In the command room, there was silence. The screens had gone dark but the spectacle of seeing the death of the Executive Peaceful Yulia was shocking, to say the least, for the staff and other Executives alike.
“...Fucking Hell. Hells and Damnations, man! Do we have a Level 5 cultist battering our gate? I'm out of here!”
“Compose yourself, you idiot,” Bissa said to Malm. “He’s not a Level 5. The reading on him is Level 4.”
“That’s not good at all! If he can slaughter Level 4 as Level 4, how strong will he be once he’s a Level 5!?” Malm was panicking.
“You’re not making any sense! Act your age for once!” Galenn imposed order. “He must be using some kind of trick. If not, that technique has limited usage. Yulia just had bad luck.”
“Shit, shit, shit!” Malm drank liquor from the bottle voraciously.
“Sir, the cultists have entered the Tower. They are spreading everywhere,” interrupted one staff member.
“Why aren't we in lockdown!?” Galenn shouted.
“Hiii!” The operator winced in fear. “W-we are, sir, but the cultists, t-they could open our doors. They must have gotten our code keys somehow.”
“Odd. This tower's security should be much more modern compared to other places in the Sultanate, even the other Towers. How could the cultists respond so fast?” Bissa traded looks with Galenn.
“It doesn't matter. Bring up the map of the ground floor!”
On Galenn’s order, the main screen showed the layout of the Tower's ground floor, with red dots signifying enemy forces and green dots for allies. On either side smaller screens showed security camera feeds with magical vision.
“What’s the enemy number?”
“Level 4, six signals. Level 3, twenty-three human signals and sixty-four demons, but still increasing. Level 2s are double that number.”
Galenn looked grim. The enemy forces were greater than expected. There were about three hundred guards, just fifty of them Level 3s in the Tower. If the researchers, engineers, and other non-combat Pathseekers staff were included then there would be three hundred more, but these couldn't be counted on.
While the Tower had more security measures than guards and should be able to contain the Level 3 cultists and demons, there were still the six Level 4s.
Galenn must organize the defense to minimize damage to the Tower as much as possible, to protect the important assets and locations. The temporarily unavailable Tower Master would have his hide if things deteriorated much more than this.
“Mobilize the Thunderhand division, full armaments.”
“The Tower Master hasn't given permission,” Bissa reminded.
“This isn't the time for that. Do it. Tell Commander Sham to concentrate the defense at area A3. Get reinforcement from the south base. Start powering up the golem sq-”
Galenn saw the red dots on the map spreading to other floors. Some went above, some below.
“They are using the elevators!?” Galenn demanded an answer from the surveillance staff.
“The elevators are locked, sir! They are using the shafts! They opened the blast doors by brute force!” Said the man without stuttering despite his nervousness.
Galenn growled in frustration as his budding defensive plan went up in smoke. He analyzed the movement of the invaders, especially the Level 4s.
He spotted a weakness.
“They are separating.”
“...They are aiming for different objectives,” Bissa said.
“The armory level, the archives, the bio-labs, and the main power level,” Galenn guessed from the movements. “Bissa, Malm, separate and destroy the invaders at those locations. Leave the lab to the doctor.
“Fine, but I won't be the one facing the one that can one-hit Yulia,” said Malm.
Galenn could see Bissa’s similar reluctance.
“Operator, why are there no eyes on that guy?” Galenn asked. All the other Level 4 cultists had a live feed on the monitor.
“Report from the surveillance room, my lord, the Level 4 with the half mask is able to sever our scryers’ surveillance. Three people have lost their eyesight. He cut them from the other side of their link, sir. He also seems familiar with our security cameras, destroying them as he goes.”
“But where is he going...” Unlike the other Level 4, this one didn't go straight to a particular location, even circling around.
“Lord Galenn, report from the south base.”
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“Reinforcements are here? Good. Send them to defend the power floor at once.”
“Err, no sir. They are saying they aren't able to connect to our teleporter.”
Galenn cracked the command table with his fists after coming to a realization.
“So that’s his aim. We’ve been played.”
“One more report from the surveillance room.”
“What now?” Galenn unfastened his sweaty collar.
“The black mask Level 4, sir... even his Victa signal is now lost to us. We can't pinpoint where he is.”
***
Viers was doing what he did best, lurking around in the background, plotting, and being up to no good while no one was watching.
Just as he intended, his Ghost Hazard Arte had intimidated his enemies. It was clear by the lack of opponents barring his path.
The Arte that he created using the Rank 5 Soulterror Banshee core that he got from Ciel.
In essence, this Arte frightened the enemy so much that it disturbed every active defense they had, thus making any subsequent attack lethal. As Yulia could attest, the Arte could even break through an Imaginary Domain.
Using his soul method to intimidate enemies was nothing new to Viers. It started in the Book World, resulting in the Haki-inspired Spirit Supremacy Arte.
The Ghost Hazard Arte was smaller in scope but far more focused. On the other hand, Spirit Supremacy Arte had more range so it was more suitable against huge numbers and weaker enemies.
