Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 87 – Touring the Realm – Part One – Ogre Tyrant

A note from Blind_Watcher

I’m back from an unplanned hiatus.

The TLDR: I started a new job, had a rather severe medical issue. Suffered from profound writers block during and after my recovery. Worked a lifestyle choices to improve my health and did some writing stuff to work through my creative block.

I’m back, and I want to finish my story. But it’s going to take the time it takes. At the time of posting this, there is roughly 5 completed uploads ready, and I intend on posting them once a week from here out. But once the backlog is gone, time between uploads will probably increase. It just is what it is.

The Patreon post goes into a bit more detail.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/my-absence-and-139560721

Advertisement

The minutes passed, and the Oba Patriarch’s condition continued to deteriorate without showing signs of progress. Unfortunately, he had already passed the point of no return. Without my Mana to artificially prolong his life, Oba Shoji would die.

Even so, the Oba Patriarch did not give in.

Grunting hoarsely through the pain, Oba Shoji wept tears of blood. <For my grandson…Sora…For the Clan…> The same words repeated endlessly through his mind like a mantra.

An hour passed, and the Patriarch’s body had begun to shut down.

For all of his pain, Oba Shoji had almost nothing to show for it. The shattered remnants of his Foundation had been drawn loosely together but otherwise remained separated from one another. Creating a core that was no better than he started with. However, having witnessed everything first-hand and in excruciating detail, I was prepared to take a chance.

“Hold him down,” I commanded. While capable of doing so myself, I did not want to risk disrupting my focus.

Oba Kei firmly took hold of his clan Patriarch’s shoulders and guided him back to the ground.

“Legs too,” I added distractedly, attempting to replicate Oba Shoji’s internal energy with my Mana.

Oba Kei nodded stiffly, then mounted the Patriarch’s thighs and pinned his shins while keeping a firm grip on his shoulders.

Without further warning, I drew the shattered remnants of the Patriarch’s core into the Mana I had implanted in his abdomen.

Oba Shoji’s body snapped like a spring, pushing against Oba Kei’s hold with desperate vigour before abruptly growing deathly still and slumping back to the ground.

A notification announced his passing. Dismissing the notification, I began a silent count in my mind as I worked.

With my Mana serving as both crucible and casting mould, I recast the Patriarch’s core. Substituting portions of my Mana to replace what was missing.

Drawing back my Mana, I took great care to leave the hybrid core behind.

The Patriarch remained unresponsive.

Replacing the Patriarch’s core, his Dantien, was equivalent to replacing his heart. Equating the procedure thus far to having removed the original heart and set the replacement in his chest. If it was not connected to the arteries, it was little better than a hunk of dead meat. Except, in this instance, the cardiovascular and arterial veins were Meridians that were in no better shape than the Dantien had been.

Repeating a similar process to that of the core, I recast the Meridians that connected the most direct path to the Patriarch’s brain and heart. Using Oba Kei as a living reference for an intact system. Hoping that if I could restore the spiritual equivalent of circulation, the Patriarch could be physically resuscitated.

It was a risk, to be certain. However, there had been several dozen instances of CPR bringing ‘dead’ soldiers and civilians back to life and reintegrating them into the system. However, they had belonged to the other System and were relatively young and healthy. I had no idea if what I was doing would work. Only that the alternative was accepting failure.

“Move!” I commanded, not so gently shoving Oba Kei aside as I Summoned one of the highest-ranking Surgeons in Wraithe’s Faction. “Chest compressions! Now!” I commanded. The count I had maintained throughout left me keenly aware of the dwindling odds of successful intervention.

The confused forty-something-year-old woman leapt into action and began performing CPR.

Unfortunately, my inexperience, combined with the precision required, had prevented such measures from being performed sooner. Being just as likely to do more harm than good.

The Surgeon completed the first set of chest compressions and had just reached for the Patriarch’s nose in preparation for mouth-to-mouth when the patriarch’s nostrils began to flare and his chest began rising of its own accord.

“Move back,” I ordered, waving the Surgeon back for their own safety. As a projection, any degree of harm would be temporary. However, there was no cause for such pointless suffering. Especially after what I had just been witness to and perpetrated.

