The Bellum Empire.

image [https://i.imgur.com/ZrOyMhO.png]

Various territories divided the Empire along its expansive lands. A single mountain range further split the Empire into two halves.

Only two major cities resided in the north; Ranta – an isolated city surrounded by villages; and Highrock – a City that was built into the central mountain range. It was a fortress city meant to house upwards of tens of thousands of soldiers close to the borders of the Diavola Kingdom.

Currently, it served as a mine that dug deep into the mountains in search of adamantium. This was after the fall of their Adamantium Mine, which collapsed after the appearance of a Corrupted they called the Canary.

Stationing tens of thousands of men was expensive for the Empire, but they were a necessity in case the Diavola Kingdom invaded from the north. And yet, beautifully crafted armor and personalized blades of commanding military officers were melted down into steel ingots and molded into pickaxes.

Ten thousand miners slaved away within those mines away from the eyes of the common folk, who lived beyond the mountains in deliberately maintained sanctuary. The threat of war forever loomed over the Empire, but those in charge acted like their fears were irrational.

It was not uncommon to find the tongue or head of those who resisted amongst the piles of ore or at the foot of furnaces.

Unsurprisingly, the northern parts of the Bellum Empire were reserved for heinous experiments, and it became a playground for the most powerful. The Red Baron was said to live in the North, although where exactly was what kept Frost on edge and her nails nearly drawing blood from her palms.

Villages were intentionally left without roads or civil infrastructure to keep them as isolated and in the dark as possible. This meant that they rarely saw travelers or Adventurers, and it was not uncommon for a village to not recognize soldiers of the Empire.

Thus, the villages needed to be self-sufficient to survive. Rarely were some kept alive by the Impuritas and Dukes. Usually this was because, as Gerina put it, they had beautiful skin.

The lands were fertile enough to sustain plentiful harvests for as long as they watered their plants. But this month harbored weather they dreaded. It had longer and colder nights which made the land prone to sudden cold snaps.

It also made it easier for the Impuritas to cover their tracks.

Gerina also mentioned that while they did not recognize Soldiers, they recognized the beings that resembled humanoid Insectids.

She did not know that they were the Maestros of Flesh, only believing them to be a hybrid between the Insectids of Gnawer across the Grand Wetlands and humankind. Indeed, it never occurred to her that it was more than just the Memento Mori that pulled the strings within the Empire.

Frost reasoned that there were more Impuritas Groups stationed there. It was likely that at least the Crimson Hunger were involved for communication, since they had the uncanny ability to act as one massive hivemind. The Fractured Nilhim were a close contender, but Terrent disagreed for two reasons.

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The first was that they were not used for widespread communications since they could corrode the minds of other Impuritas. Fears were constantly transmitted into the minds of another. Due to their tolerance, it was easy to mentally kill an Impuritas who was not as resistant.

This was where the second reason came into play.

They were all dead thanks to Frost. The Memento Mori would have to be on the brink of insanity to even consider allowing a Fractured Nilhim into their minds, less they wished to face the same terror that dismantled them in the first place.

* * *

The edge city of Ravia was the first city of the Bellum Empire, and it sat in a valley between the mountains the Solem Paw once called home, and the mountain that defended the Capital of Frontier from the east.

Their destination was the Adamantium Mine where D-13 hid. Beyond the trees and within the western mountain defending the Capital was where that abandoned mine resided. There was no need to enter Ravia, but Frost and Cer wanted to gather some information of their own before heading into the mines.

Besides, Ravia was a small city and was on their way to begin with.

* * *

Frost tasked them all with two things before parting ways.

Seek information and avoid attention.

Other than that, they were free to do what they did best. As level 200 Exalted it was highly unlikely that they would be recognized since lower leveled Exalted were usually sent on diplomatic missions.

Higher level Exalted carried out other critical duties before eventually falling into obsoletion, much like Weave after she taught the Beholders how to use the White Light Apparatus.

They huddled beneath a lonesome tree where flowers refused to bloom, just at the base of the western mountain. A small Isolation Sphere kept them invisible from unwanted eyes. The object was a pale stake about the size of a small flower, but it produced an Isolation Sphere as large as a hundred meters.

“If things go wrong, then this little device will allow us one last chance to make amends.” A haunting voice like that of an echo spoke.

It belonged to Devoid, and his cosmic hands clung onto his own Isolation Sphere like a beloved pendant. His body fluttered like a flag with the passing breeze.

Only his hands and legs remained stable, as they were in contact with a physical object.

“Inflow Direct were tinkering with such devices.” Abadona noted, his fingers groaning like stressed steel as he tested the strength of the Isolation Sphere. “Impenetrable. It has the same resistance as a Hyperlink Crystal, if not stronger. Impressive of a new Beholder. Weave must have taught her well.”

Frost wanted to say, “That’s my Jury.”, out loud, but she refrained. Although, it was hard for her to stop the corners of her lips from rising.

“Not like this. They were like canisters.” Teardrop said, speaking in a pleasant voice much to Gerina’s shock.

The princess wondered just where that voice was coming from. As if noticing her question, he answered with:

“We’re similar existences to the things you fear, but we have hearts of our own.”

“I-Is that so…?” Gerina gulped. “… So there’s good ones?”

“Good and evil is a precarious thing to judge.” Teardrop placed a gloveless finger against his eye and dragged a thick strand from its slimy membrane. “People have fallen from that tightrope into the pits of disrepair. Winds blow harshly. The rope snaps. People do not have the endurance to continue forth to an imaginary other side.”

“Agreed.” Anpu, the Hora Therapeutic Moon answered. “That applies to us as well. So do not use us as a basis for good and evil. But I assure you, Amalgam – I have no intention to allow myself nor my team to stray from the laws of the Nexus.”

They painted a vivid image for Gerina. Luckily, she was able to comprehend what they meant and nodded. Then, she paused again as if her mind was stuck on something. Frost imagined a loading symbol on her head as her eyes moved onto her, wide with realization.

“… You’re from the Nexus…?”