Half an hour passed before I finally reopened my eyes, the world around me still spinning as I struggled to focus. My body felt like it had been dragged through a storm, but I couldn't afford to stay down. I forced myself to my feet, my movements shaky and uncoordinated at first, but the urgency served as a drive and pushed me onward. My head throbbed, and the haze lingering in my mind made everything feel distant and surreal, but I fought it back.
I scanned the area, my eyes darting wildly in every direction, my pulse quickening with every passing second. I needed to find the corpse of that monster. It was the only way I could be sure that I'd survived and that my allies were safe.
Then, my gaze finally landed on the remains of the halved creature, its two parts pathetically sprawling across the forest floor. My heart settled. The threat was gone. I had done it. But there was no time to linger on victory. It wasn't about me; it never had been.
What mattered now was getting my team back on their feet and ensuring everyone was okay.
I swallowed hard, pushing aside the fear that had gripped me during the fight. My hands shook as I moved quickly, checking on each of my unconscious companions. First, I knelt by Lea, gently shaking her shoulder, and spoke her name until it became evident it wasn't working.
My heart sank deeper as I wracked my brain for a way to wake her up.
Again, fear clawed at the edges of my mind, but I pushed it aside. Like earlier, it was dangerous to have these thoughts of worry and fear chain me down.
Clenching my right hand tightly, I raised my middle knuckle and struck a vital point just between her sternum and lungs. She let out a groan, her eyelids fluttering open as she stirred. Disoriented at first, her eyes slowly began to focus, locking onto mine. The immense relief that flooded through me was overwhelming.
"Lea, you're okay," I said, more to myself than to her.
She opened her mouth slightly to speak, but her voice came out hoarse and inaudible.
''You'll be okay, alright? Stay right here for the moment, I'll wake up your friends. I'll come back right away once that's done.'' I commanded her fondly, my voice serious yet kind and soothing like a father asking his daughter to do something.
Next, I moved to Ryan. Executing the same slightly brutal technique, I was forced to put more strength in my strike to touch his vital point through his armor.
He was quick to jolt awake in a succession of coughs, and some pained groans.
Upon helping him up, I realized he wasn't as fazed as I expected. Hence, I tasked him with helping me wake the others using the same technique I'd employed.
Ryan asked no questions and wasted no time as he bolted toward Joe and Nate.
Following his example of determination and urgency, I hurried back to Lea. She already seemed in a better shape from the two minutes that had passed.
''Feeling better?'' I asked, my tone soft and considerate.
Lea's lips curved into a wide smile. "Yes, I think so. Although I still feel a bit dizzy," she admitted.
''It'll pass in a few minutes. Can you walk?'' I inquired, my voice steady and grounded.
"I should be able to," she replied as I helped her to her feet. Her legs trembled slightly but held.
"If you don't have the strength to move, just meditate," I advised, keeping a watchful eye on her.
"I'll be fine," she insisted, her voice firm despite the shakiness in her stance.
Once I was sure of Lea's state, I rushed to Eleonor and Drake. They both had little to no problems after waking up, aside from a severe headache and their body feeling weak.
Globally, everyone seemed to have the same symptoms.
After everybody was awake and on their feet, I ordered everyone to gather around.
As I stood before them, a palpable doubt wrapped around each of my companions, like a serpent choking its prey. That eerie silence was drawing them closer to the edge of nervosity every passing second.
"King Aiden, please tell us what happened?'' Lea was the first to interrupt the blazing silence in their shared shame.
I looked at her and replied. ''There was a stronger monster—a boss. It was a mix of an Eden's wood guardian and a urilion crab leader. Its gravity field was many times stronger than that of its minions. This caused you all to faint, as the increased weight of your bodies forced your blood to rush downward, rapidly leaving your brains.''
A sharp, audible gasp escaped Lea's lips from my explanation.
''So this is what it was...'' Ryan voiced aloud.
I could tell all the others were taken aback too. I sighed in fatigue as I stared at the creature's lifeless body. Suddenly, all my companions started apologizing.
''We're sorry for having disappointed you—'
''We will all make up for it, I promise on behalf of—''
''Next time we won't disappoint—''
''Stop! Quiet now. There won't be a next time.'' I snapped, anger leaking out of my being.
Eleonor's voice choked in shock, ''Aiden...''