Colour gradually returned to the Patriarch’s face and hands, although there was an increasingly obvious difference in vitality that could be observed between them. A difference I could only attribute to the state of the ‘spiritual circulatory system’ and its limited ability to reach beyond its current bounds.

“The Patriarch lives…” Oba Kei stared at the Surgeon in awe. From his perspective, it was no doubt a miraculous act. Especially since she hadn’t used anything other than ‘brute strength’ to perform the compressions. He kowtowed hard, slamming his forehead into the ground. “Divine doctor! The Oba clan is forever in your debt!”

The Surgeon’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she uncomfortably looked to me for help. Uncertain on how she should proceed.

“Your contributions have been noted and appreciated, Maria Shadewood. I will see to it that Wraithe is made aware of this fact,” I announced, as much for her benefit as for Oba Kei.

Dismissing her projection, I took a few minutes to stretch while observing the Patriarch’s condition.

As I had assumed would be the case, the damaged connection between the Meridians appeared to be incapable of repairing itself independently. The remaining damaged Meridians appeared to behave like massive arterial clots, limiting the volume of internal energy and Chi that could travel through the Patriarch’s body.

The impaired circulation didn’t seem to be immediately life-threatening. However, it would almost certainly affect the Patriarch’s health and mobility. Leaving the Patriarch in a similar position to a low-ranked Cultivator.

Which was by no means bad. Particularly given how close he had been to experiencing the alternative. However, we were not aiming for the bronze medal.

“Hold him down,” I commanded for the second time.

Surprised, Oba Kei moved to obey but kept his silence. Replacing the improvised mouthguard in the Patriarch’s mouth and then taking a firm grip on his shoulders.

“I have no idea how painful this will be,” I cautioned. “But I need him to remain as near to perfectly still as you can manage.”

“I understand, my Tyrant. I will do my best,” Oba Kei replied with grim determination.

I was about to begin when a thought occurred to me. “Is your Patriarch right or left-handed?” If the worst were to happen, I would strongly prefer to do a botch job on his less dominant arm.

“The Patriarch is left-handed, my Tyrant,” Oba Kei answered after giving the question a respectful degree of consideration, just to be certain.

I had noticed a mild difference between the spiritual pathways of the two elderly Cultivators but hadn’t thought much of it. I would need a wider sample size to confirm my suspicions, but it was an interesting observation nonetheless.

“Pin his left wrist then,” I ordered. “We will start with his left arm.”

No sooner had I begun replacing the first Meridian bridging the connection to the Patriarch’s left arm, the Patriarch began to buck violently. It was as if he were possessed by a demon in a Hollywood horror movie.

To his credit, Oba Kei maintained an iron grip and quickly adjusted his stance. Leveraging his superior cultivation to pin the Patriarch to the ground. Allowing only enough space between them for the Patriarch to continue breathing.

Despite the intense response, the Patriarch did not appear to be conscious. Simply responding subconsciously to the intense pain.

Making a point to proceed carefully and avoid inconsistencies, the procedure took the better part of an hour.

“It is working! I can feel the Patriarch’s strength returning!” Oba Kei declared with jubilation. Judging by the lack of effort required to keep the Patriarch’s arm and body pinned in place, I assumed he was referencing the Patriarch’s base physical condition and not his Cultivation.

I hadn’t been sure what to expect initially. However, the more I worked on the Patriarch’s Meridians, the more I came to appreciate how the Cultivators functioned as a ‘Species’. The Dantien and Meridians were incredibly similar to the Mana Stone embedded in each monster’s skull. Serving as the focal point for their power. The biggest difference was that a Cultivator’s focal points were tied to physical organs in the body and could ‘bleed’ power after taking a direct blow of sufficient strength.

I had already confirmed that it was possible to have both sources of energy. However, there had been no instances of a Cultivator gaining access to the other System and receiving a Mana Stone.

I had no intentions of experimenting on the elderly patriarch without his consent, but it was a subject I would address once he was in a suitable condition to make cogent decisions.

