Ogre Tyrant

Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 70 - An unexpected alliance - Part One

I could tell that the old Ogre was surprised by my appearance. No doubt, he had thought I was some form of living rock Elemental like Ochram. It would certainly explain the name they had given to me thus far.

“I am like you, but different,” I explained, flexing my fingers and revealing the membrane of webbing between them. “I live beside the water, not underground.”

The elderly Ogre, Mugu, nodded in understanding, flexing his clawed fingers seemingly without realising it. “Tribe live under sun...Live with trees... Snatchers, humans, attack. Mugu take children. Follow Spirit. Hide under caves...” Speaking the words aloud, he seemed to age several decades within a handful of seconds. Which was particularly alarming given how old he had appeared to begin with.

I looked down at the Spirit, “As a Shaman, he was the only one that could see you.” It wasn’t a question. I knew enough about Shamans and Spirits to know that a special ritual was required to gain a form of spiritual sight and unlock the Shaman Class.

“The tribe has felt this one’s presence, but have not laid eyes on this one nor heard this one’s voice,” the Spirit confirmed.

“When was the tribe first attacked?” I asked.

There was a chance that I could find those who were taken. However, that possibility would almost entirely depend upon how much time had passed since the incident in question.

Mugu’s face fell and he slowly shook his head.

“Mugu was the eldest of the children...” The Spirit explained while looking at the elderly Ogre with an expression of sympathy. “If the scattered blood of the tribe persists, it is through offspring sired elsewhere...”

“Yours is not the first tribe I have liberated from bondage,” I stated calmly, forcing myself to set aside the immense degree of sympathy I held for the old Ogre’s struggles and suffering. “And they will not be the last.”

Mugu nodded his head but seemed distracted. “Child?” He pointed toward the large bed where Eg was sleeping on Lash’s lap. “Living Mountain child?”

When I had introduced Lash earlier, I hadn’t mentioned the child, but now that Mugu had called attention to her, I could feel Lash’s eyes settling on the back of my head.

“An orphan,” I replied diplomatically. I wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea of adopting Eg, but I wanted to at least discuss the matter properly first. “Our children are safe at home.”

Mugu frowned slightly and appeared confused.

I Summoned projections of Pete and Suzy. Confident in the knowledge that the Spirit was incapable of doing them harm and that such a thought wouldn’t cross Mugu’s mind, to begin with.

“Daddy!” Suzy shrieked excitedly and pulled herself up my leg and into my waiting arms. She smushed her face into my chest and squeezed hard with her arms in a rough approximation of a hug.

Pete smiled up at me but quickly became distracted by the Spirit and Mugu. Retreating cautiously behind my leg, he continued to stare at the elderly Ogre with open curiosity.

“It’s alright,” I reassured him while rubbing Suzy’s back affectionately, “He is a friend.”

After hesitating for a few moments, Pete set his brow determinedly and ventured back out into the open. “I. Am. Pete,” he declared, taking great care to pronounce each word correctly and pointing to himself as he spoke his name.

I felt a surge of pride witnessing his progress. Even by Variant standards, Pete’s vocabulary was considered incredibly advanced. All the more so when his Species was taken into account. Calling Pete a genius wouldn’t be far out of place.

Mugu’s dull emerald eyes settled on Pete and his brow rose sharply in surprise. However, despite his surprise, new life settled into the features of his face. A wrinkled smile settled onto his withered lips. “Mugu,” the elderly Ogre replied, pointing a clawed and gnarled finger at his chest.

“Mugu?” Pete repeated, thinking the name over before nodding in satisfaction. “Mugu is...” He frowned and gnawed distractedly at his lip for several moments. “Shaman?”

Mugu stared for several moments before blinking several times in surprise. “Mugu, tribe Shaman,” he nodded with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

Pete nodded to himself and looked pointedly at the Spirit bear. “Is, tribe Spirit?” He asked curiously, moving closer, but only by a couple of steps. Remaining within arm’s reach of the safety afforded by my physical presence.

Stunned, Mugu nodded and cautiously looked up at me. “Child Shaman?” He whispered hoarsely.

I slowly shook my head. “Pete has not chosen a Class.” Even if he did, he would have access to the adaptive Classes that accompanied the Lordship titles. Although that would require a more significant explanation than I was currently prepared to give.

“Spirit play?” Suzy asked with budding excitement, hanging from my collarbone one-handed and eyeing the Guardian Spirit with avid interest.

“Erm...It would be this one’s honour to entertain offspring of the Living Mountain and Tyrantess!” The Spirit declared with earnest fervour.

Suzy cocked her head to one side and scratched at her cheek before looking pointedly at Pete.

“Says yes,” Pete translated.

Grinning from ear to ear, Suzy leapt down to the ground with reckless confidence before charging at the Spirit, fingers splayed wide and reaching toward the Spirit’s ears.

