by A F Kay
Did you work through the night? Elder Yana asked through Chat.
Ruwen looked up the wall and found the Worker Elder looking down from the battlements. He turned to the right and found the sun had already broken the horizon. He turned off Glow and looked back up at Yana.
I guess I did.
That is a mighty fine display of work ethic. But we have a battle plan meeting in less than an hour.
Okay, coming up. Let me Melt this rock into place.
Ruwen finished the last wall repair and opened his notifications. Once again, they were all identical except for level. Working through the night had benefited his Stonemasonry.
Shing!
You have advanced a skill!
Skill: Stonemason
Level: 57
Effect: Increase construction and repair speed by 114%. Increase durability by 57%.
Ruwen closed the notification and channeled one Energy per second into Climb, slowly moving up the rope. If saving the universe didn’t work out, he had a future as a stonemason.
Yana pulled him onto the battlement, her face serious. “You surprised me, Overlord, and that doesn’t happen often.”
Ruwen nodded. He’d surprised himself.
“You’ve set an excellent example. Eiru was wise in her choice of messenger.”
Ruwen winced at the memory of crushing the Elders with his Architect Role. He’d lied to them about that, and it felt uncomfortable to get praised for lying. “Thank you, Yana. Today we’ll know for sure. Is the enemy close?”
Yana nodded. “They marched through the night again. They won’t arrive until this afternoon, but from the way they’ve distributed their forward troops, the city isn’t their destination.”
Chapter 67
People filled the temple hallways, all in a hurry to get somewhere, and it slowed Ruwen’s progress to the makeshift war room. He focused on Hamma and used Chat. Are you there yet?
Yes, it’s just me and the Elders.
Where’s your dad?
He’s helping with the revivals, but says he’s done assisting Uru with her plans after what she did to him. Honestly, I kind of feel the same way. I’m only here because of you.
Thank you. I really appreciate that. Do you want to talk about it?
Not right now.
Niall and Hamma felt betrayed by what Uru had done, and Ruwen sympathized with them both. It must hurt even worse because as Priest and Priestess, they had a closer relationship with Uru. He didn’t know Uru well, but she didn’t seem the type to do something like this without a good reason.
But Ruwen feared that reason was the same end of the world talk she’d given him. And if she would subvert the free will of one of her faithful Priests, she would likely cross any line if necessary. He needed to remember that. It always circled back to the same argument with the powerful: the destination justified the path.
That made Ruwen think of his parents, and the path they’d chosen. His parents and Tremine were with Bliz at his now nearly completed bar, Pour Judgement. They were recovering there from their trip to fetch the terium. Terium they’d had to kill to acquire.
Ruwen shook the dark thoughts from his mind as he entered the war room. Sitting down next to Hamma, he removed his Overseer’s Cowl of Revelation and glanced around the room. The six Elders all looked tired. The pace of rebuilding and defending the city had taken a toll on everyone.
It took Ruwen a moment to find the red balloons and the Observer Elder they floated above. “Drivyd, what is the latest?”
Drivyd sat up straight. “Vachyl can detail the skirmishes we’re fighting, but our Scouts found an area where their advance forces refuse to retreat, even with heavy casualties. But the logic of the location makes no sense.”
“Why?” Ruwen asked.
Vachyl spoke up. “There is no high ground. In fact, they seem headed for a large shallow depression ten miles from here.”
With all Ruwen’s recent exposure to Naktos and his minions, he knew exactly what they probably had in mind. “They plan to fill the depression with gas. Something heavier than air, and unbreathable by us.”
Talking like this reminded Ruwen of his strategy discussions with Rami while training in the Spirit Realm. She’d produced an endless number of historical wars as examples, and he’d enjoyed the game aspect of extrapolating what had happened. He’d become very good at it.
Vachyl frowned and Drivyd tapped his chin.
Elder Gabryel leaned forward. “Then why attack them? Leave them in their trap as we continue to revive our people.”