As I continued replacing the remaining Meridians, I became somewhat more proficient and was able to work a little faster.

It wasn’t a physically taxing process, but the extreme degree of concentration required took a mental toll. So I had to take a break after restoring each limb to safeguard against errors due to mental fatigue.

With the last of the Meridians restored, there was little left to do but keep the Patriarch under observation to make sure his condition would not deteriorate. Under other circumstances, I may have Summoned Gric or Sebet to confirm the Patriarch’s brain activity. However, while I could not read his thoughts directly at this particular moment, I could sense a sufficient degree of activity to abate my concerns.

After returning Oba Kei and his Patriarch to their clan manor, I spared a few minutes to consider which issue I would tackle next.

My battle with the Monarchs and Demonic Cultivator had destroyed my Storage Ring and most of its contents. Including the token, I relied upon for remote communication with my ally Yi Gim. Restoring that line of communication was important for several reasons. Not least of which, because of my abrupt ascent through the Monarch Rankings.

The more time I allowed to pass without explaining what had happened, the more likely there was to be a misunderstanding. While it was doubtful that such a misunderstanding would lead to violence, Yi Gim possessed a not insignificant amount of information he could use to aid my enemies. Should he choose to do so.

Of course, that was unlikely, given I was currently hosting his family within my Realm for their protection. However, that only presented another reason to reestablish communications and explain what had happened.

Entering Yi Gim’s Realm unannounced and uninvited was objectively a rude and somewhat impulsive decision. I just had too many matters demanding my attention to care.

Sparing just enough time to dress myself somewhat more appropriately, I opened a Breach into Yi Gim’s Realm. Stepping through into the grounds surrounding the multi-levelled pagoda, I had witnessed during my previous visit.

As a distinct landmark, it made establishing the Breach much easier. However, the nature and importance of the building itself presented several complications. Specifically, the powerful Formation and accompanying Arrays I had triggered upon arriving unannounced.

With the Formation forming a physical barrier that denied entry or escape, the Arrays played a more proactive role in targeting me directly with offensive Techniques.

Swords of gold and silver light fell like rain while the water from the nearby decorative ponds formed into serpents and began closing in for the kill.

Casting the Barrier Spell would have brought a swift end to the whole situation. However, it would also likely do considerable damage to the Formations and Arrays as well. So rather than cancelling out the attacks, I chose to open a second Breach and teleport out of the immediate area, bypassing the barrier Formation entirely. Much to the surprise of the guards who had just begun to respond to the unexpected activation of the defensive Formation.

“I would speak with your Monarch,” I announced with exaggerated calm, electing to ignore their drawn weapons while their minds transitioned from the fight or flight response my abrupt appearance had provoked.

I didn’t recognise any of these guards, but it quickly became clear that many of them recognised me. Which wasn’t particularly surprising. I was hardly going to be overlooked in even the largest crowd.

One of the guards, presumably the highest ranking or most senior amongst them, stepped forward and bowed respectfully. Taking care to keep his spear in passive vertical orientation while he did so. “Esteemed Monarch, we were not expecting your arrival. Had we known-”

“It’s alright,” I interjected, cutting off any attempts he might take to assume responsibility. “Fetch your master, and I will consider the matter settled.”

Visibly relieved, the guard bowed again and then quickly hurried away.

Waiting for Yi Gim, I kept a careful eye on my surroundings. Without my authority to provide early warnings and the means to relocate enemies at will, I was in a comparatively vulnerable position. Although if the Monarchs I had faced within my Realm were anything to go by, I didn’t have much to fear. Provided I was willing to accept a certain degree of collateral damage.

A grim reminder that most Monarchs probably had little or no consideration for civilian lives beyond the value they added to the Monarch Realm Rankings..

Thankfully, Yi Gim’s prompt arrival diverted my attention from dwelling on such thoughts long enough to seriously weigh their objective merits.

“Greetings, Tyrant.” Yi Gim was wearing the same armour he had worn during my last visit. Forgoing his helmet so we might speak face to face. “You appear unharmed? I am glad for it. When I discovered the token had ceased to function, I had feared the worst.” He smiled, and a few of the more stubborn wrinkles around his eyes receded.