“Esteemed Living Mountain! I would be remiss if I did not warn-” The Spirit was interrupted mid-sentence as Suzy tackled his spectral neck and seized handfuls of his shaggy fur. “-I...Am...Ethereal?...”

With the Spirit too confused to react, Suzy easily pulled herself up the Spirit’s neck and onto its back. “Heehee!” She grinned in triumph and seized one of the Spirit’s ears, drawing back its ephemeral skin and exposing its tooth-filled jaws.

Pete rolled his eyes and looked expectantly at Mugu, patiently waiting for the elderly Ogre to acknowledge him so they could continue their conversation. “Mugu, tribe. Has. Children?” Pete asked with keen interest, motioning somewhat offhandedly toward his sister and then toward himself.

Mugu nodded.

Pete smiled and nodded to himself with obvious satisfaction.

Suzy had migrated from the Spirit’s back and was now straddling its head, prying open its jaws with her arms and peering curiously into its mouth.

“Suzy...” Lash’s subdued voice carried from the other side of the room with practised ease.

Suzy froze, her eyes immediately darting toward her mother. Smiling awkwardly, she patted the Spirit’s head and climbed off of its back. “Just playing?” Suzy said with practised fluency, her tone hopeful that she had not earned the dreaded punishment of the quiet corner.

“Please, let there be no punishment on this one’s account!” The Spirit implored, somehow understanding Suzy’s predicament without also understanding the mild nature of the punishment.

“No puh-nish-ment!” Suzy parroted emphatically, her tongue tripping slightly over the unfamiliar word.

Eg whimpered, immediately drawing the combined attention of the twins.

“Who?-” Pete began to ask, curiously cocking his head to one side as Suzy rand to their mother’s side to investigate directly.

“Suzy!” Lash hissed, pinning Suzy in place as she was about to leap onto the bed.

Suzy shrunk back and slowly returned to my side.

Lash’s expression softened but also became conflicted.

“Suzy,” I lifted her up and hugged her. “Mommy isn’t mad at you,” I reassured her. “She just doesn’t want you to hurt the girl by accident.”

Tears had begun welling in Suzy’s eyes, but she blinked them away. “Girl?” She asked curiously, peeking over my shoulder.

“A girl, like you,” I replied. “But she isn’t big like you. So you might hurt her if you aren’t careful.”

Suzy winced and shrunk back a little. She was unfortunately already quite familiar with the concept. Her size and raw Strength made playing with other children a dangerous affair. Besides her brother, Suzy had no other children her age to play with, and I suspected this was part of the reason she was so reckless.

Pete wasn’t always interested in playing with her, and even when they did play together, he wasn’t nearly as interested in playing the same games or putting in the same degree of energy and effort. This, in turn, had given rise to several undesirably reckless and aggressive habits in Suzy. making it that much more dangerous for her to play with others.

It was a vicious cycle. A cycle I sincerely hoped the children from Mugu’s tribe would be able to break.

Pete had approached the bed and stared at Eg with open curiosity. “Girl? Like Suzy?” He asked apprehensively, grimacing slightly.

Lash snorted quietly in amusement and shook her head. “Just a girl.”

Pete sighed and looked incredibly relieved. It would have been considered cruel to anyone who hadn’t witnessed Suzy’s unrestrained enthusiasm first-hand.

“Her name is Eg,” Lash continued, drawing back the blanket slightly and gently pushing Eg to meet Pete’s eyes.

“Hello,” Pete waved shyly.

Too timid to leave the shelter provided by the blankets, Eg silently waved in reply while trying to shrink back out of sight. She would have succeeded, but Lash was determined not to allow it.

“Hello!” Suzy echoed, waving excitedly over my shoulder. She quickly became disappointed when Eg did not attempt to wave back.

“She is just shy,” I consoled her. “Everything is strange and scary for her. She needs time to grow used to everything.”

“Hrm...” Suzy made no attempts at hiding her disappointment and rested her chin on my shoulder.

“Living Mountain...” Mugu paused uncertainly as he became the centre of attention but quickly regained his nerve. “Tribe children. Sue-zee. Play?” He suggested somewhat hesitantly.

Suzy perked up almost immediately. “Play?!”

From what I had seen earlier, the children of Mugu’s tribe were smaller than Suzy. However, the difference was less pronounced than the difference between herself and the Orc children living within Sanctuary. The Ogre children were also a proportionately better match in terms of overall scale.

It was worth giving a chance.

Glancing back at Pete, I could tell that he was more interested in remaining with his mother and Eg, so I didn’t bother asking if he wanted to join us. Asking might have pressured him into accepting for the sake of seeking my approval, and I wanted to avoid that form of manipulation.

I rose to my feet and motioned for Mugu to lead the way.

Sitting on my neck, Suzy pulled at my ears and hopped up and down excitedly like some sort of bizarre jockey.

