“Polemarch Kirov reporting!”
The leader of the crixtali people kneeled before me as I stood before him in the command center of World’s Hope. The final bastion of our world against The Devourers remained staffed, but ultimately, the non-stop violence and destruction had come to a grinding halt. My mission to activate the Isolation Protocol had been a success, and the first phase of it had severed the connection between this world and that of planet Crixli, the place from which the crixtali hailed and from where The Devourers launched their attack.
I am a dragon in the guise of a mortal form, and, in this instance, I take on the appearance of a tall human male. Even kneeling, Polemarch Kirov still towers over me. However, though he may appear more imposing than myself, that apparent disparity in prowess would only be the conclusion of fools. Our respective capacities for violence are impressive, but with me being the Emperor of the Crossroad Wayfinders, I am one of the strongest individuals on the entire planet.
Not that he would have reason to want to fight me, other than in a friendly spar. His people are the last vestiges of his race, for they are refugees to our world. I provided them with shelter, land, protection, and opportunities and resources to not just survive, but to thrive. His gratitude and loyalty are beyond reproach, even if we rarely interact on a personal level.
“Arise, Polemarch Kirov,” I commanded with a raising gesture of my hands.
I find such formalities to be impersonal, stiff, and uncomfortable, so most likely one of my children coached him in this protocol just to tease me. Fortunately, he complied without complaint. Even more fortunately, without me needing to be explicit with words, he proceeded to provide that which I wanted.
“The situation here is most favorable,” he started as we walked over to a tactical map of the fortress. “The central portal is sealed. All remaining Devourers here have been eradicated. We have performed a thorough inspection of every single person here three times over, and no lingered corruption has been detected. There is currently a combination of combatants and support staff numbering just under three million, with around half that number being combat-ready veterans.
“In your absence, there was a System Announcement that commanded us to vacate the fortress. The evacuation is going smoothly, for in your wisdom and foresight, there is enough lodging outside the fortress proper to accommodate everyone.”
Kirov was not just trying to butter my bread with his words of praise. It is true that we did plan for the eventuality that we would have some practical need to house everyone outside the fortress, for there was always the risk that the situation would become so dire that the rank and file would not be able to survive the level of violence within the fortress if The Devourers went all in.
“Additionally,” he continued as he pointed out certain areas on the map. “The System Announcement detailed what is to happen. World’s Hope will be converted into a dungeon. There will be a 1,000,000-man raid that must be defeated every 1,000 years, a 100,000-man raid that must be defeated every 100 years, a 10,000-man raid that must be defeated every 10 years, and a 1,000-man raid that must be defeated every year. There are also smaller ones that are completely optional.
“Failure to complete these raids will result in the seal on The Devourers weakening, although the exact specifics of what that will entail remains vague. I am of the opinion that failing to adhere to this schedule would be an unacceptable catastrophe.”
I do not take his analysis to be overly dramatic. The terms are harsh but fair, which tends to align with how the world and life works.
“We currently have plenty of personnel available to complete all of these dungeons. People are willing and eager to test their mettle and to reap the rewards. Indeed, we will have to draw lots or otherwise reward meritorious service with a chance at being part of these raids, such is the enthusiasm to partake.” His face is humanoid enough, and though it is comprised of metal and gemstones, it conveys emotions rather well, such as how he appears skeptical and apprehensive. “However, pending the rewards and the ravages of time, it may be difficult to muster the alliances and forces necessary to adhere to the schedule.”
His words struck the core of the issue. We certainly have the means to defeat these dungeons now, but as old grudges and future problems become the chief concerns of the world’s powers, mustering 1,000,000 people in 1,000 years could become a daunting undertaking. In short, we may be kicking the can down the road and playing right into the hands of The Devourers. They are still capable of influencing and corrupting people from our world, and, as time passes, they will endeavor to make recent events fall into obscurity and myth so that future generations will be unprepared to deal with such responsibilities. Put another way, this would be just a different phase of the war for them that they would be all too content to accept.
“How much time do we have to complete the evacuation?”
“Just under a day, my Emperor.”
That would mean that, from the time the Isolation Protocol was activated, we only had a single day to get everyone out of the fortress, which included all of our supplies. While it is not an impossible task, the logistics of coordinating everyone would be daunting. While we certainly had devised plans on how to do it, we never carried out exercises on such a scale, and so, there was a very real possibility of it going pear-shaped.
My many whelps throughout the fortress confirmed that the evacuation was underway. Through their senses, I could see people hustling about hither and thither in a pattern of controlled chaos. Officers gave orders, sergeants barked instructions, and troops moved to obey. Everything worked like clockwork if said clock also had a lot of grime in it to jam up the gears. However, matters like this are why I delegate things. I had full confidence in Polemarch Kirov to meet the deadline. After all, if anyone here has experience with expedient evacuations, he and his people are at the top of that list.