I was about to reply when it occurred to me that I had a significant decision to make.

Should I tell him about the true nature of the world? Would such knowledge do him more good than harm? Did he need to know?

I decided to set such thoughts aside to tackle them when I had a clearer state of mind.

“Yi Gim,” I did my best to smile, but couldn’t quite manage it.

“Something troubles you?” Yi Gim observed. More a statement of fact than a question.

“A host of Cultivators, including several Monarchs, invaded my Realm,” I replied while trying to keep my earlier reservations from tainting my words.

Yi Gim’s amiable demeanour evaporated almost immediately upon hearing the news. His eyes hardened like steel. “Do you require my assistance? I may not possess a level of Cultivation sufficient to face such a Monarch on my own, but-” He had begun to turn and motion to his loyal retainers, his intentions clear.

“It is not necessary,” I interjected bluntly.

Yi Gim appeared confused.

“I killed them,” I explained bluntly. “Most of them,” I amended. “It was during the fighting that the communication token was destroyed.”

Yi Gim nodded cautiously but was not put at ease. “Some of their number escaped?” He asked warily, making an effort not to frame it as a failing on my part.

“No…they, and their Realms, are now mine,” I clarified.

Yi Gim gulped dryly and appeared at a loss for words. For a brief moment, I sensed him begin to take steps to probe my internal energy. Only to abandon the attempt just as quickly.

I took a few moments to try to calm myself and settle back into a more amiable state of mind. “If you are willing, I can take you and your people under my protection as well. Realm and all.”

Without intending to do so, at least not just yet, a System invitation for Vassalage was sent to Yi Gim on my behalf.

“You will retain your position as Monarch and will be free to rule your lands, just as you do now. The only condition being that you follow my laws,” I explained patiently. Uncertain, but hopeful he would accept my offer. Taking care not to rush through it, allowing Yi Gim time to overcome his shock.

“I…This…” Yi Gim furrowed his brow in confusion, his pupils darting to and fro as he read through the notification over and over again. “How?” He asked distractedly. “How can you do this? I don’t understand…”

“I would explain…Only I doubt you would believe me…” I replied evasively.

I could see the curiosity building behind his eyes. Yi Gim slowly shook his head again. “Why would you do this for me, for my people? What do you stand to gain? It only serves to place a larger target on your back…”

“I believe I am long past that particular consideration…” I sighed. “If you accept, I could show you why.”

Yi Gim’s eyes narrowed slightly. “The invaders…This has something to do with them?” He asked shrewdly.

“It does,” I answered bluntly without revealing anything further.

Yi Gim scowled and stared at the ground for a few moments. “WHAT?!” He nearly leapt out of his skin, staggering backward several steps before stopping himself. Pale as a ghost, Yi Gim stared up at me with intense fear in his eyes. “How?” He gasped, his voice little more than a strangled whisper.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he had done. Given Yi Gim still hadn’t tested my aura, he had to have checked the current Monarch Rankings. I hadn’t been particularly familiar with the rankings, but Yi Gim had been very insistent that the means to enter other Realms without a two-way teleportation Formation were limited to the top ten Monarchs. By virtue of killing anyone else who acquired said means and then taking it for themselves. Preventing lower-ranked Monarchs from levelling the playing field.

“Home field advantage, and superior strength,” I replied in the same tone as before. Refusing to elaborate further.

“Fifth-ranked!…” Yi Gim hissed disbelievingly, his eyes scanning my body for signs of dismemberment or maiming that he might have somehow missed up until this moment. “The fifth-ranked!…” He repeated with an air of growing hysteria. “Killing the fifth-ranked?!…Impossible!…”

Fear took hold of Yi Gim’s retinue, and one of them probed my aura.

The retainer, armoured head to toe, grew deathly still. After a handful of seconds, he collapsed to the ground, drawing all eyes in his direction as he began violently shaking like a leaf caught in a thunderstorm. “D-Deity!” The retainer cried with a stammer.