I pretended not to notice the extreme lengths the off-duty soldiers made to avoid looking in our direction and by extension acknowledge what Suzy was doing.

Mugu’s tribe had been provided with a large chamber to call their own and sufficient supplies to see them through the remainder of the Invasion. However, they had not lit any of the torches or braziers, confirming my suspicions that they were no doubt a SubSpecies acclimated to living underground in a similar fashion to the Deep Orcs.

While I could see in the dark, my visual acuity suffered significantly, and making out details became difficult. However, Suzy and Pete had no such problems, having inherited at least some degree of Lash’s superior darkness-attuned vision.

The emerald eyes of the tribe locked onto me the moment I reached the doorway.

“Living Mountain...” Was echoed in hushed anxious voices for several moments before Mugu motioned for silence.

“Tribe safe!” Mugu declared emphatically, bringing immediate ease to several of the most dour faces in the room and smiles to many others. He nodded appreciatively in understanding and motion toward Suzy. “Sue-zee. Living Mountain child. Wants play. Tribe children play.” partly a description, it was only through careful and deliberate emphasis on certain words that the elder’s intention was made clear.

“Play!” Suzy parroted excitedly, slapping my head several times in rapid succession.

“Play?” One of the tribe’s children peeked out from behind the mass of adults, his glowing green eyes staring up at Suzy.

Like a hawk, Suzy homed in on the speaker and grinned, “Play!” She repeated, hurriedly scrambling off of my neck and sliding down my arm.

Within less than a minute, Suzy had a small horde of children shrieking with anxious laughter as they engaged in a game of what might generously be described as tag.

Despite having a height advantage, Suzy didn’t dominate the game to the degree I had expected.

The children of Mugu’s tribe demonstrated a surprising ability to navigate their surroundings without looking at where they were going. Although they were by no means agile, suddenly leaping sideways and through the legs of the adults or over a cache of supplies would take them out of Suzy's immediate reach.

Not that Suzy minded in the slightest. With enough momentum and a favourable angle, Suzy proved she was capable of bowling over just about any obstacle, inanimate or otherwise.

After nearly an hour of terrorising the other children, I was strangely pleased to find that it was Suzy who looked the worst for wear. I was even more impressed by just how thoroughly worn out she had become in such a short period of time.

Stranger still, Suzy had made quite the impression on the tribe.

They had not seen me fight and had made assumptions based on my size and ability to use magic. However, after witnessing my daughter in action, it seems that their estimations of my abilities have increased severalfold.

It was strange that Mugu hadn’t been surprised by the twins' sudden appearance through Summoning. However, given his poor eyesight, there was a decent chance that the elderly Ogre may have just assumed he hadn’t seen the magical method of their arrival, to begin with.

Despite being thoroughly tuckered out, Suzy was incredibly reluctant to leave the other children behind. It wasn’t until Mugu and the other elders accepted my invitation to live in Sanctuary that Suzy relented.

While returning Suzy to Lash’s side, I briefly Summoned Hana and expressed my desire for a robust safety wall that would stop young children from wandering into the lake unsupervised. The smaller pools within Sanctuary already possessed such safety measures, albeit for different reasons. So Hana agreed without needing much of an explanation.

I hadn’t intended for the twins to linger for so long, and with the rate at which Suzy had burned through her allocated MP, her projection disappeared shortly before reaching my quarters.

“Suzy had fun playing with the other children but-” I was interrupted mid-sentence as Lash bowed her head and sighed.

“Suzy will be excited...” Lash chuckled softly and stroked Eg’s back through the blanket. “One moment,” it wasn’t a request, just an acknowledgement of her responsibilities. “Pete, come here, good boy!” Lash affectionately pinched Pete’s chin as he obediently climbed onto the bed and sat beside Eg. With great care, Lash transferred Eg’s sleeping head from her lap to his.

Pete shifted awkwardly with embarrassment but said nothing.

With equal care, Lash left the bed and made her way to my side. “You will send her to me?” She asked quietly, her voice heavy with desperation and conviction. If Lash didn’t get the answer she wanted, it was clear that she would continue pushing until she did.

“I will,” I agreed. I had no problems with Lash taking care of Eg in the short term, or even long term. But outright adoption would require a proper conversation. So far as I could tell, Lash was aware of this and had deliberately avoided the issue to respect my wishes.

Lash smiled appreciatively and I leaned down so we could share a kiss.

In the relatively short time she had been caring for Eg, Lash’s projection had suffered from significant discomfort. The drying of her skin, especially around her gills, could only be properly alleviated by immersing herself in water or spending significant time beneath damp blankets or sheets. Something she could not do without compromising her care for Eg.

“You are a great mother,” I praised appreciatively. Glad that someone so caring would watch over our children and care for the while I was away.

Lash blushed, her eyes sparkling from the unsolicited praise.

