Timone and his Ravenwolf Tribe fpped their wings, flying toward the Alliance HQ. quest was nearing 85 pert, and the Dungeon Raid was soon to be triggered. This was their final ce to turn in their tribution with their quest Points nearly even, and the enemy was likely to be waiting.

  The winner of the battle would gain the ability to cim the Prime Instance, more or less deg who would win ownership of the world: Hearthtribe, or a Subguild of the Obsidian Bdes, one of their numerous enemies.

  Looking over to his side, Dahlia’s smile was feral as she fpped her streamers with auril, her flight suit helping her keep up with the other flyers itlegroup. Aisling’s eyes glowed white, and she hummed.

  “Looks like trouble ahead, my Chief.”

  Timone raised his brow. “How much trouble? Enough that we should wait for our…slower allies?”

  While they primarily moved as the Ravenwolf Tribe for quest activities, there were many more on this world in various Battlegroups. In their several months of battle against the Rifts and their PvP enemies, Elysians and many new Hearthtribe recruits fought alongside them.

  Aisling giggled. “Just the right amount! Our brethren are always ready for battle. If you prepare too much, I think the effect won’t be as good. Our dear Dahlia will enjoy the hunt much more if we tinue as we are.”

  Numerous times they had been attacked by additional monsters while fag a Rift challenge, but their people were strong and ready for any challehat both Timone and Dahlia could use Cyclic Resonance had saved their tails more than once, and Aisling’s predis had bee even more reliable after she became an Auril Hero.

  Dahlia grinned, her song taking on the ce of battle as they he city. “Hmm, so that means there’s a big fish iy then? I hope it’s not just numbers again, that was just monotonous. Really, it just felt like I was bullying them.”

  They had already won more than one PvP event, and several ambushes iies. Each time they stomped the enemy, and Dahlia was getting kind of bored.

  They swooped down toward the Alliance HQ, Timone’s heart taking on the song of battle as well. His flock could feel his song shifting, the groups altering their formation and preparing their ons. Javelins and bows were held and shields were hefted, the warrietting ready for battle.

  As they hey spotted their many enemies. Spells built with the light of mana usage, enemy Norse and Greek casters coalesg numerous spells to attack.

  The beastkin were faster. Arrows and Javelins fell like colored rain, as Timone and his flock’s howls and screeches filled the sky. Timone formed his raven flock, his auril maion, as auril in the area built.

  A rge portion of the enemy had gathered in front of the HQ on the ground, dozens blog off the PvP entrahers stood on roofs, their ranged ons and staves ready to rain attacks down on Timone’s beastkihren.

  Red hazes marked them in Timone’s view, indig they were PvP enemies–not that he hat to know this–the Greek and Norse equipment lenty obvious.

  Dahlia dove with her spear covered in bright light, her streamers flig javelins right into archer’s throats. Maions of wolves bit into their necks, nearly separating their heads from their bodies.

  With a ugh, her spear spun and twirled among the enemy as she danced, cleavihrough their flesh, her auril infused blows shearing through their armor like it was nearly not there. A warrior attempted to guard with his shield, only for her streamer to t to his arm and yank it out of the way, and for her spear to pierto their heart with a fierce thrust.

  Timone’s ravens started smming into numerous casters, the squishy enemies doing their best to ter with magical barriers and receiving prote from their allies. His ravens ate away at their flesh like a horrifying virus, taking just a few to weaken them signifitly.

  His other wives shrough their defenses with their bows, and Timone joined Dahlia in her furious melee assault.

  His brethren all sang the song of battle, auril being pumped into the surrounding area. Auril began to gather within Dahlia, as she began her Cyclic Resonance. Already, his people had wiped out nearly half of the enemies. While they were numerous, they were not a match for his experienced brethre alone his fierce huntress.

  More allies of the enemies suddenly appeared oops and from the adjat alleys, arrows and spells beginning to rain down upon the Ravenwolf Tribe. Much of it was focused on Timone and Dahlia, the ter of their attabsp;

  Timoivated his Anti-Magie, drawing his brethren to defend against the attacks with his dome of bergy. Auril heroes all, his Ravenwolf Tribe began preparing their attacks in ter.

  A man strode forward from a nearby alley, and his group’s aura was far above many Timone had run into. Something pushed against Timone’s auril trol, the enemy party’s magicroag his field.