For a moment, everyone grew incredibly still. Then, one by one, and not daring to move a muscle, the remaining retainers and Yi Gim himself probed my aura.

The retainers collapsed, just as their comrade had done moments prior.

“Deity…” Yi Gim wheezed, staggering but otherwise remaining standing. He spent several minutes just staring at me before seeming able to speak again. “I don’t understand…” He whispered hoarsely, the tone of his voice and the substantial size difference between us making him appear almost childlike.

“Accept my offer, and I will explain,” I repeated. “Otherwise…I can’t take that risk.”

I could see the gears turning in Yi Gim’s eyes. “Why make this offer now? What has changed?”

“Nothing…” I muttered without meaning to. “Everything…” I amended with a sardonic grin. “It all depends on your point of view…”

“I…I need a few moments to consider…To think things over…” Yi Gim apologised. “This is just all so sudden…”

“It is,” I readily conceded. “But I will need an answer.”

Yi Gim nodded and turned to leave before stopping himself at the last moment. Kneeling beside one of his retainers, he pulled the token from the man’s waist and made as if to throw it to me before seeming to think better of it and humbly offering it up in both hands instead.

Just like that, the nature of our relationship had changed. We had never been truly equal in strength, but there had been enough ambiguity and uncertainty to facilitate a partnership. Now that uncertainty was gone, and the chances of anything approximating an exchange between equals had gone with it.

Returning to my Realm, I spared a moment to choose a new Storage Ring and stowed the communication token on my belt.

Locating Gu Lin’s territories, or rather, her kingdom, I was momentarily taken aback by how relatively underpopulated it appeared to be. In place of the dozens of cities and hundreds of villages, there was only a single city.

The city held tens of millions of people. Making it the most populated city I had seen. However, I couldn’t sense a single human that was more than a handful of miles beyond what I assumed to be its outer limits.

Curious, I relocated myself a short distance from one of the small groups outside of the city.

The moment I arrived, I realised what was wrong.

The land was positively saturated with Death energy.

A black miasma hung in the air, making it difficult to see the ground or much of anything beyond a dozen or so feet in any given direction. With two notable exceptions.

The first was to the south, in the direction of the city. A massive wall adorned with thousands of bright emerald lights. The second was a much smaller emerald light to my north-east. The same direction as the small group of people I had detected earlier.

Immune to the Death energy, I slowly made my way toward the group.

It didn’t take long before I became aware of the sounds of battle.

Lengthening my stride, I discovered three Cultivators, two men with spears and a woman carrying a strange lantern emitting emerald light. They were locked in a desperate struggle against a giant zombified bear.

The light from the lantern was driving back the miasma, but only about twenty feet. The lantern appeared to be powered by the female Cultivator’s Chi. Although it could just as easily be part of an exchange involving a Technique or a small Array.

The spear-wielding Cultivators were taking great pains to avoid touching the miasma while stabbing and slashing at the bear. A feat made all the more difficult because of the thin miasma escaping from the bear’s myriad of open wounds.

Watching the battle a while longer, it became increasingly obvious that the Cultivators were out of their depth. Possessing neither the strength nor resolve to fell the bear before being wiped out themselves.

Exercising my authority, I sent them back to the city, depositing them somewhere near the city centre.

Having lost its prey, the zombie bear rose on its hind legs and comically swung its head about in an attempt to find where they had gone. Instead, it found me.

Demonstrating a complete absence of anything resembling self-preservation instincts, the bear released a phlegm-filled roar and began charging through the miasma toward me.

Unwilling to touch the rotten sack of pus and mangy fur, I relocated the bear three hundred feet into the air and then began making my way toward the city.

Unsurprisingly, the bear appeared to have survived the fall. Or was otherwise reanimated by the miasma shortly after impact. However, it was sufficiently mangled that it was more or less immobilised.

Approaching the city walls, I became aware of more undead skulking about in the miasma. The majority were human and appeared to be in a state of suspended decomposition. Their shambling bodies bore all manner of injuries while appearing to have passed no more than a handful of days before my arrival.

