“You are drained,” Maja noted as they emerged from the spatial portal. It snapped shut behind them, leaving the couple stranded in the mountains surrounding Kamia. “Are you sure you didn’t sacrifice too much Might?”

  “I’m fine,” David said, shaking his head.

  He knew he could’ve used less Might to bind Lilia and the others to him. A faint connection to the Sworn would have been more than enough, but David wanted to set a precedent.

  “They should feel a difference. I didn’t want them to think their sworn loyalty meant little to me. It means a lot, and I wanted them to feel the power—my power.” He rubbed the back of his head and grimaced. “Though I might have added a little bit too much Might. The grannies are already on the brink of advancing to Minor Champions.”

  Pushing them past the threshold separating Sworn from Champions would cost a considerable amount of Might. But the first step had already been taken.

  “You definitely left a good impression,” Maja mused. “Lukas was impressed. I’m pretty sure he will work his butt off to show he’s worthy of your trust. He wants to become your Champion, I’m sure.”

  She snickered and teleported them to the peak of the mountains. David had wanted to work alone, or he would have before, but everything was a lot easier with Maja by his side. Her powers were much stronger than they used to be, and she had yet to fully digest the Might he had infused into her core. Her abilities as a Portaligist were bound to grow even further, and that was likely for the best. They would need her skills sooner rather than later.

  Using [True Sight], David channeled pure Blood into Bloodthrone Dominion to watch everything unfold before them. It was the first time he inspected the area beyond Kamia’s natural borders, and he wasn’t particularly impressed.

  “How much Might did you use?” Maja asked as he continued to study the life signals, Aether streams, and Rifts beyond the mountain range.

  “Everything,” David said, letting out a hollow laugh when Maja gasped at him. “I’m back at the beginning of 1-Star. My progress is at zero percent, and it’s probably a good thing the Might accumulated as a Starless Ascendant solidified before I could use it. If not for that, I’d probably invest the rest as well to create more than 15 Sworn.”

  When Maja didn’t say anything, he looked at her with a mischievous smile. “I feel a little bit weaker—drained, as you put it—but I’m not as weak as I was when I first advanced to 1-Star. I think the steady stream of Might maintains my physique, and as much power as possible, until my Divine Seed has fully recovered. Though that may take a while if you and the Sworn idle around.”

  The last part was a joke, mostly, at least, but Maja didn’t take it that way. She turned back to the vast lands unfolding before them and muttered to herself.

  “We need to find survivors. The more we rescue, the faster you’ll recover, right?”

  That wasn’t exactly how it worked.

  No. That was exactly how it worked. The final result would be bonds of Favor regardless.

  At the end of the day, David was satisfied with his investment. It had been a steep price to pay, but he considered it more than worth it. First of all, he gained another High Champion alongside 15 Sworn, all of whom were fiercely loyal to him. Second, Orhain was much better secured now that 15 Sworn protected it. Not only that, the Sworn would strengthen the bonds of those residing within his territory as long as they remained inside.

  His connection to the territory would grow firmer too, which would also reinforce his planetary bond for obvious reasons. David’s territory was located on the Earthen Union, with which he was bonded, after all.

  “What are you idling around for? You have to recover!” Maja commented irritably, shrouding them in golden sparkles.

  ***

  Maja was a little too excited about her new power, and she was definitely a lot more eager to help David recover. That was how they ended up levitating above a network of settlements; a community of some sort. They were probably no more than 1,000 kilometers from Kamia’s border—a distance Maja could now cover with ease. Still, it wasn’t the closest survivor camp they’d found.

  To be precise, they had located many more settlements and a few System Sanctuaries as Maja teleported them through the adjacent countries—or what was left of them.

  “Convincing them shouldn’t be a problem,” Maja said beside David. The network of settlements was weak and struggling to survive. The Aether density in the air was relatively low, and the monsters roaming the region were weak as well, yet the survivors were barely holding on. Only a handful of Classers were worth his attention, and they were busy running around dealing with enemies.

  “Their life signals are weak. They’re gaunt and feel almost lifeless—some of them, at least,” David nodded in agreement. “One of the settlements has been abandoned. Probably because of the Rift forming nearby.”

  He pointed at a small Rift less than five kilometers from the outermost settlement.

  “I think you should talk to them. Offer your help and migrate them to one of the other settlements. If you have some spare time, find their leader, the mayor, or whoever is in charge of the community. If we can convince them to migrate, we’d be able to add two, maybe three thousand people, to Orhain’s register.”

  Maja disappeared in a burst of golden particles. He saw her reappear near the town and muffled her voice as it resounded like thunder. Tired of overthinking everything, David jumped into action. Unfortunately, since he did not have a teleportation ability like Maja, he had to cast [Herald’s Blessing] and [Phantom Rush] as he kicked the solidified air behind him. He barreled through the air at a blinding speed and crashed heavily into the ground near the Rift he’d aimed at. A monster protected by a thick exoskeleton fell victim to his landing, and so did the surrounding grassland. It was torn apart as he crashed into the ground, squashing both monster and soft soil simultaneously.

