TREE OF AEONS 6

- That one - that one wasnÆt this beautiful. -

- Is it? I thought the turbulent storms were quite beautiful. They had so much energy, the flashes of lightning, the seemingly gigantic rivers of magic that turned into a cloud river. -

- This is peaceful. Calm, - Stella said. - I can see myself retiring somewhere like this. Someday, when all of this is over, IÆd like a farmhouse, too. IÆd probably need a bit more necessities and stuff from Freshka, but one of these faraway islands would be nice. IÆll plant some fruits and stuff. -

- You could pick an island. The islands along the Eastern Oceans are still beautiful and untouched. -

- It doesnÆt have this view. - Stella smiled, and Lumoof stretched. He too decided to sit along the edge. It was a sensation I didnÆt enjoy. I didnÆt like my feet dangling midair. I very much preferred to be rooted down on something solid. Even these floating islands were a little too much for my liking.

Lumoof took a deep breath. The air was clean.

The two domain holders sat quietly, and both enjoyed the beauty. There were other islands in the distance, but the clouds obscured most of them from view. - LetÆs go to the main islands tomorrow. -

Airships were everywhere, and they were armed to the teeth. The peace of the distant islands were soon replaced by the constant threat of war.

Human kingdoms hated each other.

Lumoof and Stella found the main islands of this world to be in a state of constant warfare. Large airships were built out of unique floating materials, and weapons mounted on them. Then they fought each other.

There were five main islands, split into three main empires. The three human empires all maintained large fleets of airships of their own. War in these main islands were brutal, because the main islands were incredibly resource rich. The islands itself were magical, divine, and seemed to produce resources indefinitely.

All that potential used to fuel a war against each other.

- A sickening testament to humanity. - Stella cursed.

- It is in our nature, - Lumoof said as we arrived in the capital of one of these large empires. Fleets of airships floated overhead, each of them filled with magical weapons. Their arrays of magical weapons were slightly more advanced than those found on the other worlds, though still quite behind those of the dwarves of Delvegard.

The capital was fairly advanced, in the larger scale of things. Only the dwarven cities of Delvegard and the Dragon ling cities of Gigant dragon could compare.

But of all things, it was the islands themselves that truly got my attention.

Just walking on the Main Islands, I felt our souls, both mine and Lumoof, resonate with the ground below. The touch of divinity was woven into the ground, and it was similar to how a druid encouraged trees to grow. Here, some force caused the ground itself to - spawn - metals and crystals.

Control of these islands could significantly alleviate our resource problems.

- You canÆt be - Stella said. - Wait. YouÆre thinking about it. -

- They use a lot of crystals and metals for their airships. They fight a lot of wars with each other. I see value here, just like Delvegard. Though it would be similarly hard to get them to bend the knee. They already hate each other, and unlike the dwarves of Delvegard that generally respect and obey technical superiority, these humans would not be so cooperative. -

Stella and Lumoof were seen as travelers, farmers from afar that came to see the big city. So it wasnÆt entirely problematic. Most of their gear were also hidden elsewhere, so they passed through security fairly easily, though some of their items failed in their presence.

- So much for peace, - Stella said as we walked through the city. The city was heavily militarized, and there were constant recruitments for soldiers and a massive industrial system built around supporting the war. It was like a more advanced version of Mountainworld. - I can see why the humans moved to the outer islands. -

Three empires of humans, Aire, Argin, and Taufang, each with their airships, and there were frequent wars between them. Even now there were smaller skirmishes where their empires met. All three of the human empires worshiped Gawa , yet somehow, the church itself splintered into three sub - branches of Gawa .

The demon king wasnÆt here yet. The last demon king came fifteen years ago, and after that, there was a brutal war that saw the demon king defeated. The stories spoke of how the demon king died when the hero ascended into the demons floating island and slew them. The island was destroyed, together with the demon king.

ItÆd be at least five or six years before the demons started appearing again. So the empires descended into war.

- IÆm putting this world under the good for resources pile, - Lumoof said. - Just like Delvegard. -

- Got it. I wonder what Edna sees in the fifteenth world, - Stella said. - WeÆre finally done exploring, and we can then move on to the next stage. -

The void mage looked at the world at war.

- Do you think we can convince these three empires to lay down their arms? -

Lumoof laughed. - If they do not listen to words, theyÆll have to listen to a very big swarm of beetles. -

FIFTEENTH PERIPHERAL WORLD

THE EMPIRE OF THE WHITE STATUE

- Emerald waters and white, sandy beaches. Mountains of white stone and marble and cities that shine, - Edna said as she looked at a city so white and beautiful it could be seen as she crossed the hill. Humans, strong, muscular, lived there. An honest life, of farming, of craft, and of fighting.

Things were simple but functional. Clean. Organized, but not overly so.

- A place I cannot quite admire. - Kafa smiled, but the stresses of travel were temporarily gone. Lizardfolk like Kafa were so used to a state of organized chaos that the overly orderly scenes of this place reminded them of the world of Angels. Still, he was in a cheery mood, hidden in plain sight that none of the humans of this world saw him.

As we approached the city, we began to see towering white marble columns in the distance. The temples on the top of the hill looked transplanted out of an ancient civilization. They walked and explored for days and found a world strangely ancient and yet advanced in its own way.

- Welcome to Raeko, traveler. Your attire is foreign, so you mustÆve come from a place far, far away. Come, come, our code dictates that our foreign visitorÆs first meal and board is free. Let us lead you to our communal guesthouses. - A man in white tunic greeted Edna as she approached the gates. The walls were white and beautiful, as if theyÆve never seen battle in ages, and yet the guards took their work seriously.

Edna nodded as they were ushered into a fairly basic but functional guesthouse. Food was warm, though there was a particularly pungent taste that the locals seemed to love.

Before long, the host and the guest began to trade stories, and the hostÆs pride in their nation was clear. He was eager to impress on the greatness of their nation, and Edna soaked it in. Edna gave a generally vague description of a land far away, which the host presumed to be the land beyond the White Shores, commonly referred to as the Untamed Lands.

This was a fairly small world and home to a large nation called the White Shores. It was ruled by a really old white statue that stood as the guardian of the birthplace and administered by a council of the wise men, who would routinely elect one amongst them to be the decadeÆs Philosopher King. The Philosopher King would then shape the White ShoreÆs policy for that decade, though changes were often incremental rather than revolutionary.

Eventually, the host spoke of the home city, the White Capital, and home of the White Statue. The host spoke at length about how every citizen of the White Shores would make a pilgrimage when they came of age to the White Capital to receive their calling.

- I should go there, - Edna said, realizing that there was something about it that hinted to the presence of a domain holder or some kind of immortal guardian spirit.

The host, naturally, was more than happy to assist. It was fairly easy for Edna to change into the locals attire, though Kafa would then play off as her attendant.

Raeko was one of the many cities of the White Shores located closer to the fringes than the center, so the pair set off on a leisurely journey toward the heart of the White Shores.

They traveled with the common means of transport, which mainly consisted of horse - drawn carriages that went on well - maintained pebblestone and cobblestone paths.

It was on these cobblestone paths outside of the small town of Raeko, where the smaller road joined with a larger one, an intersection, that stood a replica of a giant white statue. There were smaller statues all over the place, but Edna felt drawn. She commanded the driver to stop, for them to take a look at the statue.

The small clearing around the giant white statue was covered in marble flooring, and there were a few guards standing about, mainly to supervise traffic.

Yet, as Edna looked at it, she felt there was something here.

- I didnÆt sense a thing, - Kafa said at first.

- You were not there when we visited the beast deity Bitu. I sensed a faint link from these statues elsewhere. Once you get used to it, youÆll even see it in A/ Æs trees, - Edna said as she stood in front of the statue.

Faint strands of divine influence.

- Really? - Kafa walked closer to the White Statue. - Maybe itÆs my level. -

A guard immediately walked over, gave a warning, and walked away. - Citizens. You are permitted to remain here, but do not conduct any unsavory activities. I would like to remind you that touching the White Statue is not permitted. Have a good day. -

- Takes his work seriously. - Kafa looked at the guy.

Edna nodded. - That is good. They are quite strong. Do you not notice the way they are blessed? -

Kafa frowned. - IÆm a warrior. Sensing such auras is harder for me. - But he squinted just to try and see, and when it clicked, it clicked. His eyes widened as he looked around. - No way. ItÆs everywhere. -

- It is, and it swirls around us like a subtle fog thatÆs almost invisible to see. - EdnaÆs eyes looked at the statue. - I wonder what itÆll take to get its attention. -

Kafa looked about. - I think that can wait. -

Edna looked back at the lizard warrior, and after a second, said, - You are right. LetÆs see this world for a bit. -

A/

We have seen fifteen worlds, and now back home, I was fairly clear on my first course of action. I would flush out all the demon kings with all my domain holders and let them level up. This was the easy part.

The one I had trouble with was what came after.

Should I even bother establishing a position here? Should I force a presence on all of them, or just not bother? The demons were not playing games, so I needed to grow. I needed to grow faster and quickly. Good, high - quality growth. Growth that would bring us to the next level.

I decided to pull in my domain holders for their views.

Kafa went first. - I believe that talent is key, and talent exists where the population is biggest. We should have a bigger presence in a world like Twinspace, where itÆs overpopulated and people are eager for a better life. ThatÆs my first pic. Second pick, IÆll pick Capra. -

- Capra? - Edna responded telepathically. - Why Capra? -

- Because the Caprans seemed to gel well with us, - Kafa countered.

Edna decided to reframe the question. - Okay, I think letÆs work through this by elimination. Which world do we not want? -

Lumoof thought for a moment. - I kinda want all of them. -

- No, youÆre not helping with that! We have to eliminate some of these worlds. Worlds where we just maintain a casual presence. -

- IÆm going to understand that as worlds that have their shit figured out and weÆre not necessary. And worlds that are already wrecked. So thatÆs Deadworld, Three - Ringed World, Caval, and Khubur. All these worlds are strong and have people designed to sort out their own shit. Khubur even has a domain holder of some kind. I say we leave them alone. We visit occasionally just to check in, but otherwise, we leave them as they are. -

Roon nodded. - IÆm generally with you there. I think we should just be insurance, just in case this domain holder acts unnaturally, but yeah, I think we can leave the Osroids alone, whether they are friendly or not. -

- Edna should claim the world of Caval. That world just meshes super well with her set of abilities. If we wanted to arrange for someone to speak to the administrators when they are offered the Faith System, Edna should set up a significant presence on Caval, - Ezar countered. - ItÆs human, and it has a strong knightly tradition due to the presence of historical hero - swords. -

- All right. CavalÆs contentious. LetÆs put that aside. -

- I like Gigant dragon. If we take Capra, we should take Gigant dragon. The two dragons and drakeworlds have some value together, - Johann advocated. - Synergy effects and all that. -

- If so, Magisar and Caval as a set. Swords and magic. -

- Are we pairing up worlds? - Stella asked. - I say we take Twinspace and move the heavily populated folks to Deadworld, since that worldÆs dead. That can happen with just nodes, so we donÆt really need A/ Æs clones there to boost everything else. -

- Are you sure we need Deadworld? ItÆs dead. -

- I think Landas is a node - only world. The hot and cold world of Sarlpi, the Centaur world of the Great Steppes and Shasan, the flood and desert world, I rank them in the middle. Not a priority. -

- Magisar? -

- Magisar is an upper - tier world, - Edna said. - They are naturally magically talented. ThereÆs some things we can use to offset our current magical shortfall - together with the world of the floating islands. -

- You like the floating islands? - Stella asked.

- I thought you did. -

- I did like the world, personally. But I donÆt think itÆs that great for the Valtorn Order. Would A/ Æs abilities work well in a world where the lands are fragmented? Where each piece of land is cut off from other lands? I think A/ Æs clones would be functionally weaker in such a world, - Stella countered.

Lumoof nodded. - I could test it out by using A/ Æs Spirit , but my intuition agrees with StellaÆs conclusion. A/ Æs clone would be suboptimal in a world where each island is separated from others by magic. A/ would not be able to fully exert his benefits across the entire world. This also applies to the Three - Ringed World. -

- Wildcard idea here. A/ should be on Deadworld. Like, perfect world to reconstruct from scratch. WeÆll offer the people of the overpopulated worlds a place to move to. -

- Too long. WeÆve seen Tropicsworld, and it takes forever to rebuild. If we want to scale quickly, we should hit places with the largest existing population and supercharge them. That means that twin continent world. We could even sell it by starting an expedition to the Cursed Continent and clean it up, - Kafa suggested. - WeÆll call it A/ Æs Crusade. Imagine the impact itÆll give to the population that someone successfully cleaned up the Cursed Continent. -

- YouÆre mad, but I like it. - Ezar laughed. - That does sound like a good idea. -

Lumoof nodded. - Seems sensible. That means Twinspace pushed up a notch. -

- Our key resource shortfall is crystals, and thatÆs aplenty in the Floating Islands world, - Edna said. - Along with Delvegard. -

- That doesnÆt mean we need clones. We could use nodes. -

- A/ has a crystal - producing titan. Those titans will work better with a cloneÆs blessings. Production titans must be linked to A/ since they are pretty much unique trees. So weÆll need a clone. -

- It doesnÆt have to be on any of these worlds. These Crystal Titan could be based out of our existing worlds, - Roon countered. - ItÆll be closer to where the crafters are, anyway. -

- Fair. So where does that put the Floating Islands world? WhatÆs with the drawbacks of the Floating Island world? -

- I donÆt know how itÆll play out. But just like Delvegard, our presence can force them to change. A/ Æs clone has a ten - year cooldown. We could test it out, build a presence, and if it doesnÆt work as well, A/ could swap it for a node. -

- Or if A/ gains levels, weÆd have more clones, - Roon countered. - I think letÆs just summarize a little. A node on Twinspace, Capra, Magisar, Gigant dragon, Deadworld? Clones currently proposed to be on Twinspace and Deadworld? -

- Why not Capra or Gigant dragon? - Johann asked, in rare disagreement with his fellow partner. - A/ Æs ability to meddle with fruits and supercharge breeding of drakefruits could be beneficial to the drakes and dragons of these two worlds. Done properly, weÆd have a really powerful flying force. -

Kafa shook his head. - Only domain holders matter, Johann. Against the demon kings, everyone else falls short. -

- I disagree with that. - Johann didnÆt think so. - Our organization is built upon the support of thousands of support staff. Someone makes our equipment, keeps our supplies stocked, and does our planning. -

- Yes. But ultimately, the organization must be designed around producing domain holders as its core objective, - Kafa defended. - So, population, thus talent, matters more. A/ has three clone slots. With LumoofÆs A/ Æs Spirit , we technically donÆt need to keep any as spare. Or at least, we need to choose two worlds. Twinspace should be one of them by virtue of its population size. Blessing such a world to produce even more potential talent will supercharge our talent pipeline. -

Stella paused. - What if we donÆt bother with clones at all? LetÆs just go with node trees . A/ has seven node trees left after the ones on Landas, Delvegard, and Gigant dragon. LetÆs use all of them. Twinspace, Magisar, Capra, Caval. Those four have the most potential. We can add in Triotuga and maybe Shasan or the Floating Islands just to round it out. The rest of them, weÆll leave it as portal - only worlds. -

- Really? - Johann paused. - Why? -

- We cannot be relying on A/ Æs clones forever as a crutch. We need the Valthorns to outgrow its current abilities, and to do so, it must first gain the ability to function and prosper without A/ Æs clone presence. Lords and Kings grow faster in times of peril, and the Order will learn to be better with the challenge. -

Kafa paused. - A clone would make a big statement. -

Stella countered, - Agree. But the people of Twinspace donÆt know that. -

A story emerged in LumoofÆs mind. - The story of winning over Twinspace will be simple. We create a small node tree with limited abilities and sell the Cursed Continent as a promised land. Then we launch that crusade as Kafa suggested, then once we succeed, a clone gets deployed and we can create a new great nation in that resource - rich continent. -

That made my void mage freeze for a moment. - ThatÆs kind of unnerving, even if I know how itÆll work. -

- As priests, our jobs often involve crafting mythos. We will need to create one for each of these worlds. A story. We need the people to buy in. To hope. A reason for them to join in our journey, to take part in a tale we create together. -

- I think to venture into the heart of the demons territory and slay the source is a pretty compelling story, - Roon said.

- For some. But again, variations. We could craft smaller tales about our journey in each of these worlds. Like how we have the venture to the Cursed Continent to create a promised land, on Gigant dragon, Landas, and so forth. Our story will be one of restoration and revival. -

- But what if what we are reviving is terrible? - Stella countered. - Not all of these old civilizations are great. -

- Renewal. -

Kafa frowned. - I think to just say that these worlds will now be part of a community of wider worlds could work, though that doesnÆt actually inspire loyalty. -

- The generation that saw the most change and improvements will be loyal by virtue of our actions, - Edna stated. - It is the successor generations that would see the need for a finely crafted narrative. Something to convince them to be a part of our crusade. -

- Will Lumoof take the lead on the narratives? - Ezar asked.

- A bit. But IÆll likely leave it to the other Decarches, - Lumoof said. - It ties into our mythos, of a tree expanding its roots and branches into the other worlds, to purge them of the demons and spread the fruits of growth. -

- And the roots to suck up talent. - Kafa chuckled. - But StellaÆs node idea is logical. A clone is a decision that has a long - term impact. A test case with nodes would work. -

- Speaking of the myths, we should just call this whole thing the Fifteen Revivals. - Roon laughed. - Or the A/ ic Expedition. -

Stella rolled her eyes. A part of her disagreed with the colonial, imperialist methods of our Order, but unfortunately, it was part of the developmental stages these worlds had to go through.

- Eh. We shouldnÆt be touching the worlds with the domain holders. ItÆs pretty dangerous unless we want to fight another domain holder. That means Khubur and the world of the White Statue, - Edna said.

- I donÆt think weÆd lose, - Ezar said.

- I donÆt think so, either. But the battle is the easy part. Replacing the power vacuum it creates is whatÆs hard. Unlike the crystal king, these two worlds have fairly intertwined domain holders that run what seems to be fairly well put together, - Edna countered. - If these worlds are working well, we donÆt have to mess with it. We can just drop in, deal with the demon kings, and go out. Let things remain as they are. ThatÆs all we need to tell the existing domain holders - strike a non - interference treaty, say our whole job is just to deal with the demon kings, do it, and go. If they are willing to help us, itÆs a win. -

The consequences of betrayals were self - explanatory. They could test us, but if we made the statement with Lumoof and my own avatar form, the difference in power should be clear.

- Okay, wait, seven nodes. We are choosing to ignore the Deadworld, Sarlpi, Great Steppes, the Three - Ringed World, Shasan, Khubur, and White Shores? - Roon decided to repeat the conversation. - Wait, that still leaves one spare. -

- Wait. Why Triotuga over Shasan? - Stella asked, out of curiosity.

- Shasan seems like they got things figured out, while winning over one of the three factions of Triotuga seems a lot easier, - Kafa countered.

- The dryads there have something against spirit trees, - Lumoof said. - Or at least theyÆd find our trees a target. I think IÆd go against Triotuga out of principle. -

- But the human population there is fairly healthy, - Kafa added, once again taking the point of view that populations mattered more. - That world sort of resembles Threeworlds. -

- ShasanÆs wider skill set and unique creatures are more interesting to absorb into our fold, - Roon jumped in. - Though I suppose Shasan is not exactly friendly to trees. That place is either too dry or too wet. -

- Actually, letÆs skip both and go for the Great Steppes, - Edna said. - IÆve seen the two centaur clans, and I think their strength could be a welcome addition. ItÆs also decently well populated. -

- Or the Floating Islands. A node tree on a floating island, ideally one of the large ones. Just to gain access to the resources, - Lumoof suggested and recalled the resources of the Floating Islands. Control over any of the main islands could improve our resource situation, at the expense of the locals.

