V4: Chapter 12:

…

I woke up and felt like complete shit.

"Water, here."

"Thank you." Healing magic was described in the lore of the game as something that wasn't completely understood, but a combination of enhanced regeneration and creation of tissue. You can become immortal without enough healing magic pumped into you, but losing 'scar' tissue in your brain makes you lose memories and have to relearn things. The Dark Elves had the tech tree to really amp it up, bring back the dead, and when they perfect it there's no memory or skill lost in the process. Honestly, it all sounded like bullshit made up to give some sci-fi logic to fantasy bullshit. I didn't think about it much. "What's happened? How long have I been unconscious?"

"Two hours and the city has been pacified, unfortunately we have discovered a massive underground system of tunnels. Many of the Scholars upper echelons have vanished with much of their treasury and repositories."

"Not our fault. They were probably sneaking away and planned to make this place into a deathtrap. All the people here and the industrial capacity were bait." I shook off the pain and fatigue with little success, and just grit my teeth to get up. Ayah helped me on my unsteady legs. Yeah, I'm not built for fighting. What doesn't kill you just makes you stronger? Not for me. What doesn't kill me just might cripple me for life. "I want this city swept clean. All tunnels found collapsed. Make sure to look for anything that can scorch this place and make it unusable. We need it."

Ayah nodded at my commands, and led me to a table.

No.

Not just a table.

The main office of the Citadel, which mimicked mine completely, because most of mine back home was just made of the Citadel's materials like this one.

We did take the city with a surgical strike, and in doing so stopped the Goblin's plans to turn this place into a deathtrap by sheer happenstance.

I just wanted to save my troops from a siege with poisoned weapons in play, but I managed to stop the Scholars from killing my army off, and preventing the city from being wrecked.

Not bad for suicide mission.

"Any news on their standing army and their mercenaries?"

"The latter have scattered to the winds. None were interested once they learned they weren't to receive their next wages. As for the military arm of the Scholars, we believe they were doing transportation of all the treasure and artifacts of the Scholars."

"That's not good. They're going to put that to use against us." They were going to go to ground and turn themselves into some sort of techno-fetishist terrorist group. There are few things worse than a terrorist group with the tech advantage… and a propensity towards bioweapons. Augh, if any of the endgame poison weapons get turned into a WMD, this world is going to get absolutely murdered. I'm going to need to research the Wonder that invalidates Poison as a damage method, aren't I? "But one problem at a time. Is this Citadel linked?"

"Not yet. Khanrow has yet to arrive and the ring… is on you." Ayah pointed at the ring on my finger, placed their presumably after it had used it to manipulate my environment into my office.

For a second, I considered taking the Citadel, then the reality of the situation hit me. Even if the army stayed with me, and if everyone here followed me, it was still slow suicide on the lap of luxury. I could try and kill Riegert, but his clandestine operations would go up in smoke and I needed him more than ever with all the Goblins slipping through.

No.

Getting a chair and some rope would be an easier way to commit suicide.

I took the ring off.

"Get it to him as soon as he gets here. How's the city?" I walked over to the balcony behind my replica office's desk. There were a few pillars of smoke rising over the city, but there were no more riots. Still, there was only so much that I could manage with just my eyes. "How many people died because of the riots we caused?"

"Several thousand injuries, many severe and expected to perish, and five hundred or so dead." I wanted the numbers to hit me like brick. No one should just nod at those numbers. However, all I could think was that those lives were wasted because they could've contributed towards what little chance of victory that we had. Those were people that could pay taxes, build weapons, farm, and more. Though I wanted to believe every life's sacred, my brain was fixated on the lives lost that weren't going to keep contributing. Well, at the very least, I knew that I needed to find some mental health after all this. "The city is largely without harm and has been taken. Our army is bringing order, too. Soon, it will be time for you to integrate this Citadel and its population to our current polity."

I nodded a lot with every word.

Focus on the good.

Army is whole and healthy and avoided a siege against poison weapons.

