“Cultivators! Rally and prepare for the counter-offensive! Our reinforcements have arrived!” Zhou Shan commanded and then turned to Orodan. “My friend, you have my gratitude for returning with aid so swiftly. And these new troops… allies of yours?”

“Aye. King Alstatyn and the soldiers of the Blackworth Collective stand ready to fight alongside us, although who knows how much we’ll have to aid them given the destruction of their home galaxy,” Orodan said.

“An entire galaxy…”

“What calamity could do such a thing?”

“By the heavens, we are outmatched…”

“Cease the chatter!” Zhou Shan roared. “Orodan, we shall speak on what apocalyptic forces you encountered in the Vystaxium Galaxy afterwards. And to our new allies, my sincerest condolences for the loss of your home. Re-homing, aid and salvage efforts, we pledge to aid with all of those. But, for now, time is critical, and we must repel these dwarven invaders lest we all perish and other allies of ours fall while isolated.”

King Alstatyn stepped forward, bearing his over-sized hand cannon.

“My heart is heavy for the loss of our home and people… but I agree that we must confront the enemy before us first,” the King said and then turned to his soldiers behind him. “Men and women of the Blackworth! Grieving for our loved ones and homes can only occur once the enemies of our hosts are dealt with. Prepare arms and make ready for combat!”

“You mentioned other allies of ours Zhou Shan, what’s the situation? I was gone for no more than a day, surely things could not have changed so much,” Orodan said.

“On the contrary, things are rather hectic. We face constant harassment at range from the forces of the dwarves whose voidships exceed our speed and space cultivators’ attempts to intercept them. Any attempts to sally out into the void are responded to with a swift retreat. The dwarves fear the deadliness of our dao in close quarters,” Zhou Shan said.

“And what of the ranged cultivators? Surely someone versed in the Dao of Archery could return fire?” Zaessythra asked.

“Our estimates on dwarven ranged capabilities were a bit off. Begrudgingly we have had to accept that the dwarfs’ artillery and ship-bound weaponry are superior to our own ranged capabilities. We lost a decent number of Daoists who excelled at range during our first sally. Dwarven armor is far superior to any of our own. Any trading of fire at range ends with us taking disproportionately more casualties than they. And the bearded ones’ artillery is exceedingly lethal. A focused salvo might kill even me,” Zhou Shan explained. “They have a decent number of Gods and Transcendent-level rune-lords aboard their voidships. These experts of theirs empower those guns to dangerous levels of firepower. We simply haven’t been able to sally out; for all intents and purposes, we’re under siege.”

“What of W78 and the forces of the Unity? I recall that prime combat unit, A1, being rather strong. Its guns would be of some assistance.”

“And that is where the second half of our problems lie,” Zhou Shan replied. “This siege we’re under is meant to tie us down while Varkir and the main forces of the Hegemony move to assault the Unity’s core world. The Conclave is also under assault but they’ve told us they can manage. Our allies, isolated and destroyed before we can even reinforce them… a clever yet devastatingly effective maneuver.”

“Surely the strength of the Dao is not so insignificant? Are you truly pinned down with no recourse?” Zaessythra asked.

“We have reinforcements coming from nearby worlds, among whom are some powerful Daoists well-suited to ranged combat and sieges,” Zhou Shan said. “Alongside them, even the full force of the dwarves would find an even battle. However, it will be too late for our allies in the Unity by then.”

Too late for…

“Where is W78?” Orodan asked.

“Safe on X2, the Unity’s core world. I’m told your construct friend is integral at commanding the planet’s defense,” Zhou Shan answered.

“Good, good. We shall break this stalemate ourselves then,” Orodan declared. “Let’s charge them.”

A slap to the back of his head was somewhat earned for that one.

“Idiot. Did you miss the entire debrief about how the dwarves have ranged superiority?” Zaessythra asked.

“And? If they fire a salvo at me, I’ll simply take it all upon my shield!”

“And you’ll be brought back dead upon it. Their full artillery salvos can destroy entire stars.”

“There would not be much left to bring back,” Zhou Shan remarked.

“That does sound like good training though…” Orodan trailed off.

The palm of Zaessythra’s hand met her face.

“No, just… no. We can’t simply allow a blind charge with you at the helm. This is a time sensitive matter, and we have far more pressing battles for you to be…”

She left it unsaid, but Orodan could infer that she meant checkpoint uses. She wasn’t wrong, and it was true that there were many more battles of an intense nature yet to come. The upcoming battle upon the Unity’s core world was one, and the journey to the hells could potentially be another. Not to mention the imminent battle against the Reject who was fast approaching their galaxy for Orodan’s head.

“Alright Zaessythra, you win. Much as my blood demands honest battle against insurmountable odds… I’m not entirely unreasonable,” Orodan relented. It would be a bit selfish to die too many times in an unreasonable manner when people were counting on him. “How do you suggest we do it?”

“Through tactics. The soldiers of the Blackworth Collective have guns and artillery of their own, this even the battleground immensely,” she explained, her arms folding behind her back as she walked around inspecting the troops with a commanding presence. “We have a diverse set of forces here; it would be utter folly not to use them. Has your time in the militia taught you nothing of battlefield tactics and force arrangements?”

Orodan could only scratch his head.

“Aside from the academic readings… not really? I’m better off understanding tactics on the ground where I can see the flow of battle,” Orodan admitted. “You seem well-versed in commanding armies though…”

He was a bumpkin from the poorest town of the Republic. A mere county militia man. No amount of training during basic taught him the art of commanding entire units and arranging armies. Even upon getting somewhat of an education at Bluefire he’d only read about military history and the tactics and maneuvers used through famous battles and engagements.

Accounts of past battles, even those studied by historians and military students, were oft replete with embellishments, excessive detail in parts which didn’t require it, and a lack of detail in the parts which did. Reading a book was no substitute for commanding actual armies and managing the logistics of them. If he managed the impossible task of containing his battle lust, in his opinion, Orodan would be a passable small unit leader on the ground. Perhaps tolerable at commanding a few soldiers in a skirmish or managing a small section of a battle line.

What he was not, was a commander.

That would be Zaessythra.

“Commanding armies in a planetary liberation war has a way of hammering Command Mastery into one’s head,” she said. Not the term, but the skill itself… there was more to his half-dragon companion than the eye could see. “Not only should we utilize all the forces we have arrayed here to maximal effect. But most importantly, the lynchpin of a truly powerful force is right before us…”

“What is it?”

“You.”

Orodan looked confused at first, but then began to understand. Especially once Zaessythra began telepathically sharing the details with him on exactly what he was expected to do.

Swiftly, she got to work.

The parchment in her hands looked comically small compared to her ten-foot frame and large hands, however the swift speed she was writing at was no joke as she surveyed the forces arranged before her.

“King Alstatyn, High Sovereign Zhou Shan… with your leave, might I suggest tactical plans for our forces? Victory is but a matter of execution, for we have the right pieces already,” Zaessythra asked.

“I see no problem with it if you can deliver results,” the High Sovereign said.

“My officers might be a little lukewarm in their reception,” King Alstatyn said. “How about you prove them wrong by presenting what you think is the most effective manner of engagement?”

“Very well. Then let us begin,” Zaessythra said as she presented her parchment upon a hastily deployed war table. “We have cultivators, excellent at offensive melee combat. Knights and paladins of the Conclave who specialize in holding the line and healing themselves and fellow soldiers. And most importantly… the steam-powered arms and war machines of the Blackworth Collective who will now fill in the gaps. To this end, I have plans for a headlong assault followed by a display of weakness which will draw our enemies in…”

The cultivators of Xian had witnessed Orodan and Zaessythra in battle. They had earned much respect and even reverence among the cultivators of the Ascendent Sword Cluster. Naturally, this meant that the disgruntled man who didn’t approve of the plan was an officer of the Blackworth Collective.

“And how, pray tell madam, shall we send good troops to their deaths with nary a mark on our conscience?” a middle-aged officer with a thick mustache criticized. “Not to mention, the enemy harassing this world are an expeditionary force of skirmishers, their entire strategy involves hit-and-run tactics. How do you expect them to commit?”

“Why, by presenting bait they simply can’t afford to pass up,” Zaessythra said, and then pointed. “The time looper himself.”

The doubts of many were eased as Zaessythra spoke. And Orodan couldn’t help but be more than a bit impressed himself.

And so, the discussions on tactics and stratagems went, until the time for battle came.

#

“Dwarves! I come to challenge you! Do you dare give me a taste of your famed dwarven artillery?!”

Orodan floated in the void between worlds as his sword was drawn and pointed towards the distant void ships which had moved to create some space upon noticing his approach.

“Time looper. Have you come to surrender? Offer yourself up peacefully and this world shall be spared the continuing wrath of our broadsides,” a booming voice called out. He could tell the difference between magical amplification and the natural boom of a divine cadence. A God was speaking from aboard the dwarven voidship. “Refuse… and we shall destroy all you hold dear while refusing to allow you death.”

“Surrender? You must not know me very well, stand and fight me here and now!” Orodan demanded. “I’m told a full salvo from your fleet can destroy a star. How about you try it against me.”

“An audacious challenge. The rumors of your bold nature were no lie,” the God replied. “However, the Forge-King’s clientele have warned us against engaging you. Your barking falls upon deaf ears.”

“Very well. If you lot wish to run and hide like cowards… then I shall bring myself to you!”

Orodan much preferred fighting to talking anyways.

