Chapter 11 Part 2 of 3 (Patreon)

“Do you think this tournament has been created because of Erik and Rugrat?” Delilah asked Roska as she finished giving her briefing.

“I think that it might.”

“How safe are they?”

“We have plans for immediate extraction and if they try and stop us, we have the first trans-realm communication devices that will allow us to report the situation to the Seventh Realm, and Celestial level bombs. If they try and take the teams or Erik and Rugrat then we can threaten them right back.”

“How bad could this get?”

“Depends how far they go with it.” Glosil said.

“With the materials sent down by Erik and Rugrat how is the development of the fleet going?” She looked at Edmond sitting behind Glosil.

“We completed about fifty percent. We started with the smallest ships and worked up from there. We’ll use what we learned to build the later generations and larger craft.”

“And our personnel?” Delilah looked at Glosil.

“The military has over three hundred thousand full time military members, another four hundred thousand in active reserve. Five hundred thousand to a million that are ready to serve across the guild and Empire.” He looked at Blaze and Aditya.

The Empire had swelled to six million Alva citizen applicants. Another three million were confirmed Alvan citizens.

“For once our people are trained ahead of their equipment. We have crews switching out on the different warships to train around the clock. Both the Crow assaulters, the air force wings, and the Air force fleet.”

The fleet had fallen under Kanoa’s umbrella. He and the other Earthers that had served or knew about fleet tactics and aerial tactics had put their heads together with the ex-Sha officers.

There had been some tension with the Sha when they’d given up their warships and joined Alva. Some had joined as citizens, while others had spread across the lower realms. The tension had subsided after they understood what their warships would be turned into.

“What about our allies? I heard there were a few that have been using the threat of the alliance to get away with criminal acts?” Delilah looked at Alva’s police chief.

“Yes, unfortunately. Some have been dealt with by external sources, like the Mission Hall. Others we’ve dealt with internally. I have some letters for your signature to be passed out to our mainstay allies about adding new people to the alliance and new rules that groups going against the morals of the alliance will be excommunicated.”

“Good. Elise, how are we looking financially?”

“Our infusions of capital into the smaller businesses starting out has paid off and many of them are showing profits. Factories are moving out into the Empire, with the increased cost of real-estate. There have been some issues in the other realms with people holding up Alvans and there was the hostage situation a month ago. Thank you for your assistance there, commander.” She smiled to Glosil.

“It is our job to secure the safety of Alvans. Fortune favors the strong, so we cannot be weak towards others. Still, I only sent the Close Protection detail out. I will pass on your thanks to the team lead.”

“Thank you.” Elise looked back to Delilah.

“Egbert, Miss Jia Feng, how are the academies doing and what is the impact of the information we’re getting from Avegaaren?”

“We had to expand the academies. Old Quan has broken ground on a new academy in the Empire, it should be completed in another month. The city is devoted to the academy within. There is only so much that we could increase Kanesh and the old Consortium in King’s Hill,” Jia Feng said.

“It will also have its own dungeons and areas underground and there are plans to build upwards, allowing the academy to expand rapidly,” Egbert said. “With the information we are getting from Avegaaren, it really depends on which area people are in. We have furthered our information on smithing, healing, alchemy and fighting in a big way, because that is what Erik and Rugrat are focused on. They have gathered information from other areas, but they are not experts in these areas so the information while good, sometimes misses the point. The Special Teams have been purchasing books, working in the Ninth Realm Mission Hall to gain more supplies and items that our teachers and department heads can study and learn from. I am pleased to announce that Julilah is our first Star level crafter and Qin and Taran should not be far behind her.” There was a smattering of applause as Egbert smiled like a proud parent. “Though don’t tell her I told you, she’s rather embarrassed about it and just wants to be left alone to do her crafting.”

“Sounds very Alvan to me,” Delilah said dryly.

“We should make sure to celebrate it, even if in private,” Momma Rodriguez said.

“Couldn’t agree more.” Jia Feng smiled, the two were close friends and had a motherly disposition towards all Alvans.

“Also, I wanted to bring up the mana well. With the elemental mana coming from the well created by the mana drill, we have been able to rapidly grow our dungeon cores and increase the density of Alva. We cannot hold all the mana even with the mana gathering formations across the Empire. Several locations across the realm are releasing higher elemental mana. Should we send people to these locations?”