- Do we really want Capra over these four choices? - The lizard domain holder didnÆt strongly buy the dragon argument. - Or Landas. -

- Landas is largely settling in its place, - Edna said. - Our infrastructure is built. The population is lower than we like, but they welcome us. -

In the end, I wasnÆt sure the Valtorn Order was large enough to successfully build new branch establishments across nine new worlds. We would have to recruit as we go and augment our strength. The larger native component would be key to our success.

There was no need to rush on the nodes, and to me, node trees with their fairly short cooldown times meant we could change our minds. - It is fine. LetÆs go with it and respond to what happens. -

And so a decision largely made, thousands more left the comforts and safety of Treehome and spread out across the stars.

I thought it fitting; this was the moment where we consciously tried to move up to the next level. Our scale would have to increase to match our growing ambitions.

YEAR 276

Magisar

- We yield. - The group of mages were battered, their leader unable to believe what happened. Half of the upper dome of the tower was blasted apart, exposing the top to the whims of the weather.

A dwarven mage stood standing, in his hand a wooden stick made from one of A/ Æs many branches. A fragment of divinity, as a conduit for magic.

Lozanna looked at the Magisarian mages and wizards. Their shields shattered. Their staffs cracked. A group of them, defeated by one Valthorn archmages, a Level 145 Grand Archmage named Blackmoore, a rare dwarven mage. It wasnÆt hard at all to bribe enough of the mid - ranked mages of the Tower to support an unusual challenge for the tower.

It was even easier once these bribed mages saw who exactly they were consorting with. Those whose eyes could still see knew the winds were changing. Mages were generally smart; a certain level of intellectual prowess was generally necessary to understand the tomes and scrolls of earlier mages, though there were always those who intuited magic as if it was the back of their hands. Those were geniuses, and those were incredibly rare.

Spectators, there were about two hundred or so mages who belonged to the upper classes of the Tower, unsure whether to clap or cheer. It was just pure silence.

Lozanna smiled and decided to set off the cheers. She clapped, and soon, those that she bribed took the cue to clap as well.

Blackmoore stood in the center; with his level, he easily dwarfed every other mage present.

In their eyes, he must seem like a prodigy, and they were not wrong.

Blackmoore could be called one of those prodigies. Blessed with a gift for the higher magics that was really hard to translate, in the old dwarven societies he would have been forced into some kind of magical blacksmith or alchemist. Instead, through the Valtorn OrderÆs many academies, he escaped the constraints of the dwarven social order and dabbled in more pure forms of magic.

Lozanna knew how hard it was to train magic. She was there when the old Wizard Madeus tried to train the new students. It was a shame that so many with talents were often educated in fields that did not exploit their strengths.

She shook her head. Here they were, and so, the first of the Towers.

Blackmoore declared, as he glanced about, - Any more wishes to dispute our claim? -

The Tower Lords frowned. The female elf could see the disbelief in their eyes. All their lives theyÆd worked toward higher magics. They dedicated their resources and efforts to their goals and reached the level that couldnÆt go anymore.

The cursed level cap.

For Magisarians, it was also around Level 85.

For mages who reached that level, it mustÆve felt like theyÆd reached the end. They could not go higher.

- How? - the Tower Lords asked. Maybe the question they should have asked was why.

Blackmoore was not protected by a domain, and thus, a high - level version of inspect could give a level estimate. So they knew his levels must be very high. They could conclude it was some kind of inspect - confusion type of spell or ability, thus the number shown was a lie.

But the strength he displayed was clear, and no one could deny the hole in their tower. The spectators were stunned to see a mage overpower so many of them so clearly.

Blackmoore nodded as he turned to face the spectators. - A/ Æs gift. I ask the crowd again. Does anyone wish to state their opposition to our demands? -

The Tower Lords could not believe it. - What - what do you want? -

- As is often said in our circles. Nothing for now, but eventually, everything. But I jest. - Blackmoore grinned. - Our first goal will be a coalition of the Towers. As of this day, and until the day the demons are driven back, we will now have full control of your military. Together, we will drive the demons back. -

Everywhere, the Tower Lords fought tooth and nail against the mages of the Order, but the gaps in strength between someone in the Level 80s and someone in the Level 140s was immense.

The Valthorns won everywhere, but we did not become the new tower masters. If anything, the combined military forces of the Towers would still pale compared to whatever we could field.

But it would deliver an impact. It was our moment of strength. A chance for the combined mages to see how high the tree grew and where they stood beneath it.

The Order would not be able to administer this world. It just didnÆt have the size or scale. It would be harder still to do with those entrenched in the current system resisting us at every step.

The Valthorns concluded that the existing process and ruling system of the Magisarians were not compatible with our ways. We would not be able to fully capitalize on their strengths if we maintained their System. Thus, we would have to redo it our way.

A statement of strength would lend credence to our legitimacy and ideas.

This statement would win over allies. This statement was our way of telling the local military that there was another way. A complicated power dance to tell those watching that we had the power to protect them. That their Tower Masters were going to rot away in their towers.

Ultimately, we were not bound by the rules of Magisar. The Order would create new cites, one of them with a Node Tree at its heart. Unlike the Towers of Magisar that were all in various states of decay, a new city would be built in one of the reclaimed lands. Somewhere that would be fertile enough. A new city, and volunteers from the Towers could then move to.

With our strength, we would even set up a city right where the demon king was.

From the volunteers and those willing, the Order would form a new organizational structure of both these Tower Refugees and the Order. The young mages would be directly trained and supervised by the Order. Those entrenched in the old system would stay back, and they would bear witness to the gaps between us.

- HowÆs things, Lozanna ? - Ebon came over from Landas and visited one of the newly constructed cities on Magisar. It was located in a valley, in a space that was reclaimed from the demonic corruption. Lozanna was made the temporary leader of the new city, as she was technically the most experienced person in the field. Given how thinly the Valthorns were spread across the worlds, it wasnÆt like they had that much of a choice.

Other than the Dwarven Archmage Blackmoore who was slightly higher level than her, everyone else was in the Level 100s to 120s, while Lozanna was already firmly in the Level 140s. It was a pace she didnÆt expect, yet somehow, everyone else seemed to think it was normal.

Lozanna stood and smiled at her teammate from their Landas tour. Hoyia followed behind as she, too, appeared through the makeshift door.

The elven temporary leader answered the dark knight. - Slow. But moving. -

- As is on Landas. People remain the hardest component of our struggle. Give them time. I see youÆve gotten all these built, at least. - Ebon pointed to the structures around them. Lozanna shrugged.

- The physical objects are easier to build. The Magisarians remain unnerved by these land - based cities. TheyÆve lived so long in their floating towers that they are still mentally scarred by life living so close to the lands. ThatÆs a problem that will take some time. -

Hoyia looked around and, after a while, tapped Lozanna on her shoulder. - Little to worry. A passive blessing from the aura of a Prayer Tree should fix that. -

Lozanna looked outside. There wasnÆt much of a view; most of the Magisarian terrain was rocky and rugged. - What of Landas? -

- The Lords are moving in to set things up, and the locals are generally compliant with what was asked of them. Have they assigned a Lord to Magisar yet? -

The elf shook her head. - Central claims they are not yet ready. -

- Strange. Delvegard has seven lords. - Hoyia frowned. - Wonder whatÆs happening on the field thatÆs causing this. -

- I was told that theyÆre trying to get a Mage Lord . - Lozanna regurgitated the answer from command. She would likely transfer that control to one of the dedicated Lords or Ladies once they arrived.

- Ah. - Hoyia and Ebon clicked in acknowledgment. Specialized classes were harder to prepare for deployment. Certain ruling classes were harder to deal with.

- So for now, IÆm the temporary leader trying to smooth things over. I do have some good assistants and planners, though, - Lozanna answered, though she did have her share of difficulties. Frustrations with the locals were mainly on the little microaggressions and resistances. - The Magisarians have many quirks, and I initially hoped that theyÆd be smart enough to just accept us. I am sadly proven wrong. -

Though some of the mages accepted the deal, they were not going to accept all of the Valtorn requests.

- Their cities are not charred fields. Their villages were not burned and destroyed, - Ebon said. - It is only normal that they will fight for it. Those who lost almost everything will think of a chance to rebuild differently than those who are asked to tear down what exists. -

Lozanna didnÆt speak of the time when the village was ashes. A faint memory of a time when she and her mother were standing in what was a charred field of ash flashed before her eyes, and she glanced away.

The tower masters thought of Blackmoore as powerful but yet still reachable. To them, if they worked together, maybe they had a chance. They schemed a little too obviously. The Valthorns present were from a spread of disciplines; it wasnÆt hard to pick up on what they were trying.

Even if they lost in a battle, they would not give up their posts without an attempt to wrestle it back in the dark.

This was part of the process.

They tried to speak to the tower masters. Yet somehow, all of the tower masters seemed cut from the same cloth. They were cunning but not very wise. Even in the face of power, theyÆd rather control what little they had.

They would not be the first to change how things were.

Resistance came in many forms. For many of these Magisarians, there was a strong cultural undercurrent.

Even in their new city, she noticed their subtle disapprovals. The clicks, the sighs, the subtle headshakes as they observed how things would be in the new city. In their minds, the Towers were still the ideal to strive for. It was a cultural relic in their mind that they would need a few generations to change.

This was the part of her tasks that was hard. Lozanna sighed. They were there to help, but it did irritate her that those who needed help seemed to think they didnÆt.

Hoyia gave the elf a long, warm, motherly smile. The matriarch placed both of her hands on both sides of Lozanna Æs shoulders and tapped her reassuringly. - A problem that will be solved in time. Those who have not felt the touch of divinity often doubt its existence. Such is the way of mortals. The mind is hard to change, and it takes overwhelming force to overcome oneÆs mental inertia. Let us not dwell on the difficulties, but instead, letÆs celebrate successes. Show us what youÆve done. -

Lozanna led the group through a makeshift city built for the refugees and those who agreed to join them. Blackmoore, as the dedicated mage champion, went about and challenged all the Towers, and after he completed the tour, there were refugees and those who wanted to join them.

All in, about ten to eleven thousand Magisarians came to join the new city. Some were spies, but ultimately, the Valthorns had enough firepower and about thirty Level 100s, more than enough to maintain a strong level of control over a single town.

The Valthorns also brought in about two hundred Valtorn Order support operatives from Treehome to handle construction and development of the new city.

- WeÆve got these new wells, with these filtration trees that cleans the water. - Lozanna pointed. Ebon and the crew were fairly familiar with most of the things. Clean water was a surprisingly rare thing on Magisar, and the locals developed quite sophisticated rainwater collection systems in their magical towers to supplement the missing natural water sources. - One of the tweaks we had to make to the rhizofiltration trees was that the water content needed to be separated to remove some of the minerals that seemed toxic to the Magisarians. They have a zero - iron diet, and their bodies adapted to it so well that iron is now fairly harmful to them. -

Ebon nodded. - Huh. The Landas elves seemed fairly normal. I wonder whether there is other stuff weÆd have to look out for on the other worlds. Maybe the Caprans and the Dragon lings will have some unique quirks. -

Lozanna agreed as she recalled what happened during the first few days. - We only realized it after a few of them got sick. The water is fine now, but that was a rather careless blunder on our end. A proper biological study through one of A/ Æs biolabs should help. -

- True. - Ebon walked about and noticed the homes built everywhere. There were magical shields constructed. They passed by a large farm, where the druids were in discussion with some locals over the plants.

- FoodÆs a pain at first, but weÆre getting better. We canÆt use the food from our world because of their diet, so weÆd have to restrict it to native plants. But their local plants all have low yields, because they are mostly a nation of harvesters and hunters, where their cities exist as areas to protect themselves from the demons, so their local plants were not selectively bred for yields. ItÆll take a generation or two to change it, - Lozanna narrated. - Even if I see these Magisarian mages as useful, I wonder whether the Order would eventually be overwhelmed with all the custom supply choices for each of these worldÆs recruits. Standard rations that are not standard will lead to a large surge in logistic overheads. -

- That does limit their external deployment options, isnÆt it? - Ebon thought about it; he rubbed his chin as he thought about the difficulties of keeping a Magisarian force fully supplied in remote locations. - Unless they could use familiars. -

- ThatÆs something weÆd like to try, - Lozanna elaborated. - WeÆve not had a Magisarian with A/ Æs familiars, so we donÆt know whether those familiars can produce Magisarian - compatible foods when they are operating out of the other worlds. -

Food. Water. Accommodations from Magisarians were simple, though they were initially unused to all the space they now possessed. On a spiritual level, the Treeology priests provided a sort of calming effect on the populace using a mix of their various abilities.

It was not an entirely new situation. Valthorns faced some difficulties a few decades ago when the Order started including Lizardfolk and Treefolk field agents, but over time, the logistics system absorbed their culture, and it became second nature to cater for their unique needs. That said, lizardfolk were generally able to consume and tolerate a vast amount of foods, so they were not hard to integrate. In time, it may be the Magisarians that would change, or the Order as a whole figured out how to better support them.

Lozanna eventually led them to the walls. There were three layers of walls, and though it was quite unnecessary given the OrderÆs strength, it was the locals that needed convincing.

For an added sense of security, there were large magical barriers erected to give the newly settled natives a perception of security. It was partly performative, since the shields were only strong enough to protect against enemies of the demon champions level.

Ultimately, their real defense force was the deployed Valtorn Order and the local militia.

- Are there native monsters? - Ebon looked about and across the horizon. - IÆve only seen demons since weÆve arrived. -

- Yes, - Lozanna said. - But they are rare for now. They should start spawning once the druids get to work and push back the corruption. Also, since you guys are here, wanna help me get some fresh air? -

- Oh? -

Lozanna grinned and stretched. They went on a demon-hunting spree.

Delvegard

It was a quiet time in the dwarven towns of Delvegard. The appeal of small towns was always its relative obscurity, and that was what drew the dwarves to live in such places. Peace. Free from the usual tussles for Sunsteel and the mines. Free from the rough, chaotic warfare that are the machine wars.

So the recent changes were met with mixed reactions. Not everyone wanted the attention, because it affected their peace. Yet the Valtorn presence brought much - needed food security.

It was a tradeoff that the dwarves begrudgingly accepted, because food was a pain. Security was something that could be fixed.

The strange dwarves from beyond brought a tree that magically grew within their town, and the locals now had to produce equipment to trade for food.

It was at a very good rate, so that was highly appealing to the local dwarves, but it was a strange, unusual practice to trade with a - tree. - The central equipment purchasing hall was located right next to the Node Tree , a dark - brown colored tree that was six stories tall with a trunk the size of two houses across.

There was a cavity in the center, the place where everything appeared and vanished.

Even people. The ruling Lord Sundus found it amusing that the rumors were so crazy. It was a rumor. A curiosity. It was often whispered that people could be eaten by the tree, though they would then see those people reappear sometime later. For now, it seemed as if it was a magical tree that traded food for crafts.

If only they could see where they led to or the links that tree represented. He tried explaining to the local craftsmen that it led to other worlds, but all the local dwarves did was stare at him like he was mad.

HeÆd love to see their reactions when heÆd send them away for the first time. It would be something heÆd carve to his memories. For now, to the locals, it was a tree that traded food for crafts. Crafts and goods went in, and food came out the other side.

Of course, the locals didnÆt trade with the tree directly. They traded with SundusÆs men, but the locals were curious, and they saw how his people moved the goods to that cavity, and then it just vanished.

So it was known to the locals as a - Magical Trading Tree. -

A few locals even tried sneaking in, perhaps the result of being a little too intoxicated at the local tavern, and tried trading with the tree directly.

One of them claimed to have heard a voice in his head. The rest of them just laughed it off as drunken hallucinations.

A/ would speak to them one day. Then they would know the truth. For now, they waited. Sundus knew the plan for Delvegard mainly hinged on AlkaÆs return. The return of the alchemist of bombs would then shift their plans on Delvegard forward.

For now, the lord focused on shoring up their position and setting the field.

News, especially amusing news like the Magical Trading Tree, spread quickly. It attracted the presence of neighbors and faraway travelers. Sundus could see them, many of them were obviously not traders, but these so - called traders pretended to visit the local market. But they tried the - Magic Trading Tree - anyway, and his men were willing to trade.

Maybe it was paranoia. Maybe it was curiosity.

Dwarves were proud, but they were not stupid. Curiosities could mutate into a bigger problem. The Dwarven Lords from the nearby nations were curious; theyÆd all heard of the alliance of dwarven towns - the so - called - Small Group, - backed by strange, tall folks and their unusual equipment.

Sometimes, Sundus wondered what they discovered. But so far, Valthorns presence remained fairly small and spread across all the smaller towns, and they were all shrouded in a fairly thick layer of disguises to throw off most onlookers.

After watching these spies try the trading tree and furiously write notes, Sundus decided to go and chat. They were clearly not very good spies, and their disdain leaked through their words. They were curious, but from what Sundus could tell, they were mostly not worried.

For now, they were unusual, but nothing to be worried about.

None of the large dwarven groups had set their sights on them. They held no large Sunsteel or Sunmetal veins. They were not aware of the Valthorns secret mines nearby. They didnÆt have any of the Colossus war machines.

Why should they be worried?

Nothing theyÆd seen so far threatened to upset the status quo.

Would they react differently once they met someone like Alka?

Sundus tried his best not to grin. He liked this feeling.

He thoroughly enjoyed it when people looked down on them, only to be proven wrong. He totally couldnÆt wait for the day for the domain holder to visit Delvegard.

Landas

Lumoof stood at the entrance to the pit, as all the domain holders gathered to purge the first visited peripheral world of its demon king. The demon king was down there, and he could feel its presence.

It wasnÆt digging. It was still digging a few weeks ago. But not anymore. It stopped once it sensed the heroes all reappearing nearby. It had some intelligence to know the heroes came for it.

The hero, Samuel, stood nearby, along with the rest of the heroes. Wira and Rajah, surprisingly, decided to join them.

- ItÆs down there, - Samuel, or as the locals called him Samahiro, said, pointing to the pit. - I hear it calling. -

He was stronger, but somehow, it didnÆt matter. The fear was real. The impact of the demonic curse was so strong that it messed with some of the hero classÆs usual mental protections. Lumoof nodded anyway.

- Have no fear, Samuel, - Colette said. - You are not alone this time. -

Somehow, those words made Samuel tear up a little. His eyes seemed a little reddish, and he rubbed it away. It was not the time to show weakness, as he tried his best to show an expression of determination.

- Shall we lure it out, or does it want us to go down there to it? - Colette then looked at Lumoof.

He shrugged. - Edna? -

- I think letÆs lure it out. WeÆll have better escape options fighting out here. -

- Sounds good. - Lumoof nodded as he walked over the edge and fell into the pit. - All right, then. You guys wait here. -

The heroes looked at each other, and Samuel looked worried. He didnÆt need to be. The demon king wasnÆt that strong, and in avatar mode, fighting underground where a treeÆs roots could grow and gain control of the environment was thoroughly advantageous to Lumoof, so the demon king, predictably, chose to escape from the depths.

The demon king came out to meet its death.

It was fast.

It was undramatic.

It was just a flurry of colors and lights, as so many heroes and domain holders worked together to destroy a single demon king.

It died so quickly that the battle lasted no more than an hour.

