“What?” Erik checked the metal he was cleaning and then scrubbed it harder with his brush.
“Sitting here and waiting while people are acting out in the Ten Realms. Now all of the CPD teams of the Dragon Regiment are out there and attacking the Willful Institute. There is just a month to go until the fighting competition in Vuzgal. We’re sitting back, having to be figure heads and shit, all rear echelon sitting on our damn hands,” Rugrat said.
“This is our job,” Erik put the brush down and started to assemble the weapon.
“I hate this job. Can I just be a soldier?”
“You, just a soldier? Even when we were in, you were never just a soldier. A loud ass smart ass marine maybe?”
Rugrat threw a scrap of paper at Erik but he felt a bit better.
Erik snapped the weapon together and checked the action.
“We have to get through the fighting competition. Show up, scare the people that think that we’re dead, once that is over and done with, then we can hide in the darkness and maybe work with some of the special teams if they need our help.”
“Still this sitting here and waiting shit sucks.”
“How do you think all of the soldiers who are in the camps are feeling? All of them want to join in on the fight but it might only be in the last fights that they come out and we show some of our strength to scare others. Really it is kind of like wack-a-mole. Someone shows up, we go over, scare them and then they leave us alone. Then someone stronger comes over and we have to do it all over again. With the strength of Vuzgal and the Adventurer's Guild secured, things should be smooth and we can focus on increasing everyone’s strength and returning to the Sixth Realm.”
“You don’t want to go to the Seventh Realm?”
“Most of the people that go to the Seventh Realm don’t return. Hell the only person I know that came down here from the Seventh Realm is that person from the Sha.”
“Yeah, those people set me on edge, they have something like rudimentary gunpowder weapons. They usually kill off everyone that tries to imitate them, but instead of killing us off they sent us terms and are interested in meeting us when we get stronger.” Lines appeared on Rugrat’s forehead.
“The Sixth Realm has plenty of Dungeons for us to get stronger in, there is plenty to learn there. Once we have power to reach into the Seventh Realm, then we should check it out. I feel that there are a lot of secrets about the Seventh Realm and higher, we only have vague descriptions of what is going on up there.”
“First we take out those Willful Institute dicks.”
“First the Institute dicks,” Erik agreed. "Wait a minute, there's something different," Erik looked at Rugrat.
"I formed my Liquid core. I'm resting before I try to create my solid core," Rugrat's voice was flat.
"Nice work, that's a big achievement!"
"I guess, I wish I was putting it to more work than just sitting here," Rugrat sighed.
Erik grunted, he agreed and started to oil up his weapon.
Chapter: A United front
Cai Bo had a dark expression on her face as she marched through the halls of the Willful Institute's headquarters.
Low Elder Kostic was walking quickly behind her with a number of other elders that were all part of her faction.
She reached the doors into the conference room.
There were six other High Elders each of them brought their own people with them. Their eyes clashed with one another, they had fought one another in the shadows and within this very room again and again.
None of them dared to speak as they were all looking at the position at the head of the table. A middle-aged looking man was sitting there, he waved his hand, indicating for them to sit, with just his hand it suppressed all of the elders and their supporters.
Cai Bo quickly took her seat.
What could make head Foster come out of seclusion. This is bigger than I thought, are we going to attack someone?
A woman stepped forward next to the head.
"Four weeks ago a city in the Fourth Realm was attacked, the wall collapsed and the forces of several sects attacked as one. They tore through the city and today they control the city," The woman's voice was light and uninterested as if it had nothing to do with her.
Cai Bo saw one of the high elders grit his teeth as people behind him fought to contain their anger.
How useless are they to lose a city?
Cai Bo sneered internally, showing nothing in front of the head.
"Recently the resources gathered in the lower realms and presented to us here in the Fifth Realm have decreased. The head wants to know what is happening.
The head looked around the room. The weight of his gaze made Cai Bo and the others shiver as cold sweat ran down their backs.
The lady waved to one of the high elders.
He stood up with a grim look on his face.
"We have been seeing rising food prices in the Second Realm and a number of our sects there have had issues with their stored food. They have needed to purchase more and it has reduced the amount of money they can spend on cultivation resources. Bandits have grown in number and they are grown so bold as to attack our caravans of food. We have some trade disagreements in the Third Realm, though we are looking for new suppliers."
Another stood up.
"There have been some minor fights with other sects in the Third Realm and the Fourth Realm. It is strange to have fights in the Third Realm."
"There were some trade issues with iron ore, the amount they could supply us decreased."
"A guild of adventurers is making some noise in the Third Realm, they humiliated our people and then a group from the Grey Peak Sect used the cover of the competition to steal resources from us. We are gathering people to strike back."
"We have had a decrease in contributions with a number of contract issues with traders. There were bad crops and some mines have dried up. We have not lost money, but prices are quickly escalating so resources will be thinner for some time, but once the prices return to normal then everything will be fine," Cai Bo said.
