Chapter 22 Part 1 of 2 (Patreon)

“In the last few weeks we have gathered information on if the bandits are linked and what is going on with the traders. We thought that it might be the Willful Institute. Instead all of our information points to the Stone Fist Sect. But, not the sect’s leadership.” Elan said inside the command center of Vuzgal. Roska and Chonglu were in attendance around the conference table.

Chonglu frowned.

“We think that the Elsi clan that your wife came from is targeting us. They didn’t let things go and they linked their shame to Erik talking to Mira. Using the current climate they have targeted not only Vuzgal based traders but the Adventurer’s guild. Elise stopped all purchasing before she left. It was a brilliant move. With the police we noticed that there have been more  violent incidents around the warehouses. They bought up warehouses through the traders, then used muscle to force others to sell to them or do what they wanted. The bandits are linked to them as well.”

“That’s a lot of power for a side clan.”

“Yes, they have the support of the local city lords. They just came out from fighting and they’re eager to gain more.”

“So what is our play?” Chonglu asked.

“We were preparing a plan to take out the bandits and the traders out in one shot. Though some thing has changed,” Elan looked at Roska.

Roska cleared her throat.

“They pulled back. There are dozens of mountian passes that allow access to our own roads. They took their passes out.”

“I heard that with the bounty we placed on them that people have been hitting them hard.” Chonglu said.

“Yes, that is probably a part of it. Though I have a feeling that they’re conserving their strength. Oskar Elsi has been more active recently. We don’t know what he is doing, but he is the leader of the bandits and traders. The Willful Institute has been harsh with making sure that no information leaks. Our intelligence is a little behind now, though Cai Bo’s favorite lower elder Luo is supposedly still active in the fourth realm.”

“You think that they are working together?”

“Possibly.” Elan said.

“Okay, so then we’ll round out the traders at least.” Chonglu said.

“That could give us away and the traders, while annoying are easy to deal with inside our city walls. Right now they’re our greatest source of information. If their actions change we know that something is being planned.”

“Since the Willful Institute’s attack the associations have reduced their staff. Traders are avoiding us and crafters are leaving the city. When the fight comes, which it has to. We need to show a display of force. We can’t be seen sitting back.” Chonglu said. “People doubt that we killed Elder Sho, they mock us for using overwhelming force to kill hi instead of a few experts. For stability we need to crush whatever comes our way.”

“On that we’re agreed,” Roska said.

Elan held up his hands. “I agree. There is a time for being subtle and a time to tear apart anything that’s in our way.”

“With the new firepower and weaponry shipment all of our bunkers will be fully readied.”

“Just want to see what happens if someone goes up against those modified cannons,” Roska whistled.

***

Cai Bo walked into the office.

Marco Tolentino turned around from the map he was studying.

Its Vuzgal.

“Elder Cai Bo,” He bowed his head slightly.

“Vuzgal city, some call it the gem of the North.”

“With the high amount of trade, concentration of associations, dungeons, crafters and battle arena. It is on the higher end of cities in the fourth realm. Though they made a key mistake thinking that their reputation would make up for their defenses. What do you make of these?” Marco pointed to a desk which showed a scaled model of Vuzgal, the battle arena, workshops, various towers, the inner walls and the bunkers along the outside of the city.

“We were not able to get any information on the boxy buildings. We know that there are people inside them but that is it. They do not allow people to get close and they have strong formations that protect them from any sensing spells.”

Marco leaned on the table looking at the bunkers.

“They are a blind spot. Do you think that your numbers on the Vuzgal Defence force are accurate?”

“They all wear the same gear, there is no way to accurately know their numbers.”

“Thirty thousand,” Marco didn’t look up. “That is the estimated number of Blood Demon Sect bodies that could have been recovered. If what they did to Elder Sho is true, then they have at least fifty thousand undead soldiers. They’re slower and weaker than humans. They consume a massive amount of power. Though they’re extra support. How many people join the military every training cycle?”

“It has increased month over month. There are around three thousand joining every month. There is also the matter of the Tiger and Dragon Battalions. We do not know where the Tiger Battalion’s main strength is located. Many think that they are inflating their numbers with their actions.”

“What do you think?” Marco asked, looking at her sideways.”

“I think that it would be an incredibly smokescreen to hold up for so many years.”

Marco smiled slightly.

“Yes, their city lords are fighters. Though they don’t care about  how they achieve victory. In the fighting with the Blood Demon Sect they employed unknown ‘whistling’ weapons, magical traps that couldn’t be traced, ambushes, there were reports that they used weapons similar to the Shaw, but they have only showed the repeater weapons. They didn’t directly attack the enemy until they had no choice but to do so. They leveled up rapidly in the fighting. They were tens of levels lower than their adversary. These square buildings, they have a purpose.” Marco pulled out a piece of paper, it was a drawing of a repeater.

“They are low to the ground, with thin slits that would be hard to attack through. Bows are great from up high to see the enemy, aim and attack. The repeaters are powerful, they shoot fast and they must have a massive stockpile by now. These squat buildings, they’re built with the repeaters in mind. They can attack more people rapidly The ground here,” Marco pointed to the area in front of the buildings “It is sloped, giving them a height advantage. It is slight and discrete, most people would miss it. We won’t know where their people are in these buildings. We can’t see anything. Even if we attack them, there are no external entrances. We’d need to breach them and clear them out individually. If I was them I would have built tunnels to connect them.”

Marco stood up, holding his chin, looking over the model.

Cai Bo felt a shiver run through her spine.

“Just what do you think of Vuzgal?” She asked.

“I feel that I might have to call my elder brother.” Marco said calmly.

“Antonio?”

“Yes, he is nearly able to enter the eighth realm. With him then we can crack Vuzgal with minimal losses. Otherwise, we’ll need to find a lot of bodies. Thankfully with all of the cities collapsing we have an abundance of fighters within the sect. Anyway what is your report?” He looked at Cai Bo.

This one is completely different from Nico.

“We have made contact with a local resource. He can get the city lords to the north and west of Vuzgal to let us use their totems. Guides towards Vuzgal, hidden in the woods. He can also create chaos with the traders under his control.”

Marco nodded.

“Good that should make it easier to launch our opening attack. They’ll know we’re coming because we must warn the crafters and others to leave the city. We cancrush the city but if we piss off the powers behind the crafters then we’ll be worse than when we started.”

“We still believe that the Adventurer’s guild and Vuzgal are working together,” Cai Bo held her breath.

“It would be good to assume that they are the same force.”

Cai Bo was a little stunned, thinking that he would rebuff her idea.

“We have our own hidden forces, why can’t other groups? It isn’t that strange. We underestimated the guild before and now they are leading the war against our cities, they have even claimed several. Their influence, their resources, they can be compared to a sect that has cities in the fourth realm. Unlike sects they are mobile, they collapsed all of their guild halls after our attack and strengthened their defenses. Their upper echelon can fight against people from the seventh realm while burning their cultivation.”

“What is your plan?”

“Siege. We will not be able to hide our target needing to warn the crafters and traders. We announce it to the other sects and march on Vuzgal. Then we hold there and siege them. Under the pressure their secrets will come out one by one. Then with the sects and our own armies we will take Vuzgal.”

“That could take weeks.”

“I have plans to shorten that. We must seize the initiative or else the Willful Institute will collapse.”

There was a knock at the door.

“Come in!” Marco looked over. The door opened to reveal five armed and armored men and women. Each of them were powerful instructors of the Institute, in these times they were the leaders of different armies.