Eg whimpered, squirming fitfully in her sleep.

Sighing quietly with disappointment, I gave Lash’s projection a moment to prepare and then dismissed it.

Summoning Lash again took only a few moments, but the disruption was enough to redirect my attention toward other matters.

Most notably, the final hours of the Invasion.

From what I had experienced thus far, the opening and closing hours of the Invasion carried the greatest impact on morale.

Returning to the battle, I experimented with attacking the Beasts using my Chi-controlled stone blade.

The results were mixed.

Attacks against the Howlers were often reduced to glancing blows that inflicted minor flesh wounds. The Beasts’ bones and spines significantly reduced the momentum of the blade.

The Shriekers took considerably more damage but were also harder to hit. However, their bones lacked the same density as the Howlers’ and provided minimal resistance.

The other Beasts fell somewhere between the two extremes but made it clear that I needed far more practice before the attack could be relied upon to any meaningful degree.

Drowning Beasts with Chi-infused water required greater concentration and time. However, the natural defences of the Beasts were largely irrelevant.

Moving blood in a similar manner to water proved possible, but it was hundreds of times more difficult to control. Furthermore, the range was reduced to the point where I had to very nearly be touching the target’s body before I gained any meaningful amount of control. However, once I had control, it was all over.

Wood chi proved the most universally capable while requiring the least amount of concentration. Reshaping wooden projectiles, weapon shafts, and even the roots under the ground, I could invade the Beast’s bodies like a malevolent parasite and directly attack their most vital organs. Retrieving and reinvesting the Chi proved to be the most time-consuming and concentration-intensive element, and it was still more favourable than controlling the stone blade or drowning Beasts to death.

Spells were still the most effective weapons in my arsenal. Shape Stone in particular could impale hundreds of Beasts simultaneously or even entomb them alive. The only limit was my capacity to regenerate MP. Which was a minor issue at most in the current circumstances.

Yet Thundering Strikes proved the more lethal Spell in terms of raw concentrated damage.

Easy to understand and easier to use, I intended to provide every one of my soldiers with at least one weapon capable of casting the Thundering Strikes Spell.

With less than a single hour remaining until the successful completion of the Invasion, I made a point of using Thundering Strikes with every attack.

Each swing of my mace sent the bloody ruin of mangled corpses flying through the air and crashing into the ever-thinning ranks of the remaining Beasts.

The post-battle cleanup would be made somewhat simpler. Standards for harvested materials would remain the same, but there would be far fewer targets that qualified for harvesting anything beyond their mana stones.

It was another reason for cutting loose and making a show of things. Especially since my Bodyguards, the thunder warriors took the opportunity to demonstrate their true destructive potential.

As the final Beasts within sprinting distance of the fortress met their grisly end, the Invasion came to a close.

With practised efficiency, junior and senior officers began rotating soldiers from active duty and onto support roles in preparation for relocation to the next fortress. A watch was maintained from the walls, but it was for the sake of maintaining discipline rather than an expectation of the fortress coming under attack.

Withdrawing into the bowels of the fortress, I opened a Breach that allowed Mugu’s tribe to travel to Sanctuary directly instead of waiting for the integration of the territory. I also made a point of explaining matters to Gric and left instructions to secure the required oaths and make sure they understood my laws.

I provided Lash and Eg with a Breach of their own, cancelling Lash’s projection shortly beforehand and allowing Lash’s true self to collect Eg in person.

I kept Bjorn, the tribe’s Guardian Spirit behind.

“When we first met, you claimed to have sensed my presence in advance of my arrival.” I made no attempts at being subtle regarding what I wanted. “How?” I demanded.

The large spectral bear shifted uncomfortably, even going so far as to cower slightly. “The Living Mountain cast waves through the ether with such vigour and ferocity that it would have been impossible for this one not to notice!”

“The ether? What's that?” I pressed, thoroughly dissatisfied with what I saw as a non-answer.

“Living Mountain! This one intended no offence! Forgiveness, please!” The Spirit threw itself into a hasty kowtow.

“What is the ether?” I repeated, doing my best to suppress my mounting impatience.

“It...It is the in-between...” The Spirit replied quietly, its body growing deathly still. “The space between places...Where souls are devoured and given new purpose and form...Where Spirits are born and die...”

“Souls...Soulless...” It was what the Variants called the wild monsters. Soulless.

“This one has memories that are not his own...” Bjorn continued, his voice subdued. “Memories that belong to another...And yet...This one also has memories that this one knows with absolute surety are his own...Still, they cannot be separated and bleed into one another seamlessly like water...”

“This ether...Is there a way to see it without being a Spirit?” I asked, my interest piqued.

Bjorn remained silent for quite some time. “A powerful Shaman may gain glimpses of the ether through rituals...” The Spirit didn’t seem particularly confident in its answer.