''Do not fret. My anger is not directed toward you.'' I said, locking eyes with each of my companions, as though staring straight into their souls.
''This is the second time. The second time that you all barely escaped death under my leadership. And this time, I too could have easily died fighting that aberration.''
I paused, letting the weight of my words sink in before continuing. "Especially when you consider that I was forced to learn energy enhancement mid-fight just to survive, nearly dying in the process. If I had failed, your deaths would have followed mine."
"I don't care what happens to me—I can endure whatever pain is thrown my way. But I will not, cannot, endure losing any of you. Do you hear me?"
They all straightened up, tense and shaken by my stern authority.
''Now, we shall not waste time further. We're going back to searching for the missing team. Once that's done, we will head back to the faction.'' I ordered, my voice barely gentler than earlier.
''Yes, king Aiden.'' They all complied, sweat forming on their eyebrows, foreheads, and cheeks.
There were no questions, no laughter, no useless chatter during the way ahead as we followed the traces of the missing team.
Only Nate risked asking a question or two about the anomaly I had fought. His nervosity compelled me to answer in a friendlier tone. My anger was mostly due to the lack of information, which had nearly caused everyone's death, along with my weakness and my lack of judgment. I should not have passively agreed when they told me it was fine for them to get hurt.
They had said it was a process of their growth. This was not false—I was proof of that. But when faced with death, unable to confront it, and left at its mercy only to be toyed with, it becomes an entirely different story.
I had enough will and madness in me to laugh in the face of death, and even come out victorious from a confrontation with it, but the others weren't me.
Letting my thoughts linger in a dreary, gray corner of my mind, I let my focus redirect onward to the task at hand.
We were walking at a steady pace in the area that was far ahead of the altar, right inside another forest chain. We had now left the area where the battle occurred to enter a much denser woodland with smaller curved trees of cold-colored leaves, coupled with a bunch of gigantic plants here and there. The whole formed a peaceful canopy of arches, almost leading the way forward.
Everyone had an assigned position in order to fasten the pace of our search. Eleonor and Ryan occupied the rear mostly to verify we had not missed any clue or detail. Drake and Joe were in the middle of the group, scanning most of the areas around us. As for Lea, Nate, and I, we were at the front, ready for battle in case monsters approached while also searching for any possible clues.
From time to time, we would be distracted by passing dragonflies. At least what we assumed to be dragonflies. This part of the forest was unlike any of the four or five different areas we had encountered before. All the others either had immense trees, with alien colors and structure, or the opposite. Small trees, even weirder colors, and bushes with spiky moss laced with ominous substances. There were also strange red flowers with unknown fruits inside them. Each of these areas transpired the unknown, death, silence, or fear.
But this place... It was... alive.
There were living creatures and insects here. Non-hostile creatures, that is. In our short search, we found red foxes with green and blue tails, giant snails sliding as fast as a grandma would walk down an alley, and many birds that were multicolored and of incoherent physique. After spending some time lost in this mysterious sea of oddity, we found decisive clues about the way to go. Earlier it had only been blood stains and footsteps, but now we had discovered an arrow carved into a tree pointing to the left.
We were getting nearer.
''King Aiden, there's more blood stains down here,'' Drake said as he pointed at a steep valley that descended for at least a few dozen meters.
''Just blood stains? There's an entire puddle of blood here!'' Joe blurted out, his eyes seemingly following the blood's traces. There was no doubt, we had to go down.
While Lea and Eleonor chose to run to avoid dirtying their clothes, the rest of my companions opted to slide down instead, trying to conserve their energy.
"You bunch of kids think this is a slide, huh?" Eleonor's sharp voice cussed out, almost mocking them.
"We—We only did that to preserve our strength and stamina!" Ryan stammered in embarrassment, the shame in his tone unmistakable.
"Ay, ay," she replied with a smirk. "Little princess can't even walk a few dozen meters down?"
My gaze pierced through their teasing as I looked past Eleonor. It landed on one of the many mossy walls that surrounded this place. I scanned the entire area once more, but nothing changed.
There was nothing here. It was just a closed-off area underneath the actual forest.
But this had to be it. There were no more traces of blood—or any other clues, for that matter. Even Joe and Drake had gone back up and spent ten minutes scouring the areas we hadn't yet searched in case we missed something.
And still, there was nothing.
