Birth
In the Forbloffende Traes Sect, the armada and navy had the same ranks and distribution of warships or spaceships. However, nobody thought of the armada, as they didn't even think it would be possible for them. It was a bit of a pipe dream.
Although they were strong, the Vrida Region didn't think they were this powerful. They had been alienated from the rest of the world for too long, and those with Universal Conveyances were very few. They didn't know how to compare themselves and only knew their victory against the 14 organizations was pretty good.
Heian Ciemnosc didn’t bother breaking it to them, that they were many times more amazing than they thought themselves to be, especially because of their innate non-knowledge they had. It allowed them to use more complicated and quirky vehicles and processes, such as strategies and tactics, that the rest of the world would feel weird and strange about.
Either way, to know the ranks of the navy and armada is to know the Sect’s most costly military system. For starters, there were Flotillas, Fleets, Mothership Fleets, and Expedition Fleets, with each having their very own diversity.
A Small Flotilla consists of 3 small Squadron Fighters, 14 Frigates, 7 Destroyers, and 2 Cruisers. A Medium Flotilla consists of 2 small Squadrons, from 1 to 2 medium Squadrons Fighters, 21 Frigates, 12 Destroyers, and 3 Cruisers.
A Large Flotilla consists of 2 small Squadrons, 2 medium Squadrons, and from 2 to 3 large Squadron Fighters. 33 Frigates, 16 Destroyers, 5 Cruisers, and 1 Battleship. Next were the Fleets.
A Small Fleet has 2 Battleships and a Carrier in the middle, 2 Large Flotillas as the vanguard, 2 Medium Flotillas near the center, and 1 Small and 1 Large Flotilla at the rear. Subsequently, a Fleet has 4 Battleships and 2 Carriers in the middle, 4 Large Flotillas as the vanguard, 3 Large Flotillas near the center, and 5 Large Flotillas at the rear.
From then on, it passes on to a Mothership Fleet, only for armadas. In the core of the formation, its flagship, is for whichever Mothership. It is accompanied by 7 Battleships and 3 Carriers. In the vanguard, 10 Large Flotillas, with 13 Large Flotillas around the center, and 8 Large Flotillas at the rear.
Then, returning to the Fleets, a Grand Fleet also has a Flagship, of which can consist between 1 and 3 Motherships at the formation’s core. It is surrounded by 12 Battleships and 6 Carriers. The vanguard is taken by 15 Large Flotillas and 2 extra Battleships, while the center is plagued by another 15 Large Flotillas and 3 extra Battleships. Lastly, its rear consists of 11 Large Flotillas and 3 Carriers.
Considering how enormous the warships were, which were acclaimed smaller than the thought-out spaceships the Sect Master is trying to form blueprints out of, it was no wonder the Sect had a lack of manpower.
Still, things seemed a bit heated at the moment. While nobody in the Vrida Region felt this way, some other parts of the Authoritarian Divine Kingdom were on the move. Nevertheless, even the civilians told their children about the navy and armada ranks of the Forbloffende Traes Sect.
The ranks were divided into 7 different positions. A Warrant Officer has the lowest status, but is still the first rank which everyone has to go through, respected because of it. They usually command Squadrons in the vessels. They can only command a Frigate if their direct superior’s conditioning allows it. The Warrant Officers can be Fighter pilots themselves or not to command their Squadron.
The second, an Ensign, is the Warrant Officer’s direct superior. They are still considered staff, but they can command a Frigate. Somewhat like a gray cape turning their cape into purple. They can lead a small group of warships, from 3 to 11, while letting their direct subordinates lead from 1 to 8.
The third, a Lieutenant Senior Grade, Lieutenant, and Lieutenant Commander can command from a wider variety of warships and are the direct superiors of the Ensigns. They lead from Frigates to Destroyers. Sometimes directly leading a Flotilla.
The fourth, a Commander, can command up to a Cruiser and up to a Large Flotilla. They are the boss everyone respects, whether they belong to their Flotilla or not. Furthermore, they only obey their direct superiors, while only their commanding assistant may take command of their Flotilla.
The fifth, a Captain. These can lead up to Battleships and a small group of Flotillas, but sometimes more. They command numerous Flotillas, of which every Commander is a ferocious dog leading the rest of their pups to battle.
The sixth, a Rear Admiral, commands Small Fleets and Fleets. They are, obviously, in charge of an entire Small Fleet or Fleet, concerning all its warships or spaceships, and lead them with a Carrier. They are the second-biggest boss in the navy or armada, and truly respected.
If the Commanders are dogs, then the Captains are like hyenas, while the Rear Admirals are the wolf packs that outsmart anything and anyone, as many as they come.
