The Fourth Realm (The Ten Realms Book 4)

by Michael Chatfield

  “Yes, but Vuzgal is massive. The Blood Demon Sect have numbers on their side: thirty thousand regular troops, fifteen thousand Elites, and five thousand Masters, not including their mounts. While they are ten different armies, they’re all from the same military. While the forces of Tareng have trained together, they’re in new territory fighting beside a new mostly unknown force.”

  “What about the plague testing on the people who used the totem to cross over?”

  “We have pretty much confirmed what we knew already, but the higher-ups want us to wait the week to make sure that there is nothing hidden. It could be a ploy to have us send the army out and then have them affected by the plague.”

  “Find out who sends the orders to the attacking army. We can send the army into cities that aren’t affected by the plague just fine,” Elder Lu said. “If we take out the person giving the orders, then the rats in the Blood Demon Sect will lose their backing. Either they will fight harder or run. I am willing to bet they’ll try to run.”

  “I will have answers within two days,” Cui Chin promised.

  “See that you do. I don’t like waiting.”

  ***

  “The totem is activating.” Rugrat stood, using his connection to the city and the dungeon to know what was happening with the totem.

  Just two people appeared before the totem stopped working.

  Undead surrounded them, as did the Alvan army section that was watching the totem.

  Glosil had his hand on his sword, ready to act.

  His sound transmission device activated.

  “One of the people we sent to the Blue Lotus returned and he brought a man called Hiao Xen, who wants to meet with you. He says that he is from the Second Realm.”

  “And he’s all the way up here?” Rugrat muttered to himself.

  “They’re good. Have the man who returned give an oath and allow Hiao Xen to come to the castle. Ask him—what formation did he give Erik?” Rugrat asked after a moment.

  Glosil relayed the message and got a reply.

  “He said that he didn’t give him a formation but the cauldron Iron Castle. He asked how Tan Xue is doing.”

  “Looks like he is our guy,” Rugrat confirmed with a grimy smile.

  It didn’t take long for Hiao Xen and his guides to reach the castle.

  “It is good to see you, Head Hiao.” Rugrat cupped his fist.

  “I wish it was under better circumstances.” Hiao cupped his fist in reply. He looked tired. “What can I do to help? I have been sent to make things a bit easier with you and the people of Tareng, and I have a medallion from headquarters. They want me to speed up how fast people can enter the capital and they want to know just how effective Erik has been with delaying the Blood Demon army.”

  “We can raise it to thirty thousand per group, but you will be responsible. I will have people watching over and undead acting as backup. Everyone will need to make the oath, even the kids and the elderly,” Rugrat said.

  “I can get that done,” Hiao Xen assured him.

  Rugrat pulled out a map and put it on the table. Markers showed the advancing Blood Demon army and other markers showed the people from Tareng and Vuzgal.

  “Erik and his group have slowed the army by about a day, maybe a day and a half. I have new forces moving out to relieve them and pull them back to the city. The pressure on the approaching army will decrease and their speed will increase. For casualties, we estimate that the death toll on the Blood Demon Sect has reached between eight thousand to twelve thousand.”

  “Are you sure?” Hiao Xen looked from the map to Rugrat.

  “That’s our best estimate. We haven’t been able to calculate accurately, but based upon the Experience we’ve earned, I would guess about that many.”

  “I was able to bring the Weight Reduction spell scrolls with me. What will you be using them for?” Hiao Xen put a box on the table.

  “We will be using them on the pillar in the middle city. The formation inside it is still pretty good. If we put it back on top of what is left of the pillar, we can activate Vuzgal’s Mana barrier. It will take all of our people and time if we have to do it; if you can get the crafters to help out, then we can get it done in a few days. If you can get them to work in the smithies, we can make more ammunition so we can keep raining hell down on the army. I need to have the mages organized so that they can use long-range destructive spells. I need the armies organized so that they can be used to defend the walls. Others to run ammunition, to carry the wounded. I can fight by myself, but I won’t if I don’t have to,” Rugrat admitted.

  “I’ll get you your help,” Hiao Xen said.

  ***

  Storbon and two sections of Tiger Platoon had been riding since the day before. They got to the meet-up point with Dragon Platoon and the special teams.

  “’Bout time you showed up.” Yao Meng harrumphed as he rested his rifle on his leg and as he sat on his mount.

  “Fashionably late,” Storbon laughed in response, studying Yao Meng. He looked tired, covered in grime, but that he had long ago stopped caring about it.

  His weapon had dirt on it but it was well maintained, unlike his own face and hands that were covered in dirt.

  “Follow me.” Yao Meng and Imani led them to where Erik and the rest were waiting.

  “Sir,” Storbon said as the group dispersed, moving to talk to their friends they hadn’t seen in a week. It felt like a lifetime ago.

  “Storbon, good to see you. All right, I’ll be leaving Gong Jin and his half section with you as well as a few commanders from Dragon Platoon. Get you all sighted in and good to go. Your people been using the mortars in Vuzgal?” Erik asked.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Good. They’re going to be using them all the time. I hope you like digging. The enemy is using their Mana barriers nearly all the time and they’re pushing through our IEDs as fast as they can. IEDs are our best killers. The mortars are more to put the fear of long-range artillery into them. We’ve been adding in batches of poison rounds that can get through the Mana barriers. They have to be running low on antidotes by now and they lose a number to the poison gas. But they’re building up a natural resistance, I swear.

