Chapter 386: The Strength Behind the Shields

The Firstborn Gate.

Edran’s suggestion put the map into a different light. Sunhaven lay in the ocean east of the Black Banner. If Cassian occupied the Black Banner’s homeland, he would have an excellent base from which to move against the Wonder.

That would explain why he had chosen this enemy first, instead of the Jade Court.

"But he agreed to exchange the Five Elements Temple for the Firstborn Gate," the Valcrest founder said. "If he goes back on that agreement, he’ll make a mortal enemy of the Fivefold Dominion."

"Goes back on it?" Edran set down his cup. "The agreement is to exchange the Temple after the Fivefold Dominion occupies the Gate. Since when did their intention to capture a Homeworld Wonder give them ownership of it?"

The other two looked at one another.

The Fivefold Dominion had reached into their Realm because it wanted something valuable. Put that way, Edran’s argument was perfectly sound.

They had been thinking within the terms the greater power had set. Cassian had already astonished them by forcing it to compromise. It had not occurred to them that the compromise might simply have bought him time.

If Edran was right, Cassian did not mean to choose between the two Wonders.

He wanted both.

"If that’s his intention, he’s taking on too much," the Caerwyn Sovereign said, frowning. "Our first task is to overthrow the Jade Court. Why provoke the Fivefold Dominion now?"

"Having second thoughts?" The Valcrest founder’s smile turned sly. "I hear you selected a hundred beautiful female Lords to settle in Divine Province. Princesses of your House, every one of them."

"Second thoughts about what?" The Caerwyn Sovereign gave a calm little laugh. "I merely wanted the younger generation to get to know one another."

——

"Most of the Lords from Ironpass have left?"

Cassian looked at Mira in confusion.

"What is House Caerwyn doing?"

He could not make sense of it. Still, a quieter life suited him well enough.

"Leave them to it. What about those resources I asked you to watch for?"

Mira’s expression grew serious.

"We’ve found a Thunderstruck Wood resource point. Still nothing on Life Stone or Origin Gold."

Cassian frowned.

The Fountain of Life stood among the finest Legendary Buildings. The materials needed to construct more of them were correspondingly difficult to find. None of these three resources was ordinary, even within Legendary Quality.

"Widen the search. Contact the other Homeworld provinces if you need to. We have to locate Life Stone and Origin Gold as soon as possible."

Mira heard the urgency in his voice. These resources mattered even more than she had thought.

"Understood, boss."

The call ended.

A sharp crack seemed to sound from somewhere deep inside Cassian’s body.

It felt as though a closed gate had opened. Power poured out of his cells and rushed through his limbs. The four attributes on his panel began to climb before his eyes.

"Another genetic limit!"

He opened the full record, excluding his equipment bonuses. He had already spent the Battle Essence to raise his personal Level from eighty-five to ninety-five during this period of preparation. Now the training was paying off as well.

[Cassian Vale]

[Level: 95 | Aptitude: A]

[Physique: 154,000 | Aether: 129,000 | Spirit: 96,000 | Load: 79,000]

[Selected Arts — Grade A]

[Warbody: Foundation IV]

[Genetic Unlocking: Accomplished]

[Selected Skills — Grade A]

[Origin Divine Fist: Accomplished]

[Cloudstride: Practiced]

[Disarming Toast: Beginner]

[Seven-Star Release: Beginner]

[Grain God: Mastery]

[Worldsight: Beginner]

[Combat Rating: 114,000 stars]

"Accomplished already."

Cassian could not keep the satisfaction out of his voice.

"With Life Essence, this art advances so quickly. Though the amount it consumes..."

A week earlier, repeated analysis and tests had finally settled the question that had held him back. Genetic Unlocking did not conflict with Warbody. Opening those limits actually helped him train the older art.

He had taken the Miracle Serum Lysette prepared and opened his first genetic limit. From Beginner, he had passed through Proficient and Mastery to reach Accomplished—three advances in a single week.

A week in the Realm, at least.

