Chapter 294: The Point of No Return

"Of course."

Nessa’s smile remained bright, but her answer was serious.

"Not long after the Legion Contest, our family made its decision. Even if we have to give up everything in the older sectors of the Seventh Realm, we’ll hold Southreach."

Cassian listened more closely.

"Over the next few years, at least a million of our older-sector women will descend. They’ll abandon their Domains to protect the newcomer Province."

For a moment, he said nothing.

"That takes courage."

This was very different from Major Brienne Wren bringing down three hundred military Lords. Marshal Helena Grey was protecting their Domains in the war sector. They could return when their work here was done. At worst, they would lose a few years of development.

The Fenwicks had no one strong enough to protect both their old holdings and Southreach.

A Lord who abandoned her Domain lost the source of her strength. There would be no steady replenishment of resources or troops. Even if every Hero and soldier survived the fighting, within a few months their Levels would begin falling behind.

To build a Domain again, they would have to start over in next year’s Sector 667.

Years of work were only part of what they would be giving up. Some had lived beside the same Heroes and troops for decades, even a century.

Cassian had known Veyra, Aurelia, Nine, and the Stormlance for only a few months. He could no longer imagine willingly abandoning them all.

He raised a hand.

"Then let me help."

Cassian paid the Aether and activated the Vein’s Shared Blessing. Five shafts of gold rose from his Domain and swept across half the Provincial map, descending upon Darian, Nessa, Elara, Seraphine, and Lyra.

The Vein’s drop-rate blessing would last a day.

Darian laughed.

"How generous, Governor! We should mark the occasion."

"Get going." Cassian smiled at the teasing. "Bring back plenty of Legendary troops."

After ending the call, he remained thoughtful.

If the war grew fierce enough, could House Frost and the other great factions make the same choice? Sacrifice much of their older-sector territory, even the interests of their established Lords, to hold the newcomer sector?

With a secure foundation here, they could work their way back into the older sectors. In time, perhaps they could take the entire Seventh Realm.

An absurd thought. Yet he could not quite dismiss it.

——

"Phase Lances?"

Garran’s shout rang across the coalition flagship.

"Divine Province has ships with Phase Lances too?"

Their enemies’ Legendary Mirage Ship concealed the answer. They could not see the Legendary Meridian cruiser operating within its protection.

An Epic Mirage Ship was dragged out of its pocket space. Several Light Ghost Battleships concentrated their fire, and the exposed vessel broke apart almost at once.

Sweat gathered on Garran’s forehead.

"We’re still ninety thousand kilometers from Divine Province. At this rate, every Epic ship except the Meridians will be gone before we get there. Even the Mirage Ships!"

Now he understood what Talassar and the Coral Federation had endured.

Corbett was swearing as well.

"If Talassar, the Dawn Coast, and the rest hadn’t deserted, there would be almost four hundred thousand more ships for Divine Province to sink!"

"That’s done," Garran said. "What do we do now?"

Corbett had no answer ready. After a pause, he offered one.

"We seriously underestimated their navy. Perhaps... we should make a strategic withdrawal too."

Garran stared at him.

Hadn’t he just been cursing the others for running away?

From above them came Tavian’s calm voice.

"Let them sink the ships."

Corbett frowned. He had veteran War Marshals behind him too, and was not afraid to object.

"The losses will be enormous."

"If we turn back now, Breakwater Isle is still fifty thousand kilometers away. That’s the nearest part of Black Banner territory."

Tavian looked over the fleet.

"Our best course is to keep going and wager that Cassian’s mid-grade crystals are nearly exhausted. Even if we lose another two hundred thousand ships, our main fighting force can take Divine Province once it reaches land."

He gave his next orders without hesitation.

"Report enemy ship positions as they change. Get troops of Rare Quality and above off the targeted vessels before the attack. Leave the Elite troops and everything below them."

The commanders nodded. A veteran War Marshal saw the situation more clearly than they did. Retreat would mean another long voyage under fire, with nothing to show for their losses.

They had yet to see how much worse the voyage ahead could become.

——

Seven days passed. The coalition advanced another thirty thousand kilometers.