Fourteen ‘clones’ of himself temporarily came into being through Action Increases, and Orodan used their bodies to leap towards the dwarven voidships in a mighty Flash Strike.

[Flash Strike 75 → Flash Strike 76]

It was a good skill for closing the distance. It involved a mighty burst of raw prowess which shunted him towards the foe. However, it wasn’t teleportation. The travel wasn’t instantaneous.

A powerful broadside met him a third of the way towards his destination. However, the salvo which came his way was one meant to restrain and subdue, not destroy.

Gases and liquids which could paralyze and put a Transcendent beast to sleep erupted as the shells smashed into his shield. Some of the shots also caused a powerful restraining foam to spill forth and envelop him. And a final few were magical and encased him in multiple overlaying spheres of force.

Smart of them. Why kill a time looper when restraint and delay were better options?

Unfortunately for them, Orodan had no issues with expending energy to break free. Their unwillingness to hit him with lethal weaponry would be their undoing.

The poisonous substance meant to paralyze and put him into a slumber was some strong stuff. Anyone else caught without a method of countering it would’ve fallen into a deep sleep and statis which might last months. Orodan, though, was naturally built to resist such things.

The soul energy he was constantly expelling around his body did a great deal to burn the substance away and weaken its effectiveness. Absolute Body Composition also showed its worth by not allowing the remaining bits of the poison to effectively take hold. What could this substance infiltrate when each cell of his body was a thing in and of itself and he had no veins or organs? And finally, Harmony of Vitality was constantly destroying and re-creating his cells. Any part of him affected by the poison was swiftly discarded and reborn anew. Even without a resistance skill against such a thing, Orodan’s unique combination of abilities made poisoning him an exercise in futility.

The restraining foam around him was weakened by the soul energy he emanated, and Orodan’s brute force and thrashing did the rest. And as for the spheres of force, while Orodan could batter his way out with time…

…he instead took the prudent approach and cast an overpowered Spatial Fold.

[Spatial Fold 76 → Spatial Fold 77]

The raw power of it shattered all the spherical layers of force surrounding him and continued onwards to the voidship nearest to him. There, it encountered a respectable bit of resistance, but this too was promptly flattened.

On one hand, Orodan could choose to practically crush the entire voidship into mulch. Or perhaps utilize Spatial Fold in the manner he had upon Xuejin to cause devastation which could destroy a small world. However, that might scare the remaining voidships of the dwarven fleet into fleeing, and Zaessythra’s plan had called for the destruction of as many of them as possible.

Instead, he used the Spatial Fold for its more classical purpose of travel, and simply stepped through to enter the enemy voidship. As he stepped through, he felt the opening of a small spatial rift next to him, and using his spatiomancy, held it stabilized for the coming battle.

-atial barriers down. Enemy on board!”

“He’s here! Subdue the man!”

“Where’s the shard?!”

Orodan stepped onto the other side of Spatial Fold and into a scene of hostility, all directed towards him.

A veritable horde of vertically challenged and armored foes swooped down upon him. Surprisingly enough, they were all bare-handed.

An entire unit of armored dwarven wrestlers.

“Go for the legs!”

“Put him in a body lock!”

Orodan was amused and more than a little excited himself. Finally! A chance to engage in an honest brawl!

He immediately sprawled out and defended against the takedown attempt of the early Transcendent wrestler who was the greatest threat and put the dwarf’s vulnerable neck in a choke with one arm. His opponent was good and attempted to move sideways to complete the takedown and escape the choke, however Orodan dragged the dwarf’s head further downwards and met it in-between with a knee which impacted with a satisfying crunch.

The other wrestlers were Grandmasters and mostly Masters. A headbutt sent one of them flying, and knees, elbows and shoulder checks bullied the other wrestlers as Orodan’s Physical Fitness in tandem with Body Tempering and Absolute Body Composition made him the physical superior of all the arrayed grapplers even if some of them had higher levels in Physical Fitness.

Additionally, minor as it was, being a large human approaching seven feet of height gave Orodan slightly more punch out of each level of Physical Fitness than a dwarf of the equivalent level.

Another wave of dwarves attempting single and double-leg takedowns surged forward. Most of them were bowled over as Orodan’s hands shot out and shoved them into the air, sending them flying into the walls with a crash. A few got through and had their heads driven into the ground as he sprawled and pushed with his weight onto them, denying their efforts to bring him low. And the final one succeeded in catching his legs and gave a good showing of moving sideways and trying to drag Orodan to the floor, however the dwarf left too much space, allowing Orodan to do a light hop into the air and use his free leg to deliver a kick which sent the dwarf flying.

“Not bad, but just as stags lock antlers, so too must one commit fully and leave no distance when attempting to bring the foe low in a grapple,” Orodan said.

The Transcendent-level wrestler who he’d sent to the ground with a knee had risen once more, blood flowing down the face from a bloody nose. Orodan opened his arms and accepted the rematch as the dwarf rushed forward and wrapped both arms around him…

…only for Orodan to reverse the move by slithering his own arms underneath and attempting to throw the dwarf overhead. Except, the dwarf was heavy, incredibly heavy.

“What’s the matter human? Did you think me a one-trick goat? Do you think my Transcendent-level Wrestling skill was without merit?!” the wrestling dwarf asked. “Now you shall experience what true grappling is! My Transcendent insight is the ability to weigh myself beyond measure! Now accept defeat!”

“This is…”

Orodan strained and his arms began bleeding and the skin tearing as he exerted force enough to destroy entire mountain ranges. The voidship trembled dangerously, but it was reinforced and seemed to tolerate the stress for the moment.

“Unbearable? The weight of my body cannot be surpassed! Not when I’m also empowered!”

The dwarven wrestler wasn’t wrong. It was also a situation where having Divine Resistance didn’t even help Orodan counter this tactic. The enemy God wasn’t directly using divine power against him, rather it was being used to empower the wrestler he was currently grappling against.

As for who was empowering this dwarf? He spotted the commander of the voidship, a dwarven God. Six feet of glowing armor and a flowing beard, which was quite tall for their kind.

“This is… excellent training!”

[Physical Fitness 92 → Physical Fitness 93]

Orodan’s arms practically exploded but were reformed once more under Harmony of Vitality. Additionally, the continuous pressure and exertion was great for another skill too.

[Body Tempering 64 → Body Tempering 65]

“You… hope to use my skill to train?!”

“Exactly! I’ll overpower you with raw might and endless effort!” Orodan declared.

“Brundak, cease immediately, we cannot risk the time looper gaining more power!” the commanding God bellowed.

“My thane! We can strike a grievous blow against the human here and now!” the dwarf he was wrestling with yelled back.

Orodan’s arms continued exploding and reforming under the pressure, and he gained one more level in Body Tempering until finally, the dwarf let go and Orodan threw him backwards in a slam which bowled two dozen other wrestlers over.

[Wrestling 80 → Wrestling 81]

He immediately became suspicious of why the enemy wrestler had allowed such a thing, and his suspicions were confirmed as a glowing pink shard being empowered by the enemy dwarven God glowed with ominous pink power. The deepest parts of his soul quaked in fear, yet Orodan was far more accustomed to it by now and quickly commanded his soul into iron-willed obedience.

Would this finally be his chance to test himself against the power of the shards?

Orodan prepared himself to receive the blow. Of course, he’d nearly forgotten about the small spatial rift he’d been maintaining since the start of the battle.

This rift - created upon Orodan’s breaching of the voidship’s spatial barrier - now began expanding. And the first thing that came through it was a pale hand with scaled elbows.

Zaessythra.

And she was wielding a pink crystal of her own.

The incoming bolt of energy, which was midair, was drawn towards the inert pink crystal instead of towards Orodan and harmlessly absorbed within.

“Excellent. As the records hinted, it seems the shards can be used to absorb attacks from other shards,” Zhou Shan said.

“Idiot. You really were about to take that head-on, weren’t you?” Zaessythra asked Orodan as she stepped out fully onto the voidship.

Guilty as charged. Orodan could say nothing in response.

“They’re ferrying reinforcements on-board! Target the rift!” the enemy God roared.

The next person through the rift was the High Sovereign of the Celestial Court. Zhou Shan himself.

The axe cultivator came in with fury and immediately began showing the dwarves why they were right to fear cultivators in close combat. His axe reaped the lives of many within the first few swings. Behind Zhou Shan were dozens of cultivators who also followed their leader into battle.

“For the Roaring Mountain sect!”

“These bearded rats dare rain down cannon fire upon our world?! They’re courting death!”

“My Dao and honor demand I repay my debt to the time looper!”

The cultivators streamed in by the dozen and immediately engaged in close combat with the dwarves.

Orodan immediately began assisting in the battle and targeted the enemy God in command of the voidship.

The moment he saw Orodan, the God immediately began attempting to leave the material plane.

Orodan was two-thirds of the way to stopping that with a Flash Strike when two mid-level Transcendents intercepted him halfway.

“My thane, you must retreat! The time looper’s Divine Resistance puts you at a disadvantage!” said the first Transcendent. An armored halberdier who Orodan gauged was slightly weaker than Zaessythra. Perhaps in the 130s at most.

“We shall hold them off. Our lives shall be sold dearly,” the other said. A Transcendent-level shield and axe warrior who was nearing level 140. Given how tough and durable the dwarf looked, Orodan held no confidence in quickly killing the dwarf in a toe-to-toe melee battle. Hells, even with some of his more unfair abilities this foe looked very tough, far more than Thavri Grimbreaker who he’d fought on Alastaia a long time ago.