  “That wasn’t my best landing,” he chuckled mostly to himself and cast [Radiant Expulsion], removing the mucus and soil dirtying his clothes before he turned to an old man carrying a bow. The old man’s bow was pulled back, a brilliantly shimmering arrow nocked and ready to pierce the target.

  “Neat tools, but they won’t work,” David called out lightly. “I don’t mean harm. In fact, I want to help you.”

  The old man remained silent and unmoving, his expression unnerving. Unfortunately, a bond had yet to form, so David couldn’t even take a glimpse at his emotions either. “Can you wait a moment for me?”

  When the old man didn’t say anything—David was starting to suspect that the man was mute—he willed Electra to emerge through his palm. She was a little unwilling, as she had yet to fully digest her father’s Divinity Fragment, but she heeded his command and emerged in her smallest form. The man flinched, his eyes revealing the first sign of emotion, but neither David nor Electra paid much attention to him.

  Electra burst toward the Rift at a blinding speed. The old man’s eyes widened, and a soft, “Impossible,” escaped his lips.

  “So you can talk,” David smirked, which was rewarded with a scowl. That was better than nothing. “You don’t trust me, and that is a good thing. Never trust strangers.”

  He cleared his throat. “However, to earn your trust, Electra cleared the Rift, and Maja is helping your people relocate to one of the other settlements.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  The old man spun around only to see glimpses of golden flashes near the settlement. He cursed softly but didn’t move as a loud hiss rang through the area. Electra emerged from the Rift, dark-violet lightning bolts crackling across her body. The Rift behind her closed while Electra charged at David. He welcomed the Sacred Beast as she returned to the Beast Core to digest the Divinity Fragment’s last remains.

  “What… are you?” the man finally asked, no less tense than a moment before. If anything, he was more suspicious than before… and afraid?

  “I’m a human. A native from the Earthen Union, just like you and the others,” David said lightly. “Though not all of my people are human. We have dwarves, elves, a few tirac, and others.”

  “How many are there?” the old man inquired suspiciously.

  “In total? A few thousand. I transformed a small town into a Sanctuary and offered protection and training to those willing to fight monsters and hostile invaders,” David answered, knowing that wasn’t what he meant. “As for how many of us are here to talk, there are only Maja and I.”

  The old man was still suspicious. He looked like he had a lot more questions and like he’d never lower his bow, but David was done.

  “I think we both know that you can’t hurt me. I don’t want to bother you and the others for too long either,” he said, and he truly meant it. If they did not want to relocate to Orhain, he would leave them alone… with a messenger stone to give them a chance to rethink their decision.

  “What do you want?”

  “Nothing much.” David shrugged. “All we want is to help you and others. Survivors who are struggling to survive the integration.”

  At last, the old man lowered his weapon. He was still suspicious of David, and there was a glint of essence in his eyes, but whatever he saw displayed the power gap clearly.

  “Fuck that shit,” he cursed, gesturing to David. “Follow me… and I dare you to hurt anyone. I will—”

  David muted the old man’s voice. What was he going to do to him even if he were to hurt the other survivors? The old man couldn’t do anything.

  Their community was lucky to have survived this long with a few meager Gold Classers. If William or a Void Sapling had found the community before Maja did, they would have been consumed a long time ago—without questions.

  ***

  It took the leaders of Unitas a while to gather. It took so long that David cleared a few more Rifts, half-hoping he’d find another interconnected Rift that would lead him to other worlds. Maja looked just as displeased, but she was busy teleporting people around. She was the pretty face everyone was supposed to like.

  Receiving help from someone like her was definitely more pleasant than the other option—David. He had long since known about it, but he was a bad diplomat. His impatience and temper were the perfect ingredients for failure. Thus, the pretty face took care of everything until it was about time to meet the leaders of Unitas.

  Twelve men and women teleported to a remodeled barn and met to talk, although they didn’t look particularly happy when David emerged from the portal. The old archer from earlier was also there, talking to the other leaders. They were the strongest Classers and whispered to each other. Most of them talked about their power, fear and suspicion lacing their voices.

  “They do realize we can hear them, right?” Maja muttered, her elbow poking into David’s side.

  He shrugged and waited, his eyes drifting from one of the old Classers to the next.

  “Are the twelve of you from the same town?” he asked at a normal volume, yet it felt like his voice thundered throughout the barn as everyone went silent.

  The heads of several Classers flicked to him in surprise, but David could also detect confusion. “Looks like I was wrong. I was sure you guys knew each other.”

  Three Classers resembled each other, and the rest appeared to be the same age. Sure, appearance could be mistaken in times like these, but the rulers appeared to be oddly familiar with each other. To the extent that David wondered if they were one family—courtesy of the life signals.

