So long as evil lurks in our hearts, utopia will forever be the shadow of a dream.
A relatively large group of hooded soldiers followed quietly behind their two leaders. Many of them had blank faces, their steps synchronizing with each other like puppets on the same string.
One of them wore a similar hood much like the faceless grunts. Nothing about the person's figure stood out, but every step they took seemed as though they were gliding through space. The edges of their figure seemed to phase in and out of existence like a phantom or mirage. Beneath their simple appearance was unfathomable power beyond any of their comprehension. Polybius, the enigma that served their leader dutifully.
Trailing slightly behind the wispy figure was an elven woman clad in white robes. Irene, the light mage who terrorized Welton's frontlines. Her green eyes were deep in thought, and her lips were set in a firm line. She carried a glowing tome under her clothes. Unlike the mysterious person leading the remains of the invading army, her power was palpable. To those who used their mana-sensing abilities, she would look like a star in the middle of a void. Irene let her power flow freely because she did not need stealth.
Together as a group, they went deeper into the underground tunnels. Nobody came to greet them. Even though the rooms they passed were full of living people, the atmosphere was strangely muted. Voices were absent, but the sounds of shuffling footsteps and muffled screams could be heard.
"Here."
Polybius' whisper resonated throughout the silence. They stopped at a room with a massive entrance. The interior was lined to the brim with glass cylinders, each one filled with a translucent green liquid. Some of them were occupied, but it posed no problems. Dozens of footsoldiers passed through. Several people in white suits worked to shepherd them into organized groups, disappearing behind rows of incubators.
"Would you like to go in? I can fill the report myself."
Irene turned to look at the prone figure. She shook her head, although a bead of sweat dropped down on her forehead. The demonic contractor couldn't help but feel the consequences of being around Polybius for an extended period of time. Her...Him...Its presence was eerie.
"No. I have something to ask the leader."
For a moment, it felt like Irene's heart stopped beating. But as soon as she recognized the feeling, it disappeared. The endless black in Polybius' hood didn't move during the entire exchange.
"...You'd better watch your words, 56."
The elf didn't twitch at the use of her true name. She hadn't heard it in quite some time, but buried memories of her adolescence sprang up at the sound of her name. Brutal training, being placed into the talented batch of 'recruits', and the first time she interacted with the Demon of Knowledge, Marbas.
'I don't know if that was their form of a joke. All the higher-ups know about the brainwashing compound in those vats. Is Polybius trying to say something?'
Unwilling to back down, she continued to follow behind Polybius. But there was an added sense of being watched. It felt like every inch of her body was being inspected by an eldritch figure, just beyond her comprehension and vision. Irene knew that the hooded figure with its back turned had something to do with it.
They passed by many rooms and many floors on their way to meet the leader. Ego Beasts of unknown power and origins were held captive in containment units. A similar room contained children of all races, going through rigorous training that bordered on sadistic. It was easy to see some of their spirits hadn't been broken yet. Defiance, fear, or even anger were visible on some of their faces. Those were usually the ones assigned to the talented pool. Irene made eye contact with one of them. A pale-faced child with black hair and obsidian eyes. His eyes were full of bloodlust.
For some reason, her chest tightened ever so slightly.
After what seemed like endless amounts of floors, they finally reached a massive gate. It made the fortified kingdom doors at Welton look tiny. From end to end, it was about nine meters long and a little over eleven meters tall. Made of wrought iron, the design was spartan. Signs of rust and age were visible despite the dim lighting.
"Welton's invasion was a failure, milord."
Total silence greeted the hooded figure. Sweat dripped down her brow, and Irene expected some form of harsh rebuke. She rarely interacted with their leader, almost none of them got the chance to aside from Polybius. They received their orders from other contractors that were ranked above them, and she had only heard his voice a few times throughout her decades of servitude.
A SHAME. RETURN TO YOUR ORIGINAL POST. WE WILL CONTINUE AS PLANNED.