  “We checked the land a bit and these look like good places to hit the enemy. These are the locations that we’ve used. They’re wary about anything that makes them slow down or get packed in together, so we’re starting to hit them in wide open areas—do the unexpected. Your aim will be to inflict casualties, wear down their supplies and their morale. They’re already three to four days behind the people in Tareng. Thankfully, with Hiao Xen now in the city, things should speed up a little bit.

  “Now, you need to watch out for their strong roving patrols. Damn well got close to finding our observation posts a few times, and they’re pushing out far to the sides and in the forest. It’s hard to track them.”

  Storbon and the rest who came with him were sponges, absorbing all the information that they could in just a few hours.

  Explosions could be heard in the background as Niemm called in mortars on the enemy and blew an IED. Storbon and the others jumped but those who had been there for a while already didn’t even flinch, smiling at their reactions.

  “You get used to it,” Erik said as he shifted in the dirt. “The things I would do for a shower.”

  He continued briefing them on everything that was useful, Storbon copying it down into notes. Then Erik’s group got onto their beasts and left, leaving Storbon with just a few people left from the first group.

  “We have three positions set up right now. We should mix our teams so that we have old and new working together,” Gong Jin said.

  “Agreed.” Storbon turned back from their departing friends and focused on his mission.

  ***

  The Blood Demon army pushed on, slugging it through the repeated explosions. They were barely staying together, a fifth of their force dead along the road and more affected by poison as they were runnin
g low on antidote concoctions.

  Erik rode toward Vuzgal, cutting through the forest to make the best possible speed. They exited onto the road, seeing the people of Tareng entering the capital.

  Though all eyes were on the pillar that for the first time in centuries was moving.

  “All right, let’s not fuck this up!” Rugrat yelled from inside the city as he had the undead soldiers, the flying mounts, and mages from Alva working together. Underneath the pillar, vines grew out and gripped the pillar as well.

  It had all been checked over and the damage repaired and fused together.

  “Ready!” Glosil reported.

  “Use the Weight Reduction scrolls!” The scrolls were activated, falling onto the pillar; it stopped weighing thousands of tons, now only hundreds of tons.

  “Lift!” Rugrat commanded as he grabbed the pillar himself. They worked together, lifting it up.

  “Pass to the central city!” Rugrat ordered.

  The repaired wall had an opening in it again as the pillar was moved, the end pointing toward the center of the city.

  “We’re lined up!” Rugrat said. Everyone stopped their movement.

  “Forward!” Rugrat yelled.

  They marched forward. Their Strength allowed them to deal with the pillar as if it were nothing but a big plank that they had to move around a worksite.

  They entered the main city. Vines covered the castle and the other pillar, and rose up under the pillar that they were moving, taking some of the weight. Vines that sprouted from the top of the broken pillar were pulled out to the top of the upper half of the pillar.

  They reached the castle in short order.

  “Earth lifter!” Rugrat called out.

  Mages used a Raise Stone spell. Stone columns rose out of the ground, bracing the top of the pillar and pushing it free of those holding it.

  The mounts that were flying above pulled; the vines grew larger and contracted. The pillar moved upright as vines from the castle and the bottom half of the pillar hugged the top section and pulled it closer. It rose up over the castle, then reached the broken pillar and started to climb. The flying mounts used all their strength to pull upward. The vines, like tentacles, moved together like caterpillar feet to push the pillar up meter by meter.

  The pillar rose up into the sky, being seen for miles around.

  The top pillar was on top of the bottom half once again. The wind at that height made it sway slightly. It was turned to line up with the magical formation that was inscribed inside the pillar.

  Mages poured out rubble from the pillars and stuffed it in the gaps and fused the pillar. Quickly, the pillars stopped being two separate parts and were one complete whole.

  “We’re looking good from inside,” Domonos reported five minutes later.

  The pillar no longer swayed, but stood above the capital once again.

  “All right, now let’s go and put that wall back together!” Rugrat clapped his hands. The crafters went to work on the formations inside. Rugrat had created a false floor so that they wouldn’t be able to see or find the dungeon core or their Mana stones.

  The people of Tareng looked at the pillar as it rose into the sky.

  Rugrat activated the Mana gathering formations across the city in each of the pillars.

  They covered the entire capital and the lands beyond, drawing in and concentrating mana as it entered the main defensive wall, it became thicker and more concetrated, compressing further as it passed the inner wall before focusing on the main pillar. Unseen by those watching the mana was directed down through formations into the hidden underground dungeon control room.

  The excess mana passed through a mana storing formation that was rooted in the walls of the pillar.

  Earth and Mortal Mana cornerstones started to create mana stones that slowly started spreading across the interior of the pillar. While the concentrared and purified mana was directed into a mana storing formation in the hidden room away from prying eyes.

