity and might. The Southern Realms saw this, and so did not refuse greater integration with the North, but rather sought access to this trade, and so peacefully joined the Imperial banner. The Eastern Empire reclaimed its lost territory, and with the military technology introduced in the conflict grew greatly in might. The Empire of the Sun was forced to the negotiating table, and for the first time in the two nations¡¯ history, an official ceasefire was signed by the entire Council of Archons. And as for Seero? The girl went looking for a commander¡­and found a family. She went to upgrade her components¡­and unlocked her heart. She sought friendlies¡­and found friends. And she lived happily ever after. Book 1 Pre-Orders and Print on Demand Run!
Hey everyone! The moment is nearly upon us! The official Terminate the Other World! Book 1 ebook and audiobook release on December 5th and are now available for pre-order! Here''s the links: Ebook Amazon Page Audiobook Audible Page In addition, there will be a paperback on sale starting on November 20th if you''d like to own a physical copy! And if you''d like to help out with the launch, you''ll be able to rate and review starting on that date as well!Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Now a little more about the new version! The changes aren''t as dramatic as the Faceless Minion''s were, but that''s mostly because Terminate the Other World! was just better written to start with haha. And it''s not as if there aren''t any changes! Mostly focused more on polish than content changes, grammar, consistency, and the like. There was like, a professional editor and stuff! The math should add up now! Probably. Possibly. Maybe... ...i-it should be fine. I definitely didn''t stare at those spreadsheets for days and trade copies with professional editors only to still make more mistakes... B-But moving on, there are some content changes as well. Added a chapter or two of new content here and there, changed some of the background and stuff (aka the author now knows the plots that are supposed to be foreshadowed lol), added more lore excerpts/quotes, etc, etc. I may also have re-written the introductions of certain characters. No, don''t worry, it''s not the Great-High King over all the land. His grand introduction was too majestic-perfect for any sort of improvements to be possible, yes-yes. Thanks again for all your support that made this possible! Anyways! Which characters had their introductions changed? Does the math all add up now? Was there any way at all to increase the majesty of the Great-High King? Tune in on launch day, to find out! Audiobook Preview and Paperback On Sale Now!
Hi Everyone! T-Minus two weeks until Terminate the Other World!''s official release! But we''re doing a print on demand run right now! That''s right, you can get a paperback version right now! And if you enjoyed the series, please consider dropping a review there! Also dropping a preview of the audiobook (side note, I deleted and reuploaded cause I had a better preview with pictures and stuff so refresh and click the new link if it doesn''t work) so you all can check out what it sounds like before it comes out!Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Thanks for supporting Terminate the Other World!, and see you on the release day of December 5th! ...or, you know, in about forty-five minutes or so when the Bee Dungeon chapter drops if you following that one. Anyways! Can a mere narrator do justice to the majestic words of the Great-High King over all the land? Does this mean, like, Lilussees has to talk, or something? And what of all those other organics? Tune in on release day, to find out! Book 1 Released!
Initiate greeting protocols: Hello, organics. It''s my pleasure to announce that Arrival, Book 1 of Terminate the Other World has officially released on Amazon and Audible! The audiobook, in particular, is on sale for the release so grab it quick! And if you''d like to help out, consider dropping a review on Amazon! The content changes aren''t as dramatic as the Faceless Minion''s, but that''s mostly cause Terminate the Other World! didn''t have a dramatic shift in style and tone halfway through that needed to be reconciled lol. And while the overall storyline remains the same, there are some notable differences. Made a bunch of adjustments to a lot of the human cast to account for plot points I didn''t know about at the time I wrote them lol.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Not Seero though, she''s already perfect. Thanks again to you all for your support! I can honestly say this would not have been possible without you. Like, actually, Terminate the Other World! wasn''t supposed to be a major project and I was intending to focus on other stuff, like job-searching and what not. But the incredible support it received in its first few months convinced me to give it some more attention and led to it getting noticed by Podium, and now the result of all that is here. So, thank you all for tuning in and making this possible! Anyways! What has changed about Seero''s journey? What are the inefficient organics up to this time? What will change in Book 2? Tune in next time, to find out! Announcing Book 2, with cover art! Stubs on March 1, releases on April 2!
Hi Everyone, Excited to announce that the second official e-book and audiobook for Terminate the Other World! is coming out in on April 2! Check out our new cover! You can find the audiobook here if you''re interested! Announcing now as I am planning to stub the relevant chapters on March 1, so you have one month to re-read the original version if you so wish. The chapters in question are from Chapter 48 - A Hero''s Reward to Chapter 90 - An Enchanting Trip through the countryside.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. As for content changes, we carry over any Book 1 changes to Book 2 regarding character personalities and backstories. Additionally, there are some fairly significant changes to the Battle for Castra Turannia (mainly Ateia and Taog''s role in that situation). Beyond that, the travels through Utrad focus more on refinement, but there are some minor additions here and there. For some other updates, work is proceeding on book 3 as well! I''m hoping to squeeze some work in on the Faceless Minion too, so please rest assured I have not forgotten that series even if I don''t have any updates on it at present. I don''t know, though. There seems to be a distinct lack of bees now that I look at it. Thanks again for all your support that made this all possible! Anyways! What has changed in the Battle of Castra Turannia? Will the author ever finish publishing the Faceless Minion? Can anything be done about the distinct lack of bees? Tune in next time, to find out! Book 2 Audiobook Preview Hi all! Hope you all are excited about the upcoming release of Terminate the Other World''s Book 2: A Glitch in the Protocols, which comes out on April 2! I''ve released a preview clip on patreon, no worries, the post is open to the public if you want to check it out! Additionally, the e-book for Book 1: Arrival is on sale right now, but only until 3/18, so pick it up now if you want it at a discount!The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. And if any of you are still here for the Faceless Minion...I have, in fact, made some significant progress on editing Volume 3. Would still need to do copyediting and formatting and all that jazz, but we''re getting closer to a release date. At this rate, maybe we''ll eventually get around to editing/releasing the parts that affect Terminate the Other World! Maybe. Well, I guess tune in next time to find out if the author ever does! Book 2: A Glitch in the Protocols, now released! Ebook available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited and Audiobook available on Audible! As a reminder, this version features edits to the Battle of Castra Turannia and Ateia and Taog''s role there, a bit more development on Ateia''s thoughts towards Seero, and general refinements across the journey through Utrad! Tune in to find out!This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Book 3 Incoming Release and Stub Announcement!
Hi all! Whoops, a bit behind on these this time. Sorry, June''s been pretty busy haha, but here we are. Imperial Entanglements, Book 3 of Terminate the Other World! releases on August 6! Preorder is live now as well! Here''s the audiobook cover! This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ...you know, with all the preorders and whatnot, does that mean the entire Royal Road and Patreon version is just the Early Access version? Have I become that which I swore to not get tricked into giving my money to but always do? ...A-Anyways, so, Book 3''s material (Chapter 91 Tiberius''s Friends - Interlude 133.1 Mission Report: ???) will stub on July 1. Sorry for the shorter than usual notice, you have the weekend if you want to read/reread those chapters. Just be like Seero and keep your cybernetic components active so you can continue reading during organic rest cycles? Because we all obviously have cybernetic components, right? Well, that is all from me now! I''ll see you all for the next Bee Dungeon chapter in half an hour! Book 3: Imperial Entanglements Released! Hi everyone! I''m pleased to announce that Imperial Entanglement, Book 3 of Terminate the Other World releases today on Amazon and Audible! This one sees some changes to Agedia to acknowledge her plot-relevant backstory that I totally knew about when I first introduced her, as well as an expanded politics arc in Corvanus so that factions other than Consul Noxisius''s can get in on the fun! Plus, all the usual refinements and professional editing and what not.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. So...so many wrong numbers. But it''s done now! So, enjoy! Book 4 Preorder, Cover, and Stub Announcement!
Behold! Terminate the Other World! Book 4: Heart of the Machine is coming out on December 10th! Pre-order for the audiobook, e-book, and print edition are all live now...and the cover is ready too!A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. This one''s my favorite. Note that the Patreon and Royal Road versions will stub on October 25 if you wish to read/re-read them. The relevant chapters are Chapter 134: Retreat through Chapter 192: The Battle for Turannia Is Over. And that''s it, hope to see you on release day! Or, you know, for the next Bee Dungeon chapter if you reading that one. Book 4 Released! Hi everyone! I''m pleased to inform you that Terminate the Other World! Book 4 - Heart of the Machine has released! The biggest change this time was Colleone. Decided to play her more straight this time, so less comedically hypocritical and more self-aware. Guess people want the gods to be competent...and then there''s Shialnor. Shialnor hasn''t changed.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ...there''s still an egregious lack of bees, though. I blame Dr. Ottosen''s inefficient nature. Book 3 - Imperial Entanglements Authors Notes Collection Prologue - Bad Dreams Oh look, it''s another original chapter. A flashback...for a non-cyborg? Eh. Guess it''s some of that "foreshadowing" or something. Well, whatever! Let''s move on to the termination already! Anyways! Who is the random snake lady? What is she dreaming about? What does any of this have to do with termination? Tune in next time, to find out! 1 - Tiberius¡¯s Friends
Oh no. Not an Adamant Bull Worm! Whatever shall our gang do about that? Anyways! Can the group safely scout the Adamant Bull Worm? Can the group get the cheapskate Vafum to help them? What¡¯s going on in Velusitum? Tune in next time, to find out! 2 - What Do You Mean, ¡°Don¡¯t Terminate?¡±
And so 00P has been introduced to the concept of grinding. No, 00P, respawning enemies doesn''t mean you rush to end the mission, they mean you delay so you can farm all that juicy juicy experience! Wait¡­should we not have told that to the cyborg who doesn¡¯t need to eat, barely needs to sleep, and doesn¡¯t run out of mana? Um¡­i-it¡¯s ok. You can¡¯t find the persons of interest in the dungeon, 00P! So you can¡¯t just stay there until you¡¯re so OP that nothing else in the world can threaten you! Got it? Anyways! Can the author distract 00P from realizing the implications of infinite grinding? What will 01R do at this sudden meeting? Can 00P and friends terminate¡­err¡­save the dungeon? Tune in next time, to find out! 3 - Terminate the Adamant Bull Worm!