Ruwen nodded at the Priestess. “That is a sound option. But the temple is full, and the city isn’t far behind. Once they know our true numbers, even our current ones, they will abandon this trap and send for more troops. I doubt we can hide our actual numbers from their Scouts much longer.”
“So you want to attack them?” Elder Odalys asked.
Ruwen turned to the Mage. “That is one possibility. But traveling ten miles gives them time to prepare and adjust. They would likely shift out of the depression and up to one of the rims, making it a more difficult fight for us.”
Elder Vachyl raised his hands. “If you don’t want to attack and you don’t want to wait, what is your strategy?”
Ruwen pinched his chin. “We trigger the trap.”
All the Elders and even Hamma stared at Ruwen.
Elder Yana laughed. “I think hanging from the battlements all night has rattled your brain, but I’ll bite. Why trigger it?”
“Because doing so will commit the enemy to their plan,” Ruwen said.
Elder Zahara crossed her arms, and Ruwen kept his eyes on her face. The beautiful Merchant wielded her looks like a weapon. “You just told us the trap would make the air unbreathable. You make no sense.”
“If this was my plan,” Ruwen said. “I’d send the bulk of my force to the city. Those who remained behind would prepare the trap.” Ruwen raised his left arm. “You’d only need a handful of strategically placed Void Bands to rapidly replace the air in that basin. I would attack the city, and if I took it, great. But if I met any significant resistance, I’d rapidly retreat.”
Vachyl nodded. “To draw us out.”
“Exactly,” Ruwen said. “A fleeing enemy is nearly irresistible. We will play along and chase them to their basin, where they will spring the trap.” Ruwen faced Elder Yana. “I’ll need all the Bands we have. We will distribute them evenly among our troops.”
“You’re going to suck the gas away,” Elder Yana said in understanding.
Ruwen nodded. “With enough Bands there, we wouldn’t even need to remove all the gas. Simply pulling air into the Void Bands will create a low pressure and air will flow into the basin, creating turbulence. We’ll search the Temple vault to make sure all the Bands are well equipped with Energy gear. We’ll want the Void Band openings as large as possible.”
“The Bands provide our best long-range attacks,” Elder Vachyl said. “Not to mention their value as close support. Losing them to sucking air will have a significant impact.”
Having a Void Band in this age made you a glorified appah, but in the age these people came from, they were weapons of war. “That is an excellent point. We will use Analyze on the air, and as soon as it becomes breathable we’ll cycle the Bands into combat.”
“What if the gas is a drug?” Drivyd asked. “Like the ether cavern you found.”
“That’s a possibility,” Ruwen said. “It won’t be ether because it’s combustible and risks detonating their flammable neck sacks. Ether only worked in the cavern because it lacked oxygen. That rules out things like methane as well, which is abundant nearby. To answer your question, each group will need to stay near their designated Void Band until it’s safe to venture out, regardless if the gas acts as a drug.”
Vachyl nodded. “We can evenly distribute the Fighters with Gust as well. It will further roil the air.”
“Superb idea,” Ruwen said.
Drivyd narr
owed his eyes. “So your plan is to let them attack, resist until they retreat, chase them into their trap, trigger it, neutralize it with Void Bands, and then destroy them.”
Ruwen nodded.
“I’ve heard worse plans,” Drivyd said.
Elder Gabryel placed her palms on the table. “But if they don’t attack, we don’t either, right?”
Elder Vachyl stiffened. “Your pacifism will get us all killed, again.”
“Quit blaming me for that catastrophe,” Elder Gabryel said.
“Instead of attacking the enemy, we were all near the city, at your insistence, when a meteor obliterated us,” Elder Vachyl said, his voice hard.
“Enough,” Ruwen said, and then repeated something Sift had said. “Shade’s first rule: the past is a home for fools.”
The two fighting Elders stopped arguing and faced Ruwen, their faces angry.
