Chapter 391: A Broken Agreement

Satisfaction showed on Edran’s face.

When he had first seen Sovereign Beastheart, even he had been stunned. A sector open for barely more than a year had produced a Mythic Skill Book. That was extraordinary by any standard.

Now the skill worked alongside the statue’s aura, Dragon’s Blessing, government offices, and the rest of Darian’s advantages. Golden Behemoths were Extreme troops to begin with. Their performance made perfect sense.

There was no need to say all that aloud, of course.

"Your young Valcrests are doing rather well too."

He pointed toward another broadcast.

A huge moon rose above an image of mountains and rivers. Beneath it, Seraphine drove her fist forward.

Moonlit Dominion.

The fist imprint swept across the battlefield with that vast landscape trailing behind it. Troops below Epic burst apart wherever it passed. More than ten thousand enemies died in a single blow.

"A fine girl," the Valcrest founder said, nodding with pleasure. "The fourth branch has produced quite a few talents."

Seraphine was already gulping Life Water. Clearly, that strike had required Seven-Star Release. Even so, killing ten thousand enemies with one punch was something to be proud of.

The founder’s smile widened.

"Your boy. My girl. Both such outstanding youngsters. Why don’t we bring the families a little closer?"

Edran shot him an irritated look. The man still had not given up on that marriage alliance.

"Forget it."

"You really can’t bear to part with your nineteenth, can you? He calls through Bloodline Invocation, and his father comes running. You’ve spoiled him."

Edran’s face reddened.

"Nothing sensible ever comes out of your mouth."

"Look," the Caerwyn Sovereign interrupted. "Cassian’s force is moving."

On the third display, a Crystal Dragon more than two hundred meters long hovered over the battlefield. Cassian stood steadily upon her head, looking down at the enemy ranks.

"That Dragon of his..."

The Valcrest founder sat straighter.

"Void Sanctuary!"

Even through the broadcast, the three men seemed to feel the space below her tightening.

A deep hum rose across the battlefield.

Space shuddered. One black hole appeared, then another, until nearly a hundred hung over an area tens of kilometers across.

They began to move.

There was no pattern to their paths. They seemed almost leisurely, yet crossed the battlefield with appalling speed. Heroes and troops were dragged from the ground and torn apart. Even Epic fighters could not withstand the pull. Only Legendary troops had the strength to escape the worst of it and keep clear of the moving holes.

Nine had advanced only about a month earlier. Cassian’s closest allies knew what she had become, but most of the Homeworld had never heard the news.

Now they saw it for themselves.

"Is that Void Sanctuary? A Mythic skill?"

"Cassian has another Mythic troop! When did that happen?"

"It must be from the Bloodmaw Court campaign. What a haul!"

Ronan Vexley was not enjoying the revelation.

"A Mythic Dragon? When did he advance her?" he roared. "Damn the intelligence bureau! Something this important, and not a word! Those useless parasites should all be dismissed!"

Several heads of the Black Banner’s intelligence bureau had already lost their posts because of Cassian that year. After this battle, it seemed likely another would follow.

Void Sanctuary was primarily a control skill. Its killing power came second.

Against the Black Banner’s troops, that distinction scarcely mattered. These soldiers were nowhere near the standard of the Bloodmaw Court’s armies.

Little more than a dozen seconds later, the army within the affected area had been all but annihilated. Hundreds of isolated Legendary survivors stood amid a stretch of empty battlefield tens of kilometers across.

The Caerwyn Sovereign watched the last black holes fade.

"That Mythic advancement has done wonders for her Dragon form. Void Sanctuary is an excellent skill. Particularly for clearing out the weaker troops."

Then Edran’s expression changed.

"Bad news."

He rose abruptly from his seat.

"What is it?"

For a moment, he paced before the throne. Then he turned back toward the two projections.

"I’ve just received word that Fivefold Heaven’s flying fleet has left Sunhaven. It’s heading for Breakwater Isle."

The other two lost their smiles.

"With the speed of the Elemental Covenant’s ships, and Gates supplied by island Lords along the ocean route, they could arrive as early as tomorrow."