The voice didn't come from the gate. It felt like it came from her mind. She immediately recognized it as their leader, distinctive and articulate. They sounded unperturbed by the fact the operation ended in complete failure. It was almost as if it was expected.
56-NO. IRENE, WAS IT? SPEAK. I CAN TELL YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.
Her back straightened upon being recognized by her leader. She didn't know why or how he knew her name. It wasn't under any official records, but an alias to promote some sort of individuality amongst the contractors. The only ones who bothered calling her that were the victims of an undercover operation or her comrades. Irene could feel the stares drilling her from all angles intensifying as if she were under a magnifying glass. Polybius turned to meet her gaze, and she managed to push out her question before the eerie feeling broke her nerves.
"Is there a reason why we didn't use our full force to bring Welton down? There are many executives on standby, and I am confident we would've achieved our goals with fewer casualties if one of them came along."
"You've crossed the line, 56," Polybius muttered. It took one step toward her, and Irene felt like her existence was on the line. Beyond the fear of death, she could feel unknown energies poking and prodding at her body, trying to pull her away into the void. The elf opened her tome, ready to defend herse-
STOP.
There was finality in the leader's tone, an implied threat that came if they disobeyed the order. An icy sensation coated both people, filling them with existential dread and terror that brought them to their knees. The difference between their leader and Polybius' intimidating auras was that the latter posed a massive threat, Irene knew there was at least a chance for resistance. That single word uttered by their leader was coated with authority. There was a single guarantee in Irene's mind, as her wide eyes trembled with fear.
'I will die.'
The cessation of any resistance against an impossible threat. It was similar to how a peasant would react if they were faced with a natural disaster. Complete hopelessness. There was nothing they could feasibly do, or even imagine that could save them. Irene felt the distinct gap in power and bowed her head to the floor, hoping that following orders would spare her from eradication.
NOW, I SEE YOU'RE DOUBTING MY METHODS.
Irene wanted to shake her head, to shout that they were wrong. But her self-preservation instinct warned the elf about interrupting their leader.
THAT'S GOOD. I PRESERVED YOUR WILL FOR A REASON. THINKING FOR YOURSELF MEANS YOU ARE GROWING, LEARNING, AND MATURING. THAT IS A QUALITY I DESIRE IN MY EXECUTIVES.
That gave the elf pause, and she raised her head to look at the wrought iron gate in disbelief. In stunned silence, she listened to their leader's words and hung on to every syllable that reverberated throughout her entire being.
IT'S TRUE, WE HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH FORCES ON STANDBY TO DESTROY WELTON WITHOUT A SINGLE CASUALTY. YOU ARE CORRECT IN THAT REGARD. BUT THERE'S A DRAWBACK THAT COMES WITH A TOTAL AND COMPLETE VICTORY. SHOWING OUR TRUE POWER COMES WITH A HIGH PRICE.
Polybius and Irene stood on one knee, their attention focused on the leader's thought process for their failed operation. They seldom got the chance to hear their superior speak so openly.
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IF WISPERIUM OR THE CHURCH DETECTED VICTORY WAS BEYOND ALL HOPE, THEY BOTH HAVE ONE LAST RESORT. A NON-GUARANTEED CHANCE AT VICTORY FOR THE DIREST SITUATION BROUGHT UPON BY OUR VICTORY. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IT?
Irene's vision faded away and her surroundings were replaced by the dwarven capital. It reminded her of Tinder Loveborn's Dream Infiltration. A group of contractors, most of whom she recognized during her time with the group, were standing in formation with her situated in the backlines. Contrary to what she expected, their forces didn't destroy the dwarven capital. They had perfectly preserved Welton. The only difference was that all their opponents had been captured, alive and unconscious. Even General Drake's familiar was sedated, brought down with ease. None of their executives were hurt. Welton was captured without a single casualty from either side. Even the foot soldiers were spared, either knocked unconscious or forcefully restrained by various skills.
But something began to change. The moon could be seen in the overhead sky despite being day. It was stationed directly above Welton's Furnace. But the most concerning part about it was the red hue around the celestial body. The pale, greyish tones were replaced by an increasingly deep shade of red until it resembled the color of blood.