The last and seventh position was the Admiral or Fleet Admiral. These can lead from a Small Fleet to even the still unknown ‘Grand Expedition Fleet’. They are the only ones allowed to lead these and in the respective Motherships, the flagships.
These last two were instead like dragons. Nothing in the rest of the Sect’s forces could compare them, and even until today, not such position has been granted. The highest acquired is Rear Admiral, by the first and most recognized few.
Currently, of the 3 patrolling Small Fleets, Pretieta Gori has full control of 1, with her father leading another, and Tetor of the last one. Although Saon Gori was slow, he had the cultivation base advantage, and a great foundation after acquiring the [Chronicles of Life & Death].
Although he didn’t do much during the conflict and Region war battles, he proved his excellent management skills during the following 60 years. He also broke into the Spirit Formation realm and had found a bottleneck at its peak, becoming a Grand Ancestor at last.
He soared through the ranks in the navy as more civilians and engineers were finally allocated. Other than his management of the civilians and engineers, his contribution to clearing safety zones for the waters around the Vrida Region made his status all the more important until today. Although he was adored by his daughter, he felt this was not enough to at least make her proud once.
Nevertheless, he also became a Division General, becoming as fundamental in the land forces as his daughter and a few others. Adding his Rear Admiral status, Pretieta was proud of her daddy. However, the daughter in question wasn’t any short of achievements either.
She had actually broken into the Spirit Rebirth realm and had already cultivated it to the peak, only a few decades after Todoro Kalavera, becoming a Grand Ancestor. She also retained her Division General rank while becoming a Rear Admiral. Something that could be counted with one’s hands, to have official ranks in 2 forces in the Sect, and as a Grand Ancestor of only a couple of dozen in total.
When Todoro broke into the Spirit Rebirth realm, his Soul strengthened, finally forming it. He soared quickly until the limit, also rushing his way to achieve the peak to become a Grand Ancestor just a few years after Pretieta did, basically catching up to her.
Liliam and Hexitia only improved as more time passed. They also became Rear Admirals besides the Division General rank, like Todoro and the Goris. Additionally, they broke into the Spirit Rebirth realm and achieved the peak. They had wanted to wait until Pretieta Gori and Todoro Kalavera became Grand Ancestor and Vice sect master, but it never happened.
Thus, they accompanied their seniors into becoming the sharpest backbone of the Forbloffende Traes Sect. After years only continued to pass, they learned more and longed for the Sect Master to decipher the method for the [Chronicles of Life & Death] Art’s Second Step.
That was the only way for them to become Defiant cultivators.
… Nonetheless, the Vrida Region’s peacefulness was tons of times of greater quality than a hundred years ago. The population couldn’t even remember when was the last time they saw so many big bellies everywhere, with endless numbers of couples evilly polluting the streets with lovey-doveyness.
During these 74 years since the conflict with the 14 organizations, the Forbloffende Traes Sect kept a more or less yearly influx of more than 510 thousand new Servants per year. Moreover, with the additional 6.7 million from the 14 organizations’ remnants. In the end, slightly less than 31 million entered the Sect, with 55% becoming soldier units across the decades for 17 million soldier units.
The rest 45% belonged to 19 million, of which only 40% were civilians. Additionally, the Sect now has 3 million engineers, of which a small portion wear purple capes, and only a few individuals have attained the golden cape.
There were now 22,040 Acting Elders, 7,290 Elders, 1,150 Ancestors, 390 Grand Elders, and 24 Grand Ancestors. Still, this was just a good enough development in Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes. It was sufficient to begin what he and his Grand Ancestors have been thirsting for— for a couple of decades now.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
… Heian Ciemnosc sat in his central cottage. Sara sleeping on his lap, using a blanket to cover herself, which needed a few bulks of Lobotum Void Serpents to gather, so the blanket wouldn’t pass through her ethereal body. Only Heian Ciemnosc could see her, but others, like those serpents, could follow her instructions like it was their instincts gaining consciousness and whispering in their ears.
As the slept soundlessly, Sara focused her head’s ‘weight’ on Heian Ciemnosc’s lap, keeping her body from falling into the bed and a few meters lower before forcefully returning to his inner universe, tired and unconscious. The Lobotum Void Serpents didn’t even move, appearing dead, but were just comfy being close to their maker.
“…” Heian Ciemnosc suddenly fell into a trance as his interest was insufferably piqued. His Spirit Sense traveled through beings’ 3* Regions and cautiously toured existences’ Spirit Sense as he came across the sight of a village, where a couple was suffering the delivery of their baby. The pregnant woman sobbed with blood running from her eyes, but her nails dug deeply into her husband’s weakened wrists.
