Completing the NDA and establishing the temporary Link of Loyalty with Hiraku didn't even take five minutes.
The terms of the NDA were quite simple. Meanwhile, the Link of Loyalty would dissolve once the wars were over. Hiraku could also terminate the Link of Loyalty earlier as long as he met the conditions. However, it was unlikely that Hiraku would bother going on and beyond to terminate the Link of Loyalty. It was not worth it.
Michael retrieved two Silver Tokens of Teleportation and handed them over. Hiraku stared at the Silver Tokens of Teleportation for a few seconds and nodded to Michael. He manifested the Runic Gate and pressed the Silver Token of Teleportation against it. The Runic Gate whirled and shapeshifted. A silver gleam conjured within the Runic Gate as it stabilized. Hiraku didn't say anything, however, the excitement in his eyes was apparent.
He stepped into the Runic Gate and disappeared into the Origin Expanse. Frederik hurriedly repeated what Hiraku had done and disappeared in the Runic Gate a few seconds later, leaving Michael alone.
"Restless bunnies," Michael chuckled, leaving the training ground before he manifested the Runic Gate that led back to the Untamed Jungle. He stepped through and emerged in his territory, only to hear Frederik screaming around in ecstasy.
"This is amazing!!"
Frederik squealed like a little child as he ascended into the air. The young Awakened was flying through the air, observing everything about Michael's territory from a slightly elevated position. He hadn't burst through the treetop yet, but that was only a matter of time.
"I wouldn't fly too high, Fred," Michael suggested. He talked to Frederik through Whispering energy but noticed quickly that his friend was stubborn. Frederik didn't want to descend just yet.
"Why??" He asked instead of following Michael's advice.
"There are multiple reasons. For one, there are various avian High Beasts in the middle area of the Untamed Jungle. But if I had to pick the most important reason…I would avoid attracting the attention of the Mythic Serpent. The Mythic Serpent is definitely a Divine Beast. So…Tier-7, probably stronger."
Frederik froze mid-air and dived down to the ground as fast as he could. He turned deadly pale and stares at Michael, his legs quivering.
"Couldn't you have said that a bit earlier?!?" Frederik complained, only to be glared at by Michael and frowned at by Hiraku.
Hiraku was quiet but his eyes darted in all directions. He analyzed the layout of Michael's territory swiftly. However, his eyes rested often on the laughing citizens, their bright smiles, and how relaxed they were.
"Are they not afraid of the approaching war?" Hiraku wondered.
"Everyone would be worried about war, but they trust me, my judgment…and maybe my anger," Michael said half-jokingly. He noticed that Hiraku didn't have a change in impression and pressed his lips together, "Jokes aside. We've had a few fierce battles until now but the enemy forces never managed to infiltrate my territory. Until that changes everyone will feel safe and sound in the territory. Or until we lose all our men on the battlefield."
Hiraku nodded slowly, "Your territory seems well hidden. The layout merges well with the surrounding environment. It doesn't look like you have many special means of defense but I can sense certain changes within the trees. Did you construct defense towers and large-scale weapons in the towers?"
Hiraku had many questions, but Michael answered them readily. There was no need to hide most of these things, either way. Hiraku's perception was good enough to pick up on these things. However, that was what attracted Michael's interest.
"Your senses pick up the surrounding flora and fauna better than other things. You didn't mention anything about the Summoning Gate and the Summoning Cores, yet you point out the territory's synergy with the environment," Michael mentioned.
Hiraku turned to Michael and nodded.
"You could say so. I might tell you at some point," He said, but didn't sound as cold as before. Seeing how comfortable the Summons in Michael's territory were, Hiraku couldn't help but have a better impression of Michael. He had to be a decent Lord if he managed to make his people smile in the adversary of a war.
Hiraku and Michael chatted a little bit more. Frederik eavesdropped and followed them as Michael guided them through the most important places in the territory.
Once Hiraku saw the huge construction site of the Sacred Knight Temple and more than five thousand training Blessed Squires and Holy Knights, he excused himself and moved over to the training grounds.
"He is nice, ain't he?" Frederik asked, only to get slapped on the back.
"You're pretty good at attracting weirdos. You know that, right?" Michael joked, but Frederik had already a response up to his sleeves.