For that hour, the world momentarily shook as a huge surge of magic crushed the demon king, and Landas became another peripheral world freed of its demon king.

Just like Rajah and Wira, a strange sensation vanished from SamuelÆs heart.

Everyone still had places to go. The domain holders had tasks to do.

With Landas freed, the demonic riftgates collapsed, and the demonic invasion ended.

Reconstruction could now go full throttle.

White Shore

The White Capital city of the White Statue was, in many ways, an aspiration for the entire empire. Edna watched as the wagon that carried her crested the hill, and the city came into full view.

The main city, commonly referred to as the White Capital, but formally called Claritas of the White Statue, was eye catching and beautiful. It comprised a central conical hill, and at its peak stood a large white temple, the largest temple of any EdnaÆd seen in any of the cities so far.

But the city itself wasnÆt massive. Instead, Edna thought it looked fairly compact for a capital city. It was what appeared to be a planned, properly organized structure where not a single piece was out of place.

In some ways, it reminded her of the angels.

It was as if an array of marble structures was built to decorate a single hill. Every building was made out of a kind of white, shiny marble that never seemed to accumulate dust or wear. It was apparently an ability of many stonemasons, though it originated from the White Statue itself.

There were white statues all over the city. Edna was alone this time, and she felt it the moment she walked through the city and entered the city guardÆs checkpoint.

Domain has blocked an ability.

- Well. What is this? - Edna mused to herself, and just about instantly, a siren blew.

At that point, the guards had an unusual reaction. Then the guards at the gates immediately stopped her. - Milady, please come with us. -

Edna smiled at the four guards, all clad in full - body armor. Their weapons of choice was a double - sided shortsword and a set of spears. They were all of a decent level, maybe Level 50 or so. They were tense as hell and prepared to fight. In their eyes, she could see their readiness to die at the moment.

Was this her turn to go through what Lumoof did back when he first visited the Crystal King? Would this White Statue be friendly or hostile? But she saw enough of the White StatueÆs impact and realized that it was probably worth talking to this entity. - Sure. -

They were relieved when she did not resist, and at least they did not chain her. They seemed to understand how different their powers were.

The four began to lead her through the path. Those along the road looked, and she could hear them whisper. But the guards paid them no mind, and none of the busy citizens blocked their path.

- So where are you taking me? -

- To the hill, the White Statue, - the guard answered.

Edna could feel the throbbing presence of another domain holder. It was as if the air itself was layered with a kind of invisible white dust.

She was escorted through the city, so she took the chance to see the lives of those living here. Streets were clean and beautiful. Each and everyone looked healthy, and they were doing business with each other. Everyone, as weird as it sounded, looked good. Men were tall, muscular, and healthy; the old people looked wise and still fit with none of the patchy features common in older people.

- Are there poor people in this city? - Edna asked.

- No, - the guards answered. - No one who comes to Claritas will be poor. The White Statue guides, and the citizens follow. Their poverty is but their starting point. -

Her eyes squinted, and she tried to sense it in the presence of the four guards around her. She blinked. - He touched all your minds. -

- The Virtues of the White Statue are imprinted in our souls, milady. No one who obeys the Virtues will be a poor citizen. The State will ensure a role appropriate to you is created and a fair remuneration is paid. -

- What of the sick? -

- The White Statue heals those it can, and those who canÆt be healed are sacrificed at the altar. -

Edna paused, but her feet kept walking. It was a centrally planned economy, but to an extent stronger than even that of Freshka. A city controlled by a god, where everyone did what it told them to do.

She blinked. This was not far from an ant colony.

Yet she looked at how everyone looked happy. Everyone had a purpose. A task from God itself. It mattered, because their god told it to their soul. She blinked again when she realized A/ could do this, too, and wondered briefly whether it should happen. Everyone seemed to take their work seriously.

- Virtue, - she repeated. - ItÆs a fascinating thing. -

The guards naturally agreed. - It is. -

- WhatÆs yours? -

The guards looked at each other and didnÆt say a word.

- It is not for us to say, - the guards answered. - Only the White Statue has the right to reveal what is oneÆs virtue. -

Edna nodded as they passed even more buildings. There were administrators here. People who collated reports. This was the heart of the empire, and she felt the touch of the domain holder in every single one.

It was like a magical familiar, but more pervasive. The knight refocused her attention on the four guards around her. They were calm. Prepared. She wondered how strong this domain holder had to be. Perhaps in the same tier as the Osroids.

- Do they still summon heroes? - Edna asked. When she asked about heroes back in the other cities, theyÆd gotten nothing. Instead, all theyÆd gotten were blank stares. When she probed about the demons, strangely, all sheÆd gotten was also just blank stares before one of them said they would be handled by the White StatueÆs elite forces.

The guards looked at her, and three of them said nothing. But one of them turned and walked close to her. He whispered, - Those who claim to be representatives of the Pagan Gods? The visitors from the stained well. That is something only the White Guards know. If you wish to know more, you must ask the question to the White Statue yourself. -

Edna paused and felt strangely unnerved. This was the first time they mentioned the term - Pagan Gods. - Much of what happens in the regional towns of the White Shore was so normal, so perfectly manicured, that Edna kept wondering whether there were unusual things. There must be secret things only the special people knew. The touch of this domain holder kept most things secret, as the pieces began to come together.

It wasnÆt that they didnÆt know; it was that they were not allowed to know.

There was a vast, white building filled with windows. in it were men in white tunics all walking about. They looked busy, going over papers and reports.

EdnaÆs long glance was answered by one of the guards.

- ThatÆs the main office of the Philosopher King and the Council of Elders. All matters of the empire travel through that office. -

Edna nodded and wondered how much of it was for show. Though the Philosopher King supposedly ruled the nation, it was truly the White Statue that held the puppet strings. In some ways, Edna thought that was similar to A/ , though each domain holder and society found their own stable position in the spectrum between - control - and - freedom. -

By now, she was almost at the peak, and the grand temple stood before her. At this distance, she looked up and couldnÆt quite admire the temple. She felt the aura of another domain holder from outside, and it was trying its best to press against hers. It didnÆt work.

The guards stopped. They were unaffected by the domain holderÆs aura. It was focused. - Milady, youÆll have to step inside yourself. -

The knight looked about, took a good look at the city, and then back at the door. She gently pushed it, and the heavy painted steel door opened without a sound. It was perfectly oiled and maintained, and though it was pitch dark inside, she could feel that it was just a single, gigantic chamber. The door closed behind her, and here, she sensed no unusual magic.

There was no need for little toys in the presence of an existence that likely considered itself a god. In it was a giant statue of a man, and she felt the emanating power of a fellow domain holder.

- Hello. IÆm Edna, - Edna answered as she walked toward the White Statue. Here, in this large, ethereal chamber, her footsteps echoed. - Pleased to meet the White Statue. -

The statueÆs eyes glowed white, and it went directly to a question. - Are you sent by the pagan gods? -

EdnaÆs eyes squinted. - Who are these pagan gods? -

- Those that deserted us long ago. The old ones, - the White Statue answered.

Edna frowned and then looked at the White Statue. There was no facial expression to read in an object like the White Statue. Its carved face was that of an old man, yet she wondered what she was dealing with. - We encountered them, but no, they didnÆt send us here. -

- Then why have you come? Have you come to represent them? To retake the lands that were once theirs? -

Edna shook her head. - Not at all. I represent the Valtorn Order, led by our tree god, A/ . I am one of those in A/ Æs pantheon. We have been asked by Gawa to deal with the demons in these faraway worlds. -

There was so much history scrubbed from the memory of those present. The people of the White Shore did not remember the past. To them, their creation myth started from the White Statue. It was a lie, naturally.

There was a moment of silence.

- Like the souls that they lied to? - the White Statue asked.

Edna paused as she realized. - The heroes ? No. We are not summoned like them. -

- Then what do you want? If you seek to upset the structure I have created in their absence, then we will be enemies. I will slay you here and now, - the White Statue declared. Edna was fairly certain she would survive any conflict.

The knight felt the probing energies of the White StatueÆs domain, but again, it was ineffective. She couldnÆt quite sense what the White Statue was, though the founding myths she heard so far claimed the White Statue always existed, and he held the light of wisdom that brought the men of the White Shore wisdom. It was so that they existed as productive members of society instead of living as barbaric creatures in the faraway lands.

- We merely want permission to deal with the demons. -

- And deny us the experience we need? - the White Statue countered. - We do not need help dealing with those creatures from beyond, or the lost lambs the old gods send our way. -

Edna frowned as she realized the White Statue probably had some means of dealing with the demon king. Briefly, was this something she needed to feed back to Gawa ? This world didnÆt need help. So why did Gawa still mark this world as a drain on their faith points? Something didnÆt add up. What happened to the heroes?

- I see, - Edna said. - Who do you do with those summoned by the old gods? -

For a moment, the two just stood in silence, as both took a sense of each otherÆs power. She roughly estimated the White Statue to be around Level 200ish and probably had some means of dealing with the demons. Perhaps a collection of ancient weapons or some unique power.

The White Statue folded.

- We will send them back, of course. A swift death, - the White Statue declared.

- Death, - Edna repeated. - You killed them? -

- Yes. -

- May we propose that you send them to us instead? That we take them away from you? - Edna countered.

- For them to return one day and exact the old godÆs vengeance? No. My White Guards hunt them down. -

The knight stared at the White Statue and, for a moment, felt a sense of injustice. She tried her best to hold herself back and took a deep breath.

- Are you dissatisfied with our conduct? - the White Statue asked.

- IÆd rather not kill them. -

- They are a potentially rogue agent and a poorly constructed weapon of the old gods. Their presence only serves to create chaos, as their incredible potential is turned into the tools of their whims, - the White Statue declared. - Such poor tools do not deserve to exist. -

- You could rip the class out of them, - Edna countered as she recalled what the Osroids or the Ularans did to the heroes. - They become regular mortals, and at least, they get to live normally. -

- Even without their powers, their whims and thoughts are tainted by a world unlike ours. Ours possess a structure that is fundamentally incompatible with their world, and now I realize your world has a structure incompatible with ours, too, - the White Statue declared, and for a moment, the two auras clashed once more. The entire city of Claritas experienced a rare tremor as the two domain holders weight of existence slammed into each other.

- Have you spoken to the administrators? - Edna asked, and in an instant, the clash of aura stopped.

The White StatueÆs white eyes glowed brightly. - You speak of something I do not know. Elaborate. -

Edna realized that the White Statue must have not yet reached Level 250. Because if it had, it, too, should be offered the choice.

It possessed a religion centered around the White Statue. It was strong. By both counts, it met the criteria. Her mind thought of the angels of Angelworld and that moment when they hosted the eight - winged angel, Raph. Would their presence here set off another chain of potentially hostile power?

She closed her eyes. - It seems you have not reached that level of power. It is not my place to tell. -

- What? - The white marbles of the temple moved but stopped just as quickly, as if the White Statue realized it was useless. It thought quickly and then suddenly proposed, - If you want me to spare the lives of the future summons of the old gods, then you will elaborate on this choiceÆ. -

- It is not my place to decide. We will discuss your offer, - Edna said.

- I have a bad feeling if we tell them, - Lumoof said. - From what you described, he gives me vibes like the angels. Do we really want to let him know about that future? -

- If we donÆt, we donÆt get to save the heroes, - Roon countered and asked a rhetorical question that didnÆt really need to be answered. - Is that important to us? Should we have to weigh what we want to do here? -

- Of course we do! They are heroes. All right, letÆs look at our options. LetÆs start with the obvious. Should we go in there and fight that White Statue? - Stella asked, and it was met with silence.

Lumoof waited and frowned. - I donÆt think itÆs a good idea in the short term. At our stretched levels, we cannot deploy enough personnel to fill the power vacuum or maintain order. ItÆs also going to be pretty hard to predict how these folks will behave should the White Statue suddenly disappear. The imprints on their mind sound like it could go either way. I think we leave that option for much later. It should be a nuclear option, once we conclude that the White Statue really is hostile. -

It was an uncomfortable reality that fighting was often the easy part. Maintaining order and advancing society were significantly harder.

Was it worth it, just to save some heroes? It was a line of thought that Kafa raised. - What makes a heroÆs life worth more? - Kafa countered. - WeÆre at the point where they are more of a liability. A rogue element, and I would even go as far as saying that the White Statue is right to consider them as erratic. Like we all remember what happened to Chung. -

- We need them because heroes can help defend the existing worlds. They can move around freely with nodes and through Lumoof. They are our defensive pieces, and their situation can be managed. The more heroes we have, the less risky it becomes for us as a whole to rely on them, - Roon explained. - And as much as I hate to admit it, heroes are worth more than normal people. Their potential to save lives is so much higher. -

Stella squirmed uncomfortably. Discussions of the value of lives made her react this way. She knew how I thought about it. - So weÆre going to tolerate this White StatueÆs murder of mostly innocent fresh heroes. -

Lumoof sighed before he explained. - We all make sacrifices, and I am cognizant that even A/ Æs branches are stained with more blood than the White Statue. WeÆre in no place to comment on the sort of sacrifices the White Statue made to achieve a stable, prosperous society. -

- I mean, thatÆs fine with me. WeÆve all killed, some way or another, so I think weÆre not really innocent. We just think that itÆs the right thing to do. But more importantly, can we actually trust this White StatueÆs offer? Is it an offer in good faith? What if it reneges on the deal? - Ezar, the brawler, then asked. - I mean, thereÆs really nothing other than our word and theirs to hold this agreement together. WeÆre giving special knowledge, in exchange for a promise. -

- What does A/ think? -

I reviewed EdnaÆs explanation, and personally, I thought it was a matter of time. - If it has been defeating demon kings, it may be a matter of time before it reaches Level 250 anyway. By then, it will meet the administrators. The very fact we have informed him of the existence of these administrators is already revealing much. -

- My bad, - Edna said.

There were sacrifices made in every society, and from what Edna saw on the White Shores, they made some, too. I had my share of brutal experiments and demonic touches. If I could save these heroes in exchange for knowledge, it seemed like a fair position to take.

- Letting it know beforehand could be advantageous. Maybe itÆll be a future god we can work with or at least reason with. Or it might be a threat. But for now, I donÆt think we need to see it as one. -

I saw the heroes as useful, even if they were increasingly less so relatively speaking. If anything, saving these high - potential individuals was worth it, even if we were sharing information with a potentially risky individual.

Maybe itÆd be like the angels, a force for order in a chaotic world.

Maybe Raph was right after all. The world did need some agents for structure and peace. My approach may work for some, but I did not think it was the perfect one.

In a world where the System granted so much power on individuals, maybe we did need gods that played a more pervasive role to mitigate the potential chaos of errant individuals with System - granted power.

Anyway, that was a side thought.

- I think we can agree on this, - I proposed. - If it doesnÆt deliver, then we know it canÆt be trusted. WeÆll deal with it when it happens. -

YEAR 276 (PART II)

- You know, I think our interaction with Osroids is gonna be pretty messed up, too, - Edna said as she rested on a corner sofa. She stretched and felt her muscles turn. They were all very happy to be home, even if there was a lot more to discuss.

- With creatures of that level of power, IÆm not surprised. - Stella sighed. The two female domain holders frequently spent time with each other; somehow, they both saw each other as a bit of a kindred spirit. - Few things grow to that level of power without a little bit of madness. We all are mad in our own way. -

- Hah, - Edna said. - You think thatÆs the key missing thing to be a domain holder? -

- I donÆt know. - Stella picked up a glass and poured herself some fermented fruit juice. - But at the rate weÆre going, every domain holder we meet is going to be unusual in their own way. They donÆt become domain holders by being normal. -

- What are the odds thereÆs someone like you out there? - Edna countered.

- If you mean whether thereÆs bound to be someone who can travel worlds? I think the chances are very high. But also, if youÆre like me and we have the ability to run whenever things get dangerous, all weÆll be doing is to keep running. -

The knight paused for a long, long time. - You know, thatÆs a very valid point of view. There really might be a domain holder thatÆs only running from world to world and hiding constantly. Or a void mage. -

- Yeah. Why bother staying and fighting when running is so easy? - She drank the fruit juice and barfed. - IÆve no idea why I drink such things. -

- You enjoy a little bit of misery. - Edna chuckled as she suddenly jumped up. - Did you personally agree with our choices? -

- Which ones? - Stella said, and somehow, she took a second big mouthful of the fermented fruit juice. - The node worlds, or the subdomain? -

- The one about the node worlds? -

- Eh. Could be worse. Nodes are disposable. I think itÆs fine to just correct as we go. IÆm planning to bug A/ to continue our tour of the Void Layers, - Stella said, barfing again, and then walked over to one of her bookshelves. It was a magical contraption that unlocked only with her magical signature. - I think weÆll waste a few years, but we can afford that. -

- We could, eh, - Edna said. - AlkaÆs waking up next year. I wonder what heÆll think. -

- I think heÆll think like us, - Stella said matter - of - factly. She chose a book written by one of the Valthorns on strategic expansions.

The two women shared a long, comfortable silence. Stella sat down and began to read on one of her finely polished wooden tables, and Edna continued to look out the window. The view of Freshka from StellaÆs mansion was quite good.

- Do you think we all think alike? That weÆre having a bit of a groupthink going on? -

That made Stella pause and turn to look at the knight. - Is that something thatÆs bothering you? -

- A little. I was actually fairly uncomfortable at how the White Statue marked everyoneÆs soul and injected them with a life mission. But then I realized not a single one of their denizens thought that way. To them, having a life goal was good. It gave their life purpose, meaning, and it shaped how they directed their time. -

Stella wanted to say something, only to stop midway and seemed to think for a long time. Eventually, she continued the conversation. - And I think they have a point. I wouldÆve loved to know what I was meant to do. Having to figure shit out for ourselves is a pain. -

- Ah. - Edna laughed, at first, and then stopped when she realized Stella was serious. - Come on, itÆs not that bad. -

- I mean, in hindsight, sure it seems that way, but back during the early days when IÆm still a lost, sad, depressed painter? Not at all. Those rose - tinted glasses are hell of a thing, - Stella said. - I wouldÆve given a lot to have a purpose thrust into my soul, and not just that, itÆs something IÆd even wholeheartedly believe in. -

- Do you think A/ should do that? - the knight asked suddenly. - I mean, hypotheticals, of course. ItÆs just something I thought about when I saw the fellow people of the White Shore, and I saw purpose. -

- What? No! - Stella said. - ItÆs crazy. I know that motivation and morale is a big problem over the longer term, but I still think spiritual tampering is still a step too far. -

Edna nodded. - I guess so. -

Lumoof looked at the city of Claritas and the beautiful white, marbled city. He sighed. - Reminds me a little too much of the Magic City and the prison of the Crystal King. -

- But a deal is a deal, - I countered, and through Lumoof, I could sense the White StatueÆs pulsing presence. He was at the heart of a complex web of spiritual connections that was then linked to almost every single citizen of the White Shore. More than anything, I thought that was a level of control even beyond what I was willing to do.

It was similar to Bitu, only more direct. It was impressive. In a way, though the people around us resembled humans in every way, their actions were guided, so they were more like autonomous ants than actual independent people. Only the people from the faraway wildlands were spared the White StatueÆs spiritual meddling.

Lumoof was right at the gates when the guards paused. Our presence didnÆt need an introduction; the White Statue must have known we were coming, because a full battalion of highly decorated soldiers stood waiting for us, armed with enough weapons to match the angels, and even Gawa Æs elite guards.

The elite White Guards escorted Lumoof through the city. - This way, distinguished guests. -

The walk was brief, and somehow, the streets were empty. Not a single one of ClaritasÆs citizens were on the street when we walked. Somehow, they clearly marked this as a sensitive event.