Kirov looked at me expectantly. Obviously, he did not mean to suggest that I help with the evacuation, but rather, he wanted my input on how to address the matter of these raids. My whelps were indeed here during the System Announcement, and as such, I knew the specifics before Kirov briefed me. Each raid had different grace periods for initial completion, so working around that to ensure success remained paramount.
Unsuccessful attempts would give us no credit, but each attempt would be an instance of the dungeon, and thus, multiple strike teams could attend to a given raid concurrently. Obviously, we wouldn’t have the manpower to do that for the 1,000,000-man raid, for there is an expectation of quality for our forces that we only have the means to fulfill once over. With that said, it came down to a matter of strategy of how to go about it in a timely manner.
“This decision is not mine to make alone.” Kirov nodded in understanding of my words. “I recommend that we generate a roster of who will go on the 1,000,000-man raid. Then, divide them up into various teams and let them tackle the 100 and 1,000-man raids concurrently while we deliberate with our peers.” I use the word “peers” loosely, for there exists a vast disparity in power and authority between the two of us and some of the lesser individuals that have a stake in this. However, snubbing them by not giving them a medium to voice their concerns would not give them proper face, which would just lead to problems down the road.
“I plan for you to lead the 1,000,000-man raid.” I declared in no unclear terms. Many heads throughout the room that pretended to not be listening turned my way. Perhaps many expected me to take the lead role. Others surely wanted the honor for themselves or the masters they served. From my point of view, Polemarch Kirov has proven himself to be a competent and admirable commander, and so I had faith that he would not fail me. “I will most likely also partake, but my usefulness is best served out in the field as a heavy hitter. This is too critical to allow politics and posturing to compromise.”
Polemarch Kirov had been surprised that I had nominated him, but he nodded knowingly at that last part. His own people had lost their fight against The Devourers due to internal bickering and corruption. They had become lax in their duties to fend off their enemies, which is exactly what The Devourers had been working towards in the shadows. An unexpected and decisive offensive by The Devourers overran their containment areas, and the rest is history. Of the hundreds of millions of people from their planets, far fewer than 100,000 had made the journey to this planet. Polemarch Kirov would rather die than let the same mistake be repeated here.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
From there, we quickly agreed to just have people grab stuff and place it on piles outside. We could sort through it later, but getting everyone and everything out of here in time is far more pressing. I would have Jericho clones guard the piles lest certain people be tempted to “appropriate” some things. She is a tall and fit orc, and, given the quality of her armor and weaponry, let alone her reputation as being all too eager to use violence to rectify uncouth behaviors, I believed her sufficient to ensure that very little went missing.
Additionally, we relocated to a secondary command center outside of World’s Hope. Important and self-important people streamed in. Rulers of nations and their emissaries, combined with the clergies of several pantheons, made up most of the people in attendance. However, I only really cared about the other Emperors. They were the leaders of the other flights of dragons, and thus, my only real peers. There remained a certain matter that would need to be formally addressed, especially since one of our number is now… not.
Fortuitously, we did quickly agree that the raids of 1,000 and under could commence wholesale. Everyone was eager to discover what riches these new dungeons would have just as soon as they came into existence. They would also serve as a final whetstone to sharpen our forces upon, so that our veterans would become true elites by the time we tackled the ultimate raid. Unfortunately, many hours were wasted squabbling over how we would tackle the bigger raids. So many strong personalities in one room clambered for attention, prestige, and reward such that not even a raid with room for up to 1,000,000 individuals could ever be grand enough to accommodate all their endless desires and ambitions.
I had to exercise a great deal of willpower to restrain myself from slaughtering them until I had pruned them down to an acceptable size. I could tell by looking in the eyes of my peers that they faced similar battles of restraint. Our collective and mounting annoyance did eventually pierce through the thickest of skulls, which occurred several hours after the dungeons were open for business.
Fortunately, we did eventually agree to rosters for twelve different 100,000-man raids to run concurrently. We also hashed out a rough agreement of our composition for the 1,000,000-man raid. We adhered to our doctrine of combined arms. So, while a commander of one company or another may be told to bring 500 men, it would be at said commander’s discretion as to which men under his or her command would fill that roster. Naturally, there were certain expectations of quality that accompanied the quantity allocated to each faction. With any luck, we just may avoid destroying ourselves through posturing and infighting long enough to actually defeat these raids.
Now, only myself and the other Emperors remained in the room. There would normally be eight of us, but one was noticeably absent, which was the core of the issue I aimed to address. While the missing Emperor had only ever showed up in proxy, no such proxy was to be found here any more. It did not require one to stretch the limits of imagination to discern that I was a likely suspect as to why that happened.
“My fellow Emperors, I thank you for your patience and cooperation as we tackle these last few matters related to defending our world from the threat of The Devourers. Soon, the world will return to the new normal, and with that, I expect the moratorium on internal warfare and squabbling for our world will be lifted. Naturally, that would mean that our own disputes may find resolution in that universal language that some are quick to use.”