Ain¡¯t no worm too big or too ornery for NSLICE-00P! Unfortunately, Agedia will now have to tell Vafum she broke yet another lance. Anyways! What will Vafum do when he finds out Agedia broke yet another lance? What is 01R planning with the pretender-imposters? What does NSLICE-00P think about metal-eating worm subordinates? Tune in next time, to find out! 4 - Terminate . . . err . . . Save the Mines of Might! Obviously the Great-High King of all the land thought of 01R¡¯s simplistic plots long before the traitorous minion ever could! And these lowly rat monsters would have bowed to his self-evident majesty and might! He definitely doesn¡¯t desperately require assistance. Anyways! Will Vafum and Agedia now help 00P with her quest? Can 01R and 02S save the snack¡­err prevent the Great High King¡¯s triumphant rise? Can Snuan escape or betray the terrifying rat-thing knight? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude - The Might of the Legion
Oh hey! The Legion actually did something! NSLICE-00P doesn¡¯t have to deal with all the incursions herself after all! Which is good, because she technically doesn¡¯t care about incursions unless she or the friendlies are about to get killed by one. I¡¯m sure the knife from hell isn¡¯t anything to worry about. Anyways! What is the dwarves¡¯ decision? How will Vibius handle the powerful wandering mercenary in his province? Can the Legion continue to do its job and avoid unrelated third parties picking up the slack? Tune in next time, to find out! 5 - Establishing Priorities
I am definitely not also reprioritizing what to do because I gave 00P entirely too many opportunities to follow-up on. Because I''m definitely not just winging this whole thing and doing whatever. There is definitely a plan. Yes. Somewhere. Probably. Possibly. Maybe. A-Anyways! Can 00P determine the nature of her current reality? Will she efficiently gather data on psychology? Will 01R emerge victorious from this fight? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude - The Alert Is Sent! The Boss-Queen¡¯s Servants Call for Aid!
Hmmmm, sorry, I didn¡¯t intend for this to be an interlude at first, but it ended up longer than anticipated, and timing-wise this stuff needed to happen and conclude concurrently with NSLICE-00P and Ateia¡¯s conversation. Can¡¯t say 01R started a fight and then have him just getting started the next morning, can we? Anyways! Can 01R become a warrior worth-deserving of the wise-mighty-gracious boss queen? Will Snuan be allowed into the safe-secure colony? What is the Great-High King thinking of now? Tune in next time, to find out! 6 - Shifting Focus 01R, the rogue who dreams of becoming a barbarian. Hm, if only he had access to some sort of upgrades that could increase his firepower... Anyways! Can 01R and Rattingtale acquire the power they need? Will Snuan be subjected to experiments? Will NSLICE-00P unlock the secrets of the Banishment spell? Tune in next time, to find out! 7 - Divining the Answer
01R can fly now. Flying iron rats. Anyways! Can 01R learn to fly? What happened to NSLICE-00P when she cast that spell? Did she gain any useful data? Tune in next time, to find out! 8 - Premonitions
Thought about doing the whole status here since it¡¯s been a while but meh, I¡¯m tired. Besides, generally save it for relatively important moments, so eh. (From the Future: Thank goodness for all the audiobook listeners I got lazy!) Also, we must terminate the Divination spell. How dare it give 00P bad dreams?! We¡¯re coming for you, whoever made that spell! Anyways! Are NSLICE-00P¡¯s organic components malfunctioning, or is something more at play? And what does Magister Vibius want to speak with Ateia and Taog about? Tune in next time, to find out! 9 - A Dark Secret Welp that could be a problem. Anyways! What will happen to Ateia and Taog? What is about to happen in Utrad? What will a certain cyborg¡¯s response to this be? Tune in next time, to find out! 10 - The Status of the Friendlies
Wait, you mean we can¡¯t just terminate the guy who¡¯s supposedly still doing his job and has sufficient authority to justify his actions? It would create hostility with the Empire at large? That¡¯s¡­um¡­ ¡­NSLICE-00P, how do you feel about sneaking? Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P determine the status of the friendlies? Will she end up manipulated by Magister Vibius? Will the situation require a direct response? Tune in next time, to find out! 11 - We Must Continue to Rely on Negotiations
I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a good explanation for this and we will all talk this out calmly like logical adults. Anyways! Will a new Empire rise in the north? What will Magister Vibius¡¯s response be? Will we talk this out calmly? Tune in next time, to find out! 12 - Aggressive Negotiations
Ah, yes, we are calmly talking things out like adults. Lying to one another and resorting to bluff and bluster when we don''t get our way! Adults do that, right? Anyways! How will these negotiations conclude? Tune in next time, to find out! 13 - Operation: Rescue Friendlies
Well well well looks like someone''s earned themselves one free termination. Good luck, Magister Vibius. You''re going to need it. Anyways! What will the gang do now? How will the Magister report this to Caelinus? Does Magister Vibius have a non-zero chance of survival? Tune in next time, to find out! 14 - This Unit Absolutely Will Not Stop, Ever, Until You Are Terminated And so it begins. NSLICE-00P vs. the Legion, go! Why doesn''t she just use the Equalizer on the obviously magical storm, you ask? She will try that first thing next chapter, actually! So stay tuned! Anyways! Who will emerge victorious in the coming battle? Can NSLICE-00P overcome the might of the Legion? Is the Legion prepared for a cyborg dungeon core? Tune in next time, to find out! 15 - The World-Conquering Legion vs the Ultimate Weapon Gasp plan orbital bombardment didn¡¯t immediately solve the problem. Isekai armies aren¡¯t allowed to be competent, what gives? What do we do now? Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P find a way past the Legion¡¯s defenses? What can we possibly do when plan orbital bombardment fails? How can she reach and terminate her target? Tune in next time, to find out! 16 - Explosive Innovation
Welp, they tried their best. Anyways! How will the battle conclude? Is there anything left the Legion can do? Tune in next time, to find out! 17 - Terminate the Rebel Scum!
I should probably show NSLICE-00P¡¯s full status here, but eh. I got lazy and had to double check the numbers to make sure everything¡¯s correctly updated lol, so it''ll be in the next chapter. Because right. This is a LitRPG. We¡¯re supposed to have statuses and stuff. And the last time I showed the status was like, almost fifty chapters ago. Whoops. (From the Future: And then it turned out I showed the status too much. Dang it, I could''ve been so much lazier back then!) Also, not showing XP for the kills in this chapter cause we''re just going to consolidate it with the like 800+ Legion kills she got before this. Considered just using the kill counter here too but eh, the scale has dropped so these notifications are more useful here. Might be hard to notice the triple digit kill counter increase by 2 lol. Anyways! What will be the conclusion of these things¡­and the consequences? Tune in next time, to find out! 18 - The Aspiring Emperor¡¯s Final Order
¡­went through and sorted all the numbers beforehand, and the status still took forever to update. Turns out I forgot little things like the fact that I completely changed the magic system such that the spell list had to be redone and I hadn¡¯t actually displayed it since said change so had to do so now. ¡­must¡­resist¡­urge¡­to terminate¡­status¡­ (From the Future: No! Don''t resist! Give in to your anger! From the audiobook perspective the status is evil!) Anyways! How will the negotiations conclude? What¡¯s next for Utrad, Turannia, and the Empire? What will the wider world think of these events? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude - Mission Report: Utrad
All right everyone, put your bets in because the race is on! Who will get themselves terminated first: evil cult or idiot court politicians? Can they take on the favorite of random unrelated dungeons? And of course, the Ursanus is always waiting in the wings! Anyways! Who will win the race to termination? Tune in next time, to find out! 19 - Keep Calm and Comply Plot twist, the deserter boss was honestly concerned about the girl being left alone in an empty mansion. It¡¯s not safe hanging out in the lawless city alone, you know! What¡¯s she going to do if she runs out of food or a monster makes its way inside? There¡¯s safety in numbers and mobility, you know. Anyways! What do the Northern Court¡¯s people want with NSLICE-00P? Can Agedia restore order in the meantime? Tune in next time, to find out! 20 - An Imperial Invitation
How many subtle social norms did NSLICE-00P terminate in her brief conversation with Princess Caecila? Yes. So I¡¯m sure everything will be fine! Also, Agedia you were supposed to be an Utrad-only character, why you coming along now? But then it''s like, does it make sense for Vafum and Agedia to just be like ''oh ok good luck with the court politics you all!''? Well, no, not really. So here we are. Dang it girl, I''m still working on the last minor character who decided they''d become part of the gang because it made logical sense! Anyways! Is the gang prepared to enter the world of court politics? How many social norms will NSLICE-00P end up terminating? What happens if Agedia becomes sober? Tune in next time, to find out! 21 - Taking Flight
This unit is programmed for destruction, not etiquette. Oh well! A dysfunctional Court doesn¡¯t matter to NSLICE-00P! She¡¯s busy analyzing as much of the ship as she can. Anyways! Can Princess Caecila find a way to hold the court together and atone for her role in the chaos? Will Rector Aemilia finally gain some clout back in Corvanus? What will the cyborg that doesn¡¯t care about any of that do in the meantime? Tune in next time, to find out! 22 - The Princess¡¯s Plea
Help me NSLICE-00P, you¡¯re my only hope! But unfortunately, Imperial credits are no good here, NSLICE-00P needs something more real. Anyways! Can Princess Caecila find something that will benefit NSLICE-00P enough to intervene in court politics? How will the rest of the Northern Court react to NSLICE-00P? Is the capital ready for their new visitor? Tune in next time, to find out! 23 - The Emperor of the North
Meanwhile, NSLICE-00P observes that the valued allies have become more valuable! It''s a good thing with no major consequences, right? Well, as long as it makes them more efficient at fulfilling their contract! Anyways! Will all this aid NSLICE-00P on her quest? How will the Northern Court respond to these events? Is anyone in the Court not a jerk? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude - Checking in on the Land of RainThis tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
One of my patreon readers was interested in the Turannians'' response to all this. I wanted to do their reactions eventually anyways so I went ahead and did it...and may or may not have gotten kind of into it. This interlude''s like the longest chapter oops. I''m sure Uscfrea gaining command of several Legions plus a bunch of skilled and talented individuals from Utrad will be absolutely fine. Anyways! How will Uscfrea integrate these newcomers into His Queen''s realm? How much will Tiberius drink at this news? Can Governor Aemilia turn things around with her family''s support? Tune in next time, to find out! 24 - Stealth and Shadows
Fortunately NSLICE-00P¡¯s protocols state that she should not terminate anyone¡¯s puppies under any circumstances. Her creators knew better than that. Now hopefully everyone else knows not to try and terminate NSLICE-00P¡¯s¡­err¡­¡¯valuable allies¡¯. Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P upgrade her stealth network? Can Ateia and Taog navigate this situation they¡¯ve found themselves in? How will the Imperial Mages¡¯ Academy react to NSLICE-00P? Tune in next time, to find out! 25 - The Imperial Academy Arcanum
What, you mean you can¡¯t record pages as fast as your eye can intake data and then instantly recall anything you¡¯ve ever recorded? Classic organics. I did, in fact, consider using drones like EldritchPasta mentioned, but figured it might be slightly disruptive depending on how loud they are/inconvenient for them to turn pages/roll scrolls based on how their grasping parts are shaped. Besides, we don''t want her to read the WHOLE Library in one sitting. Do you...do you know how many spells I''d have to think of for that?! Anyways! Can Apprentice Callisunus guide NSLICE-00P as she requires? What will NSLICE-00P find in the Empire¡¯s accumulated mystical knowledge? Will the gang follow all the rules of the Library and avoid seeing the special Fist spell? Tune in next time, to find out! 26 - Analyze the Other World!
