Racing Against Rivals And Time

Hundreds of millions of kilometers from the coalition's side where they entered the Interconnecting Rupture Dimension. At nighttime.

Whoosh, pfshuuushhh- wooong, wooong, wooooooong~! Swish! Swish! Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!! Step, step...!!

"Ah! Here we are!" From the open air, where a dull-violet blob floated in the air, a few tens of meters in diameter and constantly spitting cultivators from the world outside the Dimension, a short figure came out, accompanied by another 2. His voice sounded, exposing his male sex and youthfulness. The other 2 were young women, tall and eye-catching on their own accord. A person waiting for them stepped closer and greeted them. "Welcome, young master and his ladies. Over here, please. We've assessed the situation."

“Huh? What’s the situation, then?” The short young man said, grabbing the young women’s waists and walking to where the person guided them. The young women didn’t seem to be his hookers, but they allowed him to treat them like that and followed in his footsteps. They arrived at a darker place where light barely illuminated them. Of course, this wasn’t important for cultivators.

Arriving at the desired location, the person stopped and nodded towards the young man. The young women’s heads looked around them, but the person could feel their Spirit Sense attached to them. “There has been a complication. The Crimsonbreaking Faction’s soldier units have formed a coalition, led by them, the Interchanging Dust Dynasty-”

“Bah! The Crimsons are scary, but what can a generational Dynasty do to face my Pavilion’s joint force? Nothing!” The young man interrupted the person talking, who looked troubled and awkward to continue even after the ‘young master’ paused to let him continue. “Ah? What is it? You forgot to whom you’re speaking? You’re in front of your Pavilion Head, speak!”

“Ah, ah… yes!” The person nodded and continued. His voice became slightly trembling. “It is also led by the Obscure Orb and Phosphorescent Flower Sects. Their soldier units reunited slightly before the first month arrived. They must’ve built a base, but our methods should have worked. We haven’t received any attacks, and our plans are still ongoing.”

The person continued speaking while facing the ground. He didn’t dare look up, let alone use his Spirit Sense to watch the young man’s reaction when these 2 killing machines were beside the latter. Thus, he didn’t see the young master’s expression falling and turning uglier with every word after he mentioned those 2 top organizations in the entire Existence.

“What are they doing here?!” The short young man shouted, asking at the air as if he knew the answer. The person remained silent, and when the young women looked at the young master, the latter shook his head and instructed the former. “Then keep working! We’re moving in a month. That’s when all our soldier units will be here. Don’t fail me again.”

The young women’s eyes flashed with killing intent as they returned to the person, who trembled intensely for a couple seconds until the young master left with those vipers at his sides. He even had the impression their eyes flashed red for an instant, causing him to feel more terrified.

“Yes, young master. I will get to work immediately! A… a few maids will show you the way to your City, please, over here…” The person said after stuttering and hesitating. Finally, he spoke his part and called a few females, each from different Races, many more outside the mainstream ones, who took the young master’s arms and leaned on him while the young women to his sides stayed a few paces away.

The blob of dull-violet energy kept vomiting cultivators at great speed, forcing them to use Neutral Energy to stop their fall and save themselves from harm. For 3 months, this place has been ‘popping’ with cultivators that didn’t belong to the Interchanging Dust Dynasty’s side. They immediately moved towards the same place, with some protected by others, but their numbers were soon finishing up, and they would only need a few weeks more to complete their troops’ mobilization.

***

The next day, at the coalition’s base. Central section.

“Listen up, now!” Riquel stood on a short platform, with tower-buddy Yun Tang at the side, standing with his crossed arms. The officers in charge of their organizations’ soldier units grouped and surrounded the platform. Meanwhile, Riquel nodded at himself, satisfied with the people attending, and commenced.

“The time has come! Our people have figured where the enemy is hiding and what they’ve been doing. However, before I talk about that, let me tell you we’ve found the Motherblood Expiritus whereabouts!” Riquel’s words pumped blood into the officers’ bodies. Beto was among the crowd, but Heian Ciemnosc was nowhere to be seen. Riquel continued after receiving everyone’s ample attention.

“It is nearly 70 million kilometers away from our position. The Interchanging Dust Dynasty did its best to send us close to it. This is as close as we could get! I’ll send the information later, don’t spread it, and keep it to yourselves. We’ll move after arranging the concealment beacon. Slowly and steadily. There’s no rush.” Riquel went, easing these itchy warriors’ hearts a little before continuing, “We’ll have to leave a few with us behind so they can protect the First Step fellas. The rest will come with the main force. And if necessary, we’ll send a detachment to protect our people, but our objective is to advance forwards.”