Giving the oddity some thought, I could only guess that the Death energy was killing off the bacteria that would normally accelerate and progress natural decomposition.

Just like the bear, the weaker zombies appeared to be drawn toward my presence. So I dealt with them in the same manner.

Stepping out of the miasma, I found myself roughly a hundred or so feet from the wall and could now make out the massive lanterns anchored into its surface.

Larger and slightly more ornate than the lantern the Cultivator had carried, they shed the emerald light at a greater distance but with no greater intensity.

A deep, mournful ringing sound drew my attention further down the length of the wall and toward a large black bell. Mounted above a pair of massive gates, the bell tolled twice more, for a total of three times, before growing silent.

No doubt attracted by the sound, corpses began shambling out of the miasma and toward the gate. In less than a minute, their numbers had swollen from dozens to hundreds and showed no signs of thinning any time soon.

Arrows and elemental projectiles rained down from atop the wall, thinning the growing horde.

Black-robed Cultivators leapt over the gate and formed a ragged line. Numbering fifty in all, the Cultivators drew their weapons and began cautiously approaching the horde.

An arrow shattered against my forehead, drawing my attention away from the zombies and toward the Cultivators atop the wall.

A deluge of arrows followed, momentarily obstructing my vision.

With my secondary set of eyelids protecting my eyes, I had little to worry about. However, a part of me was quickly growing agitated by the unprovoked attack.

Just as quickly as the attacks against me began, they ended.

With no obvious reason as to why, I began slowly making my way toward the gate.

I began experimentally stripping zombies of their Death energy whenever they strayed too far in my direction or I was at risk of overtaking them and crushing them underfoot.

As I had presumed, and somewhat hoped would be the case, without Death energy, the zombies were reduced to inanimate corpses.

With the horde of zombies standing between me and the gate, I paused for a moment to consider my options and became aware of a Vassal rapidly approaching my position from the direction of the city. Given this was Gu Lin’s domain, I wasn’t surprised when my authority identified her as the approaching Vassal. However, the sight of her flying on a giant fold-out fan was another matter entirely.

With the fan in its folded state, Gu Lin appeared to be skiing a particularly thick snowboard through the midday sky—a sight which I found particularly amusing, although I wasn’t sure exactly why.

A hemispherical wall of inanimate corpses was steadily piling higher behind me. The zombies had absolutely zero survival instincts, and I was currently standing between them and the gate. Combined with my immense size, it made sense that I was a preferred target.

The black-robed Cultivators had stopped in their tracks, warily studying me while the hoard slowly drew closer. Appearing unwilling to engage the zombies while an unknown was in play.

Which was fair enough. Especially in the circumstances.

Waiting on Gu Lin, I had an opportunity to take a closer look at some of the fallen zombies.

Memories of Mournebrent came unbidden to my mind. As my eyes settled on the small dishevelled form of a child, I understood why. The zombies weren’t mass-produced copies created by the Cultivation System. They had once been alive.

I felt familiar waves of disgust, rage and despair begin welling up within me, only for the sensation to pass without so much as provoking a word of protest or outrage.

I couldn’t change what had already happened. Only ensure that it won’t happen again.

With a thought, I stripped the Death energy from the undead horde and formed an impassable barrier in front of the miasma. Barring more of the zombies from approaching the city and denying the miasma the opportunity to reanimate the corpses on the other side.

Projectiles continued falling from the wall for a few moments longer but quickly grew scarce before stopping entirely.

Aware that there were still a small number of Cultivators on the other side of the barrier, I exercised my authority to return them to the city. Preferring to deal with them now, rather than feel guilt over their passing due to potential negligence later.

Gu Lin landed her fan nearby and returned it to her Storage Ring. “The Vassal greets the Master!” She declared somewhat fearfully, dropping to her knees and bowing her head to the ground. Dirtying her short robes in the process.

“Tyrant, is fine, and don’t grovel,” I commanded. “I am your liege. That does not make you my Slave. It demeans us both to behave otherwise.”

Gu Lin hastily, but elegantly, rose to her feet. Although she made a point of bowing her head, all the same. “It will be as you say, my Tyrant.”