For all intents and purposes, the enemy God looked to be fleeing, and the other voidships would likely evacuate soon too.

If not for the sudden interference Orodan felt against his control of the spatial rift.

On the decks of the ship, he saw dwarven rune-lords and enchanters attempting to seal the spatial rift that Orodan was holding open.

And as planned…

…Orodan allowed it to occur.

“My thane! The rift has been sealed!”

“Spatial barriers restored! We’ve got them in a bind now!”

The Transcendent wrestler he’d slammed backwards earlier helped seal the deal. Perhaps the dwarf was the arrogant or headstrong sort, much like Orodan, but in this case such daring helped Zaessythra’s plans.

“We have the time looper and the leader of the Celestial Court trapped aboard! The glory of dispatching them both will be ours! Charge!”

The enemy God, whose energy was bleeding off by the second, still remained within the material plane. Seemingly halting its return to the divine dimension.

“Open the rune-paths to the other ships, we must not pass up this opportunity! Bring the other shards!”

The battle raged on for a while longer, but soon, intricately crafted runes upon seemingly empty doorframes began glowing, and the doors came to life. They suddenly opened up and swarms of dwarves began pouring forth from them. It wasn’t spatiomancy, but Dimensionalism. Orodan had to admit he was impressed by the craftsmanship.

A few Gods and a number of Transcendents entered the voidship that was now their battleground, and the tide of the fight changed as Orodan and his allies found themselves surrounded and slowly butchered one by one.

Fierce sword cultivators found their blade strokes absorbed by sturdy shields and stout armor while the axes cut them down. Spear cultivators found themselves swarmed and massacred. Fist cultivators were grappled and slain. And the few tough body and shield cultivators were simply outmatched as dwarven rifles and blunderbusses focused fire onto them.

Zaessythra was battling two Transcendents and a God. Zhou Shan was barely holding against a dozen enemy Gods and Transcendents and Orodan himself was being suppressed by five high-level Transcendents specialized in keeping foes restrained.

It was a grim situation, getting worse by the moment.

Which was when Zaessythra decided to speak.

“Now that we’ve drawn most of them in… it’s time, Orodan.”

“I was wondering how long you’d keep up this charade,” Orodan replied while headbutting one of the dwarven wrestlers attempting to bring him to the ground.

Zaessythra’s plan relied on abusing the minor but inescapable fact that his enemies knew very well that Orodan was in a time loop. And what was the one thing most people would want to avoid doing to a time looper?

Killing them.

From the beginning of the battle the dwarves were adamant on not actually killing Orodan. It was what allowed him to close the distance and actually board the voidships when nobody else in the allied forces could. And it was what was keeping him from being killed right now as he cast an overly large Spatial Fold.

“That human’s shattered the spatial barriers again!”

“Such raw power… to break through with pure force…”

“That fluctuation could fit a voidship through it!”

That last dwarf wasn’t wrong. Orodan’s Spatial Fold was quite big, enough so that an entire voidship could in fact come through.

Which was why gouts of steam and magical energies were the first thing visible as something rather large came through the rift.

“Enemy voidcraft! Prepare for-”

The enemy God’s orders were cut off with a flash of cannon fire, as the voidship of the Blackworth Collective launched a successful broadside which cleanly impacted. The battleground shook violently, many dwarves were thrown off-balance and multiple holes were torn in the hull.

Then, came the next part of the plan.

Orodan’s eyes blazed white as he threw it all into Time Reversal.

What were battlefield casualties before someone who could endlessly turn time back to resurrect them?

“Rune-lords! Chronomancers! Stop him at all costs!” barked one dwarf who appeared particularly sensitive to the flows of time and had an inkling of what was coming.

[Time Reversal 77 → Time Reversal 78]

To their credit, the dwarven chronomancers, and especially the rune-lords, put up a far heavier resistance against Orodan’s manipulation of the time stream than he would’ve thought. The chronomancers put up a respectable struggle, but the dwarven rune-lords channelled their power into tablets of intricately etched runes which Orodan had to put genuine effort into countering. Furthermore, they were furiously etching more runes into these tablets by the second, all in a desperate bid to stop Orodan from reversing time.

He’d faced timeline protections on a soul before, particularly when Astalavar had slain Zaessythra a second time and Orodan tried bringing her back. Impressively enough, these dwarven rune-lords provided the most resistance he’d ever felt against his Time Reversal. Astalavar’s timeline protections weren’t anywhere near as powerful.

If Orodan hadn’t gone to Narictus and gotten the opportunity to train his Time Mastery against the Hegemony’s chronomancers there, he certainly wouldn’t feel confident tackling these counter-chronomancy maneuvers the dwarves were performing now. At a later time, he would have to look into studying the runic crafts, they seemed quite versatile and powerful.

However, he had grown. And what would otherwise be a nigh-impossible feat for any other chronomancer in the galaxy was but a matter of raw power and a bit of time for Orodan Wainwright.

“Burn your souls! Do whatever you have to! Do not allow him to reverse time!” the commanding dwarven God bellowed.

The enemy had essentially committed their all to this gamble. The thought of striking a blow against Orodan himself was tempting, as was the chance of killing Zhou Shan and rendering the cultivators bereft of their leader.

In the back ranks, Orodan saw the dwarves ready two more shards, and the things glowed with ominous pink power, primed to fire directly upon him.

Yet, Orodan’s Time Reversal had already completed.

“I live once more… thank you, Orodan Wainwright,” said one of the newly reversed cultivators.

The hundreds of cultivators who were previously slain were brought back to the fold once more. A problematic situation for the dwarves as they now had newly resurrected and fresh enemies in their midst once more.

Orodan had expressed his reservations about planning for the deaths of these brave warriors, but Zaessythra had explained the cold logic and tactical advantage in allowing a group of cultivators to be slain and then resurrecting them in the middle of the enemy while the Collective launched their flanking attack. It didn’t help that the cultivators themselves had volunteered; many of them were quite grateful and held much goodwill towards Orodan for helping send Jian Huangdi running.

The first of the shards fired, and Zaessythra managed to throw their own captured shard in the path of the beam, causing it to divert and enter that instead. The second one fired, and Orodan stood before it himself, all his power practically thrown into his shield.

He was confident he could block the beam itself.

Zaessythra yelled out, but it was too late.

He threw Action Increase ‘clones’ into the beam path but they simply disintegrated and were of no use. A most curious oddity. If Orodan was to survive, he would have to hold and take the attack himself.

The beam neared his shield… and as before, it seemed to have a most wicked and sapient nature of its own as it attempted to curve around his shield.

Orodan had seen this trick before though, he was ready this time.

His shield moved to intercept it one way, and he had a hunch, call it a warrior’s combat instincts… but he had a feeling that it would still try to move about to trick Orodan.

So, he instead decided to trick it. After all, was a soul shattering pink beam coming for him not just a battle between warriors?

And in such a battle, feints and outmaneuvering were standard fare.

He feinted his shield one way, and as expected the beam also moved. Only for Orodan to feint it another way and cause the beam to subsequently try another devious re-direction.

Yet, that was a feint upon a feint, and Orodan’s real intent was to move the shield yet again…

…to reveal his sword which was waiting behind it.

A maximal power All-Strike shot out and met the beam.

His sword creaked, and the empowering energy of his soul wanted to flee his weapon and leave it a pathetic Apprentice-level piece of metal from Ogdenborough. But Orodan roared within and denied the instinctive fear his soul felt.

The roar within became a roar in reality, as a mighty war cry left his lips.

[War Cry 42 → War Cry 43]

And the pink beam was shattered upon his blade.

[All-Strike 90 → All-Strike 91]

“A foul pink beam delivered from a nightmare beyond our reality,” Orodan said. “Yet, outmaneuvered by a simple feint.”

“That was far too close!” Zaessythra yelled.

Perhaps it had been. But Orodan wasn’t one to shy away from combat and allow fear to make him indecisive.

Still, that had been that. And now, the tide of battle was shifting.

“Enemy reinforcements on-board!”

“Retreat! Our deaths will be pointless here!” the enemy God called out as he attempted to leave the material plane.

Ranks of Blackworth Collective line infantry, mages and steam knights began filtering in through the holes in the hull of the voidship, and at their head, King Alstatyn himself.

The line infantry troops were vicious, but they weren’t the front rank of their formation. Instead, knights of the Conclave wielding swords and shields of gleaming light stood ready to absorb enemy fire and meet any melee attacks. The dwarf God commanding the enemy Voidship had his attempted retreat cut off by an exceedingly rare cultivator who was proficient in the Dao of Dimensions, and upon realization of that fact and the knowledge that they’d been greedy and caught in a trap, they had grim looks upon their faces and looked prepared to fight to the death.

And so, a mayhem-filled slaughter began, and chaos broke out.

On an individual level, the dwarven rifle wasn’t inferior to the Blackworth rifle. Their rate of fire, the power of the shots, they were roughly even. The dwarves had rune-lords empowering the guns of their soldiers, and the Blackworth forces also had gunnery specialists and steam mages doing the same. However, the difference lay in the quality of the individual soldier. Or rather…

…in how easy they were to train.

The individual dwarven soldier was an armed and armored warrior. Proficient in not just the operation of the dwarven repeating rifle, but also the shield, axe and halberd. They were multi-purpose troops who could fit into any role if needed. Training these soldiers up to the Master-level took time, over a century, perhaps even longer for the ones with less natural talent. Instilling the warrior’s mentality required for melee combat and danger into them meant that the pool of candidates was smaller.