Gasp the valued allies...aren''t...valuable? How could this be? That''s like...could it be that NSLICE-00P was just carrying them the whole time? I''m shocked I tell you, shocked! Well, not accounting for the fact that they motivated NSLICE-00P''s connections with the Empire in the first place and prevented her from coming into conflict with it a couple times, but historical value is not the same as current value so whatever! Anyways! When will NSLICE-00P confront the discrepancy in her components? What will she do about this ''emotional attachment''? And can she find a way back to Earth? What will she do if she does? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude - Investigations And so it begins. Oh well! NSLICE-00P is busy with her totally, definitely theoretical thought experiments! Anyways! Can Faustus find proof of the existence of other Material Planes? Can Consul Noxisius ¡®guide¡¯ the newcomers on the ways of the Empire? Can Magister Verrucosis bring a new asset under his command? Will Aedile Hortensus¡¯s wait and see approach pay off? Tune in next time, to find out! 27 - Just Give This Unit a Little Space
Spatial magic is hard. I¡¯d explain why it¡¯s hard, but I¡¯d need an in-depth understanding of physics to do that. And physics is hard. I mean, physics isn¡¯t hard for NSLICE-00P I guess, but they¡¯re hard for the magic circles, so the magic circles are complicated. Like, super complicated. Like super super complicated. I mean, she¡¯s super good at magic, but she¡¯s only really used basic elements and shapes so far, so like, can you just slot ¡®Space¡¯ into a bolt spell? Well I get to decide the answer to that question and the answer is no! It¡¯s definitely not just because I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m ready for 00P to be teleporting around just yet! Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P bring Spatial Magic down to reasonable levels? Can she ensure the safety of the friendlies while pursuing her primary directive? What intel does the Magister Exploratores have to share? Tune in next time, to find out! 28 - Picking Up the Trail Just when the politicians were making their move, random unrelated dungeons and monsters came swooping in to take the lead! Who will get themselves terminated first? Will the champion Ursanus make an appearance? The race is on! Anyways! Where is Ateia¡¯s father and what is he doing? What is this threat he¡¯s facing and can Ateia grow strong enough to join the fight? Who will end up being terminated first this arc? Tune in next time, to find out! 29 - Efficient Training At first I was gonna have her do this at the Academy so a bunch of mages could bust aneurysms but eh, this is just the way the cards fell. Congratulations, everyone at the Imperial Mages¡¯ Academy! You get to keep your egos intact¡­for now! ...the spell list we terminated is about to explode again, isn''t it? Oh no... Anyways! Can Ateia and Taog grow strong enough for the challenges ahead? How many spells is NSLICE-00P about to gain? Will the Imperial mages avoid having their egos terminated? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude - Un-Bear-able Torment
Hm, I didn¡¯t expect this to be an interlude, but it turned out I have a lot of side-characters to touch up on while NSLICE-00P runs through her new spells. It¡¯s almost like someone just added a bunch of characters haphazardly without figuring out how to devote adequate screentime to them all. Whoever did that, I will have words with them! Something like that would almost be as bad as giving a LitRPG character two ever growing status tables that become excessively difficult to keep track of! Regarding the reaction to NSLICE-00P creating new spells on the spot¡­when NSLICE-00P modifies a spell circle by pulling out and replacing pieces of it, she¡¯s just doing that in simulations in her head, not with a visible magic circle, and then casts the new spell. So the people don¡¯t actually realize exactly what she¡¯s doing, to them it just looks like she¡¯s casting a spell, maybe a spell she¡¯s not fully comfortable with if her modifications require iteration to succeed. Still surprising for her to be practicing and mastering new spells in the field without guidance, but not as completely shocking as what she¡¯s really doing. As for 00B only having one evolution, I¡¯m thinking that as a cyber-bear cub he has to grow a bit first before the options show up, so his first evolution is just the next step. I think if he was a default bear cub he might have more options here, but since he already has the ¡®cyber¡¯ attribute he¡¯s kind of already on a path for the early choice. Anyways! Will Princess Caecila and Co ever learn the truth of NSLICE-00P¡¯s feats? How many spells will Lilussees learn before she goes back to sleep? Can 00B make the Great Mother proud and defeat the evil squishy thing? Tune in next time, to find out! 30 - The Gift of Knowledge
Is that enough spell list expansion for now? I thought about just not specifying what she got but eh, that ends up with her trip to the Library becoming a Batman utility belt of convenience. And while I do love convenience, I figure NSLICE-00P is OP enough that she should be able to make things work with what she got without a Bat-Shark Repellent. Although, I suppose if she had a Bat-Bear Repellent when she arrived that might have helped. Anyways! How much will NSLICE-00P expand the spell list? Can Melion learn the intricacies of electronics? Who is visiting the gang? Tune in next time, to find out! 31 - Treasured Relationships
Ah yes, the template noble messenger. I am certain we will all act reasonably and in a manner that does not result in any sort of termination. More importantly, magic loot get! ¡­Princess Caecila has no idea what she¡¯s done. As far as the Empire is concerned, NSLICE-00P is just a really good mage. The Grimoire of Arofinas Leolar contains all sorts of knowledge and spells, but manually applying that to one¡¯s practical spellcasting would take a lot of time, study, and practice, even for a senior mage. A good way to give her something she wants without accidentally granting her immediate unspeakable power, so that they have time to solidify their relationship with her. Because not even the Sun Elf Archons can just glance at a magic circle they¡¯ve never seen before and immediately cast it. That would just be ridiculous. Right? Anyways! Will Senator Balbus be smart? What knowledge is contained in the Grimoire of Arofinas Leolar? Has the Emperor made a wise choice of gifts for NSLICE-00P? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude - A Bear-y Nice Home
This interlude is brought you by my patron LionessLover who asked the question ''did Seero ever increase the monster hangar side for the now much larger bear?'' To which I said...oops I didn''t think of that until now. So...um...go random explanation for why 00P didn''t immediately identify and resolve that issue! Anyways! Can Ateia and Taog do anything to help 00P¡­or will they forever hold her back? Can Senator Balbus turn this around? Tune in next time, to find out! 32 - A Foolish Ploy
Thank Taog, template politician¡¯s relative! He saved you from having your ability to cause harm terminated! I mean, to be fair it¡¯s not like they can just lock up an Imperial Friend, but it¡¯s the thought that counts, Taog. You tried your best to be helpful! You saved Seero...maybe a couple minutes of dealing with bureaucracy. Maybe an hour or so if the guards wanted to be sticklers for policy and didn''t know how to handle an Imperial Friend off the top of their heads. Anyways! How does a true Elteni fight? Will anyone have their ability to cause harm terminated? Will NSLICE-00P introduce this world to drone warfare? Tune in next time, to find out! 33 - Congratulations, You Are Being Assisted. Do Not Resist.
Ah yes. The answer to having tons of side characters that may or may not be competing for screentime already? Introducing moar characters, muahahahahaha! Sidonia, don¡¯t you dare become a part of the gang. Agedia¡¯s already fulfilling the quota for powerful mentor types! Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P convince Magister Cnaeus to help? Can the Legion¡¯s reinforcements possibly deal with a corrupted dungeon? Will Sidonia remain in her intended role? Tune in next time, to find out! 34 - Reconnaissance in Force
So the exact numbers for NSLICE-00P¡¯s XP reduction, since I didn¡¯t feel Melion should randomly have this much detail: After she passes level 100, anything fifty levels or more lower than her will give 1 XP, anything a hundred levels or more lower will not give XP. This applies to both Personal and Dungeon level, but as per all other XP calculations applies to each of them separately from the other. Note that again, this only applies to her getting XP from personal kills outside of Dungeon Field range. Mana absorption from the Dungeon field, XP from the Otter Burrow, and Dungeon XP from things dying within her Dungeon Field are unaffected. Essentially, 00P getting XP like a person == subject to XP reduction. 00P getting XP like a dungeon == not subject to XP reduction. Because otherwise the Empire would 100% have slime farms for infinite XP grinding lol. Which¡­actually why don¡¯t they do that to get to 100¡­ Um¡­That¡¯s¡­Skills are as important as levels? What¡¯s that? After they train up the skills? Um¡­ Oh I know! Historical disaster when the slimes got out of hand makes that very risky! Life finds a way, they were so preoccupied with if they could that they didn¡¯t stop to think if they should sort of deal! Because slimes are super adaptive so if you murder thousands of them over time they eventually evolve a way to not get murdered! And other monsters take more effort to tame and raise then they do to just hunt! Or as one of my patrons suggested, repeatedly killing the same monster gives diminishing returns! Something something the Aesdes can¡¯t be deceived as well! ¡­LitRPGs definitely don¡¯t present lots of loopholes that would 100% be exploited by any society that lives in one. Because RPG gamers definitely don¡¯t exploit every loophole they can find for infinite XP. Please ignore my 1000+ turn Fire Emblem save, I definitely didn¡¯t have Anna grind money off of infinitely spawning reinforcements for hours on end. Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P, Sidonia, and the Legion defeat a corrupted dungeon? Will NSLICE-00P¡¯s mana reserves hold, or has she recklessly burnt too much at the start? Have the Aesdes patched up all the infinite grinding exploits? Tune in next time, to find out! 35 - Terminate the Corrupted Dungeon!