“You said that the ether takes in souls and repurposes them,” I paraphrased. “Does that include the souls of the humans?”

The Spirit silently nodded.

I felt a surge of revulsion in my gut.

I had long believed that there was something inherently predatory about the Labyrinths. I still lacked concrete evidence, but it was becoming increasingly clear that the Labyrinths were some form of extradimensional parasite.

Which made the Monarchs some form of catalyst for initiating widespread conflicts and bloodshed.

But why allow the Variants free will? Why allow them to exist?

The single-minded savagery of the wild monsters, the soulless, would surely have been enough for such a simple purpose.

It wasn’t like the Variants could be considered a mistake either. There were too many elements supporting and perpetuating their continued existence.

“If there is nothing else this one can do?...” The Spirit asked hesitantly.

“You wish to leave?” I was surprised that the Spirit had taken such an initiative.

“Forgiveness! Please!” The Spirit begged, “But the tether that binds this one grows thin, and the ether draws closer! This one must shorten the tether for fear it will break!”

“Tether?” I couldn’t see any bindings on the Spirit’s form, physical or otherwise.

“The tribe, their Shaman Mugu’s belief anchors this one to the shore!” The Spirit was becoming increasingly distressed and the edges of its form had begun to flicker.

“Very well,” I opened a Breach and allowed the Spirit to leave.

My thoughts turned to Ushu, the young Serpent-Kin Shaman that had sacrificed himself protecting Sanctuary.

“Why had their Guardian Spirit refused to help?” If such a tether exists, protecting the Shamans of the tribe should have been its highest priority.

I wasn’t convinced that Bjorn had lied or been otherwise deliberately misleading. However, I found myself left with more questions than answers and was all the more disturbed by it.

Speaking with Gric earlier, I learned that the champion selection tournament was making steady progress. Increasing in intensity and scale as the Dwergi drew closer to completing the venue for the final rounds.

I had originally intended to attend the tournament and witness as many of the matches as possible.

But my plans had changed...

If I was able, and had the time to spare, I still intended to attend the finals. However, there was a real possibility that I would have to delegate the task to my existing champions.

The original plan had been to seek their input regarding each candidate's suitability for the role and responsibilities. Just because someone was a good fighter, didn’t mean they possessed the qualities I expected of someone who would be elevated to such a position of power and influence. Gaining access to my Grimoire of Flesh alone would increase just about anyone’s destructive potential severalfold.

The last thing I wanted was to be responsible for handing an unrepentant and unprincipled psychopath the tools to spread misery and destruction on an extreme scale.

Oaths could only go so far before I enslaved someone in all but name.

With these thoughts weighing heavily on my mind, I raised a massive pillar of stone and used it to provide a vantage point to the portal to the eleventh floor.

Using a Breach I covered the distance in seconds instead of days or hours. Opening a second Breach, my bodyguards were quick to rejoin my side.

Carrying the guild tokens, we passed through the portal and arrived within the eleventh-floor foothold.

A foothold that we had presumed was abandoned.

The Orc’s occupying the foothold looked just as surprised to see us as we were to see them.

At a glance, I was reasonably certain that most, if not all, the Orcs were Variants. The tribal war paint made it impossible to be absolutely certain. However, the fact that they had not attacked us on sight was a good sign.

I looked to one of the older members amongst my thunder warriors and motioned him forward.

Past experiences with revealing my Species to Orcs had incredibly mixed results, and I wanted to avoid unnecessary bloodshed if possible.

Lurr passed his axe off to a companion and removed his helmet, exposing his face for all of the other Orcs to see. “Bring chief to Lurr!” He demanded proudly.

I fought back the urge to flinch.

Sometimes I forgot how crude Orc diplomatic exchanges could be.

The Orc natives muttered to one another for a few moments and then a handful of warriors retreated and went running off into the greater foothold. The warriors that remained bore expressions of extreme unease.

Which was to be expected given that the smallest of the thunder warriors similarly towered over them to how I towered over the thunder warriors in turn.

Another factor for their unease may have been caused by the disparity in each group's armaments.

The tribal Orc warriors carried neolithic weapons and wore armour made from bark, wood and bone.

While my thunder warriors' weapons and armour were predominantly made of stone, the lethality and protective qualities of each were many magnitudes greater.

Waiting for the arrival of some sort of leader, I began to notice subtle differences in the markings of the warriors. After noticing the difference in markings, I also realised that the Orcs were mostly separated according to the same markings.

Assuming my observations were correct, there were five or six different groups. Two of the potential groups were mingled together to a significant degree, so it was difficult to be certain if they were one group or two.

More warriors had filtered into the main street, bolstering their collective numbers into the low hundreds. However, they continued to show the same wary interest without signs of overt aggression.

In other circumstances, I might have been impressed by the courage of my thunder warriors in facing down so many potential enemies. However, I knew only too well that if a fight broke out, our side would almost certainly emerge unscathed.

