Chapter 178: No One Leaves

Cassian had begun issuing orders the moment Darian spoke his first warning.

"Ghost fleet, head upriver along the Tearflow. Conceal yourselves near the Goblin outpost and wait for orders."

"Everyone else, return to the Domain immediately. That includes all hunting parties in the outer sea and Crystal Bastion."

His first thought had been a Legendary Spatial Lock Scroll.

Would the veterans bring one?

Very likely.

When the others turned toward him, he looked at Darian and spoke with unusual seriousness.

"We owe House Frost for this warning. Without it, the consequences could have been disastrous."

He meant it. Crystal Bastion could only support so many hunters, and its monsters were growing too weak. Most of his Heroes and stronger troops, including Aurelia, Celia, and Liora, had been hunting out at sea. If a seal suddenly cut off the whole Marches, even his own Domain could be left in danger.

The others would fare much worse.

"The Agriculture Ranking settled three days ago," he continued. "That makes Sector 663 the most likely source of this army. A three-year advantage. We can still fight them."

His instructions came quickly.

"Have every Lord recall their Heroes and troops at once. Veylan lies to our west. Move the other Domains into Regions east of Riftward, Ironwake, and Greyfen."

He looked at Darian and Seraphine.

"Our three Regions will form the first line of defense."

The others nodded.

"Stoneward’s War Lords will help defend Riftward," Gareth said at once.

"Northwatch will support Ironwake," Mira added.

"Will the veterans be Level fifty or fifty-five?" Darian asked suddenly. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

Cassian had already reached Rank X, but before he could speak, Elara’s face fell.

"I’m sorry, everyone. I reached Rank X three days ago..."

Their hearts sank. Even so, they quickly reassured her. Her Domain was overflowing with resources. She could hardly stop developing forever out of fear that an enemy might benefit.

"Level-fifty-five veterans," Tobias muttered. "Should we ask Westmere, Evenfall, and the Legion for help?"

"No."

"No."

Cassian and Darian spoke together, then looked at one another.

"The Black Banner will have planned for that," Darian explained. "The other Marches will probably face enemies of their own. We have to handle this ourselves."

He gave Cassian an appreciative look.

"You really are clever. You thought of it too."

"Are you sure I’m the one you’re praising?"

Cassian’s own reason was simpler. He did not want someone else coming to take his kills.

The others added a few suggestions, then broke off to carry out the plan.

Within moments, the quiet Marches was in an uproar.

[The veterans are coming already?]

[Good! It proves they’re afraid of us!]

[Sector 663, probably. Three more years of development. This won’t be an easy battle.]

[If you’re scared, you can leave. Don’t talk up the enemy and frighten everyone else.]

[I’m stating a fact! Who said I’m scared? Anyone who leaves now is a damned coward!]

Cassian watched the Channel with growing satisfaction.

Thirty-six thousand Lords remained in Riftward. Faced with a battle that looked almost certain to kill them, not one immediately left.

[I’m scared to death. But a few days ago, I swore I’d die in Riftward before I ran away. Can’t pretend I never said it now, can I?]

[Cassian, Darian, and Seraphine are putting themselves in front. What makes my life so precious?]

[Are the officers here? I volunteer for the defense of the three Regions.]

[Me too.]

The Marches had once held a million Lords. More than half had been filtered out after the Regional boundaries opened. More had left when the Province became accessible, and another wave had fled after the Jade Court’s announcement.

Those who remained had made their choice. Farming Lords, entertainment Lords—it did not matter. They had the resolve to stand and fight.

These were the people Cassian would build his future conquests around.

He used his Commander permissions to help Mira move the Domains. Elara and the others organized the arriving volunteers into groups to defend Riftward Region’s four transit points.

Darian had been right.

No sooner had news of the descent escaped than Black Banner armies appeared outside every Crown Marches. None had time to send help. Even the Beacon League brought troops to Evenfall’s border, leaving Lydia Venn braced for an attack.

If any Marches weakened its defenses, the enemy was ready to rush in.

Yet Corin still sent Dain to Riftward on his own. That surprised Cassian.

Half an hour later, Veyra spoke from within the Domain.

"You guessed correctly. They brought a Legendary Spatial Lock Scroll. The Marches is sealed."

"A robbery needs both halves of the pair," Cassian said softly. "Once they’re deep inside Riftward, I’ll add a Legendary communication seal. Nice and complete."

Veyra had nothing to say to that.

Across the Marches, the other Lords were discovering the same thing. Domain Gates and Waygates had all stopped working.

"Damn them," Tobias said through clenched teeth. "Another Legendary Spatial Lock!"

Everyone thought of the massacre in Sector 632. Black Banner’s General Hale had used one of those scrolls there.

Cassian had already crossed paths with that family. Major Corvin Hale, who had commanded the Spiritbound Lords in Severin’s attack, was the general’s grandson.

"General Hale. Sector 632. Within three years..."

Cassian murmured the words, then turned to the growth panels.

Cassian opened the Eclipse Hall’s training panel and selected Veyra.

[Muster Fortune consumed: 300,000.]

[Mistveil March: Accomplished → Greater Mastery.]

Then he bought eight Legendary Hero Souls through the Exchange for four hundred million Aether and selected Celia in the Hero growth panel.

[Hero Soul: Legendary ×1 consumed. Celia Morcant — Legendary, Two-Star.]

[Hero Soul: Legendary ×1 consumed. Celia Morcant — Legendary, Three-Star.]

He kept confirming the advances and paying their Battle Essence costs. Light rose around Celia again and again.

——

"Veylan, Kelshore. I’ll leave Riftward’s borders to you. Kill anyone who slips through."

Unlike a Region, which occupied its own separate space connected to the outside by transit points, a Marches lay directly on the wider map. Its territory stretched across tens of thousands of kilometers.

Osmund looked into Riftward and smiled.

"Cassian and the rest of their supposed elites are mine. I won’t seal communications. If anything changes, contact me at once."

With that, he led his tens of thousands of troops and Tobren Morvane into Riftward Marches.