“The Motherblood Expiritus will bloom and become ripe in another 9 months, give or take!” Riquel began spilling the juicy stuff. His eyes looked more determined as he continued, “But we didn’t come here just to grab stalks, pick some stones, and handle a natural treasure alone, did we?”

“No!” - “Fuck that!” - “We all agree on helping our common ally, but there’s no way we’re coming and leaving without shedding their blood!!” - “Hurrah!” - “They came to rob the wrong backyard. Let’s show them!” - “AAAARRGH!”

“Good, you know what to want.” Riquel nodded at them, proud to lead such fine warriors. All were comparable to a peak Fourth Step organization like his Obscure Orb Sect. He looked at a particular tent fleetingly before resuming his speech. “We will move aimlessly and attract the flies whose mosquitoes have been watching us. It’s time they understand what kind of enemies they’ve brought to themselves. What it means to defy an Overlord organization!!”

“YEAH!” - “Give them their deserved star on their forehead…” - “Woah, easy there. That’s too brutal!” - “I know, right?” - “...” - “...Cute~.” - “Shh! One of our coalition leaders is still speaking!” - “Call me…”

“We’ll march tomorrow. Get everything ready for tonight, and meditate… You’ll see nothing but the brutality of war… again!” - “Again!!” After Riquel spoke, the crowd of officers shouted in response. They made the earth around them quake a little, but although this was a Dimension with flora and fauna limited before the Third Step, they had little natural rule over it. It was closer to what their actions would result like in an Upper Kingdom or higher.

… A few tents away from the bustling center of the base, in a medium-sized tent, where an elite Team from the Crimsonbreaking Faction resided with other Teams from other organizations, but none from one of the coalition leaders. Heian Ciemnosc rested with his hands behind his head as he faced the ceiling. To his side, Cara, Sandra, Ruo Wei, Moy, and Clanton looked at him while Loma was in her bedroom section, making strange noises.

“Woah, do you see that?” Sandra said, fascinated as she poked Heian Ciemnosc’s right side. His bones squirmed a little, especially his ribcage. Moy silently put her hands away by grabbing her wrists, brought them to his bulky abdomen, and poked himself while saying, “It’s like something’s changing. Right?”

“Yup,” Ruo Wei said, sneaking glances outside the tent after the bustling subsided, and saw Beto coming towards the tent. She placed her palms on Heian Ciemnosc’s forehead and felt a mostly cold temperature, no longer that strange warmth through the ultimate coldness. She stepped back and went out of the tent to receive her man while Cara poked his groin.

“Cara!” Clanton shouted, crossing his arms and looking admonishingly at her. Cara stuck her tongue out and shut her eyes before saying, “What? I had to! What if he grew bones there? It would be like mating with a Bovicla… and I know a lot about it, ehehehe.”

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“...” The Team was dumbfounded to know Cara had ample knowledge of ‘male’ Boviclas, half-object, half-humanoid from the Myriad Races. Clanton gave up and walked to his bedroom section to call his girlfriends. He missed them after not wanting to bring them here. Loma was different since her man was in the Second Step. The other 2 coupes in the Team were that: from the same Team. Meanwhile, Cara went bold and, as her face blushed, put her hand inside Heian Ciemnosc’s pants…

“... Cara,” Beto called out to her horny Team member. Cara stood back up with her right hand, letting go of an anaconda inside Heian Ciemnosc’s pants. She stood in attention and didn’t dare face Beto. Beto walked forth, saying, “You know he only lets you because he has become used to you. Don’t take advantage. Besides, how many suitors do you have back in the Kingdom? You think doing those things is fair to them?”

“You say it as if they were her harem when none of them know they’re sharing her with others.” Ruo Wei chipped in, making the atmosphere slightly cold as Cara pouted sadly. Beto was speechless but was their team leader for more than 3 decades. He palmed Cara’s left shoulder with his right hand and comforted her, “Heian Ciemnosc also has those needs. Don’t be stupid like this again… Now go, I’ll take guard until we leave.”

“Thank you, team leader…” Cara said, pouting and smelling her philtrum before leaning back and facing Ruo Wei with her back arching backwards. “Wei Wei, wanna come chat with me? I’ve got many shit to gossip about with you. Hm?”