Several minutes passed before a small host of larger and prominently decorated Orcs arrived. Upon laying eyes on Lurr and the other thunder warriors, their confidence plummeted. Exchanging worried glances, the new arrivals engaged in a short panicked conversation before electing one of their number to represent them and approach Lurr directly.

Easily eight feet tall, the heavily muscled Orc in black warpaint was forced to crane his neck upward so he could look Lurr in the eyes, but only because Lurr chose to look down at him in turn. “Korr, Black Sky lesser chieftain,” he grunted, bearing his teeth in a vain attempt to appear intimidating.

Lurr leaned down until they were close to eye level, the light of his eyes casting Korr’s face in a pale amethyst glow. “Lurr! Tyrant’s thunder warrior!”

The other thunder warriors slammed their fists against their chests in near unison, causing the tribal warriors to fall back in fright.

“Fetch. Your. Chieftain!” Lurr growled, punctuating each word by jabbing his armoured finger into the smaller Orc’s chest.

Korr fled.

A handful of seconds passed in stunned silence before every other warrior did the same.

Lurr and the other thunder warriors laughed and began establishing a perimeter.

Exploring the foothold, it became clear that the local Variants had been in the process of looting everything that wasn’t nailed down. There were also signs of the different tribes attempting to stake their claim.

There was no real telling how far away the tribes’ would be. So I decided to open a Breach and allow the Dwergi to begin forming the subterranean levels of the fortress.

At worst, the fortress would be that much closer to being ready for the next Invasion.

With so many unaffiliated Variants in the vicinity, I couldn’t send out the scouts in good conscience. There was simply too high a risk of provoking an incident with the locals.

Relying on the intelligence acquired from the Labyrinth codex looted from the guild headquarters, I knew we would need to expect a significant presence of airborne monsters on this particular floor.

Flying bugs, bats and birds would ignore the rolling hills and make good time flying above the forest canopy. Covering huge tracts of ground and arriving well ahead of most of the other wild monsters.

Then there were the wild Orcs to consider as well.

Killing the Soulless wouldn’t hurt morale to any meaningful degree. I had witnessed several large-scale purges first-hand and hadn’t seen a single Variant complain or so much as bat an eye over the carnage. However, there was a risk that local Variants would be caught up in the fog of war.

Variants had something of a sixth sense for spotting the soulless of their Species but had a blind spot when it came to other Species. Similar to how most people on Earth struggled to consistently identify and differentiate strangers from other ethnic backgrounds.

Surveying the forest around the foothold from my place behind the walls, I spotted one of the giant mantis-like Beasts carefully prowling through the foliage. Its camouflage made it incredibly difficult to spot initially. However, once I knew what to look for, I couldn’t help but notice a dozen or so of the Beasts roaming within the same general vicinity.

As tall as adult humans and covered in thorn-like hooks, they were only marginally less tolerable to look at than the bright pink and green-shelled anaconda-sized centipedes that patrolled in their wake.

Mentally reviewing the registry of the Invasion force, I felt immense relief after confirming that several Naga and a handful of Serpentmen would provide Venom Resistance Synergies.

Both Species and their SubSpecies had Evolved from the Serpent-Kin. The Naga had changed their legs for long thick tails but otherwise hadn’t changed much at all. The Serpentmens’ snake-like characteristics had been intensified, making them strikingly similar to the Lizardmen, only much slighter in frame and lacking a tail.

Looking away from the registry, I was just in time to witness a comparatively short dark-furred Beast rip and tear its way through a pair of the giant mantis’.

Covered in blood, some of which was its own, the vicious little furball spared no time in rounding on the nearest centipedes.

The carnage continued for the better part of a minute before the furball was overwhelmed and torn to pieces. However, it didn’t bring an end to the violence.

The mantis’ and centipedes continued to converge on the location, biting, stinging, and clawing at one another as they fought for their share of the spoils. Generating dozens more corpses in the process.

Just as the latest wave of newcomers were contented with their hard-won spoils, the forest erupted into yet another orgy of violence.

A swarm of tiny bat-winged Beasts had swooped in from the canopy above and descended on the hapless competition. Clinging to their prey like leeches, they bled their prey dry within moments, leaving behind desiccated husks.

Arboreal Bloodseekers.

A forest SubSpecies that I was convinced had to be related to the Vrabbits and Bloodhunters from the earlier floors.

It would take full-body armour to protect against the predators of the swarm. Armour that also happened to be in relatively short supply.

Mass deployment would be out of the question. But there was, perhaps, a means of exterminating the Bloodseekers en masse.

It would require the cooperation of at least one Venomancer and a gruesome assortment of freshly mangled corpses.

Conveniently enough, I had ready access to both...

“Apologies, Majesty...I may have misheard your command?” The Dwergi Earth Mage apologised, glancing at his fellows for support and confirmation.