I sighed in exasperation and sat on the floor, just wanting to rest for a moment.
Think calmly and clearly, Aiden. Where could ten or more people—bleeding heavily, desperate to escape the claws of death, and exhausted beyond imagination—possibly hide?
As I scrambled each neuron in my brain to piece together every part of the enigma, my gaze flickered down, staring at the ground.
''The leaves...''
Yes, that might be it.
My voice and thoughts were almost superimposed upon unraveling the biggest clue yet.
The soil here was hidden by the deep layers of golden-yellow leaves that made up the floor. We had paid it no mind since there were no traces of blood lost in the sea of leaves, but that may have been our mistake.
Getting up, I signaled my companions to regroup.
''I think I've found a major clue, but I'm not certain. The floor is completely covered in these weird leaves, yet we haven't bothered trying to check the floor. Help me clear them away while we search for any anomalies on the ground."
As my companions heeded my orders, I joined them in action. My feet swept through the leaves like a tsunami tearing through a village, pushing them into the corner of the area. But as soon as I cleared a small section, the leaves inexplicably reappeared, materializing out of thin air to replace the ones I had herded away. The small pile I had gathered at the corner vanished in an instant too, seemingly banished to the void, as if every particle and atom composing them had disintegrated.
Baffled to no end, I glanced at the others to see if they had the same issue. Needless to say, it was the case.
I could feel Drake's anger and frustration from where I was. His leaves kept reappearing over and over, much faster than mine had.
Eleonor and Ryan were also annoyed and surprised by the magical enchantment of this place that was playing a trick on us.
But this only meant one thing for me. This place was the right one.
Eventually, as we continued to scan the whole area—sometimes multiple times if the golden leaves were manifesting back too fast, we found it.
A small trapdoor, with a rusty handle attached to it.
''No wonder we couldn't find any blood traces here. The leaves are ever-changing and if anything stains them or moves them, they always return to their original order after some time.'' I remarked, receiving nods of acknowledgment from my squad before opening the floor hatch.
Surprisingly enough, it took no effort or special means to open it.
Once fully unclosed, a dark and narrow tunnel came into view, descending at a forty-five-degree angle.
''Alright, I'll enter first,'' I said as I sat on the tunnel's floor, trying to see how far down it went.
'Not so far it seems.' My thoughts answered.
The road was not that steep, hence I didn't need to slide. I went to my knees and began to crawl down. Immediately after I had entered, my squad members followed me.
The dim tunnel stretched onward, its walls expanding slightly the further we progressed until we could stand and walk. A cold draft wafted through, carrying with it a faint, unfamiliar noise. I froze mid-step, signaling the others to halt.
"Do you hear that?" I whispered.
Lea nodded, her brows furrowing. "Sounds like... ghostly whispers? But too faint to make out."
Ryan tightened his grip on his weapon, his posture tense. "Could be anything. We should be ready in case there are enemies.''
He was right. Although we were almost sure this place was the hiding spot of the missing team, being careful and on edge in case of an attack was the smart choice.
I gestured for everyone to keep their weapons at the ready, proceeding cautiously. The faint murmurs grew clearer with every step, punctuated by occasional coughs and groans. It didn't take long to confirm—these were voices.
A fork in the tunnel revealed an open chamber ahead, dimly lit by what appeared to be makeshift torches. The murmurs grew louder, and I heard someone crying softly.
My instincts screamed caution, but the voices were too human to ignore. "Stay sharp," I murmured, signaling Lea and Ryan to flank me as we approached.
Stepping into the chamber, my eyes grew wide from the sight. At the center of the room, huddled in small groups, were the missing team members. Their clothes were torn, faces pale and drawn, and terror imprinted in their eyes.
One of them, a tiny woman with a bloodied bandage around her arm and pink hair, scrambled to her feet as she spotted us. "You... you're here to rescue us?" she asked, her voice trembling.
''Yes, we are here for that. We are going to bring you back to the faction.''
At my words the woman began to cry and sprinted at me, hugging me tightly.
I hesitated for a moment as the woman buried her face in my chest, her sobs muffled against the fabric of my shirt. I patted her head gently, my fingers threading briefly through her tangled, dirtied hair.
"It's okay," I muttered, my voice low and comforting. "You're safe now, all of you are."
