First Expansion
What the Vrida Region was more astounded to see ever since the Forbloffende Traes Sect sent its disciples out in missions was their strange yet rumored black monster's strategy of using cultivators and civilians for everything. With the Servants traveling with the Outer Disciples, be it those who wanted to become citizens or not, their interactions with the settlements' people made their engagement smoother. The more missions the Sect's disciples took and brought their Servants along, the more they gained favorability to the zones they traveled to.
This was even before the Forbloffende Traes Sect’s missions were complete. Afterwards, the favor and likeness the civilians felt towards them and the Sect only increased more. While this was a source of panic for the hegemonic organizations in their territories, with the previous words from Sect Master Darkness, nothing was prepared against the Sect’s disciples.
The Vrida Region continued living peaceful times. That didn’t change even as the tension with the new, ‘rogue’ organization at the center made its way to the top without anyone’s help. Years passed, and through the times spent in peaceful cultivation and improvement, the Forbloffende Traes Sect became a full-fledged First Step organization.
3 more years passed.
The Forbloffende Traes Sect’s current numbers amounted to 448,209 in total. 10,220 Outer Disciples were recruited, with 6,203 Servants becoming Outer Disciples in these 4 years, for a total of 40,869 Outer Disciples in the Sect. 413,543 Servants were recruited, with those 6 thousand deducted, only 407,540 remained in the Sect.
There were no changes to the Inner Disciples, although Todoro had already broken into the Ashes Soul realm, but he couldn’t even become a higher-up even if he wanted to. He needed to at least achieve the peak Craftsmaking of the First Step, but he had it difficult. On the other hand, Pretieta would soon become the first Core Disciple as she neared the Obsidiafying realm.
Either way, Todoro worked with Pretieta to become well-versed in another profession, while Pretieta only needed to break into the Obsidiafying realm to become eligible as a Core Disciple. Meanwhile, a few thousand Outer Disciples were in the verge of becoming Inner Disciples.
The Sect’s progress invited jealousy, but its members weren’t shy. When they went to the forests, Outer Disciples in the Spirit Gathering realm scared off most other organization’s gray clothed. They hadn’t seen the Inner Disciples, as they are always sent to the south, but they’ve heard of the fearsome man-beast and the calculative leading figure beauty.
Furthermore, many of those Outer Disciples at the Spirit Gathering realm were at the peak, just waiting for a chance to breakthrough, but many didn’t dare to before achieving understanding of their Craftsmaking profession.
But as these years passed, the situation in the south made the other territories somewhat frantic. They didn’t send anything down south because they discovered far too few Stone ores. If they sent some of their forces to secure their routes, it would surely become the beginning of a war among organizations before the territories became readied and centralized.
Everyone wanted to be the leading organization or the only one from their territory to vie for the hegemony in the Vrida Region. Whoever remained victorious could start the phase to the Second Step organization, taking that first step as the guiding hand. That would put anyone in the mantle of leading a Region, or ruling it as a generational organization.
However, now that the Forbloffende Traes Sect became active in the south. Years passed. The 20 missions per direction they used to receive increased to several dozen, and with the southeast, south, and southwest missions for the Sect increasing to hundreds per week. The territories suddenly wondered if there were many Stone ores to mine down south.
It was erratic thinking, made no sense, and would only target the Sect, but they were used to acting like this and receiving benefits in the end.
While that was the territories’ mindset, they couldn’t be more certain. Although they couldn’t decipher if there were new ores formed there during the past 2 centuries since they sent scouts to check, Heian Ciemnosc had long discovered many such Powerful Stone ores everywhere in the south.
They were 20 kilometers lower than even the other mines’ lowest floors, eluding any First Step and Second Step detecting device, but not the Dark God’s Godly Spirit Sense. There were a few hundred of such ores, but if Heian Ciemnosc sent people to mine just 1 of them, his Sect would be peppered with energy and projectiles of all kinds.
However, it was becoming necessary. Without a Powerful Stone mine, in under 10 years, with the Sect’s growth, the Sect would go bankrupt. With this pressing manner, all the Outer Disciples were constantly sent out, trying to make as much silver coin as possible, as that was their easiest way to make money and exchange for goods within and outside the Sect. The Stones were like the Sect’s holy item, only used for cultivation and restoring one’s injuries.
The Forbloffende Traes Sect didn’t suffer much, but they still suffered some injuries every now and then. With the Sect’s teachings, not even a moribund civilian would be left to die. Not many outsiders witnessed such events, but those who did felt their eyes and minds opening.
… Currently, as the year had just begun, and it was a day after Heian Ciemnosc gave his lecture. It was the 606th year of the Change, and the Sect had just accepted thousands of missions from the south, as usual in every new year’s first month. Todoro set out with a group of Outer Disciples. This time, his mission was one of confrontation and couldn’t risk losing Servants.