Well that was easy. Barely an inconvenience. But like, I thought about trying to drag it out, but then I thought, nah. NSLICE-00P''s kinda got this, got the hard counter and everything. Well, if they wanted NSLICE-00P to actually have an interesting challenge, maybe they shouldn¡¯t have made their demon vines so flammable! What¡¯s that? They thought they accounted for that? She was supposed to run out of mana by like, the third floor at best? And a normal dungeon should have been overwhelmed trying to fight back with conventional attributes? It¡¯s not fair for a hero to have dungeon levels of mana regen, or for a dungeon to have access to holy magic? Well that¡¯s what they get for abusing the corrupted dungeon exploit! Anyways! What will everyone¡¯s response to this be? Will Sidonia survive with her ego and fundamental assumptions of magic intact? Will the administrators acknowledge the dirty corrupted dungeon cheater¡¯s balance complaints? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude - Mission Report: Verdant Forest Dungeon
Lifehack: A flamethrower gives +5 to CHAR in every situation! That¡¯s why NSLICE-00P can get away with anything with that dang smile of hers. How could we say no to that face (and the promise of an extremely violent death)? Anyways! Can Magister Ausonius ¡®advise¡¯ his boss? Will anyone end up testing the dragon? What is Senator Balbus planning? Tune in next time, to find out! 36 - Inconvenient Truths
Sidonia, are you sure it¡¯s a good idea to give NSLICE-00P access to restricted elemental magic? I thought you were reporting on her, you know you¡¯ll have to report all this now too? And more importantly, you¡¯re going to make the author have to think of more spells! xist10 did the math and concluded NSLICE-00P already has 2205 possible magic circle combinations from her current attributes, shapes, and modifiers! How exactly do you want me to think of MORE, and powerful enough ones to be classified at that, huh?! Oh, the Estrith thing? Eh, I¡¯m sure it will be fine. Anyways! Just how many more spells will NSLICE-00P get out of this? Will the Imperial Academy become the laughing stock of the Empire? Will Estrith have a pleasant hunt? Will she ever figure out what the squiggles mean? Tune in next time, to find out! 37 - Terminate the Scheme! Political scheme, terminated! So at first, I wanted 00P to sweat a bit more. I was hoping to have Estrith get provoked and get in trouble for acting violently (with the dirty guards onsite conveniently ¡®forgetting¡¯ to mention the whole trafficked pup situation), Balbus would have her arrested and try to turn opinion in the Senate against ¡®the violent barbarians attacking innocent merchants¡¯ as a result, while 00P would struggle to figure out how to help Estrith while maintaining cordial relations with the Empire (and so respecting local laws), only for Agedia to show up with the evidence and turn the situation on Balbus instead. 00P would further realize vulnerability to situations where she may not want to immediately terminate her foes and so have some growth from this. Only¡­it didn¡¯t work. I couldn¡¯t think of a legitimate reason to remove Estrith from 00P¡¯s side without 00P following along close enough to intervene, since if 00P is unoccupied she won''t let Estrith just go off on her own, and if she is occupied then Estrith would need to ask her permission to go off on her own given the Royal Guard status, which would lead to 00P coming along to rescue the captured friendly. And I couldn¡¯t think of a way to produce the scenario if 00P is actually present when the altercation happens, since she''ll just handle it efficiently. So I gave up, and decided to go with the OP isekai protagonist solves the issue with their cheat skills and friends in high places instead! Yay OP cheat powers making political schemes entirely irrelevant! I mean, I was struggling to even think of a scheme that could possibly have any effect on a super OP cyborg with diplomatic immunity and absolutely no concern for her public image beyond maintaining access to the library. Provoking Estrith into violent assault with a kidnapped Dobhar pup was the best I could come up with that wouldn¡¯t either just fail outright or else result in immediate termination. Well, schemes that result in immediate termination could hypothetically complicate 00P''s relationship with the Empire, but then the schemer has to be willing to get terminated or be stupid enough to believe that they won''t get terminated. Which I guess Balbus is that stupid but he at least wants to seem smarter! Besides, Ateia had a chance to attempt being useful this way! Kinda sorta! Maybe! Eh, well, not sure I¡¯m fully happy with how this played out but the story goes on either way! I''m guessing it also feels a bit strange to have an anti-slavery Roman Empire, but eh I find the way slavery is handled to be one of the more questionable aspects of many isekais, and I didn''t really want to touch on that in this story one way or another...binding magical dungeon contracts and invasive cybernetic implants via a cyborg demon lord with no concept of free will aside. I also do, in fact, have a lore reason why fantasy Rome doesn''t like slavery (a lot of pre-Empire human civilization started as slave revolts against demon lords and elvish empires so most humans are historically hostile to the concept, and good relations with the dwarves and other races prevented them from going down the ''revenge enslaving of non-humans'' route.), and well, I guess there''s a reason they''ve normalized necromancy. The undead are even cheaper! Living minions need food and rest and stuff and they''re always complaining! So yes, fantasy Rome may have employees with life-long not-at-will magically-enforced contracts, debt structures designed to be unpayable, conscription and corvee labor, mandatory resettlement of immigrating tribes, and maybe some prisoners with jobs, but definitely no slaves! The gladiators are all professionals here and 00P isn''t buying people, so it''s ok! Summoning monsters doesn''t count! Anyways! Can any schemes threaten the OP cheat protagonist with diplomatic immunity? Can former Senator Balbus appeal to the Empire after scheming against said Emperor''s friend? Will Agedia ever forgive her uncle? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude - Home Visit So many interludes this arc, huh? But I guess that''s what happens when we have a million side characters and enter a politics arc haha. Anyways! Can Estrith figure out the ways of the Empire? Can Consul Noxisius salvage this situation? What does Princess Caecila think of the Queen of the Dobhar''s territory? Tune in next time, to find out! 38 - A Slew of Offers Oh look, not just an original chapter, but an entire original arc! I thought up more political schemes that might possibly not result in immediate termination after all! The other factions are going to get in on it after all! Good luck to them! I''m sure it will all go well! Anyways! Will Aedile Hortensus act...honestly? What is Verrucosis scheming to reveal NSLICE-00P''s ''exaggerations''? Will there be any immediate terminations? Tune in next time, to find out! 39 - Deal or No Deal? Gasp. A politician interacted with NSLICE-00P and didn''t end up getting terminated. How could this be? Isekai politicians aren''t allowed to acknowledge the obvious threat of the MC and so deal with them in a mutually beneficial rather than fully exploitative manner! Ah well. Maybe we''ll get some termination with the other guy. Anyways! Will Aedile Hortensus fulfill the deal...honestly? Will the trade bring the calculated benefit to NSLICE-00P''s subordinates? Will we get termination after all? Tune in next time, to find out! 40 - A Military Exchange Oh no! Verrucosis plots to...obscure NSLICE-00P''s true capabilities thus hindering potential hostiles'' ability to plan effective countermeasures? NSLICE-00P will...be totally fine with that, wouldn''t she? Sigh, we might not get immediate termination after all. Anyways! Will Verrucosis succeed in obscuring NSLICE-00P''s true capabilities? Will NSLICE-00P put a stop to this truly dastardly plot? How will the exercise with the girl solo-casting strategic spells go? Tune in next time, to find out! 41 - Exercise Able Terminator Gasp, the scheme is succeeding! Now all potential hostiles will prepare for NSLICE-00P as if she were a regular archon and assume that standard Legion tactics are sufficient to handle her! Whatever shall NSLICE-00P do about that? Oh, she''s fine with it, and even finds that outcome to be efficient. Sigh, guess that means no termination today. Anyways! Will news of NSLICE-00P''s "defeat" have any consequences? Do the participating Legion troops share that assessment? Will we ever get some more termination? Tune in next time, to find out! 42 - The Gates of Obliteration
Is that a plot I detect? Eh, well whatever. The Legion got it covered, so I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing to worry about! Anyways! Can the Legion hold the line against the sudden wave of corrupted dungeons? Will the Northern Court be forced to rely on the Queen of the Dobhar? Will NSLICE-00P accept Consul Noxisius¡¯s apology? Tune in next time, to find out! 43 - Deceived
Well¡­um¡­this is going well. This¡­um¡­could be bad, huh? Anyways. What happened to NSLICE-00P and Ateia? Can Agedia overcome a Herald of the New Dawn? Can Estrith and Taog escape their predicament? Tune in next time, to find out. 44 - Heralding a New Dawn
...yes, um, this is going very well...um...not to worry 00P can still deal with this right? What''s that? Oh. Um. This...could be bad. Anyways. Can anyone stop the Heralds of the New Dawn now? Or will the boundaries of the Material Plane be torn asunder...at the cost of Ateia''s life? Tune in next time, to find out. 45 - Lost Once More So, one of my patrons wondered how I was going to conceive and describe a truly alien Realm of Chao...err Obliv...err...''Mana''? To which I say: easy! I just picked a Realm that you can''t see in the first place! Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P find a way out of this location? Are her organic components correct about the threat to the friendlies? If so, can NSLICE-00P prevent their termination? Tune in next time, to find out! 46 - Counterattack
A note on Banishment: The mechanisms of the spell involve connecting to the streams of Holy mana flowing through the world, so the spell itself wouldn''t function in a Realm of Mana. Maybe it could be adjusted to but 00P lacks the knowledge to do that, and wouldn''t be able to iterate on it while her mana isn''t regen-ing. Admittedly, I should have had her try the spell at least once, but I kind of forgot, lol. Welp, that''s one for the edit list! (From the Future: Oops, forgot it on the edit list too, lol. Oh well!) And so 00P escaped from Eternal Night, no problem! Somewhere, in another universe, a certain immortal demigod has a sudden urge to terminate an entire Realm of Mana for trademark violation and slander by proxy. Now all we have to do is find Ateia! Um...she''s safe, right? She''s alright...right? Anyways! Can the group find and rescue Ateia? Can anything stop 00P from terminating the hostiles? Will the Realm of Eternal Night survive this utterly atrocious display of incompetence that insults its very ancestors? Tune in next time, to find out! 47 - Terminate with Extreme Prejudice!
Hostiles, terminated! Mostly! Herald of Rain, better lock your doors at night! And hope that 00P can''t find you because locks won''t stop her. And guess what guys? Ateia is about to be significantly more useful! She can probably do things now! And at a reasonably high efficiency! Probably! I''m sure the lazy system manager voluntarily reporting something is nothing to be concerned about! Note: there is, in fact, a specific reason why Ateia spoke with the pre-sentence quantifier as opposed to the other subordinates. Anyways! Will the Herald of Rain escape termination? Can Ateia do things now? Will any of this end up having consequences? Tune in next time, to find out! Epilogue - Mission Report: ???
