“Joshua, what are you doing?”
In the blood-colored world, Zero Three looked up at the warrior puzzledly despite being busy—the very same warrior who should have been controlling the construction machinery with her. “Did something happen?”
“Nothing, really. Just a rather pleasant surprise.”
Joshua, who was moving around in a human-sized clone, narrowed his eyes. Silver radiance swirled in his eyes, and he laughed suddenly. “I’ve never thought that I’d get to save much effort there—I’m even prepared to go to great lengths for the infiltration, but never had I imagine that someone would’ve already solved the hardest part for me.”
“You’re not alone in this the world after all. You don’t have to think that you need to do everything on your own and look so busy every day—even so, many end up thinking you’re being too free.”
Although unsure of what Joshua was actually saying, Zero Three complained on reflex and turned, raising her hand to gesture. “Alright, run along if you have something to do. I’ll try to test out which design is better on my own.”
They were in the former Bloodmoon Abyss, and the present New Xillia—the location of Light’s main body, a world which was gradually recovering and detaching from the Abyss. A giant island hovered over the world’s ether circulation, while the bright blood-colored sun illuminated the world. The massive blood-colored World Tree, which resembled an ordinary gum tree that seemed to have grown for 10,000 years, reached every island with its roots and branches, gathering the continent into a one form. It absorbed the scent of rot that lingered in the air without dissipating after so long, henceforth converting it into pure lifeforce while many furry critters peacefully inhabited the land.
Like combat aura, Nature Power was a variant of pure lifeforce, but differed from combat aura, which was created with the purpose of destruction. As a direct spawn of lifeforce itself, Nature Power possessed formidable capacity to convert substances and circulate energies, altering ecosystems of worlds. A Lifetree supported by a World Will would thus definitely have been able to create an entire ecosphere and ascend as a massive World Tree to change the entire world.
In the blood-tinted realm, a black dragon could be seen flying freely in the skies and crying out from time to time, perching occasionally on the World Tree’s branches, swaying her tail excitedly—Black’s fear of heights appeared to have been full conquered, but the price of her discovery of the wonders of the sky was that the Sea Dragon was now reluctant to swim and spent her days flying around instead, sending Moldavia’s air traffic into disarray. She had been dumped into the Bloodmoon Abyss precisely so she could fly as much as she wanted.
Light’s clone flew around leisurely and joyously alongside Black too—truth be told, if Black did not have wings and the pair were left in a Xianxia world, many would have believed Light to be Black’s dragon ball.
Meanwhile, on the ground between the air and ground roots, massive construction machinery that were massive to humans were in operation, flattening the ground under Zero Three’s control and excavating land bases to convert the craggy and grassy primitive surface into regular clearings. The construction effort was not limited to a single zone either, but extended to every corner of the floating island in New Xillia.
That was clearly Joshua and Zero Three’s aim in their arrival. The pair appeared to be attempting some planning and building, a back-and-forth experimentation. The massive blood-colored World Tree even cooperated by wiggling its roots to separate different zones.
But now, with the pleasant interruption and being in no hurry, Joshua narrow his eyes to carefully connect his senses to a small piece of Restoration Beam—a fragment of his clone form—and transmitted a rather playful message to the other end.
“Captain Creed, glad to see that you’re alive. The good news will be relayed to your crew and parents later. However, setting aside the fact that you’re aiding an enemy in stealing allied technology, I have a mission for you.”
Though he had put it that way, he was merely teasing Creed. Joshua was already aware that the technology data Creed and Elma were redeeming was not actually sensitive, and he would not have feared even if it had proven to be. Application and weaponization of technology, along with putting it into actual production, was not something achievable in a year or two—they would never have been able to threaten Mycroft with it at once, since the Amos would definitely have used it to vanquish the Takur Ruin Cult, their nemesis… and was there really time for that? The Evil Gods were coming in decades, a timeframe that was nothing but a prelude to galactic-scale war.
It was not forbidden to help otherworldly beings in exchanging points for data either in the first place, and it would have been perfectly fine if anyone involved had reported it. Joshua was simply feeling delighted that he had an easier measure to resolve a problem and, with a fine mood, made a joke.
Still, he was unaware how frightening a Commander Radcliffe joke was to ordinary humans.
***
Urgh…
On the other side of the dimensions, Creed’s feet caved and he almost fell to the floor, crying with overflowing tears… He may have been generous and motivated before and not fearful of even Imperator Amos, but that was mainly as Elma’s intention was not to slay the Imperator but to lead some of her brethren in an exodus—it would not have been a problem or too difficult if it was simply looking for some uninhabited zone to develop in the vast Multiverse, and they were simply being loud.
In the end, who was there who would not have boasted even for a bit? It was just lip service… or what, were they really going to fight Imperator Amos?
No way.
Now, however…
To describe it in an analogy, it was as if a student was discreetly using their mobile phone in class and, while absorbed in a game, having someone suddenly clap him on the shoulder. The student turns around in irritation, only to find—damn it—the dark smile of their homeroom teacher or school principal.
It was frightening.
Elma the Amos did not feel any better… Her analogy would be akin to a boy and a girl preparing for some private matters at home, but halfway through the thrill of it, a hole is suddenly punched through their ceiling, with either of their parents screaming amidst the explosion, declaring divine retribution and the like as they descended upon them.