They arrived at a large village, whose people were used to seeing the black clothed disciples walking back and forth and even visiting their village. The villagers weren’t too aware that even Servants were taught how to move in the field and what routes to choose, and why. And so on.
“…” Todoro walked into the village, which seemed a little down, unlike before. Although some kids were playing around, the young beauties weren’t shyly looking at the handsome fellas and cute gals coming to their village, trying to fish one out of the Sect. Some of them even had hints of suffering some sort of abuse.
As Todoro walked to the village, he was met by the village head. A young civilian female Human in her 40s, wearing a frown, which relaxed as she walked to Todoro. The other disciples went on their way to sight see the village. Everyone in the Sect knows about the disciples’ missions and their findings, encouraging the Servants to work harder and share the same experiences.
At the beginning, the Servants weren’t too keen to study Craftsmaking, but as the years passed and many failed to find another way to become an Outer Disciple, the knowledge fever began just last year’s 12th month.
“It’s the First Disciple. I’m honored to welcome you,” the beauty said. She was still 1 or 2 times her age’s worth of time before looking like a middle-aged person. “The bandits this time are probably from another settlement. They’re using citizens, too, as we’ve heard before. They have some guns and knives which they’ve used to… assault us in the past few weeks.”
“Other settlement?” Todoro immediately frowned. The village head nodded and elaborated, “That’s right. It is possible they’re hidden and supported by another village 25 kilometers from here. We’ve heard and seen enough evidence to prove it. Would you like to…”
“Supported by them? That’s…” Todoro immediately exclaimed. But he stopped and relaxed his expression, staring at the village head. She lightly frowned and asked, “Is there something wrong, First Disciple?”
After looking at the preoccupied, beautiful countenance of the village head, Todoro softened and sighed. “Ai… It’s just that… there are set rules in case the Sect owns territory, and that territory has settlements. But the Sect isn’t extending their hands. I’m sorry, I worried too much.”
“Really? That is… it wouldn’t be bad if the Forbloffende Traes Sect wishes to, heh, ‘rear’ us. It’s been a few years, but your presence in our south is cherished.” The village head said, treating him like her son. Todoro softened even more as he shook his head. “I’m sorry, miss. I’m just an Inner Disciple. The chain of command is solid in the Sect. Only the Sect Master can decide those matters.”
“But…” The burden-heavy village head looked at Todoro and suddenly felt embarrassed. “Does your Sect Master… likes beauty? If so, there are many who… dream about becoming his concubines. Don’t put that face. Although we’ve only heard of him, the south’s children have spoken of him a lot.”
Todoro was helpless. He could only ruefully smile. Although he had seen some proud gals walk into the Sect Master’s central cottage, only a few returned with a pale countenance and walked wobbly outside it a few days later. The others either had an enlightened expression or had a glint of resolved determination in their eyes.
“It’s not about that. Sect Master’s plans are his. The Sect is still in development, and we are too weak to simply decide anything. Please wait. Who knows, maybe we’ll come back here with a nature’s contract in a week. Hehehe,” Todoro laughed like a child.
“Sigh, well…” The village head was disappointed. She sighed before turning around to walk on a pathway. Todoro accompanied her, listening to her reports.
After gaining some insight into the Sect's methodology, it was not a secret that certain settlements adopted their methods. A few even tried to build their own citizen militia to hunt near Fauna zones, where they could gather flora and sell to cultivators or proxy citizens from the organizations who often traveled the northern borders of the south.
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After a few hours in the village, spending a warm afternoon with the villagers, erasing the gloominess from their hearts, the Disciples set off at night. As this happened, the villagers saw their backs leave until the darkness of the night covered them fully.
It wasn’t just this settlement or these villages who react like this when their local heroes depart during the night to accomplish their missions. It formed a strange notion… They are seen during the day, but they depart at night. Then, they return with grace.
A few days later, Todoro returned with all his temporary Team’s members with him. They spent another morning and afternoon with the corpses of their stalkers impaled on spikes towards the village’s west, where that settlement hid and supported these bandits. Then, in the evening, they departed after making a few young beauties laugh and blush.
Todoro was on his way to the Sect at the night of the 1st month, 2nd week, 1st day’s early morning. He had a tranquil trip back to the Sect, but in the western forest’s easternmost areas, a commotion rang out from nowhere.
***
In the Forbloffende Traes Sect. Central cottage, Heian Ciemnosc’s bedroom.
Rustle… “Mmnf…” Heian Ciemnosc looked at the young girl beside him, enjoying is fresh, cold blanket while hugging his left thigh and smelling all his scents. If it wasn’t for Sara, he would’ve let these girls get some self-respect with a little berating to put them in their place. That berating consisted of a few words and a cold glance.