“We cannot take everything for ourselves. We will not lay claim to those areas and will allow mana to leak from the Empire, we don’t need it all and it increases our ties to those around our borders.”

“Shall we continue with the ten percent Sky Realm grade mana stones for the fleet?” Egbert asked.

“Is that enough?” Delilah asked.

“Yes ma’am,” Glosil said.

“Understood, that’s all I had to say.”

“Then unless there is anything else, we are all done.”

No one had more to add, bringing the meeting to a close. Momma Rodriguez gathered Delilah, Egbert, Jia Feng and others with her eyes. Planning out something for Julilah undoubtedly.

Delilah’s thoughts turned towards Rugrat. Stay safe, you big lunk. She pictured him training and shook her head. A small smile appeared on her face. It quickly dimmed, her stomach turning as she remembered her last thoughts as he had left.

I hope he doesn’t think I hate him.

***

The Avegaaren library was a grand building of polished wood, floors, and shelves filled with books. Teleportation formations, stairs, and elevators weaved through the building from one section to another.

Erik continued reading, his domain capturing the four librarians that had been putting books away in his vicinity and clearing shelves, watching him the entire time. He used it as extra training as he made notes from the Water Element book he was reading.

He sat back, tapping the back of his pen against his chin. “So, the Water element, water cycle, heating and cooling changes form. Water will wear down the strongest material in the world given time, and it is constant. Water in the body, blood, muscle, movement of nutrition through the body. Water and heat create air type reactions. Ice, vapor, water. Pressurized water can create a cutting force.” Erik had been studying Water tempering for weeks. A Water tempering needle was stuck in his right thigh, with the new formations, he only needed one needle to maintain his tempering.

He stopped tempering with the element, wanting to learn more about it. The Water element filled all his cells. He felt like he was fit to bursting. He was on the cusp.

Erik drew on his elements and mana as a male librarian charged in like a bull. “All right that is it! You are banned from the library for your infractions!” he yelled.

“What for?” Erik said as the librarian grabbed him and pulled him out of his chair.

“You have come in several times, creating a disturbance with your noise with that other lower realmer!”

“Hey, let me get my notes.”

“Just want to steal our books,” another said.

Erik reached out with his mana, grabbing the papers and storing them away.

“Fuck you.” Erik gave him the middle finger and a smile.

The bullheaded librarian pushed Erik. Erik floated through the air, turning and leaving the three librarians dogging behind him.

They moved to corner him between the three of them.

A group of students were laughing at something one of them had found. Erik paused, looking at the librarians and the group then back at them again.

“Please don’t make a scene, we don’t need you lower realmers messing up everyone else’s studying.” The one who had muttered about him stealing books sneered and the bull headed one crossed his arms.

A smile pressed over Erik’s face as he pulled out a blue and purple needle from his storage ring.

They looked at him unsure what to do.

“You know, it is school rules that one can’t interfere with a student that is cultivating. And I do so love to make a scene.”

Erik smacked the needle into his shoulder mana gate. He breathed in, embracing the thrill of mana.

The potion ran through his mana channels twisting with his burning rage.

Power tore through his body. He reveled in the pain, accepted it, the forces of mana breaking through his body, tearing him apart as black blood pushed out of his pores; he looked like the devil. The librarians tried to pull out formations.

Erik drew in more mana, expanding his domain to the limit. Mana and elements rushed in. Books tore from the shelves and people yelled as the room danced around Erik, a bloody demon in the midst of it all.

Someone ran at him; Erik reacted. He shifted across the room, turning their fist, breaking their arm, hitting their knee backwards and hurling them away with their own motion. Lightning strikes made them convulse as they lost control over their muscles.

Erik felt a barrier crack and the realm came into focus. His mana channels and core altered, connecting directly to his elemental core, to his body, changing from a Mana Heart to a Five Aperture Mana Heart. His mana heart connected to his body, the library caught in a tempest around him. His domain expanded outwards as he felt a sense of peace, becoming connected with the Ninth Realm in a deeper sense.

Pages torn from books settled down in the middle of the library.

“Seems this is only a library for the slaves of the Association. All others beware the un-benevolent Associations.” Erik laughed. “Hasn’t it always been the way, looking out for yourselves?” Erik shook his head.

“Ah, I think it is time we stopped our dance. My teacher will be displeased.” Erik stepped upon the wind and shot out of the library. Papers created white flurries in his path.

Students and librarians ran after him, but he left them trailing behind.

***