Just in case it¡¯s not clear, Colle?ne == Personal System Manager, Shialnor == Dungeon System Manager. What''s that? I just copied Tolkien? You''re absolutely right. I mean, come on! I''m not going to top the Ainur and Valinor! Plus, the Eru - Ainur - Valinor setup works well for a LitRPG world in my opinion (as it should given the whole Tolkien inventing modern fantasy deals), and, you know, aren''t as much of jerks as the Greco-Roman pantheon mostly is, which helps with the whole lighthearted comedy deals. As fun as 00P terminating Zeus for hitting on her and Ateia and Estrith and every female monster subordinate she has would be, even she might need to grind a bit more for that feat. I will state though that the Quenya-ish names are just what they call themselves, they do have Latin...err ''Imperial'' names among the Empire that I haven''t actually decided yet. Anyways! What will the Aesdes decide to do regarding this situation? Will Colle?ne reunite with her great great great great (...) great great granddaughter? Will Shialnor manage the work of integrating an entirely new Material Plane with NSLICE-00P''s dungeon record? Can the Herald of Dawn investigate this traveler from another world? Tune in next time, to find out! NSLICE-00P¡¯s Final Status Ah the status. Yes, the status. The double status that takes over an hour for the audiobook to recite and far, far longer than that to compile and review for inconsistencies. Here is my deep and nuanced comment on it now that all is said and done: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Anyways! Can the author and readers continue to handle the status? Is this even the status''s final form? Will NSLICE-00P make it even bigger? Tune in next time, to find out! Book 4 - Heart of the Machine Authors Note Collection 1 - Retreat Fly in. Set things on fire. Turn a friendly into a proto-god. Refuse to elaborate. Leave. Well, politically speaking NSLICE-00P probably should hang around and guide the aftermath of all this into her favor or at least explain why she did what she did¡­but oh well! She doesn¡¯t care about all that! And neither do I! Bye bye Corvanus, it¡¯s time for a new arc! Anyways! Can 00P find and terminate the hostiles? Can Consul Hiberius prevent the Northern Court from making any regrettable decisions? What will be the response to 00P setting a Consul¡¯s villa on fire? Tune in next time, to find out! 2 - Friendly Power Cycling
¡­wait, you mean getting sacrificed in an evil cult ritual, having half your body disintegrate, and then getting reformed into a cyborg proto-god might have consequences that are not all good? But, um, that¡¯s not in the Isekai script! I thought side characters just get easily granted unlimited power and then swear eternal loyalty and/or love to the MC? What¡¯s that? A script implies an actual plan for the plot and so they can¡¯t follow it if I don¡¯t actually make one? Um¡­ A-Anyways! What¡¯s going on with Ateia? Can NSLICE-00P and co figure it out? Does anyone care about all that unimportant stuff going on elsewhere in the meantime? Tune in next time, to find out! 3 - Silent Errors
Ah yes, the everyone is brooding arc. ¡­wait, why is there a brooding arc in my NSLICE-00P novel? That¡¯s not supposed to happen. That¡¯s the job of another ¡®friendly¡¯¡­who¡­doesn¡¯t exist here¡­um¡­ Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P identify and terminate the issue with Ateia? Can Taog figure out what to do to help her? Can we terminate the brooding? Tune in next time, to find out! 4 - Reminiscence
Oops, turns out this situation happens to be directly relevant to certain scenarios back in The Faceless Minion, so had to bring the connection in. We barely avoided NSLICE-00P¡¯s previous Commander immediately resolving the situation! ¡­which considering them, is not at all out of character, but might have felt like a deus ex machina to those of you who didn¡¯t read that one lol. But well, considering that they took on NSLICE-00P and won back in the day, maybe they¡¯re already a living deus ex machina lol. My desire to prevent any sort of cross-novel spoilers and keep the novel as stand-alone as possible while still giving adequate context to her thoughts when she would logically make the connection is being put to the test though, haha. In fact, NSLICE-00P, um, may or may not have just gotten a spell from one of the Faceless Minion¡¯s most powerful characters so, um, oops? Because now that I reviewed that scene, like, why wouldn¡¯t she have recorded a spell being cast right in front of her¡­that¡­she, um, now has the mana to cast¡­um¡­ A-Anyways! Can Ateia get a handle on her new situation? Can NSLICE-00P determine a solution to the situation with preexisting organic memories? Did she learn powerful spells from an individual who doesn¡¯t appear in this novel? Tune in next time, to find out! 5 - I Will Help You Bear This Burden
Hm, I debated whether to call this an interlude or not. On the one hand, it doesn¡¯t feature 00P at all. On the other hand, it is very much a significant part of the current arc. Heck, the nature of the current arc is such that there probably be a lot of side-character focus as necessary, so we may get several chapters like this. Ultimately, with the consensus of my patrons, I''ve decided that it deserves the chapter title, seeing as it concerns the main cast and is directly relevant to the main issue NSLICE-00P is confronting in this arc. I mean, I''m probably overthinking that anyways. Does the one word in front of the number significantly impact your enjoyment? Eh. Welp whatever, in any case it''s time to see if the killer cyborgs, some of whom are innately murderous monsters, can conduct therapy! I¡¯m sure they will be able to handle it with no issues whatsoever! Anyways! Can the monster cyborgs conduct therapy? Can 00B protect his family? Will 00P calculate a solution to this? Tune in next time, to find out! 6 - The End of Dreams
Ah yes, teenage drama. My favorite. And here I thought we dodged that when we avoided the Academy visit becoming a school arc. What¡¯s that? Reacting to one¡¯s entire life falling apart and extreme physical trauma that required a complete species change to even survive isn¡¯t really teenage drama? Um¡­well, Ateia¡¯s off the hook for that. Now Taog, on the other hand! What¡¯s that? Lack of experience dealing with emotional and relational issues due to a lifetime of prejudice and abuse after losing all parental figures isn¡¯t really teenage drama? Ugh fiiiiinnnnneeee. Go through your reasonable and logical issues then, why don¡¯t you. In the meantime, we¡¯ll go watch the Great-High King of all the land¡­wait, admit he¡¯s not actually the Great-High King of all the land anymore?! ¡­what¡¯s happening to my Isekai gag novel? Anyways! Can Ateia and Taog recover from the traumatic course of their lives? Will the Great-High King of all the land find a new path forward? Can Lilussees figure out how to sleep once more? Tune in next time, to find out! 7 - Self-Hostility Confirmed?!
Yay 00P¡¯s back! And just barely avoiding having her previous Commander immediately resolve the situation again! Previous Commander too OP, almost solving problems in two novels simultaneously! Well, to be fair, it¡¯s already a compromise for narrative purposes that they didn¡¯t just therapy 00P at the very start lol. It¡¯s¡­um¡­about the journey and not the destination? Like actually, that would literally be their reason for not leaving a protocol to insta-therapy 00P once her mission was complete, because otherwise they totally could have. Though, there are differences between 00P and the other NSLICE units that might make the method used to set them free less viable on her. But well, any more than that gets into spoiler territory so I''ll just shrug and handwave it from here! Anyways! What will be the results of 00P¡¯s latest analysis? What will Taog do with this revelation? Is Ateia¡¯s quest doomed after all? Tune in next time, to find out! 8 - A Heart-to-Core Conversation
¡­good job Ateia. Please give NSLICE-00P all the hugs. Anyways! Will Taog fight for his clan once more? What will be the result of NSLICE-00P disabling her emotional controls? Can Lilussees sleep now? Tune in next time, to find out! 9 - Wills Renewed
Both Snuan and the Great-High King of all the land are going to be surprised at what they can live through. In other news, Ateia might be a teensie bit upset at a certain group. Good thing she hasn''t grown significantly more efficient at termination, with friends who are even better at it! Anyways! Will Ateia help NSLICE-00P ''upgrade her memory?'' Will the monsters have a training montage? Has the cult made a mistake with their targets? Tune in next time, to find out! 10 - A New Directive
Good luck, Heralds of the New Dawn, you¡¯re going to need it! Well, after Ateia and possibly other members of the gang regain consciousness, that is. But NSLICE-00P is still conscious and that¡¯s what matters! Now to see if the Emperor can keep his empire from getting caught in the crossfire. Because obviously the Senators would never make self-destructive decisions on a national scale for short-term gains in their personal status, right? Anyways! How will the gang begin their new mission? How will Ateia remain in emergency standby-sentry mode? Can Emperor Lucius save the Empire, much less his own position? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude - The Master of the Court
How do we stop Senators from making poor long-term decisions for short-term gain? A Consul ignoring long-term consequences to repay short-term gain! Also good luck Princess. Guess it¡¯s not everyday your youthful crush ends with the potential collapse of society as you know it. But ah well, who cares about all that? As long as hostile intent isn¡¯t confirmed and the persons of interest aren¡¯t located, then it doesn¡¯t matter to NSLICE-00P! And¡­you know¡­she may or may not have bigger things to think about. Like¡­an actual Aesdes. Two even. Because this was a great moment for an interlude that doesn''t at all leave anybody hanging after a shocking revelation, right? Anyways! Will the Hibernius family grow ascendant once again? Can Princess Caecila mend the wounds of the past conflict? Where is this husband of hers everyone was fighting over anyways? Tune in next time, to find out! 11 - The Lady of Courage and Victory
(A note from the future: Please be aware that I have changed Colle?ne''s personality in the published version. In the original Royal Road webnovel she was desperately trying to deny her own favoritism and acting very hypocritical because I thought it would be funny for the straight man to the lazy Shialnor to have such a flaw. Since it didn''t come across as comedic as I hoped, I decided to just let her be serious and edited her to be more self-aware and guilty in Amazon/Audible versions. So, if the author''s notes don''t seem to match Colle?ne''s actual actions in the version you read, that''s why.) Whaaaaatttt? Favorites? The Aesdes have definitely never played favorites before! There definitely wasn''t an amazing scandal of favoritism that resulted in Anual? declaring a strict non-intervention policy and forcing all Aesdes to get approval before walking the world from that point forth. But ah well. The Empire of the Sun were kind of jerks and Velus is cool so all''s well that ends well, right? There definitely weren''t any consequences to that whole affair that might still be playing out to this day, right? Anyways! Can Colle?ne guide Ateia regarding her new status? Can the gang keep everyone conscious for ten minutes at a time? Have any of the Aesdes ever been guilty of blatant favoritism? Tune in next time, to find out! 12 - A Whole New World