His thin figure was worrisome, but he didn’t even flinch as his blood coursed down the woman’s skin to her armpits. The sensation of it swarming her armpits didn’t cause her giggles, much less distraction, as she could only continue working her body to deliver their baby.
They had placed many cushions tied with ribbons neatly in a large casket, where the husband looked at a few items he had to take to clean the baby and take care of things once the baby was pushed out. As the woman’s screams became louder and louder, one of her lungs punctured before exploding at nearly the same time, but the wife remained uncaring of her body.
“Guaaaaa, gyiiiiiii, gyiiii- gyaaaaa!” As soon as the baby’s head came out of the bleeding mother, the wife and husband’s widened, suddenly healthy eyes looked at each other. Their mouths took the same shape of a small ‘o’ before smiling from ear to ear.
The husband quickly moved forward and cleaned the baby. His eyes started blinking inadvertently as his neck suddenly felt weaker, and he was losing the feeling of his lips and teeth. The wife noticed, frowning, as he struggled to place the baby girl with a rosy mantle on the casket, safely. “Breen?”
The husband only groaned with a breathy exhaustion before collapsing, lightly letting their daughter fall off on the casket. The wife saw her husband fall and place the baby to safety, and couldn’t help but rush to sit on her bum. But at that moment, her eyes rapidly blinked, and they nearly rolled to the back of her head.
‘No, I can’t… lose now… my baby…’ The woman fought desperately to maintain herself awake. Her eyes were cloudy as she thrashed her body about, but she merely flung her wrists up and down on the bed while swinging her head left and right, sometimes lifting and lowering her chin.
At last, she stopped as a splitting headache began to consume her. Her eyes looked at the ceiling as she felt each fiber of her body becoming numb. Still, the mother managed to spill crystal tears that rushed the blood down her face, at least the stains that hadn’t dried.
“It’s no use. You can choose. Owe me now, and live more. Or don’t, and your child parentless will be born.” The mother suddenly heard a voice speak to her mind, as if directly, by divine intervention. Her eyes seemed to see through the roof as the light blue sky and white clouds colored her ceiling. Heian Ciemnosc’s silhouette appeared in her mind as Heian Ciemnosc added, his voice turning hoarse and dragged-on from soft and dreamy. “Wouldn’t you want your child to know your faces? A month living with her will be enough to remember once she’s grown up.”
‘…aah.’ The woman couldn’t understand what this voice referred to. But since not all citizens receive longevity pills for more than a few dozens of years, instead of a few hundred years or even a thousand years, she believed the voice meant she’d become a cultivator.
Repeating his words in her mind, she became desperate as she felt her vision fade into the dark. With a flurry of hurried movements of her shoulders, she barely and quickly nodded her head with the remaining bouts of her fragile strength.
“Good.”
This time, the voice seemed to echo beside her right. She couldn’t see as her eyelids felt heavy, but she wasn’t anxious to fall into darkness this time. For starters, she at least felt her eyelids now.
Pshift…
As the woman lost consciousness, she and her man slowly recuperated. Their bodies’ wounds closed, and their shriveled skin seemed to slightly fill up, but not that much. Only enough for them to walk a couple of kilometers every day, enough to pick dried berries from bushes 500 meters away as it was no longer season, which they planted out of desperation. Of course, and to feed their baby daughter.
‘With this. You owe me now. You can’t blame me for grabbing her when the time is right.’ Heian Ciemnosc’s dark figure remained hidden in the room as Halonso looked at the tiny thing sleeping soundly in the basket and couldn’t help but gesture with a tilt of his head.
“…” Heian Ciemnosc motioned a ‘let’s go’ with his glare. Halonso nodded and teleported them away. A few minutes later, the brand-new mother woke up first in a good mood. She wasn’t in a healthy enough condition to feel good, but compared to the past several years, she felt marvelous.
“Wooh!” She remembered her daughter and rushed to the large basket. When she saw the tiny thing look at her mother, the latter smiled and swiftly picked the beautiful thing. When she noticed her crooked, shriveled fingers, she felt pity that her daughter had such an ugly mother, but couldn’t contain herself from bringing the delicate little shit into her heart.
She was ordinary-looking, with curly hair and a non-charming countenance, but her face and eyes showed clear, motherly love. The husband was moderately tall and vastly thin, with brown skin and a middle-aged face that oozed humbleness and passion. After kissing the ground for a good while, his body twitched.