  “I am Baron Cassius, a direct desdant of the Divine Ares. It’s time for you to give up and leave here, Hearthtribe. You’ve given us a hard time for long enough, and this world will soon be ours.”

  Timone ughed. “A child of a Divine? I’m afraid your hard times are just beginning, young one. Unless your daddy himself shows up, you’re not sending us home. We’ll go on to kick all your trash out of all the first Tier tested worlds.”

  Cassius growled as his team used their spells, their shimmering pte being covered in a bright light. Cassius used a shield and Greek xiphos sword, the man barreling toward Timone.

  But Dahlia met Cassius instead, the speed of her leap as she bzed across the battlefield in a siride shog. He only barely raised his shield up in time to block her ining spear, the surprise on his face evident. Her streamers extended, spun and twirled with her attack, whipping and striking into the nearby members of his retinue and knog them babsp;

  Javelins and arrows flew from Timone and his mates to attack the enemy party, aook to the sky as he built up his flock of ravens for his eventual attack. As his auril heart pulsed, more and more ravens maed for the attack.

  Spells and arrows rained down on Timone and his mates as well, but their armor’s streamers and auril ravens whipped around and blocked them, preventing themselves from taking signifit damage.

  Aisling swooped down with her spear, pierg into the leader’s cleric as she covered him with whipping talon maions usireamers. Despite c himself with a glimmering barrier, her flurry of attacks shattered it in quick order, and his allies moved to defend him.

  “Your healers are a little weak, child of Ares. You will not find any of ours uo defend themselves.” She leaped away from their reprisal attacks, arrows from their mates pierg into the cleristead.

  Timone focused on taking down the reinforts as his wife took on the baron. He could feel her thrill of the hunt through her song of battle, streams of auril joinihroughout the cycles of her heartbeats.

  Every auril hero was a bea for more auril energy, the area being flooded with Highnd’s will. As the battle went on, it was as though they were standing on Highnds itself.

  The baron’s shield work was impressive, able to keep up with Timone’s powerful, skilled wife. Cassius’s xiphos bit heavily into her auril-ireamers, Dahlia was only barely able to deflect his fierce attacks as she sought an opening with her spear. Her wolves of light attempted to bite into him, but they were met with well-timed shields of light.

  Timo his raven maions attag archers and casters, as he dove and cleaved through them. His men and women followed his song, bobbing and weaving through the air and poung on the squishy targets.

  Despite being outnumbered, Timone’s beastkihren were skilled and fierce. Their equipment allowed them to both defend and attack using their auril, the auril maions enabling special utility.

  Auril Heroes all, they fought with amazing coordination and with powerful attacks. They quickly dowheir enemies, seeking vitals and having strong defense. Eveaking a wound, auril healing from themselves and other auril heroes kept them fighting.

  Timone’s people showed their capabilities in the mixed enviro. The enemy wasn’t all human, but most of them could not fly like his flock. The beastkin could reach the sed and third stories of the buildings, but the enemies on the ground could not easily reinforce their allies.

  When the beastkin took to the air, the soldiers on the ground couldn’t join the fight. The beastkihen able to rain attacks down from the sky, pig them off–very few of the Greek or Nordic warriors had useful ters.

  Baron Cassius’s face was a mask of fury as Timone’s mates finished off two of his party, the clerid some kind of toga wearing mage who flung javelins that turned into lightning bolts. Suddenly, Cassius and the two remaining warriors shouted and grew to be double the size.

  Timone swooped dorotected his snoife with his Shield of Faith and spear, while she tered a blow of the sed which targeted her, maions of talons blog the attabsp;

  Dahlia howled as her spear grew in both size ah, not even slowing her assault as her own bright light bzed arouaking on the enrged baron.

  “I’ll admit your warriors are strong, but they are not my match.” Cassius began shining white, the man activating some kind of ability. “Holy Vengeance!” He shouted, before energy rose from his fallen rades, and the man was empowered by his losing battle.

  Timone growled in annoyahe corrupt man using anything with the word holy in the name was a horrible travesty. Filling his spear with his will, Timo with a powerful fp of his wings, causing him to bze across the battlefield.

  His raven flock gathered along his spear, as he pierced deeply into one of Cassius’s allies, Timone’s hawk parentage wife finishing him off with a fierce swooping followup with her spear.