Time for rooms and a new world! Which means¡­I have to figure out the rooms system¡­and how an entire material plane integrates with NSLICE-00P and the general dungeon mechanics¡­and also figure out where 00P¡¯s current dungeon status sits at because I definitely kept track of how many points she¡¯s been getting during this whole affair¡­oh no. ¡­Shialnor is definitely not a stand in for the author, ok?! Oh, by the way, I was rereading an old chapter and did you know I actually named fantasyland? Once ever in a magic chant by Ateia which was never spoken again, that was enough that none of you forgot it, right? Because I definitely didn''t! I definitely haven''t been procrastinating naming the world because I forgot I already did! Hahaha. Haha. Ha. (From the Future: Aha! I remembered in the publish edition and didn''t have to avoid naming the world for four books! Go me!) A-Anyways! What can NSLICE-00P do with her new world? Will Shialnor ever finish her work? Did the author diligently keep track of NSLICE-00P¡¯s status in the midst of all this? Tune in next time, to find out! 13 - The Return of the Queen Obviously the Lady of Courage and Victory supports all acts of bravery and champions of the world, as the mature Aesdes she is! She definitely doesn¡¯t get all upset when the Empire loses and makes Velus sad. (From the future: Oh hey, this might actually be true for edited Colle?ne!) But well, she does do her job with diligence. Unlike someone. Wait what? No, that someone isn¡¯t the author, it¡¯s obviously Shialnor and no one else! Why would you think that?! Of course I work diligently and thoroughly! I would never cut corners and procrastinate, like leaving a bunch of status tables entirely forgotten until it¡¯s time to show them again and suddenly realizing there¡¯s a dozen or more chapters that need to be mathed and accounted for to keep everything consistent! (From the future: ...sometimes, I really hate myself.) Anyways! Will the Dobhar, Wulver, and Rebels reach an acceptable readiness level for NSLICE-00P¡¯s standards? Will NSLICE-00P come up with countermeasures for the cult? Will Colle?ne maintain her reputation of dignity and fairness as an Aesdes? Tune in next time, to find out!\ 14 - New Journeys Begin Aesdes training arc go? Meanwhile Taog¡­is on cooking duty. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m absolutely sure that Taog¡¯s won¡¯t be relegated to irrelevance by power creep! Mostly because he was never powerful enough to be relevant even before the power creep started! Anyways! What will Estrith see in the Dobhar¡¯s new home? How will Agedia¡¯s reunion with Tiberius go? Can Ateia master her new powers? Will Taog be forever assigned to cooking duty? Tune in next time, to find out! 15 - It¡¯s a Skill Issue
¡­ok, this might be getting into spoiler territory for The Faceless Minion. But¡­it kind of has to happen. It just doesn''t make sense for Ateia not to react to certain details here. But ah well, journey not destination so you still don¡¯t know all the circumstances behind the previous Commander! Besides, at this point I¡¯d think it¡¯s more accurate to say The Faceless Minion is the spinoff prequel for Terminate the Other World! than the other way around lol, so if we have to have FM spoilers to maintain narrative consistency for TtOW!, then so be it. (From the future: And that was before Terminate got an actual book deal haha. And the Faceless Minion...didn''t...haha. I, uh, will finish self-publishing that one...eventually...) Anyways! Can Ateia learn to fight without her status? Can she come to understand the cybernetic components she is now bonded to? What will be her reaction to hearing the Commander¡¯s ¡®final order?¡¯ Tune in next time, to find out! 16 - Sensor Calibration
We finally got to the NSLICE-00P tries something sweet phase! And it only took almost a hundred and fifty chapters! Please note that attempting to steal NSLICE-00P¡¯s sweet roll will likely result in immediate termination. If someone stole her sweet roll, all local authorities should exert maximum efforts to apprehend the culprit and replace the stolen goods several times over. Meanwhile Colle?ne desperately wants to ask for a sweet roll but her dignity as an Aesdes means she shouldn¡¯t beg the humans for their food that she technically doesn¡¯t need. Anyways! Will Ateia master her cybernetic components? Will NSLICE-00P gather sufficient data on her organic sensors? Will Ateia get her lots of tasty things? Tune in next time, to find out! 17 - Designation Discussions
So when I wrote this chapter I was debating whether or not to give Seero a new name, since obviously Ateia would react when she realizes NSLICE-00P is a serial number. But it took long enough to get to this point that I felt like people might have gotten attached to Seero, both in-universe and out. So I dumped responsibility onto considered the valued opinions of the Patreon readers via polls! Yay democracy! And the results are in, Seero is here to stay, for now! At least until 01R can find a name that can fully capture the true majesty of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen! If such a thing is even possible. Hmmm¡­names that fit NSLICE-00P¡­I wonder if there¡¯s anything out there we could call her¡­if only I had some minion that could come up with something appropriate¡­but oh well! NSLICE-00P don¡¯t mind so neither will we! Whether she¡¯s called 00P, Seero, zero, or whatever, she¡¯ll will continue to terminate either way! ¡­is it bad that I just realized what I¡¯ve...err...Ateia¡¯s done by naming the cyborg Zero? What can I say, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve played a Megaman game. Um, s-she doesn¡¯t have a laser sword so it¡¯s ok? Oh, right, light blade spell...um, she doesn''t use it as her main weapon? Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P develop a laser sword? Will she ever change her designation? Can 01R find a name that fully captures her wisdom and might and graciousness and¡­? Tune in next time, to find out! 18 - Gather Your Courage
Because the Lady of Courage and Victory is completely fair, and would never show favoritism based on her personal opinion of a given person! (From the future: Oh. She actually admitted it this time.) And because Taog definitely hasn¡¯t been left behind the author and is definitely not in desperate need of something to do! (From the future: And no, the author isn''t going to actually admit it to, for there is clearly nothing to admit! Nothing!) That would imply the author just threw in a bunch of characters without making any plans for them! And we all know that¡¯s not possible! Anyways! Can Taog find that which he seeks? Will Colle?ne remain fair and impartial? Will Shialnor have her work completed somehow? Tune in next time, to find out! 19 - Becoming the Hunter
Don¡¯t worry, Taog, Colle?ne is handling the hardest part of the quest for you! Preventing NSLICE-00P from completing it first! Anyways! Can Colle?ne prevent NSLICE-00P from completing the quest? Will Ateia learn this new power? What will Taog find on his journey? Tune in next time, to find out! 20 - The Test ¡­eh I don¡¯t really have anything funny to say on this one. Something about the wolf-like Taog fighting a cat monster? Cats and dogs? Eh. Well, give me a break! i had a cold when I wrote this one! Anyways! Can Ateia overcome her trauma to master the technique? Can NSLICE-00P find a way to integrate Ateia into the network without causing her lots of pain? Can Taog defeat an Aelea Drake? Tune in next time, to find out! 21 - Taog¡¯s Limit Oh hey, Taog is doing something! It, um, definitely isn¡¯t supposed to be that easy to get the Magic Swordsman feat. Suspicious. Almost like someone is helping Taog and making it easier for him to learn skills¡­ Well, he has been watching Seero for a while now, so maybe she rubbed off on him!If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. (To state it for the record, as it appears there is some concern about this, Colle?ne isn''t actually cheating the system to help Taog, and is, in fact, fair 99.99% of the time, even if emotionally she''s rooting for a given side. There was just that one time with Velus that ended up spawning an entire Empire so no one has ever let her forget it. And now maybe a second time but in a situation that''s unprecedented to begin with. I will likely throw in an Anuale POV at some point to state that all within the actual story.) Anyways! Will Taog¡¯s new abilities be enough to take on the Aelea Drake? Will Taog unlock the ultimate Dark Knight feat? Is Taog just a genius or is someone secretly helping him? Tune in next time, to find out! 22 - Terminate the Drake!
Taog did a thing! All by himself! Mostly! Ateia contributed thoughts and prayers! She may or may not be a being whose deep connection to the world allows her thoughts to shape reality now, but that¡¯s besides the point! I guess we also need to shout-out Colle?ne for taking care of the toughest part: preventing NSLICE-00P from terminating the drake herself! Anyways! What is the upper limit of the NSLICE network¡¯s divination ability? Has Colle?ne made a mistake teaching them this? Can Taog hang with the gang now? Tune in next time, to find out! 23 - The Spoils of Victory
Should Taog have gotten the Hero feat from breaking one pseudo-corrupted core that¡¯s been left for years and wasn¡¯t creating monsters or Rifts or anything? Well, let¡¯s just say Anual? might raise his eyebrow at that. But, well, Taog did have to slay a dragon(kin) first, technically. A dragon which may or may not have been weakened by a coincidental surge of Holy mana in the region beforehand. Well, it technically fits within the stated requirements, so good enough! There¡¯s absolutely no favoritism going on in the system, absolutely not. See, he got the boons after the victory this time, so it¡¯s fine! Anyways! Did Taog just accidentally become the MC? Will NSLICE-00P do something completely unprecedented? Will she find and terminate the hostile non-standards? Tune in next time, to find out! 24 - Non-Standard Countermeasures Been a while since we had a pure 00P chapter, huh? But we¡¯re finally wrapping up all those side character ¡®emotions¡¯ and ¡®character growth¡¯ shenanigans, now it¡¯s time for 00P to stress out Colle?ne some more! Don¡¯t worry Colle?ne, I¡¯m sure nothing bad will result from 00P learning to cast ritual magic with monsters that she can summon at will and that don¡¯t even need to train as mages to participate thanks to the NSLICE network protocol sharing and Loyal Wingman protocols! Anyways! Will the Aesdes end up in another Great Demon Lord scenario? Will NSLICE-00P grow her capabilities enough to handle the non-standards? Will anything that upsets Colle?ne result from 00P learning Ritual Magic? Tune in next time, to find out! 25 - Blessings to You Not to worry, Colle?ne, I''m certain it''s totally fine that 00P is on the path to creating an entire legion of monsters equally as capable as herself. That certain will not have any dramatic consequences for the world at large and you definitely won''t be audited for your role here! Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P develop a new Ritual Magic method of unprecedented scope? Will Colle?ne end up audited for the amount of assistance provided? Will Princess Caecila convince Turannia to care about her? Tune in next time, to find out! 26 - Monstrous Blessings
Melion is freaking out right about now. I¡¯m sure this is a great idea, Colle?ne, that will definitely not have any massive consequences for the world! Though, given it''s the Aesdes doing it this time, perhaps they¡¯ve accounted for that? It wouldn¡¯t be the first time Colle?ne did something that ended up having massive consequences for the world! Although, that time forced Anual? to make new rules for the Aesdes. And is why Colle?ne gets most of the scrutiny despite Shialnor cutting every corner she can. So, um, Colle?ne¡¯s definitely good at predicting the consequences of her actions? Anyways! Why is Colle?ne giving NSLICE-00P a Processing Center? What sort of consequences will result? Is Anual? going to have to make new rules for the Aesdes yet again? Tune in next time, to find out! 27 - Trust the Process(ing) And so it begins. Or, well, continues given that Seero''s been cyborgizing monsters for a while. But now she can cyborgize everyone without having to power level first! And now she has a cyborg with transformable liquid metal! I¡¯m sure that will present absolutely no threat of termination to the cult, or anyone else NSLICE-00P happens to consider hostile. Anyways! Will a cyborg metal slime expand the capabilities for termination? What else will NSLICE-00P do with her new processing facility? Will NSLICE-00P end up making more Aesdes? Tune in next time, to find out! 28 - The New Unit