‘Eh?’ Meanwhile, the woman remembered something. She didn’t feel discomfort and horrendous pain like she did before the baby was out. ‘A god? Wait, no… Not even Gods and Goddesses can heal someone like this so fast. Could it have been someone greater? Sigh… who did I deliver my baby to? I hope it works well… For now… I must survive as much as possible, little Oli~…’
The, the mother looked at a small desk, with half of its round surface broken, thrown off somewhere else. There laid a book of tales, shining under the roof like the brightest star. The woman’s starry eyes shone before she walked to the table to pick the book up. She didn’t feel tired, which was new. She seemed to forgot everything that happened in the last few hours, from when she started delivering to when she woke up.
Then, she gave her daughter a light kiss on her forehead as her eyes seemed glued to the book of stories, tales, and legends.
***
Back at the Forbloffende Traes Sect, Heian Ciemnosc fell with his bum on his bed and sent a message to his Sect Grand Ancestors. Then, he faced Sara, who looked at him with smiling eyes and spread her arms. Heian Ciemnosc took her into an embrace and softly said, “When the time comes, I’ll need you to protect my identity.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. Hehe, fooling some existences is boring, but don’t worry. After being able to come out in this form, everything is better! Yep!”
“Mn,” Heian Ciemnosc lightly nodded and rubbed the side of her head behind her ears before a few minutes went by. Heian Ciemnosc separated and Sara returned to his inner universe with a grin. Heian Ciemnosc came out of his central cottage and met the 24 Grand Ancestors.
“You are here,” Heian Ciemnosc said as the door behind him slowly closed. The Grand Ancestors nodded, pausing their heads low, before staring at the respected, venerated Sect Master Darkness.
“Today, I’ll speak with the previous 14 organizations’ leaders who didn’t flee. But before that,” Heian Ciemnosc’s words attracted their attention. The Sect’s navy still needed a lot of work to do. After the Region sees their Sect inclusion, they’d feel more safe of not being persecuted or discriminated against, and their numbers could increase, allowing them to attempt the Second Step.
“!” Of course, they still lacked the most important factor for that, which is the Second Step advancement of the Sect’s Art. However, that was when Heian Ciemnosc ushered 24 manuals to all of them. Their eyes widened before they read its cover.
“Sect Master!” Pretieta called out, excited. She looked at Heian Ciemnosc and the manual before bowing, wishing to prostrate and venerate him. Heian Ciemnosc smiled slightly and lifted his right hand to ‘thank’ them for their bow.
“Now, meditate for a few days before you start developing the Second Step section. It won’t be any harmful, and you’ll distribute it to others after achieving the peak of the Broken Crystallization realm.” Heian Ciemnosc declared. The others solemnly nodded before staring at him.
“I will meet those guys now. If something happens, I’ll summon one of the buildings dedicated to our inner territory Second Step future expansion where we’ll meet. Don’t spread the news until I’ve started the Forbloffende Traes Sect’s march to the Second Step.” Heian Ciemnosc nodded at them and walked past them, intending to head where those leading figures who didn’t flee were reunited.
“Yes, Sect Master.” - “Understood.” - “Good luck, Sect Master.” - “Best wishes, Sect Master.”
Some of the Grand Ancestors were pretty young, even more than Pretieta, Todoro, or even Liliam and Hexitia. This was because some individuals who had a great Soul potential appeared during the 60 years after the Region war. They didn’t have too much of an astounding cultivation talent, but their Craftsmaking was phenomenal. Their half a century time spent to reach this position, or even slightly less, was proof of what Craftsmaking proficiency meant in the Sect.
Whoooooosh…!
Heian Ciemnosc left them behind, not caring to clarify them whether he had always been in the Second Step or just broken into it recently with none the wiser. He flew to a building where those who did bad things but were not so evil were sent to. Nobody dared to get close to them during break and lunchtime, but that didn’t mean the same for the Servants working there.
“Sect Master, they’ve been in the room for an hour now.” A Servant walked up to Heian Ciemnosc, who just walked into a precinct. Heian Ciemnosc nodded and walked to one of the buildings, not taller than a few dozen meters. The Servants returned to their duties, cleaning and managing the folk in this ‘universal’ correctional.
Step, step, step.
Heian Ciemnosc walked for a few minutes before opening the wide gates leading to a strangely large room that seemed empty now. There, he found about 70 people. The atmosphere was somehow down, but he didn’t pay it attention and walked in.
He was immediately noticed, whereas Heian Ciemnosc ignored them and walked to stand before the oldest person in this group. An old woman sat, somewhat breathless, on a chair near a steel table. She supported her body from sitting down with her left arm over it and gazed at Heian Ciemnosc with difficulty.
“Has ‘Death’ come to take its toll?” The old granny said, looking at Heian Ciemnosc without fear or guilt. Heian Ciemnosc grinned and peacefully commented. “That’s not my job. There are many things in this world, I can’t just be everything. Hehe. I think?”
…