In contrast however, the average Blackworth soldier of the line infantry was equipped with basic metal armor covering the essential areas. And they only really knew how to use the rifle, with perhaps a smattering of bayonet training thrown in to a pitiful level.

But… when melee combat wasn’t a concern because the cultivators and knights of the Conclave were taking care of that role… who would be the superior gunner?

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The withering volleys of fire loosed by the line infantry of the Collective answered that question. The dwarven soldier had to be capable of excelling at multiple weapons. The Blackworth soldier, just one. This meant that in a pure firefight when melee and soldiery was taken out of the equation, the Blackworth Collective had better ranged capabilities. Sure, a straight shootout between a squad of line infantry and dwarves with equal numbers would end in a dwarven victory due to their armor. But for every soldier the dwarves fielded, the Blackworth could field a dozen or more.

Especially given the civilian volunteers behind the front ranks of line infantry. These were non-combatants from Xian; shopkeepers, laborers, tradesfolk who’d never fought a day in their lives. They were neither cultivators nor soldiers, and yet, in their hands were guns and all they had to do was point and pull the trigger followed by a reload when the magazine was empty. Inferior to the soldiers of the line infantry who had standardized training and some semblance of military discipline, but a mass of guns being fired was still a weapon of its own.

And in the void beyond… the ships of the Blackworth Collective were exacting a heavy toll upon the voidships of the dwarves. Dwarven artillery hit harder, and their ships could travel faster in a straight line, but Blackworth ships were far nimbler, their crews more skilled at piloting them. This resulted in far faster reload times and three broadside volleys delivered for every single one from a dwarven voidship.

And on the battle within the interior, Orodan and the forces of Xian were reaping the lives of the dwarves.

A monstrous wave of divine energy spewed forth from the commanding dwarven God, but Orodan flared Shield Intent and covered a large area, preventing any of it from hitting his allies fighting nearby.

[Shield Intent 68 → Shield Intent 69]

[Divine Resistance 53 → Divine Resistance 54]

With a feral grin on his face, he pursued this divine commander all across the voidship. His opponent was a God in the mid-140s, but when Orodan had Divine Resistance, he could punch well above his weight. Replicating the same feat against a Transcendent wouldn’t happen anytime soon, but against the divine he might as well be invincible.

They fought for a decent while. The enemy God was primarily some sort of rune-enhanced mage but could also fight with punches and kicks if needed. However, it mattered little against Orodan when divine energy was being used. The little soul energy the dwarven God used, Orodan healed through. Frankly, he got the feeling that this God was more of a non-combatant and figurehead than someone meant to fight. Even if Orodan held an advantage against the divine, a God in the 140s should’ve still had their own soul energy and put up far more of a fight.

And while the dwarven divinity put up a good fight, he was slowly whittled down by All-Strikes as Orodan simply walked through his attacks. Finally, an All-Strike barrelled through the God’s shield of Divine Energy and battered him into the floor of the ship.

“A clever ruse human. Your headstrong nature was a false front all along,” the God said, wounded as divine lifeblood poured out of the gaping cut Orodan had inflicted.

“Far from it. I really was intent on charging your fleet and fighting to the death,” Orodan answered. “A clever tactician among our ranks simply decided to exploit this to our advantage. Now then, surrender. I’ve slain Gods before and have no qualms with adding more to that tally.”

“Such bloodthirst… do you have no conscience for all the lives you reap? They say you return in time whenever you die. How many have you killed over all those repeats? You leave a trail of death and sorrow in your wake.”

“You must think me a weak-willed milksop, posing a question such as that,” Orodan said. “Life wasn’t pleasant for me. I’ve killed at a young age, killed when I was a man, and will continue to kill. And while I admit some things I’ve done have been contrary to my principles, I have, and always will be a warrior. The only lives I’ve reaped are those of my foes in honest combat. But that’s enough talk. You’re the commander of this invasion, and the aggressor. Surrender, or I’ll lose no sleep over slaying you.”

“Your time will come soon. Our allies in the Hegemony know of your true nature, something beyond the likes of which you have ever seen comes for you,” he said. “I will never surrender.”

“Good. I welcome what comes for me, just as I’ve welcomed every other threat that’s come my way. Either I die, or they do,” Orodan said

“And what happens when you can no longer return? Will your bravado persist even then?”

“I gladly marched to my death even before I knew of this time loop,” Orodan said. “And if I die without any loop left to bring me back… then even death is just another opponent to do battle with.”

“Some might call you mad… but perhaps it is this nature of yours which has made you so dangerous with a time loop in your hands,” the God said. “End it. We have bandied words for long enough. Let it be known that I, Narvuk, Forge-Thane of King Varkir, defied the time looper to the very end. If you have any honor, resurrect me not.”

“Very well, Narvuk. I shall respect your choice and your unwillingness to surrender,” Orodan said as he grabbed the dwarf by the shoulder and stood him up. “I will not execute a warrior like cattle. If you refuse to surrender, then better you die on your feet with courage in your heart and a fair shot at fighting back.”

The dwarven God shakily got to his feet and conjured one final attack roiling with as much divine power as the wounded divinity could muster. It wasn’t much. Most of this God’s power had been drained in remaining in the material plane for so long and a protracted battle against Orodan wasn’t something that helped the matter.

Orodan launched a mighty All-Strike, at full power. It was a mercy.

The attack connected and there was nothing left.

Around Orodan, and on the voidship, the battle had been won. The remaining dwarves had either surrendered or were slain and in the process of being slowly resurrected and taken prisoner. In the void, the Blackworth Collective’s voidships had also won their side of the struggle and the dwarven voidships had been entirely destroyed or captured with not a single one remaining.

And in front of him, Orodan remained silent for the dwarf. No… the warrior, he’d slain.

“He’s the enemy commander. We might glean information if we resurrect him,” Zaessythra said as she walked up to his side.

“No. He requested otherwise,” Orodan replied.

“Is now truly the time to be clinging to such notions of honor?” she asked.

“Across all these loops, I’ve done things I’m not proud of,” Orodan said, recalling the monstrosity Agathor had become. “And it’s as you said on Narictus. It’s not about anybody else… it’s about the black mark a deed will leave upon my own heart.”

Zaessythra remained silent, but she imperceptibly nodded.

A pair of time and soul cultivators came up behind them.

“Esteemed lord and lady, might we resurrect the commander to take prisoner?”

Orodan didn’t reply, but Zaessythra did in his stead.

“No, I don’t think we will.”

#

“Your Majesty… the scans show no hostile fleets in orbit around the planet’s atmosphere,” the voidship captain reported.

“And yet, these scans show that they’ve left very recently,” King Alstatyn remarked. “Lady Zaessythra, you were correct in your hypothesis that the enemy would retreat at our approach.”

“It’s only natural. Given how they fled last time during the battle for Xuejin. The Hegemony seem overly cautious about engaging Orodan lest they strengthen the time looper. Worse still when he can ferry information across loops to aid an entire army,” she said. “We should make contact with the defenders and see how they’ve held out.”

“Scans of the planet show depleted world core energy levels but no surface-level damage,” the ship captain reported.

“Meaning the shielding held out and no damage went through,” Zaessythra said. “Good. Hopefully the combat forces of X2 are also relatively intact.”

Her tactical acumen and ability to direct large-scale forces in the midst of a pitched battle had earned Zaessythra much respect. After her display in the last battle where they’d broken the siege upon Xian, she was now a rather trusted tactical advisor. Even the pricklier officers of the Blackworth Collective had ceased their grumbling after she’d delivered results with minimal casualties.

Orodan himself held a strangely untouchable status. Nobody approached unless they had business with him, and most people were more than a little intimidated by not only his reputation as the time looper, but also by the grand scale of the feats he was capable of. The cultivators of the Ascendent Sword Cluster were warmer, as he’d fought on their behalf, and they knew him better. The knights of the Conclave kept a respectful distance though, and the Blackworth Collective’s troops in particular were somewhat icy.

Understandable. Orodan had suddenly arrived in their galaxy and that had culminated in a battle between two Administrators that had destroyed their home galaxy. Even if it wasn’t his fault specifically, people couldn’t help but see him as a bad omen. Not when these people had yet to address and come to terms with the fact that their home was gone.

A bright beam of light was visible upon the surface, and gleaming towers of arcing electricity lit up as they approached.

“We’re being directed to land,” the captain said.

“Lady Zaessythra, these beings are amenable to our presence?” King Alstatyn asked.

“Without a doubt. Once you meet a particular one among them and see how well they get along with Orodan, your worries will be assuaged.”

From their vantage point in the void, X2 looked rather metallic. Like a gigantic sphere of metal with an innumerable number of glowing lights of various colors lighting up its surface. It had no greenery or oceans to speak of, yet the world seemed to function just fine. After all, it wasn’t as though anything organic was on its surface.

However, the lack of anything organic didn’t mean there was no life. Metallic birds flitted about in flocks, an energy source animating them, and on the surface many golem-like beings similar to his friend W78 were wandering about engaging in… daily life?

Unlike humans or other races, these beings had vast differences between themselves. Some were four-legged and lumbered about in their jobs as laborers. Others were sleek and slender machine-beings who deftly maneuvered within shops and sold goods to their customers. And a certain kind were bulky, covered with armor plates and long necks which housed observation lens at the very top; these guards diligently kept eyes upon the roads.

