The Systemic Lands
Chapter 370: Day 790 (3) – Viewpoints 36

The High Priestess

I watched as Champion Michael retreated from the city. There were thoughts of vengeance and revenge leaking from him. But that was common. I waited as he went after his soldiers and mentally cursed. It would have been excellent to stop that information and block him from getting it.

He had a path he needed to walk. One that led into that tower and to the top. It was unfortunate I had burned too many bridges in our last encounter. That was the problem with arranging something like that, someone had to get burned.

I didn’t think I was that easy to read and see through, but his responses had been surprising. “Return to the city,” I told my helmsman who nodded and quickly set off from where we had been hiding in a cloud. I could feel the city shield being active and shuddered.

The energy was roiling inside. A practical maelstrom. I had my helmsman land at the North side of the city, far away from Champion Michael who was escorting his soldiers. What a shame, but I would get the next best thing.

The Council of Shadows approached. I was propped up on an elevated wheeled table and strapped down. I also had clothes which was a big improvement.

“You led us into disaster,” the lead woman spat. “We would have been happy to give him the information and have him leave, but you had to step in and force things.”

“A necessary sacrifice,” I replied. “It is the only path where he frees the Astrologer.”

“You helped wake our sister, but this. This has resolved our debt. To give up that knowledge that we have protected since before the calamity. I don’t know what game you are playing, but you have doomed us,” the Mistress of Whispers spat out.

“But you listened anyways since you know I am right. I see all and know. Every day our time grows ever shorter.”

“Plots and plans. Let me kill her,” another member spoke up and drew a dagger. “I will make the sacrifice.” The woman began to advance on the airship. Four of my guards raised their hands and the woman paused.

“There is no need for anymore violence. You would not win. It is time we held a summit.” I turned my head slightly to the guest on my airship.

“I have vowed to not interfere with the Dragon Empire,” the Protector replied. “I came at your request and as a favor, but I do not see why I am needed,” he replied.

“To save you. It is already done,” I replied. The Protector froze and walked in front of me.

“What did you do!” he said loudly. He didn’t lay a hand on me, but I could tell my guards were nervous.

“The Divine Empress has returned. The Free City of Hong Kong is no more.”

“You dare!”

“Some still live, but if you were there, then you would have died. All of us, represent the strength arrayed against the Divine Empress.”

“Except Champion Michael,” the Mistress of Whispers interrupted.

“He has a role to play in her defeat. One that will not be helped by our interference.”

“You have done the one thing I refused to allow. I swore an oath and you made me break it,” the Protector spat out.

“And you will be there to rebuild. The Divine Empress will perish, but it is a delicate matter. If you think you can win or bend the knee, then do so.”

There was no reply. Everyone here knew the threat she posed. That was why they listened. For they knew they could not stop her. Only my plan had a chance of working, but keeping everything on track was exhausting. “Now we must depart. This city will soon be no more. The Divine Empress heads in this direction.”

“Really, and why is that? What reason does she have to bother us?” The Mistress of Whispers asked. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ NovᴇlFɪre .ɴᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“I gave her a gentle poke. If you wish to come, then get on board, otherwise you can stay and die,” I said to these people. I could sense the anger and hostility. But it was necessary to lure her. And the word direction was open ended. She was headed back to her Capital, but eventually she would come here. Not soon, but it was all in the phrasing and saying profound things I shouldn’t know.

As much as these people hated me, they dared not kill me, and were forced to take me seriously. It was a delicate balance, but it was necessary. To kill someone stronger by an order of magnitude was no easy task.

The Divine Empress was near impossible to kill, but my plan would not fail. I had spent a long time observing everything about her. The real challenge was getting everything exactly into place with the precise timing needed.

The Council of Shadows let out grumbles but boarded my airship as I knew they would. We took off back towards the Free City of Hong Kong to drop off the Protector in its ruins and then onwards to the Fifth Caliphate.

There things would come together, with me as the leader of a new alliance once the Divine Empress was killed. Already my force had reached out to the Rising Sun Alliance and were taking out the grinders in the Northern part of the Dragon Empire.

Once the war ended, the Fifth Caliphate would sweep up all the cities and place them under my control. From there I would be able to save everyone. No matter what it took, I would endure and make those decisions to ensure the best possible outcome I could envision.