  Meanwhile, Dahlia was all grins as the songs of their brethren sang their anthem, another cycle pleting. Her body was covered in golden light, the auril of the seasons being drawn from their allies. Dahlia loved a thrilling hunt, and fag this powerful foe had filled her with excitement. Timone was sure this…excitement would turn to him in another form ter that evening.

  Cassius’s xiphos swung down powerfully toward his wife’s head, but with a roar, Dahlia’s spear became a beam of light which bsted away his sword, and crashed into his body a him into the air.

  The Obsidian Bde leader’s armor cracked, but still nded on his feet. His body was covered in light, the two cycles had not been enough t him down. Still, Timone could see it was diminished. Dahlia’s cycle tinued, likely only able to build up one more before the ability was celled. Timone began his Cyclic Resonance, drawing in auril to him as well.

  Cassius charged Dahlia, and Timoarted pelting his back with ravens. Death began spreading as the holy light fought it off, but the rave on ing. He charged in with his spear, pierg Cassius in his shoulder from behind.

  Dahlia had activated her skills as Lugh’s clergy, one whicreased her strength and speed. Another was a fierce attack, that augmented her auril. It made it so each thrust was effectively two spears at ohe attacks difficult to block or deflect by Cassius.

  Wounds mounted on the man’s body, her spear pierg his armored prote, and Timone seeking his vitals. Cassius was strong and capable, but he could not match their coordinated hunt–only reduce the damage he took. He had some sort of self-healing, but it was not able to keep up with Timone’s ravens.

  The damage began piling up, and Cassius roared as reality appeared to shift. His swrew to beassive, and he held it over his head with two hands. The amount of energy tained within was massive, some power of divinity that Timone didn’t uand.

  But he didn’t o.

  Dahlia’s auril and all in the surrounding area rushed toward her spear, and Timo o her as ravens swirled around his. Their cycles were not yet plete, but they worked together on a bitack.

  The two of them crouched together with their spears, preparing to ter the son of the divine’s attack. At that moment, Timone and Dahlia’s hearts beat in harmony, their songs bining as one.

  As Cassius’s bde desded, Timone and Dahlia’s spears thrust out with all their might. Their auril coalesced, Lugh’s light of life and unnos’s punishih inter spear of golden light. Crashing into the giant’s sword, the bde was deflected, sending the man stumbling backward.

  Dahlia and Timone leaped together with their own roars, Dahlia’s spear entering the man’s ehroat, and Timone’s pierg into his heart. The man dispelled into motes of light, leaving the impressive-looking xiphos to ctter on the ground.

  Aisling picked it up, and began marveling at the magical runes ils c it. It was clearly a Framework created item, likely obtained in a Dungeon Raid or simir. “Huh, we got loot! This is not bad. Their rank and file all has garbage, but these guys had the real deal.”

  The other fallen enemies also dropped random items, which they were happy to sell on the market–after all, Hearthtribe-crafted items were simply superior for their personal usage.

  Dahlia sighed in happiness. “That was a great hunt. Now it’s time for another Dungeon Raid.”

  After healing up and rallying their brethren, they marched ihe HQ. They turned in their tribution to the fixture, a strange pedestal within a rge room with a varied ndscape meant for frontations.

  There were pilrs and rocks, trees and even water. It was meant to not give any oype of fighter e an i advantage, and the room would shift and ge over the course of several days.

  Cheg their tribution, Timone gave a fierce grin. “We wotle, and our tribution now exceeds their alliance’s pool of tribution, enabling us to have free rein to select the Prime Instahat son of Ares idiot sure gave us a lot more than we required, too.”

  Dahlia asked Aisling, “What would have happened if we waited for reinforts?”

  Aisling hummed. “irely sure, it seems he would have left. I think he only fought because he thought he could win. If Vesuvius and Nadessa had arrived, he’d have left with his tail between his legs.”

  Timone chuckled. “He was not a bad warrior. It’s too bad he’s weak as a man. Good work, my mates. Now, it’s time for us to prepare. For after this Raid, we will ehe sed Tier. We’ll pass oorch to our younger brethren to tihe fight, and join a new one.”

  After the Raid was plete, they would save their first world as Hearthtribe. Ariminum was not far behind, but soon they would be a force that couldn’t be ignored.