For all intents and purposes, this was a world of metal, with beings who seemed to have wills and lives of their own.

Historically, Orodan knew that the Unity were a group of refugees from a war in another galaxy. Their exact origins were often debated, yet the metallic beings had never come out and revealed anything of it to the rest of the galaxy. Some hypothesized that a mad sorcerer had conducted experiments in grafting souls onto metal. Others claimed that some inventor had finally succeeded in giving life to a machine.

In Orodan’s opinion he knew not what the answer was, but only that his friend W78 had a soul. Consequently, so did the rest of the Unity. The biggest proof was the fact that they had access to the System like any other living being did. Inanimate objects and golems didn’t have the System, yet these beings did. What other proof was needed?

The voidship doors opened, and Orodan and Zaessythra stepped out alongside King Alstatyn. Zhou Shan would be joining them in a few hours once the High Sovereign wrapped up affairs on Xian in the aftermath of the siege.

Waiting for them was an almost humanoid machine wearing an intricate outfit.

“This diplomatic unit D25 greets the honored visitors to World X2. Registering arrival of Subject #125, designation: time looper; alternative designation: Orodan Wainwright,” the machine intoned in a pleasant and feminine tone. “Arrival ahead of schedule. Designated leadership unit A1 is expecting Orodan Wainwright.”

“Excellent, and where is W78?” Orodan asked, glad at the chance to see his friend once more.

“Last known location of proto-unit W78: command nexus. This diplomatic unit will lead the way.”

They walked down the streets and saw more of X2 as they did.

“Joints rusting? Wiring fraying? Try unit M654’s all-in-one gel today. Lubrication, rust-protection and auto-repair. Never walk around with poorly maintained joints again!”

“Low on energy? Unit M315’s condensed energy cubes will perk you up! Forgo energy core re-fuel for an entire day with just one! Disclaimer: side effects may include circuit overload upon consumption. Use responsibly.”

“Can I try one?” Orodan asked.

“Not now, we have to liaison with the Unity before we can engage in frivolities,” Zaessythra chided and Orodan could only sigh but nod his head.

“This unit does not recommend that course of action. High incompatibility of internal organic biology with energy cubes,” the machine pleasantly intoned. “High likelihood of severe burning, combustion and necessity of extensive medical support upon consumption.”

“…perhaps it’ll taste spicy then?” Orodan muttered, and Zaessythra’s palm met her face as she overheard him.

In his opinion, she was being overly dramatic. What was wrong with adding an energy cube or two to a dish to spice it up?

They continued on, taking in the sights, until they finally reached a point where they saw the beginnings of a series of underground tunnels.

They entered these tunnels and trekked on for a decent while.

“Do these tunnels go all the way down to the world core?” Orodan asked.

“Affirmative. Command nexus is beneath us.”

“Command nexus? Is that what you call the world core?”

“Affirmative. Alternative designation: world core.”

Interesting.

They continued onwards and the tunnels started to get larger and wider, and they’d periodically encounter some large and heavily armored machine guards who looked to be solid combat units. The deeper they got, the stronger the guards were, and the more powerful ones looked more than a little damaged, as though they’d been in battle recently.

“All things considered, the planet looks relatively untouched, even if the stronger members of the Unity look a little scarred from the battle,” Orodan said. “How did it fare?”

“This unit recalls that the battle went well. The arrival of Subject #125 ahead of predicted estimates caused the retreat of hostile forces,” the machine intoned. “This unit and the Unity, express gratitude towards subject.”

True enough. Orodan had spent barely a day or two in the Vystaxium Galaxy fighting the Eldritch upon Lonvoron and then concluding with that messy business involving the Prophet and the other time looper. Planetary sieges were a time-consuming and messy affair. All the powerful galactic factions had stores of energy and defensive items which could really drag such a thing out and force the attackers to take severe casualties if they tried pushing the matter. In other words, Orodan’s swift return meant that the siege hadn’t had time to really take root and progress.

Some more walking and minor chatter passed the time until they finally arrived in the main chamber of the command nexus, and by the hells was it a massive world core. Flying machines hovered about, scanning portions of it, repair-specialized models were constantly fussing over it and the occasional shipment of gigantic energy cubes would be deposited into tanks which had wires leading to it.

Otherwise, it looked like any other world core he’d seen before.

“Why fuel it with energy cores?” Orodan asked.

“This unit’s cursory knowledge informs that excessive runtime without fuelling by the command nexus can cause data corruption.”

“Data corruption?” Zaessythra asked.

Orodan however immediately knew. It was the age-old enemy.

“The Eldritch. If a world core draws upon the power of the System for too long, it faces Eldritch corruption,” he answered. “This is rather ingenious though. I never would’ve thought that fuelling a world core through external means might alleviate the issue.”

“This unit does not have sufficient data to answer subject’s queries,” the diplomatic unit intoned.

They got closer, and only then did Orodan recognize a familiar frame.

“W78!” Orodan shouted and began walking faster.

His friend however either didn’t notice or chose not to response. Rather, W78 seemed to be deep in conversation with the world core before him.

“-exhibiting signs of anomalous programming. Solution: recommended reprogram and transfer to secure storage alongside subject,” W78 said.

“Negative. Unit has achieved desirable results. Request for transfer denied. Proto-unit W78 has successfully delivered alliance with Subject #125,” the gigantic world core said.

“Information: Unit does not wish to see subject perish. Designation: friend”

“Information added to database. Solution: impose programming controls upon anomalous data streams. Unit is advised to focus on directives rather than dwell on emotion. Unit is reminded that they are not an organic.”

“Unit… complies with directive from command nexus,” W78 said and then turned to face Orodan who was coming up from behind. “Analysis: subject displaying heightened emotional state. Prediction: happiness.”

Orodan wrapped his arms around his favorite machine-friend and lifted him into the air.

“Where’ve you been? I thought the worst occurred,” Orodan said in a jovial tone.

“Information: unit frame durability not sufficient to protect against Physical Fitness skill of subject. Solution: deposit unit upon solid ground.”

Orodan put W78 down and patted his favorite machine upon the shoulder.

“Alright, alright. I just worried for you, that’s all,” Orodan said. “How did the battle fare?”

“Information: timely arrival of friend caused retreat of hostile forces,” W78 said. “Prime combat unit A1 sustained moderate frame damage, in cloaked recovery within asteroid belt. Additional combat units sustained minor frame damage, in recovery within planetary repair centers. Planetary integrity unchanged.”

“Good, and this is the world core? Or should I say command nexus?” Orodan asked.

“Affirmative. Subject #125, this command nexus bids you welcome to world X2,” the world core said.

“Query: what is the identity of this unknown subject?” W78 asked, gesturing towards King Alstatyn.

The King for his part simply seemed enraptured with all he was seeing and barely noticed the question.

“It’s a long story. Let’s catch up before Zhou Shan arrives,” Zaessythra said.

#

They were all sat around a gigantic table in a room adjacent to the command nexus. Zhou Shan and the most important members of the Conclave had arrived too.

The discussion had been a lengthy one.

“The Celestial Emperor showed up then?” Orodan asked.

“Affirmative. Hostile element, designation: Jian Huangdi, detected during combat. Extensive frame damage still present upon prime combat unit A1,” the world core of X2 said. An extension of it was present in the meeting chamber while the world core itself was in the gigantic chamber they were adjacent to.

“And from what you say, Varkir and the dwarves were aiding the Hegemony too. They had three shards overall when we fought them,” Zaessythra chimed in. “With that, they now have multiple shards that we know of. More than a little concerning. They’ll happily redouble their efforts to target Orodan.”

“It’s not a big deal. As long as I can defend against the beams and prevent them from striking me, I think I’ll be fine,” Orodan remarked.

“Until a peak-Transcendent or a peak-God decides to empower them to the maximal extent. Then you’re back at square one, except this time with no System,” Zaessythra said. “Not to mention, this Administrator that’s coming in a little over two weeks.”

“They also had two shards present during their assault on our worlds,” Lady Sujana, a Goddess and a Knight Commander of the Conclave spoke up. “We did not manage to recover any of those. But it suggests they had a few prepared in case the time looper arrived to aid us.”

The Conclave had also been assaulted at the same time, although they fared far better, facing only a token force much like Xian had. The real threat was faced by the Unity on their core world of X2. Thankfully, the enemy’s strategy of divide and conquer had failed thanks to Orodan’s swift return and how quickly things had been resolved on Lonvoron.

“Dwelling on these dangers aside,” Zhou Shan said. “Do we know how Varkir and his dwarven folk have gotten their hands on so many of these shards?”

“These shards were once pieces of a far larger crystal. We have records of a battle in very distant history where the crystal was shattered and the shards were spread to various corners of the galaxies as a result,” Lady Sujana said. “Varkir and his dwarven kin are mercenaries spread over more than one galaxy serving clientele for riches. It isn’t inconceivable that they’ve gotten a hold of many of these shards as a result.”

The room fell silent for a few moments as all parties took things in.

“Enough about these shards,” King Alstatyn spoke up. “High Sovereign Zhou Shan, I am grateful for your pledge of assistance and the grant of seven habitable worlds for my people and I to hold sovereignty over. However, we must speak of what caused the tragedy which destroyed our home.”

“The Eldritch menace. Specifically, the Prophet,” Zaessythra said. “We now have an inkling as to where the infectious Eldritch we’ve sometimes seen in our galaxy originate from.”