Her tears soaked through, but I kept my posture firm, offering the stability she so clearly needed. Over her shoulder, I caught Eleonor's eye and gave her a subtle nod toward the rest of the survivors.
Without a word, Eleonor and the others moved swiftly, tending to the injured and distributing water from their packs. Their quiet efficiency contrasted with the chaos of emotion in the room.
As the woman's sobs began to subside, I gently guided her to sit down on the chamber's cool floor. "Take deep breaths," I said softly. "Rest for a moment. You've done more than enough."
She nodded, her gaze unfocused, as if still processing the ordeal.
I glanced around the chamber, my mind racing. Something wasn't adding up. The survivors were in worse condition than I expected—several had makeshift bandages that were at least one day old, and all of them looked gaunt and hollow-eyed. This wasn't just exhaustion; it was the toll of something far graver.
But as I sank deeper into cold and dreary thoughts, Eleonor's voice brought me back to the surface. "Aiden.''
Turning, I saw her standing over a group of survivors, her expression grim. Her usual sharpness was dulled by the weight of whatever she was about to say.
"Two of them didn't make it," she said quietly, her voice devoid of any playfullness.
I found myself falling into darkness at her words, the surface of hope sliding further away from my grasp.
The room seemed to spin as her words sank in.
"What... happened?" I rasped, my voice barely a whisper as I fought to stay conscious, the void clawing at me, dragging me toward the abyss.
A young man with sunken cheeks, black hair, and trembling hands stepped forward, his voice cracking under the weight of his words as he explained what happened. "We... we didn't know what was happening at first. The boss monster—it didn't attack us directly. It just... stood there, and suddenly, the air felt impossibly heavy." He swallowed hard, his gaze falling to the floor.
"Our strongest fighters were at the front of the group. They were the first to feel it—the weight pressing down on them. We didn't understand until we saw them..." His voice faltered. "Their bodies... crushed against the ground, unable to move. It was horrifying. And then, just as suddenly, the pressure lifted. We realized the gravity field had stopped."
He paused, his hands trembling as he continued. "Some of us were too terrified to move, frozen in place. Others were puking, barely able to stay conscious. Those of us still standing... we had no choice. We carried them—threw them over our shoulders—and ran. We avoided the monster's path, cutting through the other side of the forest. Every second felt like death was drawing closer to us.
He exhaled shakily, his face pale as he relived the memory. "We didn't know how or why the field stopped, but if it hadn't... we'd all be dead. Every last one of us."
The woman I'd comforted earlier let out a fresh sob, clutching at her knees. "Their death saved us," she whispered. "And now they're gone forever...''
The weight of their words pressed heavily on my chest. I closed my eyes for a moment, steadying my breath. This wasn't just a rescue mission—it was a reminder of the cost of survival, of the dire fates of those who embraced the shadows so others could see the light. Pushing away the mist of darkness that engulfed me, I climbed back up to the surface and opened my eyes. Determination and anger flared in my chest, but I put those emotions away for now.
"They'll be remembered," I said finally, my voice cutting through the chamber. "We will commemorate their deaths after our return to Heavenly Pandemonium.''
The survivors nodded weakly, their resolve slowly rekindling. I stood, looking at my companions. "We move out in five minutes. Be ready."
...
It took us nearly half an hour to get everyone out of the tunnel. Three of the survivors were too wounded to move on their own, so we had to carry them. Walking up the steep, sixty-meter-long tunnel while carrying the injured was grueling even with our ascended bodies. The confined space, barely wide enough to crawl through, forced us to crouch awkwardly as we carried their bodies while going upward on our knees.
Patience and meticulous care were our only allies.
Once we were out, I ordered Ryan, Nate, and Joe to carry the three incapacitated members, while Eleonor, Drake, and Lea protected everyone. They would dodge the area where the gravity monstrosity had been to avoid rekindling their traumas.
As for me, I still had unfinished business.
"I'll regroup with you all shortly," I told them. "Go ahead without me."
...
"There you are," I muttered, my voice dripping with venom. "Sleeping tight, little bitch?"
Hatred surged through me, replacing what fragments of humanity and reason I had left.
"No worries," I continued, a twisted grin forming on my face. "I'll make sure everyone remembers you. Your head will be impaled on a spike for all to see. A fine monument to your pathetic existence."