Unlike EdnaÆs visit, this time, two of the strongest White Guards escorted Lumoof through the door, and the White StatueÆs domain pushed against ours.

- I see where your compatriotÆs confidence came from. It is rare to see one that bests me in power. -

Lumoof nodded as it felt as if two winds swirled around us. A hurricane against a tornado. - Level 200 is still a very respectable power, White One. -

- Let us get to the matter at hand. I agree that we will spare the pagan godÆs summons from a quick death, and you agree to tell me what your compatriot hinted at. Everything of these administrators, and the gods you have met. -

My priest reacted quickly, unsurprised by how quickly the White Statue got down to business. - In return, we ask that all of the heroes are kept safely. We will take them away from your world when they arrive. I ask that they are fed, in a physically good state, and kept healthy until we can retrieve them. -

- Agreed. You have my promise as the current master of the White Shore. Now for your end of the bargain. Explain. -

Lumoof took a moment to pause, catch his breath, and then began his explanation. On our end, we saw no risk to the decision. Not an immediate one where we couldnÆt correct. So he spoke about the Level 250 choice, the existence of the World Faith System, gave an overview of the Faith System, and why their - drift - meant they were fading from some worlds. It was a fairly peaceful process where Lumoof explained and the White Statue answered with a nod.

- And that is why we are here, and we still want to rescue the heroes, - Lumoof ended.

The White Statue did not respond, but the fluctuation in the spiritual energies around us made it clear that it was deep in thought. The temple only had small windows, but somehow, the winds within were strong.

There was a really long silence; Lumoof was used to it. He was around me so often that he seemed used to the hours I normally took to reply.

The winds then gradually softened, as the White Statue calmed down.

- If what you say is true, my earlier punishment of the old gods as pagans was misguided. It truly seems that we lacked context. -

I was a little surprised, but then again, I supposed not all gods and domain holders were hostile.

- It is easy to assume so when the old gods donÆt communicate, - Lumoof said with a sigh. - Perhaps it is their arrogance. After all, in their eyes, mere mortals are still way beneath them. Informing us costs faith points, and thereÆs nothing much that could be done even if we knew. -

The White Statue clearly wanted to correct, because the statueÆs hand moved, but then it stopped. Again, after a few minutes of silence, it continued. - To think that even lesser deities like us remain insignificant. -

Lesser deities.

- Less so. Less so, - Lumoof said, and he decided to go on the charm offensive. The rare moment of vulnerability suggested the White Statue was open to negotiations. - But I see you have built a great world here, and you have a way of defeating the demon king. -

- We do. More specifically, I do, - the White Statue answered. - As a statue, I can shift my being and presence to any of my other statues, and with that statue, I fight the demon king. I leave a little fragment of me behind, hidden amongst my other statues, so that I can regenerate if defeated. But weÆve gotten better at fighting the demon kings, though in my earlier centuries I still had to borrow the powers of the pagan summons. This was long before this drift and back when my world resembled yours very much. -

- It is an impressive thing to do. ItÆs a feat few worlds can claim to have achieved, - Lumoof answered. For a Level 200ûplus to defeat a demon king wasnÆt thoroughly impossible. Maybe its power set was better suited to combat than mine.

- It is so. But we must look forward. If there is this option at Level 250, then I must now prepare for it, - the White Statue answered. - It will take a few centuries to get the levels needed, since the demon kings only arrive once every twenty to twenty - five years. Unfortunately, nothing else provides experience like them. -

Lumoof didnÆt want to suggest the obvious. He could also defeat the demon kings on other worlds. The White Statue was likely smart enough to know that was an option, but unless he mentioned it, he wasnÆt going to suggest it.

There was no track record to justify continued trust, but its explanation of how the White StatueÆs soul was spread across all the statues revealed a key point if one day we were enemies. It was able to separate its spirit and spread it to all of its statues. It wasnÆt a full clone like mine, but still, a decent failsafe.

Once again, the two stood as the White Statue continued to be in thought.

After a while, it asked, - Long ago, this world had two of the old gods, Gawa and Neira. Have you encountered them? -

- Only Gawa . -

- I see. If you meet Neira, I ask that I be informed. I have some ancient grudges to settle. My existence today can be traced to a Neiran blood ceremony. A ceremony to bless a statue to serve as a guardian for this city, and our old pagan ways involved blood sacrifices. I was once a doctor, I forgot how many thousand years ago, and I was sacrificed against my will and my spirit was thrust into the statue. -

Lumoof looked, but off my head, without any special intervention, moving a soul from one body to another was such a traumatic process that only hero - souls survived. Our own experiences on our death - row prisoners informed us that it was fairly difficult to encase a personÆs soul in a new host, unless special powers like mine were involved. Blood magic and sacrifices rarely met the conditions needed for it to happen successfully. - That shouldnÆt work. The soul usually doesnÆt survive such traumatic damage. -

- Yes. But I was no ordinary mortal. My soul was stronger, much stronger, and so my spirit lived when thousands of sacrifices before me failed. It is a cruel irony that they were right to do so. I did protect my world from the demons for tens of thousands of years. -

- You purged all belief in the old gods? -

- Almost. I cursed them for creating me, but in time, IÆve come to a state of peace. Now, the wildfolks still carry on their weird beliefs, but there must be some chaos to give my men a concept of order and purpose, so I tolerate their existence. - At that moment, I thought that we were quite similar. The System encouraged conflict. Rewarded struggles, challenges. So, for Order to be, there must be a state of Disorder. - The old dungeons, too. We needed their special resources and the monsters, so I left them as they are. As controlled opponents. -

In the end, the two domain holders looked at each other once more. Lumoof thought it was mostly over. - I believe that is all. If there is nothing else, we will return. -

Again, another wait. It was not too long.

- It is most unusual to meet someone that I could finally claim to be an equal. We will honor the agreement. I will spare those summoned by the drifting gods. And there is one more thing. -

My avatar stopped, turned, and looked at the statue once more.

- I wish to join your pantheon and this fight against the demons. -

I was stunned, and Lumoof was, too. We couldnÆt answer immediately.

Treehome

There was a quietness on Treehome. With so many of my Level 100s deployed on the other worlds, the cityÆs ultra - high - end market was significantly quieter. The merchants especially felt it, because many of their regular customers, those who belonged to my elites, were all away for long stretches, and that had a knock - on impact.

They still worked with my mid - tier Valthorns; many of them were busy preparing for their own trips to the other worlds. We didnÆt have much of a choice. The order may be a massive and very powerful institution, but the very nature of how levels were gained and the exponential nature of the experience requirement meant it was a lot slimmer at the top.

Those that provided - lifestyle goods - to the elites instead had to redirect their production to provide portable goods. Goods that my elites could take to their faraway deployment. Even though a few years honestly just felt like a few weeks to me, for my elites and for the businesses, they still had to make adjustments.

The crafters, those directly under our employ, and indirectly as subcontractors or outsourced manufacturers, continued to experience huge quantities of orders, though the nature of production now shifted toward infrastructure goods.

Now that Lumoof, Edna, and I could handle demon kings, my central planners anticipated a slowdown in crystal bomb production requirements. This was a resource requirement that choked the worldÆs economies, such that the past ten to twenty years were periods of ultra - high crystal prices.

Strategically, we would continue to rebuild our crystal weapons stockpile consumed during the demons comet incident, but as a whole, the pace of this replenishment could be reduced. This would have a knock - on effect on the prices and profitability of crystal mines everywhere if we suddenly reduced our purchases, so the Order as a whole continued to buy, though at a reducing trend.

Instead, IÆd like to figure out a better use of the magical storage properties of crystals for the war effort, not as weapons, but as some form of utility tool. We already had crystals capable of doing computations, recording images, and storing bits of memory, and we had also used crystals as temporary spell cores, where they created an area of effect that enhanced or weakened things and people in their immediate vicinity.

I didnÆt have many ideas of my own, so I put it to the Valthorns for ideas.

There was feedback on the ground for some kind of deployable protective spheres, so that the Valthorns could quickly protect injured noncombatants from attacks, from our experience with the natives. Alternatively, a mobile food and healing kit, stored as spells within a set of crystals.

Maybe Alka would have some ideas when he finally reawakened.

Deep within my main tree, Alka floated in a pod that dabbled with powers that made no sense to me. His body was reconstructed by an automated will that could only be the System, his flesh reconstructed in bits and pieces in a way that was more as if a perfect replica was being built.

I tried my best to understand it, but truly the System understood AlkaÆs existence at a level of depth that I couldnÆt capture.

When I looked at AlkaÆs reconstruction, I saw parallels with the void layers and Shrubhome. Maybe the System had a mirrorworld where Alka still lived, and what happened was a perfect copy.

It was times like this where I questioned the fundamental nature of the System, because when a world popped out of nowhere was hard to grasp for those without the mental flexibility to contemplate how the state of existence could just flip from nothing into something.

- DonÆt think too much about it. Just accept it, - Stella once said. - The void sea is many things, and itÆs quite hard to pin down what it is. The Zaratan I met once said it is a state of all that is not existence, and more. It is a state of possibility. When we carve a path through the void sea, the Zaratans once described it as walking in a type of dream - like space, where things exist if you imagine it to exist and could supply the void energy to motivate the void sea to respond to your imagination. -

Even that didnÆt grasp the full scale of the void.

Increasingly, I felt that staring into the void was like going into the inner workings of this world.

I wondered if we ventured deep enough, did the void layers lead to Earth?

Or perhaps an Earth - like world?

YEAR 276 (PART III)

Even though the interaction with the White Shore went decently well, it made us curious of the intricacies of the World Faith System, specifically how the entire hero - summoning system worked. So Lumoof decided it was important enough to travel back to Gawa Æs core world to figure it out.

Lumoof landed back in the world of Satrya, and the little relic in his hand whirled. Here, closer to Gawa , the item itself recharged faster. There was already divine energy in the world itself, and all the relic had to do was tap into it.

StellaÆs ability to move through the void space was overpowered in its own way. For one, it made it easier for us to speak.

- I have more questions, - I said through Lumoof. - Some of the worlds we encountered have powerful domain holders that have taken hold of those worlds and protected them from the demon kings. Interfering with what they do to the heroes may cause a confrontation. How does the hero summoning work in detail? In such situations, can you stop summoning heroes? -

- Which worlds? -

- The thirteenth world, Khubor, and the fifteenth one, White Shore, - I answered.

The relic hummed and then said, - Wait a moment? -

I thought that was weird.

But a split second later: - Interesting. The System allowed me to cancel future hero summons for White Shore. -

- Wait. You can do that? -

- I am obligated to summon heroes if I do not have information or if situations change. But if I receive reliable information that those worlds are self - sufficient, as gods, I can raise a dispute on my faith point spending for these worlds. The intention of the System is to bind the gods together for mutual protection. If thereÆs no need for protection, I can raise an objection. The System permeates everything; it knows whether the information is legitimate or not. -

That made both myself and Lumoof wonder whether we could trick the World Faith System into verifying information on our behalf. - But why doesnÆt the World Faith System cancel it automatically? -

- The Gods prefer that everyone participates in an arrangement, rather than everyone opting out. There are also factors that the System may not be able to foresee. But for Khubor - it seems that my information is not yet sufficient. Did you meet said domain holder? -

- No. Not yet. -

- Perhaps that is how the System verifies whether you know or not. -

- Is this because you canÆt see those worlds? - I countered. - Why canÆt you spend faith points to verify it yourself? -

- I could, yes. My information on these peripheral worlds is scarce, and all I could tell is that my heroes die. I feel the link of magic to the heroes fade and that a demon king died. I do not know who participated in the battle or how it died. It also does not help that thereÆs a huge lack of followers on these worlds, so they do not transmit fragments of their knowledge to me on death. -

- And you wonÆt? -

- If you will meet this existence anyway, I may as well save on the faith points. -

- True. You learn from people dying? - In hindsight, that seemed obvious.

- I learn from prayers. I learn from the death of my followers. I learn from those who have faith and offer me sacrifices. It is the power of the World Faith System. Their Faith in me provides the knowledge I need to act. -

It was similar to my ability to collect souls, but the World Faith System did work on a larger scale. - Does this work if the soul gets stolen? -

- No. When the spirit of a dead person enters the void, that is when the fragment of their identity merges with the System, where I would then collect it. If the soul fails to reach the void sea, then I do not gain it. -

Ah. So Khubor had been indirectly cutting information off by stealing the souls of the dead. - Why does the System force you to protect these worlds? -

- It is the old gods. Each are unable to trust each other but need each otherÆs faith to collectively protect the worlds from the System. So the old gods weaved this requirement into the World Faith System in its nascent stage to compel all of us to do our part. A mutual defense pact. -

Trust, or lack thereof. I saw parallels of this in so many things, where collective action was needed to get out of problems, but when each acted selfishly, it led to the worst type of outcomes. It was unfortunately just game theory playing out on a large scale.

- Naturally, the old gods didnÆt think the lesser deities needed to play a role. -

- That does not seem like a glowing testimony of the other gods personalities. -

- Those who have power are often a little bit paranoid, even when they donÆt need to be. If you have a visit to the domain holder of Khubor, that will help my ability to dispute the hero summon. -

On some level, I felt it rather comical that gods still had to engage in information gathering to argue their own case. It was as if the System was this irritating kind of governance that didnÆt want to move unless prodded.

YEAR 277

AlkaÆs revival happened without much warning.

It just happened one moment when his eyes opened, and the pod naturally unfurled to release him from his long sleep. Then his domain expanded, reasserting its presence on the world around him.

- ItÆs good to be awake. I was in a really, really long dream, - he said as he realized where he was. Somehow, he knew I was there watching. Maybe it was my presence.

- Good to have you back, friend, - I said as I alerted the rest of the domain holders. They were all on their way back.

He blinked, stretched, and picked up a robe that was already gathering dust. - YouÆve waited a long time. -

- A little. Seventeen years is a long time, and much has happened. -

Alka looked outside, and he could feel it. - I know I just came out of a pod, but IÆm already eager to head back and have a dream academy replaying the years IÆve missed. -

- ThatÆll have to wait. The rest of them are on their way here. -

- Ah. Fine. I guess theyÆll miss me after. seventeen years? Man, that long dream is so misleading. I thought I was asleep for only a few years. -

- Did you get anything for your sacrifice? - I asked, curious whether he leveled. - Any new abilities? -

- Surprisingly, yes. IÆm now Level 171, and IÆve gotten the ability Physical Mana Manifestation . ItÆs the ability to turn raw mana, both mine and others, into a kind of physical object that can then be used as a bomb. In a way, itÆs pure mana as a bomb, no intermediaries, no need for crystals and all that sort of stuff. Right now, we store mana in crystals and various potato storages spread throughout the world, but this physical mana manifestation pretty much leaps through them and turns the mana emitted from our souls into a physical object that can be used as a bomb, and maybe a battery. -

- Wait. Wait. DoesnÆt that mean you could use my mana to create a very big bomb? - I said, realizing how this power interacted with my own extensively large mana pool. Of all the domain holders, I had the largest mana pool by multiple orders of magnitude.

- Well, yes. ThereÆs got to be some downside to it, - Alka said, and after a few seconds, he figured it out. - Ah. Handling. ItÆs kinda fragile and could easily blow up. Because itÆs like pure mana in physical form, anyone not strong enough could easily get mana overload and mana poisoning. And it also decays over time, though relatively negligible when compared to how frequently we use crystal bombs. -

- The bombs may be obsolete, though. WeÆre at the level where we can handle demon kings. - I had to correct him, though I could see such a physical bomb as a powerful tool on the Sun Rings . If we could blow it up, we didnÆt even need to rely on Gawa Æs divine weapon, whatever that was.

Alka paused as the bombshell just hung in the air. After a few seconds, he spoke again. - I really do need to get to that dream academy and have a recap of what happened in the past seventeen years. I missed out on a lot. -

- Yeah. In a way. -

At about that time, the door to the pod opened, and the rest of the domain holders gave Alka a big group hug. It was a strangely nice feeling to see my domain holders give Alka a hug.

- ItÆs really you, isnÆt it? - Stella laughed.

Alka rolled his eyes as if it was obvious. - Maybe. Maybe the real me died that day and what you see now is a perfect replica. -

- It is a perfect replica, physically, - I answered. - But his soul is the same one. -

Stella grinned. - Good enough, I guess. -

I allowed my domain holders to have half a day to catch up, and then Alka, as he requested, had a long few days digesting the events of the past seventeen years in my dream academy .

We needed to hold the worlds for a period of time.

At least for one or even two demon king cycles. Alka had a lot of ideas in his mind after he reviewed the data, and one of the first things he did was calculate whether we could blow up the Sun Rings with his new ability.

Our initial information was fairly encouraging. It would leave a rather big hole, and the Sun Rings were such a massive object that it would likely survive. If we could make bombs equal to ten times my current mana, it should leave a large crack. With Edna and LumoofÆs ability to fend off the demon kings, we could potentially destroy the Sun Rings if we hit it multiple times.

I wasnÆt sure if itÆd be enough to destroy the strange demonic barrier that blocked our view of the inner demon realms, but we would have to try.

- So now that you know whatÆs up, what do you plan to do? -

The dwarven master alchemist laughed. - LetÆs just say I have some dreams I suddenly feel like fulfilling. -

- Oh, all right, what will it be? -

- IÆll make a trip to Delvegard, - Alka said with a stereotypical dwarven grin. - That seems like the best place to get me up to speed and relive some of my fantasies. -

Lozanna , the world of Magisar.

Lozanna stood on the edge of their newly built city. There were few demons these days. In the past few months, even more demons were slain, and increasingly, their once - skeptical refugees and escapees from the towers began to see the merit of their ways.

There truly was nothing like power.

Sadly, not everyone saw it that way.

- ThereÆs a planned rebellion to push us out, milady, - one of her subordinates reported during a regular weekly meeting. The actual Valthorn force deployed on Magisar wasnÆt large, only a hundred to two hundred. The Valthorns extensive weakening of the demons, together with an alliance of the mages that supported the battles, gave the local tower masters the wrong idea.

The tower masters presumed that the Valthorns only comprised two hundred to three hundred or so mages, and they were thinking of overwhelming the entire Valthorn force during one of the battles against the demons.

In some ways, the Valthorns supplied the ingredients for the Tower Masters to plan the rebellion. The destruction of various demonic hives meant the disruptions were removed, and the old message networks were restored.

So the tower masters, eager to regain control over the entire world and place as the rulers of the world, quickly plotted with their peers.

In their minds, ten thousand mages across the ten or twenty or so towers would be enough to take on two hundred or so Valthorns. In order to make it happen, the tower masters would all deploy some secret teleportation scrolls to launch the attack together.

- Why do people do things like this? - Lozanna sighed as she heard the full scope of what the Valthorn spies had discovered. - Do they truly think theyÆll win? -

- They might, if the tower masters themselves arrive, - one of Lozanna Æs assistants answered. - They donÆt quite understand the full scope of our strength. -

Both Ebon and Hoyia were redeployed to other worlds, and she looked at the report again.

- At least half of their mages will die if we let this attack happen. ThatÆs a massive waste of magical talent, - Lozanna said with a sigh.

- I think we should haul up the tower masters. Let them know what exactly they are facing. -

Lozanna paused as she thought about it. - Is that the best course of action? I mean, how can we truly solidify our impression on the Magisarians that we truly mean to help them. -

Each of them suggested different ideas, but was there really a way to stop the conflict in such a way that would show them the gap between the two forces? Something that would truly show the Magisarians that in a real - war, - there really was a huge gap?