“The revelation that the Prophet is the cause of these infectious Eldritch was a shock to me,” King Alstatyn said. “Long have my people been embattled in our war against these vile fiends. The horrors they’re capable of… the plague worlds. This galaxy has not even a fraction of that.”

“I believe we do have plague worlds in our galaxy,” Orodan piped up, recalling his conversation with the world core of Alastaia. “They’re just not nearly as infectious and coordinated as the ones I purified in the Vystaxium Galaxy. I feel it’s the presence of the Prophet that made them act so. My home world has faced regular Eldritch assaults throughout history, but they involve a singular Eldritch champion or beast descending from the stars. Not a coordinated siege with spatial rifts and millions of infected life forms working together.”

Some of the people in attendance looked more than a little unsettled at the thought of such horror, but quickly schooled their expressions. Orodan feared them not, but for anyone else, an Eldritch invasion of such scale was an apocalyptic threat. His own Eldritch Resistance and willpower made them trivial, but his lack of fear was from a position of privilege which not everyone had.

“Regardless, they’re a very real threat… and there’s a good chance the Prophet comes after you for what you’ve done,” King Alstatyn said. “You’d be facing not one Administrator then, but two. And with no assurance that the Warrior will intervene once more.”

“And what of the real reason the Prophet’s eyes were upon the Vystaxium Galaxy in the first place?” Zhou Shan asked. “King Alstatyn, you’ve been noticeably reticent on the matter of this other time looper. Not only is this an individual of great power, enough to force an Administrator to take the battle seriously. But they also have an item which should belong to the Administrators, and something on their planet which the Prophet was searching for.”

Upon the destruction of the Vystaxium Galaxy, the shrouds of world energy constricting the minds and souls of the Blackworth soldiers had dissipated. Lonvoron and the worlds of the Collective had been destroyed after all. And with it gone, the people of the Collective had confirmed that the Collective was formed roughly thirty years ago.

Which was an utterly insane amount of time for a singular loop, from Orodan’s perspective anyways. If it was true that seventeen years ago the other looper had the unique glyphs of the time loop extricated from their soul, then that meant that they’d still spent at least the first thirteen years of their loop while thinking nothing was wrong.

Thirteen whole years of nation building and unification. The amount of planning, logistics and social acumen such a thing would require was immense!

Thirteen years… what a ridiculously long loop.

And how dreadfully boring that sounded to him,

“Let’s also mention,” Orodan said. “That they sent me a letter claiming I’d be safe with any of the other four Administrators… which was more than a bit misleading.”

“Indeed, you have every right to bear a grievance for that, Orodan,” Zhou Shan said.

“A grievance? What for? I got to enjoy some excellent battles as a result! I’ll have to thank them!”

“Never mind… I forget who I speak to…” Zhou Shan muttered.

“In any case, this other looper went through the grand array to our galaxy. I saw it with my own eyes,” Orodan said. “And yet, they were nowhere to be found upon our arrival. Do you have any method of contacting them, Alstatyn?”

The King, in response, seemed to clam up.

“King Alstatyn…” Zhou Shan said in a low warning tone. “Why will you not tell us who this other time looper is? Is your loyalty to them truly so deep?”

“I… I cannot. Forgive me, but I am unwilling to divulge anything about their identity,” the King said. “I also have no method of contacting them. This much I swear. Every time we’ve spoken it’s been them contacting me.”

“It’s incredible just how many spells and protections you have over your mind and soul,” Lady Sujana said. “But do you think these protections infallible? In such a critical situation it may well be justified to pry the information from-”

“No.”

“Orodan Wainwright, do you disagree with this course of action?” Lady Sujana asked.

“Of course I do. What sort of treachery are you suggesting? The man has lost his home, fought alongside us against our enemies, and now you suggest prying secrets from his mind? My sword will be drawn against anyone who thinks of such a thing,” Orodan declared, silencing the Goddess. “If King Alstatyn wishes to keep his secrets, that’s fine. We shall respect that. The Blackworth Collective’s military was very swift in agreeing to return with us for aid. I strongly suspect that the other time looper organized this assistance for us. In which case, we should be grateful. And besides, I can simply return to the Vystaxium Galaxy in another loop and try to puzzle things out for myself.”

“If you even have any more once the Reject comes for you…” Zaessythra muttered under her breath. Orodan heard it but chose not to reply.

“I agree with Orodan. Assaulting a treasured ally who has aided us in our time of need is treachery of the highest order. I might as well crack my Dao if I did such a thing,” Zhou Shan said. “Let us cool our tempers and speak of the Administrators and their allegiances. Orodan’s sociable personality has earned him the enmity of the Prophet, and the Reject already comes. But what of the other three Administrators?”

“The Warrior saved me from the Prophet. I owe him one for that. And the Mage saved me from an unnecessary repeat while I was fighting the Lord of Night upon Narictus,” Orodan said. “As for the fifth. I’ve heard it’s called the Custodian but know not where its loyalties lie. I’d rather work under the assumption that any of these Administrators could become hostile towards me at any time.”

“Even one of them coming after you is a guaranteed death sentence, and you want to act as though all five could potentially be hostile?” King Alstatyn asked. “You truly are a different breed, Ser Wainwright.”

“Given how the Prophet suddenly turned hostile, and I was forced to try and purify the Eldritch off of him… one can never be certain,” Orodan said.

“Indeed. This ability of yours to purify the Eldritch, just how far does it extend? I’ve heard you can purify vampires… but what about devils?”

The person who’d asked wasn’t Lady Sujana or the world core of X2. Rather, it was the new addition to the table that Orodan had never seen before but had heard of.

Captain-General Ryzlan, a peak-God, one at level 150, and leader of the Conclave’s branch in their galaxy. This God was powerful and known as one of the mightiest beings in their galaxy aside from the Celestial Emperor, Agrimon of the Hegemony and A1 of the Unity.

“I’ve purified vampires before, and I suspect it can be used on devils as well. But it’s a moot point as I don’t go around purifying anyone of their very being against their wishes,” Orodan said. “The Eldritch don’t count as it’s an infection that has spread. If a vampire or a devil is wicked, I’d rather just grant them the mercy of the blade.”

“Yet, think of all the good you could do if you chose to turn your ire against that wicked race of monsters. Since when have devils been worthy of sympathy?” the Captain-General asked.

“Devils or monsters, it’s irrelevant. This concerns not them, but me. Violating someone’s very being is a decision not made lightly. Only under the duress of combat when pressed and no options are available might I do such a thing, but I would promptly execute them afterward as the act is as good as death,” Orodan said.

“You are aware that the Conclave is at war with the Hells, correct? Whose side are you on then?”

“Neither. The devils of the hells have done nothing to wrong me. And if I see something I dislike I’ll draw my blade on the offender where they stand,” Orodan said.

“A shame, perhaps our alliance is not as deep as I had hoped. Can we truly be considered allies if you are not willing to commit to a promise towards us? After all… you’re asking us to fight Administrators on your behalf, should we also die for you?”

Die for him? What would this shining piece of dung know about dying for someone? Zaessythra had died for him, Adeltaj had died for him. And dwelling on that had now raised Orodan’s ire.

“Enough with your flowery barbs. I have never asked anyone to fight my battles for me, nor do I need them to. I’ll gladly march to fight the Reject and the entirety of the Hegemony alone if needed,” Orodan declared. “And I have had a few too many people die on my behalf, so rest assured Captain-General, I would never ask such a thing of you or anyone. The Reject, the Prophet… hells, all five of these Administrators could appear and I’d still fight to my glorious end against them, head unbowed. I have, from the very beginning, been alone. I need no allies.”

“Orodan… these are our allies…” Zhou Shan quietly said from next to him.

“No Zhou Shan, this God is your ally. I’m here to help you against our mutual enemies, the Celestial Emperor and the Hegemony. And I do so because I respect you,” Orodan said. “Whether the Captain-General and his Conclave aids in that is between you and him. I need no help in fighting my own battles. The Reject, when he comes, is mine alone to face.”

“Fair enough. If nothing else, I can respect your conviction,” the Captain-General said.

“I dislike this game of politicking and diplomacy around a table,” Orodan said. “Are we almost done here?”

“We’re just about to wrap up.”

Orodan didn’t speak much for the remainder of the boring discussion. It mainly involved Zhou Shan and King Alstatyn hashing out the particulars of aid and the planets being granted to the Blackworth Collective. Orodan himself also pledged to help the King of the Collective potentially recover planets back in his home galaxy through Time Reversal.

But that all depended on him surviving the coming apocalypse in two weeks’ time.

And before that, the upcoming trip to the hells in a few days.

#

“I am beginning to see why your companion Zaessythra is often at her wit’s end with you,” Zhou Shan said as they walked down the dark hallways of the Celestial Palace’s underbelly.

“All I did was make my opinion known in a straightforward manner, as anyone of honest character would,” Orodan replied.

“Antagonizing our allies in the Conclave was a bit much… could you not have couched your words a bit?” the High Sovereign asked.

“And what would that achieve besides having them think there’s still a possibility of me agreeing to their nonsense?” Orodan asked. “No. Rather than bandying words it’s better to get things out in the open.”

“You truly are one of a kind, Orodan,” Zhou Shan said. “I suppose they haven’t moved to angrily call off our alliance yet.”

“If they refuse to aid you, then the Hegemony and the dwarves will simply come for them next,” Orodan said. “Their course is somewhat locked in.”

“Rather astute of you to notice. And here you say you’re not one for politics.”