There are a lot of issues with running the Institute across five realms, but that is normal.
"What the fuck have you idiots been doing while I was in seclusion?" The head's words shook all of the high elders.
"One by one these are small incidents, to each of you that only see one part of the whole maybe you don't realize what is happening. Tell me this, how many of our different locations haven't had a fight in the last three months?"
"Uhh, just a five haven't."
"Two."
"Eight"
"Nine"
"Four"
"Sixteen
"Two," Cai Bo said, a feeling of uneasiness building in her stomach.
"Over eighty percent of our locations have fought in one way or another? Now think of how many are supplying us resources. Think of how many that are having trade difficulties. What do you see?"
Silence fell as the High Elders started to look at one another, instead of the first anger, they were communicating with their eyes and their faces were turning pale.
"Do you realize it now? Looking at everything in parts then there are just some minor issues in a few locations. The rest of the Institute is fine. When you look at it all, you see that we are under attack."
"Under attack?" A High Elder asked.
"Maybe it is a coincidence, maybe it isn't. There are people from all different trading groups and sects that are hitting our weaknesses. It doesn't matter, we need to treat it like an attack, to regain our strength and assert our power or else the Institute will be pulled apart in chunks!"
The High Elders all looked to one another and their expressions changed.
We might fight one another behind the scenes, but if someone attacks our Willful Institute they best be ready for the consequences!
"What are your orders Head Foster?" Cai Bo asked.
"Settle down the Institute, use our stockpiles and trade among
the different branches to relieve the resource issues. Send groups from the higher realms down to the lower realms, we will secure our positions in the Second Realm, then the Third Realm and so on. If we do not have the resources of these lower realms then it will be harder for us to fight. Investigate the powers that are attacking us, call on our allies to assist us where they can. On the outside nothing must appear different. We will retain our position in Henghou city, if the other sects learn of our position and what is happening in the lower realms then they will call out their experts and drown us in fighting requests so that our students will come away with injuries and be unable to cultivate properly!"
"What about the Fighting Competition in Vuzgal in two months?" A High Elder asked.
"The Fighting competition is now seen as a way for forces to show their power, we need to show others that they shouldn't overlook the Willful Institute! Make sure that we place as high as possible in the rankings. Take down expert students to increase our standing. No expense should be spared. High Elder Cai Bo, you will lead the group personally!"
It was a small regional fight last year but because of the location and the rewards many of the powerful figures in the Fourth Realm will be there. Competition will be fierce with people from the Fifth and Sixth Realm entering. It is no longer a small competition.
"If I hear that you are trying to gain rewards instead of fighting for the best interests of the Institute then I will deal with you myself!"
Head Foster stood, the High Elders rushing to their feet, cupping their hands and bowing as the doors opened with a bang ahead of the Head as he stormed out without lifting a finger.
***
"The Willful Institute suffered a loss and now they are saying to their people that we attacked them?" The Grey Peak's Branch Sect leader Heidi Storgaard roared as the report was read out.
"It appears that way, they are saying that the people that robbed their treasury were ours."
"What kind of things would we want from the useless Willful Institute?" Storgaard slammed her first into her chair, cracking the stone.
Her muscles were bunched up and there was a look of fury on her face.
"What will we do now Branch leader?" One of her Captains asked.
"We cannot think of just ourselves at this time, send word to the other branches and the higher ups, send them these reports. Tell them that we are preparing for an attack and we await their instructions. If they dare to attack then we will be able to call on our people to reinforce us."
"We're just a Third Realm location do you think that they will help us?" Another captain asked.
"You have spent too much time training and not enough time fighting!" She bellowed. "On the battlefield numbers count, but you know what is more powerful than numbers? Their armors, their weapons, the stamina recovering concoctions so that we can keep on fighting past the enemy's endurance, healing concoctions so we don't lose many troops, so we can recover quickly and come back to win the battle. So instead of losing veterans to infections they can recover and participate in the next battle. Losing just one city in the Third Realm, the Alchemist's Realm, then our combat capabilities in the Fourth Realm will drop rapidly!"
The captain who had spoken out clasped his fist and bowed his head.
"I was ignorant Branch head Storgaard!"
"If a fight comes, you and your forces will be the vanguard to learn the truths of war! Think of this as a learning experience! If you do well you could all head to the Fourth Realm! If they dare to come out of their city, do you think the Grey Peak Sect will be scared? It is within our rights to attack them head on if they start the attack."
"What about this Adventurer's Guild?" The man who had brought the report before the leaders of the city asked.
Storgaard held her chin, her deep brown eyes deep in thought.