“... Alright.” Ruo Wei rolled her eyes before agreeing. Ruo Wei wasn’t begrudging. Yet, she also did not want to know this girl’s gossip. However, she also wasn’t going to refuse some bonding. They were teammates at the end of the day.

“Hehe!” Cara hopped up and down before grabbing Ruo Wei’s arm and pulling her towards their tent. If Beto didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought her woman was being stolen right in front of his eyes. At this moment, out of nowhere, Loma and her man exited the tent. Loma’s hair was disordered, and her man was exhausted, still sweating slightly.

“Boss, I heard something about moving out? Are we finally setting off?” Loma asked Beto while ignoring Heian Ciemnosc and his rummaged shorts, outlining a figure the Team only knew after Heian Ciemnosc joined the showers once he was no longer an outcast to them. Beto rolled his eyes and placed the side of his right-handed finger against his forehead as his thumb pressed hard on his skin. “Yes, I’ll send more information after I’m done checking on blackie.”

“Hehe. I won’t tell Heian Ciemnosc you called him that while he was unconscious if you don’t berate me now,” Loma said, shamelessly blackmailing Beto with Ruo Wei at the side. Beto rolled his eyes again and nodded. Loma smiled and sheepishly brought her cute fella out of the tent.

“Sigh…” Beto felt relieved once the others left, with Moy and Sandra escaping the awkwardness when nobody watched. Beto sat on a stool beside Heian Ciemnosc’s stretcher. Ruo Wei walked towards him and sat on his right leg, comforting him, “It’s okay. One day, they’ll grow up and lead their own Frigates away from us. We’ll spend all our time dedicated to ourselves… and our children. Don’t worry.”

“Ta-haha,” Beto couldn’t help feeling sadder as he was treated like a traditional wife in distress. He looked at Heian Ciemnosc and told Ruo Wei, “Prepare my bed. I’d like to at least sleep for an hour… Or hold you before we move.”

“Mn. It must be because of his strange innate Art, don’t worry.” Ruo Wei stood up from his thigh and said. Beto nodded and palmed that bum, gaining the eyes that always ignite the worst in him before Ruo Wei suddenly turned around and seductively walked into their tent. Beto thought as he mourned, ‘Why does she have to act like that when only I see her? Ugh. Too much temptation…’

“Huh?” Beto felt a strange coldness from his left, below his chin. He lowered his sight and looked at Heian Ciemnosc, only to find his Team member with his darkest eyes open, looking at him with an unwritten expression that indicated Heian Ciemnosc could read his thoughts. “AAH!”

Heian Ciemnosc smiled from ear to ear after making Beto jump into the air like a jaguar shitting itself. He sat up and looked at Beto, who seemed to want to skin him alive. While Beto tranquilized himself, Heian Ciemnosc silently pondered over his situation. ‘I felt too warm out of nowhere and fell unconscious? Hmmm… My [All-Devouring Force Chronicles] definitely has the chance to evolve again. My bodily strength should gain another level, too. But why can’t I just breakthrough?’

‘What do I need? What am I lacking? Hmm…’ Heian Ciemnosc looked up at the ceiling, reminiscing about the sensations he went through at the last moment before losing consciousness. The notions he read with his nature reading and all that before Beto looked at him and was ready to receive a sermon from the team leader.

. . .

The next day.

On a wide road made by a few machines recently forged to make a little road, with Fighters slowly escorting the immensely long line of soldier units moving forwards. This was the coalition army, which was not every guest organization the Interchanging Dust Dynasty had sent into the Dimension but was the majority. The line was formed with 4 separate military columns, one after the other, and the first was led by the Obscure Orb Sect. The second was led by the Interchanging Dust Dynasty.

The third was led by the Phosphorescent Flower Sect, and the last one by the Crimsonbreaking Faction. But these columns weren’t just these organizations’ soldier units. The other organizations that joined the coalition to further improve their relationship with the Dynasty and these other Overlord organizations, and the renowned Crimsonbreaking Faction, accompanied them. Thus, dozens and dozens of millions of soldier units marched in each column.

The Fighters flying around them were much less, but this wasn’t a downside, as the Dimension only allowed Fighters to coexist with its laws, reality, and nature. On the other hand, a Frigate would burn to cinders, and attacks from the outside would be the same as trying to throw paper balls at the ocean.