With a single, hateful stroke, I cleaved its head grotesquely in two. The weight of it in my hands was as grotesque as the act itself. I glanced around, searching for a way to carry it back to the faction in the best possible way. That's when my eyes landed on something glinting faintly in a nearby bush.
A spear with dragon carvings on the blade.
I stepped closer, recognizing the weapon immediately. One of the two fallen warriors from the missing team—Darian—had carried it—a detail the sobbing woman had shared during our trek out of the cavern.
"Now, this," I said softly, gripping the spear, "is a fitting tribute to them."
...
I soon caught up to my squad, following them in the shadows on purpose. I wanted to use the boss monster's head as a gift. I told my teammates about my plans so they wouldn't ask me questions about my choice of not regrouping with them directly.
One hour later, our faction was in sight. This trip may have lasted less than eight hours, but it felt like days had elapsed during our endeavor. Even the wooden racks and the dark allure of our large walls seemed welcoming compared to where we had been.
Now is the right time.
I jumped ahead of my comrades from where I had been hiding, surprising all of them. They stopped moving just as I did, their eyes fixed on me and my gift while I reached for a large and long wooden spike. Seeing the monster's severed head in my hands made them tremble, but I was quick to act.
''Fear not. Everyone, I present my first commemorative gift for the fallen warriors whose death saved you'' I spoke fiercely, my voice proud and reassuring despite the strength behind every word I uttered.
Taking out Darian's spear, I thrust it straight through the gigantic anomaly's head from the top. Though the spear was barely long enough, it managed to pierce through entirely. With the grotesque head now impaled, I drove the tip of the spear deep into the wooden spike, destroying its sharp edge in the process so the spear's tip wouldn't budge and stay firmly fixed inside.
''They'll be remembered as the two warriors who saved all nine of you.''
Although still shaken and fear-stricken, they straightened up and bowed in respect. Their cries had shifted from those of sadness and dread to those of peace and gratitude.
''Thank you... King Aiden.''
...
Kal and Clark were at the entry of the outer ward's exterior gate. They had been watching this little ceremony unravel. Surely one of my companions had sent them a message to confirm our return, having completed our mission.
And yet, having two deaths on the count made it a failure to me.
''I trust I can let you guys handle the rest with the rescued?'' I asked my team members, my voice hollow and tired.
They all replied positively.
''Of course! You can trust us entirely for that! Go rest team leader!'' Drake's voice was enthusiastic and naive, as always.
''Yeah, it's no problem.'' Eleonor looked past me and locked eyes with Kal.
''Totally King Aiden, you don't need to worry! We shall take care of everything.'' Ryan's confirmation was odd, as was his tone, but I didn't have the strength to try and understand what this meant right now.
''Haha, as if I were going to rest when so much work still needs to be done.'' I let out a faint laugh before continuing, ''Anyway, thanks for your confirmation. I'm going to make my report on the mission to those two gentlemen there. We'll see each other later, I'm sure you have many things to ask or say, and I'll be more than willing to respond and discuss those topics at the right time.''
Bidding them temporary farewell, I walked toward Kal and Clark.
...
"Aiden, are you alright?" Kal asked, his voice laced with concern as I walked past him, waving for them to follow.
"To Clark's office. Speed up.'' My tone left no room for argument.
Kal and Clark exchanged uneasy glances but complied, trailing behind me in silence.
...
My two subordinates couldn't hold back their questions as we arrived at the office.
"All right, Aiden, you've got to tell us what happened. In detail." Clark's composure finally cracked, his frustration spilling over."
"I'll explain everything once we're inside." I stopped and turned to face him. "The key, Clark."
Clark hesitated for a moment before pulling the office key from his pocket and handing it to me.
Taking the office key, I slid it into the lock and began to turn it—one rotation, then another, each click of the mechanism echoing softly in the silence. As the final turn unlocked the door, we stepped inside with measured caution, and I closed it carefully behind us, ensuring the quiet latch sealed us in.
We each sat on comfy sofas around a fireplace, letting the warm ambiance of the room ease the tension.
''I know I could've given my debrief back at the outer ward's entrance, but I wanted a more quiet and comfortable place to do so. Now that I think about it, this is quite egotistical, those survivors need such an environment far more than I do.'' I said, guilt slowly crawling in my insides.
''We understand you, so don't worry Aiden. As for them, they must have been led to our medical center by now. Trust me, they will find far more comfort there than in this office.'' Clark replied, his tone composed and even.
