Defiance of the Fall

Zac stepped into the meeting room with Vilari and Emily in tow. His alter ego and the leaders of the Calamity Company were already seated, along with Ilvere and the Undead Empire's liaisons. His Draugr persona sat with his eyes closed in meditation, shutting out the surroundings.

It was a small trick Zac had adopted over the past months after having grown tired of talking with himself in these meetings. He let the mounting pressures and his already ironclad reputation as a cultivation maniac work in his favor.

"Welcome back," Joanna said, frowning upon seeing Zac's expression. "What's wrong? Did something happen at the battlefront?"

"No," Zac said with a helpless shake of his head. "No surprises this time. I just spent all my money again. Hate the feeling."

"Don't let the cycle of consumption drive you off the cliff," Ilvere guffawed. "My grandma met her end that way. Found a good hunting spot, but the riches it brought only increased her expenses. She had to take greater and greater risks as the easiest targets were gone. One day, she simply didn't return."

"Maybe she was tired of providing for her money-burning descendants and ran away," Emily said with a wink.

"Aye, that might be the case. She could be off living the good life somewhere right now," Ilvere laughed, but his face soon grew somber. "Then again, none of us are having a good time lately."

"No changes in the prompt, right?" Zac ventured as he sat down.

"Nothing," Ilvere grunted, glancing up at the large map floating in the middle of the large conference table. It was a smaller replica of the one in the middle of the command center, showcasing the current situation in Zecia. "Conquests don't seem to prolong the deadline. At least not the ones we're doing."

Zac sighed as he looked up at the map. By now, the Red Zone of the Allbright Empire was red in reality, with thousands of worlds conquered or contested. Worse, the defeats indicated on the galactic map were weeks old, and the situation hadn't improved since. If anything, the defensive line had been pushed back even further after the Kan'Tanu erected a beachhead.

"Any big changes?"

"Much of the information is restricted, but rumors are that another War Fortress fell two days ago," Ilvere sighed. "Everyone is sending reinforcements and supplies, but the Kan'Tanu is doing the same. I hear new Kan'Tanu vessels are appearing all over the place."

"They have portable vessels?" Emily exclaimed. "Have they stolen our technology?"

"They don't," Petrus rejected. "But that doesn't mean they can't teleport Cosmic Vessels over. They just need to send them over in pieces and assemble them at location. Then, their Array Masters only need to put the finishing touches on the Spatial Arrays."

"That's right," Ilvere nodded. "I talked with our contact in the Allbright Army. The Kan'Tanu have set up factories on hundreds of worlds. Our side is trying to take them out, but we have trouble just holding onto the land we have."

"We're really losing?" Emily frowned.

"The first clash proved that the enemy has deeper foundations and more dangerous means," Serzo said. "Monarchs are incredibly difficult to kill, yet Zecia lost more than a dozen in the first day of battle, one of them our own. Sure, we've killed a couple ourselves, but we've undeniably come out on the losing end. However, that doesn't mean the war is over. The defeat has stirred some reclusive Monarchs into action, and the frontlines actually have more C-grade cultivators than before now."

"So what are they doing?" the young shaman glowered. "Are those old things waiting for millions of us low-grade cultivators to sacrifice ourselves before they strike back?"

"In a sense, yes," Petrus calmly said, lifting his hand when Emily was about to continue. "This is the reality of war. Victory or defeat will ultimately be decided by those at the top, but that doesn't mean the battles between the lower-grade cultivators are without purpose."

"We are chess pieces," Zac said.

"Exactly," Serzo nodded. "The Monarchs don't want to die any more than the rest of us, but that's not what's holding them back. War is a game of chess. If the queen rushes into the enemy lines, they'll be taken out without a doubt. If too many fall, the balance will break, and the Kan'Tanu will flood the sector unhindered."

"That's where you come in," Petrus continued. "The System is aiding both sides by allowing teleportation to the frontlines through the Battlefront Arrays. Each world we recapture will weaken the Kan'Tanu's hold on our sector, especially if we manage to take out their Curse Farms or factories. Of course, the more important a location we're targeting, the higher the risk of being targeted by peak D-grade elites. It's even possible to run into a true Monarch if unlucky."

"Which is exactly what our side's Monarchs are hoping for," Zac sighed.

The Monarchs weren't hoping for their subordinates to die but to force the Kan'Tanu's hands as the armies targeted the strategic positions of the beachhead. It gave the Monarchs hiding in the shadows an opportunity to strike, dealing a huge blow to the cultists. Sacrificing a whole army to take out a single Monarch was a worthwhile trade from a strategic standpoint.

"And you shouldn't underestimate yourselves," Serzo said. "Monarchs aren't infallible, especially not here on the Frontiers. It's not impossible for D-grade armies to kill them, and they aren't immune to the concentrated attacks of a fleet of Cosmic Vessels. The common Early Monarchs, anyway."

"Still, that's a rough deal," Emily said. "Our equipment won't save us from the attack of an angry Monarch. I hear casualty rates in some engagements exceeded 90% in some cases. Even if we manage to drag one down with the help of our allies, it'll be after taking disastrous losses."