Hamma had also heard Sift say that to Ruwen in Blapy, and he spoke to Hamma in Chat. Please don’t tell Sift I quoted him again. He’s already unbearable.
Drivyd laughed, the sound loud in the silent room. “Well said, Overlord. The mistakes of the past should remain there. I support this plan.”
“We should discuss how to split our forces,” Elder Vachyl said.
Elder Odalys smoothed the front of his robe and turned to the Observer Elder. “How confident are you, Drivyd, that this is the enemy’s entire army? The Overlord’s logic is sound, but it occurs to me this could be a distraction.”
Elder Drivyd spread his hands, jostling the balloons over his head. “We have fewer Scouts in the mountains to the west, but they have yet to see a single Naktos or Haffa follower approaching the city. And thanks to Yana and her Workers, and your own Stone Mages, we know nothing is within twenty-five hundred feet below us. To the north, past the area controlled by the dungeon, not a single enemy. To the south, there is much more activity, but after hearing about the ether cavern, I believe that area is the forward operating base for their Scouts.”
“That leaves the east,” Elder Vachyl said.
Drivyd nodded. “Three Scouts have made it to the coast. Naktos and Haffa have a large camp along the water, but it appears mostly empty. I don’t have as complete coverage as I’d like, but based on my experience, I’m certain there is nothing within a day’s striking distance of the city.”
“How is Haffa helping Naktos?” Hamma asked. “Why were four of Haffa’s Mages protecting the Naktos Mage that attacked Ruwen? I feel like we are missing something.”
“That is an outstanding observation,” Elder Gabryel said. “We need to be cautious.”
Elder Yana tilted her head. “I’ve spent some time in the mines. The hardest part is getting rid of the dirt and rock, which is why Void Bands are so valuable. But they still fill rapidly. It’s possible they are using the Haffa Mages’ control of water to move the tailings away. It’s still a slow process, and rock is heavy. Even if it doubled their tunneling speed, we would have ample warning.”
“Why are they tunneling to begin with?” Hamma asked.
Ruwen had spent some time thinking about this as well. “Another great question, Hamma. When I went to retrieve oil, I found Naktos already setup there. This ether cavern could be part of the same logic. The two most important resources for mass revivals are oil and terium.”
Elder Zahara narrowed her eyes. “They’re mining terium.”
“It fits,” Ruwen said. “The Desolate Mountain Range is known for dense terium deposits, especially Uru’s portion of it here in the north. It wouldn’t surprise me if that tunnel in the cavern goes all the way to the Frigid Sea. Naktos and Haffa are mining the terium they need to support the war effort.”
Elder Zahara tapped her chin. “If Uru has left this area dormant for over ten thousand years, it’s possible those gods have been mining here for a long time. You said Naktos didn’t seem the type to get involved with a war, but if he’s also protecting his mining operations in the south, it makes more sense. That’s simply good business.”
“I’ll say this again,” Elder Gabryel said. “We need to be cautious. If any of this is true, it means they’ve been here for years and have an extensive infrastructure. We must leave sufficient troops to protect the city.”
Elder Vachyl nodded. “On this, we agree. Of those ten thousand troops in the enemy camp, only seven thousand are combat. The rest will be support. I propose we attack with fifteen thousand combat troops and leave five thousand to protect the city, along with the ten thousand noncombat personnel. Having double their combat troops gives us an enormous advantage, but the temple quickly reviving our dead makes us unbeatable.”
Elder Gabryel considered for a few seconds. “It does seem like a good balance.”
One by one the Elders all agreed, and then faced Ruwen.
Ruwen turned to Hamma. “What do you think?”
Hamma bit her lip. “Something feels wrong, but I think the plan outlined here is sound. I would recommend we take some of those Stone Mages and Workers that can sense deep underground and check our flanks and forward path. We don’t want any surprises. If things go bad, we can easily retreat to the safety of the city.”