''Yeah, right. Anyway, tell me what you want to know.'' I asked uncomfortably.
''Pretty much everything. We only received a message from Ryan asking us to be ready at the exterior gate of the outer ward, he gave us no information whatsoever about your mission,'' Kal answered, leaving me concerned about how long it would take to tell them everything.
...
After explaining the full situation to them, I leaned back into the sofa, exhaustion finally settling into my bones. Clark and Kal sat in silence, processing everything I had just told them—the missing team's situation, the gravity-altering monster, the lives lost, my doubts concerning god's information, the surprise attack from Eden's wood guardians, and the bitter victory I had claimed by learning energy-enhancement on the brink of defeat.
Kal broke the silence first. "You should've been in medical by now. That arm needs treatment, Aiden."
I glanced at my right arm, the torn fabric and scorched marks were a stark reminder of the battle. The pain was dulled then, thanks to adrenaline and sheer willpower, but I knew I wouldn't be able to ignore it for long. "Later. There are more pressing matters."
Kal shook his head, clearly frustrated. "You're unbelievable. But fine, one problem at a time. What about the survivors? How are they holding up?"
"They're in bad shape," I admitted. "Physically and mentally. The death of their two strongest warriors unknowingly helped them escape. That kind of loss doesn't heal easily." I paused, my gaze dropping to the fire's flickering glow. "I'll need you both to keep an eye on them. Make sure they feel safe... supported."
"We'll handle it," Clark assured me, his voice firm. "You've already done more than enough."
Kal leaned forward, his expression shifting from worry to earnest curiosity. "And the monster? The anomaly, I mean. How strong was it? And why do you think it even appeared?"
I sighed, running a hand through my disheveled hair. "No clue how it came to be. Honestly, that's why I told you I'm starting to doubt god's information. Every monster ends up stronger than his intel suggests. The guardians were as powerful as expected, but they moved far faster than anyone anticipated. And the boss? Its strength must've been over three hundred."
"Must've been over three hundred?" Kal's voice rose slightly in alarm. "Wait, didn't you check your system window?"
I blinked, caught off guard. "What do you—wait. Now that you mention it... I haven't checked it since my breakthrough. I turned off the notification function before we set out, right after everyone had enough rest."
Kal bolted upright, his tone suddenly urgent. "Aiden, you need to check it. This morning Xavier found a hidden function in the system where you can see the strength of your defeated foes.''
I hesitated for a moment, then complied, ''I didn't think the system would have such a function... Well, that'll make things easier now.''
[Detailed Status Window]
Social-Status:
[Name: Aiden Glain]
[Age: 17 | Gender: Male]
[Height: 1.75 meters | Weight: 59 kg]
[Social Status: King and Leader of Region 7]
[Rare-Title: 'Reckless Cultivator']
[Unique-Title: 'Limit breaker']
[Unique-Title: 'The one who overcomes adversity with pride']
Energy-Core:
[Stage: Awakened; Rank: Bronze; Tier: Intermediate]
[Energy Stored: 1621 / 5000]
[Battle Score: 284 (Sealed)]
Technique-library:
[Energy Flow Technique - Stage: Beginner; Proficiency: Low]
[Energy-Enhancement - Stage: Immature; Proficiency: Inexistent]
[Basic-Swordsmanship - Mastery: Moderate]
+
The options to see my battle history were at the bottom of my detailed status window—which I had no idea existed.
''Show me the details of my combat history from oldest to newest.''
The system then began showing me the notification messages I received every time I killed Eden's wood guardians, along with its strength, which it did not show during my previous fight with them.
[You have successfully killed Eden's Wood Guardian |1|: battle power of: 181]
[You have successfully killed Eden's Wood Guardian |2|: battle power of: 178]
[You have successfully killed Eden's Wood Guardian |3|: battle power of: 218]
[You have successfully killed Eden's Wood Guardian |4|: battle power of: 224]
...
The history kept going until it finally showed me the strength of the impaled doppelganger.
[You have successfully killed ???: battle power of: 329]
"Three hundred twenty-nine," I muttered unconsciously, the number slipping from my lips.
"What?" Clark and Kal asked in unison, disbelief evident on their face.
"That's the strength of that gravity-altering boss monster," I replied, my voice tinged with irritation. "Only this much... I clearly need to improve my core's reserve and master energy enhancement faster."