Something that would truly spare them the enemies?

In the end, Lozanna thought of a few different ways to solve the problem, but ultimately, the solution was some variant of A/ Æs Perspective.

Fear.

She hated using fear to convince others, but there were times there was no choice.

Fear was a survival tool, and for those scheming against them, it would save their lives. There were those who didnÆt think it through. Perhaps the hold of their old system was too strong.

It was hard for people to change overnight, what more such a large, cultural change.

Fear was a fence. It would keep them safe. Conflict was inevitable; sometimes, this conflict was peaceful, and sometimes, it was deadly. As A/ Æs envoy to these worlds, they had an incentive to keep things peaceful.

It was kind. She knew and spoke to some of the Magisarians that would rebel. They even fought together briefly during one of the earlier attacks on the demons.

She tried her best for the charm offensive to convince their minds that choosing A/ was the right choice. But in the end, the presence of the domain holders on Magisar was fairly temporary, and only a few felt what it was like to stand before them.

She double checked and, together with her team, came up with a plan. One that would allow the archmages to go all the way, only for it to fail at the last moment.

The tower masters wanted to strike during one of the larger offensives against the demon hives. They saw that as their last window of opportunity where quite a few of the Valthorns would be gathered in the same place. Three thousand mages of the various Magisarian Towers were supporting the attack, and at the same time, about six thousand more mages from across the field.

Lozanna was there, as were ninety of the other Valthorns deployed to Magisar, prepared for the battle. Only about half of them knew of the coming betrayal, so the other half that didnÆt would be updated at the last minute and sent into the demonic hives first.

- Lady Lozanna . - A Magisarian mage came over; there was a trembling in his hands. - Will we launch the attack on the demons soon? -

Lozanna looked at the hive as another Magisarian mage walked over. He was one of those who joined the refugee camps. Yet somehow, the tower masters promised him great titles, positions, and wealth if he cooperated with their schemes. She wouldÆve understood if it was someone like Lezzan, the old leader of the refugees that decided to side with the tower masters.

Some of those left not because they were against the structure of society, but merely because they did not benefit from it.

The Valthorns played the political game of Magisar and won the right to rule through their magical prowess. Alas, the game was there only when it benefited them. Already, the Tower Masters whispered how it wasnÆt meant to allow foreigners to come and claim the Towers, even if it was never formally written down.

Lozanna looked at the demonic hives. It was quite far away, and the mageÆs pulse was ragged. He hadnÆt had much sleep.

The demonic golem hives were crowded; there were the large, demonic golem champions. - Yes. Soon. This is the last demonic hive. WhatÆs left is only the king, and we will get to that soon. Are you ready? -

The mage gave a nod, but his body language was unnatural. He knew today would be the day the natives would try to flush out these - invaders. -

- It will be a glorious day. The day of the last hive purged from Magisar, - Lozanna explained. - Maybe itÆll be recorded as the Battle of NothlendÆs Valley. -

The native mage could only nod.

- Maybe you have another name for today? - Lozanna teased, and she felt the native mage tremble. There was something he wanted to say, but he couldnÆt. - Relax, itÆs just a joke. ItÆs just the first step. Rebuilding your world is going to take a while. -

Lozanna sighed and tapped the Magisarian mage on the shoulder.

- Change is hard. Removing threats doesnÆt mean Magisar is ready to be a member of the wider world, and the society must be ready to contribute, just as it will receive aid and rewards for doing so. -

She wondered whether he would hesitate at the last moment.

The archmage Blackmoore led the charge into the demonic hive, as the Valthorns struck first. They always did. The native armyÆs role was just to support the Valthorns assault.

She glanced at a corner and sighed. The mage bowed as he tried his best not to expose their plot. - I must go prepare, Lady Lozanna . -

He didnÆt. It was a shame that someone she thought would be receptive to change still wanted the old order.

Lozanna sighed and felt a familiar hand on her shoulder. - A good try, Lozanna . But do not worry, they wonÆt be harmed in the little demonstration. -

The elf nodded. She led the rest of the deployed Valthorns. - Valthorns! - she shouted as the rest of the Valthorn force gathered around her. - Let us destroy the last demonic hive! -

The small group of high - level Valthorns roared, and they all charged into the demonic hives. Only Lozanna and another Valthorn stayed back. The scheme had begun as she felt the activation of teleportation spells. The army of the local Magisarian mages grew as hundreds more mages joined the existing army, and then the tower masters appeared.

She had to focus to feel them moving around. They didnÆt shine like the Valthorns.

- Attack! - The shout came from behind the lines, and Lozanna closed her eyes. She turned and saw a trembling mage, the same mage that spoke to her, and their eyes met. The mages launched a volley at the demonic hives. The hives were done for, anyway.

- Attack the invaders. - The second volley was the key signal.

The mage steeled himself, and yet Lozanna stared into his eyes and said, - You donÆt have to do this. -

He did, anyway. He raised his magical staff, as did many others, and they all launched a spell, this time aimed at the Valthorns.

The spells were fired and smashed into Lozanna Æs protective wooden shields. The tower masters flew overhead - they were armed with all their best weapons - and a battering of spells smashed into Lozanna Æs shields.

- Die, invaders! - they said.

Lozanna Æs shield held. They underestimated the sheer gap of power between them.

- No one is hurt yet. - Lozanna heard the same familiar voice in her head. She nodded.

The Valthorns that knew of the betrayal quickly moved to protect their peers that didnÆt. Lozanna emerged at the center of a heavily damaged crater and looked at the tower masters. - So this is what youÆve elected, Tower Masters? - Lozanna said with a smile that terrified the Tower Masters.

One of them had a look at the grin on her face and knew they had fucked up.

- YouÆve brought quite an army to support this attack, and yet your attacks fail to even get past my shields, - Lozanna declared. In truth, very few in the world could. Her shields came with A/ Æs special blessings, and that meant her shields were always above and beyond everyone elseÆs; only those in the domain could match her.

Lozanna walked toward the group of thirty or so tower masters. Many of these floating Towers had a few tower masters, and not all of them were here. They were wise to do so.

- All youÆve brought is an audience for your execution, - Lozanna declared as the tower masters panicked. The second wave of spells smashed into her shields and did nothing.

The mood in the thousands of mages present changed.

- You must wonder why we are strong, - Lozanna declared.

LumoofÆs invisibility vanished right next to her, but his presence was zero. He hid his powers.

- Tower Masters, come, - Lozanna declared. - Show me the nerve of your resistance. The fire that possessed you to fight us. -

The tower masters did, and a few of the ringleaders shouted, - DonÆt fear her! SheÆs just taunting us! -

Their spells gathered, and just then, a wave of anti - magic spread throughout the entire valley. Lozanna nodded at Lumoof briefly; the anti - magic aura meant not many would be hurt.

- Come, - Lozanna said, as the army of mages realized quite a few of their magical equipment and spells were not functioning.

- What - whatÆs happening? - The disbelief in the army.

Lozanna withdrew a spear of anti - magic, a pure glass weapon. To the magic - sensitive Magisarians, it was akin to staring into a whirlpool that drained magic from around it.

The tower masters had to use higher - tier spells that were unaffected by the anti - magic aura. They all smashed helplessly into Lozanna Æs anti - magic spear. She walked toward them menacingly, while the lower - level mages were rendered not much more than regular, magic - less foot soldiers.

Her physicality meant she reached them, and she gave them a punch. Their shields were useless; all it took was a light poke by her spear and its magical energies were sapped. They were not built for rigor.

The army of mages watched helplessly.

- These are your Tower Masters, - Lozanna declared as she flung the bloodied Tower Masters on the floor. - They led you to believe you had a chance. -

She glared.

- All of you are just fodder. They are more than prepared to see three quarters of you die, just so that they can stand atop of your world once more. -

The army of mages of Magisar were generally below Level 60.

And yet, to Lozanna Æs bewilderment, they raised their weapons. She saw in their eyes those who dared to fight them. If only they used that daring against the demons instead of them.

- Even before those who are twice your levels, do you really want to do this? - Lozanna asked, and those present were shocked. - You might still think you have a chance against me? -

She looked at the group of tower masters, and they were still somehow defiant. Their spells blasted into her wall of wooden shields. Those who followed them attacked with their own weapons. Some of them held hero - items.

A waste of such good weapons in the hands of lesser mages for the purpose of a power struggle.

Why?

Were they unfair to them? All they did was round up their army and cobbled them together into a unified fighting force. And yet they used that opportunity to rebel against them instead.

She glared at the Tower Masters, and they did not relent.

She saw courage. Misplaced courage, in the heart of the mages who believed they were fighting an occupier.

Were they occupiers? Lozanna knew they were not.

Yet somehow, despite their spies and allies, the tower masters managed to convince so many mages that they were. That these mages and wizards were freedom fighters.

Courage. They were driven into a frenzy as the tower masters continued their attack. She could feel them use some kind of magic that blessed the mages under their banner and raised their spirits.

Words would not do now.

Lozanna Æs eyes looked into those mages that stood against them, despite being so outclassed. They believed her reluctance to hurt them as a sign that they had a chance.

So brave and yet so foolish.

She felt sad for them, because she did not really want to use A/ Æs presence to crush their spirits. She had seen those broken by A/ Æs presence, and it was hard for them to find their courage again.

Yet the alternative was death. The alternative was a spell that would hurt them. Or a perpetual guerilla rebellion as these mages continued to believe their chances.

Lumoof waited. It would be her call as the temporary leader of the Valtorn Magisar Division.

She weighed the odds in her heart and finally relented. - Lumoof, let us show them who stands at the heart of our organization. -

A/ Æs Avatar descended, and the air instantly turned oppressive. The tower masters gazed at the sky, only to see darkness. The sun was blocked, as the towering presence loomed over the entire army.

- With each rebellion, and each resistance, the perceived value of your world to us diminishes, - Lozanna declared. - Those of us here are trying to prove that your world still has value and thus should be trained to be a part of the bigger war. -

In the face of something like A/ , somehow everything just stopped. The mages looked in foolish courage only to find an abyss of stars looking back at them.

In A/ Æs Avatar, they saw the cruel reality that they never stood a chance.

In that moment, Lozanna rushed ahead and grabbed one of the mastermindÆs robes and pulled him up. They were vulnerable. The Magisarians were never a physical kind, and next to Lozanna , this much was clear. Lozanna was a slim elven woman, but her limbs were all strong, dense, and flexible.

- WeÆve known of your schemes for a while, - Lozanna declared loudly to the manÆs face, but its intended audience was everyone else. - It is quite convenient that youÆve identified those with rebellious tendencies for us. -

The army of mages all panicked, but they had no words. They were unable to. The pressure that pressed on them was now too strong.

- I had such high hopes. - The elven lady sighed; she spotted the traitorous mage hiding in the crowd. - All of you will live, but your loyalties were tested today and found lacking. Return to your home cities and towers, mages. All of you are now barred from all preference trades, and all benefits with the Order are suspended until youÆve atoned for your rebellion. -

Through Lumoof, a group of three hundred or so Valthorns appeared. It was a temporary deployment, a force that was meant for the other worlds, but Lozanna borrowed them to control the rebellion.

The tower masters could not resist, as A/ Æs vines wrapped around them.

Lozanna sighed. - IÆll deal with you later. The rest of them, please send them home. -

There was no need to imprison them. The fear will haunt them for the rest of the month. The power of Haunted Forest at A/ Æs level was an imprint on their psyche.

The tower masters knew they were doomed. Some of them expected death.

Lozanna sighed, and still, she didnÆt want to kill them. There was no need for death when there were demons to kill. - I believe these tower masters are in need of some perspective. -

They were whisked away for a good year - long trip on Lavaworld.

Thus, one of the most peaceful failed rebellions on Magisar, where the only injuries were some bloodied faces and bruises.

But the scar on the minds of MagisarÆs mages would take an eternity to heal.

YEAR 277 (PART II)

IcouldnÆt immediately decide on the White StatueÆs offer, and at this point, there was not enough trust between us to even begin offering it a position. In short, we barely knew each other, and we would have to wait for a few rounds of safe - hero - returns - before we could seriously consider his offer.

So that was what Lumoof did. A simple visit, where we remarked that we appreciated the offer, but we were unable to decide on it, until we had built up a history of cooperation and trust. We would like to see it deliver on its promises to spare the heroes and, from there, decide how to move forward.

The White Statue understood and didnÆt seem hostile.

A part of me feared whether it would retaliate for rejection, but then, if it did retaliate, then that solved whether it was someone we could work with, since it did not respond to what was a reasonable request.

The problem was Gawa had removed the World Faith SystemÆs future hero summons, and thus there was no real way of testing whether the White Statue would hold up its end of the bargain.

On some level, the White Statue was not yet a threat. It had hero - level combat strength, which made it very powerful, but it didnÆt have the means to move to worlds. If it did, then it had all the components necessary to establish an entity like the Valtorn Order.

Other than its past records of killing heroes, in aggregate, a White Statue - like empire throughout the multiverse would be a net benefit, just like RaphÆs angels.

There were forces within the Valtorn Order uncomfortable supporting an entity that could one day grow into a force that rivaled our own.

But that was nature, wasnÆt it?

There would always be competition, and those unable to compete had to find their own niche.

For me, I was comfortable letting these existences grow. I saw them as good, and it was not as if we were the only power around. There were still the old gods, and though the old gods were more - clustered - in nature, they still formed a powerful force that would hinder the expansion of potentially expansionist empires.

I believed it may be a good idea to send the White Statue to one of the demon worlds, let it experience what were the types of foes we faced and the lines of our war. Eventually, I would let it have its first expansion to one of the many new worlds that we encountered.

I thought about Raph, and the angels, and wondered whether it was wrong for us to just avoid them altogether. Maybe I should revisit them someday, because by just ignoring them, did I just sweep the problem under the rug?

Maybe I did.

Maybe we all did.

Knowing that, I thought about the White Statue and Raph.

Raph and the Angelworld leaned strongly authoritarian, and in hindsight, that may be what was needed during a period of chaos, especially dealing with a populace that was not familiar or able to operate within more collaborative methods.

From those experiences, and having seen the White StatueÆs empire, my previous action of ignoring them was unlikely to be fruitful. Instead, engagement and guiding them toward a peaceful coexistence would be better for the world as a whole. I believed that the multiverse was big enough for everyone, and even if it wanted to grow, there were the demon worlds that could be reclaimed to feed all their ambitions.

Ignoring them and letting them sit in their own worlds may be a solution. Destroying them was also one.

But I didnÆt think destruction was a good idea.

Would I be better than the demons if I destroyed other races that couldÆve helped against the demons?

So we should do what civilizations do. Diplomacy and engagement.

We should engage with both Raph and the angels of Angelworld and also the White Statue and his empire.

They could still be enemies. But at least weÆd given them and their societies a chance to prove themselves.

Meanwhile, the Valtorn OrderÆs priorities shifted to the rest of the peripheral worlds. The Valtorn Order deployed my nodes on the chosen worlds, and we began our expansion.

I watched with great amusement as the mages of Magisar attempted to rebel against us and was quite happy with how Lozanna dealt with it.

But it did suck that many of the interactions eventually ended with, - We have the big guns. -

Lumoof didnÆt seem to mind. - If we have the divine on our side, it is best we show it. Power must be known and must be seen used. Only then will the people remember it. -

But Lozanna didnÆt. It was not her ideal outcome.

Lozanna , Magisar

The single event reshaped the thoughts among the Magisarians. The mages that survived that event went back with their views of the Valthorns thoroughly changed. She could see it in their face, the mix of horror, awe, and strangely hope.

It was partly why she hoped to avoid that card.

But she knew she couldnÆt. The mages were still eager to fight, she saw, even in spite of the strength she displayed. Even if she swimmingly overwhelmed the Tower Masters, some people would die that day. Unnecessarily, because of lies from their old leaders.

It was why she ultimately asked Lumoof to activate A/ Æs Avatar.

But it had consequences.

It was not the first time she met people with such a reaction. She saw this same reaction in those subjected to A/ Æs Perspective. The nobles were all unable to fathom an existence so much greater than themselves that they lost their ability to fathom it.

Gods.

Lozanna sighed. She was privileged in a way different from others. She grew up watching the big tree in her village grow into the ginormous existence that protected their world. To those around her, A/ was always a god, and they couldnÆt see A/ as anything else. She, too, believed in A/ , but unlike others, she had seen A/ Æs failings and knew that even gods had flaws.

She saw how it was done, for most parts of the way, and thus she could see even a powerful existence like A/ wasnÆt unreachable.

A part of her wondered to herself whether this was the difference between those who could be domain holders and those who couldnÆt. Somehow, she believed she could be one. No. She saw how it was done and knew it was entirely possible. Those who aspire to be domain holders must make it a part of them. An innate belief that the gods werenÆt something that could not be reached.

Yet, as she looked at the now subservient mages, she wondered whether such an act would cut off their ability to rise.

The Magisarian mages would be sycophants. The new - zealots. -

She heard of the news through their Valthorn information network. The White Statue imprinted a mission on those it met, woven into their souls. Lozanna knew that A/ Æs Perspective, and using A/ Æs presence on low - leveled existences was pretty much the same thing.

It was an equivalent of a blunt smash into their soul. It was the equivalent of a battering ram breaking down the seemingly impervious castle gates. No one forgot something so clear.

Even the tower masters.

The slight trembling in their hand. The awkward jerks when she approached. They remembered that moment.

An imprint.

It was no different to the actions of the White Statue.

The presence of a domain holder affected all those who encountered them. Everyone felt the way their existence warped and influenced the world. Because they did.

Lozanna feared that there would come a time where Lumoof and A/ were so powerful that the mere sight of them would turn those with weaker wills and minds into golems, and so it was important that the use of A/ Æs Avatar be limited.

- Lady Lozanna . - The mage knelt in front of her, and there were ten others behind the mage. He didnÆt kneel before this, but he was there during the day of the crushed rebellion. All of them were. - I - I wish to atone for my sins. We were fools for believing the tower masters lies. -

Fear. Worship. Lozanna had seen so many mages who probably went back to their homes and realized that they would have died that day.

It was pathetic.

She shook her head. Her goal was to save lives, and she did so. There was no point coming to the peripheral worlds to save them from the demons and later on kill the natives due to infighting and rebellion.

It defeated their purpose. The peripheral worlds were not theirs to - claim. - Yet, as she looked at the sorry mages who came, maybe they were already dead.

She didnÆt believe those who had their wills broken had the capacity in them to be one of them. Not with what their task called them.

In her eyes, A/ Æs goal of extracting talent from the people of this world would have to wait for the next generation.

- If you wish to atone for your mistakes, do your job well, and teach your children well, - Lozanna answered, feeling a little resigned. It was a little sad, but for Magisarians with their human - like lifespans, it would just be a few decades.

The mages nodded and thanked her profusely. She had to resist a sigh. She wondered when Central would finally send over a Mage Lord to run the place.

She shook her head. No. She shouldnÆt think of her escape.

SheÆd do her job well, until her part was done.

Alka finally walked on the lands of Delvegard.

- This is nice, - Alka said as he watched the chaos that unfurled in the valleys below. Lord Sundus accompanied him, as well as a few other dwarves, and they sat at the vantage point. The vantage point was protected by magic, so the group saw it fit to bring wine, food, and tables. They all had binoculars or other sort of viewing tools and watched from their comfortable location while eating. There was a war between two of the dwarven nations, and they brought out a few of their big guns. Both factions deployed their gigantic war machine. - But itÆs so impractical. -

Sundus shrugged. - The dwarves fight their wars this way. They donÆt do much covert warfare. ItÆs pure mechanical weaponry and power. -

- Perhaps no one with other ideas would get sufficient funding and resources, - Alka said. The way resources were allocated in Delvegard favored those who preferred to build big war machines. It made them gain levels, and their craftsmen could then go on to build even bigger, better war machines.