"I know, otherwise, I would have never met you. You're the weirdest of all people I know." Frederik joined the banter with a light joke.
However, deep down he was more serious.
'Who else would hire several Healers from the Seraph family and the Sun Guild to help me and my father without asking anything in return… just to throw several Soultraits and Soultrait Upgrades at me as well? That's the work of the weirdest weirdo in the entire universe!'
Michael flashed a smile at his friend. He didn't expect to be that happy to have Frederik in his territory, but he was relieved. Now that Fredeirk fused with the two Soultraits he'd reserved for his friend, Aeroan was like an unstoppable force. Of course, upgrading Aeroan to 5-Star helped quite a lot.
Nonetheless, Michael was happy that he could help his friend. It felt good to know that he managed to affect his friends' lives positively. He and his territory wouldn't lose out anything by helping Frederik either. Now that he was here, Michael was certain that the forthcoming battles were going to be much easier. At least, that was what he hoped with Frederik and Hiraku joining the territory's military prowess.
An attendant rushed up to Michael to hand him the daily report. Today's daily report included the Untamed Awakened's progress. They improved a lot at using their new Soultraits. It would take some time, but the Untamed Awakened were bound to turn into strong powerhouses. All they needed was time, more resources, and encounters straight from the bloody battlefield.
Frederik peeked into the daily report as well, and his eyes widened in surprise.
However, before he could say something Tiara and the other Silverfangs appeared. Tiara waved brightly in Michael's direction and he returned the greeting. Only a few seconds later Lilica and the other Forest Elves passed by as well.
"You have five different races in your territory…that's crazy."
Michael tilted his head, "What's so crazy about that?"
"What's so crazy about that? Are you serious right now?" Frederik asked, while Michael merely nodded.
Frederik brust into a laughter.
"You really are the weirdest person I know."
He shook his head.
"You don't even realize how rare it is for other races to trust you with their Racial Summoning Cores, do you? Most races treasure Racial Summoning Cores like national treasures. After all, they don't want other races to summon their forefathers and learn about their secrets." Frederik pointed out before he added, "You can imagine how bad it could turn out if some ancestor of the human race tells our enemies about our secret weapons, technologies, and so on. They'll use their knowledge against us."
"Many races will have difficulties fighting against their forefathers as well. They consider the resurrection of their ancestors as something sacred. They wouldn't want to harm them."
Michael heard about the latter part from the Forest Elves. They treated Summons with utmost respect, whether they were Starless or 4-Star Summons. All Summons were their forefathers in some way.
But the other reasons were new to Michael. He never thought about it that way.
'Once I summon Legendary Forest Elves, Berserkers, and Warlock Centaurs, I can get to know their races' secrets. That is…true. The Link of Loyalty will force them to heed my command.'
Handing over their Racial Summoning Cores didn't seem like a big thing before. At least, Michael never thought of it as something overly dramatic. That changed now that he thought about it a little bit more.
Frederik didn't have to say anymore. Michael understood what his friend wanted to convey.
Michael shuddered for a moment and picked up some distraction. He resumed reading the daily report where a bunch of interesting things were written down.
Some Scouts who had invaded the Savannah Region came back with news. Apparently, the Trilance was surrounded. The remaining Laprix tried to flee, but they were mercilessly slaughtered by the Council of Xylon. The numerical disadvantage against the Council of Xylon resulted in a severe deterioration of the Trilance's morale.
But the situation got even worse. The Laprix that had been killed mercilessly were beheaded and exposed to everyone in the Trilance. Their heads were placed atop spears that were placed everywhere around the remaining colonies of the Zynur and Vaylr.
The Trilance's spirit deteriorated even further. They were confined to their colonies and thoughts of the incoming battles didn't end well.
Despite the overwhelming advantage against the Trilance, the Council of Xylon didn't initiate a final attack. They could bulldoze the remaining settlements, however, none of that happened.
Michael was curious about their tactics but he had already a premonition. He thought that something would happen near the Untamed Jungle pretty soon…and he was right.
A particularly marked communication glowed up suddenly.
The premonition worsened at once and Michael rushed to the Pillar of Territorial Awareness, his expression turning sour.
It was just like he'd expected.
The Teleporters returned.