I wasn’t in the mood for giving the whole spiel on what I deemed was and wasn’t acceptable etiquette. Instead, I decided to deal with the matter at hand. “Am I correct in assuming the entire sum of your territories beyond this point are uninhabited due to this miasma?”

Gu Lin nodded timidly. “Yes, my Tyrant.”

“Do you know the cause?” I asked, hoping for a simple answer.

Gu Lin nodded again. “Yes, my Tyrant. The spiteful actions of a rival long since dead unleashed a curse upon the lands she once ruled.”

“A curse?” I pressed. “Not an Array or Formation?”

Gu Lin remained silent for a few moments and shifted nearly imperceptibly on the spot. “I am not certain, my Tyrant…the territories in question have long since passed from my-your Realm. Yet the pall of death remains…”

From what I had seen, the miasma might have been capable of self-replicating. If true, it would explain why it had overrun most of the continent.

“How did you achieve such a high position in the rankings?” I asked, confused by what was a monumental handicap in just about any circumstance.

“When word of the curse spread, very few deemed the losses to be worth the effort…” Gu Lin replied somewhat awkwardly. “Of course, without my Sabel Mirror and the merchants of the Pale River Pavilion, Soulfire City would have fallen long ago.”

“The Sabel Mirror is the treasure you used to invade my Realm?” I guessed.

Gu Lin nodded.

“So you established trading partners with the assistance of the mirror, and transitioned your remaining city into a manufacturing-based economy?” It was the first thing that came to mind when thinking about what I might try to do in similar circumstances.

“More or less, my Tyrant,” Gu Lin replied with a hint of nervousness.

After all, Slaves were self-replicating and considered property, just like any other commodity.

The thought came unbidden and darkened my mood considerably. Particularly because I couldn’t think of a reason why it wouldn’t be true.

“It will take time to fix this,” I commented, thinking aloud. “Time I would prefer to spend elsewhere…”

Gu Lin remained silent.

“Of course, there is a rather simple solution…” I mused.

Assuming the population of the city wasn’t married to the idea of the status quo. I had several empty cities within the same territories occupied by the Oba clan and home to Momoko’s peak.

“I think it would be best if I were to move you and your people elsewhere,” I decided. “Somewhere they can leave the bounds of the city without becoming a shambling corpse. Come with me.”

Exercising my authority, I teleported us both to the general vicinity of one of the abandoned cities.

Gu Lin was quite understandably disoriented by the abrupt transition, so I allowed her a few moments to adapt. However, her focus was quickly drawn elsewhere.

“My daughter’s mountain is off limits without invitation,” I growled in warning, following her gaze toward Momoko’s tree. Making it absolutely clear from the outset. “Tresspassers will be punished SEVERELY.”

As if waking from a dream, Gu Lin blinked blearily several times and shook her head. “Ah, apologies, ma-my Tyrant! I intended no offence!”

I grunted noncommittally in reply. I intended to let her stew in her anxiety a while longer to really drive the point home.

“Our purpose for being here was to show you a potential relocation site for you and your people,” I explained dryly.

“With the Tyrant’s blessing, I would gladly accept such a generous offer!” Gu Lin agreed with barely restrained excitement. “With such bountiful lands, I will have no difficulty in collecting a tribute worthy of your greatness!”

“I don’t collect or demand tribute, either,” I commented sharply. “I have no need for it. If you choose to raise taxes, ensure they are reasonable. Beyond your responsibility as a ruler, your primary obligation is the defence of the Realm. When I require soldiers, you will be expected to provide them and ensure they are of a high standard.”

“I understand,” Gu Lin agreed, curbing her earlier enthusiasm to project a more serious, almost contrite, air to the proceedings.

I wasn’t sure how effective Cultivators would be in a war against the Angels, but the battles against the Beetlemen gave me cause to be optimistic.

Returning Gu Lin to her city, I Summoned a projection of Gric and intended to leave him to explain the details of the morality audit. However, I became aware of a significant problem. Without the ability to conduct trade across Realms, because there was no way in hell I was going to allow that to happen without serious oversight, Gu Lin’s city was going to need an alternative source of food.