- Most likely. IÆve met a few low - leveled crafters, and they were fairly amused when asked to build other things. -

- If we could show them other ways to fight this war, theyÆd quickly adopt and copy the new designs, - Alka said as he activated some kind of spying skill.

Sundus paused. - Should we really introduce new ways of killing each other to the dwarves? -

Alka laughed. - Fair. Have you wondered what itÆll be like if one of A/ Æs carriers came here? -

- You think. With all due respect, itÆs not a good fit, sir. - The dwarven lord stopped, a little surprised.

- It isnÆt. ItÆs a joke. - Alka smiled. - But now, have you ever wondered what the dwarves will do? -

Sundus realized the question was serious and momentarily sat there. - They would naturally turn their weapons against us. -

- But the beetle carriers fly high above these dwarven contraptions, - Alka said. - Barring the crystal weapons of the dwarves, there is hardly anything that could hurt them. Now, beyond that, these carriers are expendable. Consider what will happen to the politics of this world. -

- They will band together. But weÆll be like demons. -

Alka said, - And thatÆs the problem. How do we stop people from fighting each other? In almost every world weÆve been to, it is always a powerful force enforcing social order, because fighting is advantageous to the rebels. The one who cooperates and exists peacefully with their fellow men takes longer to get what they want, while the rebel who fights just takes and gets it now. -

A classic prisonerÆs dilemma. If everyone cooperated and coexisted peacefully, there was potential to have even more than the spoils of war. And yet, because there was no way to enforce trust and peace without weapons, and the one who behaved peacefully was almost always at a disadvantage, everyone was then forced to prepare for war, which diverted resources away from a place of wealth.

- So we can do what A/ did on Threeworlds and Mountainworld. Establish a colony and recruit people. Then the natives turn on us because they fear our rising power, and then they remember to keep their distance for a while. Is there a better way? - Alka asked. - Would it be better if we came in with overwhelming force, so that we are seen as invaders, and force the locals to obey? -

Sundus frowned. It was true what they did now on Delvegard was more of the same. Slow expansion by establishing a small base of operations.

- Or we take what we want. The talents. The resources. How do we undermine what sustains the war on this world? -

Sundus paused as he realized it was similar to how the Order drained the vassal wars of its fire. By taking out the winds. - We steal all the void weapons. That would absolutely cut off all the supply of Sunsteel and Sunmetal, and the existing nations would have to resort to old weapons. -

- That is one. Two, we begin a wide - scale collection of the talented crafters. Recruitments. Spies. We need to give the talented crafters of these dwarven worlds reason to leave and also a damned good reason to join us. The academies are valuable, but its contents can be stolen. It is the people that we need. People who we can redeploy to build new types of weapons for use against the demons instead of fighting these repetitive wars. -

Sundus nodded. - So, first, we need to engage in wide - scale theft of weapons and a good amount of private visits. -

- Great. Glad you see it my way. - Alka tapped the lord. - Can I count on you to make it happen? -

Sundus shrugged. - IÆll treat my best. -

- Good. As for me, IÆll infiltrate one of these craft academies, build up a dossier of talented individuals, learn their secrets, and then, when we are ready, weÆll convince those we can, and rebuild a version of the dwarven academies somewhere secure. -

YEAR 278

- For the worlds that we donÆt intend to spend much time on, letÆs just go in, destroy the demons and the demon king. The locals wouldnÆt realize anythingÆs different, and we fulfill our end of the bargain with Gawa , - Lumoof repeated. - For those where we intended to deploy a node, weÆll work out a more detailed plan. -

- Got it. - The heroes and the domain holders nodded.

- Okay, come. Now letÆs go? -

Sarlpi

Lumoof and Stella led the way, and they landed on the world of Sarlpi. Once Lumoof went through, the rest of the heroes and domain holders followed, transported through my clone - teleportation ability.

The demon king of Sarlpi was a fire demon, and it waited. The world of Sarlpi was heavily battered, though the few Order operatives on Sarlpi managed to create a safe space for the fire people that still lived.

A few of them would stay back to protect the fire people, in the event that the ice people of the north and south decided to expand, though the unfavorable terrain meant it was unlikely that the ice people would be interested in the lands.

It was fairly easy to find the demon king, and the battle was now trivial.

SarlpiÆs demon king died in a fairly quick battle. The might of nine domain holders and seven heroes meant what was a formidable challenge for a single hero was thoroughly trivial. The heroes could not believe how easy the battle was over.

- I like that this is easy. - Samuel breathed a sigh of relief.

Prabu and Colette nodded. - ItÆll be great if all demon kings are like this, but we have to prepare for demon kings that are like the one on Gigant dragon or Multipus. -

The heroes gained a level or two each, and the lower - leveled domain holders did as well. But for the three of us that reached Level 200, we didnÆt gain a thing.

It was fine. We had to keep moving.

Capra

The force landed on the world of Capra, through one of my node trees. The Node Tree was safely placed in one of the Capran Mountaintop Cities.

The Caprans were hospitable, and they were more than happy to send a party with us to witness the battle. The agreeableness of the Capran rulers made it easy for us to work with them, though a part of me wondered whether there was something we didnÆt see or realize.

On some level, I supposed it didnÆt matter. As long as the Caprans cooperated, provided resources and talent toward our end goal, I didnÆt see a need to expect more from them. This was their world; I was just their temporary protector.

Just like on Sarlpi, the battle against the flying demon king of Capra ended quickly. The moment both Lumoof and Edna got on top of the flying demon king and properly locked it into the ground, the battle was mostly over. Without the incredible mobility of the flying demon king, the rest of the heroes and domain holders hammered the demon king to death.

It was a very different style of battle compared to what the Capran literature depicted. According to their old legends, the battles between demon kings and heroes often brought them across large areas, as their battle crisscrossed the valleys and the towering mountains. As Capran attracted flying demon kings, and the heroes had flight abilities of their own, the old legends were pretty much aerial dogfights and chases through the valleys.

The brutal, up close and personal nature of our forces were a shock, but victory was victory, and we were ready to move.

Capra was free, and we would shift our direction here. On Capra, it was a time for recruitment and reconstruction.

Magisar

Lozanna requested that the battle against the demon king be a fairly quiet affair.

The quelling of the rebellion left a visible mark on the way the mages conducted themselves. It was as if the fire in their mage society was suddenly robbed of their fuel. Depression and a sense of sadness seemed to permeate the towers. Those that didnÆt participate in it thanked their lucky stars, and the stories of how the rebellion was quelled turned more outlandish at each subsequent revision.

ItÆd take some time for this sensation to fade.

- Join us, Lozanna . As well as Blackmoore. Those Level 140 and above should join the final battle, - Lumoof offered the Valthorns. It was voluntary, but in the end everyone who was Level 140 accepted.

We knew from experience that those close to the domain needed it. Edna, Roon, and Johann fought in numerous battles against the demon kings before they broke through that unknown barrier.

The battle against MagisarÆs golem demon king also went smoothly, and quite a few participants gained a level or two, but sadly, it wasnÆt enough to make anyone a domain holder.

It was disappointing, but it made sense.

- Our presence is making it too easy, - Lumoof said. - But I donÆt see why we should stop doing it. There will be many other worlds to take more risks. -

With MagisarÆs demon king defeated, the group moved on to the next world.

Great Steppes

The Armataurs and Lancias were incredibly helpful, and the way they treated the heroes was as if they were the walking embodiment of god itself.

The priests of the two centaur subspecies were gifted with a way of noticing the presence of those who bore the touch of their gods, and so the presence of so many heroes created a controversy among the faithful.

The Treehome heroes were not summoned by Gawa , and neither was Khefri or the other heroes. In the first place, their ability to locate - their - hero only worked specifically to the hero summoned to the Great Steppes, and not elsewhere, but this was a matter that still confused them.

The Armataurs, which worshipped Gawa , and the Lancias, who worshipped a god IÆd not met named Zulfa, only received two heroes during each and every hero summoning.

One by Gawa , one by Zulfa. Thus, the presence of seven heroes meant the existence of many gods beyond what their creation myths stated. It was a cause of great debate among the priests and faithful.

Some of these priests tried to explain it by some kind of exceptional summoning. Some of them spoke about the coming of a third god, which only made these bunch seem blasphemous to those who believed in the primacy of the twin centaurian gods of Gawa and Zulfa.

In the end, the great leaders of the two centaurs decided to order an embargo on all information about the presence of so many heroes, in order to prevent any wide - scale consequences, and restrict the knowledge only to the small group of leaders from both sides.

On our end, it didnÆt matter. Their decision came from the desire to maintain peace, prevent unnecessary discord, and protect the current social order of the world. The Gawa and Zulfa faith didnÆt need their followers questioning them, and since weÆd decided to let them be, we allowed them to do what they wanted.

We fought the demon king and won swimmingly, and the Great Steppes returned to a time of peace.

Treehome

- How many demon kings are we planning to fight this year? - Samuel asked, slightly unprepared for how frequently he was moved from world to world. The few heroes met in a massive, luxurious lounge set in a mansion, and it was Prabu and ColetteÆs family home in Freshka. The heroes.

- I donÆt know, - Colette answered while she briefly glanced out of the large glass windows. Prabu was chasing their daughter Rohana in the fields. Rohana had invited some of her school friends over to play; most of them were children of the Valthorn elites that decided to have kids. - But we should be moving soon. -

- Is it always like this? - the hero from Landas asked. - Like - can we have some breaks in between? -

- Not really. WeÆve not had so many demon king battles in a single year, but the peripheral worlds are a relatively new phenomenon, - Colette clarified. - But if you want to clarify the schedule, I think you should just ask Kei - and speak of the devil, sheÆs here. -

Kei walked in and waved. - Oh, hello. IÆm late, apologies for that. IÆve got the details on the next battle? -

Colette cut in. - SamuelÆs getting tired of the demon king battles. Could you suggest a way we can build a schedule, that way we get enough advance notice, and I can still arrange time for my kidÆs parties? -

The crystal golem girl stopped and looked at the mage Colette, a little bewildered. - Seriously? You want me to schedule an appointment for each demon king battle? -

Samuel stared at Colette. - ThatÆs not what I meant! - Maybe he was a little annoyed that Colette just used his question as an excuse to advance her own interests.

Colette shrugged. - I do think schedules are a good thing. For the peripheral worlds we pretty much have all the information we need, and with both Lumoof and Edna - hell, can we suggest that the domain holders take the battles on their own? -

The former hero couldnÆt quite believe the words she heard, but then again, Colette as a Liberated hero was probably the only one who could say such things. The idea of not fighting demon kings was something that gave all the other heroes a great big headache. Kei looked at Colette - no, she stared at the hero - and the mage smiled.

- I mean, I get that A/ wants to spread the levels around, but I kinda think itÆs experience thatÆs wasted on us heroes? ItÆs not like more levels for us actually help the greater cause, - Colette said, once again something only she could say.

Kei rubbed her temple, unsure why her golem body still gave her the same kind of migraines a biological body would experience. Maybe it was a shadow of her soul, a headache felt in her spirit so it was then replicated in her body, whatever it was. - I will bring it up. -

- Great! I think a good ratio would be one - in - three. WeÆll participate in one third of all demon king battles, and the domain holders can take the rest, - Colette suggested, more than happy to get out of demon king battles.

- Wait! - Samuel cut in, his face looked partially in pain. - Why are you suggesting such a thing? -

- Because I can. - Colette smiled. - Live a little, Samuel. You should find a wife, too. Maybe Khefri. -

Khefri rolled her eyes, somehow a little more resistant to the hero classÆs effects. - No thanks. IÆm gonna head back to Threeworlds once weÆre done with the demon kings. -

The two newer heroes, Wira and Rajah, still adopted Gigant dragon as their home, but they too occasionally visited Freshka for a taste of modern life.

All in, seven heroes. Prabu, Colette, Khefri, Adrian, Samuel, Wira, and Rajah, all would have to work harder.

Kei frowned. - Well, thereÆs two demon kings to hit in the Three - Ringed World next. I suppose you want a break? -

Samuel clearly looked torn, the effects of the hero class trying to exert itself. So Colette answered for him.

- Yes. A break. LetÆs battle the rest of the demon kings next year. The domain holders can handle it. -

Kei nodded. - Guess IÆll see what can be done. ThereÆs only the demon kings on Three - Ringed World, Twinspace, and Shasan left, a total of four demon kings. The rest are all freed. -

Colette nodded. - Great! -

Three - Ringed World

- And so we are here after all. - Lumoof smiled as the Valthorns followed. There were at least fifty Level 140s, Lozanna and Ebon among them. - Since the heroes opted to sit out the next demon king battles, it is thus appropriate for us to try and get some of you to be domain holders. -

Everyone knew that already, and yet it still frightened them. As Level 140s, they were decently strong and could generally survive lesser wounds. Their attacks were also fairly powerful, since they came well equipped with powerful weapons created over the decades.

But death was a possibility, even with EdnaÆs Three Strikes and various protective abilities mitigated quite a few of the risks.

- Well, letÆs go. Enough models and simulations, itÆs time to test out our abilities, - Lumoof said, and my forces descended on the demon king.

In Avatar mode, through Lumoof, we could singlehandedly wrestle with the demon kingÆs strength, and together we drained the demon king of its magic. With Lumoof around, we pretty much pacified the demon king. Edna, Alka, and all the others went all out, and the demon king died fairly easily, even without the heroes.

It took us way longer, though. Instead of a battle that finished in two hours or less, fighting the demon king without the heroes now took us a full day.

But we still saw that as a win, since we achieved this without using bombs.

With one of the demon kings defeated, we rested for a few days and then replicated it with the second demon king.

It was quite a relief that the two demon kings did not assist each other, and instead somehow operated independently. If we had to face two demon kings at the same time, that would make our battle slightly harder.

So we freed the Three - Ringed World from its demon kings.

My Valthorns mostly gained a few levels here and there, and yet sadly no new domain holders just yet.

Maybe a few more.

Treehome

The Holy Empire of the Southern Continent

- YouÆve got quite the place for me to go to, - Emperor Erranuel said as Lumoof arrived in his main chambers. The news of ErranuelÆs intention to expand to the other worlds made the nobles that had been eyeing for more power confused.

ErranuelÆs holy empire was politically fractured. It always was, even though he tried his best to hold them together.

But there were far too many vested interests, and Erranuel still felt like he had too much to lose by taking action. It was something Lumoof found pitiful. Maybe he didnÆt have confidence in the support he had amongst his own nobles. The holy empireÆs origins were the cause, the empire in itself was a cobbled nation, forcefully fused together by the acts of the churches in order to resist the merchant guilds and also the OrderÆs power.

This complicated history merely papered over old faults and grudges among its member states, and so ErranuelÆs role was chiefly as the mediator.

He hated it all. Or maybe he was just tired of it and desired something new.

So, when Lumoof returned with a destination, we could see it spurred him into action. He nominated one of his trusted senior dukes as regent and then quickly rounded up a group of nobles, both loyalists and traitors, for the mission.

- Shasan is one of the worlds that didnÆt quite fit our needs, but it is a fractured world with desert and part oasis type of terrain that you should be fairly familiar with, - Lumoof said.

- ItÆs one of your leftovers, - Erranuel countered flatly. There were a few nobles seated around the emperor.

- You could put it that way, - Lumoof continued without stopping. - But it is a world that doesnÆt have a unified nation, and each of its nations are fractured. They also follow Gawa , even if only at a limited level. With the right motivations and resources, I think you could do a great deal. -

- Hah. - Erranuel chuckled. - Since you put it that way, then I must live up to my reputation. But first? -

Erranuel glanced at Lumoof and back at his own people.

- First, will you lead me to Gawa ? My people wish to meet their god. I, too, have many questions. -

- If you accept, weÆll drop by one of Gawa Æs core world of Satrya. Whether Gawa graces you with his presence is between you and him. - Lumoof nodded. - Your men and priests can come with you, though the very presence of your god would likely be overwhelming for most of them. -

Erranuel shook his head. - I believe my menÆs faith is stronger than that, but IÆll take the challenge. Maybe it is just what they needed. -

- Well, then get ready, weÆll arrange for all of you to be sent to one of the weaker, chaotic towns after that on Shasan. -

The emperor would not be starting from scratch, because he would make the journey with a decent - sized selection of soldiers and leaders. Maybe he was getting bored, and so the prospect of building a new nation thoroughly excited him.

I wanted to see what others could do, on other worlds.

INTERLUDE

ALKA AND THE DELVEGARDIAN YARDS

The dwarven kingdom of Ruthfyord was one of the powerhouses of Delvegard, and they were also the home of the legendary Delvegardian Yards, commonly referred to as the Yards.

Next to the Yards was the official capital of Ruthfyord, Kingsholds. To the locals, it was where the Dwarven King reigned, and the political, trade, and administrative capital. But not military and magic, because the capital of that was the Yards.

At this point, Alka had seen so many capitals and cities that it didnÆt impress him much. He glanced at the map provided by the spies and then double checked his documents. It was incredibly easy to get the right dwarven merchants to provide a recommendation letter when the right amount of money exchanged hands. Dwarves were not incorruptible, though their price tags were often a wee bit higher than humans generally who would often sell out their friends and allies for less.

AlkaÆs appearance was one of a much, much more youthful version of himself. A change in their appearance didnÆt take all that much of his strength but worked wonders for espionage.

He would infiltrate the Yards as a craftsman. According to records and information gleaned by the spies, it would take about five to six years to rise through the ranks of the Yards, though, given his exceptional abilities, it was likely to be shorter.

AlkaÆs goal for the next few years was simple: weave himself into the Yards structure, get access or identify a range of classified documents and information, identify and recruit potentially talented craftsmen for the Order, and if possible usurp the Yards from within.

He wouldnÆt be alone. The OrderÆs spies assigned a few other dwarves who would join over the few years at various levels, through different channels. There were also agents that would enter the other famous yards and workshops. Together, theyÆd form a hidden network of agents that would then work to redirect the Yards leadership.

One of the challenges and learning points from the Magisarian rebellion, in AlkaÆs point of view, was the lack of discretion.

The Order was too public and moved a little too quickly.

On one hand, Alka understood why. They had no choice. The world wasnÆt a stable place, and Lozanna Æs goals were to save lives. For Delvegard, which was currently stable, their involvement could be more discreet, and they could keep themselves hidden for longer. An advantage he intended to maximize.

The guard glanced at Alka, back at his paper, and bowed respectfully. - Welcome, Craftsman Alka. -

Craftsman. A title given to promising blacksmiths and crafters who were then given a chance to join the famed Delvegardian Yards as a working apprentice. The passing mark was Level 30 as a craftsman, where they could be trained by the Level 60 to 80 craftsmen of the Yards.

The Yard itself had two main paths. The first path was the Craftsmen, which referred to those that would work with metals and build the war machines. The second path was the magic path, where alchemists, enchanters, and mages would create runic formations, inscriptions, enchantments, all the other magical liquids, and components that went into the war machines.

Alka was first and foremost an alchemist, but as the Yards generally treated its craftsmen better, he decided it was better to infiltrate the Yards as a craftsman. It would make it easier for him to get close to those who had talent and sway them toward the Order.

The two sides worked, studied, and lived together to build the war machine, though they were separated in some of the classes and learning sessions.