Either way, the military columns were formidable and were more terrible to face off than one could imagine. Each column had a concealment beacon, which was just a massive pillar with an installed device and technology at the top, surrounded by concealment array formations that were enhanced to cover the line’s soldier units even in movement. They could be seen with the naked eye, but only if they were close enough to be intercepted by the Fighters in the sky, hiding from the ground.

They had started moving just early in the morning, and it was now late afternoon, but the army had advanced 200,000 kilometers already. Meanwhile, a platform was built at the rear, where the Crimsonbreaking Faction’s column pulled the mobile base of operations and other similar structures. Some Second Step auxiliary units were working on constructing the platform’s center, as only both sides’ extremities were finished.

It wouldn’t take long, perhaps 2 months to complete as they moved. It was meant to let the army hop in, with hundreds of motors set in the right places to impulse their troops forth faster and altogether. Using energy to increase their pace was courting death, especially as the readings from the Dynasty’s device started showing nearby, suspicious enemy scouting groups with possibly mighty Second Step cultivators.

Once the platform was done, and all 4 columns could travel in the same formation between the base of operations and similar structures with defenses already set within and atop them and the Fighters in the sky. They could readily move around the Interconnecting Rupture Dimension however they wanted. It wasn’t fancy, but it was worthwhile. And besides Heian Ciemnosc being some of the brains behind it, the Overlord organizations and the Crimsonbreaking Faction’s Craftspeople made many steps of this workpiece possible in the least amount of time without losing efficiency and functionality.

About Heian Ciemnosc, he was in the middle right extreme wing of the Crimsonbreaking Faction’s military column. His Team walked with him, but Beto wasn’t a simple team leader. He was one of the officers leading the Crimsonbreaking Faction’s army, at least part of it. Other organizations had between a million or so soldier units. It was easy for only 1 qualified person to control them, but it wasn’t the same for Beto.

Fortunately, the Crimsonbreaking Faction wasn’t as advanced as the Dynasty, as the latter had one of the most soldier units among all organizations. They were unfortunately too efficient and progressed from the First Step to the Third in bigger numbers than the Crimsonbreaking Faction. Thus, if the Dynasty wanted to keep their numbers sharp and stable as their foundation, they could only send a million soldier units at most.

No person sent to such a critical operation was mediocre. All they could depend on, besides their weapons and armor, was the enemy they could find below their cultivation base or injured to win the fight with at least some ease. The Dynasty’s device was still reading through the enemy’s influx of cultivators into the Dimension, so a number couldn’t be estimated other than calculating at least 40% fewer soldier units than the coalition.

“... Heian Ciemnosc? I brought him. What did you need again?” Loma walked until she was standing before Heian Ciemnosc with his cute fella, appearing slightly nervous to meet Heian Ciemnosc. Heian Ciemnosc, who kept his forearms supporting the back of his head as he rested with his eyes looking ahead from the lower corners of his eyes, lowered his chin at last to stare at the couple. Without saying anything, he took his Earth grade uniform out of his Covert Space bag and presented it to Loma’s babe.

“Ah! S- senior, I already have my own armor set. There’s no need-” Loma’s partner pushed his hands forth and waved them with ‘nos’ but was interrupted by Heian Ciemnosc, who spoke calmly but slightly indifferently, piercing the man’s throat and keeping him from saying anything else. “I usually don’t converse with Loma much. I don’t dislike her or anything. I thought about you becoming a heavy stone if a critical battle ambushes us. Have this as a second set. I know you have none more.”

“You’re melee-based, right? Just accept it. I don’t use armor other than in space to keep my coat clean. This will let you protect yourself for longer and make me feel Loma will be safer without having to run to you to protect you as soon as the battle unfolds. Just do it,” Heian Ciemnosc finished his words and narrowed his darkest eyes, still looking at the fella.

“A- ah! Yes, thank you, senior apprentice-brother.” Loma’s boyfriend felt Loma’s eyes grow content and then directed him to take the Earth armor set. He nodded and said a few words to Heian Ciemnosc before Loma showered Heian Ciemnosc with a grateful smile before bringing her man away. Heian Ciemnosc was left behind to enjoy the peacefulness of the world. He thought before narrowing his eyes to rest his head, leaning backwards again.

‘So timid. But a crazy tigress in both— battle and bed. One of those, huh? Phew~.’ Heian Ciemnosc drifted to tranquility as Sara, inside his mind, silently grinned, seeing her ‘champion’ grow.

…