It was simply menacing.
***
Naturally, the mission Joshua would assign was not too difficult since he was no demon who would trouble others. He assured Creed of his safe return, and indicated full support for Elma’s uprising—what would stop anyone from supporting a snitch? It would have been unusual if they did not. He could even provide them with the entire batch of data they would need, although they would have to help with the warrior’s the investigative mission in return.
“Lady Elma. You have mentioned trouble within the Court that feels oppressive, while the borders are on full alert. Are you aware of its cause?” Joshua’s tone was friendly and calm, but the two people on the other side still shuddered once he spoke. Creed may have been shaken enough in his previous training, but Elma was experiencing the direct presence of an entity of equal power with Imperator Amos for the first time—her human form appeared to be on the verge of collapsing, and even the entire shell room was squirming.
“Well…Honored Commander (Creed’s prompt), I’m unsure of the actual circumstances, but the alert has been continuing for over eight months and is becoming ever stricter. Even moving between planetary systems is forbidden without a travelling pass.” Speaking with as calm a tone as she could muster, Elma recounted even as she was left restless inwardly. “It was the eastern quadrant at first—that’s the border between us and the Takur Ruin Cult, but the state of emergency eventually spread across the entire Court. Now all trade activities have ceased, leaving only distribution of basic resources. The Imperator isn’t talking either, with only the Guards at the Core conveying orders. I myself have been apprehensive of the developments, which is why I could not help but use the Redemption System to procure knowledge of dimensional spells so that I can leave with some of my companions…”
Joshua listened to Elma and generally understood the present circumstances of the Amos Court. It appeared that the faction was now fully under military control, with every planetary system controlled separately while Court Guards were left in charge of official distribution of resources, keeping the entire civilization in an age of military emergency that made issue by needs.
However, the warrior observed more than that from the information—he noticed at once that the state of emergency was first declared at the eastern quadrant controlled by the Takur Ruin Cult, before spreading inward. That fact made clear that whatever reason it may have been, the reason for the emergency was not the Amos Court but the Takur Ruin Cult.
Neither Creed nor Elma knew that the Galaxy of Bloodbath had fell silent too. It was not merely the Court enforcing their vigilance since the Cult was having trouble too, and it was problems from within which explained why neither side mobilized when their nemesis was facing problems.
“Your task is to help me unravel the truth behind the mysteries.” Having generally analyzed the information, Joshua nodded slightly, knowing that the mystery that could simultaneously keep two superior civilizations on their toes was definitely nothing good. Still, he would not have either Creed or Elma work without reward, since he only ever made deals of equivalent exchange.
“I will install a system for you two soon, by using the Restoration Beam for materials. With that, both of you will become agents answering directly to me to observe the circumstances in the Galaxy of Bloodbath. When it’s all done, I will fulfill your wishes.”
Did either Creed and Elma have the right to refuse? They did, actually.
But why should they have? Though it was essentially an additional task, it also meant that their actions were backed by a champion who stood at the top! Therefore, across boundless time and space, the pact was made.
The Restoration Beam which had been inside the bone chest shone brightly at once and hovered into the air, flickering with bright but not blinding radiance. As it whirled, the silver-white beam split into two equal parts, one of each turned into a blue gem that darted at Elma’s chest, the other of which morphed into a dark golden belt that tightened over Creed’s hip.
Crack, crack!
Clear sounds of metallic insertion echoed but the pair felt no pain—instead, it was as if the belt and gem had been a part of their bodies in the first place. Moreover, at the same instant the equipment was complete, both Creed and Elma heard a voice that reached directly into their hearts.
[—Emergency installation of Crisis Handling System—commencing compounding of Extraordinary elements, commencing artificial Authority—]
[—Inserting Authority—equipment of Azure Blue and Phantom Gold complete!]
[—The Unburnt and the Revived—Elma/Creed, are.you.ready!]
I’m ready! Creed had almost said, but he rigidly withheld the impulse since he had been infused with substantial knowledge about the Crisis Handling Wisdom before the voice in his head spoke. Before he could say a word, the power of Commander Radcliffe had descended upon him, imbuing his entire body with the Authority of Steel!
After Joshua’s modification and augmentation, the superpower unit equipping system of the Simboan Puppets was no longer a war machine which applied a single Extraordinary power, but a brand-new set of exoskeleton armor unit!
Although Creed had never used it until now, he could sense that the artificial Authority known as Phantom Gold granted the abilities of concealment, transformation, Black Form shielding and ranged teleportation. It could even block the observation of any Extraordinary senses to truly hide within darkness, a genuine combat system for everything from fighting, infiltration and intelligence gathering!
Now, Creed looked up and leveled his gaze with Elma’s. Both of them were briefly astonished by the artificial Authority and System, after which their chest was filled with confidence.
If it was not for the time and place, the pair would probably have activated and tested the power of the Crisis Handling System.
***
On the other side of the dimensions, Joshua severed his link to Creed and Elma for the time being. He had already passed on part of his own power when creating the system, hosting it within the gem and the belt. As long as the two were really trying to unravel the cause for the mysteries, he would learn about it in real time without delay.
With the pleasant surprise handled, Joshua turned towards New Xillia, along with the adjusted and levelled realm of floating islands. It was time to resume the task before—the design and construction of smaller shelter worlds beyond the Ether Ring World.