Damage is minimal to the production facilities and the Citadel itself.

This place can be turned into a better city, the Citadel as a trio can heal even the worst of injuries now, food issues were going to be easier to solve, and… and guns.

Oh.

I have actual guns now.

Oh thank fucking god.

We're finally going to get actual firepower on the field before the first crisis hits!

Goodbye spearmen, swordsmen, and mages!

Hello shock troopers, riflemen, and artillery!

Lets.

Fucking.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

…

Interlude: Riegert

…

The city was in a lot better shape than anyone anticipated, especially after the riots and fighting that took place overnight.

"Guardians scoured the place light night, boys, but keep your eyes mobile. They're not here right now, and we're not exactly heroes to these people." Oswald spoke just behind me. The soldiers remained armed and armored as we marched towards the Citadel on the main road of the city. The houses surrounding us were as Khanrow reported. Less buildings to live in and more fortifications meant for soldiers to fight and die in. "Don't let your guard down until we reach the inner wall and the Guardians under the King's command."

There was a low rumble of assent amongst through the body of troops, mutterings beneath steel helms, as we made our way. The sound of boots rhythmically hitting dirt resounded, while the gazes of many of the Scholar's citizens peered through slits of their buildings. They didn't even have windows, just slots to fire arrows from.

"Can't say I would've fancied fighting here." Gunther grunted. His voice was tinny and echoed through his helm. He'd fought in villages before and trained most of the men. He set himself as an example by wearing all the armor he had his troops wear. I followed his visored gaze. Winding alleys where numbers meant nothing. Flat roofs where archers and others could easily hide. Strong doors in frames that would require most grown men to enter sideways through. "The King chose well."

I couldn't help but nod.

Some people had been concerned about the riots taking place and the innocent lives riled up to provide the opportunity to attack the Scholars directly, but I was sure their concerns were dashed after seeing for themselves what carnage they avoided. This city was a beast prepared to consume armies whole, and that was without the plans of the Scholars to use poison and even bring low the Citadel to destroy the region. The four armies that came together to take this Citadel was a monstrous thing, but this would've been an opponent it would've been crippled trying to take.

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The Scholars were going to be a foe to be reckoned with for years to come.

"We need a volunteer force to hunt down as many of the Scholars as possible. Their officers and treasures and artifacts need to be recovered." Gunter and Oswald both nodded as we walked. This battle was won, but the war was not yet over. "If the Scholars are willing to go this far, to these extremes, they will wreak havoc upon the entire continent. The head of this snake needs to be cut and the rest of it strangled."

"Aye, I don't want these folks coming up with anything after all this. They'll put what we did to shame. We used fire and steel, but they'll use poison and disease." Oswald muttered and sighed lightly as we passed the inner walls. Guardians under Khanrow's control, or Jack's, were searching buildings and clearing debris. Beneath the Citadel's shadow, I felt more at ease. Up ahead, at the base of the Citadel, there were familiar boxes of foodstuffs made within the Citadel along with larger containers filled with other necessities. After so many days of speedy marching, harangued by mercenaries and professional troops, we were going to be able to rest easy. "I'm sure that the flying carriages will be a load of help, especially with Champions at their back. How do you feel about going on the hunt again, Captain?"

"Maybe after a few days of rest." The underground trails were already collapsed, according to Khanrow, and the trail was cold. However, Lady Celia had many bodies of Scholars to use for her Necromancy, and she was already extracting what she could from the resistant echoes. Even Sirena, the Saintess, was considering reviving a few of those killed in order to glean information from them. I knew not which was a worse fate. To be placed under duress as a spirit, or be returned to life only to be interrogated. Both seemed terrible fates, but if it stopped even one city from being plagued by the diseases the Scholars attempted to infest our army with, then it would just be a cost we'll have to pay. "Alright, looks like we're resting easy tonight, boys!"

Oswald and Gunther took that as the signal to get the soldiers rested, while I went ahead into the Citadel itself.