“I want the contents of several refuse pits transferred to the new fortress,” I repeated patiently. “I intend to use the Beasts’ remains as part of a trap to cull the local Beasts numbers.”

“Ah...” The Dwergi nodded to one another in understanding.

“This, Majesty, we can do!” The Earth Mage agreed emphatically, bowing his head before leading his fellows toward the refuse pits.

Watching them go, I blinked away yet another notification alerting me to the Admiral’s latest Challenge request.

Keenly aware that it was only a matter of time before such a challenge would become mandatory and seize half of my realm as collateral, I returned to Sanctuary and made preparations to put an end to the Admiral’s constant Challenges.

***** Gim ~ Yi Gim’s Interdimensional-Plane ~ Ocean of Celestial Providence *****

Staring out over the endless waves, Yi Gim sighed in exasperation as his latest Challenge was left unanswered.

In truth, he had little desire to face the Tyrant in battle. Especially after learning that his oldest rival had been forced into such a precarious position as to forfeit to survive their confrontation. However, the Tyrant had left no other means by which he could be contacted.

Somehow, and Yi Gim still didn’t know how it was possible, the Tyrant was not listed under the Monarch Communication Exchange.

Even the most secluded and private Monarchs were listed on the Exchange, and while it was not advisable to make unsolicited diplomatic advances, it could be done.

Despite his forfeit, Wang Chen had died and been succeeded by his eldest daughter.

The sudden coup had caught Yi Gim and many other Monarchs by surprise. Allies of the Wang dynasty had, of course, stressed that Wang Chen had died as a result of his injuries during a Supremacy Challenge. However, thanks to his informants and the informants of his allies, Yi Gim knew otherwise.

Wang Chen had indeed been left on the brink of death after forfeiting the Supremacy Challenge. However, it was his daughter who had seized the opportunity to force the issue of succession and then executed Wang Chen to complete the transfer of authority.

In the weeks since seizing power, Wang Jie had initiated several challenges against weak Monarchs to solidify her position and prove her strength to the allies she had inherited from her father. However, to the best of his knowledge, she had made no attempts nor made any claims intending to avenge her father’s death.

Given Wang Jie’s cunning nature, it came as no true surprise. Yi Gim assumed that she would request one of her allies do the deed on her behalf, and provide as little warning as possible to secure the greatest advantage.

Of course, it was only a guess.

Which was more than he had to work with when attempting to decipher the intentions and motivations of the Tyrant.

Wang Chen had been the aggressor. That was an indisputable fact. Every spy at his disposal and information broker had confirmed as much with absolute certainty.

After winning the Challenge, the Tyrant had done nothing, and his rating in the rankings had changed little.

The Tyrant’s actions, or lack thereof, perplexed Yi Gam to no end. It had come to occupy greater degrees of his time than he should have allowed. Yet Yi Gam could not help it.

To defeat someone ranked so much higher was rare. To force them into a forfeit was unprecedented. It proved that the Tyrant had considerable strength at their disposal and that the confrontation had been so firmly decided in his favour that he most likely only sustained light injuries.

So why does he not press his advantage?

There were no limits to how many Challenges a Monarch could issue and leave pending simultaneously. Allowing an ambitious Monarch to cast a wide net and secure greater territories. It was a risky strategy, but one often employed by newly ascended Monarchs.

Which made the Tyrant’s lack of activity so incredibly strange.

Yi Gim was startled from his thoughts as a confirmation notification appeared before his eyes.

The Tyrant had accepted his Challenge, setting the terms of engagement to allow up to two subordinates to accompany each Monarch in open battle.

Intending the Tyrant no ill will, Yi Gim nonetheless erred on the side of caution and selected the familiar battleground of the Ruinous Atol.

With the battlefield confirmed, Yi Gim chose two talented members of the latest generation to accompany him.

Hu Hae, his great grand-niece was considered a rising genius and specialised in water-based Techniques. Despite lacking in raw strength due to her relative inexperience, the Ruinous Atols would more than cover for that particular shortcoming.

Gam Seok, of no immediate relation Yi Gim was aware of, was closer to what would be considered a traditional martial artist. Specialising in weapon-based Techniques and leveraging his Refined Body to wear opponents down through gruelling attrition when necessary.

With the final selections made, Yi Gim felt his soul become temporarily displaced as he was transported to the battlefield.

Having been afforded no warning, Hu Hae and Gam Seok’s immediate reaction was to arm and armour themselves with weapons and armour from their personal Storage Rings.

Yi Gim had been overseeing a floating airship combat exercise but decided that trading his ceremonial armour for something more robust was the more prudent option.

“Great uncle?” Hu Hae asked nervously, slowly retreating into the surf behind them forming the beginnings of a simple defensive Technique.

Yi Gim raised one hand to call for silence. Staring across the small island he understood why his grand-niece was so intimidated.