“Just a basic observation. Back in the orphanage the street rats would often form alliances of necessity and convenience against mutual enemies,” Orodan said.

“Against the older children?” Zhou Shan asked.

“At first. And then when I started getting bigger and better at brawling, they tried ganging up on me,” he replied. “Didn’t go very well for them.”

“Hah! Given that you’re bigger than almost any body cultivator I’ve met, I suppose you weren’t exactly born small, were you?”

“It’s always a notable moment when I meet someone bigger or taller than myself. Among humans at least,” Orodan answered accounting for Zaessythra who was ten feet tall versus his near seven feet.

They spoke some more as they descended down many stairwells, until finally reaching their destination.

“They should be in here,” Zhou Shan said. “She often visits her younger brother. Although the eldest sibling, does not bother to pay him a visit.”

“My lord. The prisoner is being visited by Lady Yixia at this time,” the prison guard, an armored cultivator with a hefty club said. “Would you like to enter as well?”

“Yes please.”

The door was opened, and the two of them walked inside.

“-still don’t understand why you cling to the foolish notion that he will return and restore the Celestial Court,” Jian Yixia asked.

“Yixia… you misrepresent my views,” Jian Song said. “I believe he will return to us one day… having found what he sought within that black hole so long ago.”

“He’s corrupted by the Eldritch, Song! You aided in much of his tyranny by bringing him people to dominate with his Dao!” Jian Yixia shouted.

“I’ve accepted my sins already… besides, you may want to quiet it down,” Jian Song said. “We have visitors.”

“Jian Song…” Zhou Shan said as he looked upon the man.

This was the very first Transcendent Orodan had ever met. Sure, he could give this cultivator an easy walloping now, but the impetus for growth that he’d provided at the time was invaluable. This man had also been complicit in the set up to try and get Orodan mind controlled by Jian Huangdi, the Celestial Emperor. Where Jian Yixia and Jian Ren - the two other siblings of the Celestial Emperor - had been complicit under duress, Jian Song had willingly aided Jian Huangdi.

“Prince Zhou Shan, or should I say High Sovereign? Your father would be embarrassed at what you’ve done to the Celestial Court that we have safeguarded for hundreds of thousands of years,” Jian Song said.

“My father was a cruel man and a tyrant,” Zhou Shan said. “His era is over. And his traditions will die with him.”

“You could have at least kept the office of Celestial Emperor open and mantled it yourself…” Jian Song muttered.

“To what end? More tyranny? Investing too much power into one man, one throne, is what led to the crisis among the Ascendent Sword Cluster to begin with,” Zhou Shan said. “Of course, it surprises me not that you’re obsessed with the throne. You’ve tried to have me assassinated or stifled at every critical point in my life. Qing Luo, my sworn man and most loyal friend, died in his past life for the assassin you paid to kill me. I looked up to you as my uncle, yet you could never step out of the shadow of being the youngest of the Jian siblings, always jealous of those above you. And when I came along, you felt threatened by my talent and tried to have me disposed of.”

“Tch! What would you know? Born with talent and the potential to acquire a Celestial skill. Looking down on me from your high perch of privilege!” Jian Song barked. “If I had to do it again, I would do it a thousand times over too. Does that anger you? Good! Why don’t you just kill me then?!”

“You…!” Zhou Shan seemed angered with his fist clenched and ready to reach for his axe. Yet the High Sovereign calmed himself. “You would be a waste of effort. Rot in here and watch as your dreams crumble.”

“Bah! Leave me be then! Or have you come to torment me with the presence of the man who bested me?” Jian Song asked. “Still slaughtering innocents, Orodan Wainwright?”

“I won’t deny that the deaths of all those people during our battle are on me,” Orodan replied. “But I did restore time and bring them all back.”

“Do you think throwing gigantic amounts of power around erases all that you’ve done? All the people you’ve killed, before we ever met and since our battle?” Jian Song asked.

“No. But I have little time to dwell upon such things and self-flagellate myself with guilt like an angst-ridden philosopher,” Orodan said. “I accept my faults and mistakes and move forward. You on the other hand, are locked up like a dog.”

“And whose fault is that?!”

“Your own? You did what you did, let’s not act otherwise,” Orodan said. “Still, you asked Zhou Shan to kill you just now, did you not? How about I open this cell and hand you a sword so you can fight me? On your feet, blade in hand, staring your killer in the eyes defiantly, it’s a good way to go.”

“T-that would be an execution!”

“So, you’re not serious about death then,” Orodan remarked, causing the prisoner to growl. “Anyhow, I came not to banter with your prisoner, but to meet with you, Jian Yixia.”

They stepped away from the cell and the prisoner’s angry barking.

“Orodan Wainwright… please pay no heed to my youngest brother,” Jian Yixia said. “He has become rather irritable and hostile and, in his mind, sees Zhou Shan and yourself as villains and him the wronged one who was righteously aiding our eldest brother.”

“A delusional fool. Then again, many have said that of me as well,” Orodan replied. “I digress. We came because you wished to speak to us.”

“I did. I bring a warning… it’s regarding your home world,” Jian Yixia said. “Specifically, about the obscuring formations I placed upon it.”

“What about them?” Orodan asked.

“The obscuring formation I placed; it should constantly scramble the position of your home world in space. Even standing directly where it is won’t allow someone to see it as the spatial fluctuations and waves are ever-shifting,” Jian Yixia explained. “However, there’s a secondary function of the formation, and that’s to detect whenever something is approaching the planet despite these protections. And… that’s what I’ve discovered. Something from outside of the galaxy is coming very swiftly for Alastaia. It might reach in a little over two weeks.”

Orodan knew exactly what was coming. Or rather, who.

Still, it was interesting to know that the Reject was tracking not Orodan directly, but Alastaia itself. Immediately his thoughts went to the Divine Tower, or what the Prophet had likely been referring to as the System’s Control Spike. Perhaps the Reject made way for that in a bid to target it?

“That’s fine. In fact, I expected as much,” Orodan said. “The person coming for Alastaia… might very well be the same person Jian Huangdi encountered during his trip to the black hole at the center of our galaxy.”

“How do you know this?” Zhou Shan asked.

“I don’t know for certain… but the Reject is also corrupted by the Eldritch, yet it’s the deep-rooted sort and not infectious. Different from the infectious type propagated by the Prophet.” Orodan said. “And if the Prophet can lead to the infectious Eldritch spreading, then…”

“…the Reject might corrupt someone in a similar manner,” Zhou Shan finished. “A theory we cannot prove, and yet it’s a likely one. Terrifying to consider too. I wonder what the difference between the two sorts of Eldritch are, and why?”

Orodan wondered that himself. And while the answer wasn’t known to him yet, he had an unpleasant feeling that he’d know one way or another in two weeks.

#

“Query: what does subject study?” W78 asked.

“A tome on Dimensionalism. I’m rather tired of gaining levels through having my enemies sneak up on me via dimensional travel,” Orodan said. “What nobody told me though, was how difficult it is.”

“Information: Dimensionalism widely hailed among ten most difficult schools of study in galactic society,” W78 said. “Solution: expert tutelage recommended.”

“Perhaps once things slow down a little, my friend,” Orodan said, reading the book as he sprinkled some crystals onto the pan. “Might even take up rune-crafting or runic enchanting one day. The dwarves I fought during the siege of Xian were able to replicate dimensional travel through just their runecraft. It seemed a rather versatile and powerful craft.”

“Information: Runecrafting widely hailed among ten most difficult schools of study in galactic society,” W78 said. “Solut-”

“Alright, alright. Expert tutelage, I get it,” Orodan said. “Perhaps for when I have more free time… or the next loop…”

“Observation: emotional state: pessimism. Solution: reminder that friend is not alone.”

Orodan smiled at his machine friend yet said nothing. He truly did like W78 very much. Thus, he wouldn’t bring his friend’s mood down by elaborating on his thoughts.

It wasn’t that Orodan was pessimistic. Well, perhaps he was to an extent, but he preferred to label it as realism.

It was more that he’d been in the time loops long enough now to get an inkling for how this entire thing typically went. The almighty enemy descending from the stars, his friends who he was forging bonds with. He possessed enough self-awareness to see how this was going.

There was a reason Orodan hated the long loops, and a part of him was really hating this one too.

It was all far easier when he was alone and back in Ogdenborough…

…but he’d be damned if he didn’t go down without the greatest fight the universe would ever see.

“Say, I’ve seen these glyphs and runes before… it looks suspiciously like the runes on…”

…the ancient machine under Mount Castarian.

That was right. These runes looked almost identical to the ones he recalled seeing on that ancient machine!

“Information: runes in textbook related to Dimensionalism,” W78 said.

“Why thank you, I never would’ve known,” Orodan said, and before the cheeky machine could make a comment about his sarcasm Orodan continued. “Let me focus and generate an impression of my memory onto the recaller orb. Tell me if you’ve ever seen this thing before.”

Recaller orbs were a device one could dedicate their mental focus and an energy source towards for the purpose of visually displaying their thoughts and mental images for others. It wasn’t exactly a memory reading device, rather it simply copied what people were picturing at the time. But they could be used to get a picture of memories too. Or portray the products of a vivid imagination.

A picture of the ancient machine under Mount Castarian began to take shape, particularly when it was at the height of its power, erupted from the mountain, core gleaming with mana. Orodan had a rather good memory, and his connection to his soul was phenomenal. Forgetting things wasn’t an issue he faced, so recalling the runes perfectly on the ancient machine was more than doable for him.