Ruwen grabbed Hamma’s hand under the table and squeezed it. “Good advice.”
Rami, do you have an opinion?
I do, but I think contributing to your battle strategy against two other gods puts us in dangerous water. Because you are Uru’s Champion, as a condition of our bonding, Mom promised the other deities my ability to help you in life and death situations would be extremely limited. This will soon be life or death.
I understand.
“Then we all agree,” Ruwen said. “I’ll lead our forces in the attack. Warlord Vachyl can manage the overall battle from here and direct us as needed.”
By sunset, the war would be over.
Chapter 68
Ruwen stood on the battlements above the city gate and watched the lone rider approach the city from the distant army. They rode a horse which they must have captured in the southern plains. The wild beast obeyed the saddleless rider and Ruwen figured the creature must be under his command, which probably meant some type of mind control.
Elder Drivyd had guessed they would do something like this. The rider would have some type of sensing magic and attempt to gather intelligence on their numbers, all under the guise of diplomacy.
To nullify this, they had put five thousand combat and ten thousand support Classes in the temple where enemy magic wouldn’t penetrate. They sat in the hallways and rooms, waiting for the command to exit.
They distributed the remaining fifteen thousand troops around the battlements, with a higher concentration near the gates. Elder Vachyl believed that number to fall within the parameters of their trap.
Ruwen had used his last ability point on the level sixteen Commander ability Draft. It increased the size of every group he created, except his Primary Group, from five people to ten. It also gave him the flexibility to change the sizes of the groups in each layer.
With Draft, Ruwen had created three new ten person groups, all filled with Workers bound to Void Bands. Using the Battlefield Promotion ability, he’d passed on the capability to create groups. In the end, each group of ten had another group of ten below them, reaching five layers down. All one hundred sixty-eight Workers with Void Bands were in these groups and waited on the ground below. This setup, by using Chat, allowed him to coordinate their actions quickly.
Spending so many points on these group abilities felt like a long-term waste. He likely wouldn’t need so much flexibility in the future, and there were so many other abilities he wanted to increase. But he needed them to get through this invasion, so he didn’t have a choice. Someday, when he figured out the essence recipes and could use his Spirit, he would have access to all the capabilities he couldn’t have now.
The rider had approached close enough that Ruwen’s Perception provided details. He wasn’t the only one either, as muttering erupted along the wall.
Name: Dust Reverend of Retribution
Deity: Naktos
Class Type: Priest
Level: 100
Health: 1,783
Mana: 3,429
Energy: 389
Spirit: 0
Armor Class: 399
The stats of the Priest shocked Ruwen, and he wondered how many high-level combatants the enemy army had. He’d never seen a level one hundred person before. The enemy had likely sent them on purpose, he realized, to show strength and demoralize the city inhabitants.
Ruwen glanced at the ground, ninety feet below, and his stomach clenched.
Rami, what would falling ninety feet do to me?
With your current buffs, armor, and body Fortification, nothing.
What if my body wasn’t Fortified? Would surviving a fall like that be plausible?
I don’t like where this is headed, but yes, even if —
The Overlord took over. He climbed on to the top of the battlement and waited, giving everyone time to notice. The Dust Reverend down below stopped and stared up at him.
This seems like a — Rami started.
The Overlord jumped.
Ruwen screamed the entire fall, but the Overlord never let it leave his lungs. He bent his knees as he landed, his Overseer’s Boots of Duty sinking into the ground. He stood and used a charge on his Watcher’s Ring of Travel to summon Whiskers, and the cat appeared in its gigantic travel form. He leaped onto the saddle of the large panther and waited for the Priest.
Ruwen’s Gold Fortified hearing heard the excited talk from the thousands of troops along the wall above him. As he’d intended, his demonstration of strength had nullified the impact of the Dust Reverend.
After a few seconds, the Dust Reverend continued forward.
Okay, we need to talk about caution, Rami said.
The Overlord did it, Ruwen said.