"Like it or not, we have to go," Joanna calmly said. "When life gives you lemons…"

"System's lemonade, bitter indeed," Carl muttered, and Zac could only agree.

The System was clearly in favor of the development on the front. It had given everyone the option to join, and Zac had opted out. The situation was even more chaotic in the first weeks of the clash, and blood had flowed like rivers. If Zac needed any further proof of how crazy the situation had become, he just needed to check his Quest Screen.

One of his shipyard quest's subgoals was for the sold Creator Vessels to destroy enough enemy vessels. It wasn't even halfway finished before, but it had finished four days after the Kan'Tanu reached the Red Zone. Calrin was being overwhelmed by requests for more vessels and spare parts, but there wasn't much they could do. The Creator's quotas were set by the System.

Zac definitely wouldn't send his people to that place if he had the choice. As he'd said to Kator, his little faction had already contributed more than their fair share. Besides, his elites were steadily growing stronger and accumulating merit by taking out one Kan'Tanu world after another through the Battlefront Arrays.

Unfortunately, the System had run out of patience, and the Atwood Empire's participation was no longer voluntary. They had been given a quota; six battlefronts needed to be fused into two, where each would be sent to the frontlines. Zac had tried to stall as long as possible until the situation stabilized, but the System had added a deadline. He needed to make the adjustments within two weeks, or the System would make them for him.

All D-grade factions across Zecia were in the same situation, though their quotas and grace periods differed depending on the System's evaluation. The Atwood Empire were among the last to be forcibly merged, all thanks to their stellar performance and non-stop campaigns. The first factions were forcibly merged and sent to the frontlines over a month ago, just hours after the initial clash.

"Well, at least the returns are good," Joanna offered. "Those who survive are rolling in it. Pretty much everything has strategic value and bonus merit."

"A faction like ours would be attached to a Middle- or Late D-grade army," Ilvere nodded. "It's dangerous, but the potential gains are indeed far greater. One day of fighting can surpass the reward of a week's campaign."

"That's right," Emily said, shooting Zac a mischievous grin. "Just look at Zac and Arcaz. They've already been pushed down to the 9th and 10th positions."

Zac answered with a roll of his eyes, once more feeling the pain of his empty pockets. But she was right. Over the past month, his monthly gains surpassed 40,000 for both his identities, a huge improvement compared to when the two companies were first set up. However, it actually wasn't enough to maintain his position, let alone climb any higher on the ladder.

"Fate is gathering," Vilari added, her tranquil voice like a calm lake that spread through the room. "The frontline is the true stage for the seals."

A few in the meeting weren't sealbearers, but everyone had already been appraised of the situation. They would have found out sooner or later, even if Zac hadn't told them. As Vilari said, one sealbearer after another popped up on the front. The situation had already reached the point where rumors spread among the elites of Zecia like wildfire.

Few knew the truth about Ultom or the Left Imperial Palace, but it was common knowledge that some combatants were carrying mysterious seals. Finding one on the battlefield meant getting your hands on an unimaginable opportunity. Some were initially skeptical, but that all changed when all the established factions put out monstrous bounties on the seals. Even information of sightings was worth a fortune, and it had attracted numerous elites who would normally have stayed far away from the frontlines.

The Atwood Empire remained unmoved, even if it had become clear that stumbling onto Starstorm had been a lucky break. After four months of constant fighting since the duel, Zac had only encountered two more. The first was a Soultaker of Ultom. It would have been nice to get a second member of the Anima Court, but the sealbearer had been personally discovered and killed by Vilari. She had offered to give up the seal, but Zac wouldn't snatch Vilari's opportunity like that.

This way, she'd gained her second seal early, and she was ready to break through at any time. Zac was extremely worried because of her heavy foundation and mysterious bloodline, but there was nothing he could do to help except provide some rare materials he'd found in the Perennial Vastness.

The second seal was a piece of the Farsee Court. The sealbearer was a Kan'Tanu this time, and he was currently sealed on the bottom floor of Purgatory with Starstorm. Zac wasn't sure what to do with that one. He already had Ibtep and Jaol for his cycles, and he frankly felt it a waste to give them a second piece of the seal.

Jaol wasn't trustworthy enough, and Zac worried it might harm rather than help Ibtep. The Grub Knight might be a Hegemon, but he wasn't a pure combat class. He didn't have the strength to become even a minor player inside the Left Imperial Palace, so reinforcing his connection with Ultom could very well result in the Zhix never returning.

"You have to make a choice."

It was Petrus who had spoken, steadily looking at Zac. The choice was simple; should he enter the fray in earnest, or should he sacrifice six of the weaker armies to protect his elites and his core strength? Many had done just that, judging by the reports.

But that wasn't Zac's path, and it wasn't the culture he wanted to foster in his empire. Strength was a gift but also a responsibility.

"I've already discussed this with Arcaz. The System has made its will known, and we have to listen. We're joining the battle in earnest," Zac said.

