Chapter 343: A Trillion Would Do

Golden light enclosed Forgotten Shrine.

Cassian felt weightless for a few seconds. Then his entire Domain, along with every unit inside it, stood once more in the Human Hall.

He had barely found his footing when a delighted voice reached him.

"Cassian! He’s back!"

Nessa was already hurrying toward him. Before long, Divine Province’s Lords had gathered outside his Domain, joined by the Governors of the other twelve Crown Provinces. Even Orion Valcrest had come over, studying Cassian with open curiosity.

"You should have seen her," Elara said, smiling at Nessa. "Every day, staring at the spot where your Domain stood. Another few days and she’d have turned to stone waiting for her husband."

"Not every day! I only looked when I had a moment."

Nessa’s face warmed. She rose onto her toes and touched the crease between Cassian’s brows.

"Did you lose a lot of troops?"

He ruffled her hair.

"Quite a few."

"You reached stage twenty-six, didn’t you?" Darian’s expression became serious. "Our Domains are only Rank XVI. Against Rank XIX, the gap is enormous. There’s no shame in stopping if you can’t get through."

Looking at their concerned faces, Cassian realized what they had assumed.

Most Lords waited until the end of each countdown before clearing the next checkpoint. That gave them as much time as possible to hunt in the current stage. In practice, it meant a stage a day.

His first few stages had gone much faster. After twenty-six, he had needed to leave enough time for long battles, making it impossible to finish every stage at exactly the same interval.

The difference had added up to several days. Judging by the time he had spent inside, they placed him somewhere around twenty-six.

He let the misunderstanding stand. Explaining his progress would only raise more questions.

"How did you know the twenty-sixth stage has Rank-XIX Domains?" he asked Darian.

The question sounded like confirmation. Admiration spread through the gathering.

"He really got that far!"

Elara answered him.

"Ilyse Ardent cleared twenty-five. Then she spent another day choosing a target for twenty-six. She used a new Prism Bridge a little while ago. This is her second attempt."

"Ilyse?" Cassian was surprised. "Is she that strong?"

From what he had seen, she possessed a Mythic artifact and an Ascendant. Her other Heroes and troops should be Legendary, with relatively few Nine-Stars among them.

Calling a challenge to stage twenty-six suicide would be an exaggeration. Even if she won, though, the losses could wipe out a year’s work.

Did she have another powerful card hidden away?

"Strong?" Darian snorted. "We’ve only just learned about her father. Apparently he’s a powerful Ascendant Lord in the Elemental Covenant’s Tide Chapter. She’s gathered more than a hundred strong Lords to clear the stages for her."

He folded his arms.

"With a hundred Human Champions laying down their armies, you could put a dog in charge and get it through. She might even reach twenty-seven."

That explained it.

An Ascendant Lord was a Mythic Lord, a peer of the Divine Kings, the Abyssal Archlords, or Mount Celestia’s six-winged Angels. A father who could make so many promising Human Lords sacrifice their futures for his daughter must stand high even among them.

Elara took a more cheerful view.

"It has worked out well for Humanity, even if that wasn’t her intention. Nobody expected the checkpoint rewards to rise so much after stage twenty. Those hundred Lords could bring in more than two hundred billion points between them. That alone could lift us hundreds of places in the racial ranking."

"I still can’t stand the way she acts," Darian said. "As though she’s already the greatest Human Lord here."

Cassian smiled and offered no judgment. Whatever her reasons, her success helped him too.

Another piece of news held his attention longer.

A Lord from Veilmist Reach claimed to have encountered a Phoenix Lord.

Phoenixes were born Mythic. The Lord alone would have fighting strength comparable to a Mythic Hero.

After more than ten minutes of conversation, Cassian had a fair picture of Humanity’s progress and the most important reports from the Labyrinth.

"I shouldn’t waste any more time. I’ll exchange for another bridge and go back in. Wait for my good news."

Seeing that he had decided, the others stopped trying to persuade him. Darian and the core members also knew about his Crystal Maidens, though they did not know how many he had. That hidden force gave them something to hope for.

"Don’t rush the attack," Darian advised. "We can each buy five bridges. Spend a few days finding a suitable city if you need to. Then put everything into taking it."

Cassian nodded.

"One more thing. Does anyone have Aether to spare? Lend me what you can. I’ll repay you as soon as we’re back on the Homeworld."

They exchanged glances.

"How much do you need?"

"A hundred million isn’t too little. A trillion isn’t too much."

He wanted to be ready for whatever waited at the heart of the Labyrinth.

Seraphine gave a helpless smile.

"You must have earned at least two hundred billion over these past few months. Have you spent all of it already?"

Despite the question, she was quick to contribute. So was everyone else.

Darian handed over the full thirty billion he had kept as spending money. Nessa wanted to exchange her three hundred million remaining points for three billion Aether, but Cassian stopped her.

There were plenty of ways to get Aether. Battle Essence was much harder to obtain. Her points were worth keeping for that.

When the transfers ended, Cassian had borrowed sixty billion Aether.

"Thanks, everyone." He smiled around the group. "Dinner’s on me when we get home."

He paid thirty million points for a Prism Bridge. Soon, a path of colored light shot from his Domain and vanished into the Hall’s stone wall.

Once he was gone, several of the waiting Lords lost their smiles.

Lana looked troubled.

"We’ve spent these last few days hearing about the invasion from Jade Court, Western Beacon, and the other western Lords. Ten War Marshals from older sectors. Some even brought Extreme troops."

She glanced toward the bridge.

"Was it right to keep that from him?"

Soren Hartwell sighed.

"Tell him after his challenge. He has enough to think about in there."

Alwin Valcrest turned toward Divine Province’s Lords.

"You’ve been good friends to the Valcrests. You’ve looked after Seraphine and Lyra throughout this year." His voice grew firm. "If something happens to Divine Province—and I only mean if—Westreach will always welcome you."

The Divine Lords were worried, but far less than their allies expected. Victory after victory had given them a confidence that was difficult to shake.

Nessa spoke up at once.

"Cassian must have expected this. He’ll have left preparations. Divine Province will hold until we get back!"

Lana and the others exchanged looks. They let the subject drop. Pressing it now would only hurt the people they wanted to help.

Privately, they made the same decision. If Divine Province really fell, they would help Cassian take it back, whatever it cost them later.

——

The new Prism Bridge drew attention well beyond the Crown’s gathering. Lords from across the Homeworld, and from several neighboring sections of the Hall, turned to look.

Anyone still entering the Labyrinth at this stage belonged among the strongest contenders.

Nearby, Western Beacon, Black Banner, and Dawn Coast Lords watched the light with mixed feelings.

"May the gods send him back with his army in ruins."

"Better yet, let him die in there."

The wishes came from the heart.

"There’s no need to worry," Gavin told them. "He’s challenging the stages alone. He won’t get through twenty-six. Even if he manages it by some miracle, he’ll pay dearly."

He sounded more cheerful as he continued.

"Once Divine Province is gone and his army is ruined, his best choice will be to sell his assets and start again in Sector 667 when it opens."

Odette Ravelle was the only one whose expression held a trace of anticipation.

The Homeworld’s youngest Bloodkin Prince had dealt with Cassian several times. She knew enough of his character to recognize how carefully he prepared before taking a risk.

If he truly could clear stage twenty-six alone, his strength would exceed even that of the twelve great Realms’ Legion Commanders.

Perhaps it was time for the Homeworld’s Bloodkin to seek a closer partnership with him.