Irene didn't remember the moon being overhead in the sky. She was sure it was noon when the battle took place. It was a strategic advantage when the vampire forces were weakened slightly by the sunlight.
Footsteps took her attention away from the red orb of night, and she could see a vampire. But she didn't recognize the being. He wasn't present during their battle at all, but Irene felt her heartbeat throughout her body as he faced the twenty-strong assault force. He was ancient for a vampire, with lines visible across his face. It was the first time she had seen a person from the long-lived species with white streaks along their hair.
'On second thought, isn't he...?'
That was when the kingdom of Welton became a nightmare.
A tsunami of blood and darkness erupted from the mysterious vampire, rushing at them before most humans could blink. Of course, several layers of protection were erected immediately. Irene could feel herself cast the shield which protected their army, although it wasn't a conscious decision. It was likely a vision of what she would've done in the situation, and she simply focused on the executives moving forward to receive the attack. Delont was one of the many on the frontline, and she could see his armored back and spear while she cast magic from behind them.
One tendril of blood reached out and touched the first barrier. The entire layer turned red, and then black. It was absorbed into the wave. The same happened to the second, third, fourth, and fifth layers. The gluttonous wave devoured any magic it came in contact with. Within a few seconds, the magical protections empowered by demonic powers were eradicated. The most physically imposing soldiers hunkered behind their shields and cast their spells and skills against the raging rapids.
SHNK
"DRACULE ROSE! RETREAT!" Polybius' voice was urgent as they issued a retreat. But even the figure's disembodied voice was drowned out after their entire frontline was massacred with little to no resistance.
The feeling of dread she had intensified upon realizing who they were dealing with. The myths and legends she had learned about came to the forefront of her mind. Spikes created from a viscous red and black liquid punctured through adamantium like it was cheap metal, impaling the contractors behind them and raising them high into the air. Dozens of attacks tried to cut away at the tsunami of magical liquid, but it regenerated endlessly. Faster than any of them could attack, their magic attacks did nothing to stop the onslaught. Screams and shouts of panic erupted from the invading army. Some of them took to the sky, trying to avoid the attack's range.
"Urk!"
Irene watched as Delont got impaled, activating his berserker skills and managing to destroy the tendril that pierced his adamantium chest plate. His body was turning red all over, a consequence of being near-death and being boosted by the Demigorgon's powers.
Before he could even land on the floor, five smaller spikes jutted out and pierced him in the arms, legs, and torso. It restrained him completely, and Irene could feel her body move to support the rest of their comrades. Moon Light Storm managed to push back against the blood waves for a split second, but something came from the ocean of red. The vampire she had seen was in full display, wearing armor composed of the same dark-red liquid, only now it adhered to a physical form. His sclera was completely black, eyeing the berserker vampire being crucified with contempt and derision. The visage of an executioner standing over their heads was burned into Irene's eyes.
Before she could do anything, she was encompassed by darkness. She returned to real life, turning to see that mere seconds had passed. Her body shook, but she managed to get a hold of herself despite the sudden shift in surroundings. Polybius watched her carefully.
YOU UNDERSTAND, YES? BUT THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. EXPENDING ALL OUR FORCES WOULD LEAVE THIS BASE VULNERABLE.
"Vulnerable? But you're here! What could threaten you?"
DO NOT OVERESTIMATE MY CAPABILITIES. LIKE MY MENTOR ONCE SAID, OVERCONFIDENCE LEADS TO WEAKNESS. THE EXECUTIVES ON STANDBY ARE THE BARE MINIMUM REQUIRED TO FEND OFF A TRANSCENDENT. IF THEY ALL MOVED AT ONCE, CONCEALING OUR LOCATION FROM UNDESIRABLE PARTIES WOULD BE...DIFFICULT.