His Draugr half opened his eyes and spoke up for the first time in the meeting. "Calamity and Acheron can't continue as they are. Our string of victories has been too eye-catching in either case. We barely avoided that headhunting squad the last time, thanks to Vilari's early warning. The System is also sending us to increasingly dangerous places. It's only a matter of time before disaster strikes, so we might as well take our chances."

"It's true," Petrus nodded. "Someone has managed to grab onto the patterns, and your faction is like a shining beacon. If I were the Kan'tanu, I'd station a Half-step Monarch in the region we were active in. A good way to snatch a whole faction of sealbearers."

Zac nodded in agreement. "Give out the order. The Fourth and Sixth will merge with the Calamity Company in ten days. The Eighth and Twelfth will join the Acheron Company."

"If there's resistance?" Ilvere asked.

The situation on the battlefront was public knowledge, so the soldiers of the other battalions knew what getting picked meant. They were mostly manned by normal warriors, many of which weren't even Late E-grade. Each battalion had a core of elites, though many had intentionally avoided the two elite companies until now. They definitely wouldn't be happy about being sent to the Red Zone.

Even victories would come with heavy casualties among these common troops; the superior equipment of the Atwood Army couldn't change that. Zac was helpless to do anything, but months of warfare had numbed him to the cost of war. You could only keep trudging on, praying that the light at the end of the tunnel was hard-won peace rather than death.

"This is not an open forum. They're soldiers; they don't get to pick where they're sent," Zac said. "Quash any resistance. Deal with deserters the usual way. No transfers will be approved beyond the scheduled cycling."

"We'll deal with everything, " Ilvere agreed.

"Are we finishing another campaign before setting off?" Joanna asked.

"No," Zac said. "I'm giving both companies the full grace period to recover and consolidate. We could all use the break."

"Good," Petrus nodded. "I'm certain the break will pave the way for thousands of breakthroughs. It's not easy to connect with the Dao when you're always on the move and fearing for your life."

"That's what I'm betting on," Zac said. "I hear many have scrounged up enough merit for Temporal Chambers. I hope we'll see some more Hegemons that can help shore up our lines."

"Don't get your hopes up too much," Ilvere said. "I know those seals have let a few smoothly pass through, but Hegemony is a massive watershed. I know the Atwood Empire has far surpassed the Azh'Rezak Clan already, but it wasn't like the clan was solely made up of wastrels. Even then, the clan only had six Hegemons, most barely worth the name."

"I know," Zac said.

Admittedly, Zac didn't have huge expectations for the second generation of Hegemons. The first batch were all his closest confidants, elites who had relied on the insights of Ultom to create unique, top-quality Cosmic Cores. The next batch would likely be the exact opposite.

Those who entered the E-grade first on Earth weren't the elites who had dominated the various ladders. It was those with shallow foundations who had chosen Common E-grade classes. In contrast, many of the talents from the first year were still stuck in F-grade even a decade later. They had picked powerful classes and dominated the early months but hadn't accumulated the Dao and achievements necessary to get a matching E-grade Class.

Similarly, those who would form their Cosmic Cores were likely those who followed one of the Atwood Empire's basic Heritages. Elite soldiers who were strong, but not too strong. They'd use simple Cosmic Cores, barely making any alterations. It was far easier than creating something suited for your path, but these cultivators were unlikely to even reach the peak of Early D-Grade.

Not only that, but most would fail. They didn't enter seclusion equipped with the sublime understanding awarded by the seals. Most barely understood how the Cosmic Cores functioned and simply followed their Heritage like it was a cookbook. But that was how things worked in established factions. If anything, the Atwood Empire was extremely unconventional in how many unique paths their leaders had. It was something you almost only saw on newly integrated worlds.

The meeting ended two hours later, but Joanna stopped Zac just as he was about to leave for the teleporter. Zac saw the determination in her eyes and knew she'd made her decision.

"You're going?" Zac asked to confirm.

"I wanted to say goodbye," Joanna said. "And thank you for everything."

"Don't talk like you're not coming back," Zac frowned.

"Still."

"I'm the one who should thank you," Zac said, feeling extremely helpless. "You read the reports from the Undead Empire and the Alliance. The trials are all different, but the lethality rates—"

"That's all the more reason for me to go," Joanna said. "If it were easy, the reward wouldn't be worth it."

"If it's just a seal, we'll find more," Zac couldn't help but say. "Especially when we head to the frontlines."

"No, it's not about the seal," Joanna said. "Not really, anyway. I feel I need to do this, for myself, for my path. I have to prove to myself that I have the qualifications to strive for the Dao. That I'm more than the scared girl you picked up in Greenworth all those years ago."

"You've already proven that a thousand times over."

Joanna just looked at him with fierce determination.

"Alright, go," Zac sighed, pushing down his anxiety to smile at his captain. "Show them the mettle of the Atwood Valkyries. I'll be waiting for you to lead us to the front lines."

"I'll be back."

Zac wordlessly looked at Joanna's departing back as she headed for her home at the academy. They'd have the answer in ten days. If successful, Joanna would return at that point, stronger than ever. If not, she wouldn't return at all.