Completing the NDA and establishing the temporary Link of Loyalty with Hiraku didn't even take five minutes.
The terms of the NDA were quite simple. Meanwhile, the Link of Loyalty would dissolve once the wars were over. Hiraku could also terminate the Link of Loyalty earlier as long as he met the conditions. However, it was unlikely that Hiraku would bother going on and beyond to terminate the Link of Loyalty. It was not worth it.
Michael retrieved two Silver Tokens of Teleportation and handed them over. Hiraku stared at the Silver Tokens of Teleportation for a few seconds and nodded to Michael. He manifested the Runic Gate and pressed the Silver Token of Teleportation against it. The Runic Gate whirled and shapeshifted. A silver gleam conjured within the Runic Gate as it stabilized. Hiraku didn't say anything, however, the excitement in his eyes was apparent.
He stepped into the Runic Gate and disappeared into the Origin Expanse. Frederik hurriedly repeated what Hiraku had done and disappeared in the Runic Gate a few seconds later, leaving Michael alone.
"Restless bunnies," Michael chuckled, leaving the training ground before he manifested the Runic Gate that led back to the Untamed Jungle. He stepped through and emerged in his territory, only to hear Frederik screaming around in ecstasy.
"This is amazing!!"
Frederik squealed like a little child as he ascended into the air. The young Awakened was flying through the air, observing everything about Michael's territory from a slightly elevated position. He hadn't burst through the treetop yet, but that was only a matter of time.
"I wouldn't fly too high, Fred," Michael suggested. He talked to Frederik through Whispering energy but noticed quickly that his friend was stubborn. Frederik didn't want to descend just yet.
"Why??" He asked instead of following Michael's advice.
"There are multiple reasons. For one, there are various avian High Beasts in the middle area of the Untamed Jungle. But if I had to pick the most important reason…I would avoid attracting the attention of the Mythic Serpent. The Mythic Serpent is definitely a Divine Beast. So…Tier-7, probably stronger."
Frederik froze mid-air and dived down to the ground as fast as he could. He turned deadly pale and stares at Michael, his legs quivering.
"Couldn't you have said that a bit earlier?!?" Frederik complained, only to be glared at by Michael and frowned at by Hiraku.
Hiraku was quiet but his eyes darted in all directions. He analyzed the layout of Michael's territory swiftly. However, his eyes rested often on the laughing citizens, their bright smiles, and how relaxed they were.
"Are they not afraid of the approaching war?" Hiraku wondered.
"Everyone would be worried about war, but they trust me, my judgment…and maybe my anger," Michael said half-jokingly. He noticed that Hiraku didn't have a change in impression and pressed his lips together, "Jokes aside. We've had a few fierce battles until now but the enemy forces never managed to infiltrate my territory. Until that changes everyone will feel safe and sound in the territory. Or until we lose all our men on the battlefield."
Hiraku nodded slowly, "Your territory seems well hidden. The layout merges well with the surrounding environment. It doesn't look like you have many special means of defense but I can sense certain changes within the trees. Did you construct defense towers and large-scale weapons in the towers?"
Hiraku had many questions, but Michael answered them readily. There was no need to hide most of these things, either way. Hiraku's perception was good enough to pick up on these things. However, that was what attracted Michael's interest.
"Your senses pick up the surrounding flora and fauna better than other things. You didn't mention anything about the Summoning Gate and the Summoning Cores, yet you point out the territory's synergy with the environment," Michael mentioned.
Hiraku turned to Michael and nodded.
"You could say so. I might tell you at some point," He said, but didn't sound as cold as before. Seeing how comfortable the Summons in Michael's territory were, Hiraku couldn't help but have a better impression of Michael. He had to be a decent Lord if he managed to make his people smile in the adversary of a war.
Hiraku and Michael chatted a little bit more. Frederik eavesdropped and followed them as Michael guided them through the most important places in the territory.
Once Hiraku saw the huge construction site of the Sacred Knight Temple and more than five thousand training Blessed Squires and Holy Knights, he excused himself and moved over to the training grounds.
"He is nice, ain't he?" Frederik asked, only to get slapped on the back.
"You're pretty good at attracting weirdos. You know that, right?" Michael joked, but Frederik had already a response up to his sleeves.