It was a fairly elite setup that worked well for the Dwarven Kingdom of Ruthfyord. Over centuries, they accumulated military strength, and they solidified their position as the best weapons and war machine academy in the world of Delvegard. The only such academy that could even challenge them, the nation of AiranÆs Delvegard Workshops, was on the other side of the world.

He glanced at his documents again. His assigned room was somewhere on one of the corner buildings. The Delvegardian Yards was arranged into long rows of buildings, with wide open spaces in between the buildings. The buildings themselves were each individually self - sufficient; each had its own residential section, its own set of workshop areas, its own canteens, and its own study areas.

The wide open spaces were meant to facilitate movement of the war machines produced from the gigantic workshops. Even from afar, the first thing he noticed on each of the buildings was their giant hangar doors.

It was quite impressive that these dwarves got to the point of developing their own walkers to counter the old demons. The information SundusÆs spies gathered from the nearby towns and cities were fairly thorough, but it was quite hard for the spies to get hold of good - quality historical documents. There were some basic documents and books, but history for the most part only documented the great battles and victories of each nation. Only the king and perhaps its closed advisors had access to the true history of the world, and the Yards reputedly had one of the best archives and records of documents from earlier days.

Again, Alka understood. History was written by its victors, and so the less the populace knew about the truth, the easier it was to shape the mindset of its people.

Alka looked at the open spaces between each of the blocks, and along some of those empty fields, smaller war machines battling it out. Their means of battle were mainly physical attacks, where the war machines attacked each other using their legs and arms. Magical weapons and energy weapons would only be activated when battles were fought in the special areas located in a different block.

Alka looked around and saw about twenty other new craftsmen walk through the door. They all stared and looked around, equally bewildered and happy. One of the new dwarven students walked a few steps and suddenly got down and kissed the stone floor.

He could hear the dwarf student making a prayer to Eras for guiding him here. The others just groaned. - Oh, come on, donÆt embarrass our year. -

It made him think of Freshka Treetiary College. There were similar reactions in young recruits when they visited the FTC for the first time.

There were supposed to be about thirty new craftsmen this year, and they would be split to each of the five main blocks. Each of the blocks were rivals, so most of these would be his rivals. Alka chuckled and checked his document again.

The five blocks were named after the five past kings of Ruthfyord. Ruthen, Arden, Melden, Furden, and Carden. Alka didnÆt know why Stella chuckled when she heard the names, but it was probably one of those Earth things Alka didnÆt get. Maybe it was the rhyming names.

- Block Arden. - All right. Alka nodded, got himself settled into a fairly cozy room, and quickly met his supposed - batchmates. - In the first two weeks, he generally kept a low profile and focused on understanding how the entire system worked. Using tools from the Order, he installed additional surveillance tools to keep tabs on the inner workings of the institution.

One of the first things he deployed were tiny surveillance golems, made by the golem masters of Treehome. They would spread out and plant themselves throughout different parts of the Delvegardian Yards and report the interactions back to him.

- Everything all right? - Alka heard A/ check in through the familiar.

- Yeah. All settled in, - Alka responded. He didnÆt have to do this, but the situation on the peripheral worlds was stable, and Alka wanted to do something different, just to satisfy his curiosity.

Maybe it was one of those things that he wanted to do, since his temporary death.

Alka remembered a feeling of floating about, and when he reemerged from A/ Æs pod, he felt like he was born again.

He felt he missed out. So now, he sought out these experiences. To do something different. Going to an academy and taking over it seemed like a fun thing to do.

A month later

- Alka! Come, join us! We are meeting some seniors and the head of the Arden block! - One of AlkaÆs fellow blockmates slammed on his bedroom door. Alka groaned as he climbed out of bed.

The bed wasnÆt comfortable, so he had it secretly replaced. A shadow emerged right next to his bed, and AlkaÆs sleepy eyes opened to stare at an absolute lookalike of himself. - ItÆs all right, Ally, IÆll go for this one. -

- All right, - Ally answered, in the form of AlkaÆs lookalike. A body created to look like him vanished into the shadows, and the domain holder walked to the door.

- Okay! - Alka smiled. Acting wasnÆt his strongest suit, but it was fairly easy to get used to an environment where there was a lot of work to be done.

As new recruits of the Yards, they began by making supplementary equipment for the various war machines. These were things like weapon mounts, replacement claws and arms, replacement shields, or just gears and parts for all the various components of the Delvegardian war machines.

War machines came in tiers. The largest were the King Spiders, and those were the biggest at about the size of a large building and were about the size of the demon walkers. Below that were the Prince Spiders, which were about the size of a larger room. Then there were the Lord - Spiders, which were generally the size of a bed. The definition, per the Yards rules, were governed by the size of their workshop doors.

War machines were similar to golems and warships in many ways. Just like warships, they came with inbuilt abilities bestowed by their creators, which could then be amplified by the abilities of their pilots or controllers. Mages and enchanters could inscribe runic formations and patterns to give war machines even more power.

Sunsteel was thus the perfect material for these war machines. Strong, light, and magically compatible, though they needed to be forged with Ice Crystals, a process then known as cold forging. Stella remarked it sounded quite like the mythical mythril, though we didnÆt know whether it was even similar.

The Yards wanted Craftsmen to be trained to a high level, since stronger craftsmen gave their war machines stronger skills, which was then amplified by the enchantments that went into the war machines, and also the pilotÆs own skills. It was for this reason that these large things were so dangerous. Each of them represented the skills and powers of multiple people that coalesced into a single tool for destruction, though the Sunsteel was a big part of why they took this direction.

On Treehome, A/ Æs crafters and golem builders constructed golems and other such structures to fairly good results, but ultimately, the materials had limitations on how much innate strength they had and how much magic power could be worked into them. This meant there was a cap on how much stronger TreehomeÆs machines got, even if their crafters were better. On Treehome, it was warships with their large sizes, multiple skilled crews, that went crazy with their outfits and equipment.

- Everything all right, Craftsman Alka? - A supervising crafter, around Level 60 or so, walked past Alka and noticed him staring blankly. He then quickly took a peek at AlkaÆs work and answered before Alka could respond. - Everything looks good. Amazing, even. Keep up the good work. -

Alka nodded. In the Yards, the craftsmen worked with and trained with other budding dwarven alchemists and enchanters, who were also students going through their own set of challenges.

On top of that, they spent quite a bit of time testing out designs, and to a limited degree, work on the Sunsteel and Sunmetal components, mainly as assistants to more senior craftsmen. As the construction of the giant King Spiders took almost a full year, the chief engineerÆs plans were plastered right at the top, and then components of it were distributed to each of the different groups.

It was familiar. The golem factories and golem magic schools that emerged in the past few decades on Treehome had a similar vibe. Those institutions had a hard time recently due to the crystal shortages, but the golems have been a fairly reliable workforce that supported industrial work.

Alka stood and watched the group of eager fellow craftsmen trying to learn from the more senior dwarven craftsmen. Dwarves by their nature were more direct, so he was fairly pleased to find some of the more insidious forms of politicking were not common in the Delvegardian Yards.

There really was a fairly genuine desire to learn and be actual better craftsmen. But rivalries were common, and that manifested in duels. It was apparently such a common thing that the heroes laughed when he reported it.

- So, Alka, I heard youÆre the best one in your batch. - The senior then walked over to Alka and taunted him. Alka merely shrugged. Another challenge.

- Yes. What of it? - Humility wasnÆt a strong suit for dwarves, either. Alka didnÆt get to where he was without being proud of what heÆd done. If he was good, he was good.

- Oh. Confident! You think you can make a better war machine than me? -

Alka looked at the senior. He was supposedly in his third year, and due to the adversarial, competitive nature of the Delvegardian Yards, the craftsmen and builders would gain levels from challenging each other. - Is that a challenge, senior? -

- Yes. - The senior grinned. His batch smiled, eager to watch another fight.

- Oh, our AlkaÆs actually challenging the senior! -

Alka nodded. What kind of domain holder would he be if he couldnÆt even face a challenge even if he was here with different intentions? - So, what should we do? -

- LetÆs do it the old fashioned way. - The senior smiled. - Two - on - two, Lord - class war machines fight till the other gives up or the war machineÆs core is destroyed. -

Alka shrugged. - Two - on - two? Sure. -

- You may pick one of your friends to help. -

Alka laughed. - That will not be necessary. -

- You may be skilled, but donÆt be too cocky, - the senior countered.

War machines. The people of Delvegard were beholden to certain ways of battle. Big towering machines, big frightening weapons, and powerful beam weapons.

It was due to the types of the battles they frequently fought and the power levels of the large war machines. Or maybe it was the sense of security and armor plating the larger war machines had.

But Alka had many advantages as an alchemist of his level. One area where Alka excelled was in the use of alchemical lubricants and greases, and the use of various oils and greases to improve performance was still quite primitive among the Delvegardian engineers.

- Such a small machine? - the senior taunted Alka. - And only one? -

Alka laughed as he climbed into his small war machine. It was a small, compact war machine with small arms but engineered to attack and move with far greater speed than what most war machines were capable of. - I only need one to win, seniors. -

- Oh? - The senior and his friendÆs war machine charged. - Then donÆt say we are too rough on you. -

Alka grinned, and his war machine moved faster than the other two. The lubrication in the joints meant they moved far faster than his foes. He was able to strike with pinpoint precision. He knew exactly where each of the war machineÆs weaknesses were and was able to destroy their joints with his small but powerful strikes.

The small crowd of other craftsmen watched in awe as Alka somehow systematically disassembled the two larger war machines.

It would not be the last time that Alka was challenged by other craftsmen of the Yard. It was intentional. This would get him the attention of even more talented craftsmen who would love to battle a rising star.

Dwarves respected ability, and just like that, the two seniors couldnÆt help but be in awe of Alka, amazed. - Where - whereÆd you learn how to build war machines like that? -

Alka smiled and placed his bait. - Somewhere far, far away. Would you all like to visit, someday? - If they were worth anything, they would be recruited.

Predictably, they nodded. In fact, some of the other craftsmen in AlkaÆs batch even joined in. - Can we visit, too, Alka? -

- Sure. -

- Why do dwarves fight each other? - Alka asked during one of the regular beer gatherings in their block. Everyone was fairly happily drunk by then, and Alka made it a point to attend them regularly. So much so that he did feel quite close to these fellow students and hoped they did well in the future.

- Because weÆre idiots, - one of the seniors answered.

- Craftsman Alka, if youÆre trying to get us to say something thatÆll get us in trouble, donÆt, - one of his batch countered. Alka laughed.

- Seriously, - Alka said. - YouÆve never thought about it? Craftsmen, alchemists, enchanters. The weapons we build will be used on people just like you. Other workshops build things like this, and the dwarves fight to the death with them. It would be better if conflict could be resolved in more peaceful ways. -

- Of course, - one of the seniors said as he drank his seventh mug of beer. - But what can we do about it? Those in power are not going to change. So long as there are kings, territories, and politics, conflict is inevitable. Those who are strong do not see the problem when they exert their power over others. -

- What if there is a way out? - Alka said. - What if you donÆt have to fight each other, but you can use it on the demons? -

- Demons? - The seniors looked at each other. - Wait, the demons are coming in a decade or so? Maybe two? -

- No. Now. Look outside, and look at the night sky. There are other worlds out there, all with demons. There are people fighting them everywhere. -

Those present stared at him like he was half insane. - Craftsman Alka, how many beers did you drink to say this sort of thing? -

One of the alchemist - students in the drinking session laughed. - Have you been snorting some kind of dreaming herb, Alka? -

- Oh, itÆs very real, my fellow friends. IÆd love to show them to you someday. The war against the demons rage on in thousands of worlds. -

- Hah. IÆll chop up my leather belt and make soup with it if itÆs real, - a senior taunted, yet Alka could tell some of them felt inspired by it.

Alka chuckled. - Oh, my good senior, IÆll take that bet. -

- When will you show us? -

Alka touched his beard. - I promise you then, within the next two years. -

- YouÆre on. -

He could tell that the rest of his batch were looking at him as if he was insane. But Alka had to plant the seed. Let such thoughts fester in their minds. One day, when he finally opened the door and showed them what existed beyond Delvegard, it would all make sense.

Time passed quickly, and just like that, itÆd been nine months since Alka joined the Delvegardian Yards. Throughout this time, he made copies of various schematics. Their different origins meant they had design ideas that were worth looking into at great detail. They were also a significantly older institution - the Delvegardian Yards had a history of over a thousand years, which made them older than Freshka.

Generations of craftsmen and dwarven engineers incrementally improved their workings, and Alka found that it was in small things where TreehomeÆs craftsmen could learn from. The slightly different ways screws and bolts were made or how they were all welded together. Treehome generally had a rapid development of magical equipment, but there were minor efficiency differences that the Delvegardian engineers made to their tools, defensive platings and war machines that Treehome could learn from.

Alka, within that nine months, had risen the ranks. Within the Yards, most newbies were craftsmen, but they could be promoted to be senior if they were good enough. Usually, this happened after the second year, because the constant honing and battles amongst the craftsmen and their war machines improved their skills.

The craftsmen and seniors of the Yards were initially skeptical, but they couldnÆt match AlkaÆs capabilities, which were much more sophisticated than them.

This eventually caught the attention of someone higher up in the chain.

Someone knocked on the door. Ally took the door. It was one of the YardÆs senior craftsmen. He spoke to him a few times.

- Craftsmen Alka, the block master wishes to see you. -

Ally nodded. - IÆll be there. -

The door closed, and Ally looked at Alka.

- Should I go? HeÆs been spying on us and looking into what youÆve made. -

- ItÆs fine. IÆll handle it. LetÆs see what the block master wants from me, - Alka said. - I expected this confrontation for a while. I may need you to shapeshift and be his body double. -

Ally nodded, as its body transformed to resemble that of the block master. As a parasite spy, it was able to reconfigure the body to match its appearance, and even copy a certain set of abilities. As a Titan of A/ , AllyÆs Level 80ish presence meant no one would even doubt it was the Block Master.

Then Alka activated his communication ability. - Stella, I might need a portal soon. Got someone I might have to kidnap. -

- Aye. -

The block master was one of the five middle masters of the Yards, one for each of the blocks, and they reported to the forge master, who was the former king of the kingdom. Each block master was individually powerful relative to the rest of Delvegard, and Alka estimated they were likely close to their level cap, at about Level 80 to 85.

- Beer, Craftsman Alka? - the block master offered as Alka walked into his study.

Alka nodded. There was no one here except the two. - I normally donÆt drink, but if it is the block master, I will. -

The drink was spiked. A rare move from the dwarves that preferred more direct means, but Alka was immune to such weak poisons. A/ Æs familiar purged it instantly.

The block master stared at him. - So tell me, Alka, who are you? Your record and innovations are unmatched from anyone in our history, and you clearly have knowledge of something thatÆs not from the Yards repository of knowledge. -

Alka smiled at the block master. - You clearly have some idea already, Block Master. Why not tell me whatÆs your theory, and IÆll tell you whether itÆs right? -

The block master stared at Alka. - ThatÆs not a way to talk to someone that is your block master. -

- Maybe. But IÆd love to hear your thoughts, - Alka countered.

The block master stared at Alka, and Alka didnÆt flinch. - Fine. My first suspicion is that you are an agent of the Airan Workshops trying to destabilize us. But IÆve looked at your war machines and realized they donÆt match anything the Airan Workshops are capable of. So, if you are not from the Airan Workshops, then the only other entity able to train a genius of your level would be the highly secretive Shadow Hangars. -

Shadow Hangars. That was something Alka wasnÆt aware of. It was clearly intel that Sundus was unable to obtain, because it only lingered in the very small circle of senior members of the Yards and not frequently discussed. - Oh? And what is it about the Shadow Hangars? -

The block master stared. - We destroyed the Hangars thirty years ago. Are you here for vengeance? Infiltration is the sort of tactics these foul corrupted dwarves believe in. -

Alka smiled, a little amused how wrong he was. - Really? And you think IÆd be here for something like vengeance? -

- Why else did you come and humiliate the rest of our craftsmen like this? Is this how the Hangars want to exert superiority? Are you here to recruit the students? -

- Well, IÆm not, - Alka countered. - However, I am here to recruit your students. -

The block master stared. - What? -

- In fact, Block Master, I think youÆre a fairly talented craftsman, too. Would you like a tour of what we have to offer? -

The block master was horrified. - What do you mean? -

- Is that a no? -

The block master and Alka exchanged glances, as if he was trying to gauge AlkaÆs statement.

- Would you like to see where I learned how to do what I do? IÆll take you on a trip. It wouldnÆt even take long. -

- Are you serious? - The block master seemed fairly surprised but decided to play along. - Then yes. Show me where you learned how to do what you did, - the block master said, probably thinking Alka was just going to reveal his secret. Alka somehow blinked right next to the block master.

- Good. LetÆs go on a little trip. - The two vanished through a void portal.

Alka and the block master arrived in Treehome, inside one of the many industrial buildings within the wider Freshkan area, and the block master stared. - What - what did you do? -

- What do you think about the state of Delvegard and how the dwarven nations constantly fight each other? - Alka ignored his question.

The block master looked around and noticed the far more busy city around him. - What - ? Where am I? -

- Another world, Block Master. The air feels different here, doesnÆt it? -

- It does. - The block master kept looking around, trying his hardest to stop it. - Where are you taking me? -

- To where my people create weapons used to fight against our real foes. So I ask again, Block Master, what do you think about the state of Delvegard? Do you think your beautiful weapons are wasted on slaughtering the lives of your fellow dwarves in your brutal battles? -

- It - it is what we have to do. The lords and kings do not want to bow to others. Our kings, they are proud dwarves. -

- Pride. ItÆs led to such a waste of life. - Alka sighed, and the door swung open to reveal a vast industrial factory where crystal weapons were made by the thousands. The block master stared in disbelief. - I have a proposition to make to the dwarves of Delvegard, Block Master. The war between dwarves is unnecessary. Useless. Wasteful. Instead, I ask the dwarves, talented ones like yourself, to devote your efforts against the real enemies of the wider world. -

The block master looked at the crystal weapons. - What are you talking about? -

- Demons, Block Master. Delvegard has been a lucky world, a world where the demons only come once a century. But the other worlds are not so lucky. This world once faced demons every decade. -

The block master blinked, unable to fathom it. He was a relatively old dwarf, at about one hundred sixty to one hundred eighty years old, and he saw the demons once when they arrived about eighty to ninety years ago. It was a horrible time, but the dwarves banded together and, with the help of the Dwarven Hero, pushed the demons back. The thought of such monstrosities invading the world once a decade was hard.

- Imagine, for a moment, what we could achieve if Delvegardian war machines were paired with the magical equipment of my world? -

The block master watched for a moment, even at this distance he knew enough to get a rough sense of the sort of equipment that was being made. - You really are recruiting me? -

- Yes, - Alka said. - I will recruit everyone I can, Block Master, and I want you to help me. -

- Why do you think we would join you? -

- Because now you use your weapons on your fellow dwarves while I offer to use your weapons on demons. Because now you are capped behind your levels, stuck at Level 85 to 90, unable to reach beyond, while we have our ways of reaching in the steps of divinity. Because now, your peopleÆs purpose is no more than to satisfy the whims of your kings, while we offer the chance to serve a power and purpose that would save many from these demons, and also elevate many more to join us. -

The block master stared as Alka led him through the factories and into larger barracks made up of Valthorns preparing for their next deployment on the peripheral worlds.