Inside the strengthened Folded Sanctuary, with its Time Acceleration paid for and running, he had experienced more than a year. Even so, taking a Grade-A art that far in little over a year was astonishing.

The Life Essence had made much of that progress possible. His consumption of it was becoming just as astonishing.

That was why he wanted those resources so badly.

His own Fountain had come from the Spring Node’s native Evolution Path. He knew the route, and he could arrange the compatible Blueprints and pay the costs for further construction. The real obstacles now were the materials—and the rule that allowed each Lord only one Fountain of Life.

He could not fill his own Domain with them. He could, however, help Nessa, Elara, and his other friends build Fountains in theirs. Once those Buildings were working, their Life Essence would greatly increase the available supply.

Cassian closed his fist, feeling the power in it.

"More than a hundred and fifty thousand Physique before equipment. With my equipment and the other boosts, it reaches three hundred and seventy thousand."

He smiled.

He still could not compare with Dain’s strength as a Warbound Lord, but an ordinary Legendary Nine-Star Hero was no longer beyond him.

"When Genetic Unlocking reaches Lesser Perfection, I should be able to surpass the other Warbound Lords. Everyone except Dain."

The thought made him eager to continue.

He took out two bottles and drank them one after the other: Life Essence, then a dose of Awakening Serum prepared by Lysette.

——

The voyage remained calm.

Several days later, Breakwater Isle appeared in the distance.

A Gate on the flagship’s bow flashed. Cassian stepped out after paying the transfer cost, joining the leaders of Divine Nation who had already gathered aboard.

Darian had the latest reports ready.

"The Black Banner has built fortifications around its provincial capital. They extend for more than a thousand kilometers."

He brought up the dispositions they had confirmed.

"And it isn’t just the Banner. Western Beacon, the Golden Lion, Bharan, even the Dawn Coast Confederacy have sent support. There are at least a hundred thousand Lords from older sectors, including dozens of War Marshals. They mean to hold this place at any cost."

"A hundred thousand older Lords," Cassian repeated. "And dozens of War Marshals?"

Those offices caught his attention. After the change to his Domain Aether Vein, they represented more than powerful opponents.

Sector 666 had begun with ten billion Lords. That number sounded immense, but every sector lost people as the years passed.

Some died on the battlefield. Others had entered mainly to gain experience and personal strength, intending to use that advantage when a fresh sector opened. Still others disliked their start and chose to begin again.

Lana, Alwin, and Seren were all examples of Lords who had left older sectors behind.

Only a month had passed since Sector 667 opened. Sector 666 had lost a tenth of its Lords almost at once.

Fewer than one in ten stayed in a single sector for decades. A hundred thousand of those experienced survivors was a force no Nation could dismiss.

"How many enemies in total?" Cassian asked.

"Counting Heroes and troops? Our preliminary estimate is over ten billion."

"Ten billion..."

His eyes brightened.

The Black Banner had gathered its strongest War Lords in one place. If he could land a Peacebringer strike among them, the Aether and item drops alone would make a magnificent haul.

Exposing the weapon would be worth it. There was no peace left to preserve between him and the Black Banner anyway.

But a battle of this size usually meant that both sides had prepared against exactly that sort of attack.

When the detailed reconnaissance arrived, Cassian dropped the idea.

The enemy position consisted of Domain after Domain joined together. Their shields linked into a continuous barrier. Defense Towers crowded the outer Domains, facing Divine Nation’s fleet across roughly fifty kilometers of open sea.

Behind that outer line, the fortified positions stretched deep inland.

"Defense Buildings everywhere," Cassian said, studying the report. "Dozens of Faerie Dragons. More than a thousand Legendary Greater Devils. Damn, they’ve even brought Phaseblade Warriors."

Those were dimensional troops. Combined with the other spatial units, they made the enemy’s preparations formidable. Even if Lethria committed her entire Faerie Dragon corps, she could not deliver a Peace Shell through that defense to the positions hundreds of kilometers beyond the outer line.

Elara frowned at the enemy formations.

"This is troublesome. If we force our way in, even a victory will cost us heavily."