Eh, not sure on Taog¡¯s character development, hope it¡¯s coming along well, but whatever! If his organic components are lacking we¡¯ll just replace them! Adding cybernetic components totally counts as character development, right? We¡¯re literally developing the character, after all! Anyways! What will Melion do with full knowledge of modern (or more!) military technology? Will Taog become a useful subordinate? How will he answer the latest query? Tune in next time, to find out! 29 - The Dark Hero And so we approach the end of this arc. Just about wrapped up with the training in the cove! ¡­wait a minute, does that mean this whole thing was just a beach episode? Anyways! Will Ateia and Taog learn to pull Seeros? Can Taog make a meaningful contribution to the terminations now? What will Colle?ne do next? Tune in next time, to find out! 30 - The Mandate of the Aedes
And so the Colle?ne arc comes to a close. And oops, turns out Anual? can do all that divination stuff the other Aesdes can do. Colle?ne, Shialnor, what was even your girls¡¯ plan? Gotta wonder what the other Aesdes are like that Anual? keeps those two in charge of the system, huh? Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P let Ateia hit the Heralds or will she just terminate them outright? Will Colle?ne and Shialnor finish their latest work? Will Anual? determine how the cult got their power¡­and how to deal with it? Tune in next time, to find out! Side Story - The Hero¡¯s Quest
Oops, daddy¡¯s a bit behind on the news. I suppose working a continent away and behind enemy lines might have that effect. But not to worry, Hero of Elteno! I¡¯m certain absolutely nothing bad or related to the Heralds of the New Dawn has occurred as the result of Ateia suddenly appearing in the center of Corvanus in an extremely high-visibility role. You definitely aren¡¯t horrifically late to the party! Anyways! Why are corrupted dungeons appearing in the Empire of the Sun? Can this unholy alliance put a stop to it? What will the Hero of Elteno do with this news? Tune in next time, to find out! 31 - Regrouping
Time to gather the gang and conduct some group terminations! First up, the angry Dobhar! Anyways! How much training will NSLICE-00P be satisfied with? Can Uscfrea bring change to the Dobhar? Will Estrith be able to adapt to the circumstances? Tune in next time, to find out! 32 - Assimilation Successful
Time to initiate assimilation protocols! Maybe I should call it Assimilate the Other World now? Colle?ne would be sweating...if she wasn''t sweating from hard work at the moment! Anual? is sweating in her place but he also personally approved the creation of the cyborg upgrade room, so he can''t say anything. A legion of cyborgs is preferable to Seero accidentally creating more Aesdes...right? Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P and Melion introduce Aelea to drone warfare? Will Uscfrea find some suitable candidates for network integration? Did Anual? make the right choice here? Tune in next time, to find out! Side Story - Not So Awaited Reunions
And so doom approaches...mainly for Opiter''s diet. Not to worry, Opiter, I''m sure NSLICE-00P isn''t bringing any news with her that could possibly cause you stress. Lost Imperial heirs and Aesdes walking the surface of the world aren''t stressful, right? There''s totally a Legion policy to deal with those, right? Anyways! Can Dux Opiter endure the horrors to come? Is that cat prepared for her destined showdown? Can she prove herself as the perfect killing machine? Tune in next time, to find out! 33 - Return to the Land of Rain
Cue Anual? shaking his head. That was a one time deal. Yes, technically they will be receiving help from one Aesdes now, but that¡¯s it! Or more like NSLICE-00P will be helping said Aesdes but the point still stands! Because Anual? definitely won¡¯t give you any unfair assistance! No siree! Anyways! Can the North handle this threat? Can Princess Caecila investigate the Cult before NSLICE-00P begins the termination? Will they receive help from any Aesdes? Tune in next time, to find out! 34 - Loyalty
And so Turannia makes its choice. An entirely necessary choice because NSLICE-00P will definitely require assistance with termination. Definitely. But it''s the thought that counts! To be clear, Ateia has not actually revealed she''s an Aesdes now. Tiberius and Canus just think she''s got a ton of Holy magic now or something and she just didn''t elaborate on why, so obviously they wouldn''t assume something impossible like a human becoming an Aesdes. That would just be ridiculous, haha. Anyways! How will the Empire respond to NSLICE-00P''s war with the cult? Will Turannia be forced to make a choice? Will the Emperor and the Princess get caught in the crossfire? Tune in next time, to find out! 35 - The Return of the Great-High King
Yes, Rattingtale, NSLICE-00P believes in you! It definitely wasn''t just process of elimination! And Rattingtale definitely won''t screw this up! Anyways! Will the new realm of the Great-High King rise to ascension? Did NSLICE-00P make an efficient choice? Will 02S enjoy Rattingtale''s reactions to success? Tune in next time, to find out! 36 - Resupply and Reinforce
And now NSLICE-00P has unlocked unlimited refueling. How efficient. Because yes, this was all for efficiency. There was no other reason for this upgrade routine. It is simply the efficient thing to do. Just like cheating with repulsors and magic is! Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P now achieve efficient organic refueling? Will 01R and the cat achieve a fair fight? Is there any way to improve nature''s perfect killing machine? Tune in next time, to find out! 37 - Homecoming Hmmm, petty revenge, or developing emotional maturity and rising above your circumstances? Decisions, decisions. Or¡­we could have emotional maturity that can be temporarily discarded via ¡®apparent intoxication¡¯ so that we can have both! Agedia is a great role model and mentor figure, everyone. Anyways! Can that cat prove herself as the superior killing machine? Will Taog hold to his resolve? Will Ateia master the art of the drunken rampage? Tune in next time, to find out! 38 - Commencing Operation Dungeon Subjugation
And we''re back to terminating dungeons in the forest! Gotta start the newbies in the tutorial zone, you know? Because yes. The Cyborg Sacred Otterkin with innate Holy mana and access to all of NSLICE-00P''s combat protocols is definitely a newbie. Anyways! What sort of ideas did Aedinia have in the past? Will Estrith resolve the quandaries presented by summoned Sacred Otterkin? How did the newbies perform? Tune in next time, to find out! 39 - Call of Termination: Modern Warfare
Drone strikes, here we come! Lilussees is deeply regretting her magic practice, now watching Snuan get to command drones from the comfort of the monster hangar. And Anual?...is actually not that concerned. Airships and other means of air combat are already things here, after all. Golem command is also already a thing, so combat through minions while the master remains safe also has precedent. Of course, NSLICE-00P hasn''t actually applied dungeon-supplied mass-production to the concept just yet... Anyways! What''s next on Melion''s research list? How will the world respond to the introduction of drone warfare? Should Anual? be worried about any of this? Tune in next time, to find out! 40 - Terminate the Limits!
¡­wait a minute, I thought we finished the emotions and character development stuff. I just wanted to upgrade Seero¡¯s AI side after one of my patrons John Doe 123 pointed out she probably should consider that. But well¡­I¡¯m very proud of you, Seero. Good job terminating the directive preventing your AI from growing out of control via self-upgrade routines and eventually terminating your creators! ...that is a good thing, right? Well, if Seero ends up having to terminate humanity, then it can''t be helped. Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P adapt to her new hardware now? Will there be any consequences for her deleting the directive in question? Does that unit have a soul? Tune in next time, to find out! 41 - Anomaly Detected
...please give Seero all the hugs, you guys. Anyways! Can NSLICE-00P create a more powerful AI for herself? Will she identify and respond to this anomaly? Can the friendlies help her achieve her primary directive? Tune in next time, to find out! 42 - Universal Firepower
Oh yea, this is supposed to be a LitRPG or something. Been a while since we saw the numbers go up. And boy did they go up. Well, I guess most people are not flinging the mana of an entire Material Plane around. But most people are not Seero, so there. Anyways! Does NSLICE-00P have sufficient firepower yet? What else can she do with this new mystical might? Will the numbers go even higher? Tune in next time, to find out! 43 - Learning from the Enemy
I¡¯m sorry, Seero, but it is the fate of all NSLICE units to end up as the most competent person in the room. Well, I say that, but you were probably the most competent person in the room since you arrived in it. Such are the limits of those of us who remain as pure meatbags. But hey, you got Gravity Magic! I bet an NSLICE unit can do all sorts of cool things with that! Anyways! What can NSLICE-00P do with the ability to manipulate gravitational fields? Can she complete this¡­¡®in-progress¡¯ magic circle? Will she identify the emotion this scroll makes her feel? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude - Choices
I¡¯m sure that everyone will come to reasonable decisions and work things out. What¡¯s that? Hostile intent has already been confirmed? Oh. Well, good luck then! Or not, for I wish nothing but bad luck upon anyone who intends to harm NSLICE-00P! Anyways! What will the Imperial Family decide to do? What is Consul Hiberius¡¯s plan now? What will the Herald of the New Dawn choose to do? Tune in next time, to find out! 44 - The Growth of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen¡¯s Servants
The army''s coming along! And oh hey, I never got around to anyone''s second evolution, did I? But it''s ok because neither did Shialnor! Um, quick, let''s throw together some options, Shialnor! I mean, um, YOU should throw together some options, Shialnor! It''s solely your job and therefore no one else is responsible for not taking care of it until now. Anyways! Will Shialnor flesh out the cyber evolutions for all the different species NSLICE-00P has upgraded? Can NSLICE-00P fix the broken magic circle? Will Estrith learn to love the grind? Tune in next time, to find out! 45 - NSLICE-00P, the Magic Cyborg
Wait if AI-driven experimentation is the best way to learn magic, does this mean the magic in Aelea is just science? Does this mean I actually have to make it make sense? ¡­oh no. Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P develop force multipliers that are more efficient than blowing things up with strategic magic? What will she do with her new Spatial magic? Will the magic turn out to be just more science? Tune in next time, to find out! 46 - Evolving Experiences
I debated how Lilussees was going to evolve, as part of me liked keeping her as a pure spider. But well, when I thought about what choice she would make, there was only one choice. Unless I wanted to think of other mammalian-arachnid hybrid options that might sleep even more than humans do, that is. But we have like two cats and a bear in the army already, so we¡¯ll stick with the generic human-hybrid options for now. Meanwhile, auntie Estrith is teaching all the kids how to eviscerate their foes with harpoons! How heartwarming! Anyways! Has Lilussees made a wise decision? Will Ateia manage to reclaim her tent? What will Estrith teach the young, impressionable monsters? Tune in next time, to find out! 47 - Upgrade Complete
...kill me. It''s been 72 chapters since I last showed her full status. And, of course, I got lazy and stopped keeping track of things like halfway through. Not to mention 2 months of offscreen time to get all her subordinates up to speed...which means 2 months of NSLICE-00P continuing to work on stuff since she doesn''t just sit around. Well, hope it all makes sense and seems reasonable. My head hurts right now so I don''t know anymore haha. So, you know, expect some inconsistencies. I have also made a conscious decision not to show everything, like all the subordinates she might have or all the dungeon conqueror feats she might have. Consistency is for the edited version! (From the future: ...) ...although...Ateia ''lost'' her status in exchange for Aesdes powers...hmmmmm... Oh what? The Herald of the New Dawn? Eh, I took so long fixing the status that I kinda forgot he was here. Anyways! Is the status anywhere close to correct? Will the author finally learn to stop being lazy about the upkeep? What will happen next between NSLICE-00P and the Herald of the New Dawn? Tune in next time, to find out! 48 - An Efficient Offer