Transcendents. The pinnacle of power. Absolute. Like the Archmage of Elway or the Monolith Mind. They weren't opponents, they were a phenomenon that you tried to survive or avoid completely. Irene had a feeling both Polybius and their leader had reached that level. She didn't know what could make them exercise so much caution. Dracule Rose was a transcendent. But she knew that even if the Gilded Lord were to attack their headquarters, his victory wouldn't be guaranteed. Even she didn't know what was hidden in the depths of their headquarters, she was certain they wouldn't fall even if Dracule discovered their base.
I CAN SENSE YOUR DOUBT.
Irene stammered out a response. "It's not like I don't trust your words, milord. B-but I just find it difficult to believe a threat of such proportion could exist."
IT IS INEXPERIENCE. CHILD, I HOPE YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO SEE SUCH A THING. LET ME SHOW YOU A GLIMPSE OF WHAT WOULD OCCUR IN THE WORST SITUATION.
The familiar feeling of being transported elsewhere encroached upon her senses, but Irene was prepared for it this time. But unlike the previous vision, her surroundings didn't change at all. The blonde elf turned to look at Polybius and the wrought iron gate. An invisible wave of power could be sensed from high above, bringing the light mage to her knees.
At first, it was a groaning noise. This was followed by a gradual tremble that increased in magnitude as the seconds progressed. She was no stranger to turbulent weather, but their base was created with enough protections to withstand the anomalous effects of the weather aboveground.
'We're thousands of meters underground! What the hell is this?!'
A translucent shield appeared to protect both of them from falling debris. Irene sprung to action, but Polybius approached the gate and placed himself in front of it, trying to shield their leader from the threat above and placing themself between it.
The entirety of their base was uprooted, broken apart into chunks, and floating upwards as though they were being sucked through a vacuum. Irene could see the surface and the sky, watching in disbelief as everybody from above her couldn't resist the gravitational pull. A massive void that eclipsed the sun was swallowing everything whole. Ego Beasts, children, soldiers, and mundane objects alike. It spared nobody except the floor she was on, and she assumed it was due to Polybius' and their leader's interference.
Irene couldn't comprehend the vast amount of power that made her leader look human in comparison. If they possessed power as vast as the ocean, what she was feeling from above was like a galaxy. It couldn't be quantified, couldn't even be put into words.
Colossal?
Gargantuan?
Cataclysmic?
None could describe the feeling before her. It didn't make her give into despair. There wasn't fear. Who felt fear when staring at the stars in the sky? The endless void that existed outside of their world? Irene felt disconnected from the world as she tried to understand the sheer scale of the mana involved in uprooting a portion of the continent. It was a power that could destroy the world.
But as she stared into the darkness, it also began to stare back.
That was when her mind began to unravel. Irene could feel the entity's attention, marginal as it was, recognizing her form and acknowledging her existence. She knew that it held nothing but doom for her. Before what remained of her sanity faded away, she could hear a thrum coming from the void. It had finished consuming their world, and the silent scream of space came together and synchronized into an eldritch, otherworldy, voice.
F̸̝̘͓͕͎̯͍͂́̀̽̍̅͌̈͊͆͊͋̊̾͒ͅO̶̧̡͇͕̞̩̘͉͉͔̻͔̾̉̕͜ͅͅŲ̶̛̞͓̝̭̤͎̞̹̱͉̩̩̏̇̇̍̃͜͜Ń̶̡̛̺̼͙̘̻̩͇̝̘̥͇̀̓̊̾͑̑͂̐͊̽̆͆͝D̸̩̱̙́̓̓͒̑̐̈́̒̎̕ ̵̱̺̪͎̭̙͔̟̘͚̙̼̒͑͑͂̈́̏̈̅́̽̾͘͘Y̷̳̮͍̻̳̭͐̀̒̍̏̐͑̈́́̔͑͝O̷̡̘̭͕̖̪̤͓̠̫̻̩̬̞̐̇̅̌̎͗̑̇͘ͅỪ̸̖̮͈̲̭̹̞̲͈̱͚̩̜̓̊͆̀̆͐̂̈́̑̅͘͘͜͠ͅ.̶̛̱̳̝̻̰̼̤̌̿̀
She snapped back into place. The world had returned to normal, but Irene's knees had given out and she trembled upon seeing that accursed vision. How could someone calm down after seeing that horrible fate? It made her feel small, like an ant against a relentless tornado. All her accomplishments, tribulations, and skills meant nothing in the face of absolute power.