  ***

  Nessa swung her swords, sending bde-like waves of her frigid ke carving into the boss creature–a horrifying golem made of shadows and flesh. Her cultivator and Norse allies tinued sending their attacks into the boss, as Astalder kited it across the arena.

  It belched a terrible bck ooze whiinated her frozen ke, but her purifying scripture had already enhas sing capabilities.

  Where it would be impossible for people to cross without being burned by ooze, her ke was busy clearing the area and allowing her allies better movement across the field.

  Thanks to her frost piling up on the boss and slowing it, Astalder ughed as he threw his axes periodically at the undead monster, recalling them to himself with a special ability.

  Humans and rge cultivating demonic beasts sent special attacks into the boss, an array of different magics that were surprising. Fiery swipes of cws or poisoh, dangerous talons of lightning and sonic roars periodically smmed into the boss, the cultivators assisting their tamed beasts with arrows and simirly focused magical attacks.

  A of beast tamers had joined her in this Prime Instaheir intelliges providing unique support. Her new allies were both strong and effective, and she couldn’t believe her lu gaining their allegiance.

  Being the daughter of Tyr, she was somewhat used to the Norse beiively quie to her aid, or join her retinue. However, Tyr was far from the only Divine in the pantheon. She was seen as an important person that they wao earn favor for, but that was it.

  When she arrived oheris, it was like the red carpet was rolled out. Her bloodline and its purity, bined with a mixture of what her father passed onto her, was felt by the natives. Because of this, they were quick to bow down like a Divihemselves had arrived.

  They didn’t just favor her, they were quick to want to bee her servants or hand over various s and treasures to earn her favor. The whole idea was strao her. If she were really so important, wouldn’t what they handed her equal trash for her? Yet they happily handed her their cultivation resources, which they really needed a lot more than she did.

  Nessa had done her best to… re-appropriate the gifts she received among those that joined her cause.

  The new members were weak at the middle of the first Tier at first due to their middling Tier 1 world, but strong-arming them into joining the Framework, they were quick to grow. It was because of this that she was even further veed, and she was able to form this elite force of allies over the st year.

  While the cultivator world wasn’t tested in the same way as a normal Alliance world, their tribution across the Sector was tallied toward its ongoing prote. Normally, they would have to wait for a Battleground, but now that she had vinced so many of them to join, they were having a signifit impabsp;

  Joining in this Dungeon Raid would aplish something simir to a Battleground win, keeping it from being ed by Tartarus.

  The boss’s health dipped below 20%, aered the final phase as the creature sped up. It glowed a malevolent red, being rger at the same time.

  Nessa established her mirrors, creating four on opposing ends of the ft arena. She then stirred her Frostheart Cauldron, the test addition to her arsenal.

  Soothing cold filled her body, her new scales shimmering with a blue haze as she stirred her bloodline. White scales were now interspersed along her body on her sides, starting from her neck. The scales tinued along her shoulders and down the sides of her arms and legs, all the way down to her feet.

  They pletely avoided the front of her body, with only a few along her spine and lower back. Her hair was now blue, another side effect from improving her bloodline further. While she wasn’t sure how to feel about the look, she was fident irength she’d gained i year.

  [They look beautiful, desdant of mine–and that’s ing from a oisseur of scales. Your efforts of self-improvement have surely brought you closer to love and justice, just like yuild’s namesake.]

  Nessa blushed at the teasing reminder of the silly guild name, but had a bit of pride in what the guild had aplished. To rescue another world so rapidly was a tremendous achievement, and it wouldn’t just stop here. Her efforts would build into several more victories just like this one, whether she led the attack or not.

  It was more than a little weird as Astalder picked up mirls for his harem, but she couldn’t argue with the results. He was now even further entrenched in her camp, his cultivator women quick to browbeat away any hope of dissension of his.

  [Yes, yuild is doing well. I do think we are ready to form your core soon, now that we created the cauldron. The Raid Points from this Prime Instance should have all that we need.]

  “Why were you so focused on making that, anyway? The effect is useful, but the gcial serpent’s heart could have been a core formation material, couldn’t it? The other objects to create the cauldron were worth a king’s ransom, too. That Sourergy treasure had looked quite appealing…”

  [We have a few more opportunities for core formation materials, and Sourergy treasures. Let’s just say that when you realize its full worth, you’ll thank me from the bottom of your heart. Plus, don’t you like that I have a much more direct impa the fight this way? Surely, you see how powerful it is even now?]