The Tyrant was an absolute giant. Clad in crimson-plated armour, the Tyrant looked about twenty feet tall and was almost as wide.

Yi Gim felt a certain degree of reassurance in the fact that such armour would provide a considerable disadvantage if Yi Gim retreated his forces from the island. The fact that the Tyrant’s retainers wore similar armour was reassuring as well, just not to the same degree.

“Why does he not attack?” Gam Seok muttered grimly, tightening his grip on his spear.

Yi Gim withdrew a small airship from his Storage Ring and motioned for Hu Hae and Gam Seok to retreat. “For now, fall back,” he ordered. “If I can-” Yi GIm staggered and nearly fell to the ground as a powerful presence clashed against his mental defences.

Cycling his Breathing Technique on instinct, Yi Gim felt the presence lose its purchase. However, suspecting a trap, he continued cycling.

“Great uncle!” Hu Hae cried in concern and he felt her Chi flare as she launched an offensive Technique toward the Tyrant and his retainers.

Huge crashing waves roared past Yi Gim and swept across the island, uprooting trees and crushing them to splinters as the waves converged on their intended victims.

Just as the waves were bearing down on the Tyrant, Yi Gim felt a second surge of Chi.

The waves parted and continued harmlessly into the ocean beyond.

“No way!...” Hu Hae exclaimed, bordering on the verge of panic. “They have someone with water affinity!”

Yi Gim felt Gam Seok take hold of his arm and allowed himself to be drawn along as Gam Seok retreated from the beach and onto the airship.

Several long moments passed in tense silence.

With each second, Yi Gim had expected the Tyrant or his retainers to press the attack. Only, nothing happened. After what Yi Gim estimated to be a full minute, the presence pressing on his mind retreated. However, he took little comfort in it.

The person the presence belonged to hadn’t retreated for fear of losing in a contest of Chi or will. They had simply decided to stop.

With his mind no longer under attack, Yi Gim directed his full attention toward the Tyrant.

He hadn’t moved, and neither had his retainers.

“Wh-Why?-” Gam Seok’s spear clattered to the deck and he stiffly turned to look at Yi Gim. “Why do y-y-you c-c-c-c-ontinue t-t-to- Grk! Gah!” Gam Seok clutched at his head and screamed.

“Enough!” Yi Gim barked, seizing Gam Seok’s forehead with one hand and sending a wave of Chi to dislodge whoever had taken control of his mind.

Like water crashing on the cliffs, Yi Gim’s Chi had no effect.

A second presence joined the first and Gam Seok’s screams came to an abrupt and immediate end. “Why do you continue to challenge our master?” He demanded in a voice not his own, staring straight into Yi Gim’s eyes with cold unwavering intensity.

“I sought an audience as an opportunity so we may speak,” Yi Gim replied truthfully. “I held no hostile intentions-”

“You attacked us,” Gam Seok rebuked coldly.

Yi Gim bit back his retort, convinced that pointing out precisely who had attacked who first would be unproductive. “I can only request that such an incident be considered an accident prompted by the concerns of a devoted retainer.”

Gam Seok continued to stare back at him for several moments without saying a single word and barely taking a handful of shallow breaths. “Very well.” Gam Seok’s eyes grew unfocused and like a puppet with its strings cut, he collapsed unceremoniously to the deck.

“Hu Hae, attend Gam Seok, and remain vigilant for another mental attack,” Yi Gim ordered, withdrawing a powerful but short-ranged portable Array from his Storage Ring. He took great care to encircle both Gam Seok and his grand-niece within the Array before activating it. “This will give you warning to prepare your mental defences and provide some measure or resistance to a concentrated attack.”

Yi Gim knew it wouldn’t be enough. Not if both retainers attacked in unison. However, the Tyrant’s retainers had withdrawn despite holding a clear advantage. So Yi Gim believed that they could be reasoned with.

At worst, he would ransom their release through surrender, and a little protection could go a long way during such negotiations.

Taking a deep breath to settle his nerves, Yi Gim exchanged several items from his Storage Rings to bolster his mental fortitude at the cost of reduced combat prowess. However, given the circumstances, it seemed an appropriate tradeoff.

The Tyrant had advanced to the centre of the island, his two retainers lagging a respectful distance behind.

Doubtless, they were probably capable of closing such a distance in a fraction of a second. However, it was the gesture that mattered more than anything else.

It demonstrated that the Tyrant was willing to negotiate and converse in conditions that roughly approximated good faith.

That, or he didn’t perceive Yi Gim as a great enough threat to warrant his retainers’ involvement.

In either case, Yi Gim would take the opportunity provided to initiate a dialogue and find what answers and common ground he could. After all, he had forged alliances under far more desperate and dangerous circumstances than these and was still alive.

So why not trust that his fated luck would hold a little longer?