Chapter 365: The Monument

Cassian opened the newly unlocked Building’s details.

[Monument]

[Description: Fallen Domain units may remain within the Monument as heroic spirits. Units that have been resurrected are not counted. These spirits have no independent consciousness and cannot leave the Domain.]

[Effect: Strengthens the fighting will and attributes of Domain units. More spirits, stronger spirits, and weaker recipients produce a greater increase.]

[Effective range: 10 kilometers.]

[Spirit capacity at Level 1: 10,000.]

Like a Divine Statue, it was a Building that supported the Domain through an aura. Its limited reach made it useful mainly for defense.

Cassian doubted his own dead would fill it very quickly. The Fountain of Life could reconstruct his fallen Heroes and troops, provided he paid its costs and supplied the necessary Life Energy.

Fortunately, the Monument had more to offer.

[Building Evolution Path available: Monument. Compatible feature detected: Domain Aether Vein.]

He opened the route at once.

[1. May gather the souls of all non-Lord units that die within its effective range, forming heroic spirits.]

[2. The Monument’s enhancement also applies to Buildings.]

[3. Spirit Burning: Consume heroic spirits for an immediate, powerful increase to Building performance and the attributes of Lords, Heroes, and troops within the Domain.]

"Now that’s useful."

Cassian smiled as he read the effects again.

The range had not increased, but almost everything else had improved. The first effect alone could change the entire Building’s value. One serious siege might provide all the spirits he needed.

"Build it. Take the evolution path, then raise it to Level 17."

He paid the construction, evolution, and growth costs.

The ground shook. A pillar of milky-white stone rose into the air, climbing until it stood a hundred meters high. The Monument towered over the surrounding Buildings.

After checking the space available in his expanded Domain, Cassian paid to build another two thousand houses. He placed ten thousand Eclipse Legionnaires into the Hall’s recruitment queue, then bought and used two thousand complete Legendary Settler Writs.

The new Farmers emerged and went to work. The sooner they fulfilled the next set of requirements, the sooner he would reach Rank XVIII.

For his existing army, there was no reason to wait.

"Upgrade."

Dawnwings, Faerie Dragons, Crystalkin, the Eclipse fighting corps, and the rest of his main troops rose to Level 90. Five hundred and eighty billion Battle Essence disappeared into their growth.

His remaining balance stood at a hundred and twenty billion.

For an ordinary Lord, that would have been unimaginable wealth. For an army with so many Legendary Nine-Stars, it was nowhere near enough.

If he wanted to raise his Heroes and troops to the new limit immediately after reaching Rank XVIII in a few months, he would need at least another seven hundred billion.

"Battle Essence. Still more Battle Essence."

He looked toward the edge of the Domain.

"Now that we’re Rank XVII, it’s time to hunt beyond Pandora."

A call came from Nessa.

She was almost glowing with excitement when he answered.

"Cassian! The new sector opened today. All four million of our family’s entrants have gone into Sector 667!"

"So Sector 666 is an older sector now."

The thought left him unexpectedly reflective. More than half a month had passed since they had discussed the opening, and his future reserve force was finally taking its first steps.

"Have them establish Fortune Regions as soon as possible. Then build the Eclipse Chapterhouses."

The Rare blueprints could pass through the main world and enter the new sector. Their Quality fell within its entry allowance.

Nessa nodded eagerly.

"There’s more. The last group from the older sectors finished arriving here yesterday. A million Lords. They’ve already spread out across the thirteen Crown Provinces."

The Homeworld’s Fenwicks were far weaker than a royal house like the Jade Court. Even the Hidden Dragon Group, a regional power, had held greater resources than their family.

But those great houses and organizations could not simply abandon Domains they had spent centuries developing. The Fenwicks had been willing to do exactly that.

Over the past year, more than seven million of their veteran Lords had descended to support Sector 666. Only those so old that losing their Level-derived attributes would kill them had remained behind.

In Nessa’s words, the family had put everything on this chance.

That commitment had saved Southreach. It had also left them enough strength to help defend the other Crown Provinces, earning gratitude from House Frost, the Caerwyn Dominion, and House Valcrest.

Edran had even received Nessa personally, as Darian’s father. With Darian encouraging him, he had granted her the honorary title of Princess of House Frost.

Cassian had scarcely believed that part when he heard it.

Whatever had first brought the Fenwicks to his side, their actions spoke for themselves. For once, he answered Nessa with complete seriousness.

"A hundred years from now—perhaps much sooner—your family will be glad it made this choice."

He smiled.

"Your branch may even help carry Humanity much higher on the All-Races Ranking."

A Lord had to know how to give people a future worth working toward.

Nessa’s eyes shone. To have her family contribute to something on that scale would bring benefits beyond anything it had ever known.

After ending the call, Cassian addressed his army.

"Dawnwing corps. Crystalkin. Faerie Dragons. Stormlance. Assemble in the Domain."

He paid to unseal the Divine Dragon Amber and call the Dragon as well, supplying the Aether needed to sustain it with the force.

Minutes later, Maereth stared at him.

"You intend to enter the Grimward Steppe? Lord Cassian, please reconsider. It’s far too dangerous."

The steppe lay north of Pandora Forest. It was the Bloodmaw Court’s heartland, where its Lords could open Gates freely.

"Don’t worry, Elder."

Instead of offering a long explanation, Cassian brought out a handful of Legendary Spatial Lock Scrolls.

"Take away their advantage at home, and the danger becomes manageable. I’ll be careful."

Maereth looked from him to the scrolls.

Since when had strategic resources of that importance been something a Lord could bring out by the handful?

"While I’m away, I’ll leave the Lords in Pandora in your care."

The Fenwicks were protecting their interests at home. The Elves could watch over the hunters in Pandora.

For the moment, both were secure.

Cassian could finally go raiding without worrying about what he had left behind.

——

Three months passed.

Darian, Nessa, Elara, and many other Lords had long since reached Rank XVII. Now they were working toward XVIII.

Ranks VII, XII, and XVIII marked major changes in a Domain’s strength. The last was especially important for Buildings, many of which gained powerful new features at Level 18.

During those months, Fivefold Heaven kept part of its force on Windward Isle. It also ordered the Western Beacon’s Lords to keep hunting for First-Age Coins and sell their gains to Fivefold Heaven for a hundred Aether apiece.

The Beacon finally experienced what it meant to be the weaker side.

Its envoys went to Shatterstar Reach, asking their patron to uphold justice. The appeal went nowhere. Why would Shatterstar Reach offend Fivefold Heaven for one nation in the Homeworld?

Besides, the Beacon had proposed donating the Wonder in the first place. It had made this trouble for itself.

In the Outer Realms, the Orcs had troubles of their own.

The loss of a Legendary Nine-Star Golden Behemoth Hero had made Beast Emperor Vargul far more wary of Pandora. Worse, a powerful force apparently operating from the forest had entered the Grimward Steppe and begun burning, killing, and looting its way through his territory.

What infuriated him most was its supply of scrolls.

For three entire months, stretches of border totaling more than a hundred thousand kilometers had remained under spatial seals. Cassian kept buying and consuming Legendary Spatial Lock Scrolls to maintain them. To Vargul, it seemed as though the enemy considered those precious resources worthless.

Three months!

They must have used dozens of scrolls.

Between the earlier defeat and the continuing raids, the Beast Emperor finally made temporary truces with several neighboring races. He swore to destroy Pandora in a single campaign.

Billions of Orc troops massed along the forest’s edge, waiting for his order.

At that moment, on the Grimward Steppe, a skirmish had just begun.