  “Of course, I see the cauldron is powerful. Speaking of which, you’re up, Nana.”

  Her frostheart cauldron pulsed, its fming tents surging upward. The cauldron was y, but pulses from the straaphysical relic started to refill the tainer.

  Blue yin fmes shot out of her spiritual temple, and she breathed the fme out of her mouth, also sending water serpents from her ke to meet the fme.

  But the fme was not hot–it was a fme of cold. As her serpents froze, she lost trol over them, the magical creatures she created to attack with swipes of her bdes ing to a halt.

  Nana the pulses of her ke serpent bloodli, an aura of her ary that she did not yet fully uand. Like a strange limb that she hadn’t been born with, infusing her…Serpent Will was difficult for her. She had been making progress, especially as she had improved the bloodline and obtained her scales, but it was nowhere near what Nana could aplish.

  Her aor trolled the rge frost serpent of frostfme and ice with what Nessa could only pare to timed pulses, something she could not do on her own at all.

  The ice serpent roared as it breathed out fme into the boss, its powerful frostfme slowing and damaging its flesh and shadows despite its red gleam. An aura of shadow exploded throughout the arena, damaging those in a rge area around it.

  Avoiding the attaessa entered her ke, her body disappearing as she built her attacks into her bdes.

  The boss turs attention to Nana’s ice serpent, whiaked and twirled through the air as it dodged the giant struct’s furious swings of its fists. The cultivators and Nords attacked the busy boss with renewed fervor at a distas health deing rapidly as they did their best to attack it from afar.

  Their distance reduced how much damage they were taking from the shadow aura, but it tio pile up. More belches of ooze were sprayed, the Battlegroup needing to move out of the way or be harmed even more signifitly.

  The beasts all roared in pain as the shadow aura damaged them, the Norse healers uo keep up with the damage for much longer.

  Closing her eyes, she stood in her Spiritual Temple. Her pure ke represented her Qi, the water cold, , and pure. A small temple stood on a small isnd, a home for her human form.

  But her home, her ke, was being encroached. The bck ooze had stai, and while the frost within the ke moved in mysterious ways, scrubbing it away, she couldn’t help but feel a bit e for its enent.

  Her ke was her home, and she used it to protect her allies and friends. It was her sanctuary, and she would not allow this enent to tinue any further.

  Her four mirrors faced a single point, her bdes taking on a powerful gleam. Not needing to hide her assault, she burst from the water with a leap, sshing powerfully with two bdes covered in frost. Enhanced by her will, her desire to protect her home, the watery ice bit deeply into the golem’s form.

  And Nessa did not stop there. The shadow aura bore down on her, but the water formed a protective bubble as she spun and drew more water into her bde. The yer of water which her allies now tred shrunk, but she sshed two more times with fierce aggression as she pushed her dao, cleaving through the pce she previously froze.

  The golem now tumbled into her ke as it was cut in half, the boss finally defeated.

  Cheers erupted from the Battlegroup, the cultivators receiving the victory prompt. The corruption disappeared into motes of light, the enter ing to an end.

  Nessa drew her ke in, her mirrors shattering as she withdrew her Qi from the field of battle.

  She reviewed her victory prompt, finding plenty of Raid Points for a premium item were achieved. Nana looked over the items for her.

  [Hm, looks like we lucked out! There’s a Tears of the Frost Phoenix, which is perfect for your core formation. We’ll even be able to afford the Sourergy treasure for the serpent venom, which will be an excellent addition to your Path, your Dao.]

  Nessa grimaced. “Venom? That…how does that fit in with my ke? I’m…not so sure I like that as part of my path, venom is a… coward’s on. I thought my swords were a part of my path?”

  Nana was quiet for a moment, but when she spoke, her voice was firm. [Cws, bdes, spears, fangs, venom, these are but a few things humans as use to kill, but they are all tools used to protect their homes and loved ones. Like it or not, you are a serpent. And while you have taken to the bde, I don’t know that it resohat well with you. In the end, it is just a tool that you use to sy the enemy. Is venom all that different? As a serpent of the frigid ke, your venom be a powerful, versatile tool to protect your home. Just one more evolution of your bloodline, and you should have access to it.]

