Book 9, Chapter 44
The Fires Of War Return
Richard was a little taken aback by an epic being asking about the reward point system, but he quickly nodded, “Of course, Your Excellency. You are most welcome to participate as well.”
Ruben nodded back, but he seemed rather embarrassed, “Alright. I saw this rune in the list that would be very useful for some of my plans, but it requires a lot of points and I do not have enough materials on hand for the exchange…”
“Ah, you want the Mana Armament,” Richard smiled in understanding. Especially in its grade 5 version, that rune was something basically every mage would hope for, even more so than Midren. That was why he had set a sky high price of 5,000 points through the reward point system, which left it nowhere near getting sold.
Ruben nodded. Of course, everyone knew that the Archerons were too busy fighting the reapers right now to make another Mana Armament. Thus, it would actually only be available once the war had come to an end. Given that fact, even the Celestial Sage would have to earn it honestly through accumulating points.
Richard quickly sorted through the information he had just gotten. Ruben’s abilities were best suited to dealing with dragons, and this battlefield would soon grow more active as well. He would be able to withstand a counter-offensive if the Five-Coloured Dragon chose to return, which gave the saints and legends room to manoeuvre as well. The Celestial Sage was also an excellent tracker, and he would be able to catch wind of any ambush attempts and turn them against the enemy.
“Your Excellency,” he spoke up, “If you plan to continue collecting dragon crystals here, could I trouble you to ensure some stability near the portal? I’ll have the system pay you fifty points a month in exchange.”
“Hmm… There should be no problem with that. I should be able to hold off the Five-Coloured Dragon even if she returns, at least long enough for the brats around here to run back to the base.”
Fifty points a month didn’t seem like much, but it would be enough for Ruben to earn a Mana Armament even if he did nothing in a little over eight years. For someone whose lifespan was measured in millennia, this was basically no time at all. Given how quickly he could eliminate dragons, he would actually earn enough for a Mana Armament in a year or so.
After a momentary pause, Ruben added, “If nothing comes up, I plan to stay here for two full years. I can also head over to the abyssal battlefield on occasion to have a look.”
“Thank you so much!” Richard heaved a sigh of relief at this offer. This would free him up from worrying about those two battlefields for two years, which would be more than enough time for the war against the reapers to conclude and the aftermath to be taken care of as well. None of his enemies in Norland would cause unnecessary trouble with Ruben in charge; even though he was weak for an epic being, he was still level 29 and strong enough to crush average legends with ease. Perhaps even more importantly, this offer also freed Nasia up to follow him into combat against the reapers, where her Projection of Ruin would be extremely useful.
Now that the effects were starting to wear off, Richard finally understood just what the Projection of Ruin was. It greatly amplified one’s laws of destruction, but more importantly it formed a field of control around the target where other laws were distorted and weakened. This didn’t seem all that powerful, but it meant he wouldn’t be weakened in other domains. With it on hand, he even felt confident in holding his own against Sharon.
“Count me in for the points as well.”
“Hmm? You want to join too?” Richard asked cautiously as he turned to look at Apeiron, although a hint of joy was still showing through his tone.
“No, I just want to be paid for the help right now,” she coldly doused his expectations.
“Ugh. Fine, I’ll get someone to send you the points.” As he nodded, he saw Nasia passing the newest reward list to Apeiron. The Empress hesitated for a moment, but she didn’t decline.
With the Celestial Sage having taken over her job of taking care of the battlefields, Nasia returned to Faust with Richard and Apeiron. He waited until the Empress had returned to her own island to ask, “Are you sure she’ll participate? I couldn’t imagine her wanting anything on that list.”
Nasia leaned against the walls of the castle, “She actually really wanted to participate, I just gave her a good excuse.”
“Hmm? She’s the Empress of the Sacred Alliance, why would she want to do that? She can’t use any of my runes anyway.”
The paladin’s eyes suddenly glimmered, “She doesn’t need to battle, but she really wants to. Why? I suppose you’re the one who should answer that question, what exactly did you do to her?”
“Umm…” Richard was stunned for a while, unable to speak.
……
While there were a number of things he still needed to deal with in Faust, Richard didn’t have much time to remain in Norland. He quickly teleported to Blackrose Castle with Nasia in tow, growing solemn the moment he watched the giant army camp that had sprung up in Azan to support his war. Soldiers were still streaming into Faelor through the portal with determination on their faces, many resigned to their imminent deaths.
The first report he got upon his return was on the casualties suffered across Faelor. More than a fifth of the plane’s territory was completely occupied by the reapers right now, with two hundred million dead. The troops from the Iron Triangle Empire had lost over three million men, while the Crimson Empire’s losses amounted to 200,000. Only 80,000 useful soldiers were still alive.
At the higher end, one of Richard’s subordinate legends and two others that were participating for points had been killed in action, with nearly twenty saints added on top including Fuschia. Almost a hundred rune knights, 3,000 humanoid drones, and over 1,000 shadowspears had fallen, with the other troop types losing a third of their numbers.
Richard’s heart sank as he saw these figures. Heavy losses had been sustained in merely half a month, and only because of a single wave of assaults. The flesh warriors were quite resilient and their energy beams were near-perfect as ranged weapons. While they could be defeated, they took down far too many targets with them.
He put the report down and walked over to the window, watching the people bustling near the Lighthouse of Time. Large crates were being moved to the wasps so they could be ferried to the frontlines, and soldiers went with. Nobody seemed to have a moment of rest.
He sighed and left his study, climbing on a messenger and starting to patrol the defensive lines. He stopped at the numerous warehouses where the warship remains were being stored, refining them with his blue flames to collect the ember essence. Spending almost an entire day travelling several thousand kilometres, he finally gathered three bottles of the substance.
However, this trip also confirmed that the defensive lines were completely isolated. The Iron Triangle Empire was currently defending the Frozen Throne, while the Crimson Empire was protecting Bluewater Oasis and the Land of Turmoil. Any attempt to join these defenders would spread them too thin, so both sides could only hope that the other survived.
Even the slowest deities to react had now started participating in the battle, sending their clergies, paladins, and resources with no end. Although most of them were useless in Richard’s eyes, they could at least help with constructing defences and similar tasks. At this point, anyone below level 10 was better off simply hiding in the cities, lest they be turned into more fodder for the flesh warriors.
Once he was done patrolling the front lines, Richard went to the Land of Turmoil in the southwest. This was the most prominent battlefield with the fiercest attacks, so he felt he was best suited to support it. Nasia followed beside him like a shadow, her armour looking like the steel of ordinary knights. She appeared to be nothing more than an assistant or servant, but only Richard and a few others knew just how much power lied in each piece of equipment she owned.
It was early morning by the time Richard finished his patrol, but just as he was about to get some rest his heart suddenly jolted. He turned around immediately, a grave expression on his face, “They’re here.”
Nasia nodded, gesturing towards a soldier nearby. The man immediately picked up a bugle and blew on it loudly, a desolate sound joined by a number of others that relayed the message. Warriors that were joking around immediately grabbed their equipment, preparing for battle as they stared at the empty horizon, some shivering in prayer while others caressed important mementoes and relics with grave expressions.
The enemy was here again.