  He tilted his head and conjured several [Healing Sphere]s before adding [Lifeweaver’s Bond] to the rulers. He sent the mark through the ground, using the lifelines of the [Weave of Life] to his advantage, and analyzed the Classers while they were busy leaping from their chairs. It took them a moment to realize that the brilliant wisps were made of healing energy, but once they understood, they glared at David.

  “We’re not here for your foolish games!” one of the women snapped, pointing fingers. “What the hell do you want from us?”

  Maja raised an eyebrow at him and shook her head in exasperation when he flashed the Classers a smile. “Didn’t your brother tell you about that already?”

  The tension in the barn only got worse, but it looked like David was the only one enjoying himself.

  “I want to invite you to Orhain. Orhain is—or was—a small town in Kamia. I protected it and managed to claim it. After a bit of back and forth, I transformed it into a Sanctuary. Everyone can seek protection in Orhain, as well as the opportunity to resume a normal life.” David waved his hand. “As normal as life can be after the integration. Orhain has a much higher Aether density, a connection to Rifts of all Ranks, and we have the protection of several powerhouses, including two dozen Platinum-ranked Classers, a Sacred Beast, a Champion with the strength of a low-ranked demi-god, and an Ascendant.”

  He took a deep breath. “We’re trying to rebuild the Earthen Union starting from Kamia. The country is isolated and was on the verge of breaking apart. Powerful undead caused trouble, but they were taken care of.”

  Maja elbowed David, urging him to stop speaking his mind, and he was half-certain it was not the first time she’d tried to silence him. And looking at the Classers, he realized why. They stared at him, either not believing what he said or unable to comprehend it—sometimes both.

  “Why should we accept your invitation?” the same woman asked sharply.

  “What do you gain from relocating us?” the old archer asked at the same time.

  David looked at Maja, who was rubbing the bridge of her nose. She looked at him in disbelief and snapped, “Really? Now you want my approval?” Maja shook her head. “Do as you please, but let me speak when we visit the next settlement.”

  He grimaced and turned back to the leaders of Unitas. “You don’t have to accept my invitation, but you definitely should. I don’t know how many good people are dying every week, but everyone is on the edge. Your people are gaunt and lifeless. I can tell that you care, that everyone here does care about these people, but I don’t think you can manage. We have farmland, enough food to feed everyone for months, and we offer combat training, but also education for various studies, including magic, alchemy, artificing, and general studies.”

  David shrugged again. “If you’re confident in handling everything yourselves, go for it. I have a friendly reminder, though—the Aether density all over the Earthen Union is increasing. It will reach a new height at some point and will induce the completion of the Earthen Union’s integration into the Pantheon. At that point, all the gods, probably the gods of the Pantheon first, can use much more influence to alter the Earthen Union. I don’t know if they can descend upon the Earthen Union right away, or if they have to use weaker vessels at first, but gods will wander the world, and not all of them are pleasant.”

  He had his own share of experiences—good and bad—and he would rather not meet any more gods if possible. Or the End and its creatures, for that matter.

  “Stronger beings will emerge from Rifts, and the Earthen Union will transform into a world consumed by death and destruction. Every Ascendant will use the Earthen Union to grow stronger.” He turned to the old archer. “And that is where my gains come into play.”

  “If you accept my invitation and you come to Orhain, a connection will form between you and the Ascendant in control of the Sanctuary. That connection will strengthen the Ascendant slowly at first but faster as the connection deepens.” The old archer’s eyes widened, but David ignored him as he continued. “I need strength to survive the terrors that await us, to defend myself and everyone I hold dear. If I can help others, those who cannot protect themselves, at the same time… isn’t that even better?”

  Maja smiled at David, but he was not sure if his speech was any good. He’d been rambling, without thinking about the consequences of everything he’d just shared.

  “Even if you don’t accept our invitation right away, you can always channel energy into the messenger stone when you change your mind. We will come and help you relocate,” Maja finally spoke, smiling kindly at the leaders of Unitas.

  “I don’t think that’s necessary,” one of the three similarly-looking women said. The others nodded in agreement but remained silent. “Your words are sincere and truthful. I may not be strong enough to tell your deepest desire, but I can tell truth from lie, and you have not lied to us once.”

  The two others giggled as one quipped, “You are scarred and covered in barbs, yet your soul is kind. Almost foolishly so.”

  David didn’t understand half of what they said, but it looked like fortune was on their side.

  “We are triplets. A Truthseeker, a Soulseer, and a Memoira,” the third said, staring David deep into his eyes. Memories resurfaced in his mind—fragments of the first days into the integration, figments of the weeks after his parents died, and more recent memories showing his desolate life in the Naughtrealm, and snippets revolving around William and his death.

  “Good boy.” She smiled, clearly satisfied with what she’d just pried into.

  David clenched his fist, feeling like punching her for looking into his memories, but he let it be as the others nodded.

  “If our sisters trust you, so will we,” the old archer said, while the rest agreed.

  They’re all siblings? That is… quite a lot.

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