Edran knew their capabilities well. The Equinox School under his command had many ties to the Elemental Covenant. Even the Mythic Mirage Ship Osric Vaust had once stolen had been built with reference to Covenant techniques.

There was no mystery about the fleet’s destination.

It was going for the Five Elements Temple.

"No one understands that Wonder better than the Covenant," Edran said. "If they’re willing to break their agreement at a time like this, they must be confident they can take control of it."

The Valcrest founder frowned.

"Cassian wants the Firstborn Gate, and they mean to use this chance to take his Temple. A crafty pair of opponents. Now we’ll see whose methods are better."

The Caerwyn Sovereign sighed.

"I hope the boy knows when to advance and when to retreat. Our first priority is still to overthrow the Jade Court. Even giving up the Temple would not ruin Divine Nation’s future."

——

Hundreds of thousands of kilometers away, aboard one of the approaching ships, Evander Ardent’s eyes shone.

"With all five Elemental Roots and the Covenant’s secret art, we only need a few days to seize administrator authority over the Temple by force."

He looked toward the distant horizon.

"Riftward has only four entrances. Defending it is easy. Attacking through those approaches would have cost us dearly."

A smile touched his lips.

"And then Cassian moved the Temple out himself. If he’s willing to be that naive, we should accept his generosity."

Five Lords stood beside him, Ilyse Ardent among them. They were Fivefold Heaven’s finest talents in Sector 666, each possessing one of the five Elemental Roots: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

The Metal Lord frowned. His white robe stirred in the wind.

"Elder Ardent, the whole Homeworld knows we made an agreement with Cassian. Wouldn’t this be breaking our word?"

Teren Voss was a prodigy of the Metal Chapter. Like many who cultivated its arts of direct killing, he had a straightforward nature.

Ilyse had an old grudge against Cassian. His objection annoyed her.

"Teren, offering to pay for the Temple was already a courtesy to his racial title. We gave a Human Sovereign due respect. What did he do? Demand the Firstborn Gate in exchange. He means to make the entire Covenant work for him."

"But an agreement is still—"

"I think Ilyse is right."

Oren Briar, the Wood prodigy, cut him off.

"Even with a drop-rate enhancement, we need at least another year to claim the Firstborn Gate. Every day we have the Temple is a day it can strengthen the Covenant."

He spoke with growing conviction.

"We are one of Humanity’s pillars. If Cassian understood the larger situation, he would have donated the Temple himself. He can afford to be shortsighted. We can’t. Even if people condemn us, we’re doing this for Humanity."

Teren listened, still frowning.

"That sounds... Something about it isn’t right."

Evander felt the beginnings of a headache.

Unfortunately, the Metal Chapter had only one Lord with a Metal Root in Sector 666. They needed Teren.

He considered for a moment, then smiled.

"Do you really think Cassian intends to hand the Temple over willingly?"

Teren looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Why is he attacking the Black Banner?"

Evander let the question hang for a moment. His expression grew solemn.

"We have reliable information about his next move. He intends to use Black Banner territory as a stepping stone into Sunhaven, then compete with us for the Firstborn Gate. He wants to keep both Wonders."

"So that’s it!"

Teren’s anger burst out with his pressure. The others felt a sharp sting across their skin.

"What a shameless bastard!"

Ilyse and Oren exchanged a glance. Both were impressed.

Neither believed Cassian would dare challenge Fivefold Heaven for the Gate. Yet Evander had found exactly the excuse needed to win Teren over.

Experience counted for something after all.

——

"Fivefold Heaven’s fleet is coming to Breakwater?"

Cassian stared at Darian’s message for a moment.

Then he swore.

"They broke their word! Do agreements mean nothing to them? Some great Human Realm!"

This had caught him by surprise. The terms were settled. He had expected the Elemental Covenant to show at least enough concern for its reputation to honor them.

Apparently, he had overestimated its restraint. Or underestimated the temptation of the Five Elements Temple.

He cursed Fivefold Heaven thoroughly, quite forgetting his own plan to keep competing for the Gate after making the bargain.

It took a full minute for his temper to settle.

"They wouldn’t come without something prepared."

He considered the strength he had kept out of the public eye.

"This time, I may have to reveal the Crystal Maiden corps or the Faerie Dragons to deal with them."