Captain Francis

I looked at my watch nervously as I felt my skin begin to itch. The energy in the air was increasing. I had volunteered myself for this, since I knew what Michael wanted. I had been around him enough and seen the various traps play out earlier today.

He wanted to kill the Avatar hiding up above the city. I had served in the military before this place. Then the Purgatory military against the Dragon Empire and Divine Empress. I knew Michael’s Empire had its share of secrets, but he had been willing to fight at the front lines and take risks.

As the time ticked down, I could only pray, I wouldn’t die. I put my hands on the pillar controlling the city shield. It was time. I chose to deactivate the shield. The constant pressure from the shield was gone. Color returned to the world. I quickly made my way out of the building and towards the plaza.

The entire place was still intact. Looking up the airship was rapidly descending towards where the Astrologer had made a hole in reality. I waited at the plaza, since Emperor Michael would likely be returning and would need directions on where the Avatar had gone.

No, he would want me to act. Act before she could escape. I kicked off the ground and quickly made my way in her direction. If I got a chance, I needed to stop her. With how much suffering she had unleashed, she could not be allowed to continue her acts of terrorism. She needed to be stopped no matter what.

I freed the sword at my side. I preferred a gun, but this would have to do along with my skills. I could not let this chance to go waste and allow a mass murderer and enemy to escape.

Mohammad Hamidur Rahman

“High Priestess, the battle below us is over. We should retreat,” I urged her. She couldn’t be allowed to perish no matter what. Without her guidance, we would be lost.

‘No. I am commanded to stay and resolve the issue I have created. Once the hole is closed, we will depart immediately. Michael is some distance, so we should have time.’ She answered only to God. I bowed my head, knowing the task he had sent her was beyond my understanding. All I could do was support her.

It was getting harder and harder. Our crystal reserves were quite low. Running an airship was not cheap and the Divine Empress had dealt us many setbacks. I had urged her to consider making peace and had been happy when it occurred. But that had been a lie unfortunately.

The shield deactivated. ‘Descend immediately,’ the High Priestess commanded and I gave a nod to the helmsman. We quickly began to descend as I felt an immense amount of energy in the air. I had asked what had happened, but the High Priestess had not seen fit to inform me.

‘Adjust South, descend faster. Get ready to assist me in moving. I need to be brought into a building up to the second floor as quickly as possible.’ We touched down on the street and two of my soldiers lifted up the table the High Priestess was strapped to and carried her inside the building. I remained outside to stand guard.

High Priestess

Curse that Astrologer for putting me in this position! The Almighty System had judged this to be partially my mess and instructed me to clean it up immediately. Or else it would intervene and that would not be pleasant for me.

No matter how much I raged, I could not disobey. For it had been paying close attention to everything that had happened inside the city. Even more so with the city shield activated and it actively interfered and suppressed everything in the area.

The moment the shield disappeared I could sense what the Astrologer had done. It was stupid, pointless, and spiteful. If I wasn’t here, then the portal would have snapped shut. But I could tell the Almighty System was annoyed with my actions leading up to this. So, it was maintained, forcing me to go down there and deal with it myself.

The airship landed, and my people quickly got me off and carried me into the building. The energy coming through the tear was immense. Once we were in the room, I focused and dispersed the energy constructs from around the edge of the portal.

That was what I was trying to save everyone from. When the Almighty System was finally voted away, we would be left defenseless against the ravages of energy. It was shielding us for some reason. That and so much more. What the Astrologer had done should not have been done with those energetic remnants.

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The safety measures were slowly unraveling. Everything was unraveling, and people didn’t understand they needed to stop poking things that should not be poked. The ripped open portal snapped shut, and the energy level in the air quickly began to decrease. ‘Let us leave immediately,’ I told my porters. It was time to go to the other side of the Systemic Lands.

While I hadn’t observed them much, there was someone who could use my guidance. And their power did not rest with themselves in truth, which meant I could arrange things to find the best person to aid me.

A setback for sure, but we would stop by my cities on the way West one last time. Michael had won and there was no stopping him now. We reached the airship, when I could sense a person on top of a roof that wasn’t one of mine.