However, her intervention had the first few gals coming here for extra benefits to wallow with him. Sara had lost to Alyona’s teachings, even thought they barely contacted each other in their lives. Nevertheless, as naughty Sara had a lot of energy to play with herself while he illicitly used some Servants and Disciples bodies, the pleasure Heian Ciemnosc experienced was simply a great comfort for not having his wives around.
Besides, as more months passed like this, with a chick coming to get her soreness for the rest of the next month, the lectures elongated a few minutes more and more. On the other hand, they received great bonuses from his dual cultivation method, making this not just an adventure with his Sect people.
“Sigh… He took too long, in the end.” Heian Ciemnosc sighed as he caressed the young girl’s shoulder. Her little breasts traced his overly pale skin before she woke up. Looking at his stare, she smiled and kissed him wantonly with her arms around his neck before also giving his glans a few quick pecks before dressing up and running away.
She knew there won’t be another chance, unless she either became promoted or distinguished in the years’ 12th months. Such was the cruelty of their Sect Master, known to only bad girls turning good.
“Yeah, let’s go. I want to see my husband in action. This time, not with just a poor, innocent girl who you definitely seduced by never appearing in public.” Sara teased, jumping up and down in his inner universe as Heian Ciemnosc shook his head and stood up. Dark Energy coiled around him as his body was covered in his dark, ultimately cold clothing.
Flop!
Heian Ciemnosc’s dark tail peeked out of his clothes, seamless. Then, its tip lightly slapped the air. It was only 1 meter long, but Heian Ciemnosc’s body left a semi-afterimage after his tail hit the air. Then, his body disappeared…
… Western forest’s easternmost extremity. The once lavish and prosperous town in the western forest, known to the entire Region, and acclaimed as the best pal of every organization, had now become a fiery mess.
Although not everything was a disaster, and the fire wasn’t that much, leaving enough room for future repairs and the townsfolk to evacuate, albeit in panic. The Gori mansion became rubble, with the mansion’s head standing with his servants on the streets to the mansion.
About 2 dozen figures flew in the air, stagnated above the mansion’s flames and rubble. Some were hooded, others stuck their chest out and looked down at the helpless Saon Gori. Rain began falling, but it was too light, helpless to make a change in the town.
“Hurry, we must leave!” - “The Gori Mansion… what happened to them?!” - “My god! How many died? It must have been horrible…” - “The Goris are all done, shit…”
The townsfolk fled the town, not just around the Gori mansion, but everywhere. Meanwhile, Saon Gori looked up at the few dozen figures in the sky, not backing down despite very well knowing who they were.
“Saon, this has to end here.” One of the figures with revealed countenances said, softly swinging his steel rod downwards. A lightning strike flashed behind him in the sky, clearing the streets and Saon and his mansion’s loyal servants with brightness. The others were already gone from town or hidden with the figures’ people in another part of the town.
“Nobody,” Saon Gori quietly spoke. “Nobody intended anything against your territories. Why are you doing this… For no reason? Because you can?”
“Your services should’ve been to us, not a newcomer.” The figure spoke again. More rain droplets fell as another figure chipped in a few seconds later. “We know you’ve brought people to your side for conventions. We want to know the wheres and hows. It’s that simple. Just work for us from now on. You’ve done the job before, just now. We can work together, better.”
Futomp.
“That won’t be necessary,” Heian Ciemnosc’s voice rang before he appeared. Everyone’s faces changed, looking towards the direction where the voice came from. They watched as an overly pale young man suddenly arrived, stopping in the air as if he had always been there.
“Darkness?” One figure squinted their eyes before loudly asking. It wasn’t loud, but amidst the fire, light rain, and chilly winds tens of meters above the ground level, a light murmur echoed everywhere. That was loud.
“Sect Master Darkness for you. As the leader of the newest ‘14 best friends’ club, you are only at the Spirit Rebirth realm 2nd stage. You think you can talk here, among us?” Heian Ciemnosc looked at the figure who called him and flatly replied.
Then, he looked at the rest with a casual expression. Afterwards, he stared at Saon and his servants. They were all new, with those who repeatedly failed his Sect’s testing grounds probably failing the entry for subsequent years nowhere to be seen. “Hmph.”
“Wait for a moment, I’ll deal with these guys first.” Heian Ciemnosc looked at Saon Gori in the eye before calmly saying. Then, he looked at an old man with short, white hair, well-combed to the right. “Can it be known why you’re here, causing trouble in my territory?”