I APOLOGIZE. THAT MUST'VE PLACED A STRAIN ON YOUR MIND. I WANTED TO SHOW YOU THE THREATS WE ARE FACING AGAINST. AN INEVITABLE OBSTACLE IN OUR QUEST TO SAVE THE WORLD. WHETHER IT IS TODAY OR IN MILLENNIA, WE WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE TO STAND AGAINST THAT AS WELL.
"We'll have to face it? Leader, what can I do against such a thing? What can we do?"
Was it possible to retain hope in the face of an impossible threat? Nothing could compare to the infinite despair she had experienced. She knew that even with every resource at her disposal, centuries-no, millennia to prepare, all would be for naught. Polybius bristled at her question, considering it a question of their leader's abilities.
VICTORY IS NOT DEFINED BY POWER. THAT IS WHY WE HAVE BEEN BIDING OUR TIME FOR CENTURIES. ACCUMULATING EXPERIENCE, ALLIES, ABILITIES. A GUARANTEED VICTORY IN WELTON WOULD'VE POTENTIALLY BROUGHT DESTRUCTION UPON US. I WOULD RATHER LOSE THE BATTLE BUT WIN THE WAR. SACRIFICES ARE NECESSARY. THEIR DEATHS ARE NOT FOR NAUGHT, WE WILL MOVE ACCORDINGLY.
Irene couldn't bring herself to question her leader any longer. She couldn't fully grasp why they had to die if the operation didn't matter that much in the long run. But seeing the opponent they would be eventually facing off against, Irene decided it was best to simply put her head down and follow orders.
"...I understand. Thank you for your time, leader." Irene bowed deeply. It was the least she could do. She placed her trust in their group's leader, but her thoughts were halted by their response.
I HOPE THIS DOESN'T REPEL YOU. DO NOT MISTAKE ME AS THE GIVER OF TRUTH. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS. QUESTION YOUR ACTIONS. YOUR COMMANDS. I AM HERE TO GUIDE YOU ALL, MAYBE EVEN TO ARRIVE AT THE SAME TRUTH I ONCE DID. BUT YOU MUST FIND IT FOR YOURSELF. DO NOT BELIEVE ME BLINDLY. THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THE MEANING BEHIND ALL I HAVE DONE.
Deep in her core, she felt her confidence in their leader grow. The way they encouraged her to reach her own conclusions, unafraid of betrayal or opposition, made Irene develop a newfound respect for their leader. Always shrouded in mystery, they were raised into obedient soldiers without a clue of who lay behind the wrought iron gate putting their lives on the line. Questioning their superiors meant landing themselves a stint in the interrogation resistance classes. Although they managed to retain their will, any thoughts of escaping or defecting from the organization had been beaten out of them from the very beginning.
But hearing and interacting with their leader, she couldn't help but believe in the powerful entity. The brutal training used to instill obedience was meant to find those with exceptional spirit, those who refuse to give in despite harsh circumstances. And among those chosen few, she was a person who gained enlightenment. They all knew their purpose, but Irene truly realized the scale at which the group was moving. The built-up resentment towards being sent to die in Welton simmered down until there was almost nothing left. It was replaced with a distinct motivation to survive. To avoid her comrade's sacrifice being in vain. Delont's face appeared in her thoughts, emboldening her once again.
Turning to leave and giving Polybius an acknowledging nod, her mind turned inwards. Much like its leader, the organization had no real name; multiple aliases and pseudonyms existed for the sole purpose of providing cover for them to work with. But throughout them all, Irene recalled the most familiar and widespread alias they went under.
'Under them, the Omen will never fail. I will make sure of it. We will save the world, even if it means plunging it into darkness.'