  Nessa frowhinking on it. In the end, even with what Nana had said about the bde, she had a hard time picturing her ke…with swords. Perhaps, she should sider venom further…

  Nana tinued, [Now, do not let me force you into your path–your path is your own. I just feel it, that the bde is not your true calling. That said, do not allow your imagination to limit your choice. Shards of ice within your ke be a bde that resonates with your path, sharp bdes that harm those that encroa your home, or endanger your friends.

  I believe what will resoter with you, is for a venomous frost that purges the wicked, bringing justice to them even if you must be taken to the grave with them. For your eyes reveal the truth, and when you sink your fangs, your bdes into your foe, they are deserving of your wrath. Your cause is righteous, and any that feel your venom should suffer, their fates ing to an end.]

  Nessa still hesitated, but she felt that Nana was right. She was starting to build vi in her path of Home, her ke being a pce of purity and prote–her sanctuary. It was versatile, and she khis could feed into numerous abilities, from a utilitarian perspective. Then, as Nana hi, it simply resonated well with her.

  And this hing, this venom…something about it did too.

  Nana’s smile could be heard in her voice, [Good. Now, it appears Hearthtribe once again has pced some even more uems for sale, including some more Bloodline enhang cos. We’ll snatch those up, and once you’ve ed these treasures, we’ll form your core.]

  Nodding, she made her purchases. Resting in her ke, ter, she received a prompt with the ating tally for all the pleted instances.

  [quest plete! Victory: Alliance.][Overall quest Rating for Shadow Haven: B][Personal quest Rating: A][Dungeon Raid Rating Prime Instance: A][Top tribution: Love and Justice][Previous World Energy Rating: Tier 1.61][Ending World Energy Rating: Tier 2.03][tribution from Cultivators has increased the Energy Rating of their world, 12.3 pert has been allocated to the Mystic Expanse.] [gratutions, Nessa Tyrsdottir! As the Designated tribution Earner of yuild with the highest quest Earnings, you are now the Pary Ruler of Shadow Haven. Current Tax pertage on all Nodes worldwide: 20%]

  Nessa beamed. A Tier 2 world was now hers! And each world her new cultivator brethren of the Mystic Expanse helped cim, would streheir world, too. This was a unique advantage, when bined with her Reys, perhaps before the end of a few years, they could make it.

  She could see that Hearthtribe was doing phenomenally well, but she would soon be receiving some help. Xara from the Blizzardbde d a man named Weiyan from the Righteous Fme Sect made their desires known to join her on the Mystic Expanse, along with a race of creatures called the Celestial Nekomatas.

  Things were truly looking good for Nessa. In the past year, she had aplished more than she ever imagined. Perhaps, love and justice truly could go well together.

  ***

  Cassius groaned as he awoke from his resurre, a frown crossing his features as he stepped out of the shrine in his Refuge. His servants scurried t him a drink, but he waved them away.

  He withdrew one from his Ste Ring as he tried to get his rage under trol. He even lost his sword!

  “Your… Patron wishes to speak with you.”

  Fuck…this was really not what he needed right now. He gave himself a few moments to clear his head before he walked toward his unication room.

  On the dispy was a shadowed form, his patron. Or rather, the proxy in which his patron spoke. In frontier sectors like 87, the Divine were severely limited, uo properly unicate their will. Every sentence requiring a purpose, and every word a cost.

  Which was why one of the first things his Patron had done when this war began was discover a way to cheat.

  “You lost. You lost in front of all your subordinates, in front of all the residents, and to a mere… Tier 1 Clergy Native with overwhelming numbers. Pathetic.”

  Cassius grimaced. He was the son of a Divine, he should be parable to a Champion at the same Tier. That he lost to a mere clergy css while l himself and outnumbering his enemy was not something he could easily justify.

  Anything else he could offer were merely excuses, and his Patron would only get a them. The Tier 1 Beastkin of Highnds were simply better trained, better equipped, and more powerful than the average recruit. Especially when their only choices for subordinates were from weaker natives.

  Still, he realized he had to try. “The beastkin natives are far more capable than we imagihat they won on hty pert of the flicts so far proves this. They have unparalleled mobility, and even their magic teology could pete with worlds with a much richer history. The Celts have truly kept the wool over our eyes. They are the dark horse of this Sector.”

  His patron growled. “And that’s not all. That whore had really maximized her Champion’s debut, earning a Homeworld that ot be ignored. Having a Tier 2 world out of the gate means it is nearly impossible to starve him of resources. His party will be a thorn in our side in the War Trial, unless we take drastic measures.”