The Protector

I watched the airship of the High Priestess fly away. What a deplorable woman. I let out a sigh as I looked at the ruins of my city. She had not lied. Everyone was dead. The buildings were crushed, the people smashed. She had hunted down and killed every single person in the city.

It was no secret why the Divine Empress did this, she was filled with hate. Hate at the world, herself, and everyone else. I would have gladly bent the knee and paid tribute to spare my people from this disaster. But I shed no tears.

I had long ago learned to not shed tears for they would never stop. I saw the crushed buildings and blood running out from underneath the rubble. I had felt the buildings be destroyed on our return. But the airship was the fastest way to travel and making a fuss wouldn’t have helped.

Instead, I would clean up the mess like I always did. My title was one I had picked. I did not seek power, fame, or glory, but to protect the innocent people brought here from Earth. As I walked around the plaza the Divine Empress had been through. She had clearly been training her Sense stat and some wide area attacks to devastate all the buildings like she had.

I sat inside the circle of pillars and waited. Eventually people slowly returned to see what had happened. We would rebuild and I would once again try to protect this city.

If the Avatar came to take this city, I would kill her even if it cost me my life. I would defend this city no matter what. She had used up the favor she had earned by pulling me away. Using a favor to save my life was foolish, but she wanted me to live for some reason.

There would be no sorting out the twisted thoughts of that woman’s mind, if she was a woman anymore. I did not refer to her disablement, but rather that the thing that controlled this world was interacting directly with her.

Another bit of idiocy that I had no chance of stopping or correcting. I had learned that reaching beyond one’s ability was dangerous. I just needed to survive and slowly improve and to keep my cause true. Eventually no one would be able to threaten me, and they would kill each other off.

“Protector, what happened?” one man asked me as I sat there. I could tell everyone nearby was listening in.

“I failed the people of this city. I owed a debt which I paid, but that took me away for a short period of time and I failed you all.” I adjusted my legs and lowered my head to the ground.

There were cries from the people, sobbing, shouts, but I would take it all and endure.

Commander Abdullah

An Acid Shot went forward over the boulders and took out a monster wolverine. I remained at the center of the formation, taking responsibility for the chest that had been entrusted to be by Champion Michael.

“Acid Shot,” another monster was killed, and we kept advancing. It was almost dawn, but we weren’t going to stop until we got back to friendly territory. There were reports that a lone figure was following us, but I had checked and it was Champion Michael at an extreme distance.

Why didn’t he join us had been something I had been thinking about and then I realized he was using us as bait to try and draw someone or something out. I hadn’t said anything, but my heart chilled at that realization.

I knew he was pragmatic and ruthless, but to experience it in person was something completely different. Still, he had made his point in the fight we had. He outclassed every one of us. Even if we combined skills his stats were too high to counter him.

It was humbling, incredibly humbling to have a glimpse at the true strength at one of the powerhouses. I couldn’t even imagine the Divine Empress being even stronger. It truly was no joke that confronting her would be death.

I had imagined I would find a way to kill her and get recognized, becoming Champion Michael’s companion. It had been a foolish idea. That level of combat was far beyond me. Beyond any of us. There was no way we could win.

We came up on the pink wolverines, we were halfway through the zone. The sun was slowly rising which made things easier. With the amount of soldiers we had, it was easy enough to rotate skill users in and out and to keep up the pace.

“Champion Michael has left,” the soldier I had looking behind us reported to me. I nodded at that. Perhaps he was just looking out for us and wanted to see how capable we were. It was what I would say and tell the men, but I knew what he was truly up to.

It was the harsh reality of being a field commander. I knew the truth but had come to accept it. That was one reason why I had been promoted where others had not. The ability to shut up and get things done and understand what was really going on.

Chief Administrator Clarissa used us like chess pieces. She was the King and Michael was the Queen, sweeping about the board crushing anything in his path. I would never share this metaphor, but I knew it was true.

Just like our rations were made from hybrids. They were salted and called jerky, but it didn’t escape my eye that Champion Michael had not accepted any. They probably had long term side effects, which is why he didn’t eat the meat. Another thing I kept my mouth shut on.

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