"They were able to disrupt Elder Hui and his people to this extent, they could be useful. Send someone to contact them. If we can use their strength against Elder Hui and his people, then it saves us the effort! In fact aren't the Red River Sect in a minor dispute with the Willful Institute? If we can ally with them, wouldn't they have a reason to attack the Willful Institute out of defending their ally'?"
The members in the room nodded their heads after a few minutes of thinking.
"Now I am looking forward to the Institute testing out their abilities. It will be a way for us to test out our own capabilities as well!" Storgaard laughed but there was a malicious look in her eyes.
***
"The Grey Peak Sect wants to talk to us?" Jasper was surprised as he glanced at the messenger.
Blaze is organizing everything for the competition in Vuzgal, we need to show our strength there to continue expanding. Everyone that is going to compete is training in the arena's training rooms and the guild headquarters.
"I didn't think that they would approach us."
He tapped his pencil on the reports in front of him, thinking.
"Accept their invitation. I will head there personally, send a message to command. Request some of the intelligence agents and military members come with us."
***
A week after she sent the message to various sects, mercenary groups and the Adventurer's Guild, Branch leader Storgaard was checking her gear. She was wearing light armors and her weapons were sharpened and cleaned. She was just missing her final layer of armor.
"The Adventurer's Guild representatives are here."
"Ah I am interested to meet their guild leader, he is bold to march into the Willful Institute and beat them in their own city!"
"Uhh-" The messenger's face turned awkward. "Branch leader, they only sent their vice guild leader. From what I have learned he is not much of a fighter, he cares for the administration of the guild. The Guild leader is training with his people for a competition."
Storgaard frowned. He didn't accept my invitation and sent his subordinate instead, is he looking down on me? Competition? I remember hearing something about a competition in Vuzgal, the annual fighter's competition in their battle arena. No they're just some small guild in the Third Realm protecting goods, there is no way that they would qualify to enter. As long as they agreed to bleed for my sect then it doesn't matter.
She looked at herself again, giving off the right vibe of war ready without being outwardly aggressive to her guests.
"Let's head down," She walked across the rough stone room, Beast hides were laid down on the floors while beast heads lined the walls.
Outside the windows a lush jungle covered mountain range sprawled out into the distance. The city was built into the highest mountain range, protecting the valleys that were broken up into steps where people were growing and cultivating alchemy ingredients. They looked like rice paddies back on Earth.
***
"Good vantage points, heavy weaponry and spell formations. They've got the entire valley covered. It would be hard for them to deal with multiple smaller forces, but if a large force came then they could hammer them with their large scale weaponry," Niemm assessed as he was beside Jasper.
Sounds cancelling formations were active so that no one could hear what they were talking about or read their lips.
"They have a detection formation that will allow them to see where anyone is in their area of operations. While it might be harder for them to deal with multiple smaller groups they can send out forces in the different guard houses in the valleys to deal with them," Mister Yi added.
Even the intelligence agent in charge of the Third Realm wanted to tag along.
"This place is built like a war fortress, the information we have on the Grey Peak's is accurate. They were a bunch of mercenary groups that banded together and rose through the Realms. They have been able to get to this stage because they never operate on their own. They rotate people that have served in the Fourth Realm to the lower realms to prepare them for what is to come," Niemm said.
"Their progress and position in the Fourth Realm is impressive. They haven't ente
red into a fight that they didn't win. They have been hired out by all kinds of forces to bolster other sects power as well," Jasper said.
"Their population is smaller than the Willful Institute, they don't have many crafters and have to rely on external sources, but their fighters are strong and a number of them have reached the Seventh Realm and higher."
"Not a good group to piss off," Mister Yi replied.
The different groups were talking among themselves, some greeted one another that had met previously.
"In the Third Realm a lot of sects are friendly with one another, with the Alchemist Association controlling the realm, few people want to piss them off. So they play nice. Politicizing is power here, not just one's military might. Look over there a representative from the Alchemist Association is here as well. Before they do anything it needs to be okayed by the Alchemist Association or else it will be hard for them to develop in this realm," Master Yi said.
The talking died down as a strong looking woman with short cropped brown hair walked into the room, she looked like she was in her training clothes, only missing her upper body armor and helmet before she could rush out into battle.
"Well looks like she knows how to make an entrance," Niemm grinned.
"How strong?" Jasper asked. Yi moved closer to hear as well.
"Powerful, Body of the Stone stage, looking to break through to the Iron? Mana cultivation is limited. She only has a half dozen mana gates open."
"Half a dozen in the Ten Realms is a lot," Mister Yi said.
Niemm shrugged. In Alva it wasn't all that rare. Before someone stepped on the path of mana cultivation they would open up all their mana gates. It was one of the first tests that children underwent to find out where their mana gates were and coming up with a treatment plan to open all of their gates. The assessment was free and the cost to open the gates was small comparatively.
Storgaard greeted the different leaders as she walked through the lobby.
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