Then there was his Horizon, which grew ever-upwards.
Horizon: x891%!
His every Arte was almost 9 times stronger at the default state and cost!
With his Horizon, those two Artes really cut down the list of people who could stand up to him. Thus he was able to walk around in enemy territory like he was a fearsome boss that the employees avoided. Sure enough, the offices before him looked deserted.
Viers couldn't help but smirk under his mask.
It was as if the tower was being haunted by a being that came out of a ghost story.
While the likes of Jessica, Ciel, and Croix thought the reason Viers launched an attack on a Magisterium branch was because his kind heart was moved by Elvina's tale of woe and her mother’s fate. Those who knew his true nature would beg to differ.
The truth was, he was just looking for an excuse.
The Rupa branch of the Magisterium had been in his sights for a while. With his intelligence network, built by countless soul searches, Viers found leads that the firearms in circulation had originated from two places, Magisterium HQ and the Rupa branch. Since the HQ was a bit beyond his ability for the moment, he targeted the branch.
Viers meant to answer the mystery of the firearms. He feared an otherworlder had progressed his kingdom-building thing. If he left it for too long, then technology would snowball out of control. What would he do if nuclear weapons started to fly around a few decades from now and one landed on top of his head?
He either had to control it or, failing that, prune that timeline early.
What was that? What if the other guy was just the sweetest guy who just wanted to live in peace after the most pitiable life on Earth?
Viers did not care.
This world was his sandbox, other players weren't welcome. Viers would ‘disconnect’ those who wanted to enter his territory. It didn't matter if he wasn't the first otherworlder; the problem solved itself once he kicked the other guy out.
Two tigers cannot live on the same mountain, a Chinese proverb. Viers wanted the apex position for him and him alone. He had no intention of sharing, for he was a big bad villain to the bone.
Perhaps cooperation was better but Viers was always a single-player sort of guy. He was old-fashioned that way. He wasn't going to sing ‘welcooome to my world’ to them.
What Viers feared most was the appearance of an otherworlder with a cheat so godly he couldn't match. Time stop, instant death, power absorber, and many more. The Japanese manga corner was littered with this kind of MCs. He would eliminate them while he still could.
Perhaps in the far future, once he had already become an accomplished Pathseeker with an unshakeable foundation, he could tolerate other players. It would be in small doses only. But as things stood, HK Protocol for otherworlders was in effect.
Viers suddenly had a thought.
Come to think of it, have I read Fables where an isekai guy actively kills other isekai guys to prevent a power struggle? Hm... there’s the Fated Villain and not much else. Pity. Most isekai guys are goody-two-shoes. We need more bad-ass villain MC!
Besides animalistic territorial and survival instincts, Viers also had a proper reason to attack the Magisterium branch. They got loot and gold, Viers wanted loot and gold. As a baby bird Level 4, he required a massive amount of resources if he wanted to grow up big and strong. So what if he swallowed towers and cities? He had done it before, he would do it again.
If he saved Elvina’s mother on the side and gained a ton of goodwill from Croix, Elvina, and Ciel, Latias Kingdom’s bigwig nobles, more doors would be open for him in the future. He hadn't even called in all the karmic debt from Croix and Ciel yet, now he would get even more. It’s the classic killing many birds with one Arte situation.
With Immortal realm cultivators already roaming on this side of the world, Viers’ drive to grow as strong as them so he wouldn't be stepped on, soared. He might be able to hide from their senses temporarily but it wouldn't solve the underlying problem. He had to be able to deter them with might, else there would be no future where he could rest easy at night.
Naturally, Viers would not say any of his thoughts to anyone. If anyone asked, he would say he acted because he was an ally of justice, with righteousness pouring out from his pores!
He already researched the truth-determining relic the special member of the Church had. It wasn't absolute. Once a Pathseeker got strong enough, not even the greatest relic in the Church position could sense his lies. Truly, strength was always the answer in a power fantasy world such as this. How marvelous.
For a more mundane reason, Viers also wanted to test his strength.
On his Level 4 debut day, with home ground advantage and full war regalia equipped, he already made a Level 5 retreat yet his true measure was yet to be tested.
It was clear that after his Ascension to Level 4, the three years of sacrifice and all his cheats, a normal Level 4 mid couldn't even stand up to one of his Arte.
The next test subject would the Tower Master, who should be a Level 4 peak.
If by chance the Tower Master turned out to be a Level 5 in disguise, Viers would bail without reservation, taking Jessica and Iz if he could. He had no intention to tussle with centuries-old Level 5s. He didn't need to prove anything. If they dared, they should face him once he became a Level 5 too. How dare they bully a man many times their junior?
With his task of disabling the Tower’s teleportation capability complete, he prevented reinforcements. Viers then moved to the next objective. With Yulia’s memories, even more secrets of the Tower were laid bare for Viers.
And where are the other Executives? Come out, come out and plaaay~