"I know, otherwise, I would have never met you. You're the weirdest of all people I know." Frederik joined the banter with a light joke.
However, deep down he was more serious.
'Who else would hire several Healers from the Seraph family and the Sun Guild to help me and my father without asking anything in return… just to throw several Soultraits and Soultrait Upgrades at me as well? That's the work of the weirdest weirdo in the entire universe!'
Michael flashed a smile at his friend. He didn't expect to be that happy to have Frederik in his territory, but he was relieved. Now that Fredeirk fused with the two Soultraits he'd reserved for his friend, Aeroan was like an unstoppable force. Of course, upgrading Aeroan to 5-Star helped quite a lot.
Nonetheless, Michael was happy that he could help his friend. It felt good to know that he managed to affect his friends' lives positively. He and his territory wouldn't lose out anything by helping Frederik either. Now that he was here, Michael was certain that the forthcoming battles were going to be much easier. At least, that was what he hoped with Frederik and Hiraku joining the territory's military prowess.
An attendant rushed up to Michael to hand him the daily report. Today's daily report included the Untamed Awakened's progress. They improved a lot at using their new Soultraits. It would take some time, but the Untamed Awakened were bound to turn into strong powerhouses. All they needed was time, more resources, and encounters straight from the bloody battlefield.
Frederik peeked into the daily report as well, and his eyes widened in surprise.
However, before he could say something Tiara and the other Silverfangs appeared. Tiara waved brightly in Michael's direction and he returned the greeting. Only a few seconds later Lilica and the other Forest Elves passed by as well.
"You have five different races in your territory…that's crazy."
Michael tilted his head, "What's so crazy about that?"
"What's so crazy about that? Are you serious right now?" Frederik asked, while Michael merely nodded.
Frederik brust into a laughter.
"You really are the weirdest person I know."
He shook his head.
"You don't even realize how rare it is for other races to trust you with their Racial Summoning Cores, do you? Most races treasure Racial Summoning Cores like national treasures. After all, they don't want other races to summon their forefathers and learn about their secrets." Frederik pointed out before he added, "You can imagine how bad it could turn out if some ancestor of the human race tells our enemies about our secret weapons, technologies, and so on. They'll use their knowledge against us."
"Many races will have difficulties fighting against their forefathers as well. They consider the resurrection of their ancestors as something sacred. They wouldn't want to harm them."
Michael heard about the latter part from the Forest Elves. They treated Summons with utmost respect, whether they were Starless or 4-Star Summons. All Summons were their forefathers in some way.
But the other reasons were new to Michael. He never thought about it that way.
'Once I summon Legendary Forest Elves, Berserkers, and Warlock Centaurs, I can get to know their races' secrets. That is…true. The Link of Loyalty will force them to heed my command.'
Handing over their Racial Summoning Cores didn't seem like a big thing before. At least, Michael never thought of it as something overly dramatic. That changed now that he thought about it a little bit more.
Frederik didn't have to say anymore. Michael understood what his friend wanted to convey.
Michael shuddered for a moment and picked up some distraction. He resumed reading the daily report where a bunch of interesting things were written down.
Some Scouts who had invaded the Savannah Region came back with news. Apparently, the Trilance was surrounded. The remaining Laprix tried to flee, but they were mercilessly slaughtered by the Council of Xylon. The numerical disadvantage against the Council of Xylon resulted in a severe deterioration of the Trilance's morale.
But the situation got even worse. The Laprix that had been killed mercilessly were beheaded and exposed to everyone in the Trilance. Their heads were placed atop spears that were placed everywhere around the remaining colonies of the Zynur and Vaylr.
The Trilance's spirit deteriorated even further. They were confined to their colonies and thoughts of the incoming battles didn't end well.
Despite the overwhelming advantage against the Trilance, the Council of Xylon didn't initiate a final attack. They could bulldoze the remaining settlements, however, none of that happened.
Michael was curious about their tactics but he had already a premonition. He thought that something would happen near the Untamed Jungle pretty soon…and he was right.
A particularly marked communication glowed up suddenly.
The premonition worsened at once and Michael rushed to the Pillar of Territorial Awareness, his expression turning sour.
It was just like he'd expected.
The Teleporters returned.