“Cough! Territory? Your territory?” The old man nearly chocked. He looked at his sides before staring straight into Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes. “Esteemed Darkness. You may not know this, but the forest people never cede their territory. What our territories have gained comes from the poorest zones in the forests, which the forest people weren’t interested about. Besides, we’ll be next in line if there’s any available plot of land in the forest.”
“…” Heian Ciemnosc tilted his head to the left, staring in the figures' direction. His subsequent silence permeated the ambiance like a deadly curse. Then, he opened his mouth and calmly asked with a light tone, “Says who?”
“… … …” The figures were silenced, alright. However, before one of them could speak with the hatred of a middle-aged lady outside a mega store’s parking lot, Heian Ciemnosc summoned a large parchment from his Covert Space bags. Dark Energy flashed upside down before him.
“Blood essence contract?” - “What?! The mansion belongs to the Sect Master of the Forbloffende Traes Sect?” - “This… dammit!”
The parchment revealed Saon’s contract with Heian Ciemnosc. Heian Ciemnosc didn’t bother expelling more words into these people’s heads, nor letting them speak more in his presence. However, their eyes still hadn’t given up. If anything, they've become more resolute. They were about to act.
“Since you seem unconvinced still, allow me to convince you well enough.” Heian Ciemnosc said, spreading his arms and tilting his head slightly to the right. Just then, one of the dozen figures spoke out, barking at him. “Darkness, don’t think you’re the only one at the peak!”
“You’re all alone, aren’t you? Your Sect is so small it doesn’t dare keep its forces at the center or to the north. Yet, our territories have dozens of peak First Step cultivators. Maybe you haven’t heard the past’s news, boy. But there used to be-”
“Eh, that’s enough.” Heian Ciemnosc lifted his right index finger to stop the person speaking, which worked. His countenance was calm, as if he was debating the best seasons to buy which type of food and alcohol. Then, he smirked from the left corner of his mouth and flatly said, “Allow me to show you. Don’t be so impatient. Such children behavior.”
Crrrrrgggaaaaaaagh- PAAASSSSHHHH… CRIIIIIIII~!
“!!!” The ground trembled, shaking with incessant vibrations as the mansion’s few square kilometers’ perimeter rose from the dirt. Tones of dirt and boulders cascaded as the rubble, fire, and corpses caught in the earlier destruction were solidified into one giant, gray cocoon.
However, that wasn’t important. What took their breath away was the reason it was happening. A ginormous Monster lifted the ground from beneath, showing its gray, thick armored scales. Its 4 dangerously slanted eyes carried a magma the other figures didn’t dare look at for more than a few seconds, even when they weren’t focusing on them.
The mansion’s perimeter was 3 times larger than the Monster, but the latter continued easily lifting the ground with its underground floors and sections, not trembling for an instant. The dozen figures watched before they realized what it was and its strength.
“A Dormant Magma Shark Monster?” - “Im…possible!” - “And it’s at the Second Step…” - “Wait! What’s that?”
Swoooooooooosh…
Just as everyone was startled with Alejandro’s appearance, the reformed but still naughty little bastard showed himself. A Peaksky Swan’s wings extended a few kilometers into the sky. Its snow white beauty wasn’t burdened by the night or the rain. On the contrary, it seemed more powerful in the dark.
“It’s the Peaksky Swan!” - “It’s no longer at the peak of the First Step…” - “Then, it’s indeed a Peaksky Swan…”
The few dozen figures alarmingly reacted for a minute, watching the Dormant Magma Shark bring the mansion southwards. Finally, they remembered why they were here. They looked at Heian Ciemnosc, more apprehensively than ever before, with hidden jealousy and hostility.
Of course, such things weren’t hidden to him. However, he looked at them with a calm such that it made it seem as if they were just bird sighting some rare species. He stared at them, and they stared at him, before looking down at Saon Gori and the helpless young servants covered in Dark Energy.
“The last thing I remember is that… the forest people have no owner. Careful. Even if you want to forcibly take something that’s not yours, nor meant to be taken by hands like yours. It’s not the same as taken something with one’s strength and capability. I wouldn’t hurry…” With those words, Heian Ciemnosc obtusely semi-bowed at them before flapping his dark tail behind him.
Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeew…
“… … …” The dozen figures were left rooted in the air. They watched the semi-afterimages drop from the air and disappear before an unstoppable surged within their bodies, increasing with every passing second. Then, they finally exploded. They executed Arts, blowing everything in the town, being only so careful so as to not accidentally kill civilians in the process.
“AAAAAH!” - “They want us?” - “Goddammit! These motherfuckers won’t ever stop, would they?!” - “Kyaaaaaa! Mama, mamaaaaa!” - “Bring the children away! The fire is consuming them!” - “They… they’re burning a forest area!” - “Keep moving!”
…