“Acid Shot. Acid Shot. Acid Shot. Acid Shot.”

‘NO!’ Even as Mohammad Hamidur Rahman moved and I made to shield the airship, we were all too late. The acid struck damaging the blimp part as I was loaded on.

“We have lost lift ability,” the helmsman said.

‘Destroy it and flee, leave me behind. I will contact you all later. Now!’ They quickly got to work as the airship was wrecked and my people retreated. Leaving me behind next to a ruined airship. The soldier from before approached me.

‘Congratulations. You have caught me,’ I replied. He raised his hand but then stopped as he clearly felt the Almighty System giving him a warning. ‘I saved this city, and this is how you repay me?’ I asked with a touch of curiosity.

“Acid Shot,” he used his skill, but his hand jerked to the side in pure fear at the last moment, missing me. It was a valiant attempt. But killing me wasn’t so simple. I would be a hostage again, but it was no problem. I would eventually be rescued, and I could not be killed. So, while I had experienced a setback and hopes of a full recovery, it had been a gamble regardless.

Now I would have the unenviable task of trying to convince Michael to the correct course of action. “Acid Shot,” the weak soldier tried again, but he couldn’t. “Why?!” he roared at me.

‘I am the Avatar of the Almighty System. High Priestess of the Fifth Caliphate. I cannot be killed. If I am, you would bring great doom upon yourself and your fledging nation.’ A bit much, but I had no issue overstating things.

In time I would arrange for one of my people to take the governorship of one of these cities. They would get points and help me rebuild. I would need a lot to recover my body, but once I did, I would finally be able to see and walk again. I would need billions of points, but I would eventually get them one way or the other.

I focused my sight, and could tell Michael, or Emperor Michael was rapidly approaching. I had already decided how to play this. Nothing he could do would inconvenience me for long. Mohammad Hamidur Rahman was very capable of effecting a rescue from anywhere Michael put me to suffer. No monsters would harm me. No zone environment would kill me. I would persist and live.

Before I had used to view this as a curse, now I viewed it as a lifeline. Perhaps things would have been different if I had picked another power. A stealth one perhaps to hide from the Divine Empress. Or a portable store, so I could just stay in the wilderness grinding up points, and never having to go back to a city.

I had wanted the truth and power. I had been greedy and foolish. A poor combination. My judgement had been clouded once again. But the chance to take over everything compared to just three cities was too tempting. I knew I was going to lose them all. My supporters were going to be purged without mercy.

The Divine Empress had respected my resistance and my fight. She had her own sense of honor in a way. That was why she preferred to torture me and not go after my people. There were other factors, but I could tell she had been slightly impressed, deep down. Very deep down.

The sheer bundle of rage that was Michael was getting closer. ‘Let him know, I wish to surrender completely.’ I told the soldier. He gave me a look but didn’t reply. Hopefully Michael would allow me to speak, but it was doubtful.

I wondered what horrible punishment he had come up with for me. It would be amusing no matter what. I was immune to being raped or physically tortured. Even mental torture didn’t mean anything anymore. There was nothing left of me he could carve away. The Divine Empress had already attempted that to break my will.

It was no exaggeration to say, that anyone like me who could survive her torture for years wouldn’t role over. Waterboarding was hilariously fun. The burning and nail pulling were good ways to get the blood going. The water drip torture was quite heinous, but a new experience.

In the end, I had endured it all past the breaking point multiple times. I couldn’t break. My mind and soul were held in the inescapable grip of the Almighty System. Even if I wanted to die, I could not kill myself either. I had sold myself into eternal slavery to a master that was inhuman in every sense of the word.

Michael was getting closer. He would be here any second. I would let him take the lead and be silent unless he asked me a question. Better not to stir him up until he had calmed down a bit. Even then I did not hold out much hope. I had betrayed his trust. Stupid Astrologer, not being able to kill him with all the support I had provided.

The Astrologer had been less than useless, but a hinderance to my plans. Michael landed in front of both of us and the rage he had when seeing me was quite immense. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone that mad except for the Divine Empress. This was not going to be a pleasant conversation.