“Information: Unknown construct. Runes identified, related to dimensionalism and… unknown location,” W78 said.

“Unknown location?” Orodan asked. “I was told that this machine was supposed to lead to the hells.”

“Affirmative. Destination at low core charge: designation - hells,” W78 explained. “Destination at full core charge: unknown.”

Orodan could only scratch his head. For so long he’d thought the machine underneath Mount Castarian led to the hells. But now? Just what was it? And where did it lead to at full power?

“But… it was charged up to full power in the past. You’re saying it would’ve led to an unknown location instead of the hells then?” Orodan asked.

“Analysis: construct energy core built with purposeful flaws. Materials: sub-par, incapable of handling full power core,” W78 explained. “Complete re-construction recommended for full power. Runes of acceptable quality.”

Fascinating. Only the runes were made correctly then?

“Then, why did someone do such a shoddy job? If you say only the runes work, then why would anyone build such a thing?” Orodan asked. “You mentioned purposeful?”

“Analysis: likelihood of purposeful flaws in construct: high. Hypothesis: creator desired concealment of project. Likelihood of detection through scans with higher level materials: high.”

What his friend was suggesting then… was that someone attempted to hide the ancient machine on Alastaia, and purposefully used sub-par materials and flaws in order to do so.

“Well, this has been an interesting discussion on a topic I didn’t think would ever be relevant again,” Orodan said as he finished up his work on the pan and put his book away too.

[Cooking 22 → Cooking 25]

He finished the dish off with a sprinkling of crushed energy cube flakes which he grinded and mixed into the main course, a much larger power crystal rich with energies.

“Analysis: high-energy refuelling source detected. Unknown composition and mixture of ingredients.”

“Exactly. I tried to spice it up a bit. You’re a growing machine who needs nutrients,” Orodan jested as he shoved the plate towards W78. “Eat up!”

“Hypothesis: likelihood of combustion - high. Solution: friend remains ready with chronomancy capabilities.”

“Guh! I’m not that bad of a cook that you’ll require resurrection!”

“Unit uncertain of friend’s claims.”

Regardless of W78’s criticisms, his friend sent a metallic arm out and swooped the plate of food. And in a single motion, it was sent straight down into the power core.

With a flash of light, W78 suddenly emanated energy and began furiously blinking, and Orodan immediately blazed white thinking to use Time Reversal.

However, it was unnecessary.

“W78!”

“Unit has gained Gourmand skill. Analysis: unknown data streams detected in sensory core. Sensation unknown. Sensation… not unpleasant,” W78 said as the lights on the metallic being continued blinking rapidly.

“Hah! I think you’ve been awakened to your sense of taste my friend!” Orodan declared with a proud laugh.

“Information: unit requesting additional servings.”

#

“W78 sure is a hungry machine… the stores were beginning to run out of ingredients,” Orodan said. “Well, at least I’m a Cooking Apprentice now.”

“Oh? So, you can cook for that metallic jester, but not for me?” Zaessythra asked. “I’m wounded.”

“Did I not bring you an excellent bowl of fruit and fish when we were first acquainted with one another?” Orodan asked, recalling how he’d done that once as a fond memory. “Straight from the Ogdenborough markets too!”

Her face scrunched up in disgust.

“I’m glad you didn’t decide to do that in this loop. I hate that combination! I still can’t believe one of my loop selves actually told you that was my favorite… I have such an urge to throw that Zaessythra into a fireplace,” she said. “How was I meant to eat it either? Ridiculous… and shame on you for playing along with that silly joke.”

“You’re the one who said it, not me,” Orodan said as he raised his arms in a placating gesture. Not that it lessened her glare any. “Blame yourself for the set up.”

She simply ignored him and buried her head into the book she was reading. After a minute though, she spoke again.

“Well, it’s good to see that you’re capable of such things.”

“What? Cooking? It’s rather easy, especially since one of my favorite students introduced me to it,” Orodan said, fondly recalling Zukelmux and the goblin’s exotic cuisine. “Admittedly, the only cooking I did prior was in militia basic training and that involved burning meat over a campfire. The archers and crossbows in our group did the hunting and skinning, and I don’t think I focused on it enough to get a skill then.”

“Well, yes, it’s nice to see that you can cook, but I meant doing normal mortal things,” Zaessythra said.

“Isn’t that a bit strange coming from an immortal half-dragon such as yourself?” Orodan asked. “Neither of us are really ‘mortal’ any longer.”

“True. Yet the ability to hold onto the vestiges of the simpler times is what separates a well-adjusted Transcendent from the bloodthirsty lunatics who’ll butcher entire worlds for entertainment,” she said. “I’ve lived for a long time. Do you think I remained sane by simply focusing on my power and self-growth?”

“Yes? Don’t get me wrong, a true warrior should hone the mind in ways other than combat too, yet it’s still a process of constant refinement and self-growth,” Orodan said.

She shook her head and smiled.

“Sometimes, Orodan… you’re more a force of nature than a person. Especially when your mind is dead set on something and you start leaning into that bottomless determination of yours,” Zaessythra said. “Still, it’s nice to know that you can enjoy things for the sake of it sometimes. It helps you seem like less of a fantastical being brought to life and more like Orodan Wainwright the idiot who enjoys fighting.”

“If you’re proposing that I feel no emotions, you’re mistaken,” Orodan said. “We’ve had this conversation before. I do care about things, and I feel emotions like anyone else does.”

“Such as when I’m hurt?” she asked.

“Quite so. And speaking of which, I’m still not enthused about that stunt you pulled back on Lonvoron,” Orodan said. “Jumping in front of a peak-Transcendent, really?”

“I’m not some fragile princess, Orodan. I’ve been waging war for a long time and have been through much blood and death.”

“Feh, that’s not what I meant, idiot,” Orodan said, for once turning the tables and referring to her as such. “If you’re going to die, go die for yourself. At least that way I won’t feel as bad. Duel a mighty foe and die on your feet because you chose to do it.”

“Heh… I had your ire figured wrong. So, all this time what you really had an issue with…”

“Is the fact that you keep throwing yourself in front of attacks meant for me,” Orodan finished. “I’m starting to get a little tired of people getting themselves killed on my behalf. First, it was Adeltaj. Then it was you, and it’s looking to be you yet again if you keep this up.”

“What can I say? I have a natural tendency for acts of courage and daring,” she replied with a smirk. “Try not to swoon too hard over my heroics.”

Orodan simply rolled his eyes at her dramatics.

“Quit stealing my glorious deaths,” Orodan said. “I’m the time looper, you’re not.”

“Yes, which is why protecting you is rather important isn’t it?” she asked. “Where would I be right now without the mighty time looper?”

“Zaessythra… you should prioritize yourself fi-”

“And if you prioritized yourself first, I’d still be a book, likely within the vault held by those pegasi,” she cut off. “Do you think yourself the only one who can feel debt and gratitude? Come now Orodan, see beyond just yourself.”

Orodan could say little in response, for she was right.

If someone had saved him multiple times, he’d feel immense gratitude and work to protect them. Thus, he could only admit to his blindness in not seeing that Zaessythra was doing the same.

“We’re caught in a bind then, aren’t we? We’ve both bailed one another out a few times, and this argument will go on forever as we take turns complaining about each other’s reckless behavior,” Orodan said.

“Indeed. Quite the bind we’re in,” she said. “Doomed to a fate of looking out for one another, forever.”

Yet, it had no heat to it. And even Orodan found himself not seeing a problem with this ‘bind’.

How horrible, to complain about each other risking their lives for the other till the end of time.

There were certainly worse binds to find oneself in.

Of course, there was a good chance Orodan wouldn’t have to worry about such things at all two weeks from now. When doom and an opponent who could break galaxies came for him.

#

“Ser Wainwright, are you and your companions ready?” King Alstatyn asked.

“Of course. A trip into the neutral city of Druhmiyan where the council of the Hells is held and every noble house of the Arch-Devils has a base of power,” Zaessythra said. “Who needs preparation for such a thing?”

“Analysis: odds of success with Orodan Wainwright - nil. Odds of success without Orodan Wainwright - minimal.”

“I’d normally say the jest is a poor one, but you are going to try and be diplomatic, aren’t you Orodan?” Zhou Shan asked. “I don’t think my heart can take it if I hear you’ve come back having declared war upon all of the hells.”

“You lot have no faith in me…” Orodan muttered. “What’s the worst that happens? I make a few enemies and then I proceed to fight my way out?”

“Or you get everyone killed and add another enemy to this war of ours?” Zaessythra posed.

“On the contrary, the Captain-General and myself would not complain if you antagonized the devils and caused mayhem,” Lady Sujana said.

“Of course you wouldn’t,” Orodan said. “My position on the matter still stands. I have no interest in purifying the devils and demons as a race.”

“Of course…” she replied.

Still, for once, Orodan found himself agreeing with the viewpoint of these overly stuffy Conclave knights. It wasn’t that he had an especial hatred of devils.

But…

…Orodan did love a good fight. And devils were known to take challenges to themselves seriously and honor the tradition of duels. Furthermore, Druhmiyan had an interesting law that Orodan had read about prior.

The law which stated that disputes and legal matters could be settled through trial by combat or honor duels.

In other words. Might makes right.

Orodan was a staunch believer in the notion that without strength, one’s morals and ideals were useless and unenforceable.

It was time then, to go raise hell in the hells.