Kal burst out laughing, his amusement shattering the lingering tension. "You're the only person who'd be disappointed after beating a creature with a power level over three hundred. Truly unbelievable."
"Because no one else rivals his nonchalant majesty!" Clark added, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he stifled a chuckle.
"How funny. You're right," I replied absentmindedly, missing the sarcasm entirely.
"Well," Kal said, his laughter subsiding as he turned serious, "now that we know how strong the anomaly was, this is critical intel. I suggest we forbid people who are too weak from forming expedition squads. That would prevent situations like what happened to the team you rescued today."
"I couldn't agree more," I said, nodding. "We should also accelerate the Ascension process so all our members ascend within the week. After that, the strongest and most experienced ascended should take charge of training those who are still unfamiliar or clumsy with energy manipulation and energy absorption.''
"Both solid ideas," Clark affirmed, his tone resolute. "I'll coordinate this with Jammes and Axel."
"Axel?" I asked, the name pulling my attention.
Clark paused, giving me a puzzled look before realization lit his face. "Oh, right. We haven't discussed this with you yet—your dominion over the factions that submitted to you."
"Oh... yeah, I almost forgot about that," I admitted, recalling the tournament's aftermath. "So, as the tournament's victor, I'm now the main ruler of our region, and the other twenty-five factions are essentially non-official powers. They can only regain a portion of authority if they choose to become sub-branches of my faction, correct? If they don't submit, they'll remain independent but significantly weaker compared to us—and also become our enemies. Did I get that right?"
"Exactly," Clark confirmed, impressed. "You nailed almost all of it. The only thing you missed is that those who submit to us will fully bolster our strength. Their resources and forces will become part of our faction's might. Of course, not everyone can live here in Heavenly Pandemonium—that's probably crossed your mind. Their numbers are more than a hundred thousand, not even counting the civilians. However, we have plans for that..."
Clark stood and walked to a large, double-paned board mounted on the wall opposite where we had been sitting. With a confident motion, he opened the board's panels, revealing a space lined with charts and notes. "The truth is," he began, "we've got plans to accommodate most of the other faction members here. Of course, they'll lose their original titles, but by residing within our quarters, they'll significantly boost both our strength and renown. Once settled, they won't just be part of sub-branches—they'll become full-fledged members of Heavenly Pandemonium."
Kal followed Clark, pulling a folded map from the desk nearby. He pinned it to the board and gestured for us to take a closer look. "Here's the current situation," he said, tapping the map for emphasis. "Twenty-one factions have already joined our ranks."
I got up and approached the board to examine the detailed list scrawled across the map. Beside each faction name were notes about their relationship with us and their allegiance status
Faction Status Report:
[Faction's Name] - [Relationship] - [With or Against Us]
Winter Garden - Good - With us.
Golden-Sun Kingdom - Fucked up thanks to Aiden - With us.
Transcendent Palace - Great - With us.
Obsidian Blade Guild - Who are they? - With us.
Celestial Lotus Sect - Decent - With us.
Dark Society - Obscure - Against us.
Mystic Wind Sect - Good - With us.
Crimson Moon Order - Decent - With us.
Shadow Syndicate - Potential threat - Against us.
Vermilion Flame Sect - Erm... - Against us.
Emerald Crown Society - Great - With us.
Phoenix and Dragon Empire - Dowry pending... - With Aiden.
Twilight Covenant - Good - With us.
Eternal Horizon Clan - Reading bros - With us.
Thunderstrike Legion - No clue - With us.
Radiant Dawn Sect - Good - With us.
Extreme Transformation Palace - Fantastic - With us.
Stormwatch Citadel - To be confirmed - With us.
Starlight Dominion - Great - With us.
Ironclad Bastion - Absolutely not - Against us.
Sapphire Enclave - Good - With us.
Ivory Tower Alliance - To be confirmed - With us.
Abyssal Sovereignty - Love rival - With... Aiden...
Silver Heart Domain - Great - With us.
Heavenly Pandemonium - That's us! - With ourselves, obviously, duh.
Divine Ascension Sect - Great - With us.
Note: Map totally not made by Kal Blasor.
My gaze snapped to Kal as I finished reading, clenching my hands. Words failed me, but one sentence escaped, livid and incredulous: ''What damned hell is this?''