Divine Province’s Ghost fleet kept firing at full strength. There was still no sign of it running short of Energy.

Apart from the evasive Meridian cruisers, more than a thousand Epic ships had all been sunk. Seventy thousand Rare warships had gone down with them.

Then Tavian received worse news.

"What did you say?"

He stood abruptly, his face darkening.

"Twelve more Legendary warships?"

The messenger could barely meet his eyes.

"Yes, General. It sounds unbelievable, but we’ve confirmed the count several times."

"How could they produce them so quickly?" Corbett asked. "Did that Wild Dockyard appear inside Riftward? Is it benefiting from the Region’s thousand Fortune?"

"There’s another possibility," Garran said. "It may be a Domain Building. Think of Cassian’s Dawnwing corps."

The objections came at once.

"Impossible!"

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Those ships first appeared during the fight for the Fortune Temple," Corbett said. "The sector had been open for little more than a month. Even an Eternal couldn’t build a Legendary Building that quickly."

Garran struck his forehead with his palm.

"You’re right. I spoke without thinking."

Tavian had recovered enough to give another order. There was a strained intensity in his voice now.

"Twelve more Legendary ships means even greater fuel consumption. Full speed ahead!"

They were already in the waters between Divine Province and the Black Banner. Turning back was no longer a useful answer.

Corbett managed a bitter smile.

"Unless a premium-grade Aether mine appeared in Riftward."

Premium crystals were treasures on a par with Legendary resources. Lords used them to cultivate their strength. Burning them as ship fuel would be an extravagant waste.

Far away, Cassian was finding his own victories expensive.

Darian’s million mid-grade crystals had long since been consumed. Keeping the Ghost fleet supplied now required him to buy at least a hundred thousand high-grade crystals every Realm Day.

Purchasing, receiving, and arranging the constant fuel shipments occupied more than a hundred hours of his own time each day. He handled the work inside the Enlightenment Enclosure, paying to maintain its fiftyfold acceleration. Without that extra time, even this fleet could have been left waiting for fuel.

Switching the whole force to premium crystals would cost far too much.

Fortunately, more than ten billion Battle Essence was arriving each day. Every time he checked those rewards, his energy returned.

Five days later, another twenty-four Light Ghost Battleships joined his navy. Materials had been paid, hulls completed, and Battle Essence spent on their growth before they sailed into action.

The Ghost fleet now killed over forty percent more efficiently than it had at the start of the war.

Across the coalition, despair spread from the commanders to the ordinary Lords. Their million-ship force had dwindled to little more than four hundred thousand. Almost all the Epic ships were gone. Only a little over a hundred thousand Rare vessels remained.

And the enemy fleet was still growing.

At this rate, fewer than one in a hundred of their Rare ships might survive to reach Divine Province. The invasion could arrive with little except Elite vessels meant for transport and supply. Without so many Heroes skilled in Navigation, even those battered ships might never complete the journey.

Even victory would not erase this disgrace.

The other two War Marshals finally emerged from their secluded training. Damon Veylan and Vivienne Crowe could no longer remain apart from the fleet’s troubles.

Tavian was beginning to regret his decision. Had he ordered a retreat earlier, the losses would not have become this severe.

There was no way to undo it now.

"General Veylan. General Crowe." His voice was low. "The mistake was mine. But we’ve come this far. Only the blood of Divine Province’s Lords can wash away this humiliation."

Vivienne was fair-skinned, with golden hair and blue eyes. Without the faint lines at the corners of her eyes, she might have passed for a woman in her twenties.

She ran her tongue over her lips.

"Newcomer trash. Let them die. I’m more interested in this Cassian everyone keeps praising. I hear he’s handsome. When we reach him, neither of you is to take him from me."

Damon’s answer was brief.

"Make the fleet move faster."

Tavian nodded.

Another seven agonizing days passed before the crippled coalition finally crossed into the waters within ten thousand kilometers of Divine Province.

The inner sea.

The Governor’s Gates could reach every part of it.

"We’ve entered their inner sea," Tavian said. "Our strongest ships are almost gone. Divine Province may use its Gates to bring out a fleet and force the decisive battle here."

He was right.