- Look around you, Block Master. These are my compatriots. They will serve in battles against the demons. We have taken the battles beyond our homes and reached into the shores of the demon worlds. The dwarven blood thirsts for war, Block Master. It is why dwarves are only able to unite during the demon king crisis, but after that, the dwarves cannot help but fight each other. -

A void portal whirled in front of him, and Alka led the block master through to the peripheral world of Sarlpi. Here, they witnessed Valthorn warriors hunt down the rest of the fire - elemental demons that still remained on Salrpi.

- I offer to take your nationÆs warriors and war machines, and I offer them the glory, destruction, and war of the demon lands. So, Block Master, I am recruiting. Death. Blood. Destruction and Suffering awaits the warriors who join our cause, but my fellow dwarves aspire to more than just beer, politicking, and building war machines to slaughter their fellow dwarves. -

It was a long, long silence.

Alka allowed his words to sink in, as they followed the destruction left by the Valthorns. The fire demons were torn from the skies.

The block master looked around the chaos of Sarlpi and saw people he had never known existed.

- They will not thank you, - Alka said. - But if your men itch for war, if your men are eager to show the glory of your war machines, I ask that they show them against the demons. There are hundreds, thousands of demon worlds out there to satiate your lust for war. -

- Take me to one. Show me. - The block master was clearly shaken, his hands trembled. His heart pounded furiously.

Alka nodded as another portal whirled open. They landed in front of a rift gate. A void mage nearby nodded. - Opening portal to the demon world connected to Landas? -

The rift gate activated, and they were both sent to a demon world. Untouched. Landas was freed of its demon king, but the Valthorn had robbed it of its rift gates and locked it to its void coordinates.

The demons were everywhere. Yet Alka draped a cloak over the block master. It immediately hid him from detection.

The domain holder led the block master through the still mostly unexplored demon world. Towering demon hatcheries were everywhere, and the stench of demonic energies was still thick. The block master could feel it and looked uncomfortable.

After a few hours, they stopped.

- Bring me back. IÆve seen enough. Send me back to the Yards. -

And they did.

The block master was back in his own office. The first thing he did was walk to his big, comfortable chair and sat on it. He poured himself a beer and downed the entire mug in a single gulp.

As the beerÆs effects kicked in, the block master looked around his room. Medals from the king were pinned there. As were certain paintings of the glories of their war machines.

After a long while, he turned to face Alka.

- You really want to recruit me? -

- Yes. -

- You do realize this is treachery and betrayal of the king, and the forge master of the Yards. -

Alka laughed. - Yes. If they donÆt join us, too, that is. -

But the face of the block master was one of acceptance. Maybe it was bloodlust. Maybe it was a desire to escape from mundane politicking and back into the fires of war. - The hell with all of this. Yes. Yes, I will. Who else do you need? -

Alka smiled. - Everyone. -

YEAR 279

Landas

The Valthorns recruited a sizable group of soldiers and warriors from Landas, many of them from the ranks of survivors during the earlier harsher periods and went on to be fairly high - leveled soldiers and defenders of the elven cities were eager to take their skills to other places. Many of these have known a lifetime of fighting, and so the sudden end of wars meant they were feeling out of place in a world where there was going to be peace.

Thus they joined the call to serve and fight on other worlds.

Not all, though. There was also those that were more than happy to see the end of the fighting. Strong warriors who finally relished the chance to return to normalcy and to do what they always wanted to do. Many finally settled down and restarted what theyÆd long delayed. Family. Their old family workshops. Rebuilding cities and pursuing tasks their parents or grandparents abandoned when things got bad.

Now, Landas was doing well. The demon king had been slain, and the world had begun to turn a corner. Things were coming around.

The old cherry tree that once guarded Samuel regained its old strength, and since it didnÆt have to store energy to deal with the demons, Cherry redirected their powers toward the rebuilding effort. The old cherry tree had a wide range of forestry - related powers and so used it extensively to rebuild.

Despite these positives, I still expected a few decades before Landas regained some level of normalcy. The worldÆs population had declined far too much.

In terms of population, we estimated it lost seventy to eighty percent of its population due to the prolonged demon war. But with heavy intervention from the Valthorns, we were helping the repopulation. Children were born, and we ensured they were well supported. The Treeology priests went about blessing many of the surviving youths and even slightly more mature elvish ladies with fertility potions.

It may seem a little heavy handed, but as a society, they needed the population to restore all their heavily battered society. The social wing of the Order came in to support many young families with caring for young children.

Most of their material needs were catered for, with the presence of the OrderÆs craftsmen and workers that set up new factories and workshops and helped retrain the Landasian elves in crafts to revive LandasÆs lost industrial capacity.

In two to three decades from now, LandasÆs babies of today will be the warriors of the future, and these growing workshops would grow into larger establishments that would help support the war of the future.

It would be a long process, but the first few steps had already taken place.

The first batch of Landas - origin soldiers, such as Novorosk, were given accelerated Valtorn Order training, though we had to supplement their knowledge with a good helping of teachers and tutors from Treehome.

Their combat capabilities and instincts were quite good, due to years of battle experience under defensive conditions. That said, we also felt the need to widen their skillset to cover some of the other things they would encounter in the demon worlds. Rescuing survivors, constructing makeshift structures, knowledge of the various demon types and monster types, and combat tactics.

Most of them were defenders, their focus always in protecting their home cities. Large - scale offensive tactics was an area they needed work on. From defenders, they would now have to be attackers.

It was likely that Novorosk and their batch would be demon-world focused operatives, since that was the environment they excelled at. Constant battles, destroying demons and surviving with little on the fields came naturally to them. In fact, we generally observed that these survivors were able to tolerate the stresses of long - term battle quite well.

I figured it was some kind of survivorship bias at play. Those that couldnÆt died. What was left were battle - hardened veterans.

That said, unlike our homeworlds, it wasnÆt entirely in the mind.

There were skills that helped, and from these battle - hardened veterans we were able to collect a few skill fragments that I happily replicated with my skill - fruit growing trees. These yielded fruits that contained skills such as battle hardened and survivorÆs heart . Those who consumed fruits with these skills tolerated stress better and made better warriors out in the battlefield. Many of my Valthorns didnÆt need these skills, because they acquired it later on in their higher levels.

IÆd always wanted a similar skill for mages. If there was something like a mageÆs instinct , I wouldÆve pounced and tried to replicate it by the thousands, but sadly, most of a mageÆs set of skills were things like magical memory , or large mana pool , though we did notice more specific type of abilities like void sensitivity or elemental instinct .

My hopes for the Magisarians were something that could help improve our magical training process. My hope was that the Magisarians had some kind of unique skill I could replicate and then turn them into skill fruits.

As it was, we produced thousands of these skill fruits each year, and we distributed these across all our academies, training schools, and institutions. Some were given out to students as rewards, some for my Valtorn Order recruits to round up their own set of skills.

My domain holders often claimed that the skill fruits saved each and every one of them hundreds of days of work, because they could shore up their weak points with a skill fruit, and was partly why the Valtorn Order and Valthorns were so feared.

Very few institutions could claim to produce strong soldiers with such consistency, though the ability to grant skill wasnÆt unique. Priests and trainers could actually grant skills through some of their own skills. Even teachers were able to grant skills, but in most cases, these skills were often in the basic - intermediate level, and there was some element of randomness in how they worked. A teacher teaching mana manipulation may have students acquiring weaker variants like mana shaping or basic mana flow .

For the Landas warriors, we also realized that most of them acquired a range of survival skills over their decades, and in some ways, that made them suboptimal for independent operation. This was because my Valtorn Order folks trained with the presence of my familiars , so they often rejected the acquisitions of survival skills since that could be outsourced to the familiars, in order to better focus on combat abilities.

My familiars came with a range of food generation, healing, and supplementary abilities.

I believed this problem to be transitional, a consequence of recruiting experienced soldiers from a war - torn Landas. Future Landas soldiers that went through our usual regime would not have these drawbacks.

Whatever it was, talent was hard to find. WeÆd take it, and we would just have to find ways to best exploit their strengths.

Shasan

The domain holders and the heroes gathered for another round of demonic attack. Alka decided to sit this round out, as he was busy infiltrating the Delvegardian Yards.

- All right, weÆll be going to a sand world. - Khefri was fairly excited when she landed. Her biology found the dry sand to be most comfortable, and unlike the rest of them, sand didnÆt get stuck in her joints. There was just something about the hot sand, a burning sun overhead, and white - orange sands as far as she could see that appealed to her.

- I think youÆre partly brainwashed by your body, - Colette countered.

- I know. - Khefri shrugged and rubbed her head slightly. Despite a different biology, she wasnÆt spared from headaches. - But it is what it is. The body likes this kind of environment, and so I like it. -

Colette said nothing and looked at Prabu. Prabu was decked out in gear. A little overkill, but at this point, theyÆd rather not take many risks.

Rajah and Wira, the two Dragon ling heroes, felt their wings warm up from the heat of the sun. They didnÆt like it the dry heat or the harsh sun all that much. Gigant dragon was still far more comfortable to them than any of the other worlds so far, with the only exception being the magimodern facilities of Treehome and Branchhold.

Samuel shared their struggles. The elven hero didnÆt like the heat or the sun.

The domain holders and heroes chatted as they prepared for the start of the operation.

Edna clapped her hands. - All right, all right, Shasan should be a fairly simple mop - up operation. ShasanÆs a fairly strong world, with strong natural defenses. We donÆt really expect much opposition other than the demon king. As usual, Lumoof will fish out the demon king, and weÆll engage it on the surface. Hit it with all we can, and then weÆll only be left with Twinspace. Clear? -

Everyone nodded. There were about thirty Level 140 Valthorns present as well, and they were the ones that were most visibly nervous.

Lumoof smiled. - All right. Come, come, come. ShouldnÆt be too hard. Relax, itÆll be fine. Check your protective equipment? -

Samuel still looked a little lost. - Is. is that it? -

Adrian, the hero of Mountainworld, tapped Samuel, the hero of Landas, on the shoulder. - YouÆll get used to it. Took me about five or six demon kings before I was able to get over how casual this whole thing feels. -

Samuel paused, and after a while, he sighed. Both of them knew each other faced their own trauma from the past. Adrian spent quite some time under the corruption of the demons, and Samuel nursed a demonic curse. The idea of facing the demon king still occasionally pulled out that trauma, and the whole thing being just a regular trip to the doctors was hard to reconcile.

- All right, IÆll head in first. - Lumoof looked at the flooded pit that led to the core and dived right in. The demon king was a kind of boney, half - shark, half - demonic creature that was still digging at the rocks. Lumoof, unaffected by the water, easily interrupted its constant digging and engaged it in battle.

Somehow, water numbed the demon kingÆs senses, because it was only then it reacted to our presence.

That was a surprise to us.

Lumoof got a good, powerful root strike through its body. Not enough to kill it, but enough for me to get a rough sense of its strength.

It wasnÆt going to be a problem.

The shark - demon king soared out of the flooded pit; again, its senses seemed dull. The moment it exited the flooded pit, it was battered with a range of attacks.

The demon king, weakened by the blast, shapeshifted and then summoned more demons. But those extra - small fries died like flies. The heroes and domain holders launched more attacks.

It was no match. The demon king of Shasan died. The heroes gained some levels, the domain holders gained none, and some of the Valthorn Level 140s gained a level or two. Not enough to push them to a domain.

But now, there was only one demon king left. The demon king on Twinspace.

We wanted to make it a spectacle.

So I redirected my attention elsewhere. I wanted to visit Gawa again.

Satrya

Lumoof went through the portal first and landed in a large receiving hall filled with people. Gawa Æs priests and an entourage fit for a king.

- Greetings. Patriarch Lumoof. - Olivia of Olpash stood there, waiting. She still asked about Roon occasionally, but this time, she was in her priestess mode and spoke with all the gentleness and grace of a high priestess. - Are the rest of the entourage coming? -

Lumoof nodded. - TheyÆll be here in a second. -

Emperor Erranuel and the rest of the emperorÆs escorts warped in. They appeared around Lumoof through my teleportation ability. Erranuel brought about a hundred people to Satrya, and this same party would then be deployed to Shasan to launch ErranuelÆs new world program.

But the fact that Lumoof landed here so specifically seemed to trigger some alarm bells. Gawa seemed able to guide how and where StellaÆs portals opened and ensured that a large, luxurious welcoming party was present.

Stella was fairly surprised that a god could do that, but this was Gawa Æs core world, guiding portals and specifying specific landing zones should be well within its range of abilities. However, it did highlight that this was a very clear vulnerability. Stella could teleport us right into a trap, especially if a god was hostile to us.

Essentially, we could be on the receiving end on a spawn - camp attack. That was an uncomfortable thought to entertain.

Lumoof grinned at the sight of the two high priests of Gawa . - Well, nice to see you again, Priestess Olivia and Priest Michael. -

- ItÆs a pleasure to welcome you and your party, Patriarch Lumoof. It is especially blessed for us to finally meet those who are faithful to the teachings of Gawa from other worlds. Our God Gawa Æs blessings and wisdom reaches even to the furthest of worlds, and from one Gawa Æs servant to another, we sincerely welcome you. - Olivia spoke, and Lumoof grinned at her heartfelt praise of her god. Her words were genuine.

Though her words were sweet, it was somehow lost on the emperor.

- So this is what it feels like where Gawa Æs presence is strong. - Emperor ErranuelÆs heart pounded. Lumoof could sense the trembling in his fingers, and we speculated that his class, the Holy Emperor , was instinctively linked to Gawa . Therefore, it was possible that here, in this world, that class was stronger than even on Treehome. The emperor looked around for a few seconds, took a few deep breaths, and then finally turned to face the hosts. - My apologies to the very generous and hospitable priests and priestess. I am just suddenly overwhelmed by the presence of our god Gawa that I cannot but take a few moments to take it in. Patriarch Lumoof promised me a visit to a world where Gawa Æs reach was still strong, and it is truly a unique feeling. -

The priestess could sense it, too. A sense of comradeship in those that share the faith. - Yes, your majesty. Satrya did not face the need to create a holy emperor , but I do agree it is most interesting for us as well to meet those who triumphed against great odds. It is the foul demons that cause Gawa Æs influence to be weak on your world, but your people persevered. -

Erranuel nodded and then turned to face Lumoof. - Patriarch Lumoof, thank you for sending us here. IÆll be able to handle it from here. What happens next, I believe, mainly concerns discussions about our faith, and it would most likely be uninteresting to you. So thank you. I wish not to occupy your time anymore. -

We expected that Erranuel would want to have some private words with the other Gawa - believers, so this went as planned.

Lumoof nodded. - IÆll leave you to it. IÆll return in approximately three months. -

- Three months is plenty of time, Patriarch Lumoof. We will be ready when the time comes. -

Erranuel was a man with his own plans, and I didnÆt mind it.

The world was large, and right now, there was enough for everyone. Even if he turned against me, it was fairly easy to cordon off certain worlds. We planned on sending Erranuel to Shasan because it wasnÆt a world where we had much interest in.

They could have it on a silver platter if they so desired.

I expected that as we discovered more worlds, my resources and manpower would not be able to keep up to maintain a decent level of control, and so, rather than let certain worlds suffer because I lacked the resources to deal with them, I was willing to pass some of these worlds to other forces. From my point of view, I didnÆt want to let these other worlds suffer from the demons just because I couldnÆt help them and refuse to share the portals with others.

People like Erranuel were relatively low risk, since they lacked the means to travel through worlds. In time, maybe Lilies, or Aria and Aispeng, or the White Statue could be roped in to take control of certain worlds, though given the White StatueÆs strength, it was a matter of time before he achieved travel between the worlds.

But now we stood at a position of growing strength, and we no longer needed extensive paranoia. We had the weapons and strength to punish all those who broke our trust.

YEAR 279 (PART II)

Treehome

Treehome. Our home base, and the long peace led to a decent growth in terms of population. Our measures to soften the blow of parenthood and supplying the Central ContinentÆs families with a high level of support meant we continued to see good growth in terms of population, and so our recruiting pipeline was healthy.

Freshka, the capital and heart of the Valtorn Order, buzzed with energy. Politically, the mood in the population was fairly upbeat. Progress was made on many fronts, and the world entered an unusual era of peace.

It was this peace that partly enabled Emperor ErranuelÆs expansion plan to the world of Shasan. It was going to be largely a one - way trip for the first five years, and we intended to deploy a few Valtorn Order agents just to accompany them, and void mages would drop in once a year to help them move people or resources, as needed.

The news of Emperor ErranuelÆs travels to the other worlds was largely kept quiet, mainly because of fear for the merchant guilds and merchant kings attack. However, no one was really in the mood for attack. The Valtorn OrderÆs consumption of crystals had reduced gradually, but the worldÆs smaller forces were still not ready and had not rebuilt their stockpiles of war.

The consequences of the past war, and the fear of my punishment, for now continued to deter the prospect of wider war.

Instead, the guilds came to us with a proposition. They, too, would like to expand to the wider worlds. I immediately thought about Raph and the White Statue, and the risks.

I was willing to let them try expanding, though a part of me felt a little disturbed at allowing corporate forces to have a stake in expanding into other worlds.

Right now, we had a monopoly on travel due to our void mages, but it was likely that my monopoly over my void mages would eventually be broken. It may not happen in ten years, or twenty years, but at some point, it could happen.

Some void mages would eventually agree to join these other folks, or maybe they figured out how to independently train void mages. Of all people, the White Statue could discover how it was done on its own. As a domain holder of his level of strength, if it had seen the powers of a void mage, it shouldnÆt be too hard for it to start figuring out how to create one.

After all, we learned how to create void mages through heavy exposure to void mana and constantly healing the individual from the effects of the curse. Eventually, they were able to gain the void mage class. If the White Statue learned how to do the same, it was likely they would be able to do it, too.

We had a technological head start, and the White Statue would figure out how to create void mages if it tried. That would allow it to expand to other worlds. Similarly, my void mages were not prevented from mingling and talking to other mages and people, so those of Treehome had some inkling of how a void mage was trained from scratch, even though the process of actually creating a void mage still remained elusive thanks to the various sicknesses and curses in the soul caused by exposure to the void mana.

However, as medical and healing abilities of the general populace caught up, or if any of my Level 100 and above healers joined one of these guilds, they would have the ingredients needed to experiment on void magic.

What would they do with it?

Was this power something we should release to the world? What if the power to travel to other worlds only destroyed others?

But we were not the fairest judges of that. WeÆd used our power to reach the other worlds, weÆd saved lives, but in the long run, we also harvested their societies for their brightest children to fight this war. We should intervene if they used it to harm more than good, or when our trust was broken.

The ability to travel worlds in itself was not a bad thing, even if it may lead to bad consequences. I also didnÆt see myself as intentionally policing their behavior. It felt like this was one of my usual dilemmas again. Did I allow people to do bad things with neutral powers? It was like preventing people from flying because some people could just use flight to fight wars.

Worlds that had this power would have an advantage over worlds that didnÆt. Just because they gained access to void magic didnÆt make them more powerful over those that didnÆt. If the defending worlds were like Khubor where there were existences like the Osroids, it may not be that clear cut.

Thinking that way, maybe it wouldnÆt be a bad thing to actually release knowledge of void magic to the wider world. Yes. It was potentially dangerous. But right now, only the old gods and the demons had figured out how to travel between worlds, and both had left quite a fair bit of the multiverse in a terrible state.

But Stella was quite against it.

- No. I cannot allow that. Yes, maybe some people can be saved. But as far as I can see, void magic is as good as a nuclear weapon. The longer they stay away from it, the more we can save people. We should be the ones saving them, because I wonÆt trust anyone else with this power. I currently cannot imagine how any other institution can handle this power carefully, not with where these other people are now. -