Thankfully, the solution was rather simple.

I formed a second barrier in front of the city wall, creating a corridor between the wall and the miasma. With the corridor established, I set that ground as a spawn location for horned rabbits and other low-tier Magical Beasts.

With so many Cultivators living in the city, the spawn rate was incredibly high. While it may not be sufficient in the long term, I was reasonably confident that it should be enough to see the city through its transition. Once those who passed the audit were relocated, they would be able to hunt, farm and trade for whatever they might need.

Of course, a degree of initial assistance was a given. However, experience had proven people were quite capable of seeing to their own needs in these sorts of circumstances. Provided the bad actors were removed beforehand and the existing leadership was well motivated.

There was still a potential problem concerning the merchants’ teleportation Formations. Establishing a rule preventing outgoing teleportation from the Conquered territories was only half the problem.

Anyone who had been absent during the Realm’s assimilation would find themselves in a bad situation if they tried to return without being vetted and recruited beforehand.

It was that very reason that wore on my nerves.

The first of the liberated Slaves would be due to arrive within the next couple of days. However, as much as I hated the thought of their blood being on my hands, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to my children as a direct result of leaving the front door unlocked.

In the meantime, I just had to trust that those responsible for shepherding them through to my Realm were thorough and took steps to minimise the chances of the worst possible senarios.

Reminded of just how much work I had dumped into Gric’s lap, I decided to lighten the load somewhat by Summoning several more of his projections to help share the load. Or at least finish the assignment sooner than he would have done otherwise.

With one Vassal’s subjects more or less handled, it was time to turn my attention toward the other.

A casual sweep with my authority confirmed the situation within Jayesh’s territories was more in line with my initial expectations. With numerous cities and a plethora of far smaller villages and towns dotted across the primary landmass and archipelago.

Assuming my vassal would have residence, or at least hold court in the largest population centre, I exercised my authority and teleported there directly.

Arriving outside of the city walls, I had a good view of the main road and the not-insignificant amount of traffic entering and leaving through the gates.

It also gave me an unobstructed view of a dark-skinned, half-naked man desperately running out of the underbrush a hundred or so feet from the road. Four long cuts ran the length of his chest and continued onto his right arm, producing a sheet of blood as the man desperately pumped his arms and legs while racing through the underbrush. Eyes wild with fear, he slowed slightly and raised one hand toward his mouth to amplify his voice.

Before the man had a chance to cry out a warning, a tiger with green and black fur struck him from behind and bore him to the ground.

Reflexively exercising my authority, I pulled the Tiger into my hand and closed my fingers over its ribcage.

The tiger’s yowl of fear and surprise brought the traffic to a standstill. For a handful of seconds, everyone remained perfectly still, with the only noise coming from several domesticated Beasts. Then, as if they had practised for this exact moment, everyone lost their goddamn minds at the same time.

Figuring it couldn’t get much worse than it already was, I dispatched the beast by briefly clenching my fist. Crushing its ribcage and perforating several major organs.

Ignoring the chaos that had taken hold of the road, I turned my attention toward the wounded man, only to discover he had disappeared.

Confused, I teleported over to the place I had seen him last, looking for signs of where he might have gone. Except all I found was an imprint from where he had been knocked to the ground and tracks that marked his passage from further afield.

The trees in the immediate area were sparse, so I could see a considerable distance without major obstructions to my line of sight. Combined with my authority, it should have made finding the injured man child’s play. Except no matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t find him.

Still clutching the tiger in my fist, a strange sensation drew my attention to something I had overlooked in all the excitement.

The tiger’s fur, flesh and bones had begun disintegrating. Which was not something a magical Beast would normally do. Which made it increasingly likely that the tiger had, in fact, been a Summoned creature. A fact that under other circumstances wouldn’t have caused me much more cause for alarm.

Unfortunately, now that I was paying attention, I couldn’t help but notice the faint yet unmistakable traces of Demonic energy contained within the remnants of the Summoned creature.

Just like that, the priorities for my visit changed.

Advertisement