  “Drastic measures?”

  “Yes. We must prevent their world from entering the third Tier. For now, withdraw your wars in the first Tier, at least until the grace period ends. Focus on raising your people to the sed Tier, to focus on this time.”

  “Back off from the first Tier! But the cost of g–”

  The proxy narrowed his eyes, his voice a hiss of anger. “Yes, back off. Your people are only feeding them, a whetstone for their warriors to be sharpened, and hastening their tribution earnings. Thanks to your losses, you are only aiding their recruitment and emp their individuals. Their advantages are prevalent at the first Tier, but will that be the case in the sed?”

  Cassius frowned, he didn’t like losing his war so quickly. There were enough tested worlds in the first that he should be able to avoid Hearthtribe, and just focus on pushing for victory and bringing his people to the sed Tier.

  It was a shame. His feeder guilds were excellent at raising ruthless meraries, their reputations allowing for numerous ways to profit. Losing their freedoms in the first Tier would reduce his ability to recruit for quite some time.

  The proxy’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Just do as we say, or else. Here is a list of the uping tests.”

  Cassius was more surprised that they would be abandoning the first Tier than he was over receiving a list that could only be obtaihrough ohod: colboration with Tartarus. By knowing which worlds were going to be tested , his men could weaken their defehrough various means, such as e or sabotage, before the test even began.

  “I see, then you want our activities tress on these worlds then? Thanks to Tyr and his daughter, eyes are already on some of us. Are you sure we afford to be so…btant?”

  “Let us worry about this. It should be easy enough to hide your activities on these worlds, they were chosen for this reason. You have plenty of time. Use disguises and proxies, just get it done. We must prevent Highnds from reag the third Tier during the War Trial, or they ruihing.”

  Cassius nodded. “So we’ll strahe child in the crib then. Anything else?”

  “Yes, as it should have been already! Fail in this task like you’ve already failed us, and you shall be used for empowerment of another. Are we clear?”

  He grimaced. Being sacrificed to empower some Tartarus entity was the same as beio hell, forced to suffer for all eternity. Even the most cruel Divine’s afterlives were not so horrible, most only spending time with their memories and sins washing away as they paid for their wrongdoings–usually for a timespan parable to their inal lifetime.

  Cassius swallowed. “Crystal.”

  “Good. Now focus your overwhelming numbers on your small victories as you withdraw, until their grace period ends. You’ll have new instrus at that time.”

  The proxy disappeared, Cassius sagging in his chair. Taking deep breaths, he reined in his anger. He opened his Menu, and started sending a flurry of messages. He targeted the worlds he outer rim of the Sector, fog his forces on the few wins they could earn quickly.

  His subguilds had a few elites between them, so he just had to make sure they teamed up properly, and not their usual fighting for dominance. Cassius wanted results, and he hem fast.

  Then he focused on the worlds in the sed Tier, and those which would be tested in the year. This was an important time. As soon as the grace period was done, Hearthtribe and its allies would have two main choices fression.

  The dungeon, or Tier 2 worlds. During the grace period, the dungeon would be the primary means. But the dungeon was full of vicious traps, the evil entity happily taking advantage of those that went too deep.

  The rewards were entig, but all too many found themselves stuck or worse. Many would nress at all iheir stahs setting them back further than what they gaiartarus had even more tools to cheat with within, and the death rate was extremely high. It was why so few worlds had been recovered from the entity in the first pce, only the stro of heroes able to cim such major victories.

  But who was Cassius kidding? If Hearthtribe was full of elites like that raven…wolf man abomination and his wife, then perhaps they had much to gain while ihis was all the more reason that Cassius and Avaron o make sure they got taken doeg the moment they ehe sed Tier.

  Looking at another report, he frowhis…Nessa Tyrsdottir was really proving to be a thorn in his side. Just how did she bee so capable? Not only did she defeat Avaron, but now she had cimed two Prime Instance victories. She would o move up in Tier, or else her presence would be a detriment, but her guild’s strength had skyrocketed beyond what anyone could expect.

  She had allied with Hearthtribe, but it was the same for many others. Looking over the numbers, Cassius’s eyes took on a cruel glint. Perhaps, they would be even mgressive with a certain Norse Divine’s daughter going forward.