  The mist around the city started to clear at a rapid rate, no longer trying to hide their existence. As the sun was revealed, the pillars glowed with a blue light from the sheer density of Mana, lighting up the city.

  ***

  Early the next morning, as it was still dark, Erik arrived in the city.

  Rugrat and Erik gave each other knuckles.

  “Good to see you,” Rugrat said.

  “You’ve gotten a lot done,” Erik admired.

  “We’ve got hot food, showers and beds. Get some rest. We won’t have much of that in the coming days. You did good,” Rugrat said.

  “Thanks.” Erik went passed the others and released Gilly to the stables with a hug and an ear scratching.

  He used his Clean spell. His greasy hair and his dirt-stained face and hands looked fresh as the dirt and grime on his clothes were removed.

  He took off his gear. Even as tired as he was, he made sure that it was stored away, easy to reach.

  He took a shower. Even with the Clean spell, it wasn’t the same as a shower, which allowed him time to decompress, to allow his muscles to relax.

  “Notifications,” Erik said. A list of information appeared.

  ==========

  14,379,060/30,600,000EXP till you reach Level 55

  ==========

  Erik dismissed the information. He trudged over to his cot and flopped down on it, pulling his sleeping bag out of his storage ring and dragging it over himself.

  Even though we killed thousands of them, killing people that are a lower level than you comes with severe experience penalties. Each level higher I am than my opponent, I get half of the experience. So others that were a lower level quickly leveled up as they were part of killing much higher leveled people. For Rugrat and me, being a higher level meant that we didn’t get many gains, only barely increasing by a whole level.

  It’s no wonder that higher level people don’t waste their time fighting those from the lower realms, the experience that they’d gain would be pitiful.

  ***

  Workers at the top of the pillar took in the sight of Vuzgal and the asteroid belt above. They saw flashes of light in the distance that must be the Blood Demon army being hit with weapons.

  The army kept on coming despite the flashes of destruction, just on the horizon.

  Chapter: Hidden Machinations

  Jasper left the teleportation pad. They had placed one of them close to Vermire in case of emergencies.He stepped forward and headed off into the forest before he circled around to one of Vermire’s gates.

  He paid the fee and entered the city gates, looking around at the construction that was happening everywhere. It was progressing quickly, with the walls already up in a few sections, others in different states of completion.

  Jasper kept walking and headed toward the city lord’s manor.

  “I’m sorry. The city lord is not seeing anyone,” the guard at the front door said.

  “Tell him it is Jasper.” Jasper smiled and said in response.

  The guard sent the message, flinching from the messages he was getting back. “I am sorry, sir, about my disrespect.” The guard bowed to him.

  “You didn’t know.” Jasper walked past the guard. “I know the way.”

  “Yes, sir.” The guard said, still bowing as Jasper continued walking as if he owned the place.

  He found a flustered-looking Lord Aditya in his office, the same office that Aditya had pressured Jasper in on their first meeting so long ago.

  “Mister Jasper.” Lord Aditya bowed directly from the hip, cupping his hands.

  “You make it seem like I’m some monarch. It seems that you have been doing well these past few years.” Jasper walked to the windows, looking out over the city.

  “For my actions, I cannot try to make up for them,” Lord Aditya said.

  “Oh, I don’t know about that. We gained a good subject at that time and you have kept faith with us. As such, you should be rewarded.” Jasper took out a box and passed i
t to Aditya. “This pill will allow you to temper your bones.”

  Aditya looked at the box, his hands shaking in excitement.

  “Seems that you have not been able to temper your body as yet—we should look to changing that. Though I have not just come with rewards. I have come for other issues. Have you heard of the Beast Mountain Trials?” Jasper moved to one of the couches and sat down.

  “I have heard something about it—a dungeon that is located in the Beast Mountain Range, but one needs tokens in order to access it. The sects come from higher realms to make use of it,” Aditya said.

  “I have ten tokens that I can give to you. You will hold a contest among your fighting forces and the top three fighters will get one token each. The others you can use to barter with mercenary leaders, nation leaders, and do as you desire. If you find someone of good standing and a capable fighter, you should also pass them a token. You can use two of the tokens to barter; the others would be for these independent fighters. They could return with powerful items, indebted to you, or they might disappear,” Jasper said.

  Aditya nodded, finding the hidden meaning in Jasper’s words. “Understood.”

  “Now, I also must ask about Elan Silaz. I have heard that he has made some hints about our operations,” Jasper said.

  Aditya told Jasper everything that Elan Silaz had said and he picked up the contract that he had written up.

  Jasper listened and reviewed the contract. Silence fell in the office until there was a knock at the door. Aditya’s expression turned sour.

  “It’s fine—deal with it,” Jasper said.

  Aditya went to the door, talking to the person on the other side before returning to the couch. “Elan Silaz has offered me a Mana stone for twelve hundred gold,” Aditya reported.

  “Seems he is working quickly. But where did he get a collection of Mana stones from? I will have to look into this further.” Jasper stood and started to walk to the door. “Oh!” Jasper pulled out a scroll and ten tokens, passing them to Aditya. “Listed here are items that we will make available for purchase for you. The gold required is listed as well.”