My closest ally of the gathered Emperors, Ossimandias of The Bone Wardens, looked at me with passive expectation and neutrality that bordered on open approval. It would not do for him to appear subservient or waiting on my every word, but I trusted that he would have my back. After all, the two of us were the youngest here, and so, we remained vulnerable to the others picking us apart. We had come to an accord that facilitated our alliance on certain matters, and I would not be the one to break that. From the measure of his character, I doubted he would either, as his reputation and trustworthiness are more valuable than all the riches that his flight earns as a trade emporium.
“I will be direct; Bonpricha, Empress of The Eternal Pretenders, has been adopted into my flight.”
While we were, at least at times, disciplined enough to not gasp or break out into cries of alarm, eyebrows were raised as high as they could go. My announcement was as true as it was deemed impossible, for none have ever heard of one Emperor joining the flight of another.
With a gesture of my hand towards the doorway, they turned their heads as one to witness Bonpricha walk into the room to stand at my side. She had been imposing, tall, and mature, perhaps on par with a woman in her early 30’s. While her beauty had not diminished in any way, she stood shorter than my own person now, and some youthfulness had returned to her features such that she no longer looked like the supreme matriarch that she had been.
“May I present to you Princess Bonpricha of The Crossroad Wayfinders.”
“Heretic!” shouted Ejnarri of The Star Harbingers. They had their body wrapped head to toe in bandages, with clothing patterned like the night sky overtop. The drawn hood cast their face in shadow, all to the effect of looking more mysterious and fantastical. “Your actions have upset the very balance of our world. How could you do such a thing?”
It did not escape my notice that Ejnarri held an open scroll in one hand and a pen in the other. Their question had been quite literal. The pen was also the thick kind with multiple plungers at the top to change which ink chamber would be used, so you know that they were ready for color-coded notes.
I looked at the others present. Karlenstein of The Blood Keepers tried to come off as aloof and indifferent, but her eyes kept flickering to me with a look of keen interest. Encrodecro remained poised and polite, but the slight smugness of the smile on his face suggested that he was here to enjoy the show. Synsinac of The Pact Sealers looked puzzled, like he was trying to determine which explicit rule I had broken but came up short of anything to charge me with. Ossimandias provided passive approval, but ultimately appeared like he did not want this to be the hill I died on.
“My gratitude, Ejnarri, for raising such a question. I can provide all of you with a full and detailed account of exactly how this was accomplished, provided each of you formally agree to hold no grudge against me and to issue dispute with my flight over this development. I believe that Synsinac would be more than capable of officiating such a contract.”
That helped to tip Synsinac to my side. The contract came with an implication of a fee, one to be paid in a future favor. A contract to bind all Emperors to an agreement, one that covered forbidden knowledge, would surely earn him a few [Deeds], the likes of which he could only dream of.
With a bit of peer pressure, compromise, compliments, threats, and generally making everyone feel like they had imparted enough influence onto the deal to have some degree of ownership of it, we finally reached an accord. No representative from The Eternal Pretenders was in attendance, but to be fair, it isn’t like they could have reasonably expected their Empress to disappear on them and thus need to send a replacement for such negotiations. Her children are most likely still reeling from the shock of her absence and trying to figure out how to proceed.
This room was arguably the most secure location in the world. Each Emperor had put out layer after layer of wards and other protections to ensure nothing and no one could eavesdrop on this conversation. Sometimes, the line between paranoia and prudence is nebulous, and considering how rare it is that all the Emperors gather in one place to discuss secret matters, one could hardly blame us for going overkill to ensure privacy.
What followed was an account of my adventure in climbing The Tower, for they also wanted to know what it was like, both out of casual curiosity and just in case they ever had to climb it in the future. One never knows when such knowledge could become useful, and since each of us had the ambition to live forever, rare occurrences become inevitable circumstances.
I had pictures, diagrams, charts, a well-written manual, and even highly-animated illusions (thanks to Bonpricha’s handiwork) to help showcase the events described in my narration. Each Emperor and Empress was on the edge of his, her, or their respective and proverbial seat by the time I got to the Apex of The Tower and described the control terminal for our world. I gave thorough explanations as to how it worked and what one could do with it, and their questions that followed were nothing if not exhaustive on the topic.
By the time our discussion on the matter ended, the other Emperors were of the mind that my actions had been copacetic given the circumstances thrust upon me. I had managed to avoid any dispute between us on the matter. However, we all know that our respective children may have their own strong opinions on the issue, and while we offer guidance and direction to them, it would be uncouth of us to strongarm them into compliance. Thus, we could still expect some squabbling over this (at least as a pretext), especially since the exact details of how and why all this happened would most likely remain a mystery to them.
However, I found this outcome to be more than acceptable and agreeable. I had expected open conflict. Now, I only have to deal with a shadow war through proxies and a few assassination attempts that can’t possibly be definitively traced back to any one party. This was a good start to my return to the world proper after my adventure in The Tower.