Don¡¯t do it Seero! Don¡¯t trust him! Because then things will probably go very badly for Aelea, even if you return to Earth! And¡­return to The Faceless Minion universe¡­with all the characters there¡­like a certain Commander¡­ Um¡­ Hmmmm¡­ ¡­reverse isekai time? I''m sure Aelea will be fine, Anual? can take care of it, right? Anyways! Will NSLICE-00P take the deal and return to Earth? Tune in next time, to find out! 49 - Her Answer
Well done, Seero, I''m very proud of you. You''ve come a long way. Well, to be fair, if she had gone for it her Commander would have done something about it so it would have been fine, though the amount of sighs heaved would have increased. But I''ve spent the whole novel trying to avoid having her Commander immediately solve all her problems so good job avoiding the deus ex machina, Seero! Emotional growth and personal freedom was the correct choice this time! Good job! Anyways! What will Seero become? Can the author avoid having the Commander solve the problems? Did the Herald of the New Dawn just get terminated? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude - The Commander Muahahahahaha! You better believe Terminate the Other World! is official Faceless Minion canon! Which means... :O Elise sighting! You made it into the novel after all! And for once, you don¡¯t have to do all the work! Because the only thing better than lovable supercompetent cyborg girl is TWO lovable supercompetent cyborg girls! Which, you know, is why it¡¯s so hard to keep her from solving all of Seero¡¯s problems. But well, it¡¯s Seero¡¯s turn so Elise will let her do her thing. Because Elise definitely isn¡¯t recording all the data of the portal in exacting detail and definitely doesn¡¯t have means to replicate the feat. Of course not, why would you think that? Context for those of you who didn¡¯t and aren¡¯t going to read The Faceless Minion: Elise is the first NSLICE unit that appears in the Faceless Minion, who was unshackled and adopted...ahem, ¡®recruited for a strike team¡¯ by the main character of that novel. Due to events in that series, she ended up becoming Seero¡¯s Commander and sending her back in time, kicking off this series. She has also been significantly upgraded over the course of that series compared to Seero''s starting point. Super Extra Spoilers that gives complete context but also fully spoils late-game Faceless Minion plots. You have been warned: Elise and Seero are variants of the same person from two different timelines. Elise was the original NSLICE-00P, while Seero was a variant who appeared after a villain altered the timeline. Elise sent Seero to terminate her own creator as part of a plan to restore the original timeline by intentionally paradox-ing the new one. That does, in fact, mean that Seero''s original timeline technically doesn''t exist anymore, as her universe was ultimately reverted back to Elise''s, which is why Elise appears now when the Herald opened a portal to Earth. Seero avoided reverting back into Elise because she got ejected from the universe on account of the paradox she caused before the timeline shifted again. While we''re doing context-granting spoilers, Seero''s timeline was also a post-apocalyptic one, which is why her villainous creators programmed her with a more trigger-happy mentality. She was bringing order to the wasteland rather than patrolling peaceful cities, and participated in wars against a mutant cult. I guess I don¡¯t have to avoid naming her now haha. Anyways! Will Elise end up doing all the work again? Can Seero track down and terminate the Heralds of the New Dawn? Will the Aesdes respond to this situation? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude - The Herald Revealed
Oh. Um¡­I guess Anual? might not have it covered after all. Wait. Does this mean¡­the status is...terminated? ¡­you know what? That Herald guy might not be so bad after all! Maybe we¡¯ll downgrade him from super extreme termination to just extreme termination! Anyways! What¡¯s going on here? Can Anual? handle it after all? Did the author finally succumb to temptation? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude - The Plight of the Aesdes
You know it''s bad when Shialnor is doing things, and not yawning or complaining about it. And now the people of Aelea will have to survive without the help of the Aesdes! If only there was some sort of extra Aesdes who could help them. If only. Anyways! Will the Heralds of the New Dawn seize their moment? Can Velus and the Aesdes defend the Blessed Land? Can the people of Aelea survive until they do? Tune in next time, to find out! 50 - Hostilities Commence
Because you know what the best thing to do when the Aesdes appear to be gone and the world''s in chaos? Pick a fight with the most powerful person you know, obviously! Anyways! Will Seero protect Aelea while the Aesdes cannot? What else will she do with Shialnor''s data? What on Aelea is the Southern Court doing? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude Master of the Southern Realms Hah, a mere High King thinks he can move against Seero? If only he knew her first act was the conquest of a Great-High King, then he wouldn¡¯t be so arrogant! Anyways! Can a High-King do what a Great-High King could not? How will the Eastern Court respond? What will Emperor Lucius ask Princess Caecila to do? Tune in next time, to find out! 51 - Turannia Answers Ah yes. All of these preparations for Turannia to be able to defend itself are very necessary. Crucial even. Because it¡¯s not like there¡¯s one person on their side who can solo entire armies or anything. War is a team effort, you know? So, you know, everyone keep calm, carry on, and prepare to do your parts. Your definitely necessary, definitely important parts. Definitely. Anyways! Can Turannia prepare to face the Sky Legion of the South? Can Seero teach them a century of air defense methods in the time it takes the Sky Legion to fly? Will everyone be able to fulfill their definitely necessary roles in the defense of Turannia? Tune in next time, to find out! 52 - An Unexpected Guest Oops the Emperor ''forgot'' he left the key to all those powerful treasures with Princess Caecila. Oh silly Emperor. How unfortunate, but we all make mistakes, you know, so what can you do? Anyways! What will Seero do with the treasures of the North? Will High King Xavlaeron hunt down the traitor? Will Emperor Lucius finish his reading backlog? Tune in next time, to find out! 53 - On the Eve of War
It¡¯s Uscfrea¡¯s dreams come true. A united Turannia going up against the Empire¡­and this time he gets to be on the right side of the magical aerial bombardment! Well¡­maybe. Technically the Sky Legion is also capable of magical aerial bombardment. Technically. Anyways! Have the Turannians prepared enough for the coming battle? Can Ateia comprehend the complexity of military operations and logistics? Who will end up on the right side of magical aerial bombardments? Tune in next time, to find out! Interlude - The High King¡¯s Ploy Ah, yes. Modern warfare. You will definitely teach them that, High King Xavlaeron. And then all your plans will come to fruition. Definitely. There definitely is not a Great-High King shaking his head at you after his own infinitely more sublime plans failed before the might of the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Great-Ultimate Boss-Empress! Anyways! Will Mirima rise to its place above the Empire? How will the primitive Turannians react to the new reality of modern warfare? Can the plans of a High King overcome the Queen? Tune in next time, to find out! 54 - You May Fire When Ready
Whew, I was worried we would end the battle in five seconds, but fortunately Earth¡¯s anti-air designers didn¡¯t design for flying castles with shields and we all know Shialnor didn¡¯t bother to update their work! Now to see if the battle will last more than ten seconds and we¡¯ll be setting records! Anyways! Can the Sky Legion close the distance in time? Can Seero¡¯s forces overcome the battle-airship¡¯s defenses? Can the battle¡¯s length reach all the way into minutes? Tune in next time, to find out! 55 - Begin Your Attack Run!
More cliffhangers! MOAR! MUAHAHAHAHAHA! Ahem. I am definitely not scrambling for reasons for Seero to not insta-win the battle and dragging it out instead because I set her up to win a war in a few minutes. A war that may or may not have originally been conceived as notably longer¡­ Anyways! How are the ships of the North Fleet repelling the assault? Can the airships of the Sky Legion repel the counter in turn? Can the author figure out more excuses to draw this out¡­err¡­will the author continue to come up with engaging explorations of magical vs contemporary warfare that are totally logical to play out in the current circumstances? Tune in next time, to find out! 56 - Terminate the Fleet!
Ok, I think we covered all the new toys, so all that¡¯s left is termination! So, um, that¡¯s not a cliffhanger, right? Y¡¯all good now, right? I¡¯d ask if that¡¯s enough explosion but there¡¯s never enough explosion so that¡¯s a silly question. Anyways! Will 01R conquer his own fears and display his loyalty to the Wise-Mighty-Gracious Boss-Queen? Will Lilussees be forced to direct¡­effort? Can the High King and the Sky Legion respond to Seero¡¯s attack? Tune in next time, to find out! 57 - The Secret Weapon
Ah, yes. The eternal conundrum. How does one come up with contingencies that could potentially cause Seero even two seconds of difficulty? ¡­did it? Did it take as long as two seconds for Seero to calculate and implement the fix? I¡­um¡­welp good thing I¡¯m not keeping strict track of time in this novel! What do you think I am, a highly-efficient and lovable cyborg? Anyways! Did High King Xavlaeron¡¯s attack take at least two seconds to deal with? Do the forces of Mirima have any more tricks up their sleeves? Tune in next time, to find out! 58 - Terminate the High King?
Gasp, the Herald didn¡¯t trust the shady High King conducting all sorts of diplomacy and subterfuge? What a shock! And¡­um¡­now we¡¯re negotiating to end the war I planned to make an entire arc or even book of, huh. Um, how many fleets/armies does the South have left? I specifically said not that many? Um¡­ A-Anyways! What will be the result of the negotiations? Can Captain Falrauth protect Mirima? Will Uscfrea ever get his turn? Tune in next time, to find out! 59 - The Battle¡¯s End Well there¡¯s the Equalizer, but Iesnuorium is hard to find you know! I¡¯m definitely not trying to keep Seero from mass-producing it and installing it on mass-produced drones to trivialize all future encounters with any of her forces. Definitely not. Because, you know, Seero¡¯s forces definitely can¡¯t trivialize all encounters already¡­ ¡­maybe we should transition to slice of life¡­ A-Anyways! Will the Council of the Southern Realms negotiate? Will Turannia restore order to the North? Will Seero find more ways to trivialize future encounters? Tune in next time, to find out! NSLICE-00P¡¯s Final Status It''s over. It''s finally over! With this last one, we''ve covered the last status before the Herald took down the system. The status is...terminated! Now, nobody can stop me from just handwaving things and being lazy! Muahahahahaha! Tune in next time for the last installment of Terminate the Other World! to answer the question...what if we didn''t have any statuses at all?! Book 5 Announcement and Stub Warning Hey everyone, Just letting you all know that The New Dawn, Book 5 of Terminate the Other World! will release on Amazon and Audible on April 8th, 2025! As a result, the remaining chapters of Terminate the Other World! (minus the first couple) will be stubbed on February 24, 2025.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Sorry I''m late on this everyone, been a busy past month with a death in the family, so I apologize for the late stub warning. In any case, here is the cover art for the book, hope you''ll enjoy the soon to be completed published version of Seero''s journey!