I found myself stopping as soon as I passed through the doors.

Khanrow was there, as I expected, but only Ilych, Ayah, and Jack were present besides.

This was a more serious meeting than I thought, and I realized why as I looked upon the weapons arrayed on a rack.

It's happened.

The systems of the Citadel finally acknowledged our authority and provided us with the right to produce powerful weapons.

"Riegert, they're more powerful than we thought. The weapons of the Undead cannot compare." Khanrow spoke bluntly. I took note of his features after a moment looking at him. He looked… younger. He tossed something at me, and I caught it. It was some sort of vial, but slim and cylindrical and with a needle at the end. "It's the fabled potion of youth and longevity of the Ancients. We have them now. We can produce it as easily as water… along with far more potent and terrifying concoctions."

Jack came forward with a list, which promised to be meticulous, but summarized its contents.

"With Ayah's aid, I've begun finding all that we can now make. As Riegert said, there are many Ancient technologies at our disposal now, but the most important are those potions, these weapons, and industrial parts." Jack spoke without his usual charisma, knowing that everyone present knew the truth. The intellect and wisdom he usually hid behind a smile and flattering words used to intimidate. Now, the cold and calculating intellect behind his hazel eyes threatened to overwhelm. The Ancient Administrator sometimes seemed more human than him without his mask. "The industrial portion includes the creation of the parts necessary to make the machines the Citadel uses to create. We must build them in our own Citadel quickly."

That should've been enough of an advantage that even Jack would smile, but there was no sign of him relenting in the slightest.

"Sounds like we've got our ace-in-the-hole, even for the enemies of the Ancients. What's the problem?" I asked candidly, while Ilych approached me and took the vial from my hands. She applied it to me without so much as a word, and after a sting… aches and pains that I'd grown used to began to slowly fade. Even blurriness in the corners of my vision that I hadn't noticed began to fade. My heart began to pump more strongly, and it was like was slowly being reborn from within. My thoughts sharpened, and a faint fugue faded from my notice. "…Did the Ancients leave something behind?"

"Aye, they did. We know what's coming now. Citadel, show him." Khanrow spoke and the Citadel answered. Lights projected from the ground and formed the continent with the Citadels rising from the ground like pure white thorns from their regions. Then, the map grew larger and larger until I realized the whole planet was shown as a globe. Innumerable glyphs emerged all over the planet, layers of color in vibrant reds, and I was able to read much of it thanks to my knowledge. My heart sank. "We are surrounded. The foes of the Ancients have the rest of the planet."

We were a singular island of blue surrounded by a narrowing grew band simply called 'Perimeter Defense' being approached from all sides by foes.

Foes that held vast amounts of land formerly owned by the Ancients.

A singular question arose in my mind which would decide everything.

"Do they have Citadels of their own?"

"No." Ayah answered with a shake of her head and a faint vestige of hope filled my heart. "And, all is not lost. The Ancients ripped from the rest of the planet their blessings and cursed their foes." The Golem moved and the lights changed. Various runes of the Ancients that I could barely read came upon the screen. Curses. Mental degradation. Susceptibility to sunlight. Decreased fertility. Weakness after weakness. "They head for us in hopes of taking the Citadels to unmake those curses. However, this is no bargaining chip. If they are unshackled, they will kill us without a shred of hesitation."

I discerned as much, and turned towards Jack.

He met my gaze… and I found not a hint of fear on his face.

Only the determination to survive.

For a second, I saw the face of the scavenger boy in the Quartermaster's tent.

Someone who survived a childhood of pain and suffering all on his own.

That little kindling of hope in my chest turned into a bonfire and I stood straighter as I looked upon Jack.

"So, what's the plan?"

He answered simply.

"Take all the Citadels by any means necessary, then turn the weapons on the monsters and kill them all."

Simple and concise, yet solid and concrete.

I almost laughed.

In the face of an entire planet filled with monsters, I suppose that the best plan was indeed: "kill them all."